I stand corrected, the true James Bond has finally arrived!!!

Rating: 9/10 (18 November 2006)

When Daniel Craig beat out a slew of quality actors for the coveted role of James Bond, many fans of the Bond Franchise predicted this to be the final doomsday for the series. My initial thought on the matter was that Pierce Brosnan should be brought back as Bond. I predicted Craig to be a failure, just as many other Bond fans did. This is hardly the case in "Casino Royale", a film which totally redefines the Bond Franchise. It is accurate to look at the movie as a "Bond Begins", as this story focuses around the first mission that he ever had as OO agent. "Casino Royale" combines, blends, and intensifies elements seen in some of the best Bond movies ever filmed. With all of the grittiness of "Licence to Kill", the classiness of "Goldfinger", and the tragedy of my personal favorite Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "Casino Royale" stands high and proud over most of the other twenty Bond movies since 1962. Also worth noting is the 1964 Aston Martin that Bond drives at one point in this film. This is the same car that Sean Connery drove in "Goldfinger"! The plot of this film also revolves heavily around the game of Texas Hold 'Em, a very smart play by the producers. Paul Haggis, the screenwriter for such powerful films as "Crash" and "Million Dollar Baby", also had a hand in the writing of the screenplay for "Royale. His ability to combine the powerful elements of love, loss, and death can be felt throughout the film. You must go see this movie, whether you are a Bond junkie or not, you will enjoy this film! 9 out of 10 stars!!!