For those of you who wish to bash this film... - Casino Royale Reviews

I am the biggest Bond fan I know. I also have done something most Bond fans don't typically do - I've read the exploits of 007 in Ian Fleming's novels. So, please excuse my smugness, but I believe I have more right to review this movie than those who have already bashed it. First of all, I read a review on here that bashed the violence and portrayal of Bond in general as a cold blooded murderer. Guess what? He is! Ian Fleming created a character that is not Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan in a tux, but an average looking guy with a general disdain for how he lives his life. If he was not a cold blooded murderer (which he hates doing, but must bury), he could not be an efficient agent for Her Majesty's Secret Service. He would be an emotional and psychological mess. He's a bit of a son-of-a-... Well you know, but he did still have a heart and he did fall for the girl in distress most of the time. Most of the time, too, he was heartbroken by betrayal or a villainous plot that stripped that from him. Something else Bond of Fleming's design did not have were the gadgets and cars. He was an supremely intelligent and cunning man. He had to get beat up and abused in order to come back to win the day. Now, before I go into the review of Casino Royale, I need to respond to some of the uneducated reviewers on this board that didn't view the film for what it was advertised as, but viewed it in contrast and competition with 44 years of Bond. There was one who compared this newest adventure to Die Another Day. Give me a break. At best "DAD" was middle of the road in comparison to the rest of the series. It simply did not do what most films in the series did best - stay to it's own style. It tried too hard to beat XXX at it's own game and appeal to the general crappiness of American action film fans. Also... Were you being serious about the chemistry between Halle Berry and Pierce Brosnan?!? She was one of the worst Bond girls ever. Of course she's attractive, but her character was awful and two-dimensional. No wonder they deep sixed her solo exploits. If you thought Die Another Day was one of the best, you have poor taste in Bond films, my friend. Read one of Ian Fleming's Bond novels and you will understand why this film was fantastic. One note about another jerk on here that asked IN BIG FRICKIN' CAPS why he was driving a Ford in the film. Ford owns Aston Martin and Land Rover, idiot. They get to put whatever the heck they want in the film. And I bet that Ford is a lot nicer than your car. I drive a new car and it was nicer, sleeker and sexier looking than mine. Get over it, Ford owned every featured car in the film. STOP WRITING IN CAPS IF YOU DON'T BOTHER TO KNOW FACTS!!! Now that brings me to my review. Bond needed what the filmmakers put on the screen. It's easy to make a Bond film, but it's hard to not copy or rely on that 44 year history. Bond is an assassin first and a person second. Period. What makes this film so wonderful and refreshing was seeing our hero in that struggle. That's what makes this character the best in all of film history. Pierce Brosnan - for as great as he was in the role - made Bond waltz through world-threatening situations too easily. That's been done... Since the beginning. Daniel Craig was a wonderful choice to play the part of Agent 007 because of his ability to look at the role from a different angle. He brought a stone faced, gritty egomaniac to life and blossomed when that self-centered bastard was wrong and beaten. And Eva Green as Vesper Lynd? Wow, she was absolutely stunning. Our villains and double-crossers were some of the best in the series. Overall, the choice in actors and their abilities were top-notch. Not only were they great for Casino Royale and the franchise, they were some of the best of the year. They will be overlooked, of course, but they should not be in comparison to the rest of the series. Now this film is not for the youngsters. There is a gut-wrenching torture scene (which came directly from the original novel, sir, not just thrown in to appeal to people who enjoy violence and gore, but I forgot you raved about the fluffy Die Another Day that had no reality in death or character) and there's murder involved. After all, to receive 00 status, you do have to kill a couple of bad guys and if you haven't done that before, it can get pretty messy. Trust me (no, really, I'm just kidding). If you enjoy the high-quality action James Bond has brought you since 1962, you will love Casino Royale. There's nothing wrong seeing the roots and beginnings of a character most of us who claim we love, and really do love, come to life for the first time. Do not be seduced by the regurgitation that has been happening with most of the last several films. See this movie with an open mind and thank me for it later. I honestly believe the claim "James Bond Will Return" found at the end of the credits (as always) will be easy to deliver.