We’re treated to moments here and there that feel like James Bond coming into his own, like when he first slips on a tuxedo to head into his poker game with Le Chiffre (Mads Mikklesen).
So when Daniel Craig gets to dismiss a bartender with the line, “Do I look like I give a damn?,” it makes for a martini that truly shows how rough Bond is in his early days of service. It’s a double whammy that would have made throwing in old fashioned 007 trademarks rather distracting. The 21st Bond movie needed to reintroduce James Bond as a more modern action hero, as well as allow a new actor to feel out the role in their own fashion. But Daniel Craig’s debut in Casino Royale was basically a reset button that put 007 in the middle of his first mission as a 00-agent. It’s already hard enough for any actor to pick up the mantle of James Bond, even if it’s in a well established line of continuity. Using The Trademark 007 Touches Any Sooner Would Have Been Distracting
