This isn't your parents' James Bond. Hell, this isn't even our Bond. "Casino Royale" sets a new standard for the series, one that sets aside the gadgets and overuse of multiple-entendres. Instead, the film focuses on character development and plotting, although there are plenty of pithy comments, incredibly gorgeous women and spectacular chase sequences to go around.
Director Martin Campbell (of "GoldenEye" fame) has stepped back into the driver's seat of the Bond franchise, and he accomplishes his goal of rebooting the series with aplomb. "Casino Royale" is a fantastic starting place for those who have yet to see a Bond film. Not only is it the first novel featuring Britain's super spy, but it has a darker tone.
Briefly, the plot revolves around Bond's attempts to end the career of terrorist banker Le Chiffre. Le Chiffre lost a lot of money in a couple of bad business ventures and, as such, he organizes a poker tournament in order to win it all back and avoid a sticky end. Enter Vesper Lynd, sultry agent for Her Majesty's Treasury, who aids Bond by getting him in the tournament in a last ditch effort to bring Le Chiffre down.
Before going any further into this review, it is necessary to put down any naysayer who wants to spread lies by saying that Daniel Craig is not James Bond. Craig embodies the character in a way that hasn't been done since the days of the iconic Sean Connery.
Craig's Bond, however, is probably the character at his toughest; he is cold, calculating and hasn't quite mastered the "half hitman, half monk" style that his boss, M, would like to see in him. His dark and sardonic portrayal of Bond adds layers to the character that haven't been seen outside of the novels. Craig's greatest strength in this film is his ability to switch styles and personality as the occasion suits him, specifically when switching between business and pleasure.
As for the other actors, they all do bang-up jobs. Mads Mikkelsen surprisingly resists the urge to play the villain in a campy manner, instead focusing on slight eccentricities and relying on a quiet creepy factor to create his persona. Eva Green turns the ice queen factor up to 11 as Vesper Lynd. She's a great foil to Bond, breaking down his barriers and getting in a few witty barbs when all is said and done, affecting Bond in a way that irrevocably changes the character. Honorable mentions go out to Caterina Murino (if only for her ridiculously wonderful entrance) and Jeffrey Wright as CIA agent Felix Leiter, despite their limited screen time.
However, this isn't totally a movie about character development. Campbell is a great action director and he makes every effort to impress upon the audience that this Bond doesn't take any crap from anybody. All of the action sequences are done as near to perfection as one can get. This is mainly because they aren't done in a series of quick cuts, but tend to linger on each moment much longer than standard action fare, keeping the fights and chases moving without breaking away and distracting the audience. Especially helpful is the fact that Bond is realistically beaten, sometimes to a pulp, which may not sound good, but it brings an air of realism to the whole production.
This isn't to say that there aren't bad points as well. The theme song kind of sucks, although the title sequence it plays over has a great retro-kickback feel to it that really works. The running commentary on the rules of poker (apparently for those three people in the world not acquainted with the game) grates after a few scenes.
The Bond franchise completely aside, it's a very well done spy movie. The acting is magnificent, the action set pieces are tremendous and it's shot in a strikingly clear manner. All of this combines into a movie that everybody should see regardless of whether or not they have seen a Bond film before or if they have a favorite Bond.
