CASINO ROYALE (2006)

James Bond was the top cinema spy for a long time, but recently he's been getting his ass kicked by the likes of Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt. The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy, as well as Mission Impossible 3 really set new standards for spy movies, and it seemed like poor old Bond was drawing near to his pension. But in Casino Royale, James Bond is back and he's better than ever. Casino Royale is simply the greatest Bond film ever made and is an instant classic. I've always liked the character and most of the Bond movies in are enjoyable on one level or another, but the last couple of movies were a little stagnant, especially Die Another Day, which did nothing to invigorate a very tiered formula. This was not the fault of Pierce Brosnan, who as far as I'm concerned played the best James Bond out of all the actors who have done so, including new guy Daniel Craig. Bond definitely needed to be reinvented and although I was sad to see Brosnan go, Daniel Craig makes for an excellent replacement. The new Bond film is gritty, darker, tougher, and plain old better in just about every single aspect.
Goldeneye was another good Bond movie so it made sense to get its director Martin Campbell back for this new retelling of Casino Royale. In this adventure we witness Bond at the start of his career as he attains his 'Double 0' agent status. Bonds new nemesis is Le Chiffre, a banker for criminals who is trying to win massive money in a card game to help sponsor terrorist acts. And guess who happens to be the best card player in the whole MI6 Agency. That's right people, James Bond. Part of the problem with some of the Bond films is that the villains don't measure up to the heroics of the Bond character, whether it be due to the starpower of the actors playing them or just the characters themselves. That's not a problem in Casino Royale. Mads Mikkelsen is fantastic as baddy Le Chiffre as just oozes evil from every greasy poor. He's a superstar in the Danish film industry and probably best known for his work in the Pusher movies, but his work here should garner him some massive international attention.

The action is far more violent and brutal, which is definitely a good thing, and the villains are far more dastardly as well. Other Bond films have made 007 come off as invincible, and although he is still a pretty tough bugger, Daniel Craig provides a whole new element for the character - vulnerability. He makes Bond more human. James now has a bit of a dark side to him. And although he still chases ladies around, he is actually capable of truly falling in love with one for once. Eva Green plays Vesper Lynd, a treasury agent put in charge of keeping an eye on Bond during the card game to make sure he doesn't lose all their money. Eva is beyond gorgeous and she's also a fantastic actress. Her scenes with Daniel Craig aren't the usual dopey scenes we've become accustomed to from previous 007 movies. In just about all of the Bond movies we see him turning on the charm and landing the girl like a fish in shallow water. Nothing complex really. Vesper however can carry an interesting conversation and match wits with Bond. I usually dread the romantic elements in Bond films because they're all the same, but Eva is a great sparing partner for Craig.
All of the card game elements work well and are shot masterfully by cinematographer Phil Meheux who also collaborated with director Campbell on Goldeneye. You wouldn't think that much excitement could come from a simple card game, but watching the battle of wits between Bond and Le Chiffre was extremely entertaining. Even more entertaining however are the big action scenes including an absolutely spectacular sequence featuring a guy (played by Parkour or Free Running co-founder Sebastien Foucan) who leaps rooftops and walls with ease. It reminded me of some of the excellent scenes in the French action picture District 13. The only thing wrong with the entire movie is the finale which is actually pretty good but after the awe inspiring start, you do expect something a little more potent for the third act. However, Martin Campbell has done a fantastic job updating Bond for a new age of action fans. In a time where everything has been done bigger and better than before, Campbell's focus on the tone and character subtleties rather than just big explosions is commendable. Hopefully he will stay on board for another sequel.

Casino Royale has it all and is definitely worth watching in a theatre. Don't wait for the DVD. You'd be doing yourself and MI6 a great disservice. The action is superb, the dialogue is smart and stomps all over previous Bond films, and this Bond feels authentic and human. Gone are the superficialities of many of the previous efforts. It's also pretty damn funny at times too. What more could you want out of a movie? So what are you waiting for? Get off your arse and go see it!