`Casino Royale` (2006) is up for review in the MI6 Forums November Bondathon

Site News - 03-11-09

To celebrate the spate of upcoming Bond film anniversaries and the pave the way to Bond 23, we thought it was high-time the forum (Keeping The British End Up) pulled together for an official review of the whole series.

A film will be presented each month for viewing, discussion and review; running in conjunction with the main site, overall ratings and a selection of the best reviews will be published at the end of the month on MI6.co.uk.

The famous Daniel Craig's back-to-basics debut, Casino Royale (2006) is the sixth film to go under review in the MI6Forums Bondathon...

Introduction

Stripped of his gadgets, experience and armor, James Bond returns for 'the first time' in Casino Royale.

Shortly after the release of the highly criticized, albeit financially successful, Die Another Day, the producers of the James Bond film series were faced with a unique opportunity. In a bold move that shook the Bond community, those responsible for making the films chose to bring Bond back to his basics by telling the story of his origins as a '00' in an adaptation of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale. By casting Daniel Craig, a then relatively unknown actor, and by stripping the character back, they were taking a very large gamble on the future of the film series.

From the slums of Madagascar to the beaches of the Bahamas, from the hills of Montenegro to the canals of Venice, James Bond circles the globe as he experiences his first assignment as a rookie of the '00' section. Pitted against mathematical genius Le Chiffre at a high stakes game of Texas Hold’em poker where the winning pot could potentially help finance a terrorist organization, Bond must deal with more than a few unexpected hands. Eventually stripped of his armor, 007 must come face to face with one of the biggest dangers of all – the woman he loves.

The result is a radical overhaul of the film series' style. Many of the original elements involved in the Bondian formula responsible for the character’s fame are removed or changed - resulting in something altogether more low-key. The film does not open with the classic gunbarrel logo and the first scene is shot in black and white. The universally known James Bond theme is not used throughout the film and is instead saved for its final moments.

Can James Bond not only win the poker game, but the hearts of generations who have grown to love the allure of his formulaic films? Let's just say that when the stakes are high you can always bet on Bond.

- Introduction by Nick_007

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Discuss this news here...

Earlier Story: New head of the real-life MI6 starts work this month

Later Story: An interview with Ian`s nephew: Fergus Fleming

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