Finally, Bond gets good!

Rating: 9/10 (26 November 2006)

I must admit, I've never been a big Bond fan. The only Bond films I've seen all the way through were Goldeneye and Die Another Day. They just never interested me. They all seemed (especially the Brosnan ones)to be themed around three things; stupid story, stupid women, and some over the top gadgets (Invisible car anyone?) However, Casino Royale has totally changed my perspective on Bond's future. Sitting in the cinema, I felt like a kid all over again. Here is a film that touches pretty much every emotion. Pain, humour, love and excitement, and all of it done in a realistic way.
When I heard that Danial Craig was going to be the new Bond, I did have my doubts. It was just because every other Bond had the same image; dark eyes, dark hair, pretty boy looks. But, my god, Craig really pulls this off, giving Bond that harder, grittier and meaner edge, while at the same time giving the character that essential wit, charm and mystery.
I'm also glad they kept the story to something simple, which is 'Terrorist needs money to fund terrorism and Bond needs to stop it'. It's a very believable storyline for a change. All the women in the film play a valuable part. They actually have purpose, rather than just to stand there and look good while Bond has his way with them. The gadgets are kept to a minimum, but the ones that do pop up are very practical and also, believable. And the action certainly doesn't disappoint. From the crazy free running chase scene at the beginning, to the nerve racking poker game at Casino Royale.
Plus, it needs to be said, the new Aston Martin is a very, very nice car! However, this film suffers from only one big fault. I feel that the twist in the end can be easily spotted, even if you don't know a thing about screenplay structure. It just didn't...merge well into it.
So to round off, Bond is back, bigger, better and grittier. They've gone back to basics, disregarding the other Bond films and starting fresh, and it's the best thing to happen to the franchise, like Batman. If you want a good action film that will excite, make you laugh and make you stand on the edge of your seat then I highly suggest you go and see this film!