As it stands , Daniel Craig has played James Bond in four movies , with a fifth and purportedly final   installment on the way . ( Actually , it was say to have already been released , butthen coronavirus happened . ) Out of those four , two were critically acclaimed and two were critically pan , so the player has a 50 % success rate .

Arguably , Craig ’s good movie in the part of 007 is still his debut , Casino Royale , which served asa gritty origin story in the nervure ofBatman Begins , adapting Ian Fleming ’s first ever Bond novel to reboot the dealership followingAustin Powers ’ spot - on lampooning of the campy early installments .

It Had A Refreshingly Dark Tone

After theAustin Powersfranchise turn the camp , gadget - driven Bond franchise into a laughingstock , the producers knew they needed to agitate things up . So , they rent Martin Campbellto directCasino Royaleasa gritty reboot in the mould ofBatman Begins .

With graphic violence pushing the limit of the franchise ’s standard PG-13 rating and plot points run from political putridness to torture , Casino Royalehas a refreshfully dark whole tone . It successfully gave the Bond franchise a shooter in the arm and revitalized stake in the 007 type .

The Opening Sequence Is Breathtaking

The opening sequence fromCasino Royaleis mainly eff for its use of parkour , but it ’s also a masterclass in developing character through action . Everything Bond does in this shot sets up Daniel Craig ’s young , sensation , inexperienced variant of the fictional character .

While the CGI seams can be see in a lot of Craig ’s activity sequences , from the eggbeater shootout inSkyfallto the explosive finale inQuantum of Solace , the breathless Madagascar - set porta ofCasino Royalefeels all too real .

Craig Brought Real Edge To Bond

Although he ’s since drop off interest in the character , which has affect the way he play him , Daniel Craig ’s stretch as 007 got off to a fantastic start inCasino Royale . He brought a real Dalton - esque sharpness to the role . No longer was Bond a stark male - phantasy specimen ; he was imperfect , which made him find human .

Craig was pick apart for not fitting Ian Fleming ’s physical description of Bond as tall , dark , and handsome ( at least Craig is one of those thing ) , but he made up for it by capturing Bond ’s suave personality .

Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre Is One Of The All-Time Greatest Bond Villains

Daniel Craig ’s Bond does n’t have a great cart track record with baddie , one of the cornerstones of the Bond franchise . Quantum of Solace ’s generic baddie Dominic Greene was immediately forgettable , Javier Bardem ’s Raoul Silva fromSkyfallwas well - acted buthis plan was stark nonsense , and Christoph Waltz was wasted in the role of Blofeld inSpectre .

ButCasino Royale ’s Le Chiffre , played by the large Mads Mikkelsen , stands among the all - time good Bond villains . Mikkelsen ’s glacial stare tells us everything we call for to know about the character , while he has a authentically sinister presence in the torture scene .

Bond Does Actual Spy Work

A lot of filmmaker who take on a adherence film are n’t interested in making a spy movie . They want to make an natural action motion picture and Bond ’s line of work is just an self-justification to get from action sequence to action succession .

InCasino Royale , Bond does some actual spy work . He investigates a crime pool with international business interest and infiltrate a in high spirits - stakes poker biz to get snug to its top brass .

It Stripped Away The Silliness

Between the Connery earned run average and the Brosnan earned run average   — with a brief full stop - off into delightfully glowering territory in the Dalton epoch   — the Bond flick flummox increasingly airheaded . In Brosnan ’s last movie , the one right beforeCasino Royale , he channel-surf on a tidal wave .

Daniel Craig ’s introduction inCasino Royalestripped aside that silliness and focused on the bare bones of a riveting spy narrative . It ’s just a shame that the Craig era did n’t keep this up and Sam Mendes reintroduced the fatuity .

The Plot Makes Sense

In any movie , the plot making sense should n’t be such a tall orderliness . Being capable to understand the basic news report is one of the prerequisites for a pic . But the Bond enfranchisement often falls short on this front . alliance movies are usually ripe for electric refrigerator - logic analysis .

The game ofCasino Royale , follow the shady dealings of Mr. White and how his actions impact the character and the events of the story , actually makes sensation .

The Fight Scenes Are Visceral

While the car chase and explosion in Bond picture have always been exciting and top - notch in their performance , the fight scene have sometimes disappointed .

Daniel Craig ’s Bond was introduced in a post - Bourneera , with much more visceral fight stage dancing , and Craig threw himself right into it .

The Bond Girl Isn’t Just A One-Dimensional Sex Object

Of all the geezerhood - old tradition of the Bond franchise , the “ Bond girl ” is the most superannuated . In each picture , Bond fall for a sexuality object who automatically falls for him , too , even if he ’s played by a late-50s Roger Moore . Bond girlfriend are rarely developed into three - dimensional characters , but inCasino Royale , Vesper Lynd is well - rounded .

Eva Green has the icy stare and challenging banter of a femme fatale , and she share tangible chemistry with Daniel Craig as their character are brought together by partake in nuisance . The relationship feel real and ultimately end in tragedy .

It’s A Satisfying 007 Origin Story

James Bond did n’t necessarily need an ancestry level , but it was a strong way to reboot the dealership . The gamey black - and - white opening arrives like a speeding bullet as Bond earns his 00 status , then spends the quietus of the movie adjusting to his new chore claim .

Ultimately , Casino Royaleis a satisfying stock story for 007 . Instead of render us where he got all his knick - knacks , likeHan Solo ’s origin story in Disney ’s unsatisfying tailspin - off , Casino Royaleshows us how he became the man he was in the 20 late movies .

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Daniel Craig’s James Bond scales a crane during the Parkour chase in Casino Royale

Bond holding MP5 in final Casino Royale scene

Le Chiffre in Casino Royale

Bond in Casino Royale

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Bond kills an assassin in a stairwell in Casino Royale

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