Quantum of Solace movie poster
The Bond trilogy had been getting stale and boring until Daniel Craig took the role of James Bond in Casino Royale. The previous movies had been self-contained with little connection between them so there wasn’t much to be said in terms of plot. Quantum of Solace changes that, but not by much. Nothing really happens… There are a lot of cool action sequences of Daniel Craig being a badass, but the plot hasn’t progressed much at all. It’s like what Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was to Pirates 1. All it really did was setup for the next movie.
Bond’s signature gadgets are notably absent again. Some fans might be disappointed by this, but I personally like the added realism. The action scenes are intense. Some people complain that they’re hard to follow at times because the camera switches every five seconds, but I didn’t mind. And of course, there’s an obligatory car chase scene and a boat chase too. There’s also a definite homage to Goldfinger. Oddly enough, I don’t remember Craig ever introducing himself as “Bond, James Bond” in the movie.
Quantum of Solace isn’t what I expected, but it’s worth seeing. Daniel Craig introduces a more human element to the character while still being a badass. Quantum of Solace is more about Bond coming to terms with his loss in the previous movie than anything else. It explains why Bond is the way he is, but I’m not sure it needs an entire movie devoted to just that. People who liked Casino Royale will probably enjoy this one and those who didn’t might not. I’m in the camp that liked Casino Royale: 4/5 stars.