Newest Bond adventure worthy addition to series

November 20, 2006 —

Casino Royale, the latest in the long-running series of James Bond films, is a long, gritty, and clever ride. Daniel Craig has a good showing as Pierce Brosnan's successor, playing a tough-as-nails Bond unsurprisingly adrift in a tidal wave of enemies and espionage. This movie may have breathed life back into the franchise, and it is a welcome new beginning.

Due to my less than all-encompassing knowledge of Bond, this review will focus on Casino Royale as a standalone film. While far from perfect, the movie does seem to accomplish most of what it should. It provides superb action, a fast-paced, if convoluted plotline, and a charismatic lead.

Obviously, much of the success of the film hinges on whether or not Daniel Craig pulls off the role. A relative unknown (some may remember him from minor roles in The Jacket and Road to Perdition), Craig is therefore unable to rely on a familiar twinkle in the eye or Colgate smile that audiences would be able to recognize and respond to. As a result, this clean slate forces the character to be entirely accountable, a dangerous thing, indeed. Yet Craig is fully successful.

It is a rare wonder, but the audience is actually presented with character growth, and it's in an action movie, no less. The character of Bond is rather rough around the edges, especially in the opening scenes, relying on brute force and perseverance to make it through dangerous events alive, leaving little room for social niceties.

However, as the movie progresses, Bond becomes more charming and stealthier, both in social and action scenes. All of this comes across extremely well, thanks to Craig, who is a very likable actor as James Bond.

Speaking of action scenes, Casino Royale has some superb ones. Well-choreographed hand-to-hand combat and chase scenes are plentiful, yet somewhat subdued. The scenes are not reminiscent of over-the-top films such as The Transporter.

Instead, they seem to rely more on quality than quantity, which isn't to say that the audience is not treated to some massive explosions and shots of Bond with dozens of guns pointed at him.

For all this, Casino Royale is not a flawless film by any means. It runs for a full 144 minutes, which would be okay, but despite the fast pace, there are still times when the movie drags, most notably in the latter half. The love interest also feels forced, jumping to a heightened level of importance far too abruptly.

Another negative aspect is the overly convoluted plot. Certainly it is necessary in an espionage-oriented movie like this to have a complex backdrop in order to develop mystery and audience interest, but something felt off about the presentation here. It became difficult to keep characters straight, and at one point it seemed like several new characters were rapidly and inefficiently introduced, causing further confusion. The main antagonist of the movie was also not given a proper introduction, so that instead of a fearsome or intriguing foe, he was instead dull and indistinct.

Yet, every time I started to feel negative toward Casino Royale, it would subsequently provide something entertaining or interesting. There are moments that start to feel too long, but those moments are heavily outweighed by those that grab the attention of the viewer and do not let go. This is certainly a success, and hopefully we'll get to see Daniel Craig reprise this role in the near future.