Since the release of "Casino Royale" (2006), fans of the James Bond series have been anxiously awaiting the release of Daniel Craig's second outing as the British superspy. Due to the raging success of the previous film, it is no surprise that "Quantum of Solace" is somewhat of a disappointment.
"Quantum" stars Craig in his continued role of MI6's secret agent 007, James Bond. The rest of the main cast is rounded out by Judi Dench, reprising her role of 'M;' Jeffery Wright as CIA ally, Felix Leiter; and Mathieu Amalric as villain Dominic Greene. The film is the first direct sequel to a Bond film (that being "Casino"), so viewers need to be sure they are caught up on all the characters and events in the past film, or they may be lost for most of it.
The film begins with an intense car chase through the hills of Italy, the last location we saw Bond. When Bond successfully escapes to a hidden garage, he opens the trunk to reveal a beaten up Mr. White (played by Jesper Christensen), the character that set up the agreement between Le Chiffre and the Lord's Resistance Army in "Casino."
At this point, the frame freezes, and the picture fades into the typical opening title sequence. This sequence, unlike "Casino" before it, features the return of silhouetted women that shape shift with the sand and shapes that move around on the screen. As the credits roll, "Another Way to Die," the title song for the movie by Jack White and Alicia Keys, blasts over the speakers.
When the action returns, Bond and M begin to question Mr. White's involvement in an organization called Quantum. Quantum is a replacement of the SMERSH organization from the "Casino Royale" novel and a continuation of the SPECTRE organization from the earlier films. The rest of the film follows Bond trying to uncover what Quantum is trying to do, while seeking vengeance for the death of his love interest Vespyr Lynd.
That being said, it must be noted that this film is more of a vengeance film than anything; nothing substantial is learned about the Quantum members and the ending of the film doesn't provide the audience with any useful information about the organization. This style leaves the franchise open for another direct sequel, which compromises the format of the whole series -- even though the reboot of the films already did that. The film is also 106 minutes long, making it the shortest Bond film to date.
The film's visuals are spectacular, as director Marc Forster uses unique camera angles to achieve the closest picture to the action. One scene includes the camera falling with Bond and a villain straight down through a glass-plated ceiling and to the ground. The film also uses juxtaposition to show the events that are happening in a different way. The foot-chase scene after the opening credits cuts between the chase and a horse race, and the dramatics that are concurrent with Bond's discovery of many Quantum members is matched with a dramatic performance of Puccini's opera "Tosca."
As expected, the action scenes in the film are very intense -- perhaps even more so than those in "Casino Royale" -- and almost resemble the Jason Bourne trilogy. The dialogue is nothing special, especially since Bond no longer uses quips or pithy comebacks at his villains, solidifying a dramatic transition in the series' formula. The technology that is displayed in the film (look for the prototype of Microsoft Surface), however, is amazing to see, even if there is no Q branch to give out the gadgets.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson took a giant leap with their casting of Daniel Craig and the choice to completely reboot the series to develop a mini-trilogy ("Casino," "Quantum," and the 23rd Bond which should be released in 2011). This trilogy, however, is meant to be a prequel to the series itself, which explains Craig's Bond's departure from the debonair, emotionally detached super spy of the previous films; these films show how James Bond became Special Agent 007.
"Quantum" is by no means a bad film; however, due to the hype that was created by its promotional shots and trailers, this film is not what a viewer might expect. Die-hard fans of the series might be displeased with the many deviations from the classic formula, but regular movie lovers who enjoy action and the general intrigue that comes from this type of film will find that "Quantum of Solace" is a well above-average movie-going experience.
