The best Bond movie for my generation...

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2006)

First, let me state I am a huge, huge Bond fan. I've seen all the Bond movies many times. The last few Bond movies I was quite disappointed. Not so much disappointed in Mr. Brosnan but more so in the plots. They were very bad and not Bond-like.
The franchise did everything right in this Bond movie. Let's start with Bond. Daniel Craig is the best Bond yet. Sean Connery was my favorite, but he was my favorite for the Cold War era of Bond movies. Today is different, the Cold War is over, and Daniel Craig fits the Bond character superbly. If anyone has read the books, you will know that the James Bond character is somewhat ruthless, harsh, yet sophisticated. Sean Connery played that very well, Timothy Dalton played it even better. Even Brosnan wasn't that bad as Bond. Craig just oozes toughness and a cold heart sometimes that makes you say "Is this really Bond?" Yes it is.
While the plot of Casino Royale can be a bit stretched, the scenes are lovely and the pace is great. Plenty of action with some nice poker playing and lovely women to tone down the peaks. I would have preferred the original game, but poker will do. As I stated, the Cold War is done with, so bring on the most favored card game around - poker.
What I also enjoyed about the Bond series were the casual humor. I found myself laughing, out loud mind you, a few times during this movie. That rarely happens when I'm watching a movie in a theater, unless it's a comedy. Again, they fit in the humor nicely in this film.
I highly recommend this film to any Bond fan, as well as anyone looking for a nice action movie. I'd gladly go see this movie a few more times in the theater, and I can't say that for many of the current movies coming out of Hollywood.
I look forward to seeing Daniel Craig in future Bond movies!