New Review! CASINO ROYALE (2006, dir. Martin Campbell)

Arden ♥s this movie!!

Oh. My. God. Bond is back. Not only that. Felix Leiter is back. YES! I AM A NERD! The 21st Bond film is brought to you by extremely talented director of Goldeneye, Martin Campell, starring a jaw-dropping, saliva-inducing, just hands-down sexy Daniel Craig as the incomparable James Bond. This film is such a wonderful departure from the goofy and bloated franchise that's thrived for the last forty-odd years. It's a prequel of sorts but don't go in expecting Batman Begins. Why? Because there isn't hours and hours of exposition that will bore you senseless like Nolan's film. Casino Royale is a great action film because it's got action sequences. It's got a light and snappy script. It's got some blistering eye candy in the form of its new Bond and the voluptuous Eva Green. And it's probably the best movie I've seen this year.

Not since Dr. No or From Russia With Love has Bond been this flipping CLASSY. That was the word that kept popping into my head. Ian Fleming's creation is a bold and enduring persona but he was poked and prodded out of the Cold War into the blockbuster era with little consideration for his believability as a character. As soon as the first films emblazoned Sean Connery into public consciousness, it was only a matter of time (and it took little time) before Bond was a cartoon. A caricature of rakish charm for reckless escapism. As a result, our generation's James Bond is essentially an imitable cash-cow whose later incarnations (Austin Powers or Jason Bourne) have been just as profitable if not more so.

Casino Royale proves that the longevity of 007 is not rooted in trotting out more gadgets and supermodels than you can shake a stick at but in Bond himself. He's complicated and ruthless and charming and funny. And THAT is what makes Bond movies great. BOND. And Daniel Craig is absolutely (I cannot believe I am saying this) the best actor to ever have taken on the role. Albeit Connery is indelible. I will probably make my kids watch his Bond first. But, my GOD, is Craig outstanding. This is first James Bond I actually wanted to sleep with. And that's how you know he's good. If a three-story tall Daniel Craig can seduce a jaded cinephile / avid Bond fan, then he has done his job as far as I'm concerned.

Craig wasn't the only one doing the seducing. The film itself is taut and sleek like a well-made car or a beautiful woman. I really like Martin Campbell. He may not always choose the best material but if I wrote an action film he would be at the top of my list to direct. He kicks it old school. He's ignorant of the tricks of music video editing and devoid of intellectual snobbery. He opts for talented stuntmen over CGI/visual/special effects. His pacing has perhaps been more brisk in the past but his handling of several looming set pieces including a labyrinthian construction site, a crumbling Venetian building and, like, a staircase are as thrilling as they are plausible.

It's also a beautiful-looking film. Not only are Daniel Craig and Eva Green obscenely attractive but the production design, from the plush Montenegro hotel to the TASTEFUL product placement, is impressive. The script is fantastic. Paul Haggis is a great writer. You Brokeback losers can shove it. He's a bad director. But he's a GREAT writer. Guys. JEFFREY WRIGHT IS IN THIS MOVIE. What more do you want. Ok... one last thing before I deteriorate into just gushing and foaming at the mouth, I am PROUD that I loved this film. When an action film (especially a franchise) works this hard, nothing makes me happier. The movie made me feel like I was hunched over a dime-store novel in 1962 while on my lunch break as a typist. This is the Bond I've fantasized about.

BOTTOM LINE: Go see it. I'll see you there. I'm going again.