Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity.
Directed by Martin Campbell (the Zorro films, Vertical Limit, GoldenEye…)
Staring Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench…
My favorite Bond film yet!
Yes… I know that I just committed blasphemy to many die hard Bond fans. No disrespect to Sean Connery… this was better.
I don’t usually like to watch other reviewers before I write a review, but I couldn’t help but tune into Ebert and Roeper’s review of this film on the plane yesterday. They said something that I heartily encore. They said, “Sean Connery will always be the best Bond, but I believe that Daniel Craig might just be the best actor who has ever played Bond.”
When the “Fleming” gang decided that they were going to go back and do Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, they made a smart decision to find a new young Bond. Controversy erupted (entire web sites were developed) criticizing the decision of making Craig the new Bond.
They’re all eating their words now.
Daniel Craig was cool, he showed depth and emotion, and he was more believable as the “stud” that could do all these amazing feats—a truly more “athletic” Bond.
Casino Royale is about Bond’s first mission: He must stop Le Chiffre, a banker to the world’s terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro.
The film was action packed with one of the best foot chase scenes (save a Luc Besson film) ever shot. The script was smart, showing us character development that we’ve never seen in a Bond film, helping us understand what made Bond what he is now. The performances were spectacular. I already told you that Craig was amazing. And Eva Green was by far one of my favorite Bond girls (sorry Ursula).
Most people have found this film fun and all around entertaining.
The DVD has some fun features about finding the new Bond, the Bond girls and glimpses behind the action.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
It’s actually pretty clean for a Bond film, but it wasn’t free of sexual situations and implied sex. To be honest, it was more tame than many TV shows today. The “nudity” was a side view (the naked side of his leg… non-explicit) of Bond in a chair as he was being tortured—a scene that wasn’t bloody or hard to watch, it will just make guys cringe because of the nature of the torture. But no, I wouldn’t let my 9 and 11 year old daughters see it. I’ll probably watch it with my son (almost 14) pausing it for discussion after a few scenes of implied sex (I love to use these as discussion launchers).
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
