"Casino Royale"
by: Paolo Sardinas

"Casino Royale", the 21st installment in the Jame Bond franchise is completely and utterly, outstanding. Still recovering from the "Brosnan era", "Royale" is a breath of fresh air. Something that says good bye to the jokey antics of the 70's, the outrageous stories from the late 90's and the invisible car. But something it doesn't get rid of is that classic Bond style.

After the Roger Moore films people felt like, OK what else is there. People wanted something new and something fresh. Dalton came and went, although one of the better Bonds. Then Pierce Brosnan came, somebody who seemed destined to play the famed British secret agent. Wrong! Now its not that Brosnan was bad its just his movies, after Goldeneye, were. Then after motorcycle chase scenes, Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist and the invisible car, yes I still bring this up, it seemed like the franchise was dead. Until about four years ago, in 2005, that it seemed there was a light in the tunnel. The announcement of another Bond flick. "What is it about?", "Who will play Bond?" all frequently asked questions which would eventually be answered. And when that first trailer premiered, boy o boy, was it worth the wait.

"Casino Royale" doesn't just reinvent all the things that made Bond well Bond, it also brings in new things. Things we never would've of even imagined. But damn are they great. The movie starts off right when Bond is achieving his "007" status, making a second kill. While conversing with his target, the scene also cuts back and forth to his first kill. A very violent and entertaining brawl in a public restroom. After Bond makes his kill and the main titles roll, we are now taken to Uganda, where a very mysterious Mr. White has set up a meeting with the leader of a guerilla group, seeking a haven for his moneym and a banker who just so happens to deal with terrorists.

After this meeting we catch up again with Bond in Madagascar, which climaxes in the already infamous crane chase/flight sequences between Bond and a know bomb maker. After do a little bit of romance Bond is able to thwart a terrorist bombing in Miami, pissed off M, and shown that he is one hell of a card player. Off course know is the part where Bond recieves his mission, to enter the Texas Holed Em tournament at Casino Royale, in Montenegro, and to compete against none other than that terrorist banker, that I mentioned, Le Chiffre. Bond enters the tournament in hopes that a loss would force Le Chiffre to turn over the the "Brits" and reveal all of his clients. What follows is a very exciting and suspenseful card game, a car chase, a torture (not for the faint of heart), more of Bond's mad card skills, and of course his first love (which he is later betrayed by but lets stick with the positives).

Now what I love so much about this film is the fact that it just doesn't start. It doesn't just give you Bond, after or during sex, and all of a sudden he's got a mission. It doesn't give any time for some development or a story really. In "Casino Royale" it gives you time to relate to the character, time to see what he is really like, and how much of a "cold hearted basterd" (oh sorry post-"Inglourious Basterds" mistake) he really is. But you still love him. You love the fact that he has no super inventions or gadgets to hide behind. All he has is himself and in real life that doesn't always out very much. Were so accustomed to seeing the Bond of the 60's, 70's and even 90's, the one that can get out of every situation and still be as suave as possible. For something like getting your balls beat to be unaffected to him. Well with this Bond its very affecting.

The acting is superb. Daniel Craig makes the perfect Bond since Connery. The reasons for which were mostly all listed in the previous paragraphs. The dark, soulless, but also a bit more human like Bond is something that always a joy to watch. Eva Green as the beautiful Vesper Lynnd is absolutely stunning. Not that I ever questioned her acting before its just that she never did anything that would make you not want to question her acting ability. Judi Dench is pitch perfect as M, who practically steals every seen shes in. But to me the real show stealer is Mads Mikkelson, a Danish actor who was barely known at this time. He is excellent as Le Chiffre, and has formed, in my opinion, another great villain for us all to hate.

Overall, "Casino Royale" is the Bond we've all been waiting for. That light at the end of the tunnel, something fresh & new for our times, and just something well, plain great. And with this first installment in the "Craig Era", you know he has officially earned the right to say, "The names Bond, James Bond." A