Casino Royale

"The name's Bond, James Bond."

Daniel Craig, as the sixth Bond in the 21st movie, you get my full approval. I will admit I, as many others, had quite a few reservations about this movie solely based on the fact that Daniel Craig was the first "blonde bond" to hit the silver screen as the famous "00" agent. He was chastised for his physical appearance by myself and others when what we should have been doing is readying ourselves for a gritty two and a half hour thrill seeking ride.

With director Martin Campbell at the helm (Vertical Limit & Zorro) there was no doubt this would be a swash buckling... er, martini drinking spy fest. There was just enough action and just enough girls to make the somewhat lengthy bond film a hit in my book. Daniel Craig and his lady love affair Eva Green were a fantastic couple on screen, bringing the Bond character we all know and love to life.

With my skepticism about the new Bond all but washed away in the very first scene, I was able to enjoy the movie from start to climactic finish. I wont give away any details about the movie in this review as many people are waiting until the holidays to see it, but I will say you wont be disappointed.

With the latest "first" Bond of a new Bond era there are, as many other have pointed out, a loss of gadgetry and car chases. This is because Casino Royale is based on Ian Flemming's first novel. Note: Ian Flemming was Bond's creator, he died in 1964 after writing 13 Bond novels. The book, and now the movie, establishes James Bond. You see him make "00" status, obtain his license to kill and begin his reign as king of super spies. We are supposed to think of Casino Royale as the first James Bond movie we've ever seen. It is darker and grittier than past movies because it is the beginning of Bond. You see him make mistakes, get hurt and generally let his ego make his decisions rather than his mind.

I thought I would be upset not seeing Bond's toymaster "Q" dishing out witty lines and creative crime fighting gadgets, but with the incredible performance, and pleasing screen presence of Daniel Craig, I barely noticed.

With the next two movies, as Bond's character develops into what we know of him today, rest assured the gadgets and fast cars will reappear. Daniel Craig has signed on for the next two movies, for a total of three. Hopefully, for our sake and the franchise, he will continue to develop the character as well as he did in Casino Royale. A fantastic interview with Daniel Craig about the movie, his performance and the impact of Bond can be found here. It is posted on a dedicated James Bond website for all things Bond. The interview shows just how important it is for Craig to do well with the character and make Bond even more attractive to everyone's imagination and fantasies.

As per my new 1-5 rating system: 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest, I give this movie a full 5 "Mitch Heads." For showing us something new, revitalizing the franchise and proving that what you think the outcome may be is nearly never the case, Casino Royale deserves of the full 5. Nice work Bond.

- Mitch G