There is a scene where Daniel Craig looks as if he's hoping he can fill Sean Connery's tuxedo. He can't. Nobody can. But this new Casino Royale does have a couple of good set pieces in the beginning.

The stark black and white opening is riveting. It’s not a great stylistic innovation as much as a suggestion that James Bond franchise, as many have argued, would be a lot more interesting had the producers been willing to concede the formula to a strong visual stylist such as Quentin Tarantino who has openly begged for a crack at Bond, or someone like Martin Scorsese or John Woo. For several moments, Martin Campbell gets things right before losing control, with a really good two hour film becoming a sloggish two and a half hours.

The opening sequence with Daniel Craig chasing after a bad guy through a construction zone in Uganda is also eye-popping for the constant motion and complex action. Running and jumping through stairs, girders and traffic, this second set piece is a reminder of why we loved watching James Bond films in the first place. This is the kind of sequence that blows away such Bond wannabes as Mission Impossible III. Having Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter is a nice contemporary touch, and I hope he becomes a regular part of the film series as he was in the novels.

As for Craig being the embodiment of Agent 007, I will only say that I like him better than Roger Moore or George Lazenby. I am one of the few people who thinks Timothy Dalton wasn’t given a fair shake. I did like Pierce Brosnan, but "Remington Steele" gave him years of practice. I like the idea of a rougher James Bond, heavier on the action, lighter on the quips. My favorite Bond is From Russia with Love. I also like the idea of re-filming Ian Fleming’s novels - the better films were the more faithful to the books. As far as who plays James Bond, Craig will do fine after this first run. But I am one of those many people who prefers the Connery Bond films. Nobody does it better.