"Damn, those Brosnan fans are persistent."

Bond is back. Or new, or something. Casino Royale not only recasts the role of Her Majesty’s most famous Secret Servant, it “reboots” him as well, taking us back to his double-oh beginnings. We get to see him earn his license to kill, don a tux for the first time and discover the joys of the martini, all while pursuing international terrorists rather than the more traditional Cold War bad guys or megalomaniacal super-villains.

Daniel Craig plays the new Bond. Apparently this is controversial casting because Craig is (gasp!) blond and not a Brosnan-esque pretty boy. For what it’s worth, he’s also absolutely magnetic in the role. This Bond may be a little rough around the edges, without the suavity the world has come to expect from 007, but Craig plays him with a grim humor and determination that make for a pretty compelling character.

Of course, that’s easy for me to say. Confession time: while I’ve seen bits and pieces of several Bond films, this is the first I’ve watched in its entirety, so I’m not particularly invested in the character, nor can I comment on how Casino Royale compares to the rest of the Bond canon. What I can say is that I found it to be an exciting, inventive action movie, at least for its first couple of hours. Director Martin Campbell opens with a brutal fight scene in a bathroom, shot in grainy black-and-white that’s reminiscent of The Bourne Supremacy. No points for originality, but stylish nonetheless. And an extended scene where Bond tirelessly chases a bad guy through a construction site, among other locations, is jaw-droppingly fun, with the quarry bouncing off walls and girders like his bottom is made out of springs.

Kramer goes bad. Well, badder.

The action slows down for a lengthy segment in the middle of the movie, but still kept me involved in the plot. Bond enters a poker tournament in an attempt to bankrupt the movie’s chief villain, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) a banker who caters to terrorists. Le Chiffre weeps blood and has a refreshingly old-school approach to torture that leads to the movie’s most disturbing (and blackly comic) scene. 

Unfortunately Casino Royale stumbles at the end. Or rather, ends. Seems no action movie is complete these days without at least three endings and Casino Royale is a worse offender than most. I’ve never had my feelings for a film change so suddenly from enjoyment to annoyance and I left the theater on a sour note. Keep that in mind for next time, Mr. Bond. Relentlessness is fine when you’re chasing a bad guy, but there comes a point when you just have to let the audience go.

Gorilla Pants rating: 2.5 out of 4 bananas