Casino Royale (2006) - in the action genre, is there any other intro sequence which so effectively establishes so much about a character in so little time?

We all know Casino Royale is one of the great Bond films, and possibly even one of the best action films of all time, but I think it's sometimes easy to overlook how masterful that B&W opening scene is. It feels to me as a sort of "microcosm" of the rest of the film, and shows us many key characteristics about Craig's new incarnation of Bond, all in just a few minutes;

• Bond's situational awareness and tactical intelligence to unload the gun in the office
• Bond's capabilities as a physical brawler in the bathroom fight
• Bond's unflinching willingness to kill in cold blood to complete the mission

I can't think of another action film with an intro that does character exposition so succinctly and effectively.

(Then launching straight from this scene into the Chris Cornell track [rest his soul] just puts it over the top).

Submitted June 11, 2023 at 03:21PM by JimPalamo https://ift.tt/9MtwcFz