New Bond a 'Royale' flush

When I first heard about the new James Bond in "Casino Royale," I was excited but skeptical. What business could the peculiar-looking Daniel Craig, best known for his role as a thug in the British film "Layer Cake," have in a James Bond movie? To my surprise, "Casino Royale" succeeds as a great Bond film precisely because of Craig's decision to play the hero as a distinctly unsophisticated spy.

From the very first frame, it is clear that "Casino" is no run-of-the-mill Bond flick. Shot in stark black and white, the opening sequence depicts our hero performing the two kills required for promotion to "00" status. But even after his promotion, Bond compromises his first mission by murdering his target instead of keeping him alive, and is caught on tape in the process.

Acting alone, Bond discovers that his victim was directly connected to a criminal in the Bahamas, and travels immediately to Nassau to investigate the lead. It is there that Bond discovers that his target answers to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson), moneyman for world terrorists. Bond's boss, M (Judi Dench), learns of his covert operations and sends him to Montenegro to play high-stakes poker with Le Chiffre to stop him from amassing even more funds. Watching over the British government's money is the beautiful and independent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). The script, penned by "Million Dollar Baby" screenwriter Paul Haggis, smartly excises gadget-maker and Bond staple Q, making Daniel Craig's Bond distinct and realistic.

Haggis' story focuses on Bond's transformation from a "blunt instrument of death" to the suave iconic figure we know and love. Craig handles this metamorphosis with panache and adds a never-before-seen sadistic side to the MI6 agent. Craig portrays Bond as an intimidating killer with whom the audience cannot immediately identify. It is this duality between hero and villain that makes Craig's rendition psychologically richer than previous incarnations.

Any Bond is only as good as his ladies, and in this department, "Casino Royale" does not disappoint. As Vesper Lynd, Eva Green stands out from tough Bond girls like Michelle Yeoh and Halle Berry in that she is the agent's intellectual superior. When they first meet, Bond hopes to assert his dominance by performing a psychological profile on her, even accusing her of dressing in a "mannish" way to seem equal to her male colleagues. At these insults, she stares coolly ahead and gives Bond a similar psychoanalysis which leaves him speechless. Green's intelligent Vesper slowly melts Bond's cold heart and is a perfect foil to the brutal nature of Craig's character.

These elements are brought together by director Martin Campbell, who helmed Brosnan's first outing in "Goldeneye". Throughout the film, Campbell stages some of 007's most impressive action sequences to date including a chase where Bond pursues a suspect up and down the steel skeleton of a newly erected skyscraper. This fast sequence is spectacular, smartly relying as much on Craig's physical presence as it does on elaborate choreography. The film's centerpiece, the poker game at Casino Royale, is a testament to Campbell's camera work. Quiet scenes like this one are just as exhilarating to watch as the film's many gun fights.

While Campbell's staging is impressive, it is his pacing which both adds and detracts from the overall experience. For the first two hours, Campbell plots the picture much slower than your average spy flick, allowing the audience to get into the mind of Bond. After the wall-to-wall action of "Mission: Impossible III," it's nice to see a flick more focused on plot than on the body count. The last 20 minutes feel rushed, however, cramming the wrap-up of Bond's story into just a few scenes. These final sequences ring false, as they clash with the languid pace of the rest of the picture and hurt the movie as a whole.

Outside this issue of the film's pacing, "Casino Royale" is a return to form for James Bond. Craig crafts a rich character whose charm is superseded by his innate viciousness. The women are beautiful but never shallow, and Campbell's direction is appropriately gritty and exciting. The dark film feels relevant in today's post-9/11 world. Forget your Jason Bournes and Ethan Hunts: with "Casino Royale," Bond proves himself to be back on top.