Film: Casino Royale

Directed by: Martin Campbell

Year: 2006

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen

Reviewed by: J.J.

Daniel Craig stars as the new James Bond in ironically the very first James Bond novel. The James Bond movie franchise decided to start all over again. So here you have a 00, where within the British spy circles is something they didn't have in awhile and some folks are actually in favor of not having one.

The movie starts with a bang, almost literally. James Bond has to kill a British spy who sold secrets to the enemy and that spy's associate.

Although it starts fast, especially after Bond kills the first two and starts chasing a bomb-maker in Madagascar through several improbable sequences, the movie slows down immediately and almost drags.

Like most Bond villains, the villain in this one is a freak. He cannot cry, but instead bleeds from his tear duct. It's actually quite disgusting.

Eva Green plays the new Bond girl, and for a Bond girl, she's not anywhere near the top. She's pretty and has big tits, but Bond movies usually had someone sexy and Green doesn't cut it.

The action stays more true to the books. Bond relies more on his wits and raw toughness than gadgets. It works in this film.

The movie lasts over two hours, and although well-done, it should have been cut by another fifteen minutes. The poker scene I felt dragged, although some poker geeks might love it.

The other scene I thought improbable was the Venice scene. Venice isn't that deep, and while that scene may have fooled the braindead masses, I felt like it was an insult to anyone with a three-digit I.Q.

Despite my criticisms, it's still a strong movie and I fully welcome Daniel Craig to continue playing James Bond. A little bit more editing, a more realistic Venice scene, and a better Bond girl, and we'd have a stronger Bond movie. 7 J's out of 10.

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