19 Years Later, Daniel Craig's "Near-Perfect" James Bond Film Returns to Shake Up Streaming Actorsvaultpro

Almost 20 years after completely dominating the box office, Daniel Craig‘s best James Bond film that some critics dubbed “near-perfect” is once again making waves, this time on streaming. Released in 2006, the film in question was Craig’s first outing as 007, and served as a complete reboot of the famed action spy thriller series following the Pierce Brosnan era. The strategy worked, as fans flocked to theaters to see this new, reinvigorated Bond that felt fresh, yet still retained some of the characteristics that made people fall in love with the character in the first place.

Die-hard Bond fans will know that we’re talking about Casino Royale, which was the second movie in the long-running series to be directed by Martin Campbell following 1995’s GoldenEye. Released on November 17, 2006, Casino Royale was an instant smash that would ultimately earn $616 million at the worldwide box office by the time it was all said and done. $167 million of that was earned domestically, which was enough to make the film the highest-grossing movie in the series until Quantum of Solace came along two years later to dethrone it.

Numbers aside, there’s little doubt that Casino Royale breathed new life into the James Bond franchise; something that was sorely needed following the over-the-top, almost cartoonish antics that Brosnan was running around doing. This new iteration was a more grounded, realistic portrayal of the MI6 agent who at times was intense, vulnerable, and certainly flawed. Let’s not forget about Eva Green’s portrayal of Vesper Lynd, either, as she’s still easily one of the best Bond women ever to grace the screen even now, 19 years later. For the uninitiated, check out the complete synopsis of Casino Royale below:

“After receiving a license to kill, British Secret Service agent James Bond (Craig) heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers a link to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a man who finances terrorist organizations. Learning that Le Chiffre plans to raise money in a high-stakes poker game, MI6 sends Bond to play against him, gambling that their newest ’00’ operative will topple the man’s organization.”

‘Casino Royale’ Is a Certified Fresh Classic Espionage Thriller

Eva Green and Daniel Craig in Casino Royale

Sony Pictures Releasing

Holding a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 94% from critics, it’s clear that Casino Royale has remained a favorite of many over the years, and rightfully so. Recent remakes have called it everything from a movie “that will blow away any fan of the 007 franchise” to “easily the closest the Bond franchise has come to a masterpiece so far.”

Many fans are in agreement, as the film also boasts an audience score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes from more than 250,000 ratings. It’s been called “the James Bond reinvention we needed,” “timeless,” and a “thrilling reinvention of the world’s most famous spy.”

If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing this Bond classic, or perhaps just want to enjoy Craig’s debut as the celebrated spy once more, Casino Royale is now streaming on MGM+, where it’s currently the 10th most popular movie on the streaming service.