Casino Royale ** INLINE SPOILERS **

[Borodog]

Best Bond film ever. Yes, including Sean Connery.

This is a new start for the franchise; in essence all previous Bond films never existed, ala Highlander II. The only connection is M.

This Bond is badder, more real, more vicious, more feral, more ferocious. Rounder, multidimensional, real depth of characterization. The whole character is reborn, fire forged. Frankly, this Bond makes Connery, Moore, and Brosnan look like the caricatures they were (no need to mention the aberation that was Dalton, or the hapless Lazenby).

Yes. I said it. The best Bond is no longer Sean Connery. It's this blonde guy who's name I can't even remember. Craig Something, or Something Craig.

Some people will complain that the plot was predictable. It was, but even though I knew where I was going, I enjoyed the ride.

There were homage's to the old style of Bond, but they were tongue in cheek; No Pussy Galores or Allotta Faginas, but Bond jokes that Her Majesty's Accountant's covername is Ms. Broadchest. We see the advent of the famous martini as it is simultaneously updated and then skewered ("Vodka martini." "Shaken or stirred, sir?" "Do I look like I give a damn?").

I can't say enough good things about this movie. Some will complain that it went on too long, that the ending was somewhat ad hoc. Both are probably true, but this first installment of a new incarnation of the franchise had a lot of character development to cover, and I don't mind the extra time in the seat.

This is probably a rambling review, but it boils down to: Highly recommended; the best Bond, character and film both, to date.

4.0/5 stars. And honestly, I'm not sure they could have addressed anything that would push it to 5 and still get the job done that they had to do.

PS. The poker was fun, and the opening sequence was dynamite.