Casino Royale introduces James Bond before he holds his licence to kill. No less dangerous, and with two professional assassinations in quick succession, Bond is elevated to “00” status. “M” (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, sends the newly promoted 007 on his first mission to Madagascar, the Bahamas and eventually to Montenegro to face Le Chiffre, a ruthless financier attempting to recapture funds in a highstakes poker game at the Casino Royale. When Bond is placed under the watchful eye of the treasury official Vesper Lynd, his initial skepticism of her turns into a deepening interest as Le Chiffre’s cunning and cruelty come to bear on them both in a way Bond could never imagine, and he learns his most important lesson: Trust no one.