Rating: 
Summary: The funniest James Bond spoof ever
Review: The "Austin Powers" series sure could take a few hints from "Casino Royale". Whereas the former is predictable and obvious, "Casino Royale" is a good example of that famous dry British wit.What else could you call it when wealthy Ursula Andress tells Peter Sellers that she gets her newspapers BEFORE they're printed, and he replies, "Well, I suppose you can do anything if you've got money..." Or when Joanna Pettet comments on her estranged mother's oversized bed and is told, "The German army was very large in those days." I've withheld one star because the movie does tend to have an episodic feel, due to the five different directors who worked on it, and because it drags a bit in places. Still, the witty jokes more than make up for those small flaws. Considering how many hands this movie was in, it's amazing that it works so well. Woody Allen gives his funniest performance as neurotic Jimmy Bond. Peter Sellers is terrific, as usual. And watch out for an appearance by a young Jacqueline Bisset as Miss Goodthighs. The movie's crowning touch is the music by Burt Bacharach, which manages to be catchy and loopy at the same time. Finally, one of the best reasons for owning rather than renting this movie is that some of the gags go by so fast (Q's laboratory, the art auction), that you might not catch them all until your second or third viewing. And, like a lot of good humor, some of the jokes just get funnier with repeat viewings.
Rating: 
Summary: Very different watching it as an adult
Review: I used to watch this movie all the time when I was a kid. The pretty colors and shapes dazzled me, and even as a child I could appreciate the beauty of a gaggles of hot girls in skimpy clothing. After seeing that it was released on DVD, I had to get it, for nostalgia's sake. I found that I still very much enjoyed the film, but there are so many other things that I picked up watching it later. I am sure that it is obvious from the cover that the movie has a strong sixties drug overtone. Spinning lights and shapes are pleading to be watched under the influence. You know that there is a drug undercurrent when there are in a room filling with gas, and they use it to blow the door open, and that gas is Lysergic Acid... not so flammable, but is the main ingredient in LSD. I also noticed the absurdity of so many scenes. As a child I accepted a lot of it, but watching it now and seeing dazzling sparkles and colored lights behind Orson Welles as he does stage magic at the baccarat table, or the British government blowing up the estate of James Bond to get him to go on another mission... it was nonsense. Put all the humor, the all star cast, a decidedly non-annoying performance by Woody Allen, and a brilliant score by Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert... you have a definite classic, and a definite winner. Even without taking drugs...
Rating: 
Summary: Very weak Bond parody...
Review: "Casino Royale" is the most confused Bond film ever created. It is a comedy based on the first Bond book with a stellar cast, but an awful script and an excruciating runtime. It's hard for me to watch this film without falling asleep. So much of it fails to generate anything that could possibly be entertaining. There are occasional funny parts and a couple of entertaining moments, but the movie feels like an over-budgeted flop. David Niven makes a lousy 007 who is mostly bumbling and completely unbelievable. Ian Fleming is turning in his grave... but he does flips with "A View to a Kill," which is worse than this one.
Rating: 
Summary: A psychedelic keeper (3.5 stars)
Review: The psychedelic technicolor on this DVD was worth waiting for. It's worth keeping for the pictures alone, but then there's the fabulous music (including the immortal Audiophile wet dream "Look of Love" sung by Dusty Springfield playing while Ursula Andress seduces Peter Sellers, and also the equally immortal Tijuana Brass and Burt Bacharach), and the incredible star actors who do a fine job under the circumstances, especially Niven, Sellers, Allen, and Andress. There isn't much of a plot, almost zero continuity, loose ends galore, and total chaos in parts, but in the end the goodness of the parts makes the whole worthwhile. It's a miracle, maybe, but it works. Oh, and I need to mention the sexy girls, the macho guys, the incredible costumes, the gags, the props, ad infinitum. Apparently part of it was filmed below the Playboy club in London from which they got lots of extras. While worth keeping, this is obviously not a "great" movie in any sense, so I'm surprised at all the 5 star ratings. Fortunately they tend to balance off the unfair 1 star ratings. I enjoyed this more than both "Austin Powers International Man of Mystery" (which kept me wincing) and "Our Man Flint" (which seemed rather short, hollow, and cheap...low budget obviously...). I'd actually give Casino Royale 3.5 stars if I could. It's easily better than the other spoofs, and ALMOST a great movie in its own right. When you understand what the producer was doing, and how the film was made, that's a miracle. If you want to see the "real" Casino Royale plot, the TV version from the 1950's is included, unfortunately cut a few minutes short I've read here. The documentary by the director who ultimately got the unenviable job of glueing this all together (Val Guest) was instructive. It's a miracle this movie was ever finished. The producer (an ex-agent) simply hired a number of top directors and ordered them each to do their thing. There was no "book" (the actual book was to be ignored since almost all the material in it had previously been used in "serious" Bond films). To make it worse, Orson Wells refused to do any significant amount of acting with Peter Sellers (who he considered an "Amateur"), so their scenes had to be spliced together. Though Val doesn't explain this, that might have led to Seller's sick-out, when then led to having Sellers fired, so they had to figure out how to complete the movie without Sellers. That's really a pity, because Sellers is actually an outstanding actor and does outstanding work here (much better than Wells, in fact). He's only topped by Niven. (And despite what Wells seemed to think of himself, I consider even Casino Royale better than any of his "serious" movies...Orson Wells is the most overrated actor and director in history IMHO, but he does a adequate job here as a bit part actor.)
Rating:
Summary: 60's Romp
Review: I'm thrilled that Casino Royale is finally available on DVD to complete my James Bond DVD collection. Not produced as a traditional Bond film, but as more of a spoof, this film doesn't make any sence at all, but I absolutely love it. It is a gorgeously Technicolor 60's romp with cameo's galore, and all the "mod" you could ask for. I wish the DVD had some extras, but I'm still very happy that it's available in widescreen and in glorious, gaudy color.
Rating:
Summary: Only for hardcore 007, Sellers, or Niven fans
Review: The movie is hit-and-miss (probably more "miss" than "hit") but it does entertain through most of its considerable length. The extra features are good, specifically, a 20 minute interview by one of the directors, Val Guest. It does include the '54 TV broacast as well, but BEWARE: the version on this DVD is missing the final few minutes of the original broadcast. If you're interested, I highly recommend the Collector's Edition VHS which includes the full-length TV show plus a highly informative intro by Lee Pfeiffer, as well as a collection of trailers for the movie not included on the DVD. No true Bond fan should be without either version.
Rating: 
Summary: Casino Un-Royale
Review: Spend your money on popcorn, not this film. The story is poor at best, acting is so-so, and the theme is awful. Sellers and Niven are much better actors than portrayed here. This is a horrible movie. Nothing to do with a "007 James Bond" type film at all. Very disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: This is intended for the problem viewer.
Review: Digital breakup is fairly common with the optical format. You can even see it on broadcast/cable TV. In the case of DVD's, quite often the problem is simply a smudged fingerprint on the disc. Cleaning properly (from the center to the outer edge in a straight line) will usually solve the problem. If it does not, then the disk is flawed and should be returned. Looking forward to the DVD version of this flick, but can't determine much by the mixed reviews.
Rating:
Summary: Great 1960's Genre Film Making
Review: I'm a big fan of Peter Sellers but hadn't heard of Casino Royale until finding the DVD at my local video store. The film certainly didn't disappoint. The characters are great, especially Peter Sellers and David Niven. I was most surprised to see Woody Allen, William Holden, and Orson Welles making smaller, but no less entertaining appearances. The film did have a certain discontinuity, but with four separate directors attempting to blend their individual talents, this is to be expected. As a Bond spoof, some may compare the film to the modern day Austin Powers movies, but the Mike Meyers creations don't hold a candle to this 1960's classic.
Rating:
Summary: Seven James Bonds at Casino Royale.....
Review: Either you love it or you hate it. Sure the lyrics of the end title stick with you for a decade "...six of them go to a heavenly spot, the other one goes to a place where it's terribly ...hot...", and the "plot" is twisted, winded, senseless and often optional. The raid in the last few minutes was exceptionally stupid, and the death of the Well's character was too over the top. But I really like this movie. I've read all these reviews of the "great" sound track with no mention of Herp Alpert & the Tijuana Brass' main title. A real classic (can be found on their hits album) that's still popular today, long after Dusty Springfield's popularity has faded to, well, dust. Woody Allen, whom I really, really hate, was actually funny in this movie - something that has eluded him the past three decades. It's campy 60's at its best! The show down between Bond/Niven and the Highlanders, the killer homing pigeon, and kamikaze car are only a few of the "moments" this film has to offer. If you like comedy, get it. The closest think I can compare it to is Blazing Saddles, complete with the senseless ending.
|
