Or, to put it another way, Bond has been reborn.

Let’s be honest, most will balk at hearing such positive language directed at a 007 flick. But this is a different man than the faux gentleman spy we’ve come to know over the past 20 years (since Roger Moore took over), because in Royale we finally see our hero as a flesh-and-blood man.

This is James Bond, fully realized. Elemental to our real world, but also legendary and mystifying. What director Martin Campbell (of The Mask of Zorro and Goldeneye), actor Daniel Craig (of Road to Perdition and Layer Cake) and actress Eva Green (of Kingdom of Heaven, the Director’s Cut) have accomplished here is worth the accolades and cheers you will hear at the end of the film.

No ridiculous masterminds with ludicrous plots. No silly gadgets. No venereal disease sexcapades. This is Bond at his rawest. Steely, yet unhinged; human, but completely committed. And yes, Craig has the sly grin and wit to make Bond his own. With his piercing blue eyes and solid physique, he’s a Bond that both men and women would want at their side (for obvious different reasons). Craig’s interpretation compliments what Connery originated, but fleshes it out even more.

In the stylish black and white opening sequence, we see Bond get his first two kills en route to becoming the double-o agent we have come to rely on. The first kill is brutal and tough and Bond is visibly shaken by the ordeal. The second is more learned and swift—he’s beginning to polish his style. But this is still one cocky, detached S.O.B., and he’s got a few lessons to learn.

In Casino Royale (2006), Bond is after Le Chiffre (played by Mads Mikkelson to clever and chilling effect), a man who handles terrorists’ money in a foolishly casual manner. Le Chiffre loses a $100 million of a client’s money in a botched attempt to bet on airlines (he aims to blow up the competition). His plan is foiled, courtesy of Mr. Bond, and so he plans to win his money back via a poker competition at the Casino Royale. Bond’s plan is to gamble with Le Chiffre and win so the Brits can force him (in exchange for protection from his clients) to gain information on the terrorist organization he works for. Bond joins him, and the game begins.

But it’s who joins Bond that pumps the film—and Bond himself—with fresh, boiling blood. Eva Green plays Vesper Lynd, the MI6 accountant who is supposed to keep an eye on Bond’s handling of the queen and country’s money. Vesper is Bond’s physical and intellectual equal; in fact, most of the time she seems to have the upper hand on Bond. Craig and Green’s chemistry is scintillating, not only because of their coy stabs during each verbal duel, but because of the vulnerability they reveal below the surface. They can size each other up and tear each other down in the same breath.

And director Martin Campbell also deserves praise. While The Bourne Supremacy and Batman Begins are classic “genre” action films of the 21st century (read it and weep, Cinekklesia writers), those that feel it necessary to harp on them always discuss the seizure-inducing, close-up, quick-edit fight sequences. Campbell doesn’t make this mistake. He knows how to pull back the camera and let the action speak for itself (see the chase 20 minutes in â€" it’s a lecture in how to sequence, edit, and film action). This film does action right, McTiernan style (e.g. Die Hard). You can feel the pain and see the consequences of Bond’s chosen life throughout this film; it’s harsh and brutal and, when the film is done, Bond has the emotional and physical scars that will shape the man he becomes.

With a sharp script, visceral action, impassioned acting and a Bond who can take the worst the world has to offer and still serve it (shaken and stirred), Casino Royale is an assured and worthy addition to the Bond canon. It is one of the best Bond films ever, and one of the best films of 2006.