Casino Royale (2006)

CASINO ROYALE (2006) takes Bond back to his origins in an unusual black-and-white foreword that hints at how the British agent earned his license to kill. The film is set in 2006, and it's risky to ask audiences to erase nearly 45 years worth of memories of a well-known character, but it's also fascinating to see the filmmakers wipe the slate clean and start again from the beginning. Secondly, the film introduces Daniel Craig (the engaging anti-hero of the underrated crime drama LAYER CAKE) as a Bond who is still in the process of learning how to do his job, much to the consternation of his boss, M, played once again with exactly the right amount of dry humor by Judi Dench. As interpreted by Craig, Bond is more energetic than he is suave and much more of a fighter than he is a lover. He makes some mistakes, he gets temperamental, he shows signs of vulnerability, and – best of all –…