Casino Royale

At first I had some reservations about seeing Casino Royale. I wasn't too keen on the new Bond guy (Daniel Craig) because I've grown fond of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Daniel Craig doesn't appear handsome and charming as the past James Bond guys. Instead he has a rugged, tough and somewhat fierce look. I've always thought of James Bond as a cool, handsome dark haired man. Aside from his stern looks, Craig happens to be blond so he doesn't quite fit the part of the typical James Bond.

My husband insisted we watch Casino Royale at the cinema. I'm glad he asked me to because surprisingly, I enjoyed the movie. I learned that the movie explores the early career of 007.

Setting aside my bias for Pierce Brosnan, I think that Daniel Craig has successfully reinvented the James Bond character. Craig has a distinct atmosphere of danger and unpredictability compared to the other men who portrayed the role of Bond.

To date, six actors have portrayed James Bond in the official series. They are:

Sean Connery (1962 to 67; 1971)
George Lazenby (1969),
Roger Moore (1973 to 85),
Timothy Dalton (1987 to 89),
Pierce Brosnan (1995 to 2002),
Daniel Craig (2006 present).

Casino Royale didn't focus much on the hi-tech gadgets but the stunt scenes were spectacular. I heard that Craig has done most of the stunts on his own which scores him several points on my personal score board.

I'll miss seeing Pierce Brosnan's handsome face as James Bond but I'm willing to give Daniel Craig a chance considering the success of his first 007 portrayal.