Bond films coming to an age

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2007)

The new film in Bond saga, Casino Royal, is refreshingly different from previous attempts. I hated the foolish attitude of James Bond films starred by Pierce Brosnan, everything went so over the edge that they were more like gadget shows and science fiction than an agent film. The director of the Goldeneye, first Brosnan's Bond film and the only one of his that I actually liked, Martin Campbell gets to deliver the most groundbreaking Bond film of the date.
Daniel Craig, despite his somewhat ragged looks, is an excellent actor, capturing the subtleties of Bond's character in this dramatization of the very first Ian Fleming's Bond book. While being very first book and the beginning of Bond's story, it is unexpectedly transferred to modern age, destroying the chronological order of the Bond films, pretending like there has never been previous stories. The opening sequence is black and white, and shows him gaining the double-0's (kills) in the beginning of his career.
Movie is quite long, and seems to drag somewhere halfway through the story. The director has clearly eye for more drama than what could be expected from your average action flick. There's a lot of dialog, and it seems there's lots of novel like elements, like sequences where Bond constantly discusses about himself, his career and what keeps him moving with the leading actress, Eva Green. I haven't actually read the novel, so can't say if the movie is faithful to it or not, but it certainly looks like a story having a strong novel in the background.
Eva Green plays Vesper Lynd, a government accountant. She's definitely got the looks for a Bond Girl, but she is nothing spectacular as an actress. I didn't like how she turned out to be a double agent, and a traitor, but this must serve as a reason for Bond developing more "colder" attitude towards women. "I've learned my lesson", he says.
More modern action film elements are there too, like almost total absence of the good spirited cartoon action. The fights are very realistic in a gruel way, and afterwards there's lots of blood and sweat in Daniel Craig's face. However, I think the first chase scene was masterfully done. I also were somewhat put-off by the torture scene. Is it more common in action films nowadays or is it just my imagination? It has more layers than those half witted Brosnan flicks, and is, I think one of the best action films coming in recent years. Go see it, now.