He'll kill you.

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2006)

In a cinematic world that is so often disappointing, a flick that knows its target and hits it squarely is always a welcome sight. Enter "Casino Royale", the 21st and latest James Bond movie., featuring Daniel Craig in his debut as Agent 007. Because all Bond movies feature essentially the same parts, the differences arise from the quality of those parts and how they fit together, so allow me to examine the pieces...
Story: "Casino Royale" begins near the beginning, as Bond became Bond, earning his license to kill and diving headlong into the espionage world. This automatically adds depth and interest to the plot, because origin stories are almost always interesting (see: "Batman Begins"), allowing for explanations of various Bond trademarks. That part of the plot is very good. As for the main storyline, it's about par for the course. There are the mandatory jaunts to beautiful locations like Miami and the Bahamas, and the flick pleasingly manages to avoid the high-tech gimmicky nature that plagued the recent movies. The centerpiece of the movie is a high-stakes poker game, and while I liked that, I wonder what non-players thought of those scenes. Being a poker player, I was able to call virtually every card, but that didn't erode much of the enjoyment, because Bond movies aren't renowned for their unpredictability.
Villain: Meh. Mads Mikkelsen isn't given much to work with as Le Chiffre, a upper-class money launderer who affiliates with terrorists. Sure, he looks creepy, but that's about all we learn about him. The lack of a classic villain has been a major weakness of the recent Bond movies, and this one is no different. Without a memorable story or bad guy, "Casino Royale" was forced to rely on other avenues for its quality. That was risky considering this is Daniel Craig's first turn as Agent 007. Fortunately...
James Bond: Merely from the trailer, one could see that Craig brought different elements to Bond, and those glimpsed traits erupt into full view as the picture rolls. He doesn't quite have the suavity of Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan, but more than any other Bond portrayer, Craig is physically imposing. He could kill you. He has an attitude that adds a modern hard edge to the Bond prototype, one that still oozes sexuality despite the dearth of the puns and double entendres that had become too ubiquitous in Bond movies lately. This is an installment more physical than any other, so both of those additions are very important and greatly appreciated.
Bond Girls: The best Bond girls always have a more exotic look than the women that often dominate American cinema. There are two main female roles here; the Italian model-turned-actress Caterina Murino is a classic Bond vixen, exactly what you'd expect of an Italian model-turned-actress. Her role is secondary to that of Eva Green's (Kingdom of Heaven) Treasury agent Vesper Lynd. Her beauty doesn't leap off the screen early, as her character's bookish side dominates, but she later vamps it up with varying results. Sometimes she looks like a teenager girl playing dress-up, but when she tones down the glamour, she fits the mold well, if perhaps a little too understatedly. (Yes, it's a word.) Gadgetry: The number of gizmos in "Casino Royale" are toned down significantly from prior versions. While they are missed in a nostalgic sense, they aren't missed within the context of this movie, because of the different action scenes, which segues nicely to...
Action: The action scenes are infused with a physicality that sets this one apart from any of its predecessors. The black-and-white pre-credits sequence is a superb intro that has an indie feel, and the first extended chase will leave you exhausted in your seat. Bond is frequently bloodied and bruised as he He bleeds, and you feel it. That's a good thing.
Many have said that "Casino Royale" reminds of "The Bourne Identity", a comparison that is understandable but slightly misguided. While the gritty look does call Bourne to mind, the overall tone is much more elevated. Bond is not an everyman like Jason Bourne; he wears a tuxedo and dabbles in high-stakes games of poker and espionage in which the fate of the world is on the line. That creates a loftier feel that makes potentially mundane scenes (and the entire movie) better and more enjoyable than they should be.
Bottom Line: It's a Bond movie. And a pretty good one. A convenient 007 of 10.