Change Your Image
DapperDuck713
Reviews
Ravioli (2021)
Scorsese who?
A soaring, triumphant work of cinematic excellence, "Ravioli" is everything film should be.
Provocative, challenging and inspiring, this is a masterpiece that compels me to become a filmmaker, although I'm fully aware that nothing I could make would ever come close to rivalling the subtle nuance of "Ravioli."
Freddie Bailey is undoubtedly a master of his craft, creating compelling characters and capturing them with unique, dynamic cinematography.
It's more psychologically stressful than anything David Fincher could ever dream of producing. Being trapped in the protagonist's fractured mind truly captures the feeling of being held hostage in a Berlin hotel room.
And my god, what an ending. As we all know, every film should end with a twist, and "Ravioli" certainly delivers.
See "Ravioli." Tell your friends. Scream about it from the rooftops. This movie gave me a cinematic fever. This is gold and every other film is zinc. Within Eden, there is only one film. It's name is "Ravioli."
Cats (2019)
An absolute Litter Tray of a film.
"Cats." That single word summons more paralysing terror in those who watched this film than any horror movie released in the last 10 years. The initial trailer caused mass hysteria across the internet when it was unleased upon the world in 2019. Like the opening of Pandora's Box, once the images of those obscene CGI cat-human hybrids had escaped into the world, they could not be put back into the darkness from which they came. Despite the memes and jeers pouring in from every direction, some people were optimistic, believing that this movie could be good... it wasn't.
"Cats" is nothing more or less than the spawn of Satan himself. In fact, that's a little bit cruel, if Satan had spawned this monstrosity, he would have disowned it and sent it packing immediately. Never have I witnessed a movie this expensive, with this calibre of on-screen talent at its disposal, failing on so many conceivable levels. The songs range from average to agonising, the cast are either miscast or have their dignity stripped away from them (or both) and the visuals are the stuff of the most fevered of night terrors. However, I loved watching it!
Yes it's an appalling travesty, yes it makes no sense, but I'm so happy that "Cats" exists. From the ludicrous opening scene to the final musical number, in which DAME Judi Dench addresses the audience directly to remind us that "a cat is NOT a dog", I was rolling on the floor, howling with laughter. It's surreal to see a 95 million dollar film take this much of a swing and miss so spectacularly, but I had a blast watching this movie fall flat on its horrifying face. So although it's undoubtedly one of the worst movies I've ever seen, I enjoyed "Cats" immensely, but for all the wrong reasons.
So let's go to the Jellicle Ball and try to make sense of the disaster-piece that is Tom Hooper's "Cats."
As I mentioned previously, the cast in this nightmare are generally talented, but all of them are dreadful here. It's definitely not the actors fault, as even Arnold Schwarzenegger, the God of one-liners, couldn't have made putrid dialogue like "I believe you truly are a Jellicle cat, a dellicle cat" sound good. Whilst all of the performances are terrible, they're all awful for different reasons.
James Cordon and Rebel Wilson feel severely out-of-place as the, er, comic relief? I'm aware that a great many people find these two actors irritating (Cordon in particular), but I personally don't have anything against them. However, they are incredibly annoying here, they feel like they're in a completely different movie to everyone else, performing their usual shticks of making fat jokes and falling over.
This is probably as good a point as any to mention how appalling the comedy in "Cats" is (the script is littered with atrocious cat puns that make Halle Berry's "Catwoman" look like a Christopher Nolan movie.) That isn't to say that "Cats" is devoid of comedic value, as listening to Ray Winstone singing or watching SIR Ian McKellen lick milk out of a bowl made me laugh more than most modern comedies do, but I think it's fair to say that these moments weren't supposed to make us snigger.
I feel really sorry for Francesca Hayward, Naoimh Morgan and the other young actors who have never been in a movie before and presumably thought that "Cats" was going to be their ticket to stardom. I sincerely hope that they'll get another chance to prove themselves as actors, and that the rest of their careers won't be ruined because of this mess.
I'll admit, Idris Elba and Jennifer Hudson were almost good in "Cats", Elba is clearly relishing the opportunity to chew up the scenery and Hudson attempts to give an emotionally rich performance. Sadly, both actors are undercut by the woeful CGI that the entire film is caked in, which creates many deeply disturbing moments throughout the run time.
Elba's character removes his fur coat about two-thirds into the movie, revealing his dark brown fur underneath. What makes this so unsettling is that A. his fur coat looks like it's been made from the pelts of skinned cat corpses and B. he looks stark raving naked as he prances around and flirts with Taylor Swift (whose barely in the film.) Do I need to explain why a nude-looking mutant Idris Elba feline fiend is distressing to watch?
Jennifer Hudson also sports a fur coat (I have so many questions) but thankfully she never takes it off. The problem with her character is that throughout the entirety of "Cats", a tendril of snot is careening down her character's face. I understand that this is supposed to signify how sickly and depressed she is, but for crying out loud, I couldn't take my eyes of that train of ooze whenever Hudson was on screen. It was really distracting!
Imagine being the CG artist who crafted that strand of mucus, you work long hours, miss your kid's karate ceremonies and become increasingly distant with your spouse. But it's all worth it, because you constructed a photorealistic trail of snot for the 2019 film "Cats"...
Before I move onto the other elements of "Cats" that make it an atrocity against all of humanity, I'd like to voice my anger that Tom Hooper took SIR Ian McKellen and DAME Judi Dench, two of the greatest actors of their generation and absolute national treasures, and destroyed every ounce of nobility they possessed. These are two actors that are respected across the globe, they've starred in some of my all-time favourite movies and have both been nominated for Academy Awards (with Dench winning for "Shakespeare in Love." She should have won again for "Skyfall.") Yet in "Cats", they are transformed into computer generated monstrosity's that will haunt my dreams until the day I die, spouting horrifically bad dialogue and doing things we never wanted to see these legendary thespians doing. I laughed, but inside, I was crying!
Even though the characters have the charisma of a pile of polystyrene ducks and the visuals should be number one on the Schmidt pain index, if the narrative in "Cats" was compelling, the film might have been saved. Sadly, there is no plot in "Cats", I still don't understand what a Jellicle is, the main goal of every character is to DIE and the pacing is about as fast as a mouse on its way to a cat convention. The story unfolds like this: a cat appears to sing their own praises, then another cat appears and does the exact same thing. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat!
"Cats" is based on a supposedly popular musical, so at the very least, the music in the film should be good right? WRONG! The songs are aggravatingly overlong rambles that fail to make us care about anything that's happening in the film, they don't have any logic behind them and they aren't engaging to listen to. I will admit, I tapped my feet twice whilst watching "Cats", but that may have been because I was being sucked into a maelstrom of madness and mania, rather than because I actually liked the songs.
But without a doubt, the biggest flaw of this hate crime of a film is the visual design. "Cats" is a truly petrifying watch, the CG cats that scuttled out of the darkest pits of hell are some of the most blood-curdling beasts I've ever witnessed! The cats with human faces, feet and hands (plus a wedding ring in Judi Dench's case) shatter the Uncanny Valley into pieces. Our brains cannot comprehend what we're seeing, we know that the characters aren't human, but we can still distinguish their human features, causing our minds to go completely haywire. This isn't helped by the fact that the scale of the characters is constantly shifting from scene to scene, which adds to the hallucinatory atmosphere. This hair-raising horror is at its most unnerving when Rebel Wilson's cat unzips her own fur to reveal a dress and more fur underneath, eats a cockroach plastered with a person's face upon it and terrorises a group of mice with children's faces... WHAT?! WHY?! HOW?!
I feel bad for any young children whose first trip to the cinema was to see "Cats." If I'd seen this movie as a kid, it would have scarred me for the rest of my life and made me never want to see a film ever again!
In conclusion, "Cats" is as traumatic, baffling and disgraceful as everyone says it is. It's possible that this will go the way of "Plan 9 from Outer Space" or "The Room" and become a cult classic, but as of now, "Cats" deserves all the criticism it receives. It's a complete CATastrophe.
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Midsomer Mayhem!
I absolutely LOVED "Hot Fuzz", it's reminiscent of the quaint afternoon dramas that OAPs watch (such as "Heartbeat", "Midsomer Murders" and "Inspector Morse") but with insane action, comically over-the-top violence and curse words a-plenty thrown into the mix. The film is chock-full of fantastic British actors who all give hysterically funny performances, the script is surprisingly intelligent for a film that's this hilarious and the action sequences are both bonkers and thrilling. "Hot Fuzz" is more than a silly buddy comedy, it's one of my all-time favourite films!
"Hot Fuzz" is the first film directed by Edgar Wright that I saw and I still believe that it's his best one. Wright's direction here is excellent, the movie moves at a break-neck pace, meaning that there is never a dull or unentertaining moment. It explodes off the screen with an energetic personality that perfectly blends the setting of a relaxing evening drama with uproariously gory action set-pieces.
Calling the cast in "Hot Fuzz" star-studded is a massive understatement. Simon Pegg (who's one of my favourite actors) is as phenomenal as ever in the role of determined police officer, Nicolas Angle, I'm sorry ANGEL. Nick Frost is equally likeable as Angel's partner on the Sandford police service, Danny Butterman, who provides many of the movie's best references and one-liners.
It's staggering how many great actors are in the supporting cast in "Hot Fuzz", I would like to praise them all individually, but if I did, this review would be 7,000 words long, so I'll just list some of them. Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Timothy Dalton, Olivia Colman, Steve Coogan, Paul Freeman, Stephen Merchant and David Bradley all appear in this film (wow, the casting director deserves a round of applause!) But that's not all, Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson even make cameo appearances here!
From deadpan deliveries to riotous mockeries of action movie tropes, "Hot Fuzz" excels in every area of comedy. Not a single joke fell flat and even if you find one gag annoying, the movie barrels along so quickly that you'll probably being laughing at the next joke almost immediately. "Hot Fuzz" is probably the smartest comedy I've ever seen, almost every line of dialogue has an amusing and satisfying pay-off later on in the film (meaning that I'll need to re-watch it quite a lot to pick up on all of the clever gags.)
Some action-comedies pride themselves on their comedic moments but lack noteworthy action sequences, thankfully "Hot Fuzz" isn't one of those films. Despite some intentional shaky-cam, the action in "Hot Fuzz" is a joy to behold, it's stylised, captivating and very, very bloody! What makes the action here even more incredible is that most of the first two-thirds of this movie is very light on traditional action, but then the film goes completely bonkers in the third act and becomes a non-stop adrenaline ride in which the two leads are thrown into an all-out battle with the villains. I don't want to spoil who the antagonists are, but let me just say, the hilarity increases exponentially when they appear on screen!
In conclusion, "Hot Fuzz" is simply amazing! It's an ingenious lampoon of blow-out action spectaculars and murder mysteries told in a side-splitting and immensely enjoyable way. I loved every single second of it!
Ghostbusters (1984)
A Film of "Biblical Proportions."
"Ghostbusters" is one of the best and most iconic movies of the 1980s! It's brilliant core concept, quotable script and fantastic cast has cemented it as one of the most beloved comedies of our time!
Even after 34 years, a decent sequel and a controversial yet painfully forgettable reboot, "Ghostbusters" is still just as well-regarded and popular as it was when it was unleashed upon the world in 1984! There are many reasons why it remains a landmark in pop culture, the iconography, the song that will never leave your head and the fact that the film employs a perfect blend of humour and spooky moments, there is so much to love!
One of my favourite aspects of "Ghostbusters" is its original and creative premise. The story of blue-collar, ordinary people capturing extra-dimensional beings and Spector's is such an awesome and ingenious idea. Unlike the Men in Black, the Ghostbusters aren't specially trained agents, but average men who do their jobs not to save the world, but to get a paycheque (at least that's how they start out.) This unique plot makes "Ghostbusters" such a special and re-watchable film and gives the characters a relatability that makes them feel like real people.
The ensemble cast in "Ghostbusters" is absolutely incredible! Every actor gives the film their all, the excellent dialogue manages to balance scientific mumbo-jumbo with realistic speech that, as previously mentioned, makes the Ghostbusters act like people that you could meet in the real world.
I love every character in this amazing movie so it is almost impossible to decide who my favourite is! From the wise-cracking Peter Venkman ("Back off man, I'm a scientist.") to the loveable Ray Stanz ("Listen... you smell something?"), the deadpan Egon Spengler ("Sorry, Venkman, I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought") and the sadly and often forgotten Winston Zeddmore ("This job is definitely not worth $11,500 a year.")
The excellent performances and razor-sharp script gives the team a level of comradery and bravado that makes their interplay so enjoyable!
The supporting cast are just as fantastic as the leading actors. The always stellar Sigourney Weaver and zany Rick Moranis provide more comedic situations for the filmmakers to play with and adds dimension to the movie's world.
For a film that was released 34 years ago, it is surprising how well the visual effects, production design and creature designs in "Ghostbusters" have held up.
The ghosts and spirits in this movie are so awesome; the unique aesthetic makes the world that these characters inhabit feel distinct when compared to every other supernatural films. Although I love Slimer, my absolute favourite apparition in "Ghostbusters" (and my favourite part of the movie) is the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. He's visually striking, hilarious and downright amazing! I was shocked to learn recently that Mr Say Puft wasn't a real American mascot, but was created solely for this movie; I had always made the assumption that his inclusion in the story was simply an ingenious idea for product placement.
There are a long line of epic cinematic cars from the 1980s. Owning a vehicle such as the Bluesmobile from "The Blues Brothers", the time travelling DeLorean from the "Back to the Future" Trilogy and the Batmobile from Tim Burton's gothic 1989 hit "Batman", is the dream of many a movie fan. The Ecto-1 is just as striking and memorable as all of the previously mentioned automobiles, you can tell, just by looking at it, that the car can perform dozens of spook-catching functions. As with the DeLorean, the Ecto-1 looks like it was built in a shed/ garage, not on a conveyor belt, which means that the personality of the vehicle makes it a character in its own right, not just a prop.
On a quick note, the "Ghostbusters" logo is undoubtedly one of cinema's best. It's so simple yet so iconic, even before I'd seen the movie; I knew what "Ghostbusters" was.
One of the most recognized elements of this film is its ear-worm of a theme song! Everybody on planet Earth knows the "Ghostbusters" tune; I don't believe that the movie itself would be nearly as popular if it weren't for Ray Parker Jr.'s contribution!
I find it so amusing that at the time, "Ghostbusters" was considered to be a family film that all ages could enjoy. Whilst I don't dispute that kids can watch this film (as nearly all of us watched "Ghostbusters" as children) the fact that the movie contains an abundance of swearing, smoking, the greatest jump-scare ever filmed and occasional crude humour makes this a far more interesting watch than, say, "High School Musical."
To summarise, I absolutely love "Ghostbusters!" It's hilarious, cleverly written and one of the most quotable and iconic motion pictures of all time. I shudder to imagine a world without "Ghostbusters"...
"Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!"
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Despite its impressive action set-pieces and solid performances, "Quantum of Solace" staggers through a drought of creativity.
Movie-goers are not kind to "Quantum of Solace." The second Daniel Craig film sandwiched between two of the greatest movies in the entire Bond canon and crippled by the Writers Guild of America strike is considered by many to be one of the worst James Bond movies ever made.
I don't hate "Quantum of Solace", the performances are pretty good across the board and the action set-pieces are thrilling (even if they're ruined by the abysmal editing.) It's not a great film, as it has a heap of flaws beneath its shiny exterior, but "Quantum of Solace" is definitely not one of my least favourite 007 films.
The cast in "Quantum of Solace" are mostly great. Daniel Craig is excellent as ever, he brings a boiling rage to the character whilst also excelling in the moments that require him to be more suave and charismatic. Dame Judi Dench continues to be exceptional as M, laying the groundwork for her magnificent character arc in "Skyfall." I also really like Olga Kurylenko as main Bond girl Camille, her arc throughout the story is dark and compelling and she has one really captivating character moment during the finale. It's also worth mentioning that Jeffrey Wright is easily the best Felix Leiter in the series, he's cool, likeable and has phenomenal chemistry with Craig.
Mathieu Amalric's Dominic Greene (the main villain of the movie) is... ok. He's weedy and understated but he's also kind of boring. He's not very memorable and he's not scary or intimidating, so he might not be an awful Bond villain, but he's undoubtedly one of the least remarkable.
The action in "Quantum of Solace" is one of its saving graces, everything from the nerve-shredding opening car chase to the superb plane dogfight and the explosive finale are violent, dramatic and stirring. We'll get to how the editing affects the experience of watching these sequences later, but despite that, the action in "Quantum of Solace" is incredible.
Unfortunately, that's where my compliments for "Quantum" end, so let's move onto the negatives.
My biggest criticism with "Quantum of Solace" is it's absolutely atrocious editing. The action sequences are choppy and borderline unwatchable at times due to the constant cuts. It's a shame because it's clear that a lot of hard work went into making the various fight scenes and chases as exciting as possible, but when the camera is bouncing and spinning all over the place it's really difficult to enjoy the sequences. The use of so much shaky-cam and quick-cut editing was an obvious attempt to capture the gritty style of the "Jason Bourne" movies, but "Casino Royale" still managed to create hard-hitting, Bourne-esque action without resorting to cinematography that looks like the filmmakers placed a camera in a washing machine!
There are also some bizarrely pretentious moments of editing scattered throughout "Quantum", such as weird fade-outs just before the third act and the overly flashy and distracting location title cards. I don't mind directors bringing their own style to a Bond film, as "Skyfall" proved that a 007 instalment can be both an adrenaline-pumping thrill-ride and a magnificently constructed Oscar-contender, but the visual style of this film is so scattered and confused that the strange editing choices really stick out.
I think the main criticism most viewers have with "Quantum of Solace" is how messy its narrative is. We watch the characters go from location to location but there isn't really any sense of purpose to the proceedings and the antagonist's main objective is downright dull, which causes almost all of the scenes featuring the villains to become instantly forgettable.
Its common knowledge that the production of "Quantum of Solace" was a disaster as the film was made during the Writers' Strike, which completely upended the movie's production (Daniel Craig had to write sections of the script himself.) So even though the dialogue is unimaginative and the story is confused, it's understandable why the film is the way it is.
One of the main staples of the "007" franchise are the original songs that play over the opening titles, performed by some of the most popular artists of the day. With songs like "Nobody Does it Better", "GoldenEye" and more recently Billie Eilish's "No Time to Die", these songs do a terrific job of building hype for the films and by tying into the underlying themes of said films. Sadly, Jack White and Alicia Keys's "Another Way to Die" is a mixed bag of a song.
I'll be honest, I really like the electric guitar rendition of the Bond theme at the start of the song (I actually think all of the background music is quite good), but the lyrics make absolutely no sense and the "singing" from Keys and White sounds more like a domestic feud than a James Bond song.
It doesn't help that the opening titles that accompany "Another Way to Die" are incredibly generic and bland, whereas "Casino Royale" featured a stunning montage of playing card symbols integrated with some awesome animated fight sequences, the "Quantum" titles feel like a step backwards.
The last thing I want to talk about concerning "Quantum of Solace" is a deep problem that runs throughout the whole film, that being that this just doesn't feel like a James Bond film. It may feature an Aston Martin, a secret evil organization and a megalomaniac antagonist, but none of the signature panache and sophistication that you'd expect from this series is to be found here. "Casino Royale" did such a stellar job of taking the established traditions of the Bond series (e.g. the "Shaken, not stirred" line and the gun barrel scene) and giving them a contemporary update, whilst also staying true to what made those tropes so fantastic in the first place. This film, on the other hand, doesn't use many of the iconic cornerstones of the franchise, which makes "Quantum" feel more like a Sylvester Stallone revenge flick than a bombastic Bond movie.
In conclusion, "Quantum of Solace" is a film with some outstanding aspects, the performances are note-worthy and the action is splendid. It's unfortunately undermined however by the poor editing choices, weak story and lack of Bondian flair, which brings it well below the high-bar set by "Casino Royale." It's not a terrible movie, but it is a disappointing one.
Schindler's List (1993)
Impossible to Forget.
In 1993, audiences around the world received two of director Steven Spielberg's most influential and critically acclaimed films. One, an enthralling dinosaur adventure with ground-breaking visual effects that captured the imagination of an entire generation; the other, a harrowing recreation of true-life events centring around the most vile and evil moments in human history and the true heroes that rose from the ashes of destruction and genocide.
"Schindler's List" is a meticulously constructed, horrifying and disturbing film that, if you are human, will definitely make you cry at least twice during its mammoth 3 hour 15 minute run time!
The decision to film the majority of the picture in black and white was an ingenious move; it adds a stark and bleak reality to the events of the film, the lack of colours and soul-crushing score reinforces the powerful message that is being told.
The most outstanding technical features of "Schindler's List" all won an Academy Award, giving the film a total of seven Oscars. From the film itself (Best Picture), to the direction (Best Director), the script, the sets, cinematography, editing and music; all of the talented people behind this masterpiece deserved the recognition and respect that they received.
The talented cast all deliver some of the best and most moving performances of their careers.
The ever brilliant Liam Neeson plays every element of his complex and multi-layered character perfectly. Sir Ben Kingsley brings a warmth and likeability to an otherwise stone-cold story; the usually charming Ralph Fiennes plays quite possibly one of the most disgusting and malicious characters in modern cinema.
This film sticks out like a velociraptor in a kitchen when compared to Spielberg's earlier projects. His most popular works were entertaining adventures which occasionally played with dark themes. "Jaws", the "Indiana Jones" Trilogy and "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" had cemented Spielberg as a master of thrills (Indy), chills ("Jaws") and spills (the emotional "E.T." scenes.) However, "The Colour Purple" and "Empire of the Sun" presented a director that could also craft excellent historical films, thus leading to "Schindler's List."
The new-found maturity in his career is one of the many reasons why Spielberg is my favourite director. Whilst I personally prefer his more accessible romps such as "Duel", "Indiana Jones" and "Catch Me If You Can" over his gritty dramas, I admire a filmmaker who has the range and talent to create such vastly different works. The fact that the man who directed "Hook" also made "Saving Private Ryan" is astounding; in which other director's filmography can you find such a stylistic divide?!
"Schindler's List" is about a nation turning a blind eye to the horrors that were being inflicted upon good, ordinary people. It is a movie that is still relevant today (which makes all the more tragic), which is why "Schindler's List" must be seen and talked about to prevent anything on the level of the Holocaust ever happening again!
I saw this film three years ago yet every traumatic scene still feels raw in my mind. I never EVER want to see "Schindler's List" again, not because it's bad, but because it is so unsettling and disheartening.
"No one can do anything to fix the past - that's already happened, but a picture like this can impact us, delivering a mandate about what must never happen again."
-Steven Spielberg-
Casino Royale (2006)
"I'm sorry. That last hand... nearly killed me."
After "Die Another Day" received a negative reception due to its over-the-top story and camp aesthetic, the James Bond franchise went on a four year exile to soul search and discover what it wanted to become.
"Casino Royale" was the heart-pounding and ferocious return to form that the forty-four year-old series needed. Dispensing with the cartoon-level gadgets and ridiculous villains, this film would strip Bond back down to his roots. This wasn't only going to be one of the best Bond outings ever conceived but also one of the most riveting and visceral action blockbusters of the 21st century!
The best place to start this review is with Bond, James Bond, played so excellently by Daniel Craig. Whilst I am a huge fan of Pierce Brosnan and Sean Connery's portrayals of 007 respectively, Craig is, in my opinion, the best Bond yet. In the spectacular opening sequence alone he proved all of the "No Blond Bond" naysayer's wrong, but also brought more humanity, depth and dry wit to the table than most other Bond's contribute in their entire multi-film run.
When I judge a Bond, I gauge them on two factors: One- "Are they suave enough?" and Two-"Do they look capable of killing people?" Unsurprisingly, Daniel Craig leapt over these metaphorical hurdles effortlessly, he is both unbelievably charming and sophisticated and delivers the brilliant one-liners with apparent ease. Craig's Bond also acts as human tank, barrelling from one outstanding action set-piece to the next with brutal efficiency.
An aspect of this incarnation of 007 that I thoroughly appreciate is that unlike his predecessors, he doesn't annihilate henchmen without breaking a sweat. In the same vain as "Indiana Jones", this Bond is pushed to his limits as he struggles to defeat his enemies. This desperation makes 007 so much more relatable and engrossing as he isn't a superhero, he's just a man. This vulnerability is best emphasised during a near-silent scene in which Bond washes blood off himself, dulling the pain with alcohol and gazing into a mirror. This scene tells the audience so much about Bond and his psyche without Craig saying a word.
Another shining example of the sheer prestige of "Casino Royale" is how it handles its Bond Girl, Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green. Whereas most Bond Girls (with a few exceptions) are treated as 2-dimensional caricatures, Vesper is written as a real person. Her banter with Bond is great as, unlike nearly every woman in his life (except M, portrayed by the ever excellent Dame Judi Dench), Vesper sees through Bond's confident mask and understands who he really is, which makes her his true equal. Unlike some Bond movies that beat the audience over the head with how important a woman is to Bond, but without developing the two characters relationship (*cough* "SPECTRE"), "Casino Royale" crafts superb dialogue that entertains us whilst also evolving both Bond and Vesper.
A key aspect to every great Bond film is its villain; Mads Mikkelsen's portrayal of Le Chiffre easily makes him one of my favourite Bond antagonists. He doesn't stroke a white cat, reside in a mountain-top lair or kill his henchmen unnecessarily, Le Chiffre feels more like a real person, or as real as a person who weeps blood can be.
The action sequences in "Casino Royale" are absolutely jaw-dropping. Martin Campbell, who incidentally directed another of my favourite Bond movies, "Goldeneye" (and "Green Lantern" but we don't talk about that one), masterfully directed this film. Even though "Casino Royale" is an obvious response to the gritty realism of the "Jason Bourne" series, none of Bourne's trademark (and sickening) Shaky-Cam is to be found here; every set-piece is filmed in a clear and fluid way so that we can actually follow and understand what's happening. The highlight of the film is the phenomenal construction-site parkour chase, featuring some of the best moments in the entire film that perfectly establish this version of 007, ( such as the moment when, instead of leaping through a hole in a plaster wall, Bond smashes straight through it.) All of the other sequences are flawless, from a particularly nerve-wracking truck battle (that pays homage to "Raiders of the Lost Ark") to the brutal stairwell fight and emotional finale.
Something else that makes "Casino Royale" a masterwork is the powerful pre-title sequence. I love that the film reissues the iconic gun barrel sequence to take place in the bathroom brawl. The monochrome style and suspenseful direction tie-in perfectly with the events of the scene (Bond making his second kill and gaining his 00' status and Licence to Kill), and offer a dramatic and visually striking sequence that is totally unique to the Bond franchise.
The film's title sequence is one of the best in Bond history. The animation and graphics are so awesome; the playing card theme is used so effectively to create the most artful and print-worthy title sequence in the series. It doesn't hurt that Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" is a stellar entry into the Bond song canon and brilliantly ties into the more aggressive style of this film.
And last but definitely not least, the closing minute of "Casino Royale" is my absolute favourite moment in the 007 franchise and the best use of the line "Bond, James Bond." This moment is incredibly satisfying because, up until this point, "Casino Royale" has been about Bond becoming the character that we know and love, so finally hearing the magnificent James Bond theme blast through the air is a moment that never fails to give me goose-bumps!
In conclusion, "Casino Royale" is a stellar spy-action thriller. It's intense, funny, sleek and edgy! It's a fantastic reboot, accessible for both long-time fans and newcomers alike.