Rebooting an already established franchise is rather difficult at the best of times. Numerous, countless iterations of variously famous series’ have made their way into the mainstream and have met with a universal shrug of the shoulders. There are few series in existence that truly warrant an overhaul, to be disassembled and built back from the ground up. After digging themselves into a corner and with a Pierce Brosnan sized hole in the way, the cards were stacked against the gritty reboot of James Bond. Almost 15 years later, and it’s still rather hard to believe just how shatteringly brilliant Casino Royale really was, and what it did for the Bond franchise is a remarkable feat of endurance.
Daniel Craig’s leading role as 007 feels like it was tailored just for him. His cocky bravado clashes into marvellous action set pieces and chase scenes that are planted throughout with genuine care. As cliché and unimaginative as it is to say, there’s a good chance I find Craig to be the best Bond. Perhaps “best” isn’t the correct term, and maybe it’s more down to how consistent his span as the British agent have been. His performance within Casino Royale lays rest to numerous tropes and conventions that have bogged the series down thus far, the quips and goofy one-liners still remain, but with jagged edges on them, undertones of tired traits of a character that looks to evolve to the next stage of its lifespan.
That does indeed happen within Casino Royale, a film that pulls the franchise into what some might argue as a rather drab setting. Adapting Ian Fleming’s debut novel wipes the slate clean with great effect. Director Martin Campbell is no stranger to the Bond series, having directed Brosnan’s first entry, GoldenEye. There are certainly comparisons to be made between the two, how strong they are as openers to new characters, blending them in with the familiarities of the genre and returning characters. Judi Dench’s return as M is honestly the best part of the movie, a move that brings with it the best parts of the previous films within the series. Dench is such a namesake of the films that it’d be hard to imagine the film without her.
Although, when the film is without Dench, it has no trouble relying on the powerhouse performances from Craig, Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green. Mikkelsen, in particular, is a genuine pleasure to watch, with his portrayal of Le Chiffre everything I had expected it to be. The chemistry between Craig and Green is an absolute delight too, the typical Bond girl role is filled with a character that actually has some depth to it, which is always nice to see. How integral all of these supporting players are to the themes of the film is rather astounding. To see that even the smallest of roles hold such gravitas is a superb addition to a story already overflowing with intrigue.
At its very core, not much has really changed about Casino Royale since my previous watch. It’s still the smart, action-packed, well-written blockbuster I remember it to be. All I can really detract from the experience is that the pacing feels a tad all over the place, but maybe that’s just because I remember the experience differently to my previous viewing. Either way, Craig’s debut as the well-known British agent is a welcome experience that provides a bundle of strong performances from newcomers and enough of the older, classic moments to give fans of the Connery era enough support to make the transition to the modernity’s on display throughout the Craig generation.
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