I am not a terrifically educated young woman in the ways of James Bond.  I was raised to defend Sean Connery to my dying day, to support Pierce Brosnan's sexy arse and despise Roger Moore's third nipple.  I know that Bond likes his vodka martinis shaken and not stirred.  And I know that Craig was taking a lot of heat for not being very physically canon.  As Entertainment Weekly put it: "Yes, Mr. Blonde, they expect you to dye!".

But I just got back from Casino Royale (I even went out of my way yesterday to buy an advance ticket, which was smart of me.  The theater was packed.) and let me be the most Bond-innocent (if not the first) to tell you: Get yourself to that movie.

Craig has an almost hypnotizing stare that makes you wonder if that's really his face and not just a CGI illusion.  Sure, he's a bit older and more weater-beaten, but just watch him work in the first half-hour of the film and you forget all about that. 

I won't spoil any of it for you.  I did call bullshit on a situation or two - you can't bring a flatline back with a defibrillator - but all in all the movie was so brilliant that you can't help but say "No. Way." when your mind is saying "GOD THAT'S AWESOME!"

SMALL SPOILER ALERT!

Plus, there's one scene that's a little unnerving (mostly for the men; ladies will just be crying over spilled milk.)  Ladies and gay guys, it's the "money shot".  But don't be fooled.  The Bond family jewels are threatened in this torture scene and when it's over, you'll be thinking "Bond. Is. The. MAN."

SPOILERS FINISHED!

Anyways, for those of you who've tuned back in, Casino Royale is fantastic.  It's a glorious romp through high-stakes adventure and when the credits roll you'll be thanking yourself.  Maybe even want to see it again.

My closing advice is this: make sure you use the bathroom before the movie.  It's a tad long (2 hours, 24 minutes), and the last ten minutes are kind of deflated if you're gunning to get to a stall.