Daniel Craig is back as James Bond in the lean, mean sequel to 2006’s franchise reboot Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace (MGM/Sony). Directed by Marc Forster (Kite Runner), the 22nd entry into the Bond canon, is not only one of the shortest (with a runtime of about one hour and 45 minutes), it is also the most action-packed.
This comes with a price, however. Much of the humor, wit and charm that viewers might expect from a Bond film are almost entirely absent.
The story picks up shortly after the events of Casino Royale, as we find Bond, still reeling from Vesper’s betrayal and death, on a mission to exact revenge on the parties responsible. Bond and MI6 are hastily introduced to the global criminal organization, Quantum.
It is Bond’s mission to figure out what they are planning and put a stop to it.
His mission takes him first to Haiti, where he meets the beautiful Camille (Olga Kurylenko, Max Payne), who has her own revenge in mind.
He also encounters the villainous Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric, Munich), an environmentalist and head of Greene Planet, an organization with ties to Quantum.
Under the guise of environmental protection, Greene plans on taking control of Bolivia’s water supply and giving exiled Gen. Medrano (Mexican actor Joaquín Cosio) control of the nation so that Greene can reap the financial benefits.
Bond’s mission takes him all over the world, from Italy to South America, as he constantly must elude Quantum, the CIA and even his boss (Dame Judi Dench). When everyone turns against him, only Camille and Bond’s good friend in the CIA Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, W.) seem willing to help the estranged spy.
The film shows Bond’s transformation from his more inexperienced persona in Casino Royale into a cold, emotionless man, only concerned with accomplishing his mission. He has trouble trusting anyone, and even people thought to be allies turn on him.
Though Bond has always been one to disregard most people, he normally does it with wit and sarcasm. In Quantum of Solace, though, Bond is missing the lighthearted fun of previous entries. Only Camille and M are able to get any emotion out of Bond, and he is reluctant to pursue anything romantically serious with Camille, who is herself emotionally scarred.
Watching Quantum of Solace, one can’t help but think that it is a bridge to bigger things for the new James Bond. It stands alone well enough, but it serves more as a developing story for a more important villain and, hopefully, a larger, more traditional Bond adventure.
It also seems fairly clear that the film, or at least director Forster, suffers from a case of Bourne envy.
The action in the film is often choppy, with quick cuts and jumps in editing that resemble the action style that has made the Bourne trilogy so popular. Bond steps it up with action involving not just cars, but planes and boats as well.
In the days of Jason Bourne, Bond is trying to keep up, but does the Bond franchise really need to prove itself?
Quantum of Solace is a solid film, and worth a watch, but it is not like any other Bond film.
Unlike Casino Royale, itself a departure for Bond, it takes away a lot of the elements that distinguish James Bond from other spies.
This film suggests that Bond will remain as cold as his shaken vodka martinis.
