Posts Tagged ‘Casino Royale’

The impetus for this list came from simply re-watching Martin Scorsese’s 1995 film Casino, during which time I could not help but think of the number of movies which prominently feature the goings on of casinos – or at least the alleged goings on. And being that I didn’t quite agree with the listing of the Best Casino Movies at CasinoTop10, I decided to tackle the challenge of ranking them myself. Interestingly enough, though, casino movies aren’t even considered a subgenre, as few if any thematic or aesthetic similarities can be found amongst the movies which significantly feature a casino setting. Not to be discouraged, however, I took advantage of this leeway and simply considered any film which takes place in a casino or casino-like locale either for a substantial portion of the running time or during a particularly important or memorable scene. And now that we’re armed with these criteria let us get on with the rankings, which may contain a few surprises.

5. Casino Royale (2006) 

It seems almost too fitting that a James Bond movie be on this list considering how many times we’ve seen 007 sitting sharply dressed in a tuxedo at a green-felted table over the decades, and the question that immediately comes to mind is what separates Casino Royale from the lot. The answer is that, more than any other Bond flick, it made card games both a significant part of the plot and exceedingly exciting. Not only did James win his Aston Martin in a poker game, but he bested the film’s main villain by the same means. The scenes where the dapper double-o goes toe to toe with Le Chiffre demonstrate the full extent of the secret agent’s wit and savvy, successfully substantiating the notion that he is not just a physical force to be reckoned with but a cerebral one as well. No doubt, it’s as civilized a showdown as you’re likely to find in an action movie from any era, and that it’s as exciting as the film’s car chases speaks volumes about the writing quality.

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Due to Metro Goldwyn-Mayer’s immense debt ($4 billion) the studio that has owned the rights to the James Bond name for decades faces an uncertain future with its most prized franchise. Although the studio received yet another extension to pay $450 million to its debtholders that will continue through Sept. 15, the financial crisis is far from over. MGM’s goal is to sell the company, but no offers have yet been up to par. Time Warner offered $1.5 billion, and that remains the highest bid.

All of these money woes have caused an indefinite delay for the next Bond film. What MGM fears is that these woes continue for such a time that the franchise wont be able to get back on its feet again (5, 6 years?). Nobody seems to lack confidence that the franchise can still rake in the big bucks, as the last time there was a long delay between Bond films (the switch between Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan) it led to GoldenEye, which grossed over $352 million worldwide. The two Daniel Craig projects, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, grossed a combined $1 billion worldwide, so it’s safe to think that another Bond film will be made. The only question is when, and by whom.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Quick Opinion: The James Bond franchise is indeed too successful to be left for dead. Although most people are of the opinion that Quantum didn’t quite live up to Royale, there is still a lot of interest in knowing where the story set-up by these films will go next. Has Bond really let go of his feelings for Vesper? Will he return to his more charismatic ways and not be so serious? Will we ever find out exactly what Quantum’s bigger plan is? There is still a lot of story to discover. The biggest problem for both MGM – or whoever ends up owning the rights – and audiences that I see is that the longer these financial problems go unresolved the less a studio will be able to get from Daniel Craig, who can only do so many of these movies before he gets too old for them (granted that might take another ten years). So, the longer the delay, the fewer movies they can make with Craig, which is less money they can make from him, which is less entertainment for us. But, we should be confident that James Bond will be back. After all, it just wouldn’t be the same without him.