Casino Royale (2006)

he world witnessed the long-awaited return of the legendary "Double Oh Seven" in 2006. One of the best-known spies ever has come back with the 21st screen adaptation of Ian Fleming's books. This time James Bond is embodied by blond-haired Daniel Craig with unnaturally blue eyes. Not a classical Bond image, but when he puts on a smoking it seems like he was born in it.

From the very beginning the creators of Casino Royale were facing an uneasy challenge – to introduce the new Bond together with a brand new concept of the cult spy series. They decided to move the action into the modern world. James Bond performed by Craig has the best hi tech devices and drives one of the coolest modern sport cars - Aston Martin DBS - instead of the classic Aston Martin DB5 of 1965. Martin Campbell, the director of Casino Royale, apparently gives tribute to tradition, adding at the same time lots of innovations. Many fans of the Bond series don't approve of these moves, but for an average unbiased spectator the movie is very fresh and original.

The plot of Casino Royale revolves around the first steps of James Bond in the capacity of a MI6 agent. Though already brutal and cold-blooded, Bond is young and still believes in love in his secret heart. The dramatic love line with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) will lift the veil of secrecy around the formation of Bond's personality. The love story with Vesper will become that turning point after which he will swear to himself never to believe anyone in the world again.

But for now Bond has just got his license to kill and the 007 code designation and is going to challenge the terrorist world in the face of Le Chiffre, the head of an influential terrorist organization. Craig shows perfectly that his Bond is good not only at pursuing and shooting, but also at the green baize. To take back the money Le Chiffre has stolen from Her Majesty's Treasury, Bond is going to beat the villain in poker in the well-known casino «Royale» in Montenegro. On his way to Montenegro Bond meets the mysterious beauty Vesper Lynd sent by the Secret Service to lend him money for the forthcoming game. Both are witty, young and beautiful and a romance is inevitable. Eva Green, who had her sidereal hour in The Dreamers by Bernardo Bertolucci, is a perfect match for Craig: she possesses an absolutely non-conventional though stunning beauty and her large green eyes are worthy competition with his blue ones. Their love scenes are perhaps the most sincere and touching in the whole spy series.

It's not easy to define the genre of Casino Royale. It may be called an adventure or a crime movie, but it also combines the features of the detective and melodramatic genre. Vivid and intellectual humor typical of the Bond series is also in abundance.

Though being a rather risky project Casino Royale was met kindly by the critics. In the top list of action movies it is now ranking a high position along with such movies as No Country for Old Men and The Departed.

Before the role of James Bond, such a titbit for lots of famous actors, Daniel Craig could hardly be referred to as a star. And now, having signed a contract for at least three movies about the Double Oh Seven, he is the one. He has lots of offers now and among his latest works we can find another action movie, this time with the elements of science fiction - Cowboys and Aliens, and a mystic thriller Dream House.