Casino Royale

Excellent action packed thriller that is already positioned in the top tier of the Bond pantheon in terms of quality. In my opinion, this is probably the best Bond ever.

The reboot of the franchise, which at this point suffered from gadget-overload fatigue and was saddled by overblown plotlines that were beyond unbelievable, is a certified success.

And Daniel Craig is, I believe, the best Bond ever as well, better even than the legendary Sean Connery. Connery was a great Bond, sleek and cool, a great womanizer, a good spy, but he always had the attitude of the invincible guy, the one that you knew in the end would prevail over the bad guys, while slipping away with the gorgeous girl.

Craig brings a new rawness to the role (he's a great spy, technically, but his talents are at times overwhelmed by his primal physicality) and he makes Bond look that much more real overall. Deep down you know he'll get the girl and off the baddie, but Craig is so good he makes you doubt (and hope for) it all the way to the end.

The production also scaled down the visual effects-laden action sequences, opting instead for more physical action, another good decision that pays off over and over, especially in the first foot chase that is almost worth the entire film. Suspense abounds, even when there is virtually no action taking place, like in the long card game at the titular Casino Royale.

Of note is also the always magnificent Judi Dench as M, who quarrels with her newly promoted double-O several times, to our great delight. She's such a fine actress (and has a good script to work from) we're literally dangling from her lips. And this time she gets more time on screen as well.

Technically, the production is top notch. Costumes, props, gadgets, locations, visual effects, cinematography, all contribute to the final product and we can only hope that this team will work together again for the many chapters that will follow in the Bond series.

Grade: 8.5