Predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2006)

After the last string of 007 movies, I didn't have a whole lot of faith in the franchise. I mean, even at their peak level, they're still only just decent action pictures, but the series is marred by a great number of miserable films. This one breaks that trend.
That's not to say it's a masterpiece of cinema, but it certainly doesn't make you wonder why you paid money to watch it and the story and plot, while not particularly innovative, are enough to keep the movie propelled. For most of the movie, the average cinemagoer should be well entertained.
One thing that confused me was that this is a "restart" of the 007 franchise, set in the here and now, rather than building upon the past legacy. But I didn't know that going into the film and so when I saw that James Bond was not yet a 007 but it was set in the present, I wasn't entire certain what was going on. Of course, once we hit the action sequence in Madagascar with a mad chase through the urban landscape and some amazing feats of athleticism from a minor character, well, I gave up trying to make sense of the franchise and decided to enjoy what I was watching on screen.
It's a simple story from start to finish, with simple, but effective film-making moving the audience from start to finish. Rather than going with the inflations of the 007 franchise's past, the overall direction that the film took is a lot more down to earth and even brutal. But it really helps give the franchise the little kick that we needed. Of course, many of the traditions of the franchise aren't fully present, although hinted at winkingly throughout the film, but I think only dedicated purists would have a problem with its adherence to the franchise, especially considering that it's a restart.
The film's weakest point is in ending. It just runs on too long. There are several points in the film where you would feel like it should be over, but the film continues on with a story, which might explain part of the Bond legacy, but doesn't really fit the dramatic arc of the film and so comes across almost as a second mini-film stuck at the end of the film. It wasn't necessary and I believe the film would've been tighter if it had ended earlier. There's also a little bit of deus-ex going on, albeit, it's necessarily to set up the ending of the film. I don't know if the film was kept this way for adherence to the novel, but I feel that changing up some of the details at the end and having the mini-story at the end preface the inevitable next film in the franchise might be a better fit.
Aside from that, the film manages to be one of the best 007 films in a long time and a good start to Daniel Craig's part of the franchise. This makes Casino Royale a recommendable film for those looking for some predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable entertainment. 8/10.