Daniel Craig Can Cut It As Bond

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2006)

There was a lot of uncertainty and speculation when the actor to take the coveted James Bond role was revealed. Admittedly, I was one of the doubters but, after witnessing Daniel Craig's immaculate performance in the new movie Casino Royale, I was proved wrong.
The first blonde Bond gave the sophisticated, witty and arrogant performance expected of Britain's most famous secret agent. Dare I say it, the role was played as well, if not better, than his predecessor Pierce Brosnan, and the film was ten times better than the previous instalment, Die Another Day.
The script was cleverly structured, the twists in the storyline were far less predictable, the brilliant ending tied up the film very neatly, and Craig injected some very humorous lines into the dialogue. When asked how he would prefer his Martini prepared, instead of the traditional "Shaken, not stirred", this time Bond replied "Do I look like I give a damn?" Unlike many of the previous movies, the emphasis of Casino Royale was less on the cars and car chases, Bond girls and gadgets, but more on the story and characters. And yes, as rumours suggested, James Bond did drive a Ford Mondeo. Classy.
Of course, the Mondeo was later traded in for a flashy Aston Martin DB9, fully equipped with all the classic Bond gadgets and gizmos. The only disappointment came when, just as Craig set off in his new toy on a long-awaited car chase, he proceeded to skid off the road and write it off in a spectacular fashion. The only equipment from the fully stocked Aston that Bond put to good use was a medikit to keep him alive after being drugged by his arch nemesis in a poker game.
However, the positives in Casino Royale far outweighed the negatives. All the characters were acted brilliantly, in particular Bond girl Vesper Lynd, played by actress Eva Green. Vesper wasn't a typical Bond girl  she actually developed a meaningful relationship with the secret agent, as oppose to the traditional one night stand. The role was played with the quick wit and sophistication unseen from previous lead female characters.
As always, not a fault could be picked with the performance of Bond film veteran Judi Dench as Craig's boss, M.
I have never been a big fan of Bond, but I haven't seen such a cleverly scripted, action-packed film in a long time. I was extremely impressed with the new movie, and expect Daniel Craig to play the character many more times in years to come. He certainly proved the critics wrong.
9/10