Reel Reviews

Casino Royale -- The operative word here is "shrewd." The owners of the Bond franchise made a shrewd choice to reinvent the series by taking their main character back to the beginning; the post-Cold War series had grown rudderless. They made another shrewd choice in bringing in Daniel Craig to play Bond; he is immediately the most hardass 007 since Connery's heyday. And they made the shrewdest choice of all in opting for a very professional execution of this, the first installment of the new Bond series--the production is first rate, the hallmarks remain with the campiness dialed back, and there's a serious tone that tells you everyone present means business. Like many, I had lost interest in the franchise, but I recommend this one, and I'm geared up for the next installment, at the very least. Posted 2/10/08. ETA on re-viewing: It is, perhaps, even better on a second viewing, and more appreciable--less a reboot of the series than a total re-imagination of the franchise. Easily a top five entry in the series.