Fans of the hit film series James Bond have spotted a “brilliant” detail in Daniel Craig’s first outing as the character.
The Ian Fleming adaptation of Casino Royale hit screens in 2006 and served as a soft reboot of the franchise after the Pierce Brosnan-starring Die Another Day. Though Craig is now a lauded face of the Bond character, the initial reaction to his casting was mixed. But fans now consider Craig a firm favourite, and have pointed to a moment towards the end of Casino Royale that is “simply brilliant”.
A post to X saw users share their love of the film, the first of five appearances from Craig as Bond. An omission made in the first film that surprised fans on first watch has since been called one of the best moves the series could have made, and it led to Craig being dubbed “the best Bond” by many.
One user wrote: “The iconic James Bond theme not playing the entire film until the very end where he lost Vesper and has fully become 007 is simply brilliant.”
Bond film composer David Arnold even shared it was the “last” thing he recorded for the film in the studio. He replied: “I saved the recording of it until last as well. The last thing we recorded. Orchestra so ready to play it. All went down in one take, I played the guitar part at the same time. All credit to the musicians for the energy and excitement in that performance. Magic.”
Another user confirmed the long wait to hear the infamous song was a reason they loved the film, and Craig’s portrayal of the character. They wrote: “An absolute masterpiece of a film. Not just the best Bond movie of all time but arguably the best film of the entire spy genre.”
A third user added: “Wholeheartedly agree. When I saw this in the theatre, this point where he had earned his 00 status and became Bond from the audiences perspective. Chills.”
Fans of Craig’s interpretation of the character were split on the films to follow, though, and say Quantum of Solace and No Time to Die nearly “ruined” his reputation as a Bond that could rival Sean Connery’s legendary status as 007.
One user wrote: “Craig is, in my opinion, the best Bond. A legacy so very nearly completely ruined by ‘No Time to Die’. This and Skyfall are both exceptional films.”
Another added: “And then, by the start of the next film, Bond is portrayed as being ‘washed up’ already. Why can’t we just get a normal, fun, meaningless Bond episode these days? A one-off adventure featuring the character in his pomp, with no pointless character arc or history or callbacks.”