Hello there John McClane & Jason Bourne. My name is Bond, James Bond.

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2006)

This is a great Bond film. If i could summarize it in one word, this is the word:
A*W*E*S*O*M*E*!
This Bond film is a different Bond film. It has style and class, unlike the previous Bond films. It relies more on drama, love and emotions rather than Cheap CGI and cheesy one-liners.
I had become bored with Bond. I personally liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond. The movies he made were at best mediocre and predictable. There were some good moments but the Bond movie series was on life support after Die Another Day.
It wasn't actually a good Bond film, it was just so full of cringe worthy one liners and scifi gadgetry that the attempts by PB to be Bond were drowned out.
I had basically just gotten out of Bond. I stopped watching the movies, posting on message boards and was not paying any attention the news coming out of the Casino Royale production. I didn't even have any real opinion of Daniel Craig. *the guy from Layer Cake right... whatever.*
The pre-title sequence at first was just awesome. The film noir black & white sequences just fascinates me and is a very Usual Suspects. And to say this, i saw the original CR '54 TV production and also read thenovel, and i've got to say this: Martin Campbell did the right thing to pay a homage to the original B&W TV production as well as the pulp feel of the novel.
The Madagascar scene piqued my interest somewhat. No gadgets and a Bond, the first since Connery who actually looks like a guy who could kick someones ass . I was also liking the fact that Craig is a guy in his 30's. He looks as if he was doing Chuck Norris's roundhouse kick with some Connery intellectualism. He even shoots a Walther like a British Chow Yun Fat, sort of. However, The only problem I had with the scene was that it was so fast paced I was having a hard time digesting what was taking place.
M's first scene was brilliant and Judi Dench was really showing her amazing acting skills. They really were resetting Bond back to the beginning. My interest in the movie was improving by the minute.
When Bond went to Nassau I was now thoroughly enjoying the movie. I was getting the concept of what they were doing and Craig seemed to get this very well. Picking up Solange was a classic Bond type moment.
The Miami Airport scene was okay. Great spy work at the body works exhibit. You actually get a feeling that Bond is a spy. The fact that was now coming back to me over and over was how Bond was relying soley on himself and not some gadget to save the day and I could not be happier about this.
The elegance of Montenegro, along with Nassau was putting me in a great mood. When Eva Green is introduced into the movie as Vesper Lynd on the train I felt there was terrific chemistry. She is everything a Bond girl is suppose to be. Every bit smart, feminine and not a female Bond equivalent. The dialog on the train was refreshing.
The movie keeps getting better and better. The great chemistry between Bond and Vesper, the poker game where Bond loses his initial buy in and just sits there. Wow! You certainly don't expect this. I wasn't even sure he was going to win at this point where as in any other Bond movie it is an automatic.
the torture scene was just another testament to making Bond real. Even when Vesper is srceaming and Bond is about to lose his manhood he will not relent.
As Bond falls in love with Vesper and shows the human side you know great tragedy is coming but the scenes were well done. The final fight scene in Venice was not as good as I would have liked but far better than the goofy heroics or near superman/batman quality we've come to expect. Then, the final scene standing over White, neatly dressed with his famous tag line, then the monty norman theme and the credits role. The best finish of any Bond movie to date.
Bond had become just another action movie and the character, larger than life but without any depth. Now, Bond once again reigns supreme. By going back to the basics of who and what Bond is they have saved the series and made Bond the leader of the action gender once again.
4.5 out of 5.