OK, I have some new faith in the next James Bond film, after seeing these production pictures from "Casino Royale" (page 2 has the best pics), I think I like the direction the franchise is going in. From what I've read they're going to do for Bond what "Batman Begins" did for Batman: a total reboot. It looks like they're doing away with the asinine gadgets and over-the-top special effects from "Die Another Day," and going for a grittier, more realistic spy thriller.

The rumor is that the pre-credit sequence will show the mission that let Bond get his "00" status--how he got the required two kills to earn a "License to Kill."

From there it apparently follows the book "Casino Royale," which was the first Bond novel written by Ian Fleming.

Cast as the original Bond girl Vesper Lynd is stunning French actress Eva Green who was most recently in "Kingdom of Heaven" and "The Dreamers." The first link contains some spoilers, so be prepared.

Initially, I was against the idea of casting Daniel Craig as Bond because, although he was great in "Road to Perdition," I just found him to be very lackluster and wish-washy in "Tomb Raider." But, since this is supposed to be a younger Bond, I think it could work if he shows more grit and charisma than he usually has.

But as of right now, I'm really excited about seeing a new Bond movie again.