Having just gained 007 status, James Bond is confident that he has what it takes to be a success. M is less convinced, having to clean up after Bond's body count. Then, Bond comes into contact with an associate of Le Chiffre, a man renowned for funding terrorism, and manages to put a spanner in Le Chiffre's works, losing him a large sum of money. Le Chiffre must attend a high class poker match in Montenegro to refill his coffers, or face the wrath of his clientele. Bond is sent to prevent Le Chiffre's success by playing against him, but, unable to fully trust him, M makes a Treasury official, Vesper Lynd, accompany him. Will Bond be able to fulfill his mission with Vesper weighing him down?

I am well aware that I am probably the last person in most of the Western world to have seen this film. Not being the greatest Bond fan anyway, I must admit to have been frightened away by all the hype; would it meet expectations? Would I like Daniel Craig, who is apparently so different from Bond's previous incarnations? Eventually, borrowing a copy from a friend, I succumbed, preparing for a good two hours worth of watching....

First things first. I thought Daniel Craig was good, but not brilliant, as Bond. Knowing that Casino Royale is the first episode in Bond's varied adventures, it seemed right that he looked younger and fitter than Roger Moore, Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan. However, I was expecting to find out a bit more about the man who is Bond, and from that point of view we are given nothing. He begins his career as 007 with no history behind him whatsoever. There is some character development during the film and we see him soften, although it comes at the very end and is therefore a little late - I would have liked to know more about him as a person rather than a superhero. I missed the humour in this bond. Humour, although sometimes taken too far, did really attract me in previous films, and certainly made them more entertaining. Credit where credit is due though, he does give a really excellent performance when being tortured - his screams of pain were so realistic that I could hardly bear to watch it.

Eva Green as Vesper gives a good performance. I liked the way that her character softened during the course of the film, without flopping on the floor in a heap. She does sit under a running shower fully clothed looking pathetic at one point, but having witnessed what James had just done, it was not a great surprise. Generally, she deals with Bond

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