Review: 007 Quantum of Solace
Daniel Craig's Second Outing as James Bond Impresses Once Again
Nov 22, 2008
Quantum of Solace SynopsisWhen audiences last saw Secret Service Agent 007 (Daniel Craig), he had just discovered the woman he loved, Vesper Lynd, was associated with a nefarious group, Quantum, with evil designs to disrupt worldwide economics and governments. With Vesper's death at their hands, James Bond sought out the last link he had to this group, Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), and just as the credits rolled, Bond shot White in the leg, and dragged him into his own house.
As Quantum of Solace begins, we discover that White isn't dead, but rather held captive, being taken to a local MI6 safehouse, to be interrogated under the watchful eye of M (Judi Dench). Soon Bond and M discover a traitor in their midst, allowing a clean getaway by White, while Bond battles the traitor in an action packed chase and fight scene.
Bond follows leads provided by MI6 in terms of money originally given to the traitor by his other masters, and by tracking his previous movements, connects him to a man working for Greene Planet ecological activist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), himself a member of Quantum.
Soon thereafter, Bond inevitably meets and seduces Greene's lover, Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko), as a means to get closer to his target, who has plans to control Bolivia's water supply in order to take complete control of any potential oil found there. The movie pretty much follows Bond's investigation, leading him to discover who is working for whom, which doublecrosses are in effect, and what it means for the world at large, if Quantum succeed in their plan.
Confused yet? Fear not, Bond still manages to covertly investigate, seduce yet again (in this case, an MI6 field operative aptly named Strawberry Fields), and reconnect with Camille, before the film's expected action packed finale, in the traditional 007 style.
Quantum of Solace Plot Analysis
This film, the 22nd in the ongoing series of films based on Ian Fleming's spy hero, marks yet another solid outing for director Marc Forster, whose previous works varied from dramatic titles such as Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball, to such bizarre fare like Stranger Than Fiction. This being his first serious attempt at a pure action film, the action on screen doesn't dissapoint, even if the story leaves the viewer wanting more.
In one sense, this marks the first time a Bond film acts as a direct sequel to its predecessor (in this case, Casino Royale), and the film's shorter-than-usual running time gives the overall product a rushed feeling (most Bond flicks clock at over two hours plus). As the villainous character of this film, Dominic Greene hardly seems dangerous as a corporate threat, and almost makes one think of a diminutive dot-com mogul with delusions of grandeur, who got bullied too often as a kid, and now wants to be the one pushing back. Sadly, this makes one feel as if James Bond were to feel any sense of threat or danger from a character who is almost at par with Woody Allen, on the scare-o-meter.
Craig still shows he has the mettle to inhabit Bond, in a form closer to what has been referred to as the quintessential 007 originally conceived by Fleming, that of a cold, violent, determined efficient killer in the employ of Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Thankfully, some of the old familiar faces remain in this latest installment, such as Dame Judi Dench as the irascible M (the only link to the Bond continuity, going back to 1995's GoldenEye), and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, who made his first on screen connection with Craig's Bond, in the casino scenes of the previous film. Giancarlo Giannini also returns in this film, as René Mathis, and old asociate of Bond's, also seen in the previous film. As for the slippery Quantum associate Mr. White, he will no doubt return in a later installment in the series, expected within a few years.
Overall, this film fares okay as an action film in its own right, yet isn't anywhere as good as some of the earlier Bond films. That having been said, this is not to say this was an inadequate product deemed worthy of the franchise, simply that the writers should consider a much stronger premise, as issues of possible hostile takeovers by shadow organizations, simply don't excite as much as 7 foot 2 metal mouthed henchmen, and evil masterminds bent on world domination.
7 out of 10, for being a solid Bond action film, but a short and unfocused one
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