Rough & Real Reboot

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2006)

So here it is. Bond #21. It promised to be gritty, rough and real. Casino Royale succeeded - and is a true reboot for the series.
New Bond Daniel Craig was a controversial decision among Bond fans. Would he be able to do the job? There were fears, yes - but they have proved to be unfounded. Craig is a more real Bond than predecessors. He is a man who is not completely stable, a bit on-edge - and it shows. In fact, Bond is no longer a super-spy unable to come to harm. The torture scene highlights his imperfection (and will also make male viewers wince).
Gadgets have been stripped from the film to make it more realistic (though product placement means Bond uses a Sony Viao laptop and a Sony digital camera). This means Bond uses proper methods of being a spy. Visceral fights, dare-devil driving and the like. It all makes for a more enjoyable watch, especially after the utter fantasy of Die Another Day's invisible Aston Martin.
The film focuses on Bond's first real mission as a double-O agent. By the gun barrel shoot, Bond has made his first two kills (one in elegant style, the other is a fight in a toilet which succeeds in proving that Craig is up to the job). His mission involves playing poker, against villain Le Chiffre. On the way, he meets up with Vesper Lynd, the primary Bond Girl of Casino Royale. To cut a long film short, Bond wins the poker game, but is betrayed by Vesper.
But some questions are raised, thanks to the film being a prequel in sequel form. Female M, played by Dame Judi Dench, is in Brosnan's Bond's universe. But here, she is giving Bond his double-O licence to kill. This supports some people's arguments that "James Bond" is the name given to MI6's best spy at the time, and this certainly would account for this and the changing face of Bond. Whether or not this is acceptable or not is irrelevant.
Basically, Casino Royale is a brand new Bond. And, if this outing is anything to go by, new Bond should carry on.