Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here, still giddy at seeing my name in the credits of the BNAT 8--OCTOBUTT poster. The only explanation I can think of for my image not appearing on the poster is that I play Harry's CIA counterpart Felix Leiter (or perhaps his name has been changed to Felix Light-in-the-Loafers), and it's always better not to know what he looks like until he reveals himself in the final product. Yeah…that's it. In any event, it seems appropriate that Harry has selected the Bond imagery for this year's poster since it may be the only franchise film of the year that didn't disappointment on some level. In fact, it actually exceeded all of my expectations. Read on…

The first thing you realize about the approach the filmmakers have made to tackling this latest incarnation of James Bond is that, with Daniel Craig on board, they've hired the greatest actor who has ever played the character. Hold your catcalls, please. All I'm saying is that Craig is an immensely gifted actor who is never forced to bury Bond's inner feelings of rage or uncertainty. In anything, his Bond is the most emotionally complex take on the character I can remember. He also avoids the usual trappings of this character: he's not winking at the camera or always looking for the next clever quip. I'm not saying there isn't a tiny bit of that in the film, but the focus is squarely on creating the most well-rounded James Bond the world has ever seen. Oh, and he kicks all kinds of natural ass with some of the greatest stunts and chases ever put on film. In case you couldn't tell, I loved this version of James Bond, and I loved Casino Royale to the point where it puts most other Bond films to shame.

You may argue that by removing the very elements I mentioned, the filmmakers (led by GoldenEye director Martin Campbell) have stripped away what makes Bond so much fun, and you wouldn’t be entirely incorrect. But if you think this version of Bond isn't fun, you need to double up on your therapy sessions. The film opens with a cool-as-ice, black-and-white segment in which we witness the birth of 007, as Bond kills a traitor who has been selling British secrets. In case you didn't know, Casino Royale takes us back to Bond's first case as a double-0 agent (apparently you need two kills to qualify for your license to kill; seems a bit backward, but I'll take it).

What you may not realize at first is that the case Bond is working on is not all that high stakes, end-of-the-world stuff. His target is a relatively unimportant man who raises money for terrorist organization by playing high-stakes poker with a client's money and walking away with millions more than he started with. The nasty man in question is named Le Chiffre, played with greasy intensity and with a great Hitler haircut by Danish superstar Mads Mikkelsen (if you've seen three Danish films in the last year, he was probably in two of them). This case is, in effect, Bond's starter mission, and although he gets to kick plenty of butt on his way to La Chiffre, it is Bond's talent as a poker player that will ultimately defeat him. Doesn't sound very exciting? Trust me, it is, and the reason why is Daniel Craig who owns this character. And anyone who is still crying about Craig's blonde hair, needs to get a life (besides, it's more of a lightish brown).

Bond has not yet become the flawless, smooth-as-silk super spy we've all grown up with at this point in his career. Quite the contrary. This Bond makes mistakes, gets badly bashed up more than once, falls for tricks that no self-respecting veteran spy would fall for, and lacks a certain confidence that this is the job he wants for life. The character of M (Judi Dench, the sole holdover actor from previous films) is a blessedly more fleshed out character here than in most other Bond offerings. She doesn't just dish out assignments; she advises Bond, scolds him when necessary, and provides insight when his head is cluttered with things other than business. In other words, we learn why Bond always seemed to be M's favorite agent. We also learn that M is an initial, not just a secret code rank. In fact, Casino Royale does a great job of filling in a few little tidbits of information along the way. We find out where Bond got his first Aston Martin and under what circumstances he ordered his famed martini recipe. When a bartender asks him, "Would you like that shaken or stirred?" and Bond snaps, "Do I look like I care?" you can't help but laugh. Okay, maybe there is a slight amount of winking going on here.

Let me just mention three other performances. Eva Green is both sexy and prickly as Vesper Lynd, the woman in charge of overseeing Bond's expenses during the card game. She ultimately decides how high stakes Her Majesty's government is willing to get, keeping in mind that if Bond loses, the British government will be directly and knowingly financing terrorism. Her role is significant because, technically, she's the first Bond girl, and it is through their relationship that Bond realizes how close he should allow himself to get to the beautiful women that will pass through his life. I don't want to say too much more than that. The rock solid Giancarlo Giannini plays Mathis, the local field agent who arranges for Bond to enter into the high stakes poker game in Montenegro. But the most surprising appearance of all was Jeffrey Wright as the latest incarnation of Bond's CIA counterpart Felix Leiter. I know that it's rare that the same actor plays Leiter from film to film, but I hope Wright returns for future Bond movies and is given a lot more to do.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on Casino Royale is its ending. The conflict with La Chiffre is essentially done before the two-hour mark (following one of the most painful, ball-crushing torture sequences I've ever seen). But there's still about a half-hour still to go in this film, and it's in this sequence that we see just how painful birth--even the birth of super spy--can be. And it's with these final scenes that the cold steel wall completely encompasses Bond's heart forever. Casino Royale is more than just another chapter in this decades-old franchise; it truly is a much-needed and completely successful overhaul.

Capone