12 Things You Learn Rewatching Casino Royale

Still refreshing. Still the best.

By Jack Pooley /

MGM

Our weekly Bond rewatch series enters its very final stretch now as we leave the iffy Pierce Brosnan years behind and enter the era of Daniel Craig.

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2006's Casino Royale was released to enormous scepticism from audiences casual and hardcore alike, though over a decade removed from the franchise reboot, it's safe to say that Craig has cemented himself as a 007 for the ages.

Quite arguably the best of all 24 Bond films, Casino Royale has lost little of its edgy sheen 12 years later, still retaining the refreshing psychological complexity, brutal violence and technical wizardry that felt so lacking from many prior Bond flicks.

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It's not all perfect, no, and there are a few moments which prove legitimately cringe-inducing, but as a radical step forward for a franchise in freefall, the execution was mostly masterful.

Whether you're a shameless fan of the goofy Moore years or were craving a hearkening back to the grittier Connery era, Casino Royale has something to offer any card-carrying Bond fan...

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