The Real Bond Returns in Casino Royale

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2006)

After 20 movies, James Bond started to get tired. After all, how many super villains can he defeat? And frankly, the casting of the heavies in the movies have been small to say the least.
In 2002's Die Another Day, was there any question Pierce Brosnan's Bond would defeat Toby Stephens' Gustav Graves? No, of course not. And that was the problem with the recent 007 movie - too easy of targets and not enough true spy work.
So when Brosnan opted out of the franchise, EON Productions decided to reboot Bond entirely by finally putting a serious version of Casino Royale on the big screen. The last of Ian Fleming's novels to be produced by the company, it shows a new side of the character - an early version, suffers through vulnerabilities as he goes to complete his quest.
Taking the Bond mantle is Daniel Craig (Road to Perdition, Tomb Raider 2). The youngest Bond since George Lazenby, the producers hope the 38 year-old actor will bring back the rugged toughness Sean Connery possessed in the 1960s, while also demonstrating the original 007's charm and humor.
EON also went back to Martin Campbell to helm the film. The director of Goldeneye has the experience of bringing a new Bond to the screen, while keeping with the franchises look. He continues that in the film, but with some twists.
The teaser of the movie - shot in black and white - shows how Bond received his 00 rating with the two kills under his belt. You can tell the spy suffers as he puts the first victim out of his misery by beating him up in a bathroom, but then glimpses of the Bond to come arrive as he takes care of his second kill.
After the usual highly spectacular credit sequence, the plot of the movie slowly unfolds. Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen, King Arthur), a banker, is shown taking money from terrorists and guaranteeing a return. He quickly shorts a stock in on a London Stock Market to complete his quest.
But after Bond foils his plans to send the company plummeting by blowing a prototype plane, Le Chiffre is desperate for funds and sets up a high stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro.
M (played by Judi Dench, the only holdover from the Brosnan movies) assigns Bond to play and in the tournament, in order to bankrupt Le Chiffre and have him turn evidence to the Brits in exchange for asylum. She sends accountant Vesper Lynd (Eva Green, Kingdom of Heaven) to keep an eye on 007 and make sure he doesn't blow the $10 million entry fee, because if he loses, England would have directly financed terrorism.
At times the movie can be uneven from high flying action sequence to the slower sequences with Lynd. Also at 144 minutes, this is the longest Bond film produced, but the time is needed, since the back story needed to be told.
Writers Neil Purvis and Robert Wade do a good job updating the 1950s story. They changed the game from Chemin de fer to the more modern Texas Hold-em, but also put nods into the old Bond, such as 007 winning a 1964 Aston Martin in a card game.
Craig, who was much maligned by fans when the choice was made, also does a credible job as Bond. You can tell he is disturbed by the brutal killings he performs, while sometimes has a glimpse in his eye of Bond to come.
Green could have been better. She looks great as Lynd, but at times she lacks the screen presence to hold up to Craig.
Overall, though, Casino Royale is a great time. Because the story was never used in the past, it's refreshingly original which is something the Bond franchise desperately needed.
Rating ***