Like many of you, I was shocked and a bit dismayed when the producers of the most successful film franchise of all time decided not only to replace recent favorite Pierce Brosnan but to do so with a blue-eyed blond. Although this development troubled most Bond fans, the degree to which the British press criticized and disparaged it gave us all reason to worry. Who was Daniel Craig and what would he do to our beloved franchise?
Alas, it is a cultural tradition to watch, assess and comment on the introduction of a new Bond. Thankfully for me and the millions of other fans around the globe, Daniel Craig single-handedly made this into a breathtaking, amusing and stunningly intense event.
Casino Royale does not aim to reinvent the Bond movie. There are still many startling, gravity-defying scenes. It showcases the dazzling beauty of two alluring Bond girls (Eva Green and Caterina Murino), its villain threatens the balance of world peace and the cars are still damn enviable. What separates and elevates Casino Royale from previous Bond films is that it does not try to present Bond as a perfect agent ready to kill or romance at a moment's notice. This is literally "Bond Begins."
And boy does Craig's Bond begin rough. He is not so entrenched in Her Majesty's Service that he cares enough to obey the unwritten rules of diplomacy. His encounters with villains are brutal in their physicality -- he has yet to rely mostly on his gun. His approach to women is nonchalant, not jaded and curt. Most notably, his body looks more like that of a trained boxer than an agile agent. Throughout the movie, there is the real threat that Bond will not just overpower the other guy but truly damage him.
Daniel Craig had the good fortune of coming along right as the producers finally decided to invest in a decent screenwriter. The ubiquitous Paul Haggis (Crash and Million Dollar Baby) contributed to the scenes without explosives and stunt men. The result was some of the best character development I have seen in a Bond film in quite some time.
Haggis' touch (and Craig's interpretation) was most deft in the scenes featuring Bond with his tentative love interest Vesper Lynd (Green) or his main adversary Le Chiffre (Danish star Mads Mikkelsen).
The first time Vesper and Bond meet can only be described as sexy. It is not just a superficial attraction between two beautiful people, but an eye-raising conversation between two individuals who instantly understand what motivates and interests the other. And then they acknowledge that the other person has a very nice arse as well.
To conclude, I ask you to consider this: Le Chiffre tortures Bond in a scene that is surprisingly horrible yet disturbingly funny. It is unlikely any other Bond could have managed to convey such resolve, wit and pure bravado throughout the ordeal. Daniel Craig deserves all the praise he has received, because his portrayal of the iconic character and Casino Royale itself are the most invigorating additions to the Bond franchise we have seen since Sean Connery.
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