Casino Royale
As I said I would, I watched Casino Royale on opening weekend. Overall, it was an enjoyable flick. I give it a solid 7 out of 10.
As a preface to this short review, I must admit that I am not a huge Bond fan. In fact, I have not seen any of the ones made before Pierce Brosnan signed on. Maybe that makes me less of a man, but oh well. I suppose I can catch up on my 007 knowledge with one day of watching Spike, if need be.
In this edition, Daniel Craig is serviceable as James Bond, and that is saying quite a bit when considering the ridicule he received when it was announced who would fill the role vacated by Brosnan.
Casino Royale is far less campy than some of its more recent predecessors. Q and his array of gadgets is noticeable missing, and most of the amazing stunts that seem to defy all sense of physics are gone as well, opting, instead, for gritty realism.
The downsides to this movie were that the pace slowed quite a bit toward the end. I found myself ready for it to end for quite some time. Also, the poker scenes were beyond lame. Parts of them were just downright silly.
However, in the end, Casino Royale is at least comparable to GoldenEye and far superior to most action movies out there.