A stunning debut by Daniel Craig as Bond and one of the best gambling-/casino-themed movies of all time

Rating: 8/10 (18 January 2019)

This is Daniel Craig's debut as James Bond and boy, did he introduce himself to the world of the famed agent with a bang! It gave the franchise a much-needed facelift when Pierce Brosnan had run out of 007 gas and the series was crying for a contemporary badass hero we could all look up to and drool over. Craig hits the mark on all accounts and is joined by a star-studded cast of darlings of the silver screen (Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench) in a dizzying plot drenched with energy that feels like witnessing the birth of a new, action-packed, glossy universe to host Bond's 21st century adventures. Even though Ian Fleming's novel precedes the film by more than 50 years, the script does a great job of adapting the story for the modern tug-of-war between political and business power plus the seductive, glamorous forces at play in this new saga. The casino and high-stakes poker tournament symbolise the tension superbly, and the game sequence sustains anticipation and is as engrossing as any of the dramatic action filling Bond's mission with misfires and intrigue. This is James Bond 3.0 - blonde, calculating, ruthless and unstoppable in his cold charm, table tricks and devastating one-liners.