April 27, 2009

Casino Royale

Title: Casino Royale
Year: 2006
Director: Martin Campbell
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Paul Haggis, based on the novel by Ian Fleming
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
Music: David Arnold
Distinctions: formerly on IMDb's Top 250
Synopsis: James Bond, kicking ass and playing cards
Length: 144 minutes
How I saw it: on video twice (rented from Netflix), most recently November 2008
Subjective Rating: 8/10 (Great).
Objective Rating: 8/10 (points off for story and pacing) c. 3.0/4 (Good).

I wasn't a fan of James Bond until I saw this movie. It's hiply directed (not Hollywood Action Movie Sleek) and kind of dark. The Bond character has depth and some serious bad ass edge. And most importantly, the action sequences are relentlessly engaging. But damn if the last hour and a half aren't almost boring enough to make you forget how good the beginning is. Here's a hint to filmmakers: If an action movie is 2½ hours long, you're doing it wrong.

No comments:

Post a Comment