"I Have No Armor Left. You've Stripped It From Me. Whatever Is Left Of MeWhatever I AmI'm Yours." --- James Bond (Daniel Craig)

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 2007)

"Casino Royale" (2006)
By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Caterina Murino, Jeffrey Wright, Ivana Milicevic, & Giancarlo Giannini
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity)
My first experience with James Bond was with the 1995 classic, "GoldenEye". From that moment on, I was absolutely hooked with the suave secret agent and the array of interesting characters that surrounded him, from Moneypenny to M. Because this was my first Bond film, I have always felt that Pierce Brosnan was one of the best actors to have ever gotten the role (behind only Sean Connery and equal to Roger Moore). So, when it was announced that Brosnan would not be returning for a sixth film (after "Die Another Day" in 2002), I was quite disappointed...but yet interested to see who would be cast. After a long search for the new Bond (with Clive Owen as a fan favorite), it was announced that Daniel Craig would portray 007 in the twenty-first installment in the amazingly successful Bond franchise. Some fans were outraged, some were unsure, some were just glad the search was over, and I was one of the few that were rather indifferent to the decision. I knew that Craig was a great actor, but was he the right actor to play Bond? I wasn't sure, but I was willing to give him a chance. Well, having seen his first Bond film, "Casino Royale", I can say that Craig WAS right for the role. In fact, Craig brings something new to the role: a certain roughness that seems to make Bond more realistic and more fulfilling than any other.
After receiving his license to kill, James Bond 007 (Craig) is sent on a mission to Madagascar to track down a known terrorist. Things do not go as planned the mission is compromised. Bond goes to the Bahamas to investigate independently of MI6 and encounters Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his beautiful girlfriend, Solange (Murino). He discovers that Dimitrios is linked to Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen), banker to the world's terrorists, who is planning a high-stakes poker game in Montenegro at Le Casino Royale. MI6 agrees to stake Bond in the game, with hopes that Bond will win and Le Chiffre's organization will be destroyed. Placed under the watchful eye of the beautiful Vesper Lynd (Green), Bond is at first skeptical of what the accountant has to offer, but, as they face violence and torture together, Bond discovers that Vesper is far more valuable than he originally thought. As the stakes in the game are raised above blood money, "Casino Royale" builds up to a an exciting, chilling climax.
If you will remember, "Die Another Day" suffered from one major problem: the overuse of gadgets. In just one movie, we had an invisible car, a ring that could shatter glass (how convenient), cell phone bombs, hovercrafts, the world's fastest vehicle, and so much more. Bond was overshadowed by the gadgets and it seemed as though he lacked any reason whatsoever to use his intelligence, because a nifty gadget could get him out of trouble almost instantly. In "Casino Royale", there are no gadgets and the film returns to the very basics of the Bond franchise. Bond must use his brain and his brawn to survive and, even then, it is not an easy ride. Bond bleedsand bleeds a lot. He isn't some flawless, superhuman agent anymore and that is a wonderful thing. Daniel Craig's Bond is a throwback to the days of Sean Connery and is a refreshing blast of fresh air from "Die Another Day", which was, in my opinion, a little too clean-cut and pretty.
Daniel Craig managed to equal Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan, in my book, and is only slightly behind Sean Connery. With a few more movies and more room to grow, Craig may very well surpass Connery. As this is a "reboot" of the entire franchise, Craig was allowed to interpret the character how he chose to do so without having to concern himself with how his predecessors took on the part. Overall, "Casino Royale" is an amazing movie--one of the top Bond films ever and every individual aspect seemed to come together beautifully. The performances, especially from Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, and Judi Dench, are flawless and deeply engaging. The pacing is nearly flawless with only a few moments that seem to remain stagnant. Martin Campbell's direction is clear and vivid without being overly-stylized. This movie is a must-see and one of the year's best action films. For fans of James Bond, this is a movie that you cannot miss in theaters.
Final Thought: "Casino Royale" will have Bond fans and audiences in general applauding. Daniel Craig is here to stay.
Overall Rating: 10/10 (A+)