We had to do it. While we here at JoBlo would like to forget the Columbia Pictures' misbegotten James Bond satire, CASINO ROYALE, it's nonetheless an important part of the 007 franchise. It kept the rights to Ian Fleming's novel out of the hands of the official Bond producers for years and years, with them only able to finally film it in 2006, when it was used to launch Daniel Craig in what many consider to be one of the best James Bond films of all time.
This 007 spoof initially started as a promising sixties comedy, only to be torpedoed by a troubled leading man (Peter Sellers), and a constantly rotating army of directors, with an astounding five, including the legendary John Huston, eventually sharing screen credit. While there are things to like about the film, such as David Niven's witty performance and Sir James Bond, and a bevy of some of the most beautiful women of the sixties, including Barbara Bouchet, Ursula Andress and Jacqueline Bisset, as well as a solidly villainous performance by Orson Welles, this movie is a disaster.