The most exciting action film of 2006, and possibly the best Bond movie ever...

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2006)

After the increasingly overblown Pierce Brosnan run (beginning with the great GoldenEye and ending with the shallow, if fun Die Another Day), the 007 franchise needed a shot in the arm to conquer audiences again. Hence the decision to reinvent the series, much like Christopher Nolan did with Batman, by adapting the first ever Bond novel, Casino Royale (already filmed as a hit-and-miss spoof in 1967).
As this is our favorite spy's first adventure, he's quite different from the previous characterizations: he hasn't achieved his 00 status yet (something he takes care of in the black and white opening sequence), he doesn't have a specific taste regarding martinis (when asked if he wants his drink shaken or stirred, he replies: "Do I look like I give a damn?") and he makes mistakes (such as killing an unarmed man and blowing up an embassy - in front of a camera!). Not exactly the kind of employee M (Judi Dench) is that proud of. She does however give him an opportunity to redeem himself by participating in a poker game at the Montenegro Casino Royale. The reason? One of the players is Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a man known for financing terrorists. If he wins, he could walk away with at least 15 million dollars, a sum that can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
The true joy of Casino Royale is the realistic tone: there are no silly gadgets (in fact, Q doesn't appear at all in this movie), no superhuman stunts (well, except for a 20-minute chase scene at the beginning of the film), no sci-fi elements whatsoever. This time around, Bond is not an invulnerable macho guy with spectacular weapons; he actually gets hurt quite often, and reacts pretty brutally, using whatever object he can find. Much has been said about Daniel Craig, mostly offensive remarks concerning his hair, but I actually think he could be the best Bond ever. I know that statement is close to heresy, but here's a fact: all the previous Bond films, even those with Sean Connery, focused more on the character's womanizing than on his violent nature (the exception would be Timothy Dalton's final Bond outing, Licence to Kill, which was perceived as too rough when it was released in 1989). Craig, on the other hand, is a believable assassin, in terms of looks as well as mannerisms (the fact that he's already played his fair share of "morally flexible" people, as seen in Munich or Infamous, also helps). He's a darker, more interesting Bond, probably the closest an actor's ever come to the true spirit of Ian Fleming's character. Sure, there is romance, as always, but the core of the movie is the fact that Bond is, first and foremost, a killer, much like his modern-day cinematic heir Jason Bourne (an obvious influence in terms of style).
That said, the film is far from being a one-man show, the supporting characters proving meatier than usual: Dench is as impeccable as always, and the same ought to be said of Jeffrey Wright, who brings Felix Leiter back to the franchise after a 17-year absence; Mikkelsen is a riveting villain, his charm deriving from the fact that he's not interested in world domination, not to mention every bit as vulnerable as the hero (the poker game is actually his last chance to please his superiors, otherwise he'll die), and Eva Green is the best Bond girl since Diana Rigg. Instead of the usual lame sexual innuendo, the dialogue between 007 and his female partner is sharp and enjoyable ("You're not my type", he tells her; "Smart?", she replies with a touch of sarcasm; "Single", deadpans Bond). The performances are probably the main reason Casino Royale is the most emotionally relevant entry in the series since On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Royale's ending is much more satisfying, though): the new Bond is a human hero (or rather antihero), a character the audience can relate to when things go bad, like in the infamous torture sequence, so painful it actually provides a reason to question the PG-13 rating (alongside the opening restroom murder, it also makes the viewer understand why Quentin Tarantino was interested in directing the film).
Dark, adult and compelling, Casino Royale is the 007 movie fans have been expecting for ages, and by the time cinema's favorite secret agent finally delivers THAT line, even the most skeptical will have to admit it: Daniel Craig IS James Bond, and that's not going to change for quite a while.