Product Description

Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Jesper Christensen, Giancarlo Giannini Director: Martin Campbell

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #777 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Action & Adventure
• Released on: 2008-10-20
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .61 pounds
• Running time: 144 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The most successful invigoration of a cinematic franchise since Batman Begins, Casino Royale offers a new Bond identity. Based on the Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 into a Cold War world, Casino Royale is the most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film since Sean Connery left Her Majesty's Secret Service. Meet the new Bond; not the same as the old Bond. Daniel Craig gives a galvanising performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, yes, but also a "blunt instrument," reckless and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. In classic Bond film tradition, his global itinerary takes him to far-flung locales, including Uganda, Madagascar, the Bahamas (that's more like it) and Montenegro, where he is pitted against his nemesis in a poker game, with hundreds of millions in the pot. The stakes get even higher when Bond lets down his armour by falling in love with Vesper (Eva Green), the ravishing banker's representative fronting him the money.

For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Aston Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?". There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M who, one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, who weeps blood, is a sinister dandy. From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, 'makes you feel it', particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy". But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last line ever in any Bond film. To quote Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin, "now I know what I've been faking all these years". --Donald Liebenson

DVD Description
After a great deal of discussion--on the part of fans and producers alike--over Daniel Craig's (The Mother, Munich, Layer Cake) suitability for the role of James Bond, he more than proves himself in this explosive revamping of the franchise. Under the direction of Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro) and with Paul Haggis (Crash) helping with the re-writes, this addition to the Bond canon manages to hold true to the essence of the stories--the villainous villains, the fabulous sets, the beautiful women, the fast-paced action--while updating the formula with subtlety and humanity. Trading in the Cold War era for a new, post-9-11 landscape, the tale unfolds in locations that span the globe, including the Bahamas, Venice, and the Czech Republic. It opens in Madagascar, where Bond pursues a guerilla bomb-maker in one of the most breathtaking chase scenes ever--and it all takes place on foot. Botching that assignment, Bond goes to Montenegro to square off against terrorist baddie Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson), an international loan shark who gambles with the money of his equally dangerous clients. Beautiful British Treasury representative Vesper Lynd (Eva Green, The Dreamers) supplies Bond's own funds, appearing on his arm in Montenegro, while M (Dame Judi Dench, Pride and Prejudice) keeps a close watch on the action from headquarters. The extravagant poker game forms the centre of the action, with Jeffrey Wright (Syriana, The Manchurian Candidate) putting in an intense appearance at the table; interrupting the game are assassination attempts, poisoning, and other dramatic events that keep the adrenaline pumping. The flirtation that unfolds between Bond and Vesper Lynd is only in keeping with the spy's M.O. as a ladies' man. What differs here, however, is what sets this Bond apart from the rest: the romance is taken seriously, and it exposes vulnerability in Bond that he's never shown before. This, however, only makes him the tougher, as Craig's Bond is darker, less campy, more brooding and mysterious, than his past incarnations ever were.

Special Features
This special 2 disc Blu-ray Casino Royale (Deluxe Edition) pack hosts a range of special features, including:

Bonus View Picture in Picture Detail
Commentary With Director and Producer
Know Your 00: The Ultimate Bond Trivia Quiz

Customer Reviews

Ultimate version of this Bond film
Rather than focussing on the film, which is well reviewed, here is a quick run-down of the extras on this "Deluxe Blu-Ray" version over the DVD Collector's Edition and original Blu-ray versions and the DVD Deluxe Edition.

Firstly, those interested in the Blu-ray version over the DVD will be keen to know that all of the extras are in high definition, with the exception of the "Bond Girls" and "Chris Cornell music video" extras which are DVD resolution. Obviously there are some shots within the other extras that aren't full HD quality.

Disc 1 extras:
- crew commentary
- picture-in-picture visual commentary (Blu-Ray only)
- James Bond quiz (Blu-Ray only)

Disc 2 extras:
1 deleted scenes (x4)
2 Road to Casino Royale
3 Ian Fleming's Incredible Creation
4 James Bond in the Bahamas
5 Ian Fleming: Secret Road to Paradise
6 Death in Venice
7 Becoming Bond Documentary (from original edition, HD)
8 James Bond: For Real documentary (from original edition, HD)
9 Bond Girls are Forever (from original edition, low definition)
10 Art of the Freerun
11 Catching A Plane storyboard to screen
12 Freerun Chase storyboard sequence
13 Filmmaker Profiles
14 Chris Cornell music video (low definition)

Of the new features, most fall into the category of interview-based documentaries with clips of the final film, although a few (items 6 and 10 in particular) are behind the scenes "how did they do it" material.

I would recommend this version if you have the earlier DVD version but have since bought a Blu-ray player, as the Blu-Ray quality is excellent and there are some good new features. If you have the original Blu-ray version, only buy it if you really want the extra documentaries and like watching people sitting talking! If you haven't bought any previous version and have a Blu-Ray player then the extra cost over the DVD Deluxe Edition is certainly worthwhile.

Better than original version of Blu Ray
Got it this week, I found it better than original version of Blu ray. Better colours, features...

Some people like PCM of original version BUT it's sounds 99.9% same in DD TrueHD on my surround system (Denon 3808 AMP/MA Gold Speakers)

I'll suggest if you are looking for Casino Royale in Blu Ray than go for this one rather than original one.

I hope this will help you.

Cut to the chase...
This is a superb blu ray release in all aspects apart from one: it is cut in the torture scene. As most of us would agree, the film itself is an exciting modern incarnation of Bond, and the quality of this release certainly does it justice. Picture and audio quality are sublime and the extras are first rate.

If you can live with the cuts, this is the blu ray for you. If you can't, buy the deluxe edition from amazon.fr. It is uncut, region B (same as UK) and features the same high quality transfer and extras. The English audio is still presented in TrueHD, and the menus even load up in English. The box for the French blu ray doesn't have the swish cover, and it costs you a little more to import it, but the delivery service from amazon.fr is exemplary, and it's more than worth the trouble.

If you are a purist like me who hates the BBFC's antics and want to watch the film as the director intended, this is the blu ray for you. Casino Royale might have moved to Montenegro in this film adaptation of the book, but if you want the real Casino Royale, France is still the place to look.