Casino Royale (2006)

Bond is brought back to life in this glamorous yet gritty film. Casino Royale seems to succeed where the last few bond films failed, making bond cool again, and if Casino Royale's anything it is cool. It begins with a small intense noir sequence, that seems in complete contrast with the huge action sequence's that had started most of the older bond films. The noir sequence uses light and shadows very well, in tradition with the first noir films. This sequence shows how James Bond became a double 0 agent. With violent flashbacks to his first killing, set in a white bathroom, once again in contrast the present day dark rooms and long shadows. This darkness sets the scene on the rest of this gritty update. Daniel Craig takes the role of Bond for the first time, this is an interesting choice and one that I think pays off. Craig's almost brutish look fits in perfectly with this darker grittier bond film, and his cold looks come close to Ian Flemings original depiction of the character. Though his sandy hair and bright blue eyes arguably don't match the authors exact description of Bond, I think Craig captures his brutality and coldness almost exactly. It then launches into a nice card themed title sequence, with a good but less then memorable theme song. This is followed by a brilliant free running sequence, which involves a scene which is done from the terrorists point of view making Bond seem to be like the monster in a horror film, this fits into his character very well. When it comes down to it you want a Bond film to take you places, and Casino Royale certainly does this. What it does so well is to retain what is loved about the Bond films whilst adding another layer of grit. It still feels like a bond film from the lavish locations to the suave and stylish casino scenes, and it keeps this feeling while adding a whole new sense of darkness and violence to the franchise, that had only been glimpsed in Timothy Daltons era. One scene in particular is the worst the film gets. Whilst on the train Bond and Vesper spend a minute talking about watches, Vesper asking "Rolex?" and Bond replying "Omega." This is a terrible example of product placement and is really the only really bad thing about this film. Other that this it can be a little cheesy, it is unrealistic in places, and it can even be a little tedious (if you don't understand poker). But it manages to overlook these problems, partly because well it's James Bond, and because it's just generally a good film. Verdict: Quick paced and exiting, this gritty intense and entertaining thriller makes a fantastic addition to the James Bond franchise.