There is a razor thin line between being funny and being stupid. For over two hours, Casino Royale walks that line and constantly jumps from one side to the other. It is a psychedelic film from 1967, which becomes apparent rather early on, full of recognizable stars doing anything and everything for a laugh. While many of the jokes fall flat, enough of them hit to make it a funny and strangely charming film. With actors like David Niven, Peter Sellers, William Holden, Woody Allen, and even Orson Welles, the film has a nice mix of comic mishaps, unbridled wackiness and Hollywood star power.

Casino Royale, which was also the title of the first of Ian Fleming’s many James Bond novels, spoofs several of the Bond films (such as the short and evil Dr. Noah creating a germ to kill all men over 4’6”) but also has the originality that is lacking in most film parodies. One of the most original aspects of the film is its use four directors, each of whom directed one fourth of the film. You might think that this would be detrimental, causing the film to lack a single identifiable style, but psychedelic cinema is one of the few exceptions to this rule. Psychedelic films tend to be all over the place with regards to style. Flashy colours, feather boas, spirals, and lava lamps are a few of the psychedelic trademarks seen in Casino Royale, but the varying styles of each segment actually makes the film a more psychedelic experience!

Many viewers will find this film to be very dated as it is blatantly obvious it was made in the 1960s, but I found it to be a quite interesting artefact. The music, the costumes, the dialogue, and all of the actors are from a different world and through its unique style Casino Royale gives us a peek at what the ‘60s experience was like. However, it is the experience of watching the movie that achieves this effect, not the actual substance of the film.

Like most spoofs, it is wacky, silly, and oftentimes stupid but the substantial efforts the filmmakers have gone through to entertain us must be admired. The filmmakers were not content to let the film coast by and garner a few chuckles here and there. They made a film that is boisterous and in your face and were unafraid to take chances that many other directors wouldn’t take. Casino Royale is far from a great film, but when it comes to spoofs, it is more energetic, wacky, and charming than most.

Derek Smith

DVD version:

The MGM DVD edition of Casino Royale is slightly better than most MGM DVDs. As well as coming with the original theatrical trailer and scene selections, the original “Casino Royale” made-for-television movie (based much more on Ian Fleming’s novel than this film) is included on the disc. There is also a rather entertaining ‘making of’ featurette hosted by Val Guest, one of the movie’s four directors, that goes into the process of making the film with multiple directors.

Directed by Val Guest, Ken Hughes (I), John Huston, Joseph McGrath (I), Robert Parrish (I)
Stars Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles, Joanna Pettet, Daliah Lavi, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, Charles Boyer, John Huston, Kurt Kasznar, George Raft, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Terence Cooper, Jacqueline Bisset
Studio/distributor: MGM