Away with the fantasy elements - this Bond can feel physical pain.

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2006)

To start with, this is my favourite Bond film yet. The film does a fantastic job of modernising Ian Fleming's Casino Royale, from its spontaneous action scenes to iconic scenes from the novel. The most difficult task in my mind must have been modernising a novel that's 53 years old. I'm Glad to say that it's worked.
I found 2 parts of the film the most enjoyable. 1. Although it shows significant differences with the latest Bond films, it retains the Fleming touch, for example - quirky villain appearances. 2. Every character has significance. They are not brought in for the franchise tradition. Each character even the Bond girls are given a life on screen.
Although still containing the outlandish action sequences that are iconic within the Bond films, the violence is far grittier and (dare I say it) believable. Bond feels physical and emotional pain in this film not yet seen in the franchise. This however, like the book, lays the foundations for the Bond that we all love throughout the books.
(Now the painful bit of the review which is bound to upset someone) Daniel Craig plays a more masculine, aggressive and ruthless Bond. He has built himself up like a battleship for the role. It's believable that Craig could actually knock someone out with a punch unlike Piece Bronsan.
Craig delivers a two-sided Bond, much more accurate to the novels and reminiscent to Sean Connery. He is smooth talking and witty, yet can within a beat transform into a silent and ruthless killer. Probably Craig's best asset to the role is that his eyes show the cold-bloodedness of the character yet his voice shows the well-educated, charming and witty Bond more to the style of Roger Moore.
Any doubters for his facial appearance might want to look up James Bond on Wikipedia.com. There is a picture from the Daily Express when they ran a comic strip featuring the character. In my opinion he looks more like Craig then any Bond actor before. I have nothing against any other Bond actor I just believe Craig is more of the assassin of the novels.
However, I think the most praise have to go to Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis for their amazing screenplay of the novel and Martin Campbell for once again injecting some much needed life into the franchise. His stamped his unique directing style on the film as he did with GoldenEye. Hopefully the sequels can match this time. As it stands, I'm all for a re-make of Live and Let Die.
Quinlan (Cheers for taking time to read this. I do not believe that what I have written is right - they are just my opinions. Thanks)