The death of a formula

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2006)

As a Roger Moore apologist, you'd think I'd hate 'Casino Royale' and Daniel Craig's portrayal of 007. But you'd be wrong. That was the Bond that was right for then, and this is the Bond that's right for the times we live in. The utterly dismal retread of the usual formula in 'Die Another Day' demonstrated that the formula simply had nowhere else to go. Freed from its constraints, this film was much more involving - to the relief of an audience that probably wouldn't be queueing up to see the same old same old.
Daniel Craig is the right man for the job and this is exactly the reinvention that was needed. Judi Dench as M is superb, as always, and the opening titles are the best of the series. Only the excessive product placement reminds the audience of this film's predecessors. But that aside, Casino Royale refreshes the franchise admirably. Let's hope this is the future direction of the series rather than a one-off.