Dispensing with the cartoon-level gadgets and ridiculous villains, this film would strip Bond back down to his roots. “Casino Royale” was the heart-pounding and ferocious return to form that the forty-four year-old series needed. After “Die Another Day” was received with a negative reception due to its over-the-top story and camp aesthetic, the James Bond franchise went on a four year exile to soul search and discover what it wanted to become.
