Not what I expected- in a good way

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2010)

After the travesty that was Die Another Day I kind of gave up on a new Bond film being any good. The franchise underwent a complete makeover, instigating a new actor to play Bond and consequently a whole new style to the films. I still wasn't interested though and it took me a while to see Casino Royale. When I finally did catch up with it however I was very pleasantly surprised. The result of the makeover was something new, modern and exciting for the Bourne-generation, and yet still recognisable as a James Bond film. I was impressed with Daniel Craig's young, reckless take on the character and the plot, while taken heavily from the book, was still fairly original. Seeing the opening sequence in black and white was nice, as it explained the origins of 007, and the title sequence was nicely worked with an underrated title song. The stunts were just as impressive as the classic films, and still exciting. The film was fast-paced and yet it slowed down as the right times. My only quibble is with Vesper's death, it was too foreseeable. I'd have preferred something closer to the book, something that shocked audience and character alike. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it.