Good movie that stands on it's own.

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2006)

I saw Dr. No with my father when it first came out and have been a Bond fan ever since. I did not know what to expect going in to see this film as I have never seen Daniel Craig in a movie before. The thing that struck me about Casino Royale was that I enjoyed the movie on its own merit; it did not feel like I was watching a "Bond" film. I don't know how to explain it, but until the end of the movie, I did not think of Mr. Craig as Bond. I don't know if that was what they were trying to do, but he didn't look like Bond and he didn't act like Bond. However, the character did grow on me and in the end I completely enjoyed the movie. Craig had managed to make his own character, that his name was James Bond, was something that I had to get used too. The story was intriguing, the action was intense and realistic without being over the top, and the acting was spot on from everyone, I really liked Giancarlo Giannini, Eva Green, and Judi Dench. All in all, I would recommend this film to everyone, the cinematography in all the locations was great, typical of a Bond film.