What may have appeared to be idle threats from writer Paul Haggis about this being a more gritty, realistic Bond were no exaggeration. Under the guidance of Martin Campbell ( Goldeneye), our 'hero' is a less likeable character but a much better one for it. Far from bringing the series down, Craig helps to make the best of its number for years.Ĭasino Royale's Bond is a different man in another sense.

Granted, his hulkier look sets him apart from the Connerys and Brosnans of the world, but for a successful reinvention of the long-running franchise (44 years now), this was an excellent piece of casting. Mads Mikkelsen plays villain Le Chiffre, a shady banker to terrorists worldwide, whom Bond must best in a high stakes game of poker in Montenegro's Casino Royale with the help of Treasury representative Vesper Lynd (Green).ĭaniel Craig was, for the rather picky reasons of his being blond and 'ugly', was a strangely controversial choice for the role. The twenty-first movie to be based on Ian Fleming's spy, Casino Royale goes back to James Bondâ€™s (Craig) roots and focuses on his first mission as a Double-O agent. Green’s Vesper Lynd, however, was a far more detailed character whose impact on Bond would persist long after her own death.Director: Martin Campbell Screenwriter: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench Running time: 144 mins Certificate: 12A Treated more as accessories rather than people, the Bond franchise’s misogynistic legacy was perhaps the biggest challenge for the Craig era to overcome. Over the years the role of a “Bond Girl” had often been laden with baggage, with the franchise's women often depicted as one-dimensional characters developed purely to become an object of desire for the Bond of the day. Yet, in-between Craig’s solemn characterization and parkour-inspired chase sequences, it was actually Green’s character that proved the film’s most significant departure point.

No, Casino Royale dispensed with the camp atmosphere and reliance on increasingly unrealistic gadgetry in favor of a far more serious take on Fleming’s famous spy. Intentionally upending various tropes and expectations that had evolved since 1962’s Dr. Following Pierce Brosnan’s tenure, which began in the mid-1990s, Craig’s debut as James Bond marked a significant change in direction for the long-running franchise.

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