A brilliant installment to the franchise, that delivers the expected Bond qualities and goes beyond this tiring formula.

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2012)

Casino Royale does not rely on abnormal situations, complex concepts/plot or having many "close calls action scenes", to supposedly ethrall and excite the audience. quite the contrary. Its astounding delivery of the simple situations which are presented have me questioning why it does not have a higher rating on the IMDb charts. This movie excels past the recent outings that have been ridden with silly gadgetry tangents which have no use what-so-ever other then catching the eye of the elderly who have not been exposed to such technology. Instead, we see character development (which is essential in any movie) that makes us care for the characters and raises the stakes more so than the $30 million pot.
specifically, the concept is brilliant; high stake poker tournaments, stock manipulation which in extent would lead into a domino effect of a recession. This turns into a beautiful playground for Bond (Daniel Graig)and Vesper Lynd (Eva green) to run rampant in. Outstanding performances from both actors of course accompanied by a notable Giancarlo Giannini who plays Mathis an intelligent 'aid' of Bonds for the majority of the movie.
Anyway, wrapping up the review. This movie is brilliant for its simplicity, the characters and its execution. It goes beyond the tiring formula which was in need of a much needed kick-start, and luckily this installment of Casino Royale has delivered this rejuvenating kick and also given the die-hard Bond fans a slither of hope for the future.