Quantum of Solace

Directed by Marc Forster. Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright

Reviewed by Junior.

This is the second outing for Daniel Craig as 007, and the first direct sequel in the history of the franchise. This film picks up about 20 minutes after the end of the last. Bond is pursuing the vast evil organization called "Quantum," which was discovered in Casino Royale, but more importantly, he is out for (yawn) revenge!

As with the previous movie, an exciting action sequence---this time a car chase---opens the film. Unfortunately the quick cuts in which the scene is presented makes it completely impossible to follow. If we, as viewers, are to get the impression, the feeling, of a fast, dangerous car chase then the editing achieves its end. If we are supposed to be able to follow what, exactly, is going on in the car chase, then it doesn't. The second action sequence in the film--a chase across rooftops---is nearly as incomprehensible as the first.

When I say the director, Marc Forster, may want to give the viewers an impression of an action sequence rather than a comprehensible action sequence I'm not being sarcastic. He's a bit of an artsy-fartsy director whose previous work includes The Kite Runner, Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland. Twice in the film action sequences are intercut (artfully) with other, parallel activities, and those sequences are stylish and effective.

The creative team goes to great lengths to make Quantum even more action packed than Craig's first outing, to its detriment. Bond's supporting cast is less interesting than in Casino Royale as well.

Casino Royale was a masterful balance of old Bond and reinvented Bond, with just the right mix of action, suave casual cool, beautiful locations, violence and sex. This movie sacrifices all the other elements for action, violence, and more action. Not that there's nothing else in the movie, but the scenes in between the action seem more like filler while they ready the stuntmen. The requirement of sexuality in a Bond film seems to particularly irk Forster. Bond gets laid only once, in a brief throwaway scene, and only takes off his shirt briefly (sorry ladies!) Bond spends the entire movie in Third World shitholes and never looks like he's having any fun at all. Usually, although he gets in tight spots, it always seems like it would be glamorous and cool to be Bond. Not in Quantum.

The film does contain a mildly witty homage to the 3rd original Bond outing, Goldfinger, with the girl left on Bond's bed. But even considering what the villain does to her, Mathieu Amalric is not very interesting and is too much of a lightweight to ever seem a real threat to Bond. The primary Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko, who also happens to be out for revenge(!), does not have any chemistry with Craig, nor do to they share the verbal sparring of Craig and his previous leading lady, Eva Green, although Kurylenko does finally achieve that which every Bond movie has claimed to do for about 20 years---she is a Bond girl that is Bond's equal, and not just a sex object. Just to drive the point home, Bond doesn't have sex with her.

Judi Dench and Jeffrey Wright are back as M and Felix Lighter, respectively, but have little of interest to do here. Lighter, like Bond, appears to be miserable and M and Bond don't have enough scenes together to take advantage of the crackling good energy between them evidenced in Casino Royale.

That's often the problem with movies about revenge. They take themselves way too seriously and take the fun out of the character(s) you've come to love. Craig is still terrific as Bond and I hope, now that we have the Bond prologue and the Bond revenge out of the way, that the next movie can hit the new series' stride with a good, solid Bond outing, confident in what Bond is now and what kind of movie series they want to deliver.

Story---5
Acting---7
Look---5
Overall---6