Bond for the 21st Century.

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2008)

James Bond is back. Grittier than ever. 'Casino Royale' is decidedly the best 007 film since 1995's 'GoldenEye', which introduced the world to Pierce Brosnan as the slick double agent for the first time. And for a franchise that has spanned more than four decades, 'Casino Royale' returns to its roots in more than one way. Martin Campbell, who brought 'GoldenEye' to life on the big screen, returns to the helm once more to revive a slumping brand and restore it to glory.
During Pierce Brosnan's stint as James Bond, there was the almost unanimous consensus that the aging franchise seemed to finally be running its course into the sunset. Where do you go when you've done it all before? You go back to the beginning, back to where it all began. And as the curtains pull back and 'Casino Royale' welcomes us to a black-and-white intro that brings us back to Hollywood's golden age, there's no question this is the beginning of a new era for cinema's most famous assassin. There's nothing slick about it, no special hi-tech gadgets to rely on. 'Casino Royale' presents us with a raw vision that aims to get inside the psyche of the cold, calloused man.
Perhaps the biggest question of all, does Daniel Craig pull it off? An unorthodox casting choice no doubt, but one that takes no time getting used to. He may not have the cunningness of Sean Connery or suave persona of Pierce Brosnan, but let's not forget this film's goal of shedding its layers and giving us a portrayal we've never seen before. And with that, Daniel Craig does appear to be the perfect choice to shatter preconceptions and reintroduce us to a character who first appeared on the big screen in 1963. Craig fits the persona of a cool, calculated assassin with an edginess that hasn't quite been molded to perfection yet. He's good-looking with a sculpted body, and when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Craig holds no punches.
For an action movie, 'Casino Royle' comes in at a winded two-and-a-half hours. Excessive? Maybe. But with the right stuff, which this film certainly has, it's all apart of the journey. There are numerous action extended action sequences that, technically speaking, are endlessly impressive. And from an entertainment perspective, it's probably what you pay for with films like this but don't always receive in such satisfying doses. And when he's not making daring escapes, Bond engages in the wonderful game of poker. This is perhaps the film's greatest achievement, delivering some fantastic film moments as Bond sits opposite his target Le Chiffre (played beautifully by Mads Mikkelsen) as they engage in a high-intensity game of logic and odds that oozes with tension on-screen.
'Casino Royale' accomplishes all it needed to. A stylistic and thrilling ride from start to finish that takes us from Madagascar to Montenegro to Venice. It's not perfect, it may not define the action film, but it succeeds in reinventing itself for a new millennium. It takes a grassroots approach, and Daniel Craig takes the character of James Bond and makes him his own. With enough bruises and heartbreak to last for at least one more sequel, there's no reason anymore to write off the James Bond franchise as mindless entertainment.
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