The best Bond film ever made!

Rating: 10/10 (15 November 2007)

I have to go on record and say that after Sean Connery the Bond franchise was dead for me. Roger Moore was cheesy, and Pierce Brosnan never convinced me as being the James Bond type. Connery was smooth, he had class, and I feel that he was the only actor to do justice to the character; he really set the standard. After him, the rest were a waste of time, but I still watched all the movies just to see if they could offer me Bond in a real way; none of them did.
And now we get Daniel Craig; a James Bond for the 21st century. His appearance alone breaks all the rules; average height, blonde hair, blue eyes, six pack abs, and a "don't give a damn" attitude. Here's a bond who doesn't care if he bleeds (and he does) to get the bad guy. The fans of the franchise (myself included) were tired of the same recycled garbage in Bond films. 007's plots were becoming overly formulaic and dependent upon special effects as opposed to plot and God forbid character. This time around there's no Q, there are no gadgets, there's no Bond girl with a name like a porn star. Casino Royale is as much about the man, James Bond, as it is about the bad guy he's supposed to take down.
Craig gives his portrayal of Bond a raw grittiness that could peak anyone's interest in James Bond. This is also the first film in the 40 year history of the franchise to explore and reveal Bond's character. We begin to see who he is and what made him that way. Not to mention the audience finally gets a Bond girl who's worth our time. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) is as beautiful as she is brilliant. Like Bond, I had my doubts about Green being a Bond girl. There was news all over the internet about potential new Bond girls. Ex beauty queens, Indian actresses, some of them were both. Personally, I felt they were either a pretty face or another bimbo trying to make it in show business; no talent either way. Green makes for a terrific Bond girl and is a great actress. She gave Craig's performance a unique balance and her presence in the film accentuated Craig's.
And just when you think the movie is over it picks right back up again. The action was terrific, and for some reason, it always seemed real. I have to hand it to director Martin Campbell. His take on this new Bond was nothing short of pure entertainment. In short, the best Bond film in years.