Monday, April 30, 2012

My Favorite Nintendo 64 games


      If you were a kid growing up in the 90’s, you had to love the Nintendo 64 entertainment system. Not only was this one of my favorite pastimes as a kid, it’s the very first video game system I ever played, the one that started it all, and even though it’s out dated, I still love it. It’s like a museum relock, I just can’t get rid of it, those games captured my imagination in a way that no-other gaming council has ever done before, no matter how updated they are. So taking a break from movie or TV related topics, here’s a list of my favorite Nintendo 64 games.      
11. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 
   I’m actually ashamed to admit that I never owned any of the Legend of Zelda games (not including Super Smash Bros.). However I played several of them with cozens and friends at their own Nintendo sanctuaries. Of all the different Zelda games I played, the one I loved the most was Majora’s Mask. Just like with Super Mario 64, this was the game that introduced me to Link, Zelda and it’s always the first one to come to mind when I think of a classic Zelda game.   
10. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire 
   When you have a combination of both Nintendo and Star Wars, your child hood pass time is set for life. This is where Star Wars video games got really good and proved that they don’t always have to follow the linier stories from the films. Instead it just takes place in the Star wars universe, further expanding on it, fighting classic enemies and occasionally reliving some of the famous battles from the films. The best example by far was the battle on Hoth, it was amazing and it was a rare feeling that one of my favorite scenes from a movie came to life and allowed me to experience it. I grew up with many good Star Wars games, and this one still stands as one of the best.    
9. Disney’s Tarzan 
    I played a few Disney themed games on the Nintendo and owned several including “A Bugs Life” and plenty others. But the most exciting by far was Disney’s “Tarzan” on N64. I was already of fan of the film (in fact it’s one of my favorite Disney movies) but the game took it to all new heights. It’s very unique because it’s the only N64 game (that I can think of) that would be played in a traditional side scrolling style, kind of like playing a classic Nintendo game just with better graphics. No problems with adjusting the camera, no worry about getting too lost (because there were times where you might miss something) and it was still plenty challenging but very rich and exciting all at once. Each level had its own unique style and difficulty setting but best of all is that it brought one of my favorite child hood movies to life in all new and exciting ways.       
8. Mario Kart 64 
   Oh yea, nothing like a fast paced racing game themed around Mario characters, really there’s not much to explain, it’s just fun racing with cool race tracks and a nice aroma of special items.
7. Star Fox 64 
    Sci-Fi space shootouts were huge on the world of video games and Star Fox was my personal favorite. There’s some cool back story to this game, great characters and an awesome variety of different worlds, space quadrants and different vehicles. The enemy bosses were awesome, every time I played a level I would always be getting excited when I reach the end, knowing that I’d be seeing some kind of giant monster, super powered space ship or massive robot. It’s just a classy Sci-Fi adventure on your home Nintendo system, I dig it.      
6. Super Mario 64 
     The legendary N64 game that always comes to mind when we think of Nintendo. Mario has always been my favorite video game icon and it all began here, this was my very first game I played on this system (the first I owned) and as far as I remember, it was the very first video game I ever played. The worlds were unforgettable, the castle setting with the different rooms that leed to different kingdoms was brilliant, the battles with Bowser were awesome, it’s just the classic Nintendo game that we all remember growing up with.

5 -3. The Mario Party Trilogy

   It seemed silly to just spread these three throughout a list, especially when there so equally great, so I just decided to put games 5 through 3 together on one spot. As you probably figured out, I’m crazy about different Mario games, but the three N64 “Mario Party” games just knocked my socks off. It wasn’t like “Mario Golf” or “Mario Tennis” where your just stuck with one variety of game play, no this was a calash of different varieties of games to play, with a central game board setting (that you had the option of changing to something different or special), we also had bones games, items, different ways of playing select games, it was haven for a child’s gaming mind. With so many different characters, so many different things to play and so many different ways to play them, this is one collection of games that held my attention for years to come.            
2. Super Smash Bros. 

   Tournament battle games will always be awesome and anything with Mario and company involved is always great, however this was more than just another Super Mario game, it was the Nintendo crossover game of my dreams that brought together just about every classic Nintendo character. It had Mario themed characters, Pokémon themed, Link, Kirby, Star Fox, Samus and many others (the only one missing is Banjo Kazooie). We have some great battle platforms, an awesome variety of weapons and special items. Team battle modes, free for all battle modes, linier one player games and so much more, as far as tournament variety games go, this was the best by far.  
1. Banjo Kazooie 

    Wow, not a Zelda, Castlevania, Donkey Kong or even a Mario themed game but a completely original idea that grew as the most cherished video gaming pass-time of my youth. It fallowed a very similar look and feel to the classic “Super Mario 64” game with the center of it being a big castile full of rooms that lead you to different kingdoms, as well as various levels and treasures to obtain. The only difference is that this one was a million, bazillion times more exciting and fun. We get to play as two characters as opposed to just one, you have a wide variety of different moves that you learn over the cores of the game, the worlds were unique, colorful and very creative, you could transform into other animals, the obstacles were a lot of fun and it was far more challenging (but never too challenging like the sequel “Banjo Tooie”, boy that was relentlessly hard back then). This game took me the longest to beat (2 years) but I loved every moment of it and still to this day, “Banjo Kazooie” packs plenty of charms, exciting game play and it’ll always be my favorite of the Nintendo 64 games.
         The End

Saturday, April 14, 2012

My top 10 Favorite episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation


   Star Trek, the best example of space exploration... These are the episodes from the greatest TV series to ever air on TV ... It’s continuing mission, to excite and engage it's viewers ... to inspire with thought provoking ideas of space and science ... To Boldly go Above and Beyond any and all TV shows to ever air before or after it!  


    I freaking love Star Trek, I’ve seen every episode of every season of all 5 TV different shows (not including the cartoon), and I proudly own all Thirteen theatrical movies. However, of things Star Trek, nothing excites me more than the second TV series “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. This show was to my teenage years what the original “Star Wars” trilogy was to my child hood. For seven seasons, this show turned out one excellent episode after the next, the stories were great,and the characters were unforgettable. For those of you not familiar with "Star Trek: TNG", it revolves around a group of outer-space, and every episode lead to another fascinating, alien race or mysterious anomaly. There's 178 episodes in total, but for this post, I'll only be highlighting my personal favorites. To be honest, it's challenging to single out my top 10 favorite episodes as there's so many to choose from. However, if you have some interest in this show and don't know where to begin, these are the episodes I'd personally recommend starting with. Set cores for my top ten favorite episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” ... Engage!


10. The Defector (Season 3 - Episode 10)
    Of all the re-occurring adversaries to appear on this show, my personally favorites by far have always been the Romulans. Their powerful and imposing, but because there also the most device and unpredictable. As Picard state's “It’s always a game of chess with them”. This particular story is quiet complex, with some compelling character depth, great acting and honest drama. The Enterprise encounters a Romulan defector, who claims to have urgent information regarding preparations for an imminent Romulan attack on the Federation. The interactions between this Romulan defector and the Enterprise crew are very engaging, there's a great mystery that slowly unfolds, and further emphasizes why the Romulans make for such great villains. This episode frequently references Shakespeare's “Henry V”, which is an affectionate touch. Plus there’s plenty cool space battles and constant tension that just keeps building up to a thrilling climax.  


 9. Timescape (Season 6 - Episode 25)


On their way back from a mission, Captain Picard and three other officers find that the Enterprise is frozen in time during what appears to be a battle with a Romulan war bird. With everything caught in temporal stasis, our hero's find themselves racing against the clock as a second party of aliens plan to destroy both vessels while frozen. This is a really exciting episode, the premise is awesome, there’s some nice twists and of cores it’s always great to have the Romulans involved. I’ll admit that the final scene is pretty stupid but who cares, this is still an awesome episode and definitely one to look at.  

8. Cause and Effect (Season 5 - Episode 18) 

This episode is the “Star Trek” equivalent of the movie “Ground Hog Day”, best of all is that it actually premiered a full year before “Ground Hog Day", so you really couldn't call this a rip-off. Just like how Bill Murray was trapped in repeating the same day over and over again, the Enterprise becomes stuck in a causality loop repeating the same events over and over. The crew retains some memory of previous instances and it all works like one big puzzle slowly coming together in the end. It makes for a very clever, well executed story and one of the stand out "TNG" episodes.

7. Redemption (Season 4 - Episode 26, Season 5 - Episode 1)

Here's one of the more epic, character driven story arch's of the series. When a Klingon Civil war engulfs commander Worf's home planet, he leaves the Enterprise to fight for honor of what his family represents. Meanwhile a fleet of 23 Federation star ships form a blockade to prevent a Romulan fleet from delivering supplies to the opposing factions. In short, it's about as awesome as two part episodes of  the series get. We  have a member leaving the crew, fleets of ships going into battle with the Romulans, and a surprise villain appearance that has a connection to one of the deceased main characters of the show. Yeah, this episode introduces us to the sinister commander Sela, which includes one of the most spectacular cliff hangers ever happen on this show.

6. The Inner Light (Season 5 - Episode 25) 

 A space probe creates a telepathic tether and in the span of twenty-five minutes causes Picard to experience, a full lifetime as a married man on a world that was destroyed a millennium ago. This episode couldn’t be simpler, it’s just Picard living this man’s life and it’s done so well. The acting is great, the musical score is beautiful, and the conversations between characters are so powerful that they go as fare to touch upon the meaning of life. It’s just a very well done episode, and I feel so touched by it every time I see it.
   


5. The Next Phase (Season 5 - Episode 24)


 Here's yet another creative oddity episode that's always been a personal favorite of mine. A transporter accident traps Geordi and Ensign Ro out of phase, they try to reverse the process and get the attention of everyone else who are planning their funeral. They have to do it quickly because the Romulans have planted a booby trap in the ship that will cause it to explode when they go to warp. As if there weren't enough problems, a Romulan is also phased and is hunting down our two hero's. This is just an awesome episode that keeps building and building. The action is great, the premise is very engaging and the Romulans make for such fun villains in this episode. It’s everything you could want from an exciting Sci-Fi TV show and it delivers all the way.   


4. Yesterday's Enterprise (Season 3 - Episode 14)

Before I talk about this episode, I should briefly mention the character Tasha Yar, who was a main player in season 1, but died at hands of an evil creature. While the death made for good drama, it was also very empty, and made the character feel wasteful. Now we come to a stand out episode that makes up for that. The Enterprise-C arrives from the past, causing a shift in reality in which the federation is at war and Tasha Yar is still alive. The catch is that the new reality is worse and in order to set things right, the Enterprise-C would have to go back in time into a battle that will claim their lives. There are some great conflicts, exciting action scenes and big decisions in this episode. It's a riveting story, and it brings a satisfying conclusion to the character Tasha Yar. It also features one of the biggest shining moments of the Enterprise crew as they stand up in battle, and make sure that history never forgets the name "Enterprise". It’s simply classic “Star Trek” at its finest.   



3. Tapestry (Season 6 - Episode 15)
 

 An accident kills Picard, and he finds himself in an afterlife with with his old adversary the Q entity analyzing his past choices. The episodes revolving around the character Q have always been a real treat, and the two actors just work off each other so perfectly. What makes this episode stand out is that while it has a fascinating premise, it also conveys such a simple message in a very human way. In this episode Picard tries to change some negative events from his past, but he learns that the man who he’s become in the future no longer exists due to his changes. It’s all about excepting the mistakes we’ve made because they help shape us into the people we are now. There’s a lot of strong performances in this episode, great writing and as I said before, the interactions between Picard and Q are just fantastic. For me personally, when “Star Trek” is at it's best, it’s more than just conveying a simple message for a good quality episode ... it’s something to live by.

2. All Good Things ... (Season 7, Episodes 25-26)

   It’s the very last episode of the whole series, and it’s just the perfect cherry to put on top of the cake. Picard finds himself alternating between three time periods thanks to the Q entity, with a spacetime distortion that threatens to destroy reality growing larger in the past, and smaller in the future. This episode works as a clever book end to the series premier episode, has some big events going down, and an especially nice touch are the appearances of favored reoccurring characters like Q, Chief O’ Brian, the Romulan commander Tomalak and the return of Tasha Yar. It's hard to explain why, but this two-prater has always been my favorite series finally for any TV show I've ever seen. It's a finally that gave a strong send off to this excellent cast of characters, and it always leaves me with a great feeling that while all good things certainly come to an end, it was still a worthwhile experience that will stick with me for a long time.   

Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are some quick honorable mentions ... "Night Terrors" (Season 4 - Episode 17) "Devils Due" (Season 4 - Episode 13) "Sins of the Father" (Season 3 - Episode 17) "The Measure of a Man" (Season 2 - Episode 9)



1. The Best of Both Worlds (Season 3 - Episode 26 & Season 4 - Episode 1)



Here it is, the classic Star Trek episode that always seems to make #1 on every fans list, but can you blame them? In this deeply thrilling two-part finally, Captain Picard is kidnapped by the Borg, is transformed into a villeins cyborg, and they begin their invasion of Federation space. Along the way countless Starfleet ships are destroyed by the lone Borg ship, and several events are set into play for both the "Deep Space 9" TV series and the movie "First Contact". This is just an iconic episode that launched “Star Trek: The Next Generation” into absolute greatness. It’s like a small motion picture that was hidden away in a causal TV series. The Borg quickly became the shows most popular villains after this, and for good reason. For as much as I love the Romulan's, the Borg still remain their greatest foes. The character interactions in this episode are very strong, the story is rich, the tension is high, and it’s all boasted with a stellar musical score. It’s one of the most famous episodes in all of “Star Trek” .. and for a reason    

     The End

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Watership Down (Movie Review)


   “All the world will be your enemy, prince with a thousand enemies, and when they find you, they will kill you......but first they have to catch you. Digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning, be cunning and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed”.
    Usually an animated movie is one of two things, a bright and colorful fantasy film or a really funny and cartoonish kid flick but here is something very different and special. The 1978 animated movie “Watership Down” is a serious, even grim tale that many will find relentless and depressing but they may also find that it’s powerful, poetic, moving and beautiful in a very unique way. It doesn't pull any punches, violence and moments of disturbing death are ever present, portrayed in a manner that is astonishingly honest for a cartoon. As a result, it’s a rare animated film that really aims for a mature audience. The film is based off the beloved novel of the same name by Richard Adams, respectfully capturing the essence and feel of his story perfectly. The film was also directed by Martin Rosen, who also directed another animated film called “The Plague Dogs”, which was even more intense and depressing then this film, I mean boy was that ever a downer. But “Watership Down”, while still a film filled with despair and dread, there’s still this really magical and almost meditative feel to it.  
     The plot goes like this, a small group of rabbits decide to leave their warren (which is like a big herd of rabbits living in one aria) because there burrow is about to become the location of a construction site. The majority of this film is use following these rabbits on their journey to find a new home, which turns out to be the hill side called Watership Down (which is a real location in the north of Hampshire, England). Unlike other classic journey pictures like “The Land Before Time” or “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey”, this film really makes you feel like you’re there with the characters, feeling what they feel and dreading what they dread. The element of danger is always present in this film, you actually begin to feel like something bad could happen at any second and the film does a great job making the surroundings and locations feel very hostile without ever showing too much. The animators did a great job making forests look really threatening and really huge in comparison to a little defenseless rabbit and it gets you to tense up a bit, it also gets you thinking to yourself “Is something going to happen here” or “Are they going to make it out of this okay?”
 
     The voice acting in this film is also very good, there’s never a moment when I feel like there’s an actor behind a microphone and it all comes off as very genuine. All the dialog and interactions between characters are all very timeless, there’s no pop cultural references, no modern day hip talk and it all sounds so refreshing. Actually there aren’t too many clichés that you’d expect from an animated film, there’s no female character that only exists for an obvious love interest, there’s no silly comedy character, well there’s this annoying bird character voiced by the late Zero Mostel but he’s not trying to be that funny. Best of all is that the lead rabbit named Hazel is voiced by one of my favorite voice actors of all time, the one and only John Hurt, who I’ve loved in other films, most notably other animated films like Disney’s “The Black Cauldron and Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 film “The Lord of the Rings”. There’s just this wait to his voice, he brings a lot of passion to his characters and it’s just such a cool voice.  
      Now most journey films end with the characters reaching their destination, however in this film, they reach their destination mid way through the film and then the plot changes a little. The third act off this film is spent with our lead character rescuing a group of rabbits who are all suffering under the terrine of this monstrous, power hungry rabbit named General Woundwort. It seemed so odd to get a villain so late in the film, especially when the first half of the movie was spent showing how the whole world was already there enemy. But to be fare, he is a good villain, nothing cartoony, very sinister, very menacing and it felt really good to see the hero’s stand up to this tyrant.
     Okay now here’s my big warning about this film, it is not for the faint hearted. If you don’t think you can handle seeing cute little rabbits drowning in mud and getting all bloody, then you’re probably not going to like this. It’s definitely not a film for little kids, the story is certainly aimed more for adults despite the fact that it looks like an animated movie for children, the cover has two cute little bunny’s on it and it looks like this really bright and fluffy flick. Even the opening scene is very cartoony as we get this back story on the creation of life and it looks like something from cartoon network. Then when the story starts the animation changes styles and there’s suddenly constant drama, lots of gore, lots of death and there’s this close up of a dog just after ripping the flesh off a rabbit and I can imagine that keeping kids up at night. But this isn’t a complaint, I like how this film is really bringing on legitimist drama and handling it in such an adult manner. Issues of leaving your home and finding a new place to live are also looked at in a very mature manner and it’s all very admirable. Just keep in mind that it’s not a film for everyone.      
     Now while the movie is filled with a lot of really desperate conflict, drama, violence, despair and dread, there’s also this really magical and almost meditative feel to it. Watching it from beginning to end is almost like having a very surreal dream, where you leave your world behind and you experience fear, you experience beauty, you experience this very strong atmosphere and while it’s all different, you still get this familiar feeling that it’s actually not to different from the world you left behind. I especially love all these different dream sequences and vision sequences, where we get a lot of really strong visuals and it’s great how the tones of these scenes can change. Sometimes there really intense and disturbing and other times soothing and comforting. There’s a song called “Bright Eyes”, which is also very calming and beautiful to listen to and I really love this animation. The backgrounds are so rich and fluent, it’s literally like going to an art museum and watching a classic painting come to life before your eyes.
    It’s far from perfect, there are a few little problems here and there, for example, I loved how subtle the flow of the film was in the first two acts, it really allowed you to breath and it let the characters breath but then the third act (while still very good) gets a little too rushed. Another problem I had was the ending, it’s not bad, in fact its quiet beautiful but it was so sudden and quick. We get this really intense and urgent climax, then as soon as it all gets resolved and the villain defeated were immediately thrown into the epilog, without us finding out what happens to the main characters. We assume that most of them survived because we see families of rabbits in the epilog talking about the journeys of their ancestors but I really got attached to the characters, I wanted to see what happened to them and it was just so sudden to just be thrown into the future. There was an animated "Watership Down" TV series that followed up on the events of the film, it ran for three seasons and there’s news of a possible CGI remake in the works, which I honestly don’t think we need, just let this film be its own little gem.
     Overall, it may not be perfect for everyone but I’m still really glad I saw it because it was just such a breath of fresh air to see such a mature animated film that doesn’t use so many tired animated movie clichés. While I don’t think I can properly recommend this film to all viewers, I do still invite them to give it a watch because it is a very nice little treat, beautifully animated, true to the source material and very different from other animated movies that where so accustomed to. I give “Watership Down” down 3 ½ stars.
   The End                                                                             

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

My Top 12 Favorite Opening Credit Sequences



     It may seem like something very small but I absolutely love opening credits. This is the moment when a movie can suck you into what kind of world or environment the film has to offer. Or it can establish the mood of the film, how it’s going to make you feel. Whether it’s funny, scary, artsy or elaborate, it gets you started in just the right mind set for how to receive a film. Sometimes the simple use of a great musical score played over credits is enough to get me invested in a film. I love it when there’s something creative, something animated or just something very atmospheric, they just get me so hyped up for a film. It wasn't an easy list to make because there are so many great ones, but here are my personal top 12 favorite opening credits that hype me up the most.     
   


#12 The Opening credits to “Ed Wood” (1994)





Now here’s a really artsy opening. Real life director Ed Wood made some of the cheapest horror movies of all time and the opening to Tim Burtons biopic titled “Ed Wood” is very crafty in celebrating his films in every possible way. We begin with a creepy house in the middle of a stormy night, there’s lots of lightning, the cast names are carved in cheep looking grave stones, we get a stop motion octopus, flying saucers and some excellent background music, it’s one of Tim Burtons best openings.    











  
#11 The Opening credits to “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1974) 
This is one of my favorite funny credit openings, complete with faulty subtitles, announcements of crew people getting sacked and people deciding to change the style of the credits at last second. It’s just the perfect way get you in the right mood for a comedy.   








#10 The Opening credits to “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” (1971)


 Walt Disney certainly had a talent for beginning his films in a timeless fashion and the best by far would have to be the opening to this film. The artistry on display in this opening is phenomenal, it really sparks your imagination in regards as to what the film will be about and the background music really gets you hipped up.











#9 The Opening credits to “Babe” (1995) 
This is such a charming little opening, we start with the title of the film appearing on the cover of a book, classic. Then the soft, sweet music plays as the camera travels down this long room full of objects and pictures that magicaly come to life. It’s almost reminiscent of the opening to “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” in Christopher Robin’s bed room. It’s just a very soft and slightly whimsical opening that’s short and sweet. 







#8 The Opening credits to “Rat Race” (2001) 
Of all the opening credits I’ve seen for a comedy, this one is my personal favorite. I love how we're introduced to the cast and all these color full characters by first seeing them in these funny animated forms, just acting like themselves and playing around with all the credits and with Baha Men’s rendition of the song “Rat Race” playing in the background, your all set for some comedy.    





#7 The Opening credits to “Spider-Man 3” (2007) 
The Opening credits for the Spider-Man movies just got better and better with each film and then struck gold with the third film. There are just so many cool things to look at, I wonder if anyone even notices the credits? We have flashback footage from the first two movies and all kinds of awesome effects going on in this environment, most of the visuals hint at the different powers seen from all the different characters in the film, it’s just awesome.   




#6 The Opening credits to “Wild Wild West” (1999) 
I just love the whole art style for this opening, the different colors, film footage, character pictures and awesome musical score. It shows you who the characters are, the different vehicles, weapons, it’s just a really fun opening and was always my favorite part of the film.











#5 The Opening credits to “Batman Mask of the Phantasm” (1993) 
It was definitely a coin toss between this and the opening credit sequence to Tim Burtons “Batman” but I think this one’s a little cooler. First of all, it’s awesome to look at, we travel through a beautifully animated CG Gotham City and boasting it is a stellar score from Shirley Walker. I just get goose bumps every time I hear it and it puts you perfectly in the right mood for a great Batman flick.    







   
#4 The Opening credits to “Star Trek First Contact” (1996) 
The Star Trek movies have a great tradition begin their films on a high note and "Star Trek First Contact" just sores with this beautiful opening credit sequence. This is just the perfect example of how a breath taking musical score can submerse you into a film, and I love the way the credits appear on screen. Jerry Goldsmith truly out did himself with this musical score and it really allowed the munitions to show case there talents in drawing the audience into the experience.  



#3 The Opening credits to “Edward Scissorhands” (1990) 
You can always count on a great opening credit sequence from Tim Burton and my favorite from his movies would definitely have to be the opening to this film. The look is so elaborate, with odd shapes and figures in this crazy castle and laboratory. It’s all mixed with Danny Elfmans unforgettable score which is just so haunting and beautiful, this is an opening that really draws you into this crazy yet brilliantly crafted world from Tim Burton and it leaves me with goose bumps every time. 


#2 The Opening credits to “Jason and the Argonauts” (2000) 
Admittedly, this is a very short opening but it’s just so beautifully done and by the standards of a two part TV movie, it’s just sensational. It starts nice a quiet, then the title emerges and it’s just epic, the music is stunning and as the credits continue we get cool visuals of mythological creatures ranging from centaurs to giant scorpions. I’m sure this film is largely un-known to a lot of people and for obvious reasons but if it ever shows up on TV again, treat yourself to this stellar opening sequence and see what I’m talking about.  




#1 The Opening credits to “Casino Royale” (2006) 
You knew number one had to be from a James Bond movie, his films have a tradition of begining with an awesome opening credit sequence and this one is the best by far. The visual effects are awesome and sense there’s a lot of poker and gamboling in this film, we get this really artistic poker themed art style to go with all the visuals and that song “You Know my Name” hypes the hell out of me every time I hear it. There’s just no question about it, the opening credits to “Casino Royale” is the best sequences to start a Bond film and it’s my favorite opening credit sequence of all time.  
     The End