Casino Royale (2006)

Director:

Martin Campbell

Writers (WGA):

Neal Purvis (screenplay) &
Robert Wade (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Everyone has a past. Every legend has a beginning. On November 17th, discover how James...became Bond.

Plot:

In his first mission, James Bond must stop Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro.

Plot Keywords:

Terrorist | Poker | James Bond | Montenegro | Casino

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 15 wins & 25 nominations

Cast

Daniel Craig	...	James Bond
Eva Green	...	Vesper Lynd
Mads Mikkelsen	...	Le Chiffre
Judi Dench	...	M
Jeffrey Wright	...	Felix Leiter
Giancarlo Giannini	...	Mathis
Caterina Murino	...	Solange
Simon Abkarian	...	Alex Dimitrios
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Steven Obanno (as Isaach De Bankole)
Jesper Christensen	...	Mr. White
Ivana Milicevic	...	Valenka
Tobias Menzies	...	Villiers
Claudio Santamaria	...	Carlos
Sebastien Foucan	...	Mollaka (as Sébastien Foucan)
Malcolm Sinclair	...	Dryden

Also Known As:

Bond 21 (UK) (working title)
Bond Begins (USA) (fake working title)
Bond XXI (UK) (working title)
James Bond 007 - Casino Royale (Germany)
James Bond 21 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity.

Runtime:

144 min

Country:

USA | UK | Germany | Czech Republic

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:M | Singapore:PG | Belgium:KT | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Spain:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Malaysia:U | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Brazil:14 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #42012) (cut version) | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12 (video rating) (cut) | UK:12A (cinema rating) (cut) | South Korea:15 | Denmark:11 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Africa:13V | France:U (with warning) | India:UA | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

"The Canals", Venice, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ulrich Matthes was offered the role of 'Le Chiffre' but had to decline due to his commitment to a theatrical production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?".

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Boeing 747 does not have afterburners, as depicted during the airport chase scene, when it used them to avoid hitting the Miami police vehicles.

Quotes:

[first lines]
James Bond: M really doesn't mind you earning a little money on the side, Dryden. She'd just prefer it if it wasn't selling secrets.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Have I Got News for You: (#32.5)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

You Know My Name

Excellent prequel to the series

Though it doesn't care too much about the series' continuity (it's supposed to be Bond's first mission as a 00 agent, but it takes place after the Cold war and Judi Dench is already M), "Casino Royale" is a great re-creation of the series. Cool action, great thrills and a more humane Bond more than make up for the purported lack of gadgets. Daniel Craig plays Bond as a rough secret who only gradually acquires the class and cold demeanor we all know and love. He makes mistakes in the course of his mission, but that makes him even more of a hero. Although I found it hard at first to cope with Craig's looks, he is more than suitable as the character. Bond is portrayed as a man with flaws and weaknesses, which makes him look even stronger. The story is not your usual Bond plot and relies more on classical thrills than technology, though the action is extremely hard-boiled. Kudos to the creepy Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre and Eva Green as Vesper Lynd for creating remarkably believable characters. A definite must-see for Bond fans : it should reconcile at last Ian Fleming aficionados and fans of the film series !