What comes to mind when you think of spy movies?
Mission: Impossible. More recently, maybe Spy x Family counts too.
But the longest-running of them all is surely the 007 series.
From "Dr. No" onward, all the way to the latest film "No Time to Die," there are 25 films in total.
The one who played 007, aka James Bond, from the 20th through the 25th film, is Daniel Craig.
At first, since he was the first blond man to take the role, people said he might not fit the image of Bond, but once the curtain went up, voices flooded in saying Daniel Craig was the best of all. I've seen every 007 film, and personally I wholeheartedly agree with that opinion.
Incidentally, playing Bond consecutively, his run is relatively long even in the history of past Bonds, after Roger Moore (7 films) and Sean Connery (6 films). Daniel Craig's Bond story is now complete with "No Time to Die," so from next time a different Bond will appear. Fans surely can't wait for that either.
Now, this Casino Royale has an original source for the first time in a while. "Casino Royale" is novelist Ian Fleming's 007 debut work. Casino Royale was a hit as a TV drama and well received, which led to the decision to bring it to the screen in earnest. The films began with "Dr. No," and from there through "The Man with the Golden Gun" (and, going further, through the short-story collection "Octopussy") are based on Ian Fleming's originals.
Casino Royale was once made into a film as well, but since it was produced by a different company, it's treated as a side story. It's extremely difficult to watch nowadays, and I haven't seen it myself.
Now, this Casino Royale, since the era it's set in is naturally different, departs greatly from the original, but it's the story of how Bond becomes 007.
Being a spy movie, political elements are added, and there isn't much dialogue, so the story progresses without quite explaining what's going on, but the opening of the introduction is perfect as the story of Daniel Craig's Bond. Watch it through, and there's a cool line at the ending too.
Let's look at the score. The composer is David Arnold. Famous for the 007 series, he's also worked on "GODZILLA" (the little one) and more.
The first one I'll introduce is Track 8, "Miami International," a tense, thrilling scene that plays during the chase at the airport. Either way, everything they do is utter mayhem. Setting off the sprinklers on a whim, ducking under a plane taking off on the runway. The bomber's goal is supposedly to plant a bomb on a jumbo jet that was being unveiled that day, but...
Next up is Track 25, "The Name's Bond... James Bond." The title itself is already a spoiler so I can't say much, but as you can tell from listening, it's Bond's theme. The scene where this plays is downright divine... it's just the best.
So, finally, let's part ways with the customary teaser.
