Quantum of Solace (MGM/Columbia)
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content.
Starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright.
Written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade.
Directed by Marc Forster.
GRADE: B+
REVIEW
By Dan MetcalfWhen
Casino Royale was released two years ago, I was taken by its gritty presentation, frenetic action, and willing departure from the silliness of previous James Bond movies. It was the best Bond ever, and I'm sorry to say it still is, even after this week's release of
Quantum of Solace.
Daniel Craig reprises his role as 007, but this time, there is no disconnect from previous films;
Quantum of Solace is an actual sequel, not just another volume in a series. Bond picks up exactly where he left off in
Casino Royale, still trying to find out who is behind the evil plot that killed his girlfriend Vesper. His main target is Mr. White, the man who seemingly rescued him during a brutal torture in
Casino Royale.
This time, the trail leads 007 to Dominic Greene, a barbaric businessman who deals with Third World dictators while pretending to own a clean energy company. Greene is bent on obtaining a vast wasteland in Bolivia; not for oil, but for a secret water reserve.
Judi Dench also returns as 'M', Bond's tough British Intelligence commander. As 007 gets deeper into Dominc's dealings, he encounters the beautiful Camille, played by Russian actress Olga Kurylenko. Camille is former Bolivian intelligence agent, also bent on vengeance against the dictator who killed her family and left her scarred from a fire.
As 007 teams up with Camille, they are both eventually given the opportunity to exact their vengeance via an abrupt battle inside a hotel located in the desert of Bolivia. In the end, Bond must decide between revenge and duty.
Quantum has the same gritty action and realistic tendencies of its predecessor. Daniel Craig is making a good case for being the best actor to portray the famed British spy. Like
Casino,
Quantum stays away from the inane gadgetry that plagued the franchise for the past four decades. Like
Casino,
Quantum is also more of a drama than a spy thriller, getting into the human emotions of Bond and the people around him.
But there are a few glaring differences between the two films, including several conveniences that cause
Quantum to stray from the welcome realism of
Casino. One instance is the 'final' battle scene between Bond, Dominic, Camille and the evil dictator inside the afore-mentioned hotel in the middle of the Bolivian 'desert', which seems to be an ultra-modern building with a shoddy fire code compliance. Everything from walls to book cases blow up into fireballs at the slightest spark, causing a long sequence of pyrotechnics you'd expect from some of the old-school Bond flicks.
Another problematic aspect of
Quantum is the deep and complicated plot. I guess it's a problem of habit and expectation of the Bond films of the past that required little deep thought or retrospect. If you did not take notes or study for Quantum, you might be like the student who is given a pop-quiz. After seeing the
Quantum screening, I drove directly to the video store to rent
Casino Royale to catch up. The two movies are not 'stand-alone' Bond stories. There are things you must know and remember from
Casino in order to follow
Quantum, like the first scene involving Mr. White (Hint: he's the guy Bond shoots in the leg during the final scene of
Casino).
Quantum of Solace is a fine movie and an adequate follow-up to its predecessor, but it's not quite as stunning, well-crafted, gritty or realistic as
Casino Royale.
