Review: Casino Royale

Okay, let me get this out of the way. I'm a heterosexual man, and Daniel Craig is damn sexy. And he can act. He plays Bond in the raw--all power and ego, a "blunt instrument" of death. Marvelous!

Yet, we find Craig's Bond compelling, even disturbingly human. He's an orphan, sponsored through the best of Britain's schools, fresh off his first two kills for MI-6. When we first meet him, he's found a like for killing, but by the tragic ending of the movie two hours on, he knows how much of his soul he destroyed in acquiring that taste for blood.

Let's talk Bond for moment: Twenty pictures in, the franchise was dead, a caricature of itself. Mike Myers made a career out of spoofing it. Craig has brought it back, I applaud the accomplishment. In bringing the series back to the beginning (in the same Ubermenche way as Batman), they've revitalized a great character.

Royale has flaws: The aerial acrobatics in the first chase are a little too fanstastic, especially since the rest of the movie is honest in-your-face stuntwork. I smelled CGI. Next, a tighter reign on the editing would've cut 30 minutes--I could've done without some of those 15-second Craig closeups, but I realize the ladies love it.

Is this the best Bond movie ever? I still have a soft spot for You Only Live Twice, but Royale is certainly up there. My favorite moment was the tender shower scene between Vesper and Bond, dealing with the reality of killing someone. She's freaking, and he helps her deal with it. No Bond--Connery to Brosnan--would've done that.

Is Craig the best Bond? We'll see--he's redefining the role, and this Bond was interesting and relevant.