Casino Royale was praised for its departure from the franchise’s conventions, particularly in how it captured the edginess of the Dalton films while avoiding the excessive joviality of the rest. All the old tropes that were so synonymous with Bond had become vulnerable to mockery and parody. The Austin Powers trilogy (1997-2002) had mocked the Bond franchise (and the spy genre more widely) to such acclaim and enjoyment that MGM felt that the existing model had become unsustainable.
Martin Campbell’s Casino Royale (2006) marked the biggest overhaul in James Bond history, ditching the gadgets, unconvincing CGI, and comic book villains.
