It’s no wonder that the producers behind Casino Royale needed to track down a younger, more athletic actor to take on the Bond franchise: they needed a 007 with stamina. After four films carried by a Bond as smooth and dry as his martinis, the series needed a shot in the arm, and there’s no better way to do that than breaking out an origin story. Featuring a 20-minute sequence where our lead agent (Daniel Craig) barely says a word while taking part in a chase for a baddie through a construction site that could be confused for a gymnastics competition, Royale sets a breakneck pace that reintroduces you to and reinvents England’s most dangerous spy. The film’s biggest problem is that it requires the same marathon training from the audience; if you want to get the most out of the new Bond, you’re going to have to sit through some significant bloat.

The film begins with a black and white flashback as Bond earns his double-0 status with two kills. Newly minted as a top agent, he is sent to apprehend the leader of a terrorist cell and immediately decides to step out of line to investigate further. His findings lead him to the Bahamas, where he encounters a powerful banker (Le Chiffe, played by Mads Mikkelsen) who funnels funds to the terrorists. MI6 orders Bond to play Le Chiffe in a high-stakes poker game, relieving him of any of the money that would otherwise go towards more nefarious means.

Craig does a masterful job capturing the young Bond, playing him as an agent who would be fine using a computer if it weren’t for all the useful blunt objects lying around to hit people with. His 007 is smooth, sure, but he’s also vulnerable and uncertain. It’s an appropriate choice for an origin story, but it also works towards making Bond a human character.

The second act of the film, the drawn-out poker game, is a drain on the pulse-raising buildup of the previous hour. It’s interesting for those of us who are versed in the game, but I can imagine many a viewer left out of the excitement of watching a river card fall. Again after the supposed Bond victory, the writers force us through an extra half hour of senseless twists. In the face of some wonderful performances (Eva Green as the Bond girl/confidant, a calculating Judi Dench as M), the pacing distracts.

Even so, this reimagination of the Bond oeuvre is refreshing, as the film rises to the challenge of keeping up with the Jason Bournes of the world. Watching Craig over the next couple of films should make for a fun ride.

Rating: * * * 1/2 of 5

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