Casino Royale (007) - Bond, better than ever

Becoming Bond, is no small feat. 32 years after the initial installment, the character has had too few necessary and worthwhile improvements. Sure, his gadgets have gotten better, his babes have gotten hotter, but, in the grand scheme of things, his stories have simply gotten worse. From the start, Sean Connery, epitomized the kind of rugged, icy, ruthlessness we all wanted in our super-spy. Connery was, the hairy Bond, as good with the ladies as he was with the garrote. Then came George Lazenby - or the film geek's favorite. Lazenby was as trite as this movie's premise and was quickly forgotten.

Next came the clown, or Roger Moore. Nothing against Moore, he was a fine Bond and starred in some of the best in the series, but he always came off as a little silly and buffoonish. After him came Timothy Dalton, better known as the mistake. Although, it is noteworthy, when talking about our current installment, that Dalton's plots were set very much within the context of, "the real world." Sadly, Dalton was just not capable of pulling off the many aspects of Bond. Finally, there was Pierce Brosnan, the most sophisticated of all the Bonds. His performances typically stole the show, and up to this point, Brosnan was the superior of all his predecessors and the closest equivalent to Connery. Unfortunately, his films soon became overwhelmed with ridiculous gadgetry, over-the-top villains and double entendres that would make Joel Shumacher blush. Eventually, with everything overloading the franchise, the roof, inevitably, caved in.

With Casino Royale, all of the above hindrances, have become things of the past and the often times woeful inclusion of them, is now a breath of exclusionary fresh air. Recasting the role with Daniel Craig, (Layer Cake) as the first blonde (is that important?) Bond, brilliantly and subtly, forecasts the changes in store for fans and non-fans alike. This time around, 007 is the new kid on the block, M isn't too sure of him, Money Penny and Q are nowhere to be seen and thankfully, he's more of a sourpuss than a cheeky sex-machine. Finally, it feels like Bond is no longer written by 14 year olds competing with Austin Powers. Here, director Martin Campbell, returning to Bond after having done Brosnan's inaugural run with Goldeneye answers the task of recreating Bond, without redesigning the character.

Here, he is a roguish brute whose confidence in himself has everyone else filling up with doubt. Craig's performance is nothing short of legendary. He is everything from a homage to Connery to literary perfection found on celluloid. His resemblance to Ian Fleming's vision is spot on and, it seems, that was no mistake. In one of the many thrilling and action packed scenes in the film, Craig's Bond, while pursuing a mercenary bomber through a construction site, simply barrels through a wall instead of going up or around. To paraphrase the villain, Le Chiffre, (Mads Mikkelsen) James Bond, takes very good care of his body. This time around, Bond is a real man. He not only bleeds when hit, but he is conflicted. Conflicted about his past, his present and his future. He feels, he loves and he cares. He is capable of sitting in the shower with a shell-shocked Vesper Lynn and truly attempting to comfort her. That, is the Bond people have been waiting to see; a Bond, we should all aspire to be.

Taking the plot directly from the novel by the same name, was the perfect way to reboot the character. No need to re-imagine him, no need to revamp him. Bond simply needs to be returned to the world of…uh, well, Bond! In Casino Royale, the main action takes place at the poker table, where the stakes are the funding of international terrorists. Simple enough, which is really what this movie is all about. Simple enough and easy does it. This time around, Bond is outfitted with his cunning, his wit and the sultry Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). Written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who each have previous Bond credits, which both help and hinders the credibility of the film's screenplay; as well as, Paul Haggis, writer of the atrocious Academy Award winning Crash. Despite the potential disastrous effects of these negative wordsmiths, the screenplay is not only capable, but it fills the characters with a delightfully complex reality that renews and reinvigorates the franchise.

Action packed, thrilling and intelligent. Casino Royale, not only ushers in a new and powerful era of Bond, but also gives the holiday season one of its best films in years. Despite the 144 min. runtime, the film delivers what is, quite possibly, the most complete and compelling Bond story, ever. Craig is Bond. Casino Royale is the definitive film in the series and Bond has simply never been better.