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MOVIE:
Quantum of Solace
OUR RATING:
3/5 Stars
WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
Still smarting from the loss of his great love Vesper Lynd at the end of Casino Royale, MI6 secret agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) forges a mission of vengeance against the mysterious organisation that caused her death, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. A case of mistaken identity leads to his meeting with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman with her own vendetta. They stumble on a plot by environmentalist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) to take total control of one of the world's most important natural resources. But when Bond's bloodlust goes into overdrive, his own people attempt to neutralise him, and he and Olga find themselves targeted.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
When Daniel Craig was revealed to be the new incarnation of the world's most famous secret agent in 2006, all sorts of wild and paranoid accusations were leveled at the actor before he even shot his first scene – too blonde, to short, too butch, too unattractive, and so it went on. Of course, the minute Craig's sixth Bond went chasing after a particularly limber enemy in Casino Royale's incredible opening sequence - perfectly playing the tough as nails trained killer he's meant to be - all fears that he wouldn’t do the proud tradition justice were put to rest.
With the release of Quantum of Solace the question is: does Craig sustain the excitement and level of expectation for this new brand of British agent? Rest assured, Craig's Bond delivers – again and again – and this time his mission is so physically and emotionally bruising, you'll come to understand how Craig has had to undergo a number of surgeries post-production and sported an impressive arm brace at his premiere appearances for Quantum.
Picking up literally hours after the point where Casino Royale left off, Quantum's opening finds Bond involved in a high-speed chase through tunnels and quarries of Italy. Minutes later Bond is involved in another a breathtaking chase, this time on foot, over the crumbling balconies and rooftops of the antiquated homes in idyllic Siena. A word of advice: DO NOT blink during this scene - you'll no doubt miss an amazing physical feat by either of the actors/stunt men involved.
In what is essentially a sequel to Casino Royale, there's just no stopping Bond on his quest for revenge. He literally destroys everything in his path. Yes, James Bond is now a full-blown action hero, every bit the "blunt instrument" M (Judi Dench) accused him of being in Casino, and now represents all that is great and yet lacking from the re-booted franchise.
You'll be hard-pressed to find another movie released within the last year that matches the high-octane, balls-to-the-wall intensity of the action scenes and bruising combat manoeuvres seen here, but at the same time, it's not the Bond we've come to know and revere.
As was evident from the creative team's vision for the re-booted Bond, some old faithfuls (the finicky gadgets and Miss Moneypenny) are now a thing of the past, and it appears that Bond's actual spy work has taken a backseat to the action too. His sole high-tech "spying device" in Quantum is the limited edition Sony Ericsson Titanium Silver C902 Cyber-Shot phone, more a marketing opportunity for Sony than a plot device. The only clue that this movie is part of a long lineage is a hotel room scene that directly references a scene from Sean Connery's Goldfinger (1964).
As for the villains? No tears of blood, purring white cats or jaws of steel for our baddie Dominic Greene. No, he's a suave environmentalist with bad teeth and a penchant for disposable women. Although his mostly useless henchman does sport the most ludicrous toupee, just like something last seen on a 15th century French monk.
Director Marc Forster has imbued this 22nd Bond installment with all the visual splendor and instantly gratifying moments that will make this a must-see. But it will suffer from constant comparisons to the superior Casino Royale.
There isn’t enough of a plot for true fans to get their teeth into, the bad guys, for all their manic posturing, are just greedy bastards who aren’t exactly going to make you quake in your boots, and the charming Bond quips are sadly absent.
On the plus side, the depiction of Bond as a ruthless but fallible man, breaking stuff to mend his broken heart, is a wonderfully rich and gratifying role perfectly suited to Daniel Craig's talents. He may not be the Bond we thought we wanted, but he is precisely the Bond we need.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
