Review of Casino Royale (1954) by Richard L — 13 Dec 2014

After 20 great or pretty good entries in the franchise, we finally received the James Bond we deserve in Daniel Craig. Along with him comes a depth of character and emotion previously unseen. In Eva Green's Vesper Lynd is the reason why Bond became the man he did.

The dialogue between the two is exquisite and the chemistry is blistering. Less obvious but equally impactful is the reforging of Bond for the female gaze, while retaining the Bond Girl aesthetic, with modern updates to give the women more agency.

There are two fantastic villains in both Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre and Jesper Christensen as Mr. White, an incredible supporting cast, an incredible sense of wit, relentless and breathtaking action, and a sharp, tense plot.

Casino Royale is not just the best Bond movie ever made, but one of my favorite movies of all time.