Casino Royale [Blu-ray]

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The most successful invigoration of a cinematic franchise since Batman Begins, Casino Royale offers a new Bond identity. Based on the Ian Fleming novel that introduced Agent 007 into a Cold War world, Casino Royale is the most brutal and viscerally exciting James Bond film since Sean Connery left Her Majesty's Secret Service. Meet the new Bond; not the same as the old Bond. Daniel Craig gives a galvanizing performance as the freshly minted double-0 agent. Suave, yes, but also a "blunt instrument," reckless, and possessed with an ego that compromises his judgment during his first mission to root out the mastermind behind an operation that funds international terrorists. In classic Bond film tradition, his global itinerary takes him to far-flung locales, including Uganda, Madagascar, the Bahamas (that's more like it), and Montenegro, where he is pitted against his nemesis in a poker game, with hundreds of millions in the pot. The stakes get even higher when Bond lets down his "armor" and falls in love with Vesper (Eva Green), the ravishing banker's representative fronting him the money.

For longtime fans of the franchise, Casino Royale offers some retro kicks. Bond wins his iconic Astin-Martin at the gaming table, and when a bartender asks if he wants his martini "shaken or stirred," he disdainfully replies, "Do I look like I give a damn?" There's no Moneypenny or "Q," but Dame Judi Dench is back as the exasperated M, who one senses, admires Bond's "bloody cheek." A Bond film is only as good as its villain, and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, who weeps blood, is a sinister dandy. From its punishing violence and virtuoso action sequences to its romance, Casino Royale is a Bond film that, in the words of one character, makes you feel it, particularly during an excruciating torture sequence. Double-0s, Bond observes early on, "have a short life expectancy." But with Craig, there is new life in the old franchise yet, as well as genuine anticipation for the next one when, at last, the signature James Bond theme kicks in following the best last line ever in any Bond film. To quote Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin, now I know what I've been faking all these years. --Donald Liebenson

Stills from Casino Royale (click for larger image)

Beyond Casino Royale on Amazon.com

On Blu-ray
CD Soundtrack
Why We Love Daniel Craig

The Amazon.com James Bond Store
Where Have I Seen Daniel Craig?
Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale Book

Product Description

Casino Royale introduces James BOond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00" status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly-promoted 007 on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar, the Bahamas and eventually leads him to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele, who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. "M" places Bond under the watchful eye of the Treasury official Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together. Le Chiffre's cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.

Customer Reviews:

This isn't my idea of Bond.......2007-09-12

When I got this blu-ray disk I had very high expectations. It delivered when it comes to special effects and the outstanding clarity that blu-ray delivers.

However, I was sorely disappointed by the new "Bond". Instead of the incredible charm displayed by previous Bond characters, this guy seems to be more of a cold-hearted killer. I found it hard to care much about what came of him. In my opinion, this is the worst Bond movie I have ever seen.

Perhaps I would have liked it better if the movie had been titled something like "Agent X" since that way I wouldn't have been trying to imagine this guy as being in the same role as the classics starring Sean Connery or Roger Moore.

In a nutshell, I found this to be heartless and generally lacking in class.

Great.......2007-09-10

Great picture quality, and a good movie to boot. The movie has a bit of a dark cast, so still not the optimal test disc for a new system, but still quite good. People say "wow" when they see it.

Bond on bluray!.......2007-09-07

Casino Royale is definitely one of the better Bond films. Part of the wow affect comes from it's awesome bluray video quality. A solid choice for all you Bond fans out there.

Blu-ray is the way to watch this great film!.......2007-08-12

I first watched the 2006 release Casino Royale in the theater. I was very impressed. The movie was unlike any Bond film I had seen before. In fact, the movie is gritty in a way that resembles the very well made Bourne movies. I recently watched the movie again, and found that it was even more enjoyable the second time around. The changes, in my opinion are for the better. I was a fan of Pierce Brosnan in the role of James Bond. I thought that he had been the best Bond since Sean Connery. I thought Roger Moore was okay, while timothy Dalton did nothing for me. Craig made for a very compelling and very human Bond.

The visuals in this film are stunning. The usual opening scenes are - true to form - pretty spectacular. Bond shows little mercy when it comes to resorting to violence. He also gets hurt and bleeds on numerous occasions. He seems ill at ease in a tuxedo, but seems to adapt to the role. The primary setting for the movie is an incredibly picturesque Venice. The film features really stunning scenes with some excellent stunt work. The Blu-ray version is without a dount the version to watch. Clocking in at 144 minutes, the movie seems to fly by with its fast paced story. The only downside to the film is that the villain came across as pretty tame for the most part. There probably could have been a bit more done to make him really evil and dislikable.

Overall this is a strong 4 star movie that is well-worth the price of the movie.

Great Movie.......2007-08-07

This is how you keep a movie franchise going. Great story, great acting and a fast paced movie that almost never slows down(except when James is with the ladies!!)

I have watched it several times now and the more I watch the more I like.

Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

No a Cartoon but a good thriller
Daniel Craig made a believer out of me!
Sean, move over
Daniel Craig's great/Script writers stink
This is NOT James Bond (As We Know Him Through The Years)

Casino Royale (2-Disc Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Daniel Craig , Eva Green , Mads Mikkelsen , Judi Dench , and Jeffrey Wright
Director: Martin Campbell
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MNP2KI
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Amazon.com

Stills from Casino Royale (click for larger image)

Beyond Casino Royale on Amazon.com

On Blu-ray
CD Soundtrack
Why We Love Daniel Craig

The Amazon.com James Bond Store
Where Have I Seen Daniel Craig?
Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale Book

Product Description

Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his license to kill. But Bond is no less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, he is elevated to "00" status. "M" (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly-promoted 007 on his first mission that takes him to Madagascar, the Bahamas and eventually leads him to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier under threat from his terrorist clientele, who is attempting to restore his funds in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. "M" places Bond under the watchful eye of the Treasury official Vesper Lynd. At first skeptical of what value Vesper can provide, Bond's interest in her deepens as they brave danger together. Le Chiffre's cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.

Customer Reviews:

No a Cartoon but a good thriller.......2007-09-13

Casino gets back to the original roots of a Bond with a nearly psychotic rage who kills without compunction. It also explains more of how he becomes the detached spy and shuns real personal ties. The stunts are traditional stuntmen based ones, not computer graphic generated ones so it adds to the realism. There are enough cartoonish movies so it's good to see a real old fashioned thriller.

Daniel Craig made a believer out of me!.......2007-09-11

I must first say that I was "extremely reluctant" to accept Daniel Craig into my heart as the infamous, sexy and dangerous 007. I was very upset when they decided that Pierce Brosnan would not be back. A little history....I was a BIG Sean Connery fan, and could not stand Roger Moore or the other Bonds until Brosnan. He had most of the qualities that I feel Sean Connery has......he is suave, charming, handsome and a little mysterious/dangerous...and James Bond use to be Remindton Steele. So, needless to say I didn't want another 007, just when I got use to this one. So imagine my attitude when I went to see this movie.......Daniel Craig was going to be critiqued harshly. Now with all that in mind, I must say I was pleasantly pleased. Although Daniel Craig's was 007, his spin on the character was completely different. And although he was not as suave as Sean Connery, he is just as romantic (Vesper love story crucial to the story), more so because he only tried to get with two women, versus a ton (each critical to the story). And more than anything, he was more believable than past Bonds. He would bleed, he got hurt, he was sensitive and completely human.

This movie was great....the plot is well written, you love to hate the bad guy, you feel sorry for the hero, and I found myself beginning to embrace him as 007. I no longer view 007 as a "single" person, while for some reason in the past it seemed like writers wanted us to think of Connery, Moore, and Brosnan, as the same person. But now, I have come to see the title of 007 as a classification, similar to the position of Inspector and Detective. And I really found myself appreciating the fact that this Bond was so human. Casino Royale is worth watching, and I would love to see Craig in the role again, in the near future.

Sean, move over.......2007-09-10

I have been a James Bond fan for a long time. Though the original Sean Connery movies were before my time, and I was a kid when Roger Moore was making them, I have still enjoyed them. I always thought Sean would be the best. (I generally rated Sean as the best and Roger the worst with all others sorted variously in between.)

However, this is without a doubt the best bond and bond movie ever. I think this is the way the character was meant to be portrayed. I hope that this is the beginning of restarting the bond franchise. I would love to see more bond stories with this type of protrayal.

Daniel Craig's great/Script writers stink.......2007-09-09

How can a script Writer destroy the end of a Bond movie destined to be a classic??? Daniel Craig is fantastic! His work is worthy of the Bond Ian Flemming invisioned. A movie well worth seeing, till the end. Bond never, ever would let a woman take his mind off the job at hand.Period. Lionheart.

This is NOT James Bond (As We Know Him Through The Years).......2007-09-08

Hey, I'm sorry but I've watched all James Bond movies since the inception of the character first on screen in 1962 in "Dr. No." I have seen all the people who played Bond. Almost all of the time it was either Sean Connery, Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan. They all were suave, cool guys who might have been tough underneath but were classy and right at home in a tuxedo, and had a great sense of humor.

This new guy, Daniel Craig, looks like a thug and acts like one. He's about as classy as your average rugby player. Give me a break!

Even more alarming, the stuff that made the James Bond movies different than the rest of the spy-action movies over the years were (1) the aforementioned classy hero; (2) a lot of fun gadgets, explained by "Q;" (3) the humor, including all the corny sexual innuendos; (4) a classy boss in 'M'; here we have Judi Dench as an irritable, foul-mouthed old bag; and (5) the opening credits with the silhouetted naked women. None of that is in here.

In other words, this is just another wild, action film with good guys and bad guys. This isn't the Bond we have all known for over four decades. Well, I guess all good things come to an end, as they say.

Casino Royale (2-Disc Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

No a Cartoon but a good thriller
Daniel Craig made a believer out of me!
Sean, move over
Daniel Craig's great/Script writers stink
This is NOT James Bond (As We Know Him Through The Years)

Casino Royale (2-Disc Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Daniel Craig , Eva Green , Mads Mikkelsen , Judi Dench , and Jeffrey Wright
Director: Martin Campbell
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000MNP2K8
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Amazon.com

Stills from Casino Royale (click for larger image)

Beyond Casino Royale on Amazon.com

On Blu-ray
CD Soundtrack
Why We Love Daniel Craig

The Amazon.com James Bond Store
Where Have I Seen Daniel Craig?
Bond on Set: Filming Casino Royale Book

Product Description

Customer Reviews:

No a Cartoon but a good thriller.......2007-09-13

Daniel Craig made a believer out of me!.......2007-09-11

Sean, move over.......2007-09-10

Daniel Craig's great/Script writers stink.......2007-09-09

This is NOT James Bond (As We Know Him Through The Years).......2007-09-08

Average customer rating:

From Russia With Love
One of the best 007 movies!
From Russia With Love
The Bond movie that started a craze
An excellent addition to the Bond franchise.

From Russia With Love
Starring: Sean Connery , Daniela Bianchi , Pedro Armendáriz , Lotte Lenya , and Robert Shaw
Director: Terence Young
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NDEXPC
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics, and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

From Russia With Love.......2007-09-13

Another great 007 flick, with Sean Connery. Great plot, great villians, great gadgets, and beautiul women. What more do you want? Another ageless film I could watch year after year.

One of the best 007 movies!.......2007-06-28

Along with Goldfinger, this is probably the best of the early James Bond films. Sean Connery was excellent in it. The story and the cast is great. The fight scene on the train between Connery and Shaw is worth the price alone! A face paced, well thought out and entertaining film.

From Russia With Love.......2007-06-27

This stylish second entry in the Bond franchise features a less cold-blooded, more dashing 007, played to the hilt with campy savoir faire by the ever-classy Connery. Young streamlines the action, too, and in the absence of fancy gadgets (those came later), gave audiences thrilling, well-orchestrated chases and clashes, culminating in a heart-racing death match between Connery and deadly, dyed-blond assassin Shaw aboard the Orient Express. The kittenishly seductive Romanova is fetching as Bond's dicey love interest, but German chanteuse Lenya has the most fun springing poisonous blades from her shoes. Racy, exhilarating, and loads of fun, "Love" breathes flashy new life into Ian Fleming's classic novel.

The Bond movie that started a craze.......2007-06-27

From Russia With Love set the stage for all the James Bond movies that followed. With an excellent startup from Dr. No, James Bond gets into full swing battling SPECTRE up and down Europe, and has one of the best Bond fights on the Orient Express. Beautiful women, tough bad guys and just the right amount of Bond toys make it one of the best James Bond movies of them all!

An excellent addition to the Bond franchise........2007-06-16

Brimming with tension, suspense, and understated cool, From Russia with Love is one of the very best movies in the entire James Bond series. The plot, which revolves around the criminal organization SPECTRE and its attempt to steal a Soviet codemaking machine by manipulating and ultimatley murdering a certain British secret agent (guess which one), is clever and engrossing. Part of the movie's charm comes from simply watching SPECTRE's plan unfold. The film is also incredibly atmospheric: Bond travels to a lush, decedant Istanbul before heading back west on a train trip that hangs heavy with mystery and paranoia.

Sean Connery is, of course, incredible. To put it plainly, the guy simply IS James Bond. He's in complete command of the character, playing his role with absolute confidence, brimming with wit, charm, and ruthless intelligence. Connery's Bond is mesmerizing, his performance a masterpiece. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well: Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as the brutal Colonel Rosa Kleb, playing her part with relentless authority and barely subdued insanity. Ditto for Robert Shaw, whose portrayal of ruthless assassain Donald "Red" Grant is fiery and intense. Shaw turns his charater into an omen, a source of constantly escalating tension and nervous energy. Pedro Armendariz is superb as the exuberant, friendly, and loveable Kerim Bey, who befriends and assists Bond in Istanbul. The film also contains the first appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q, one of the series' most beloved characters (he'd appear in every subsequent Bond film until 1999's The World is Not Enough).

Throw in John Berry's tension-filled soundtrack and some of the sharpest one-liners ever found in a Bond film and you've got an absolute classic, and one of the finest entries in an excellent series.

Average customer rating:

You Only Live Twice
Connery's Bond Translates Poorly to Japanese
Megabudget Japanese Ken Adam extravaganza.
The one with the hollowed out volcano lair - a fun ride
JAMES BONDs Dichotomy of Styles East meets West

You Only Live Twice
Starring: Sean Connery , Akiko Wakabayashi , Mie Hama , Tetsuro Tamba , and Teru Shimada
Director: Lewis Gilbert (II)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NIBUS0
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

The film boasts the best of the Bond title songs (this one sung on a dreamy track by Nancy Sinatra), but the movie itself is one of the weaker ones of the Sean Connery phase of the 007 franchise. The story concerns an effort by the evil organization SPECTRE to start a world war, but the not-so-super villain behind the plot is the awfully civilized Donald Pleasence. The thin script is by Roald Dahl (shouldn't we have expected a better Bond nemesis from the creator of mad genius Willy Wonka?), and direction is by British veteran Lewis Gilbert (Alfie). But the movie can't hold a candle to Dr. No, From Russia with Love, or Goldfinger. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

You Only Live Twice.......2007-09-11

Another 007 winner. Been watchig these since they first cameout in the 60's and I love them just as much now as I did the first time.

Connery's Bond Translates Poorly to Japanese.......2007-07-04

This is the first Bond movie that's actually a bit of a bummer and the fault can be laid directly at the feet of the man who was the first and best of the cinematic Bonds. This was Connery's fifth outing in six years as the ultimate gentleman spy. He was sick of the hoopla and deeply concerned about being typecast. He looks bored and irritable and the white to Japanese transformation sequence is still a low point in the Bond canon. Sort of a jump-the-shark moment as the Bond series has only been occassionally excellent since the mid-sixties. He really should have passed the walther ppk to a new Bond actor. The script was written by Roald Dahl and he probably should have stuck to children's books. Surprisingly tone deaf, extremely wordy but with very few memorable lines. Small characters get surprisingly long speeches. What enjoyement I end up taking away from YOLT is bits and pieces. The volcano lair, Blofeld, the cute Bond girls, little nelly, the beautiful cinematography, the ninja island and the well handled action sequences. Not a bad Bond. After all, they are all fun, one way or the other, but definately middle of the pack for me.

Megabudget Japanese Ken Adam extravaganza........2007-06-15

Of all the classic James Bond films, this is the one I had not seen in the longest time. I remembered this was where the series really lost its spark and went into absurd Austin Powers territory.

Although some of the criticism is still valid, YOLT is actually one hell of a mid-60s Albert Cubby Broccoli affair. For one thing, virtually the entire film takes place in Japan and makes impressive use of many locations, e.g. the ninja training academy is on the lawn of Himeji castle. Ken Adam was given about ten sets to design, one of them simply gargantuan. My opinion is that they are are a far stretch from his finest work but still spectacular. John Barry's music is gorgeous as always, with just the perfect asian influence.

Yet like so many Bonds the film is a pretty jumbled affair, with an on-again off-again plot that never rises much above a simmer. Donald Pleasance is a big letdown as Blofeld, as is his henchman. The romance is non-existent. So, not really a good film by any stretch. But for sheer eye candy it's outstanding. And the DTS sound is incredible.

The one with the hollowed out volcano lair - a fun ride.......2007-04-08

Yes, it's the one with the hollowed out volcano and what a fun ride it is too. It should come as no surprise to anyone that for me (who ranks the earily similar plot-wise TSWLM at #2 of Bond movies and is a fan of Roger Moore's portrayal) that "You Only Live Twice" is high on my list of favorite Connery movies.
It's fun and zany and like a Godzilla movie on steroids Bond is plunged into a kinetic, energized Japan. A country that is reeling from an identity crisis following a humiliating defeat in WWII for the traditional nation and the onslaught of 1960s pop culture of which the Bond phenomenon was a major part.
Connery for his part looks bored and tired with the role and so the film makers understandably have loaded this movie with special effects, martial arts fighting, gimmicks and yes, a hollowed out volcano. All in the hopes that Connery will get lost in the mix and his lack of enthusiasm for the part less evident as the viewers senses are assaulted by a vibrant concoction composed of all the spectacle and wonder that screenwriter Dahl and director Lewis Gilbert could conceive.
The mission seems ripped from the headlines to use an old cliché. The time is the late 1960s and with the US and USSR locked in a race for the dominance of space, the two nations are both having capsules hijacked by some unknown power. Of course in the hyperactive paranoia of the Cold War - each blames the other. But Britain, in its infinite wisdom, stands by their claim that their tracking placed the object (that seized an American rocket) land somewhere in the sea of Japan.
The movie begins with one of my all-time favorite pre-credits sequences. Bond is in bed with an attractive Chinese girl. In what appears to be a double-cross however she pushes a button that sends the bed into the wall before letting a couple of assassins in who pepper the bed with bullet holes. Having the hero "killed off" at the beginning of the movie is a gimmick that has been copied often (and in fact first echos the opening of "From Russia With Love." But Gilbert crafts it expertly.
A solid entry in the Bond series - too light for some, but certainly a lot of fun throughout.

JAMES BONDs Dichotomy of Styles East meets West.......2007-04-04

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE contained elements of espionage, action, thrills, adventure and science fiction. Looking back it somehow worked loosely when put together yet till this day I can not determine what the cohesive element was. Looking at it closely the film is a real dichotomy of styles. The first hour is excellently filmed and works very well. We get to see James Bond the spy, working with recognition codes, breaking into safes, going under cover and the like. There is an excellently choreographed fight scene between Bond and a sumo wrestler. This is also the first time he developed a good working relationship with a fellow intelligence head, Tiger Tanaka, similar to that of Kerim Bey in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. We also see that "M" has absolute confidence in his man. "This is the big one," he tells Bond knowing that 007 is the only one capable of pulling off this assignment. There is also quite a bit of very witty dialog in the first hour of this film. In the first hour the pace is deliberate, but never boring or unentertaining. It ends with Bond flying "Little Nellie," delivered by "Q," into an aerial dogfight with four helicopters. As it moves into the second hour more of the science fiction and fantasy elements start to take center stage. The film starts to look untidy and meanders along till it gets to the excellently filmed battle between Tanaka's ninjas and Blofeld's private army in his Volcano lair. It's not a bad Bond film, but it should have been a lot better. I think the culprit was the editing. Russian and American manned space capsules were being snatched out of orbit by an "intruder missile." Bond had to find the location and the identity of those responsible before World War III breaks out. The filmmakers decided not to surprise us at the end of the film, but instead show us, not Bond, that this "intruder missile" is in fact owned by SPECTRE and is being launched from Blofeld's Volcano lair in Japan. That comes a little past the hour mark. That being the case there was a good opportunity to develop suspense, as Bond has to locate the launch site. When Bond finally does find the volcano he has very little reaction to his discovery. He in fact seems to have come prepared with suction cup kneepads, which he uses to climb upside down and into the volcano. Tanaka shows up with his men, the battle ensues and Bond saves the day. It just could have been done much better considering how well the first half of the film was handled. The massive sets designed by Ken Adam were highly innovative and stylized and are probably the best of the entire series. M's office aboard the submarine, M-1, was also pretty innovative incorporating furniture and decorations from his office from the Ministry of Defense back in London. John Barry wrote a brilliant score. His music for the "Capsule in Space" was eerily ominous. He also incorporated sections of the "James Bond Theme" very effectively subsequent to Henderson's death and the fight in Osato's office. Barry's "Mountains and Sunset" went beautifully with Freddie Young's Cinematography. This and his score for ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE were the last to contain his best action pieces for the series. These were little snippets here and there written to give the action a little more punch. I thought Sean Connery gave some his best performances as James Bond in this film. Bond's scene with Henderson was very good. His repartee with Moneypenney was one of his best. Sean Connery did return as James Bond in DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER but one era had already ended with ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and a new one would begin with his return.

The Peter Sellers Giftset (The Pink Panther / What's New, Pussycat? / The Party / Casino Royale)

Average customer rating:

The Peter Sellers Giftset

The Peter Sellers Giftset (The Pink Panther / What's New, Pussycat? / The Party / Casino Royale)
Starring: Peter Sellers , David Niven , Robert Wagner , Peter O'Toole , and Woody Allen
Director: Blake Edwards , and John Huston
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NIBUSK
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Description

Disc 1: WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT? Disc 2: THE PARTY Disc 3: The PINK PANTHER Disc 4: CASINO ROYALE (1967)

Customer Reviews:

The Peter Sellers Giftset.......2007-03-16

This is a great cross section of Peter Sellers' films. Peter Sellers is well known as Inspector Clouseau as he first appeared in THE PINK PANTHER. My favorite here is WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT even though Sellers is not the main character. Peter Sellers character is that of the longhaired psychoanalyst Dr. Fritz Fassbender who is crazier than his patients. The office visit scene with Sellers and patient Peter O'Toole is a classic. Sellers' character in that film just so off-the-wall. THE PARTY is very. It surrounds around Sellers as a Hollywood extra mistakenly invited to a who's who wild house party. Sellers really makes this film work. Sellers gets top billing in 1967's CASINO ROYALE filmed as a James Bond spoof rather than the genuine article. Essentially Sellers is chosen as a replacement (one of several) for the genuine James Bond (David Niven) who is now in retirement to play and defeat Le Chiffre (Orson Welles) at baccarat at the Casino Royale. Sellers' role is actually small but still memorable. The laughs in CASINO ROYALE are hit and miss in this mixed bag with several directors at the helm that really lacks cohesion but still manages to amuse.

This set of films contains excellent scores from two brilliant composers. The inimitable Henry Mancini scored both THE PINK PANTHER and THE PARTY. Burt Bacharach, near the top of his game for capturing that wild innovative 60's sound scored both WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT and CASINO ROYALE which featured great recorded tunes for Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield and Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.

Average customer rating:

awsome remasterised version
One of Brosnan's better Bond films
Most Embarrassing Bond Movie Ever
3.5, it was the best of Bond it was the worst of Bond
Great Movie!

The World Is Not Enough
Starring: Pierce Brosnan , Sophie Marceau , Robert Carlyle , Denise Richards , and Robbie Coltrane
Director: Michael Apted
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000NIBURQ
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

In his 19th screen outing, Ian Fleming's superspy is once again caught in the crosshairs of a self-created dilemma: as the longest-running feature-film franchise, James Bond is an annuity his producers want to protect, yet the series' consciously formulaic approach frustrates any real element of surprise beyond the rote application of plot twists or jump cuts to shake up the audience. This time out, credit 007's caretakers for making some visible attempts to invest their principal characters with darker motives--and blame them for squandering The World Is Not Enough's initial promise by the final reel.

By now, Bond pictures are as elegantly formal as a Bach chorale, and this one opens on an unusually powerful note. A stunning pre-title sequence reaches beyond mere pyrotechnics to introduce key plot elements as the action leaps from Bilbao to London. Bond 5.0, Pierce Brosnan, undercuts his usually suave persona with a darker, more brutal edge largely absent since Sean Connery departed. Equally tantalizing are our initial glimpses of Bond's nemesis du jour, Renard (Robert Carlyle), and imminent love interest, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), both atypically complex characters cast with seemingly shrewd choices, and directed by the capable Michael Apted. The story's focus on post-Soviet geopolitics likewise starts off on a savvy note, before being overtaken by increasingly Byzantine plot twists, hidden motives, and reversals of loyalty superheated by relentless (if intermittently perfunctory) action sequences.

Indeed, the procession of perils plays like a greatest hits medley, save for a nifty sequence involving airborne buzz saws that's as enjoyable as it is preposterous. Bond's grimmer demeanor, while preferable to the smirk that eventually swallowed Roger Moore whole, proves wearying, unrelieved by any true wit. The underlying psychoses that propel Renard and Elektra eventually unravel into unconvincing melodrama, while Bond is supplied with a secondary love object, Denise Richards, who's even more improbable as a nuclear physicist. Ultimately, this World is not enough despite its better intentions. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

awsome remasterised version.......2007-08-19

this movie is a bond classic and a must have.
This version is said remasterised frame by frame and dts audio.
This is absoloutly true.
the result is stellar and fantastic

One of Brosnan's better Bond films.......2006-11-26

Pierce Brosnan is back and has to save the world from a mad man once again. Robert Carlyle is really good as that mad man and is one of the best Bond villians in my book. You also have Sophie Marceau and Denise Richards as two sexy Bond girls. Most Bond fans just mostly picked on the film due to Denise Richards acting abilities. Which are limited. I never had much of a problem with her, I guess I was too busy looking at her and not watching her acting abilities as closely as other Bond fans lol.

I do think Brosnan's Bond films did try too hard in casting Bond women though. I mean most of them were too recognizeabke and just casted on looks basically. I think Goldeneye had the best casting though of any of his films. I mean I don't even know what else that Bond girl was in after Goldeneye or before it for that matter and she could act too. I do like the casting of Sophie Marceau here more than the Denise Richards casting though. Not only because she's a better actor but because she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. I mean I just know her from a bad David Spade film.

Anyway I think The World is Not Enough is one of Brosnan's better outings as Bond. It's surely better than Tomorrow Never Dies. Plus I think Robert Carlyle is as memorable as a Bond villian as Sean Bean in GoldenEye. I don't know why people talk about the villian in Die Another Day like he was the best of the Brosnan films, he did nothing for me really. Brosnan doesn't shine here as much as he does in GoldenEye but I do find his line at the end both crude and funny and he delivers it well. Denise Richards' name is Christmas and he says somthing like "Christmas doesn't come once a year"....lol.

Most Embarrassing Bond Movie Ever.......2006-11-18

This is simply the worst Bond movie ever, also included, the worst Bond Girl ever - that being Denise Richards. Denise was not glamorous or smart as past Bond girls, essentially if she were left out of the story no one would have noticed. She looked like some chick Bond picked up from the mall, denim jacket included, who just provided unnecessary commentary. The story was disjointed and hopes that it would go anywhere and went no where. M is kidnapped, yeah, that had nothing nor any relevance to the story. This movie seemed rushed to produce and you can tell.

3.5, it was the best of Bond it was the worst of Bond.......2006-11-14

Bond films seem very critic proof since they're not meant to move you to tears and they're not meant to be laugh riots or creep into your skin. They're action movies pure and simple and arguably no one does it better. But seeing as how we're already on Bond 19 and while it's not that the series has completely run out of ideas, there is a sameness and familiarity to it all that prevents it from being the best Bond it can be. Doesn't mean that the filmmakers don't try really hard though.

After the killing of oil tycoon Robert King, 007 James Bond is hired to protect his daughter, beautiful Elektra. The main villain orchestrating everything is Renard, a man who was shot in the head and affecting his brain so that he can't actually feel pain, although the bullet will eventually kill him. Bond has to team with nuclear physicist Christmas Jones (Bond girls have had pretty strange names but this is just stupid) in order to avert a world-threatening plan (natch).

First, the casting: Sophie Marceau personally is my choice for the hottest Bond girl but acting-wise it's very extreme from one end to the next without any in-betweens. And Denise Richards is arguably the biggest miscast I've seen in a film. As for Pierce Brosnan, well this is #3 for him so he's still as suave and Bond-esque with the action hero coming into play whenever he needs to. As for the villain, Robert Carlyle is one of those Bond baddies where the premise is there but he's just not as compelling, in fact he seems kind of wimpy.

The Bond series lately has been going for that bigger is badder approach but there's a couple of goodies: the opening with a big boat chase is one of my favorite openers in the series but then we have a kind of meh ski escape as well as Bond versus a helicopter with sawblades attached which is as exciting as it is preposterous. But that's what's expected with any Bond film so I don't even mind anymore but there's almost a too over-the-topness to it as if the films tried to eclipse Bond wannabe films of late.

Is it the best Bond? No. The best Brosnan film? No. But it's a solid if very faulty Bond. I'd recommend it anyway though.

Great Movie!.......2006-05-31

This is a pretty exciting movie. I have to say Pierce Bronsan makes the best James Bond, even better than Sean Connery in older James Bond movies. Some of the top action scenes include the Boat Chase, James Bond and Electra King(a very beautiful woman) getting chased while skiing and the helicopter scene. The basic story is that James Bond is sent to protect an oil heiress, whom unknown forces are trying to kill.

Bond thinks it is because they don't want competition from her Oil pipeline. However, the story takes a surprise twist that most won't see coming. For that reason I give this movie 5 stars; for this unusual twist that is not there in other Bond movies.

Average customer rating:

5 unfinished good movies equals one bad finished movie
So wrong, it's right.
fantastic film
I've Been Interested In Seeing This For Decades -- Wasn't Worth The Wait
"Too many cooks spoil the broth"

Casino Royale
Starring: Peter Sellers , and Woody Allen
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005JL0I
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com

John Huston was only one of five directors on this expensive, all-star 1967 spoof of Ian Fleming's 007 lore. David Niven is the aging Sir James Bond, called out of retirement to take on the organized threat of SMERSH and pass on the secret-agent mantle to his idiot son (Woody Allen). An amazing cast (Orson Welles, Peter Sellers, Deborah Kerr, etc.) is wonderful to look at, but the film is not as funny as it should be, and the romping starts to look mannered after awhile. The musical score by Burt Bacharach, however, is a keeper. --Tom Keogh

Description

Welcome to Casino Royale, the ultimate psychedelic secret agent satire! Packed with girls, guns and gags galore, this "very funny picture" (The New Yorker) delivers "laughs all the way"(Cue)! Starring Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Joanna Pettet, Orson Welles, Daliah Lavi, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden and others, and with an original score from Oscar® winner* Burt Bacharach, this groovy spy movie is "even farther out" (LA Herald-Examiner) than all other spoofs combined! British Intelligence is waning in every possible way! When the diabolical SMERSH begins killing off Her Majesty's Secret Service, super-agent James Bond (Niven) recruits six more "James Bonds" to confuse and conquer their enemies. But it won't be easy. They'll have to face an army of irresistibly sexy female operatives, exploding robotic fowl, parachuting Indians and a germ that makes all women beautiful but kills all men over 4'6"! *1981: Original Song (with Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross, Peter Allen), Arthur; 1969: Original Song (Lyrics by Hal David), Score, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Customer Reviews:

5 unfinished good movies equals one bad finished movie.......2007-09-04

You can tell that five directors and a host of writers attempted this mis-mash of almost unrelated scenes, and the directorial and acting styles are vastly different in each. In fact, it looks like several really good movies were trying to be made, but none of them is finished; instead, each one was abandoned and all were spliced together into an incoherent LSD trip, and the result is a tiresome waste of money and talent.

So wrong, it's right........2007-06-07

This movie is so wrong. It's right. I love it! Two plus hours of vintage hilarity. You can't beat a movie with Woodie Allen.

fantastic film.......2007-05-21

this is the best bond by far, even though its a spoof
This is the film that mike myers copied to make austin powers so if you liked any of those films you will love this film , phycadelic bond

I've Been Interested In Seeing This For Decades -- Wasn't Worth The Wait.......2007-05-14

Can you name the second, third, and fourth actors to play James Bond in a movie (Sean Connery, of course was the first). If you guessed Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan, you're wrong. That's right, George Lazenbery proceeded Moore, but you're still wrong. The correct answer is David Niven (as James Bond), Woody Allen (Jimmy Bond) and Peter Sellers (as a James Bond imposter, though he fit the Bond suaveness well).

I was very curious about watching this movie. I felt it was a waste of time. It was funny, and the acting was good, but I did not like it. Part of it was that it was too sexy for a fundamentalist like myself. Another part is that the plot meandered too much.

I will say the climax was hilarious. There were some good car chases. But this could have been better.

If you like comedy (I'm not a big comedy fan), especially the late '60's style, and you want something a little more risque, you may enjoy this; don't let my negative review scare you off in this case. I didn't really enjoy it.

One last comment. Peter Sellers and Woody Allen were given top billing, but really David Nivens carried this movie.

"Too many cooks spoil the broth".......2007-04-04

What a mess of the royal proportions - such a great cast (Peter Sellers, David Niven, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Ursula Andress, Deborah Kerr, and Jean-Paul Belmondo), the James Bond's story, plenty of beautiful (and I mean it) girls, the music by Burt Bacharach, most famous sets - but the movie is almost totally unwatchable. It started funny enough - at Sir James Bond's (David Niven) home where he was approached by four international agents that forced him to come out of retirement and head up the operation against the evil organization SMERSH. His mission is to destroy Topple LeChiffre (Orson Welles} at the baccarat tables where he never loses and wins a lot of money to supply SMERSH. Then, the movie becomes silly, stupid, pointless, and (what is the worst) not funny. Only Woody Allen, (as Bond's incompetent nephew, Jimmy Bond) brilliant as usual has appeared in two scenes and made them silly and hilarious. I think that "Casino Royale" (the way it was made) illustrates the fact that bigger is not always better - overlong and overblown, written and directed by five or more writers and directors, it brings to mind an old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the broth".

OT: the abbreviation SMERSH really existed during the WWII. It means "Death to the Spies" in Russian.

Average customer rating:

Good film but not one of my favorites
Dalton's Debut Is Impressive

The Living Daylights
Starring: Timothy Dalton , Maryam d'Abo , Jeroen Krabbé , Joe Don Baker , and John Rhys-Davies
Director: John Glen (II)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000NDEXPM
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Timothy Dalton made his 007 debut in the lean, mean mode of Sean Connery, doing away with the pun-filled camp of Roger Moore's final outings. This James Bond is ruthless, tough, and romantic. The Living Daylights, set during the thaw of the cold war, begins with the defection of Russian KGB General Koskov (Jeroen Krabb) and his revelation of a Soviet plot to eliminate Britain's secret agent force. Assigned to eliminate Koskov's Soviet boss (John Rhys-Davies), Bond uncovers a conspiracy involving Koskov and an American arms dealer (Joe Don Baker). Veteran series director John Glen's action scenes have never been better--especially the show-stopping mid-air battle on the net of a speeding cargo plane--and he returns the series to the smart, rough, high-energy adventures that made the Bond reputation. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Good film but not one of my favorites.......2007-06-14

Dalton did a great job in his short time as Bond. They didn't give him a lot to work with in this one, but he still did a good job.

Dalton's Debut Is Impressive.......2007-04-04

The first thing that struck me about this film is that Timothy Dalton could act and he took the part very seriously. I found THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS to be one of the better James Bond films. I think it is the best since ON HER MAJESTY's SECRET SERVICE. I really liked Timothy Dalton as James Bond, the James Bond he gave us in this film (THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS). He was not the hard edged civil servant but more of a thinkin

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