OK, maybe I'm a little biased since I just saw the new James Bond flick Casino Royale yesterday. We've all walked out a movie saying it was the best movie we ever saw. The critics rate the 1963 From Russia with Love with Sean Connery as the best Bond film but the users of imdb.com have rated the latest film Casino Royale as the best Bond film.

I remember my friend saying that about ET then next Friday I suggested we go see ET again and she said "But we already saw it." I replied "But its the best movie you ever saw!" and she replied "That was last week!"

So my feeling may change over time but right now I'm feeling that was the best of the 21 Bond movies ever.

Even though watching it in Malaysia meant much of the sex, violence and obscenities were cut out.

I'm even saying it although the theater mixed up reels and a main character dies and later they are alive so parts of film didn't make sense to me because it was shown out of order.

I'm even saying it even though the main poster is a lie. It shows Bond sitting at the casino table with a gun when in fact guns were not allowed in the casino and that scene never happened.

Ignoring the bad movie experience due to seeing it in Malaysia, I could tell this was a break from all previous bonds. I have never read an Ian Flemming novel but I've heard this Bond comes the closest to Ian Flemming's vision.

The opening sequence blew my mind as usual. He's chasing a guys who has skills Bond doesn't but Bond uses his brains to do exactly what the guy is doing but with less effort.

I don't remember Bond in love before. I've seen almost every Bond film and I'm pretty sure this is the first time he falls in love.

This version of Bond is also more of tough guy than any other Bond. I liked that. It makes it even more meaningful when he opens up his heart to a woman.

There is no obsession with gadgets in this Bond. Bond relies on brains and brawn to get the job done with a couple gadgets thrown in.

Speaking of gadgets, one of them saves Bond's life and is probably an actual gadget in the real world … a portable defibrillator. Bond also dies in this one (if you consider dying having your heart stopped) but the portable defibrillator saves his life. I've never seen Bond die before.

I never had to suspend disbelief although if I think back I can probably find several instances of "hard to believe" incidents but at least they did not occur while I was watching the film.

On post reflection it is hard to believe anyone could walk away without any major injuries from a high speed car crash. I thought I noticed he wasn't wearing a seat belt. If that was the case he would surely have died rolling the new Aston Martin DBS 8 times.

I have seen the 1976 Casino Royale which is James Bond spoof with Peter Sellers and Woody Allen. The two movies are like apples and oranges. There is no comparison other than they are both fruit.

This Bond is a bit of rebel and loose cannon breaking the rules of the agency he works for in order to get the job done. That is another break from previous Bonds.

Daniel Craig plays the new bond. He's a relative unknown although imdb.com shows he's been in over 40 movies including such major motion pictures as Laura Croft:Tomb Raider and The Road to Perdition.

I also see from imdb.com that the next Bond movie is already in pre-production starting Daniel Craig.

Although Q was missing M was not. Judi Dench continues in that role. She was also in these Bond films starring Pierce Brosnan: Die Another Day, The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, GoldenEye so this is the first time her character is opposite a different Bond.

The relationship between M and Bond was also quite different. It was a bit strained. M is not happy about the way Bond does his job.

Bond's enemy in Casino Royale is also different from most previous enemies. Instead of World Domination this enemy is merely trying to raise enough money to pay off his debt. This enemy is quite fragile and human ... another departure from previous films.

I'm hoping the Bond franchise continues in this direction by having a more realistic Bond, one who has feelings and one who can be hurt.