Welcome back, Mr. Bond.

Rating: 8/10 (20 March 2010)

What a wonderful re-start for the Bond franchise! From the opening scene to the end, this movie keeps the entertainment coming. Daniel Craig steps into the role that Pierce Brosnan left, and he does an amazing job playing the new "realistic" Bond. Eva Green is one of the hottest Bond girls ever, and the lack of gadgets is actually refreshing. Some people may be a little put off by the lack of some of Bond's more gimmicky trademarks (and I have a soft spot for some of those gimmicks, myself), but I would encourage those fans to give this a chance.
The Bond franchise had fallen behind the Bourne and Mission Impossible movies in recent years, but Casino Royale puts the super spy firmly back into the mix. It's not just a great Bond movie, it's a great movie. Modern, thrilling, and new...but still undeniably Bond.