The Best of the Bond Films!

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2007)

Vesper Lynd: It doesn't bother you? Killing all those people?
James Bond: Well I wouldn't be very good at my job if it did.
One of the most anticipated or may I just say the most anticipated film of 2006 period, was the new Bond film 'Casino Royale', a remake of the first of the Ian Fleming 007 novels that promised to re-invent the series. Being the skeptic I am, I initially thought 'Casino Royale' was going to turn out to be another Superman Returns, a film so many people had such high hopes for, but ended up letting them down tremendously. After hearing such positive reviews of 'Casino Royale' and discovering it's remarkable 94% positive reviews on rottentomatoes.com, I became very excited to see the film and find out if it was as good as it's word of mouth. To my surprise, 'Casino Royale' didn't disappoint me at all, in fact it surpassed my already high expectations. Although it's not an excellent piece of film-making, 'Casino Royale' succeeds with flying colors in bringing life to a tired, clichéd and worn-out action series again.
From it's opening brutal black and white sequence in which our protagonist, Bond, James Bond, played expertly by Brit Daniel Craig, kills two people in order to achieve his double 0 status, we know there's something different about this Bond film. Instead of the fun and over-the-top campiness of the previous films, this is actually some gritty and cool stuff. It only gets more different when the opening title sequence doesn't feature the steamy sexual shadows of naked women of the previous 20 films, but instead it features silhouettes of Bond himself (fully-clothed, I should make clear) gracefully shooting his firearm at nothing in particular while playing card suits (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades) fizzle in the background. Then, it hits us, we aren't watching the same Bond movies we've been made to sit through for the last forty years, when the film delves into the character of James Bond -- he's not the eloquent, prudish and clean Bond we've seen portrayed by Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore or even Sean Connery -- he's a tough, built, ruthless guy who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and talks with a mouth full of food in one particular scene. But most importantly, he isn't the flawless super being like in the previous Bond films -- he has his flaws and he makes his mistakes because the guy is only human. In other words, there is a new bond in town and he's one bad ass motherf**ker!
The plot here doesn't steer that far away from Ian Fleming's heralded novel, or so I've heard. The only real significant difference, I guess, is the leap from the 1960s to the present, 2006. Most bond films surround a ridiculous evil mad man trying to destroy or take over the world, but in this the villain is simple and relevant for the times we live in -- some obnoxious French asshole who is helping fund terrorists. For his first mission, Bond is assigned by his boss M (Dame Judi Dench) to stop the bastard by beating him in a casino poker tournament. From there, I won't tell you anything more, just that the film features great action sequences but is not overflowing with them. For the most part it's leisurely paced compared to the other Bond films, which is not a insult in the slightest bit. The film sometimes drag a bit, but I'd rather have that than constant non-stop action with no room for character or plot development. The screenplay is much superior to any of the Bond films and all other action films this year also. It has a few flaws, but for the most part it flows smooth and creates an ultra-cool atmosphere. Martin Campbell's direction is merit-able, as is the film's beautiful cinematography.
The acting is also something to take note of as well. Every James Bond film before this was lacking in the acting department, but not 'Casino Royale'. Daniel Craig lunges onto the screen with his vibrant, engrossing and completely unique portrayal of James Bond, a very intelligent but in turn a very arrogant M16 field agent. Although he may not be deserving an Oscar nomination, what Craig does here is brilliant and courageous, he takes a beloved and cherished cinematic hero and does a complete 180 on his personality. This could have horribly back-fired on Craig, but instead it worked miraculously. Eva Green also is great as what I might consider the best 'Bond Babe' of all time. She's not a ditzy floozy or self-absorbed bitch, but a smart and cute little firecracker with her share of problems. She's more than one-dimensional, not to mention extraordinarily attractive (especially when she's out of makeup), which is a must for a 'Bond Babe'. The rest of the cast is solid but not as noticeable. The villains are all good enough and Mads Mikkelsen is convincing enough as the cowardly French villain, Le Chiffre. Judi Dench, Giancarlo Gianni and Angels in America's Jeffrey Wright are all excellent as always but it's unfortunate they have such small and meaningless roles.
All in all, 'Casino Royale' is well worth your time if your time if you like action/thrillers and absolutely essential if you like Bond films. Great acting, solid directing, incredible action sequences, a gut-wrenching torture scene that will have guys in cold sweat and an intense poker showdown that will make you sweat bullets and that crazy French villain cry tears of blood (yuck, that was pretty disgusting!) make this one of the best remakes in recent years. This ain't your daddy's generational Bond movie, it's a powerhouse revival for the year 2006 that kicks the old films square in the balls. Grade: B+ (review written 11/19/06)