Dry martini? Give me a damn pint.

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2006)

Casino Royale Casino Royale - A modern version of the beginning of James Bond's career. Think of it as "Batman Begins" to the James Bond movies. C'mon, it's not that difficult a concept to grasp. And if you still can't, there are still pretty explosions and people getting killed to distract you from thinking.
The character has changed actors 6 times; he's become more of an archetype than a human. And that's where this film really shines. We see the transformation of a very skilled (and very flawed) James Bond in the rough and watch him evolve into the suave martini sipping agent that can do no wrong.
Of course, this would still not be a very good film if not for a portrayal of James that's second only to Connery. Daniel Craig gives a superb performance. Through all the gadgets, cars and cheesy world domination plots we've lost the cold hard fact that James is ultimately an assassin that happens to be working for the good guys. He has a wicked sense of humor (and Craig really delivers those one-liners), a pension for violence and aggression, and does not give a damn for sophistication. He is given his first formal mission: foil a poker game that funds terrorism. Nothing ornate, and just as well. After the Goldfinger film I could not give you an in-depth account of any of the Bond film plots. They've always been a sidenote to the girls and the toys, but some solid scripting and plot work was done on Casino Royale.
What I loved best was that Bond made mistakes. The man has not fully found himself in the work yet. He shot a hostage and blew up an embassy when tracking a bomb maker. His first kill is anything but suave. He does not always have an escape plan. And he has not yet learned the whole "love them and leave them" thing that became a trademark of the series. My favorite scene may be when he comforts Bond-girl Vesper (Eva Green) in the shower (and no, not THAT way) after one particularly intense dispatchment of the bad guys.
I could go on, but the gist of it is that if you've seen the other Bond films, you'll get great satisfaction out of this one. If you haven't (small chance) you'll still see one hell of an action/suspense movie. The fights and chase sequences are top-notch and the supporting cast is well played. Eva Green and Judi Dence both give fine performances, while Mads Mikkelsen under-acts his way through playing Bond villain Le Chiffre, to decent effect. But the real show is Daniel Craig.
Craig haters, you can stuff your gripes even further up your asses. I give the film an A.