DVD of the Week: Casino Royale

Believe it or not, Casino Royale is the 21st 007 feature and thankfully it is also one of the franchise's most inviting and original entries. Unlike past Bond films which existed in an obnoxious, campy, and wholly ridiculous world of their own (invisible cars? laser beams from space?), this one operates with at least a modicum of sincerity at its core. It also reinvents the already done to death Bond character as a young brute (played brilliantly by a stoic yet captivating Daniel Craig). The Bond of this film is fresh off receiving his license to kill and as unjaded about his situation as the momentous blockbuster he occupies. Of all the jumbo sized epics this past summer, this was the one that least annoyed me. Craig and costar Eva Green have both authentic chemistry and a tangible emotional connection. The violence they encounter is explosive and vaguely surreal but it counts when it matters most and often has the ability to be unnerving in ways big budget thrillers never allow. There's an entirely unsexy shower scene here that is probably my favorite moment in the entire Bond franchise. Kudos to the cast as well as scribe Paul Haggis and director Martin Campbell for making a solid film where others had merely gone through the motions.