Then along came Goldfinger (1964), the third movie. You learn right off the bat how he earned his double-0 (license to kill) rating, then it's off to a spectacular chase and gunfight. There's nothing glib about this Bond, and if he does look good in a tuxedo, you always know there's a brute inside ready to battle the baddies.

It stays true to that original story in many essential ways (not a hallmark of Bond movies in general) while at the same time updating it for modern audiences attuned to the Jason Bourne and Mission: Impossible movies.Ĭraig himself delivers all the muscle and menace the character deserves, in keeping with Fleming's depictions and as measured against Connery, still the standard by which all other Bonds are invariably judged. It's based on Ian Fleming's very first Bond novel and gives us Bond very much as he was introduced to the world.

But Casino Royale (2006) also did what no previous Bond movie could do: It completely rebooted the franchise, blowing up a formula that many saw as played out, with far-fetched gimmicks and belabored puns, even as it remained a steady box office draw.

Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond is a terrific spy/action movie, period.

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