Movie (2006) Starring: Daniel Craig (James Bond) Mads Mikkelsen (Le Chiffre) Judi Dench (M) Jesper Christiansen (Mr. White) Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) Clemens Schick (Kratt) The terrorist banker Le Chiffre loses a lot of money of his clients. To get this money back, he has to win at a high stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro. Casino Royale is a 1967 British-American spy parody film originally produced by Columbia Pictures featuring an ensemble cast. It is loosely based on Ian Fleming 's first James Bond novel. The film stars David Niven as the 'original' Bond, Sir James Bond 007. Casino Royale (2006) 2006 144 minutes. Add to Wishlist. Based on Ian Fleming's first 007 novel, James Bond (Daniel Craig) must thwart a dangerous Russian spy who is funding global terrorists.

• Watch Casino Royale
• Casino Royale 2006 Running Times

Discover

Original Release

11/14/2006

Links

Cast

Directors

Writers

Robert Wade, Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Ian Fleming

Cast

Producers

Editors

Watch Casino Royale

Casino Royale 2006 Running Times

Yes, Daniel Craig makes a superb Bond: Leaner, more taciturn, less sex-obsessed, able to be hurt in body and soul, not giving a damn if his martini is shaken or stirred. That doesn't make him the 'best' Bond, because I've long since given up playing that pointless ranking game; Sean Connery was first to plant the flag, and that's that. But Daniel Craig is bloody damned great as Bond, in a movie that creates a new reality for the character.

Year after year, attending the new Bond was like observing a ritual. There was the opening stunt sequence that served little purpose, except to lead into the titles; the title song; Miss Moneypenny; M with an assignment of great urgency to the Crown; Q with some new gadgets; an archvillain; a series of babes, some treacherous, some doomed, all frequently in stages of undress; the villain's master-plan; Bond's certain death, and a lot of chases. It could be terrific, it could be routine, but you always knew about where you were in the formula.

With 'Casino Royale,' we get to the obligatory concluding lovey-dovey on the tropical sands, and then the movie pulls a screeching U-turn and starts up again with the most sensational scene I have ever seen set in Venice, or most other places. It's a movie that keeps on giving.

This time, no Moneypenny, no Q and Judi Dench is unleashed as M, given a larger role, and allowed to seem hard-eyed and disapproving to the reckless Bond. This time, no dream of world domination, but just a bleeding-eyed rat who channels money to terrorists. This time a poker game that is interrupted by the weirdest trip to the parking lot I've ever seen. This time, no laser beam inching up on Bond's netherlands, but a nasty knotted rope actually whacking his hopes of heirs.

And this time, no Monte Carlo, but Montenegro, a fictional casino resort, where Bond checks into the 'Hotel Splendid,' which is in fact, yes, the very same Grand Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary where Queen Latifah had her culinary vacation in 'Last Holiday.' That gives me another opportunity to display my expertise on the Czech Republic by informing you that 'Pupp' is pronounced 'poop,' so no wonder it's the Splendid.

I never thought I would see a Bond movie where I cared, actually cared, about the people. But I care about Bond, and about Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), even though I know that (here it comes) a Martini Vesper is shaken, not stirred. Vesper Lynd, however, is definitely stirring, as she was in Bertolucci's wonderful 'The Dreamers.' Sometimes shaken, too. Vesper and James have a shower scene that answers, at last, why nobody in a Bond movie ever seems to have any real emotions.