Casino Royale: Bond is Back

Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig as James Bond opened today across the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations.

And what a James Bond Daniel Craig creates! He is fierce, as tough as they come, and he falls in love with actress Eva Green's character, Vesper Lynd. Dame Judi Dench returns as "M".

There is a plot, but it is somewhat obscured by the fantastic action sequences. No matter. This Bond film moves at a very fast clip. The various locales where the film was shot--Prague, the Bahamas, Venice, Lake Como, and Montenegro--are breathtaking.

I saw Casino Royale when it opened today at the Pacific Theaters in Culver City, Calif., near my home. I attended the 1:00 p.m. showing, the first of the day. The theatre was much more crowded than usual. I hope Casino Royale does very well at the box office. Go see it! You'll be glad you did!

By the way, I've been a James Bond fan ever since Dr. No starring Sean Connery was released in October 1962, when I was a senior at Northwestern University (and, by the way, six years before Daniel Craig was born). I have waited eagerly for each new James Bond film over the years. The new Bond film, Casino Royale, is the 21st in the series. Daniel Craig is now at work on the 22nd, which is scheduled to be released in 2007.

In my opinion, Daniel Craig is the best James Bond since Sean O'Connery. I've liked the other actors who have played Bond, but Daniel Craig really cuts it. He is dead-on convincing as a man with a license to kill and does so as matter of factly as taking off his tie. Early in the film, when a bartender asks him how he would like his martini, Craig does Bond's "shaken not stirred" spiel. Later, when another bartender asks him how he would like his martini. Craig's Bond says, "Do I look like I give a damn?"

Craig is his own Bond.

George Spink
Los Angeles
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