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.
