Brilliant Bond

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2006)

Bond is back! This film is typical Bond, with guns, girls and gadgets. This, however, is as far as the age-old conventions go. The world of 'Casino Royale' is far more gritty and brutal than those of previous Bonds. These characters are hurting when they fight each other - even Bond himself often finds himself bruised and battered. This realism continues through to the characterisation, where the villains are more grey than black and the motives and morals of the heroes are equally complex. All of this changes the entire mood of the film into something that is far less escapist and more a character study of the world's most famous spy. This shift in tone is confirmed by the deliberate avoidance of the infamous Bond theme until the final few seconds of the film.
With the exception of the poker game itself, which tends to drag a little, this film is clever, exciting and portrays a Bond who is far more human. Even those people that have disliked the Bond genre in the past should certainly give this a go. This beast is a whole different animal, as they say!