Bond Secret File #21 - Casino Royale

 

Introduction: 10/10

Casino Royale breaks new ground with the grittiest Bond introduction to date, as the start of the film introduces the new Bond and shows him producing his first two kills to receive 00 status. What makes this introduction so great is that it's dark, it's gritty and it’s short, so it really pumps you up for the film to come!

 

Title Song: 10/10

The theme song for Casino Royale was really criticized by a lot by viewers and fans of the Bond series, and I honestly don't know why. You Know My Name is performed by Chris Cornell, I have never heard of this guy before but the song is awesome, what more can I say! Cornell becomes the first male artist to perform a Bond theme song since The Living Daylights, it's also the first theme song since Octopussy's, Your An All Time High that does not have the same title as the film. On top of all that Cornell also becomes the first American male artist to perform a Bond theme song.

If you take a life, do you know what you'll give. Odds are, you won't like what it is. When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me. By the merciless eyes I've deceived.

I've seen angels fall from blinding heights. But you yourself are nothing so divine. Just next in line.

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you. The odds will betray you. And I will replace you. You can't deny the prize; it may never fulfill you. It longs to kill you. Are you willing to die.

The coldest blood runs through my veins. You know my name.

If you come inside, things will not be the same. When you return to my night. If you think you've won. You never saw me change. The game that we have been playing.

I've seen diamonds cut through harder men. Than get on your cell-phone if you must pretend. You may meet your end.

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you. The odds will betray you. And I will replace you. You can't deny the prize; it may never fulfill you. It longs to kill you.
Are you willing to die.

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Try to hide your hand. Forget how to feel. (Forget how to feel). Life is gone with just a spin of the wheel. (A spin of the wheel).

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you. The odds will betray you. And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize; it may never fulfill you. It longs to kill you. Are you ready to die.

The coldest blood runs through my veins. You know my name. (You know my name). You know my name. (You know my name). You don’t know my name? You know my name! You know my name!

 

Bond: 9/10

Casino Royale continues to impress with its lead actor Daniel Craig as he steps into the role of James Bond. Craig definitely stands out in the franchise as his personification of 007 is by far the grittiest of them all. The character is almost too gritty at times making you almost forget James Bond is the good guy. Needless to say Daniel Craig really steps it up in this first outing and it is quite impressive, by far the best first performance of any actor to replace Sean Connery. Still Craig doesn't beat Connery in my opinion; Craig is no where near as suave and sarcastic as Connery and doesn't have any of the classic facial expressions Connery's Bond was so well known for. Overall a nice start but still no match for the original.

 

Bond Girls:

 

Vesper Lynd: 10/10

Vesper is sent by the British government to supply Bond with the entrance fee into the Casino Royale poker tournament, but she's also been told to keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn't lose it and completely botch the mission. On the outside Vesper is a very strong and confident woman, but on the inside she struggling to hold herself together, eventually Bond is able to break through her armored exterior and Vesper becomes quite a vulnerable character. I thought Eva Green did an outstanding job as Vesper Lynd. Vesper is intelligent, strong and beautiful but at the same time vulnerable and secretive. She's the first Bond girl, in my opinion, whose seemed at all real. It’s a character you can actually imagine existing in real life and there's been no other Bond girl in the entire franchise I could say that about.

 

Solange: 7/10

The wife of Alex Dimitrios, a criminal who plays a role in Bond's search for the man behind the terrorist banking. Solange is another drop dead gorgeous Bond girl (this film by far boasts the two hottest), unfortunately that's about all she is. Her character adds little to the film, and her role comprises of less than five minutes of screen time. Acting wise there is really nothing to rate, physically Carterina Murino was certainly well cast for the role but looks aren't everything.

The Villain:

 

Le Chiffre: 8/10

A banker for the world's largest terrorist organizations, Le Chiffre uses his client's money without their knowledge to make a risky investment and then performs a terrorist act of his own to make sure that his investment pays off. Unfortunately for him his plan is stopped by Bond and now Le Chiffre is being hunted down by his clients. His only hope in getting the money back and staying alive is to win the Casino Royale poker tournament, but Bond stands in his way once again! Mads Mikkelsen is wonderfully cast in this role because he has that great villain look. While Le Chiffre probably won't be remembered as one of the best villains in the Bond franchise, for a series that has had a lot of stinkers Le Chiffre is a solid adversary.

Total Rating : 9/10
Overall (Including Film Rating) : 9/10

9/10