Quantum of Solace Review

Quantum of Solace, the latest film in the newly re-energized James Bond franchise, is literally a sequel to 2006's Casino Royale, beginning shortly after the fade-out of that movie. True to form, it picks up the action in the middle of an epic car chase, then gives the audience a series of intense action sequences that are lightning fast mind blowers in the style of The Bourne Identity.

It out-Bournes the Bourne films because of the physical prowess and brooding charisma of the new 007, Daniel Craig.

At last, a successor to Sean Connery's throne, who dispenses with the tongue-in-cheek, nudge nudge wink wink of the old Bond films, and instead simply kicks ass, takes names, and seduces a beautiful co-worker when it behooves him to do so. He's less the devil-may-care hedonist and more like the angel of death, a vengeance-bent machine intent on bringing the pain to the people who were directly responsible for the death of his beloved, Vesper Lind. Speaking of that character, references to Ms. Lind bring to mind the incredible Eva Green, who is the beautiful ghost that haunts Quantum of Solace.  

The Bond girl this time out is Olga Kuryenko, and she's pretty kick-ass in her own right. As is, in her own way, Judi Dench as M. Also returning are Giancarlo Gianini as Mathis and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter (I believe this marks the first time the same actor has played the character in more than one movie). The song thaqt plays, "Another Way to Die," sung by Jack White and Alicia Keys, is one of the more rocking Bond themes to date.

The direction by Marc Foster and the script by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade get the job done, while continuing to develop the character of the new Bond. The title comes from an unrelated short story by Ian Fleming, the creator of 007.

If you haven't yet seen 2006's Casino Royale,  you definitely should or else the plot of Quantum of Solace won't make a whole lot of sense to you. If you wait for the DVD, you can watch both movies back to back for maximum Bondage.

See also: James Bond 007: The Sean Connery Years.