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[Qwerty]

From CBn's Main Page...

CBn Reviews 'Casino Royale' (1967)
Forum members review the 'spoof' James Bond film of 1967

[triviachamp]

There are some amusing bits and a interesting score but it wears out its welcome due to its extreme (for a goofy comedy) length. Most scene transitions are extremely abrupt (M's toupee is blown off...and now he's dead! What the heck?) especially scenes involving Peter Sellers. Many scenes go on forever such as the ghastly Scottish scene. I agree with many others that its not really funny. Interminably long scenes without many laughs are a deathblow for a goofy comedy. It could have been a good comedy if Feldman and Sellers hadn't lost their minds. But they did so we got stuck with an extremely overlong, often unfunny mess. A Guilty pleasure at best.

[jaguar007]

This is a really difficult movie to rate. In some aspects, I want to rate it a 1. In other aspects I want to rate it a 10. In other aspects, I watn to rate it everyting in between.

BTW, the 10 is for the music score.

[Qwerty]

I gave it a five. In retrospect, that is probably too high.

Ah well.

[Streetworker]

It's a curate's egg. More bad than good, but with some undeniably funny moments. And at least it's more enjoyable than Never Say Never Again.

[the doctor]

some good moments, a real no brainer to watch. has some funny moments but nothing great, still for some reason i love the theme music. still the worst bond film simply because it is absolutly crazy

[Qwerty]

True, out of all 23, this is easily the bottom for me.

[Loomis]

I give it 1, although I admit that I've seen only bits and pieces here and there on TV (and pan-and-scan, natch). A cleaned-up widescreen print seen in the cinema might be fun (perhaps some cinemas - London's Prince Charles, for instance - may in the future show the '67 CR as a double bill with Craig's debut), and might cause me to raise my rating to a more generous 2 or 3, but, really, I think I've seen enough to know that this most definitely ain't my cup of tea. A very poor film.

[Skudor]

The problem with this comedy is that there just aren't that many laughs. It's surreal, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but goes beyond Monty Python-surreal into LSD mixed with Cocain surreal. It's just too silly.

I gave it five though, as I have actually watched it a few times.

[Hawkeye]

Ya know what, i gave it a 6 because i really dig this film as an insane parody. It's got Woody Allen and Peter Sellers, two guys who i'd watch in a movie even if it consisted of the two of them watching paint dry while telling inane anecdotes about the accounting practices of ICI.
The theme tune is great - Herb Alpert's Tijuana Taxi always makes me smile.
Before i read the novel this movie made me want to know what was actually in the real story. It has a nostalgia for me this flick, so i think it deserves its 6 out of 10. For me anyway.

[DLibrasnow]

At least its better than The World Is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies.

[Harmsway]

At least its better than The World Is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies.

I'll give ya THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, but I'd take TOMORROW NEVER DIES over this one anyday, if only because it features Brosnan in his most charismatic and cool performance and has some fairly decent moments.

[DLibrasnow]

At least its better than The World Is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies.

I'll give ya THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, but I'd take TOMORROW NEVER DIES over this one anyday, if only because it features Brosnan in his most charismatic and cool performance and has some fairly decent moments.

Okay, I'll give you that.

[Qwerty]

At least its better than ... Tomorrow Never Dies.

[DLibrasnow]

Sorry Devin....but IMHO Tomorrow Never Dies is the second worst Bond movie (EON or non-EON) out there after The World Is Not Enough.

[dunmall]

lol, i'm in the minority that just absolutely loves this film, I always have.

And yes one is the loneliest number...

[Qwerty]

Sorry Devin....but IMHO Tomorrow Never Dies is the second worst Bond movie (EON or non-EON) out there after The World Is Not Enough.

Blasphemy!

[Quartermaster007]

The only problem I have with people's opinions on this movie is that they judge it as a Bond movie; it's not, it's a Bond spoof, and a good one at that.

[Qwerty]

The only problem I have with people's opinions on this movie is that they judge it as a Bond movie; it's not, it's a Bond spoof, and a good one at that.

In a way, it is technically both. It's certainly an unofficial movie outside the series, and basically just plays almost everything for laughs.

[krypt]

Certainly a silly spoof but I love still love it. Personally, I'll choose it over MR anyday.

[Dr. Noah]

The Moore film it has the most in common with is Octopussy: In that film's Q scene, Moore is given a videowatch and a deadly pen (both were issued to Peter Sellers in Casino Royale), prompting the "poison pen letter" line that was first used in the spoof (at least Sellers' character was chastised for using it)! Both movies feature lots of in-jokes and movie parodies and over-the-top stunts like someone sliding down a bannister while wiping out tons of enemies. With these similarities, Charles Feldman should have received a co-producing credit.

Anyway, the only truly funny stuff in the film is from Woody Allen, who basically doesn't worry about Bond movie conventions and just tries to be funny.

Great soundtrack, though. "The Look of Love" should've been used in a REAL Bond movie.

Edited by Dr. Noah, 16 March 2006 - 05:42 AM.

[Qwerty]

Certainly a silly spoof but I love still love it. Personally, I'll choose it over MR anyday.

[TheCheat]

has anybody tried doing a fan edit of casino royale?

i just finished doing a first version where i simply put large chunks in a more understandable order. i have not yet taken anything out but i do plan on changing many of the things to decrease the length of the film to make it much more watchable.

the changes i made in regard to the order include moving the first scene from before the main titles to where it should actually belong in the movie before mathis and tremble get into the car. i also swapped the order of the recruiting of tremble and mata bond going to berlin as it just makes more sense for her to go there before they decide that they need tremble.

im not a big fan of casino royale but it definitly has many funny moments in it. i dont think the music should be changed to be more like the normal bond films because unlike never say never again casino royale actually has a good theme.

i wonder if mgm will release a special edition of this film on dvd in the fall.

Edited by TheCheat, 22 July 2006 - 08:58 PM.

[TheLazenby]

Yes, I believe that MGM *is* going to put out a special edition, with a new documentary featuring interviews with people such as Daliah Lavi. (She was hot - wonder what she looks like now.) Maybe this time we'll actually get a version of the Nelson movie that has an ENDING! Being that it's the only film that has never been released in its entirety on a DVD...

And The Chort (hehe), I would LOVE to see your re-edit of "Casino Royale". I thought after redoing NSNA that Blofeld's Cat should've taken this movie on too, but I don't think he ever will.

[Qwerty]

Yes, I believe that MGM *is* going to put out a special edition, with a new documentary featuring interviews with people such as Daliah Lavi.

Really? Care to elaborate? I'd love to see some special editions of Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again.

[Atomic Agent]

The only problem I have with people's opinions on this movie is that they judge it as a Bond movie; it's not, it's a Bond spoof, and a good one at that.

In a way, it is technically both. It's certainly an unofficial movie outside the series, and basically just plays almost everything for laughs.

IT IS NOT A BOND FILM. I am very confused by this film. How did they get the rights to the character names and using 'Casino Royale' as a title? And why? It is an enjoyable watch. But only if it is isolated, and separated from the entire Bond franchise.

[Qwerty]

IT IS NOT A BOND FILM.

Why, exactly? I consider it unofficial, but a Bond film nonetheless.

Broccoli and Saltzman had the rights to all the Fleming novels with the exception of this one (while Thunderball is another story). Fleming had originally sold off the rights to CR for the 1954 TV movie.

[Gobi-1]

Thanks to YouTube and some fan trailers I'm starting to develop a huge interest in Casino Royale 1967, despite never having seen the film before. With all the excitement over CR 2006 it would be great to see some new articles about the previous CR films.

[Qwerty]

Thanks to YouTube and some fan trailers I'm starting to develop a huge interest in Casino Royale 1967, despite never having seen the film before. With all the excitement over CR 2006 it would be great to see some new articles about the previous CR films.

The reviews for this one will be on the main page eventually.

[Gobi-1]

I just blind bought the film today and I must say it's one of the funniest films I've ever seen. It's up there with Airplane! and Blazing Saddles as one of the craziest and most enjoyable films I've seen. It makes Austin Powers look like The Bourne Identity.

David Niven was a riot as the "original" and prissiest James Bond I ever seen. Peter Sellers was equally as good although it's obvious he was meant to have a larger role, which was scrapped when he walked off the picture. It's too bad as it leaves the Le Chiffre portion with an abrupt conclusion, but the Casino free-for-all climax makes up for it.

My god the girls, girls, girls! I've never seen so many gorgeous women in one film before. Barbara Bouchet as Moneypenny and Joanna Pettet as Mata Bond were particularly fetching.

The score and songs by Burt Bacharach are the icing on the cake. I absolutely love slapstick nonsense and Casino Royale is one of the best spoofs I've seen.

***1/2 out of ****

Gave it a nine on the CBn poll.