This excellent reboot of the long running franchise owes more of a debt to Dalton's films then Brosnan's, Moore's or even Connerys.

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2017)

Taking inspiration from Christopher Nolan and "The Dark Knight" series, "Casino Royale", is a much needed reboot of the long running spy series. Like its spiritual predecessor, it strips away the bloated, elements from a series which eventually became a parodical, CGI addled shadow of its former self. Casino Royale is a darker, leaner movie, not only in comparison to Brosnan's poorly received swansong "Die Another Day" but also compared to the majority of the films in the series. Ironically, in addition to both Nolan's Batman reimagining and the "Jason Bourne" series, "Casino Royale" owes more a debt to Timothy Dalton's "The Living Daylights" then Roger Moore's "Live And Let Die" or even "Dr No": Connery's iconic debut and the first film in the series.
Similar to "GoldenEye", Bond is fighting, not just against international terrorists, but for both credibility in a changing geo-political world and audiences changing expectations. "GoldenEye" faced this problem, with various characters and critics questioning Bond's relevance following the Cold War and with changing social attitudes. "GoldenEye" however, was successful in subverting audience expectations and breathing fresh life into a stale franchise, due to poor writing and plots, Brosnan's subsequent Bond films were increasingly disappointing, culminating in "Die Another Day", released in 2002. The film and its reception had a sense of déjà vue for many critics, with many of them again questioning the series relevance in the post 9/11 world and also the character alongside more recent action hero's such as Matt Damon's Jason Bourne. Once again, it seemed, Bond had become obsolete, "A relic of the Cold War" as Dench's M put it.
"Casino Royale" manages, perhaps more successfully than "GoldenEye", to subvert audience expectations regarding the series by stripping back the majority of the tropes that people had both come to love and expect from the series, Casino Royale manages to successfully craft a Bond film that feels relevant to the post 9/11 world and proves that 007 can still hold his own, regardless of what audiences expect.
This success is due in no small part to Craig's performance as Bond. Instead of the almost superhuman spy we got in the previous movies, here, we get a more inexperienced, rawer 007, who whilst still being capable of shooting a man in cold blood or coldly dismissing the death of his lover with "The jobs done, the bitch is dead", also has a degree of vulnerability that we have not seen in a Bond film for a while. Craig's Bond is not invulnerable; he makes mistakes, is poisoned, beaten, and tortured. When compared to Brosnan spending four movies mowing down bad guys like Rambo without a scratch on him, it feels considerably more refreshing to see a Bond who bleeds. It also makes Craig's Bond feel more real and grounded: Take the scene following the fight in the stairway, Bond doesn't adjust his tie and make a glib remark or pithy comeback, he goes back to his room, pours himself a glass of scotch and washes away the blood from his bruised and battered body, at times even wincing in pain. This is a Bond that owes more of a debt to Dalton's burnt out killer, then Moore's suave playboy.
In terms of the supporting cast, Eva Green as the enigmatic Vesper Lynd, gives a stylish, yet understated performance. Like Craig, she gives a more nuanced performance as Lynd: her portrayal of Bond's love interest is more complex, subtle and tragic then the stereotype's and gimmicks that came before her. Green's Vesper is unlikely to crush a man between her legs, or be a martial arts expert, but she is undoubtedly the emotional core of the film. As the films principal villain, Mads Mikkelson gives a similarly understated performance as Le Chiffre. Le Chiffre doesn't have an absurd plan to take over the world and is armed with nothing more than a inhaler and a eye that weeps blood, however Mikkelson turns in a multifaceted performance. Le Chiffre is a much more believable villain and whist he does come across as a more human antagonist, he never loses his subtle menace.
The action in the film have also been drawn back. Taking clear inspiration from the fight scenes in the "Jason Bourne" franchise, "Casino Royale" provides far more intense, scaled back but still thrilling action pieces with a degree more tension than previous instalment's. The opening construction site chase is a particular highlight, with Bond perusing a terrorist who uses parkour to his advantage. As previously mentioned, Craig's Bond is considerably more human than previous instalments and so, whist it is obvious Bond won't die at any point, it's more refreshing to have an action film where you can actually almost feel the blows. The action is also considerably more realistic and brutal then previous films. During the staircase fight sequence, Bond strangles a man to death with close ups of both the man's face as he gasps for breath and Bonds bloodied shirt following the act. It's not quick, it's not pretty and its unlike anything we've really seen before in a Bond film. This goes to show that Bond is far more brutal that we'd thought which again adds a degree of depth to the character, showing the darker side of his job. This more intense, brutal action style may, to a degree, alienate older fans, more used to a Bond film being mere escapist fun, however I believe the vast majority would agree anything's better then Brosnan riding a CGI tidal wave.
Overall, I would say that "Casino Royale" works, as a reboot of a series that desperately needed rebooting, and once again that the Bond series can evolve from parody to gritty and relevant to today's audiences. Giving us a serious, gritty film without alienating fans, Craig's debut, proves that there is life in the old franchise yet.