Review of Quantum of Solace (2008) by Stevenf — 19 Feb 2013

It was always going to be difficult following the raging success of 'Casino Royale', but to throw out this messy and flash bang action film with a downright boring and far too realistic plot, it just felt top heavy.

I love films that take a realistic turn, Batman Begins being the best example, but with this mediocre plot of water and large deserts with hotels and perverted soldiers inside, this was not meant for James Bond, gone is the smooth and fluid dialogue and controlled action of Daniel Craig's debut, and in its a place an explosive and a cut too many action flick that was a step back, but that doesn't mean its a bad film.

Starting basically where the last film left off, we open with a pulsating chase in Bonds Aston Martin, being pursued through various close call cliffs by Alfa Romeo's, and this sets up the film for what it is, an action rampage. After a betrayal brings Bond and M back to London in an attempt to investigate the organisation known as Quantum, Bond rescues Camille (Olga Kurylenko) who was the victim of a failed assassination from her boyfriend, and main antagonist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric).

M continues to be weary of Bond after the events of the first film, obersving his continuing reckless and raging behaviour, Daniel Craig expertly carries this film, and for all its failures, he is the one shining light. His ability to convey Bond's emotion through excessive violence is certainly a step away from what is expected of this British spy, but for this realistic nature of conveying human emotion, Craig must be lauded.

There are plenty of set pieces and explosions to rival the Die Hards and Bournes of this world, but this is the faltering moment of the film, because Bond simply isn't an adrenaline junkie or a flat out superhero, he is an MI6 operative doing his job, and Solace seems to forget this.

The writing is spot on, but the plot and story is messy to the point of there being very little point to many of the characters in the film, the appearance of the beautiful Gemma Arterton as MI6 agent Strawberry Fields just seems pointless.

It certainly isn't a bad film, its still miles apart from the later Brosnan days, but it is still unfortunately further a field than Casino Royale, its weak, slow, and sometimes just too much of a good thing.