Yes, the name is Bond, James Bond ..

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2006)

If it did nothing else, Casino Royale proved that there is still creative life in the franchise. Cold war or no, Bond still has something to say, is still relevant, and can still impress the hell out of us. The only question to answer is whether James Bond still plays in Peoria, and the opening numbers suggest he does.
I think what surprised me most about Craig's Bond is how human he was. He has feelings; he can be reached.. and hurt. He gets tired, scared, desperate, makes mistakes, and worst of all, seems fallible to those around him. To M early on, and Vesper later. How so very different from his predecessors. I like the change. I like the athletic Bond, too. This was one really bad dude, and we knew that long before we saw his pecs.
I find myself thinking that Craig's Bond fits in the Bond canon like Powell's Marlowe fits in the Marlowe canon: resourceful, courageous, smart, and dangerous, but also real and human. What makes him most human is that he is not above being debased by the dirty job he has to do. All the killing, the lies, the stolen moments, the dangers ultimately take their toll, and the Bond we see in the denouement in Venice evokes our pity.
A very good movie: one of the two or three best in the canon, and a solid 8.5 out of 10.