We do miss some of the elements that other Bond films were so famous for, however.  In “Casino Royale,” there is no “Q” with his clever gadgets, and there is only one life-saving gadget in Bond’s new car. There are no Bond girls in the opening sequence, which seems less memorable than the others, and this time, the violence seems not so cute and campy, but real and gruesome and torturous at times.  Bond lets his heart attach to a woman (has that ever happened in a Bond film?), and he really gets bruised, bloody, beaten, and scarred – physically and emotionally.

For those of us used to the over-the-top cheesy confidence of the former Bond films, “Casino Royale”'s realness might be a bit much to handle.  In the older films, the bad guys and henchmen were caricatures such as Odd Job, Jaws, Goldfinger, and Dr. No, and they used tools like giant lasers, space shuttles, or scary gadgets to start wars.  The old Bonds were left in rooms to face the danger of sharks or lasers that could saw them in half, but this time the bad guy personally tortures Bond, rather than coolly watching from a distance.  It’s too much at times, and many will miss the old tone of tongue-in-cheek humor and lighter pranks.
 
The movie’s worldview is basically biblical in its extolling of bravery and diligence in overcoming evil, but the tools used are overweening violence and adultery, which dilute the message.  Despite some terrific Hollywood action sequences, a solid story, and admirable acting from the stars, the gritty realness will likely be off-putting to die-hard Bond fans used to the old style and will make the movie un-recommendable for younger audiences.

AUDIENCE:  Teenagers and adults

CAUTIONS:

• Drugs/Alcohol:  Plenty of alcohol, and a woman drugs a man.
• Language:  Several light obscenities.
• Sex:  Two sex scenes, with nothing overtly shown; some nudity with Bond naked when tortured; nothing overtly shown.
• Violence:  Excessive, with fights, car chases and crashes, torture, strangulation, shootings, stabbings, etc.