A New Bond

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2006)

Daniel Craig had to endure an incredible amount of grief (completely unwarranted) for being chosen as the latest Bond, and in a way I think it shows in his very tough and textured portrayal of 007. That's a double compliment there - 1. for giving such a strong performance, and 2. for doing so, with such panache, under such strenuous circumstances. I remember him from Munich and Road to Perdition, and he's a fine actor. I'm glad he gets the last laugh now.
So this is an action movie that shows us his origins, how he got his "double-oh" status, his first major assignment, and how he's by no means the perfect spy. He makes errors in judgment, he gets hurt, often badly, and he bleeds. But he's also very tough and always recovers - he doesn't know the meaning of surrender. Craig's 007 becomes a character worth rooting for, and in certain scenes that's exactly how the audience responded (I love those moments in the movie house).
I believe Daniel Craig is signed on for two more Bonds, and that there will be some sort of continuity across these three movies. If so, then Casino Royale should re-assure fans that things are moving forward in an exciting direction.