I've seen all the Bond films many times, so I would call myself a fan.  When I was growing up, Roger Moore was James Bond and he was all I knew.  My Mom and Dad would talk about other Bond films without Roger Moore, and I would have none of it.  It wasn't until I saw Goldfinger and Thunderball that I started to think that maybe there was more to James Bond than Roger Moore could offer, but it may have been when my Mom referred to Roger Moore's James Bond as a "whiney pussy" that I became sure of it.  Roger Moore moved on and the original talk of Pierce Brosnan started including a Diet Coke (or maybe Pepsi) commercial where he was dressed in a tuxedo defeating ninjas on a train.  He never said he was James Bond in the commercial, but the implications were there.  It was not to be, however, and the torch was passed to Timothy Dalton.  I liked Dalton's Bond all right, but the villains were not outlandish enough.  They were real world villains in a James Bond world, and they didn't feel right.  In 1995 when Goldeneye was released with Brosnan as Bond and Martin Campbell directing, I really felt that the franchise was back on track.  For the most part, I really enjoyed the Brosnan films (aside from The World is Not Enough which is fucking garbage) so when talk of Sony shopping for a new Bond started I was disappointed.  After reading the announcement that Daniel Craig was cast and seeing a picture, I was horrified.  I thought, "This guy looks like a boxer, and not a skilled one."  In my opinion, the James Bond franchise was off the tracks.

I didn't keep up with Casino Royale through it's production because I just was not excited about it.  I did read the horror stories about how Craig couldn't drive a stick, was getting injured doing the simplest of stunts, and was not looking at any of the other Bond films for guidance, so my interest just continued to wane.  It was not until I saw the first trailer that I started to get interested.  Daniel Craig still didn't look like James Bond, but the footage had so much energy and was so dynamic that it looked like a very solid action movie.  The second trailer really sold me.  Now I was on board and willing to give Daniel Craig a chance.  I'm here to tell you, Casino Royale is the best Bond film in recent memory, and I can recall all of them from the past 25 years.  It may offend purists, but it's excellent none-the-less.

If I were describing Casino Royale to a comic book person, I would call it Ultimate James Bond.  It's a re-imagining of the character in an updated setting just like the Marvel Ultimate titles.  Gone are the trappings of the old Bond films.  There is no Q character.  This is no scene in the first act where he gets all new gadgets and a new watch that foreshadows how he will get out of every scrape through the film's duration.  There is no sexual innuendo with Money Penny.  As a matter of fact, you don't even hear the classic James Bond theme until the end of the film.  What you get instead is the first foot chase that rivals most car chases I've seen, and a James Bond that just flat kicks peoples' asses as your opener.  Not only does Craig's Bond deal the damage, he takes it.  He doesn't walk away from fights and straighten his shirt or wipe a bit of dirt off his cuff.  He limps away gasping for breath and bleeding from several places.  This is the first time I've ever seen Bond stand up after a fight and be covered in blood.  So if you have misgivings about Daniel Craig as Bond, do not fret because you won't have time to worry about it once the movie starts.  He'll convince you through action.

Casino Royale is not without it's sense of humor, however.  They do take shots at previous Bond films with some subtlety.  There is a throwaway Money Penny line, as well as a shot at the fairly ridiculous names that female characters have suffered through the Bond films that is done as a joke (Stephanie Broadchest indeed).  I'm not familiar with the book, but the plot of the movie follows Bond as he unravels a terrorist organization through the accountant/banker named Le Chiffre.  Events take place that force Le Chiffre (a math genius and card player) to stage a high-stakes card game (updated from baccarat to no limit hold 'em) in order to replace some $100 million in lost terrorist money.  The British government stakes Bond in the game with the intention of cleaning out Le Chiffre out and forcing him to deal with them for his protection.  The change from Baccarat to Hold 'Em seemed out of character for James Bond, but at least it's a game most people know how to play.  When Bond would play baccarat in the other movies, I never knew if he was winning or losing, but that may have been more because he reacted the same either way.  If you're getting worried that this is a movie about cards a la Rounders and Maverick where the climax of the film comes from will-he-get-the-ace-or-not slow-motion card dealing, you can stop.  There is surprisingly little card playing in this film.  At least one everlasting staple of the Bond films does appear in Casino Royale and that is the prescense of exotic women.  Eva Green (pictured) and Caterina Murino are the Bond girls for this film.  I suppose you could place Ivana Milicevic in that category as well, however all she does is wander around the screen dressed like a 60's sci-fi villain and doesn't speak.  Her name may not ring a bell, but you may know her as Milos the terrible tennis player's wife on Seinfeld.  These Bond women hold up as well as any of the rest of them, I suppose, yet they are ultimately forgettable.  As Bond villains go, Le Chiffre is a tad on the weaker side, but that may just be because of the new tone for this film.  The story works well enough, although I do think it (and many other scripts these days) rely too heavily on the convenience of cell phone technology.  Almost every major plot turn centers on a cell phone.  It's not the story that makes the film, the action is really the star here.

As much as I love the Bond gadgets and elaborate getaways, it was refreshing to see him think his way out of trouble.  Without a trick watch or fancy pen or keychain to save the day, Bond is forced to either be clever or violent to escape resulting in some fantastic stunts and action scenes.  What I liked about the stunts was that they were all convincing enough to look real.  With CGI use running rampant nowadays, my fear was that the Bond films would get to a point where they would not employ practical stunts anymore.  Whether the stunts from Casino Royale are CGI or not, I couldn't tell.  There were no glaring composites or blue screens to distract from things blowing up.  The footrace I mentioned earlier is kind of a parkour race and really showcases some fantastic stunt work.  It would have been nice to see a good car chase in the second or third act (especially with that beautiful Aston Martin DBS making an appearance), but there is so much other action going on that it is not missed terribly.  Martin Campbell really has a great vision of Bond-type action, and his direction does not disappoint.  It wasn't until about halfway through the film that I noticed I had not heard the classic James Bond theme yet, and I realized that they were saving it for the end when he truly becomes the character.  When it is used, it is used to good effect. 

Casino Royale is damn good.  I realize that the changes to the franchise may be a direct result of the success of the Bourne movies and 24, but a little healthy competition is never a bad thing.  Daniel Craig's Bond is not the Bond we all grew up with, but frankly he would kick that guy's ass.  Brosnan could not have done this script convincingly.  I just don't think we'd believe that he could take the punches.  I was very pleased with Casino Royale, and I look forward to future Bond movies with Daniel Craig as 007.