The blonde Bond makes a fitting Prequel

Rating: Null/10 (31 August 2007)

Casino Royale pits Secret Agent James Bond 007 against a high rolling terrorist financier, the villainous La Chiffre, in a battle of wits, brawn and cards. The movie centers around a high stakes, all or nothing game of poker at the Casino Royale in Montenegro.
If Bond wins, the British secret service gets the Multi-Million dollar tournament prize money and an opportunity to interrogate La Chiffre, but if Bond loses then Her Majesties Secret Service directly finances terrorism.
Since this is officially a prequel of sorts, the film starts off with Bond getting his double-0 license, so you get to see how Bond became 007.
Daniel Craig, who was relatively unknown, only having small roles in Road to Perdition, Tomb Raider and a few other movies, plays the new Bond that is, as always suave, careless, dangerous and ... blonde? That's right, the new James Bond is blonde but never bland. Craig brings to the screen a certain third dimension to the character that the 007 series has been missing for a long time. He makes Bond a believable character whose arrogance turns into pure James Bond suave.
The director's use of little-known actors makes the characters really feel believable. I could not see any other actor but Mads Mikkelson being the nefarious La Chiffre. And Bond's love interest Vesper Lynd, played by newcomer actress Eva Green, actually seems more than just a promiscuous Bond girl that will be inexplicably cut from the next movie.
The director of the film is no stranger to Bond movies since he has directed 1995's Goldeneye starring Pierce Bronson as the suave super spy. The dialogue is sharp and witty, yet can be brutal and intricate at sometimes making for a very visceral experience, there is something for the guys and the girls.
This new Bond movie is low on gadgets and high on action, which comes as a relief being that there is only so many plots you can do that involve a satellite, which at least four movies in the series deal with. Although it is different in many ways from its predecessors, the film still has the fast cars, beautiful girls, big explosions and special effects, not to mention a spectacular Free-Running scene that will most definitely leave your jaw dropped.
The film is a little too long at 2 hours and twenty minutes, but most of it seems necessary considering that the film takes place in over four countries, with an action scene occurring in every one. Inevitably with most films that long there are some scenes that will tend to drag on, but instead of throwing in random action scenes, MGM Studios decided to make a well thought out movie.
Casino Royale is by far the best thing to happen to Bond Movies since Goldeneye. Great action, great story and a great cast make for an overall fantastic experience; I give it 4 out of 5 paws, not perfect but a great blockbuster popcorn flick.