1. Dryden and Fisher (Casino Royale)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNvzNWuzI9Y Daniel Craig's already notched up quite a respectable villain kill count in three films as 007 but it's the opening salvo in the pre-title sequence of his first outing that remain the most memorable. Neither corrupt MI6 section chief Dryden nor his underworld contact Fisher have any importance for the plot of the film that follows, but they represent the two kills required for the acquisition of Bond's 00 status, kills which thus prove instrumental in setting up the background of the character and determining our perception of him. The methods of execution could not be more diametrically opposed and firmly establish two sides to the character of the new Bond presented to us onscreen. The cool, calm, and collected way in which he handles the office confrontation, even disabling the pistol hidden in Dryden's desk, is strongly reminiscent of the Connery years decades earlier very much the spy returning to his roots rather than the go in all guns blazing action-hero approach that typified the Brosnan era (not that Craig is entirely free from that marker either). The scene even bears more than a passing resemblance specifically to the death of Professor Dent through the villain mistakenly believing he has gained the upper hand only to discover that his gun has been neutralised, of which Bond is coolly aware. When Dryden eventually comes to realise the true nature of Bond's mission and that his end is imminent, the corrupt chief taunts the soon-to-be 007 over the psychological effects of his first execution and begins explaining how the second will be different. Bond's actions quite literally take the words right out of Dryden's mouth and the new agent bluntly concurs with the unfinished statement in an ice-cool farewell. Interspersed with these shots and making for a highly effective contrast are of course the flashbacks to the brutal and gritty hand-to-hand bathroom combat with Fisher, which illustrated first-hand how Bond was now taking a leaf out of Jason Bourne's book as far as his fighting style was concerned. It was somewhat predictable that Fisher was only playing dead after being drowned in a sink, forcing Bond to dispose of him with his handgun, but in the process creating that unique and memorable spin on the iconic gun-barrel shot just as the opening notes of Chris Cornell's pounding theme tune start to chime in. Interestingly I wasn't aware until searching for a clip that there was an alternative version of this scene produced, detailing how Bond came to locate Fisher in Pakistan, rather than cutting immediately to their showdown. I'll leave it up to you to decide which was the superior cut.