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Shaken AND Stirred

Mr. Bond is back. I mean really back. As in almost Sean Connery back. The franchise of James Bond movies has been relatively dormant since the days that Connery first brought the Ian Fleming character to the big screen. It fostered an industry that shows no signs of dying even though it had evolved into nothing more than gadgets, gags and pretty boy actors.

"Casino Royale" introduces a new Bond, Daniel Craig. I first noticed Mr. Craig in a small movie called "Layer Cake" and he impressed me. When word got out that Craig would be the next Bond, a collective scream came from those that wanted their Bonds pretty and bland. I thought he'd be a great Bond and could elevate this mini-genre back to cinematic respectability. I was right. Craig brings grittiness to the series and stamps the character in his own unique way. He's not Connery but he is far better than all the rest that followed Connery.

I was curious to see how the film would be presented because it had previously been released as a spoof of Bond movies, back in the 1960's. It's a prequel to all that followed. Bond is an aspiring "00" spy looking to make the grade. With the help of the great Judi Dench as M and a nice if unspectacular supporting cast, Craig grabs the role and makes the film his. From the opening scene it is very apparent that this Bond is the real deal.

The first three Bond films (Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger) set an incredibly high standard, especially Goldfinger, unquestionably still the best one of all by far. This isn't Goldfinger but it might actually be the second best of all of them. It's got the requisite action, the suave Bond, the beautiful Bond girl, Vesper Lind (Eva Green), and the bad guy, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). What it doesn't have is a great evil guy, one to be feared and respected. Le Chiffre is no Goldfinger. There is no Odd Job here. This is the film's biggest negative but it doesn't prevent "Casino Royale" from being a winner.

Director Martin Campbell (Zorro films) does a great job constructing it all and leading us along near perfectly. Everything you want is here and just as importantly some things have been eliminated that had been part of the problem ever since Connery fled. The lack of gadgetry here is incredibly welcome. Sure, there are a few but they have virtually no impact. The truth is that the problem of being dominated by gadgets began with a Connery film, "Thunderball". That's when it all started to fall apart. We can thank everyone here for putting the franchise back on the tracks and knowing that Craig is signed for three or four more as James Bond brings hope for some more crackling spy thrillers.