Bond, James Bond is back in "Casino Royale," the 21st and latest release in the 44-year-old film series. The film delves into Bond's younger days as a secret service agent, depicting the first mission of his career. He must beat an evil banker, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), in a high-stakes poker game to keep him from funding terrorist groups. The prequel approach offers a fresh view of a younger, rougher and blonder James Bond, played by Daniel Craig.
The first 20 minutes open the movie with a bang; Bond tracks down terrorists in high-tension chase scenes and eliminates them one by one. However, "007" can only take down Le Chiffre and bankrupt his criminal organization by facing him in a multi-million dollar poker tournament. He teams up with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a British Treasury official, who provides him with the necessary money to enter the tournament. If he fails, the British government would be directly funding terrorism.
Unfortunately, the action slows down as the movie begins to focus mainly on the poker game and Bond's relationship with Vesper. The well-chosen cast delivers solid performances, but the dull plotline fails to thrill the film's audience.
Traditionally, James Bond movies create a sense of impending doom, often with the entire world on the brink of nuclear war. However, "Casino Royale" adapts the franchise to modern times by making terrorism the main menace. The clich?© plot is reminiscent of other 21st-century action flicks which all make terrorism the central conflict. The lack of originality in the story makes the film less exciting and rather predictable.
Furthermore, there's little sense of real danger, because most of the tension revolves around the poker game, instead of explosive action scenes. Poker fans will probably enjoy the movie, but others may find it a bit too slow, since it dwells on the tournament for over an hour.
The interwoven love story between Bond and Vesper adds to the film's blandness. Eva Green, who is beautiful and sexy, makes a great Bond girl, but her relationship with 007 is poorly developed and badly scripted. The dialogue between the two lovers is often too cheesy to be taken seriously. Overall, the film needs to be shorter and faster-paced, with less focus on Bond's card-playing and love life.
Clearly, the filmmakers wanted to try a new approach to a series that has been losing popularity in recent years. They redefine the classic character by introducing a more humane side to him. For the first time, he appears vulnerable and makes various mistakes. Mr. Bond loses many of the refined qualities that represented the perfectly polite gentleman in him: Bond drives a Ford until he manages to win an Aston Villa in a poker game against a terrorist foe. Also, he shows no preference whether his martinis are shaken or stirred.
The movie is much more violent than its predecessors, showing lots of blood and a dreadful torture scene. Daniel Craig embodies the brutality and toughness of the new Bond with a perfect figure that seems chiseled from stone. The hot-headed agent is merciless and quick to pull the trigger of his silenced PP7, which sends all of the villains to their bloody demise.
Daniel Craig fills Pierce Brosnan's shoes very well, and even surpasses him in his portrayal of 007. He lacks Brosnan's mature looks, but more than compensates with his straightforward performance that depicts him as the ultimate bad boy.
"Casino Royale" is not the best of the Bond series, but it does entertain. If the filmmakers had developed the plot in a more intriguing way, it would have made a great prequel, instead of a mediocre one.
