Review of Casino Royale (1954) by Matthew L — 29 Dec 2013

Daniel Craig introduces us to a much more rough-around-the-edges Bond with more humanity and less fakeness. The movie as a whole is stripped down to a much more gritty and realistic tale. Even though the plot is less outrageous than the standard fare of Bond movies, it manages to be hugely entertaining.

Great action and stunts, a bigger focus on characterization/dialog, diverse locations - the movie is solid, and even the slower sequences involving poker manage to keep you engaged with the tension and high stakes.

For a movie of this type it's pretty much as good as it gets.