Entertainment Weekly by Owen 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.

San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle

Casino Royale is fresh, actually fresh.

Observer by Andrew Sarris

That Bond so convincingly retains his composure and sang-froid throughout all the horrors that ensue is a testament to Mr. Craig’s abilities as an actor, and to Mr. Campbell’s astuteness as a director.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer by William Arnold

Flat-out one of the best Bonds ever.

Village Voice by Robert Wilonsky

Craig, excellent in both art house endeavors (The Mother, Enduring Love) and blockbuster think pieces (Munich), has both a nasty streak and a soft side never before seen in the series; Fleming would recognize him as most like his literary creation: damaged goods in a tailored tux.

Chicago Reader by J.R. Jones

The script updates Ian Fleming's first Bond novel to a post-9/11 world and scales back the silliness that always seems to creep into the series; director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro) contributes some superior action set pieces but keeps the camp and gadgetry to a minimum.

L.A. Weekly by Scott Foundas

What's appealing about Bond is precisely its unhip classicism -- its promise of clean, crisp excitement delivered without the interference of whiplash-inducing camera pyrotechnics, attention-deficient editing patterns, gratuitous color tinting and/or ear-splitting rock ballads.

Salon by Stephanie Zacharek

This is Bond as we've never seen him, more naked, alive and mysterious than ever.

Film Threat by Pete Vonder Haar

Casino Royale is quite possibly the best action movie of the year.

Rolling Stone by Peter Travers

Craig gives us James Bond in the fascinating act of inventing himself. This you do not want to miss.

Empire by Kim Newman

Contrary to pre-release nay-sayers, Daniel Craig has done more with James Bond in one film than some previous stars have in multiple reprises. This is terrific stuff, again positioning 007 as the action franchise to beat.

New York Magazine (Vulture) by David Edelstein

This Bond is haunted, not yet housebroken, still figuring out the persona. In Casino Royale, the reset button has been pressed in the manner of "Batman Begins."

Variety by Todd McCarthy

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

The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk 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.

Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov

The good news is Craig, who was riveting as a London pharmaceutical salesman in the recent Brit import "Layer Cake," is equally mesmerizing here.

The New Yorker by Anthony Lane

Craig has the courage to present a hollow man, flooding the empty rooms where his better nature should be with brutality and threat. His smile is more frightening than his straight face, and he doesn’t bother with the throwaway quips that were meant to endear us to the other Bonds.

Time by Richard Corliss

This is a Bond with great body but no soul.