When you stop and think about it, re-inventing the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale is somewhat of a gutsy move. Unlike other recently revitalized series such as Superman or Batman, the films featuring the British super spy have still been financially reliable, with 2002's Die Another Day being one of the more successful films in the franchise to date. Having never been a huge Bond fan, I was interested in the new direction that the film would take the character. What I found is mostly a change for the better. Everything that fans have come to expect is still there, but it's treated with a bit more integrity. There's no mad supervillain with an outrageous scheme for global domination, and there are no over the top spy gadgets to be found. What Casino Royale does have is one of the best portrayals of the legendary film character I've seen in years.

Based on the very first book in the Bond series by Ian Fleming, the film follows the spy's early days shortly after becoming a 00-Agent. This time, James Bond is portrayed by Daniel Craig (Munich), who plays the character as a charming, yet ruthless and cunning, secret agent/assassin. The plot revolves around a man named Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) who uses his vast fortune to help fund terrorist plots. Le Chiffre loses a lot of money when a bombing plot goes wrong, and decides to enter a high stakes gambling competition at a hotel in Montenegro. Naturally, Bond is sent in as a fellow player in the competition, hoping he can prevent the villain from walking away with the money Le Chiffre needs to pay off some very angry terrorist debt collectors. At James' side, as always, is a beautiful woman. This time, it's a woman named Vesper Lynd (Eva Green from Kingdom of Heaven) who has been sent along on the mission to pose as Bond's wife during the game, and assist him in his mission.

In giving the franchise a completely fresh start, director Martin Campbell (who directed the 1995 Bond entry, GoldenEye) has not only ditched the gadget-heavy action sequences and the comic book-style plots, but he has also removed many of the regular returning characters. Aside from the head of spy agency who goes by the name of M (once again played by Judi Dench), other regulars such as Miss Moneypenny and Q are nowhere to be found. This may be a tough hurdle for die hard fans to jump over, but once they move past that, I think they will find that this is one of the strongest entries in the series to come along in quite a long time. From Craig's portrayal of the legendary character, to the thrilling action sequences, Casino Royale never fails to impress. Indeed, the absence of Q and his gadgets is almost an advantage for the film's action-heavy scenes, as it allows them to be a lot more brutal and thrilling than Bond has ever been. There is an extended action sequence early in the movie that starts on the streets of a city in the Madagascar region, carries onto a construction site, and ends up in a local embassy that has to be seen to be believed. This sequence is filled with so many thrilling leaps and daring stunt work that it's good enough to be a final action sequence in a different action movie. And yet, this is Casino Royale's first. And if you are worried that the filmmakers are blowing their entire budget early in the movie with this jaw-dropping chase, don't be. There's plenty more to come down the line. These sequences alone are worth the price of admission of seeing this film on the big screen, and are likely not to be forgotten anytime soon. As a viewer who cringes every time I see an actor replaced by an obviously computer animated figure during difficult or dangerous stunts, it's a wonderful change of pace to see real stunt work that truly impresses.

Of course, the big question revolving around this film's release is Craig's portrayal of the legendary secret agent. Some fans have voiced their extreme displeasure ever since it was announced he'd be assuming the role after former Bond, Pierce Brosnan, who played the character in the past four films. All those naysayers would be wise to insert their feet directly into their mouth, as Daniel Craig delivers in just about every category. Perhaps the most solid portrayal since Sean Connery held the role, Craig comes across as a convincing killer and a very dangerous man who you do not want to mess with. It's not just his piercing blue-eyed gaze that intimidates, it's the way he carries himself and presents himself as being so sure and confident. Yes, he lacks the playfulness of some past Bonds, but he has plenty of films to grow into that part of his character. He is evenly matched by Eva Green, who plays the first woman to ever truly steal his heart during an assignment. She is important to the film, not only due to the fact that she is every bit his equal, able to resist his charms with some harsh sarcasm, but in explaining a lot about the nature of Bond himself in later films. As the villain, Mads Mikkelsen may not be quite as memorable as some past antagonists, but that doesn't mean he leaves no impression whatsoever. His ruthlessness is plain to see simply in the way he gazes at Bond from across the gambling table, trying to read his opponent's next move. Of the supporting cast, only Judi Dench as M comes across as anyone worthy of remembering. Her dry wit and constant frustration with Bond provides for an interesting relationship and some much needed humor from time to time.

For everything it has going for it, Casino Royale is by no means perfect. After a highly energized and exciting first hour, the excitement level dips quite a bit during the middle portion that focuses mainly on a high stakes Poker game. While the film never becomes boring, the game sequences obviously cannot bring up the same level of interest as the first half can. Besides Bond, most of the characters that surround him are mostly underdeveloped and nowhere near as compelling. However, I guess characterizations have never been the emphasis of past Bond films, so I suppose I should not be surprised at all. With a running time of two and a half hours, the film does grow close to testing your patience, especially since the film seems to have two endings. After the villain was dead and the problem had been resolved, I began to reach for my coat, expecting the end credits to roll, only to have the film continue on for another 20 minutes. Everything that comes after this point is important to the character of Bond, so I was not annoyed too much. There's really very little to truly complain about, and I'm sure fans of the franchise will be thrilled by every minute. For non-fans such as myself, you will most likely still enjoy it, but find some parts a bit slower than you would like.

When all is said and done, however, Casino Royale is Bond done right, and is a great start to what will hopefully be a grand new direction for the series, complete with sequels that follow down the same path and tone. I look forward to seeing Daniel Craig advancing his portrayal of Bond in further films, and hope that he will be with the series long enough to truly reach his full potential. From the stylized and memorable animated opening credits sequence, to the numerous first rate action scenes, this film at least proves that the creative minds behind it still know how to treat the character with respect. Considering that the entries in the series have now reached the lower-20 range in terms of sequels, this is quite an impressive feat. As long as the upcoming films are as good as Casino Royale, they can make as many as they want.

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