The last time we saw James Bond, he fought against a Korean bad guy who was trying to destroy the world with a giant laser from space in “Die Another Day”. There’s no question why no one took that movie seriously-it had the same plot as the second Austin Powers movie. It was so bad, the then face-behind-the-golden-gun Pierce Brosnan had no trouble ridiculing it publicly.
Since then, we’ve had a four-year hiatus from the British double-0 agent, and the questions on many people’s minds were whether or not we would see the martini-drinking spy again, and if so, who would play him?
The newest chapter of the Bond saga, “Casino Royale”, showcases Daniel Craig (who played the cowardly Connor Rooney in “Road to Perdition”) as a budding 007 on his first mission as an MI6 top agent.
And it’s amazing.
The film pits Bond against an international banker, a spread of terrorist cells, the house odds at a casino in Montenegro, and the romantic defenses of one Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in an intricate twisting plot of deception and decadence.
After earning his wings in Her Majesty’s secret service, Bond sets out to put a stop to a terrorist cell in Madagascar. Following a clue brings him to the Bahamas for a short stint of tailing a man that leads him to the heart of his mission: confronting the banker funding dozens of terrorist cells across the world, known only as Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), in a high-stakes game of hold-’em, and ultimately taking down the organization behind him.
Unlike most other Bond films, “Casino Royale” paints a dark portrait of the life of this secret agent. It isn’t all women, martinis and unreasonably good luck. In this film, the glory comes with pain, and plenty of it. Bond doesn’t get through his car chases and henchmen fights unscathed, which brings a bit of reality to the man and the mission. And no, his hair doesn’t maintain perfect style throughout the hard-hitting action.
The movie as a whole is quite different from those previous, and shines in ways others have failed to do in the past. The plot is impressively intricate, bringing new twists at every corner, right to the very end. And, unlike in films involving giant lasers, or war-monger journalists, the plot is actually somewhat believable. There’s no emphasis on high-tech gadgets or fancy cars, either – so viewers can rest assured, they won’t have to be easily wowed to enjoy this one.
It could also be said to be the most violent MI6 adventure to date – not in the henchman body-count, but rather in the borderline R-rating focus on the horrors of death. No one goes quietly in this one…or bloodlessly for that matter.
Even Craig, despite doubts and nay-sayings from countless critics, brings an impressive rendition of James Bond to the screen. The empty shell that previous actors have portrayed has been chipped away to reveal Craig’s emotion-filled acting. But don’t worry, he still manages to pull off the classic Bond-like characteristics that we’ve come to know over the years. His one-liners are priceless, his swagger is smooth and his charm is on full blast.
But most valuable is the progression of character from the beginning of the film to the end, and how we see a wet-behind-the-ears agent progress into the man known as “Bond … James Bond.” As this film shows us, Bond wasn’t always as flawless as Connery, Moore and company made him out to be.
Don’t shy away simply because of the fresh young face, or the failures of films past. “Casino Royale” is a perfect comeback for an aging, almost forgotten spy from the sixties.
At the very least, you won’t remember him for being chased by a giant laser.
