Casino Royale (2006) - Bond is Back!

Back in the late 60's, George Lazenby turned down the chance to repeat as James Bond because it was believed that the character would become an anachronism. 37 years later we get this jewel of a film. As many critics have put it, Casino Royale puts a "Batman Begins"-esque spin on the series; and boy, they pulled it off real nice!

For starters, a superhuman chase aside, this Bond film has no clichés tying it to its predecessors. That's right; no gimmicky gadgets, the girl is a chic lady instead of a bombshell, and our friend James gets the bejesus kicked out of him more than once (painfully, too). Some fans found these missing things to be a downer (a friend pointed out the embarrassment he felt watching the super spy drive a Ford); for me, their absence allows focus to fall on the character and the story.

Our Bond, on his first assignment as a Double O, is a rough, unpolished dude with enough sneaking skills to "visit" M's flat and hog her Internet connection. His main concern seems to be to get the job done, never mind the means or wreckage left behind. James’s first kill, prior to ranking as 007, left enough evidence on a bathroom floor that a newbie CSI could bust him in a heartbeat. Played by newcomer Daniel Craig, James Bond is given new blood and brawn enough to rival Sean Connery’s portrayal, in some opinions (I still prefer Dalton).

The story is engaging yet subtle enough for the viewer to realize the underlying theme of how James becomes Bond, 007. Our villain, Le Chiffre, is a blood crying math wizard who funds terrorist activities through stock market operations. When his ploy is foiled by our rookie agent, Le Chiffre has little time to pay off a hefty, hefty debt (does US$100 million sound hefty to you?). His genius plan: to play a Hold 'em tournament in Casino Royale, hoping to win the entire pot. Our hero is then recruited to play against the villain in hopes to rein him in and obtain Le Chiffre's know-how in terrorist funding.

But it doesn't stop here! Le Chiffre eventually goes nuts (pun intended) and the story delves deeper and deeper into a web of deceit that tests Bond's true character and determination. It is only in the end, we see the Bond we know finally surface and deliver his calling card, queuing his musical theme at last.

Pluses:
+Chris Cornell's "You know my name" rocks through an ingenious montage featuring card suits.
+The cars (DB7s up the wazoo).
+The "nut scratching" scene.
+The overture.

Minuses:
-Le Chiffre is not as threatening as African Warlords.
-May drag on for long if you don't find poker entertaining.
-Felix Leiter sucks at poker (and it’s the only time we see him).