Why Casino Royale was the best Bond movie ever!

James Bond movies fans will frantically defend their favorite spy, as well as the franchise as a whole. When it comes to singling out the best movie in the series, they will be just as willing to contest their peers, and suggest a different winner. While there is no consensus about Casino Royale being the best Bond movie ever, there are plenty of fans and critics who lean in this direction. For poker fans, this is without a doubt the best 007 film and probably one of the best ever made in Hollywood.

Four Decades of 007 Excellence

Most of the James Bond movie fans who watched the Casino Royale blockbuster were not aware of the fact that the move is based on the 1967 novel. The movie was a big hit with real online casinos like playUK.com who had some great competitions to win a VIP trip to Monte Carlo. While the concept was largely the same, the timing was perfect to produce this film, which wouldn’t have enjoyed nearly as much success before the year 2000. Not only the timing was right, but also the actor and Daniel Craig was the ideal choice for a movie that managed to extract an astonishing amount from a rather short story.

At the time Casino Royale was released, the franchise was at the crossroads, with Pierce Brosnan being replaced after a distinguished career. The choice to reboot the franchise was bold and the producers made the right decision to adapt the 1967 novel. Fast-forward nearly 4 decades and the 2006, Casino Royale brought Daniel Craig in the spotlight with his own depiction of James Bond. None of the familiar faces except for M have returned for this move, so the producers took a leap of faith that paid off in the end.

The best Bond adaptation for the 21st century

Casino Royale departed from the canon James Bond franchise, with a secret agent that looked more in control, precise and calculated. The film was much more in sync with the latest Hollywood blockbusters and was an instant hit with the young generations. Initially criticized by the veteran fans, Daniel Craig was soon embraced as one of the most talented actors to portray the famous agent. Not surprisingly, he is yet to be replaced and also stars in the 2020 Bond film, 14 years after the success of Casino Royale.

The choice for actors was inspired to say the least, with Mads Mikkelsen being the perfect choice for Le Chiffre. Jeffrey Wright and Eva Green were just as good in their roles and together, they made a cast capable of rivaling some of the best actors to play in James Bond movies. Fans of the franchise were probably expecting nonstop action and they were not disappointed by the car chases and hand to hand combat. Overall, the tone was more serious and trading some of the action for powerful conversations only enhanced the fun factor.

The movie was not only a hit at the box office, but also provided the impetus that poker players needed to try their luck online. Just like Rounders, it led to a surge of Internet poker players that made the game relevant online and greatly expanded the poker community.