'Casino Royale' (PG-13)(out of four)

For months, fans of James Bond have debated the question: How would Daniel Craig fare as the new Agent 007? The 38-year-old British actor has endured a lot of scrutiny -- from his blonde hair, to his rough "look" that seems far less-polished and sophisticated than that of his predecessor, Pierce Brosnan.

But fear not. Craig has taken the reins of the 21st James Bond film and has delivered a wild, memorable ride while leaving his own distinct stamp on the world's most popular secret agent.

Right from the start, his 007 is a man you don't fool around with. The movie begins with Bond brutally earning his double-0 status: He dispatches two bad guys -- one with a gun shot, the other by drowning the man in a sink. The latter is especially chilling as the camera stays focused on Craig's determined face as he does the deed.

The agent's first mission is to hunt down a terrorist banker named Le Chiffre (well-played by Dutch actor Mads Mikkelsen) To get to this particularly evil-looking bad guy, Bond is put through his paces. The filmmakers have thankfully passed on elaborate visual effects (remember the invisible car from "Die Another Day"?) and instead have gone back to basics: men chasing each other, and fighting to the death.

Early in the story, there's a breathtaking foot chase between Bond and a villain that's amazing to watch as the men dive, dodge, and deliver in a bone-crunching sequence that at one point goes full bore on an elevated crane.

Bond is aided in his mission by a beautiful British Treasury official named Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), and while it's often that the women in Bond films are just eye candy, Vesper is quite capable of going toe to toe with 007. When James attempts to dress her down by doing a quick, psychological profile of his new associate, she responds in kind, shutting him up.

Naturally, an attraction begins growing between these reluctant partners. In one scene, he gets upset when she has a tailored tuxedo delivered to their hotel room. When Bond questions how the tux could possibly fit, she replies: "I sized you up the moment we met."

Director Martin Campbell, who reinvigorated the franchise with Brosnan's first Bond film, "GoldenEye" is the man behind the camera. He has wisely decided to keep some familiar fixtures from the 007 movies, but has put new original spins on them. Expecting the classic, opening shot with Bond shooting-at-the-gun-barrel? Campbell has come with something the same, yet different.

Everyone knows how James orders his martinis. The director stirs up that line, but without leaving us shaken. Messing with Bond basics is risky, but Campbell expertly walks the tightrope without stumbling. The filmmaker did decide to jettison a few things: There's no Miss Moneypenny, and no "Q" with all his gadgets. They would have seemed out of place in this rougher, tougher 007 story.

There is one familiar face who happily for us does appear: Judi Dench returns as "M," and earns some chuckles for her introductory scene in which she rants and raves about the politics of her job. Screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade ("The World is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day") were joined by Paul Haggis ("Crash" and "Million Dollar Baby") to come up with some sequences where we find out a few new things about the intelligence chief's personal life.

The movie is filled with a number of scenes that are memorable for their simplicity. There's a tension-filled sequence where Bond engages in a high stakes poker match with the villain. High drama is expertly created with just the turning over of some playing cards. Another great scene features Vesper sitting fully clothed in a shower, stunned at all the violence she has just witnessed. An exhausted Bond shows his sensitive side by sitting down next to her, also fully clothed.

"Casino Royale" does suffer from a few, minor shortcomings. A few of the accents are difficult to understand so be prepared to miss a few lines. Some of the final scenes are a little disjointed. Also, I've always enjoyed the wonderful title sequences at the beginning of Bond movies, but the one here seems surprisingly simple and underwhelming.

My biggest complaint, though, is about all the product placement. The folks at Sony are probably happy as they get to see their logo numerous times in the film, including on a computer, a cell phone, and a digital camera. The rest of us will just think, "Too obvious." And did we really have to have that scene where Bond is asked about what kind of watch he's wearing? Okay, so someone got a free Omega watch, but I came to see a movie, not a commercial.

But these are little things. Overall, "Casino Royale" is an exciting, exhilarating movie that shows Bond at his cold-blooded best. Craig can proudly say he's earned his 007 status, and helped to keep a classic franchise going strong.