Metacritic Movie Ratings
Casino Royale Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 100

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman

  Relaunches the series by doing something I wouldn't have thought possible: It turns Bond into a human being again -- a gruffly charming yet volatile chap who may be the swank king stud of the Western world, but who still has room for rage, fear, vulnerability, love.

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• 100

  out of 100

  Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert

  This movie is NEW from the get-go. It could be your first Bond. In fact, it was the first Bond; it was Ian Fleming's first 007 novel, and he was still discovering who the character was.

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• 80

  out of 100

  The New York TimesManohla Dargis

  The latest James Bond vehicle -- call him Bond, Bond 6.0 -- finds the British spy leaner, meaner and a whole lot darker.

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• 80

  out of 100

  VarietyTodd McCarthy

  Craig comes closer to the author's original conception of this exceptionally long-lived male fantasy figure than anyone since early Sean Connery.

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• 80

  out of 100

  The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt

  What a relief to escape the series' increasing bondage to high-tech gimmicks in favor of intrigue and suspense featuring richly nuanced characters and women who think the body's sexiest organ is the brain.

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• 80

  out of 100

  Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

  Daniel Craig isn't merely acceptable, but formidable. His Bond is at least the equal of the best ones before him, and beats all of them in sheer intensity.

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• 75

  out of 100

  USA TodayClaudia Puig

  The film is about a half hour too long. The third act drags and an extended high-stakes poker game doesn't always keep our attention. But this is a superior Bond.

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• 70

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan

  Though the film's final break-the-bank action sequence in Venice is worth waiting for, Casino Royale's 2-hour, 24-minute running time is long enough to exhaust all but the series' biggest fans.

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