Casino Royale [Blu-ray] [2006] [US Import]

For the first time in many years, we finally get a Bond film based on a novel by Ian Fleming. The silly stuff - invisible cars, the "comedy" section with Q, etc has all been cast aside, and what we are left with is, by and large, a serious Bond film that easily outclasses the recent Bourne films.

The plot sticks to Fleming's first Bond novel quite closely, bar the changes needed to bring it into present day. A lot of criticism has been levelled at the film for not being "a true Bond film", but it's worth remembering that the Bond films, really ever since From Russia With Love, have veered away from Fleming's Bond and transformed him into the humourous, gadget and girl equipped Bond that most people, having never read the books, now see as the "true Bond".

The film has also been criticised for lack of continuity, but what continuity should there be? Continuity between the previous Bond films was always patchy at best, but now, Bond is at the start of his career as a 00 agent, so there isn't going to be any continuity between the previous films and this one.

All in all - a much needed return to form. Can't wait for the next one.

I have to admit at first I was pretty skeptical about Casino Royale. I was a big Brosnan fan and was sad to see him go and with 4 years between Die Another Day and Casino Royale I generally lost interest in Bond. I had little interest in going to see Casino Royale when it came out and it took me until about a month ago and the hype surrounding Quantum of Solace to make me interested in it.

I purchased the no-frills single disc edition of this film and I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard that the film was a re-boot of the franchise and it was going to be different from most of the previous films. I approached it with an open mind and I have to say I really enjoyed it.

Gone are the days of an almost invincible Bond who doesn't really like to kill people and when he does he takes out the pain by cracking a few witty one-liners. This is Bond before he became the Bond we all know. He has an ego problem, he's arrogant and reckless and he lets his emotions interfere with his mission. He's a vulnerable rookie, just recently promoted to "00" status and out to prove himself on his first mission. He appears more human than he has ever done before.

A lot of people had a problem with the casting of Daniel Craig and at first I was in agreement with them. However after seeing Casino Royale I can honestly say that Daniel Craig's depiction of Bond is first class. Having read some of the novels, Craig appears to be the closest to Ian Fleming's original image of Bond. Craig plays the role to perfection and he comes across as the most realistic and believable Bond that has ever been portrayed.

Onto the film itself then and without giving too much of the plot away Bond has just been promoted to a double-0 agent and his first mission is to win a game of poker arranged by terrorist banker Le Chiffre in order to bankrupt him so his only option would be to turn to MI6 for protection from his lenders and in return they want to know about the organisations he represents. It seems simple enough and the film isn't very difficult to follow.

The way that the focus is on characters and story this time, rather than on stunts and gadgets is a breath of fresh air and again this is more in keeping with Fleming's original Bond. There are few gadgets used in this film and what gadgets are used are mostly just more advanced versions of current technology (e.g. a mobile phone with a tracking device etc.). Modern technology it seems has caught up with Bond .

The film does a great job of showing how Bond changes throughout the course of his mision. The toll that it takes on him, both physically and mentally is something that has rarely been seen before in a Bond film. Craig's Bond actually seems to enjoy killing and he is much more cold hearted than any previous Bond.

From beginning to end I very much enjoyed this film. It may not be to everyone's liking, especially die-hard Bond fans who want the old Bond back, but it is great to see Bond being brought into the 21st century and revitalised. The film doesn't end where you think it will, the story gets a bit deeper and I was actually surprised at how it ended, however I won't ruin it for those that haven't seen it.

Some have criticised this film and said it is more of a generic action film than a Bond film. I would have to disagree. It is not the usual Bond but in my opinion it is a great change for the franchise and a fantastic film. After 5 viewings in less than a month I still love it and it's a must if you are interested in watching Quantum of Solace.

Overall I would whole-heartedly recommend Casino Royale. It's a great film and I believe it takes the Bond franchise in a new and exciting direction.

If you want a load of extra features and the like, aswell as a nice presentation box then get the new deluxe version, however if you're not interested in that then by all means just plump for this no-frills single disc version.

After the deplorable 'Die Another Day' and the fact that Pierce Brosnan's Bond had become some kind of slimy lounge lizard without an ounce of danger, the Bond franchise looked as though it had finally had it's day. With that young upstart Jason Bourne to contend with, a radical rethink was in order. For some, Daniel Craig was a little too radical, and the press surrounding his appointment was almost universally negative. Oh, the joy of hindsight.

With Martin Cambell at the helm, an experienced hand who launched the Brosnan era with GoldenEye, which at the time was a fairly radical relaunch, and the chance to finally film the original Bond story, it was time to show the young pretenders how it should be done.

Daniel Craig's tenure as 007 begins with perhaps the most fantastic pre-title sequence of any Bond. Filmed in black and white, with a level of visceral shocking violence that truly reflects Bond's licensed killer role, and the gun-barrel motif as part of the action this announces the arrival of 007 in style.

The film continues in this new, much grittier way, but still feels very much like Bond. There are the exotic locations, beautiful women, opulent lifestyles and obsession with food and drink that is so evident in Fleming's novels.

On the whole the film sticks very closely to the novel, swapping Bacarat for texas hold-em poker and a carpet sweeper for a knotted rope ;) there are some additions to make the story more cinematic. The free-running chase at the start of the film, and the collapsing venetian house at the climax are dramatic to watch but, particularily in the case of the latter, feel a little overblown in comparison to the rest of the film and the film does seem to flag slightly in the last 20 minutes, but the climax which leaves the film open for a direct sequel is a brave move.

The emotional journey Bond takes through the film hangs very much on the chemistry between Bond and Vesper Lind, (Eva Green) and for me there just wasn't the spark that would have made this feel truthful. There simply isn't enough of an on screen frisson between the leads to make me believe that Bond falls as hard as he does.

Small niggles aside, this is a fantastic film, and I eagerly look forward to the next Bond film, not something I have said for a good few years.

The DVD comes with some fine extras. The two making of features are some of the best I have seen in a long time. One focuses on the creation of the stunts and effects and how as much as possible was filmed for real. This is great fun and beats watching actors stood in front of green screens and special effects nerds showing you how they have a new program to render smoke, again. The other feature follows Daniel Craig through the selection process, announcement of his casting and filming. This is suprisingly frank and deals bravely with his less than rapturous reception.

There is another feature on Bond girls there to pad out the disk, its a bit ropey and was on the TV around the time the film received it's cinematic release. Maryam d'Abo waxes lyrical about the legacy of Bond girls and she talks to some other aging actresses about how lovely they used to be.

Also included is the video for the Chris Cornell song 'You know my name' which is easily the best theme in years, but to be honest only fans will watch the video more than once.

So overall then, the best Bond film in years, with the best Bond in decades, backed with some good extras.

I'm off to pour myself a nice big Vesper, cheers.