Bond Is Back

Rating: 9/10 (22 November 2006)

Or should I say 'Bond Begins'? After the box-office smash yet critical disaster of Die Another Day, the owners of the 2nd most profitable movie franchise decided it was time to start fresh. They found a new Bond, toned down the gadgets, turned back the clock, and turned up the action/violence. Yet they zeroed in on the characters and drama with the help of a revamped script by Academy Award Winner Paul Haggis (Crash). The result is a refreshing and much needed change that makes Casino Royale not only the best Bond adventure in 20 years, but one of the best movies of 2006.
From the moment the movie opens, we know this is not the Bond we've come to know so well. He's rough, sometimes careless, but definitely a force to be reckoned with. And Daniel Craig plays the part to perfection. If you have any gripes about how he isn't a good "Bond", go see the movie, and I almost guarantee you'll change your mind. Bond was not conceived as a suave, good-looking ladies man that had a license to kill. He was a deadly spy that did whatever had to be done to complete his mission. Later, he grew into his charming self, but in Casino Royale, we see the unpolished version. He also has a heart, as he falls for the beautiful Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). She is also not the typical Bond girl. She's smart, independent, and not just someone for Bond to save.
The story is toned down, too. Bond isn't even trying to save the world. In the post 9/11-era that we live in, the worry is terrorists. Casino Royale takes this fact and uses it to create a much more realistic threat. Bond ultimately has to gamble to try and stop the villain from funding terrorists. If he loses, terrorists get more money. If he wins, they don't get that money. While this may seem boring, it is actually very thrilling, especially the poker game between Bond and the villain. This allows the story to focus more on the characters than just having drama to get to the next action scene. But understand one thing, there is definitely action. A lot of action. Actually some of the best action of any Bond film. This may not be the normal Bond, but it is Bond. You get chases across the tops of cranes, a terrorist incident at Miami International, shoot-outs, a fist-fight in a tight stairwell, double-crosses, torture, triple-crosses, cool cars, great locales, and, of course, hot women.
Casino Royale is a great time at the movies. It's edgier and darker than previous Bonds, but that makes it that much better. In the final minute of the film, a very important question is asked: "Who is this?" We've been waiting 4 years to hear the answer. "The name's Bond. James Bond." And when that familiar tune finally begins to play as the credits roll, we know it was worth the wait. Bond is back.