Best Bond in a LONG time

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2006)

I've been a lifelong fan of the Bond films and although I welcomed the Brosnan era, my heart lies with the Connery years - You Only Live Twice being my ultimate favourite. I didn't weep buckets when I learned that Brosnan was leaving the franchise as I felt that the two films after GoldenEye were rather flat by comparison. Die Another Day started out promising (with the scenes of Bond's torture) and I hoped we were finally in for a darker ride but the film soon gave way to the same silliness that marred some of the Roger Moore films.
With Casino Royale, my hopes of an edgy Bond film were finally realised. I was one of the few people in my circle of friends that had seen Daniel Craig in other films and felt able to reassure them that Bond was in safe hands. His performance in Layer Cake was practically an audition for the role and he was also astonishingly good in The Jacket, where he nearly stole the show from Adrien Brody. Unlike his older predecessors, Craig's Bond actually looks like he could do some serious damage with his bare fists - definitely more punch than paunch! Craig has the acting talent to deliver a deeper Bond. He portrays a man with arrogance tempered by a degree of humanity and, for once, shows that he is not completely infallible, both emotionally and physically. It was enjoyable to see that Bond doesn't always land on his feet (sometimes literally!).
Casino Royale had me gripped for its entire length - and it is long for a Bond film. I found the poker scenes to be some of the most exciting, even though I don't claim to know how to play. And the action scenes didn't disappoint either. It was refreshing to see the emotional aftermath of a brutal killing rather than having Bond fire off another glib remark. His tender treatment of Vesper Lynd after a particularly gruesome dispatch was most touching. Eva Green did a great job and certainly portrayed Vesper as more than just two-dimensional eye candy.
There were a few mis-steps along the way. Bond driving a Ford Mondeo - purleeeese! And the title song wasn't up to the mark, although I enjoyed the visuals of the opening credits. Whilst I don't have anything against the usual naked cavorting ladies per se, I didn't miss them. The constant product placement became tiresome and the media coverage before the film's release was certainly overkill. I also thought some of the dialogue in the romantic scenes was rather cheesy and detracted from the love story. You can show depth of feeling with a look or a caress without cringe-worthy lines about 'having no armour left'.
On the plus side, the lines of intentional humour throughout the film were most welcome and expertly delivered by Craig. I didn't miss Q (or R) and his usual array of gadgetry but I'm glad Judy Dench returned as M and I thought her interaction with Bond was handled superbly. The tone of the film satisfied my desire to see a grittier Bond than we've become accustomed to in recent years and I hope this theme continues with the next instalment.
I rate a good Bond film by how many times I'm prepared to sit through it and, considering I've watched Casino Royale twice at the cinema within a week and am contemplating a third visit, I would say that it's right up there with my all-time favourites.