Casino Royale (2006)
Prior to the release of Casino Royale it had become obvious that James Bond was facing tougher and tougher competition from the likes of Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt and that the franchise required an injection of fresh and exciting ideas in order to keep its appeal. Previous outings had done little to save the character from becoming a cliché; Die Another Day, for example, featured an A-list cast, exotic locations and some awe-inspiring stunt work, but none of it felt particularly new. The world had moved on without Bond, as he tried desperately to be modern but had continued to chase megalomaniacs with space lasers around the world in cars stuffed with inconceivable gadgets like invisibility cloaks. As we have already noted, the Cold War was long gone by the twenty first century, replaced instead by very active warzones in the Middle East and the possibility of terrorism and economic collapse very real threats indeed. In this age, Bond needed a reboot to make him tougher, stronger and a little more credible. How did the producers set about accomplishing this? The answer is simple - they went back to Ian Flemings very first book... In the novel of Casino Royale, first published in 1953, James Bond is not particularly humorous, or charming, or even that likeable. He is a sombre man with a love of fine food and fast cars, but with a mind very focused on his goals. Death does not faze him, or violence, or intimidation. He is simply there to do a job, one which he takes great pride in and in which he excels. For the film adaptation, the writers took many elements from Flemings original work, including the characters of Vesper Lynd, Felix Leiter, Le Chiffre and M as well as the location of the Casino Royale. Most importantly, however, they encapsulated the essence of Flemings Bond. When it was first announced that Pierce Brosnan would not be reprising the role for a fifth time, and that Daniel Craig was to replace him, there was a certain degree of discontent amongst many diehard fans. Many people, myself included, criticised Craigs appearance in Layer Cake as being too violent or emotionless to make a great Bond. However, upon reflection casting him as 007 was a brilliant choice. Ill admit that when I first watched Casino Royale I vowed never to watch another Craig outing as it just wasnt the James Bond of old. In terms of the films, I was right; but in light of the original source material Craig nails it. Another feature of the film which makes it deserving of acknowledgement is its placement within the canon of Bond. Not only does it present a different take on the character, but it also takes place as a precursor to Dr No rather than as a sequel to Die Another Day. The man we see in Casino Royale is a fresh recruit to MI6, earning his stripes and making plenty of mistakes along the way. The cinematic version predates even the book, as we see Bond make the two kills which provide him with 00 status. He then goes on to show his inexperience and recklessness as he shoots up the Nambutu embassy in pursuit of a terrorist, before being given his first true assignment as a spy the infiltration of a poker game held by money launderer and gambler Le Chiffre. In the process he picks up his iconic 1964 Aston Martin as well as ordering his first Vodka Martini (even if he hasnt quite perfected the best way to drink it!) Its well chronicled that prequels hold a certain appeal with audiences as they serve to explain the origins of famous characters. Cinemagoers have a certain fascination with finding out why characters are the way that they are just look at Man of Steel and the Spiderman movies. Bond is no exception; Casino Royale grossed considerably higher than its predecessor at the box office, ushering in a new Bond and a rejuvenation of his adventures.
Not to be outdone by previous instalments, the movie also retains the high octane stunts as before, with one of the most well known the parkour chase through a Madagascan construction site. Utilising the talents of parkour runner Sebastian Foucan, director Martin Campbell uses quick edits and a variety of different shots to put the audience on the edge of their seats. The terrorist, Mollaka (played by Foucan) tries everything to escape Bond, culminating in the two fighting atop two cranes, jumping between the two as they fight to survive. Another great scene features Bond pursuing Le Chiffre after he has captured Vesper Lynd. In the novel Bond is driving his trademark Bentley, while Le Chiffre is behind the wheel of a Citroen. The villain eventually outsmarts 007 by dropping a carpet of spikes from beneath his cars bumper. In the movie, however, Bond has at his disposal the spiritual successor to the DB5, the DBS, and is foiled by the tactical placement of Vesper, who is tied up and left directly into the path of the oncoming Aston. The outcome, unfortunately, is the same in both cases. The car performs a spectacular roll before coming to a rest containing an unconscious Bond, who is then scooped up and led away to be tortured by Le Chiffre and his henchmen. Fleming has long been praised as having a talent for penning exquisite depictions of car chases, but the Aston Martins roll (which entered the Guiness Book of Records as the most barrel rolls assisted by air cannon) is truly a spectacle to behold. To conclude this whistle stop tour of Bonds outings, its easy to see that Bond has faced his fair share of adversity over the years, struggling to stay relevant and interesting in an ever shifting world. He has battled ceaselessly to retain the attention of audiences who are increasingly crying out for the next big thing. Nevertheless, due to the efforts of the actors, writers, directors and cinematographers involved, the franchise has continued to progress and pack cinemas worldwide. Skyfall sets everything up nicely for the series to continue for another fifty years... and I for one certainly hope that it does!