Blonde. James Blonde. That's the first thing you'll notice about "Casino Royale"-007's hair is on the light side but this "early" adventure for the man with a new "license to kill" definitely travels on the emotional dark side for Mr. Bond. Shaking but not stirring the latest installment of the Bond franchise provides an advantage over some previous installments. As good as Pierce Brosnan was in the role, Daniel Craig brings a raw vitality and reminds us that Bond does, indeed, have a soul even if it is carefully hidden. ---

Bond tries to smoke out Le Chiffe (Mads Mikkelsen in a so-so role as the Bond villain) who uses terrorism as a means to make a profit-he hires people to drive companies into the ground so he can sell their stocks at a handsome profit. He's not simply an evil banker-he's also an evil guy as he demonstrates later in his confrontation with Bond. Bond must try and best Le Chiffe during a high stakes game of cards. The hope is that by bankrupting him his legs will be cut out from under him both metaphorically and literally when the people he invests for come looking for their cash. ***

While Le Chiffe may under whelm compared to more flamboyant Bond villains he is a more realistic villain for a more down-to-earth and gritty Bond.The twists and turns in this complex plot (courtesy of Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and "Crash" & "Flags of Our Fathers"writer/director Paul Haggis) will also keep you on your toes but, more importantly, the chemistry between Craig as Bond and Eva Green ("Kingdom of Heaven") as Vesper Lynd will keep you entertained. The film has some inspired casting including Jeffrey Wright in a nice turn as CIA agent Felix Leiter and Giancarlo Giannini as Bond's accomplish Mathis. ---

Image & Sound: The DVD transfer (and, indeed, the Blu-Ray version that I was able to see) looks marvelous with remarkably sharp detail. The film appeared a bit gritty with higher film grain noticeable in the theatrical presentation. Some of that intentional look has made the transition to these formats but appears to have been toned down for some reason here. Colors are accurate throughout. ***

Audio has nice presence and the 5.1 format is used extremely well. ---

"Bond Girls are Forever" takes up the biggest chunk of the special features. At nearly 50 minutes this TV documentary provides the ladies that have played Bond "girls" to have a say about their characters and the films they appeared in. What I found amusing was the various actresses that would comment about how their Bond girl was "different" than all the others. ***

"James Bond: For Real" gives us a glimpse into the marvelous stunts in the film. "Becoming Bond" is one of the best featurettes on the set. This piece allows actor Daniel Craig and others to discuss his casting, his take on the role and what he sees as his place in 007 history. We also get Chris Cornell's music video for "You Know My Name" which can't possibly compare to the wonderful opening titles developed for the film. ---

Final Words: