“Madam, are you quite sure you’re dying?” —Sir James Bond
Today’s quick review: Casino Royale. When SMERSH starts killing British spies, Sir James Bond (David Niven), the original gentleman-spy, comes out of retirement to deal with the situation. Recruiting a whole new crop of “James Bonds” to confuse the enemy, Sir James sends baccarat expert Evelyn Tremble (Peter Sellers) and millionaire Vesper Lynd (Ursula Andress) to Casino Royale to bankrupt Le Chiffre (Orson Welles), a top SMERSH agent.
Casino Royale is a spy comedy very loosely based on the novel by Ian Fleming. David Niven leads an ensemble cast on a psychedelic adventure that spoofs the spy genre as a whole and James Bond in particular. Talented comedic actors and a catchy soundtrack set the stage for a light romp. However, Casino Royale tries to go in too many directions at once, resulting in inconsistent comedy and a story that is nearly impossible to follow.
Casino Royale struggles to tell a cohesive story. Important developments happen offscreen, characters disappear for long portions of the movie, and the style of the movie varies wildly as different directors take the reins. Casino Royale also grows more erratic as the movie goes on, evolving from an odd but fairly grounded parody to a fever dream with no internal consistency. Meanwhile, the comedy suffers due to the low density of jokes.
Even with all of these faults, Casino Royale does have a certain quirky charm to it. David Niven, Peter Sellers, Orson Welles, and Woody Allen do well with the material they are given. The comedy may not be handled well on the whole, but many of the individual jokes hit their mark. The soundtrack is the heart of the movie, a brassy and playful composition from Burt Bacharach. And while the plot is jumbled, it toys with some interesting ideas.
Casino Royale is a niche pick that will only appeal to certain fans of the 60s. As a James Bond parody, its value is compromised by its incoherent plot and poor use of its characters. As a standalone comedy, it suffers from scattered jokes and the lack of a story to build on. Fans of the psychedelic side of the 60s may want to give it a shot simply as an experiment, but most viewers would be better off skipping it.
For a 60s spy parody with a more coherent plot and better comedy, check out Our Man Flint. For a modern spoof of the Bond films with a better sense of identity, try Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. For another outrageous comedy starring Peter Sellers, try Doctor Strangelove or Murder by Death. For a much more dramatic take on the same source material, try the Daniel Craig version of Casino Royale.
5.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for a talented cast in an incoherent story.