DVD Review - Casino Royale

I am not the biggest James Bond fan in the world. In fact, I haven't seen a Bond film in a long, long time. But although I missed the new version of Casino Royale when it played in the theaters(too many other films to see) I knew that I had to see it on DVD because it got such rave reviews. After seeing it I have to say that I think that the film was overpraised.

I found the first hour rather slow. Daniel Craig is a wonderful actor and he does a great job as Bond. But the pacing of the story and the writing just didn't measure up in the first part of the film. Things pick up when Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) comes onto the scene. She is supposed to help Bond capture a corrupt casino owner (Mads Mikkelsen) who has ties with terrorists. Craig and Green have wonderful chemistry. At this point the pace picks up and the action is non stop. Craig has some meaty scenes in the film that prove what a terrific actor he is. But this still does not add up to a great film - at least not for me. Jeffrey Wright is totally wasted in a throw away role. He is such a fine actor that surely they could have written him into a few more scenes. And I also would have liked to see more of Giancarlo Giannini in the film. Judi Dench was good (as always) as Bond's no nonsense boss M.

All in all, this is a very well made action film and for that we have director Martin Campbell to thank. He takes us all over the world and makes us feel like we are actually there. And then there is Daniel Craig. But the film is too long and should have been cut by a bit. And while I found it entertaining I certainly can't say that it is an outstanding achievement. But if you are looking for high adventure then definitely check it out.