If ”Casino Royale” had a tough job in both introducing Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond and revitalising the somewhat tired 007 franchise, ”Quantum of Solace” has an even harder task: it has to follow ”Casino Royale”.
Craig’s first appearance as Bond was not only a worldwide box-office smash, it made the character and the series feel relevant, exciting and alive for the first time in years.
On top of all that, it was simply a fantastic, full-throttle action-adventure – it wasn’t just a great Bond movie, it was a great movie full stop.
Wisely, ”Quantum of Solace” doesn’t try to beat ”Casino Royale” at its own game. While sticking to the 007 formula – global intrigue, international locations, hot women, ice-cold martinis – this is a movie with its own identity.
Does it work as well as its predecessor? Not quite, but that’s because ”Casino Royale” perfectly balanced the traditional Bond elements with a grittier, edgier feel somewhat reminiscent of the influential Jason Bourne trilogy.
”Quantum of Solace” is a bit more Bourne than Bond in its attitude and approach. That’s not altogether a bad thing – you could have worse role models – but those of us still on a ”Casino Royale” high might feel a little let down. But only a little.
Picking up one hour after the end of ”Casino Royale”, ”Quantum of Solace” throws the audience right into the midst of the action, with Craig’s Bond interrogating smooth criminal Mr White (Jesper Christensen) about his role in the death of Bond’s beloved Vesper Lynd.
Turns out that White is part of a much larger plot than anyone could have thought – he works with Quantum, an espionage network so vast it infiltrates every covert organisation in the world and so secretive that even Bond’s superior M (Judi Dench) has never even heard of it.
Getting close to Quantum will get him closer to the people behind Vesper’s death, so Bond finds himself tangling with suave billionaire Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), whose environmental concerns may mask a more sinister scheme.
Our hero also finds himself allied with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a beautiful woman with a tragic past, who has her own reasons for going after Greene and his business partners.
Whereas the Bond movies of the past have been pretty much stand-alone adventures, ”Quantum of Solace” comes across as the conclusion of a two-part story that began with ”Casino Royale”.
It’s a new development, and one that’s quite effective. While it certainly works as its own film, its links to previous events give it an added depth and drive that pays off in satisfying ways.
Marc Forster, a director with a diverse body of work that includes the gritty Monster’s Ball and the understated Finding Neverland, may seem like an odd choice to helm a Bond movie but he brings a slightly hip, European tone to the proceedings, as well as welcome attention to detail in the dramatic and character-based moments.
Forster is backed up by some top-notch talent behind the camera, including second-unit director Dan Bradley, who’s regarded as one of Hollywood’s top action choreographers and coordinators. And the slam-bang style Bradley brought to the Bourne movies is extremely evident in Quantum’s action sequences.
Craig reinforces his standing as one of the best Bonds in the history of the series, subtly giving the character a wide emotional range while physically making him a dangerous man to be reckoned with.
Read Weeksy’s Review of “Quantum of Solace” Here
Read Clint’s Review of “Quantum of Solace” Here
