I’ve seen every James Bond movie multiple times. Yes, that includes the laughable Never Say Never Again and the utterly ridiculous License to Kill. What is the best Bond movie? In my mind, there is no doubt. The winner is 2006’s Casino Royale. Like most fans of the series, I was skeptical when Daniel Craig was handed the reigns to one of cinema’s greatest heroes. Craig, a solid actor in films like Road to Perdition and Munich, captures the rugged essence of 007 better than even the untouchable Sean Connery. Charming, artful, tenacious and vulnerable, Daniel Craig is James Bond. What transformed Bond into an unfeeling killing machine? Casino Royale tells the tale of Bond’s first mission as a 007 agent.

In the following scene, Bond has just finished dispatching two nasty thugs. Upon returning to his hotel room, he discovers the engaging Vesper Lynd in a state of shock after witnessing Bond’s brutal confrontation. I present a touching and revealing scene from Casino Royale: