New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Casino Royale is the 21st movie of the long-standing British James Bond sequel. However, this action thriller reinvents the Bond franchise to set it to a whole new path, bringing the 007 character to the 21st century. It is not just the best Bond movie ever, but perhaps the greatest blockbuster of the 21st century.
The Casino Royale's directors clearly got the best characters for the movie. Only Judi Dench, as M, reappears in here from previous Brosnan films. But Daniel Craig plays the role that matters, James Bond.
Casino Royale wraps up action and adventure with a thoughtful touch of reality, delivering an immersing experience many blockbusters struggle to provide. Here are a few things that stood out in this movie considered by most people as the greatest blockbuster of the century. They include:
A great plot
Casino Royale brings Ian Fleming's 1953 spy story of "an agent who neither saves the world nor the girl" and sets it to the big screens.
Graig, a British MI6 agent, signed 00 status, tasked with trailing and apprehending a bomb-maker. His assignment begins in Madagascar, where he discovers Le Chiffre, a banking serving terrorists and the villain for that matter.
Le Chiffre receives money from the terror group to bank. He instead, he uses the money in the stock market with a plan to attack an airline and affect its stock price, and buy when the prices are low. But poor him, he loses the money after James Bond thwart his plan.
To recoup his losses, Le Chiffre organizes a high-stakes Texas hold 'em poker tournament at Casino Royale. The MI16 enroll Bond as a player, to further bankrupt and compel Le Chiffre, having lost terrorist's money, to seek asylum in Britain in exchange for information.
Vesper Lynd, Bond's handler and in charge of the $10 million bankrolling him in the casino game, betrays Bond. She does so to out of love to protect him from Russian operatives. But we only learn this from the suicide note she leaves Bond. This plot left a chance for the subsequent sequel.
Great scenes
Casino Royale opens with a parkour-propelled pursuit analogous to the famous sequel fast and furious. The view is around uncompleted building Madagascar.
There's also an unabashedly homoerotic torture scene, censored in some countries, that goes beyond extreme, but seemingly too real to be a movie.
Also, the scenes at the Casino Royale itself remind you why the traditional game houses still attract people even with the convenience the online casino offer.
Did I mention the fight on at the Miami International Airport a runway?
It's not just action, but also has some of the most memorable conversations. Some noticeable examples include;
Bond's dining-car chat with Vesper Lynd.
The casino table introduction of CIA cipher Felix Leiter.
The torture scene conversation.
Perfect Match Main Character Choice
Before Casino Royale's release, critics thought Daniel Craig wasn't a perfect fit for the James Bond role. They could have never been so wrong. Craig redefined the James Bond character with his snub-nosed charisma. He is always on the move into adversity without a backup plan, which makes the scenes ever thrilling. Even when you thought it's over, he still found a way to crash forward.
Final thoughts
It is now 13 years down the line since Casino Royale hit the screens. The subsequent releases of the sequel have hardly held a candle to it. We are yet to see a blockbuster that will pull a gamble like this, staking everything, while still coming out on top.
