Casino Royale is a near-perfect debut of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 25, 2023

Martin Campbell, who revived the franchise once before in Goldeneye, brings a leaner style and a meaner temperament to the series, tossing out gadget-laden spectacle for bare-knuckle battles and adrenaline-pumping stunts with a wincing physicality.

Full Review | Feb 4, 2023

Where sure its a bit long and a bit forced at times, Casino Royale is easily the closest the Bond franchise has come to a masterpiece so far and probably the closest it will ever get.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Aug 28, 2022

The film delivers on gripping action and an enticing narrative that assembles intriguing characters and an emotional center that is very appealing.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | May 26, 2022

Bond the man and Bond the franchise simply never recovered from allowing Vesper Lynd to die.

Full Review | Dec 24, 2021

Casino Royale takes things back to the start for James Bond with a new actor and delivers one of the best films in the franchise.

Full Review | Sep 27, 2021

One of the best of all Bond movies, and the best in over a quarter century.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 25, 2021

A sharp script, lush direction, impeccable action, a memorably creepy Bond Villain, a bold and brilliant Bond Girl, and the arrival of Daniel Craig; Casino Royale is the greatest Bond film ever made.

Full Review | Sep 25, 2021

Craig delivers the first Bond who scares you.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 19, 2021

Casino Royale is right up there with my favourite films, let alone Bond films. Well paced, well shot, well acted and lots of fun and clever nods to past Bond-isms. Top marks.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 8, 2021

Insofar as a Bond film comes into contact with social and historical facts, it must turn them on their head, losing any of its charm in the process.

Full Review | Feb 14, 2021

You've never seen Bond like this before. Stand back, but stay watching.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 17, 2020

With its fresh approach to the lead character, its boost of severity, and its return to the source material, it proves to be the jumpstart the franchise has been begging for.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Nov 15, 2020

In all the Bond movies, this is the most emotional and personal Bond adventure I've seen.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jul 16, 2020

I've been a fan of Craig since the little known Layer Cake and I am happy to say he does an outstanding job as Bond

Full Review | Original Score: B | Nov 20, 2019

'Casino Royale' is not only the "best of all time" Bond movie, but also one of the strongest vehicles in the action genre we've seen since the beginning of the century. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Sep 10, 2019

The film has breathless stunts and encounters aplenty.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 17, 2019

In Daniel Craig, the producers found a suitably tarnished and brutal icon for this new iteration of Bond

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 16, 2018

James Bond is back, and as it turns out, he's been gone a lot longer than anyone even realized.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Nov 2, 2018

Bond is back. Bond is beefy. And the new Bond is blond. Daniel Craig has comfort ably slipped into the tuxedo, size 007, and left audiences shaken and stirred.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 14, 2017