where it all began

Rating: 8/10 (9 April 2007)

I would not classify myself as a real James Bond "fan," I have only seen a couple in the whole series, but as a generally aware adult American, I am familiar enough that I can recognize the style. So I went into the theater as the average movie-goer, no expectations, not a lot of excitement built up, but open to whatever I'm gonna get. And... it knocked my socks off. One of the opening action sequences, where Bond chases someone up a giant construction crane, was brilliantly choreographed, and set the bar high for the remaining 2+ hours. (This is a very long movie, but it deserves to be.) But what stuck with me most was the vulnerability that Daniel Craig shows in his character. I always imagine James Bond as a hardened killer spy, and a smooth talking ladies' man that can't be tamed. This film lets us in on how he became that way, and shows him as a man, not a fictional superhuman. Casino Royale is a great story on its own, but with all the added history and mystique built up around James Bond, it is all that much deeper, and that much rewarding.