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[Double-Oh Agent]

The name's Bond...James Bond.

Those words evoke many a thought in the public's mind--style, suaveness, sophistication, womanizing, dangerous, cool. Pick a glowing adjective and it's most likely appropriate. It has certainly been the case for 44 years, 20 films (21 if you count Never Say Never Again), and five James Bonds. It is true again in 2006 with Daniel Craig slipping into the elegantly tailored tuxedo for Casino Royale--the best Bond film in years.

From the very beginning with a rousing but brief black and white pre-titles sequence viewers know they are in for something different. Add to that a new 007, no Moneypenny or Q, Bond falling in love, and nary a world threatening plot by a megalomanical villain and one might worry about the franchise's new direction, especially those vociferous people who had problems with the casting of Craig as the sixth actor to step into 007's shoes. But after watching Casino Royale, those fears are soon proven baseless. There can be no debate--Daniel Craig IS James Bond 007.

In the finest performance ever for a James Bond actor in his debut, Craig absolutely nails the part and carries the film with a confidence, swagger, and cool that rivals the great Sean Connery. Craig may not be the most handsome, darkest, or tallest of 007s, but he is the most physical, the most fit and trim, and the most ruthless. From the very first scene he understands and grabs hold of the essence of Bond and never lets go. He dominates every scene he's in and there is never a doubt that he can do any of the stunts Bond does. He embodies the hardness and detachment of Ian Fleming's Bond yet still manages to be loving and tender in his scenes with Eva Green's Vesper Lynd. Their scenes, particularly upon their initial meeting on the train, in the car, and arrival at the Hotel Splendide crackle with electricity as they politely exchange barbs back and forth, refusing to be pigeon-holed by the other. Their relationship is believable and well-acted and handled.

Speaking of Green, I must point out that I was against her casting as Vesper Lynd, preferring instead Rose Byrne. Of the pictures I had seen of Green prior to her filming I was not impressed with her looks believing that she wore too much makeup around the eyes and mouth. However, I can now say that in Casino Royale she has never looked better. She does a great job as Vesper and she won me over. She was a good casting choice and I think I would place her in my top 10 Bond girls.

The other Bond girl is delicious eye candy. Caterina Murino's Solange Dimitrios is suitably sad and ready for a romp with 007. Unfortunately, she is gone all too soon but she leaves an indelible impression.

As for the villians, Mads Mikkelsen is slimy and sinister as the desperate Le Chiffre. He has a number of quirks from a bleeding eyeball to frequently using an inhaler, but he is at his most cool during the gambling scenes with his ability to shuffle poker chips one-handed. The rest of his entourage are a non-descript bunch in historical Bond terms. Kratt, Valenka, and others look interesting but effectively do little on a henchmen scale. More exciting are the peripheral villains such as the African rebel leader Obanno and his lieutenant, the mysterious terrorist organization's middle man Mr. White, the detached Alex Dimitrios, and the exciting bombers Carlos and Mollaka. They are a much more colorful group and help make the film soar in excitement.

Bond's allies Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) are what you would expect they'd be from the novels where they are Bond's best allies in his history of allies. Wright has some funny lines and Giannini perfectly captures the spirit of Fleming's French creation. Judi Dench, meanwhile, gives her best (and funniest) performance as "M".

The plot/screenplay is well done and has few, if any, holes. The Casino Royale story has been updated terrifically from Fleming's novel. By switching the game from baccarat to poker, the organization from SMERSH to terrorists, the loss of funds from brothel-owning to the stock market gambling, everything clicks as does the sparkling dialogue. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis should be commended.

Peter Lamont does one of his better jobs in production design as does costume designer Lindy Hemming. Editor Stuart Baird is also in fine form, but it is the cinematogrpahy by Phil Meheux and direction by Martin Campbell that is really noticeable. This is perhaps the best looking Bond film ever and Campbell strikes all the right notes in his direction. Whether it is Bond's arrival in the Bahamas, his tailing of Dimitrios and Carlos, the touching shower scene with Vesper, or the cringe-inducing torture scene, it is all pure gold. This proves that GoldenEye was no fluke and officially puts him among Terence Young, Guy Hamilton, Lewis Gilbert, Peter Hunt, and John Glen in the elite group of Bond directors.

The stunts are all top-notch from the PTS fight to the Miami Airport chase, to the stairwell fight, to the climactic finale, but nothing can top the sheer energy, thrill, and agility of the parkour chase, which will go down in Bond history as the best chase (foot or vehicle) of the series. Kudos especially go to Sebastien Foucan who played Mollaka. The man is simply amazing.

David Arnold's music perfectly captures the tone and energy of the film throughout and Chris Cornell's song You Know My Name sounds great if a bit unintelligible. When combined with Daniel Kleinman's main titles, you have a winner. Kleinman does a fantastic job with the titles with its gambling and playing card motif and is easily one of the series' best.

And regardless of whether you agree with producers Michael G. Wilson's and Barbara Broccoli's decision to not film a fifth 007 film with Pierce Brosnan (which I would have preferred before filming Casino Royale with Craig), they should be commended for having the vision and the guts to go in this new direction. Despite all the complaints from fans and critics about the reboot and choice of 007, they overcame the odds and proved all the doubters wrong with a stellar film which will undoubtedly go down in the series alongside the likes of From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Well done.

But in the end, this film is all about Bond and Daniel Craig and neither disappoint. Craig makes his Bond fallable and human, a Bond who will do whatever it takes to get the job done, consequences be damned. He also makes his Bond dangerous and believable, a Bond who can handle himself in any situation with or without a weapon. In short, his Bond is Fleming's Bond and what higher praise can there be?

Perhaps my favorite parts of the film are seeing Craig's 007's ability to think fast on his feet such as in the free running chase or at the Bahamas hotel, his tailing ability demonstrated in the Miami Airport sequence which perfectly captures the skills required in the spy world, and his ability to immediately read and size up those around him whether it be Solange on the beach, Vesper on the train, or Le Chiffre at the gaming table. All these scenes perfectly capture why Bond is who he is and why we all love him so.

In conclusion, Casino Royale is a film where Bond fans and non-Bond fans can sit back and enjoy the ride for 144 minutes of high quality entertainment. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll jump, and you'll cheer. It's a roller coaster ride of thrills and suspense--exactly what a 007 movie ought to be. It's Bond...James Bond, and nobody does it better.