Bond reinvented in a mind blowing way.

Rating: 10/10 (20 November 2006)

To tell you the truth, I had never seen a James Bond film before "Casino Royale". Yeah, I'm a movie buff, yet had never seen one of cinema's most iconic characters on screen. That means, unfortunately, I won't be able to compare this Bond film to the others. That also means I won't be biased against anything, saying things like, "Pierce Brosnan was so much better, no one will ever replace him." But in my unbiased opinion, Daniel Craig as the new, darker, blond Bond did amazing. And I'm wagering, even if I'd seen the twenty-one other films, I would still say Craig's was the best. His deliverance is gritty, and oh-so suave. Every man in the world will wish to be as smooth and suave as Craig's Bond.
"Casino Royale" opens in black-and-white showing James getting his double O status in a slam bang way. The film then proceeds with psychedelic opening credits, minus the famous Bond theme, but with an equally cool song. For the next twenty minutes a huge, mind-blowing chase scene ensues as Bond chases a bomb maker in Africa. This scene will get your adrenaline pumping big time, and the rush never stops. Clocking in at 140 minutes, not one scene is boring, or drags. It makes every dollar worth it, you feel that you finally got what you paid for. Hand to hand combat, a high stakes Texas Hold-Em game, a cool Aston Martin car, and just about every other cool thing you can think of, and that's just in the first hour. So, basically, I loved "Casino Royale", LOVED IT! The plot was great as well - I hear it's the best Bond plot yet- but it is too complicated to explain on paper. It's pretty much a reinvention of James Bond, like what Christopher Nolan did for "Batman Begins", director Martin Cambell does for this franchise. It's BondÂ…James Bond for a new generation.
What made the film even better was the audience. When a particularly awesome car gets totaled the audience let out a collective, "Nooooooooooo!" It was so much fun. And the theater was in digital, so the picture and sound were crystal clear. It made my first Bond experience all the more fun. That's what it is, just plain, good ol' fun, as well as a great piece of film-making. You know, I bet all the critics, and folks who practically rioted over the decision of Daniel Craig to don the suit and bow tie, are kicking themselves. The other actors including Judi Dench as M, and Eva Green as Vesper Lynd did extremely well. And an honorable sentence goes to Mads Mikkelsen as the new Bond baddie, who is so bad, he weeps blood. I can't wait to see "Casino Royale" again. It was the best time I've had in a movie all year. And the best line in a movie all year goes to this line; Bartender: Would you like your martini shaken or stirred. James Bond: Does it look like a give a damn. I give it 10 out of 10. "Casino Royale" is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, and sexual content.