As a result, we get some very violent fight scenes and a brutal torture scene (trust me, I am complaining about neither), intermingled with some very piss-weak love scenes. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli aren’t at risk of losing any money. Casino Royale is only “grittier and more realistic” when Michael G. They were genuinely believable as tough guys because they acted like tough guys.Īnd that’s not even mentioning the way the story plays out.

Go back and watch some of the old tough guys like Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, or, yes, Sean Connery. The only reason Daniel Craig “looks” like a killer is because he has big muscles. We have all had it pissed in our ears about how “Daniel Craig looks like a killer” and how Casino Royale is “grittier and more realistic.” Total horseshit.

The third is that the film is completely inconsistent. This is followed by a trip to Venice where Vesper kills herself using sleeping pills, Bond discovers her body, and informs M that “the bitch is dead.” The film then occurs as normal from Bond’s first encounter with Vesper on the train until the aftermath of the torture sequence in the hospital. After the titles, we get a briefing scene with M in which she explains who Le Chiffre is, what has happened to him, and what Bond’s mission is (AKA the traditional briefing). The film opens with the pre-title sequence of Bond earning his double-o followed by the main title sequence. Here's how the story should have played out. Then there’s the collapsing building finale. And, yes, I am perfectly aware that the Bond films are known for being contrived, but this was just ridiculous. Why do we need to see Bond foil Le Chiffre’s scheme only to have him defeat him at poker later on? To call it contrived would be an understatement. It is too long because the story isn’t told very effectively.

In my personal opinion, they should have kept it as baccarat. The first – and this is merely a result of personal tastes – is that they changed the central card game from baccarat – which carries with it connotations of class and sophistication – to the much more low-brow Texax Hold ‘Em Poker. I’ve been wanting to write a critique of 2006’s Casino Royale for a while now.

Casino royale bond torture scene