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Created Jan 05, 2008 12:53PM PST • Edited Jan 05, 2008 12:53PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Really Great 4.5

   A welcome revamp to a franchise that desperately needed it, ‘Casino Royale’ hits all the notes a Bond movie should, and adds a few of it’s own. The opening is insanely clever. Shot in black and white, it gives us a quick and effective backstory of how this new James gained his ‘00’ status, and establishes that this movie is a ‘fresh start’ of sorts, after years and years of tedious sequentiality. Add a gorgeous opening song by Chris Cornell and title sequence and chances are you’re already hooked in for the rest of the movie.

4. Acting

   Great 4.0

   A strong supporting cast (including the always welcome, utterly scene stealing, Dame Judy Dench as Bond’s boss, ‘M’) are a comforting backdrop to Daniel Craig’s performance as our favoured super spy. Compare him to any other Bond you like, but you can’t deny that he’s very,very good.

5. Male Stars Perfect 5.0

   Daniel Craig seems born to play this role. He’s stylish, debonair, and just a little bit posh. With the good looks to tie it up of course. He also seems more realistic than the other incarnations have been, which I think helps the audience become more engaged in the storyline. Not to be overlooked is Mads Mikkelson, who plays the deliciously evil ‘Le Chiffre’ to perfection throughout the film, giving the character a bit more depth than most Bond villains enjoy.

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

   All around great performances from the women in the movie. I can’t say I love ‘Bond’ girls, they always come off as a bit one dimensional. Eva Green (who plays ‘Vesper’) however, makes the most of her role and gives us a lovely counterpart to Daniel’s character.

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

   It’s hard not to love the over-worked MI6 leader, ‘M’ (Judy Dench). She steals her scenes and can easily be seen as a hero herself for putting up with 007!

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Really Great 4.5

    First class stunts and effects, the choice of locations are also extremely beautiful to look at.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

    Martin Campbell is no stranger to action films, and does a great job with a number of clever shots that accentuate the film wonderfully.

12. Play Perfect 5.0

    Veteran ‘Bond’ writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (‘Die Another Day’, ‘The World is Not Enough’) are joined by the incomperable Paul Haggis (‘Crash’,‘Million Dollar Baby’, ‘In the Valley of Ellah’) to bring us a crisp story and consistantly sharp dialogue.
    The way they wait until the very end of the film to utter ‘Bond, James Bond’ (and it is under the most clever of circumstances…) gives the line back the effect it’s lost over the years.

13. Music Perfect 5.0

    The iconic theme is done very well, with various versions of it playing throughout the film. Chris Cornell’s, ‘You Know My Name’ played during the title sequence, is definitely a favourite of anyone who’s seen the film.

14. Visuals Perfect 5.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.6

    The film is rated PG-13, but there are some things that may make you uncomfortable. There are various scenes of sexual activity (though nothing at all explicit), and then there is a scene of torture. A character is strapped naked to a chair with the seat cut out (with shadows tastefully covering anything explicit) and repeatedly hit in the genitals by a weight on a rope to try and illicit information. It was painful to watch! An interesting turn though.

17. Sex Titillating 2.0

    Mostly reserved to kissing, and the characters are always covered by either clothing or a blanket. James Bond does go swimming on two occasions, so if short blue shorts offend you, watch out!

18. Violence Savage 4.0

    A lot of blood and various scenes of people being killed, along with many, many explosions. Perhaps a bit more bloody than your average Bond film, and less improbable.

19. Rudeness Salty 1.7

    No exceptionally bad language. Some illusions to a sexual act.

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.2

    A much more realistic portrayal of Bond and his co-stars as human beings with human limits.
    It doesn’t skimp on the action and (pardon the pun) improbably high stakes situations either.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.2

23. Biological Surreal 2.2

24. Physical Surreal 2.2