Casino Royale

Bond is back and Craig does not destroy the franchise as the whiners would have you believe. Based on Fleming's first (1953) novel, Bond has just achieved 007 status and is still learning his way. He may be blond(ish) but he's brutal, ruthless, and arrogant (and he bleeds). Story revolves around a high-stakes poker game with a Eurotrash banker (Mikkelsen) to terrorists and the Bond babe is Vesper Lynd (Green), a sexy, cool accountant. Dench returns as M, and she and Bond share some of the best moments as she tries to keep her "blunt instrument" in line. It's a little too long but Craig proves he can wear a tux, say "Bond...James Bond," and kill, which is what true aficionados require.