double 0 spectacular

Rating: 9/10 (19 November 2006)

Who would have thought that blonde Bond Daniel Craig could make such an impact? Admittedly not me - however, how wrong I was. Casino Royale could well be the best of all Bond movies. It is a combination of Licence To Kill's brutality, Goldfinger's wit, and the emotional weight of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. However, centre to it all is the man himself - even though he doesn't say it until the final seconds, there is no doubting that Daniel Craig is Bond - James Bond. He easily conveys emotions, is splendid in action scenes, and his delivery of one liners is sheer perfection.
Eva Green's performance is also quite remarkable - she is very mysterious, and when the final twist involving her is believable, and tragic. Mads Mikkelsen is silent and sinister (and his asthma is a nice touch). However, the most pleasant surprise is Mr White, who is the first reoccurring villain in a long time. Judging from the ending, he is no doubt set for a return in Bond 22.
The action in the film is the best I've seen in a Bond movie - not a hint of CGI, it is tense and exciting, and Craig's participation in all of the stunts makes it doubly thrilling.
The only thing that perhaps was a let down was the song, 'You Know My Name' - a different version to what I had previously heard. However, this is a minor complaint (especially when you have Daniel Klienman's retro titles to watch!). The film is simply stunning, and long may this style of Bond movies continue.