When the Bond films hit big in the '60's, the only Ian Fleming novel that was not secured by the producers of that series was CASINO ROYALE, which was held by other interests. In an attempt to exploit this, those who held the rights tried to make a legitimate Bond film, even trying to seduce Sean Connery into playing Bond--he refused, and they decided to produce the whole thing as as spoof.
They blew out all the stops, making one of the wildest comedies ever made. If you're a Bond fan, you'll hate it for its irreverence. If you're expecting an adventure story, you'll hate it as well. But if you like simply twisted, surreal comedy, you will love CASINO ROYALE the more you see it. Don't expect a direct story (although there's one lurking there if you watch it enough times to find it). Just sit back, enjoy the wackiness, the tackiness, the subtlety, and the sheer, all-out over-the-top SPOOFING of so much of the spy genre and movie-making in general.
It's not perfect, perhaps a little slow in the last reel, but its all in fun and then some.
In particular, I love the music--jazzy, brassy, and as palpable a character as Sellers, Niven, Welles, or Allen.
They blew out all the stops, making one of the wildest comedies ever made. If you're a Bond fan, you'll hate it for its irreverence. If you're expecting an adventure story, you'll hate it as well. But if you like simply twisted, surreal comedy, you will love CASINO ROYALE the more you see it. Don't expect a direct story (although there's one lurking there if you watch it enough times to find it). Just sit back, enjoy the wackiness, the tackiness, the subtlety, and the sheer, all-out over-the-top SPOOFING of so much of the spy genre and movie-making in general.
It's not perfect, perhaps a little slow in the last reel, but its all in fun and then some.
In particular, I love the music--jazzy, brassy, and as palpable a character as Sellers, Niven, Welles, or Allen.
