The recent reboot of James Bond provided the franchise with a much needed fresh take on the beloved MI-6 agent and Quantum of Solace literally picks up 20 minutes after the events of Casino Royale. It should be noted that while Quantum of Solace does bring us the first direct sequel in the James Bond canon, the style of the two films couldn't be more different. Casino Royale took its time introducing Bond and proceeded to tell an unusually complex story for a James Bond film. Quantum of Solace should be thought of as the high-energy action-centric exclamation point to the events of its predecessor.
The film reminds me of the recent Bourne trilogy, as Bond seemingly turns up in a quarter of the world's countries before the credits roll. Unfortunately, QoS utilizes the choppy editing of the Bourne films to an even higher degree, rendering many of the excellent action sequences as little more than a blur, with few camera shots lasting more than a second or two. It's a shame since Marc Forster stages several extremely impressive action sequences.
Luckily, this is my only real complaint with this second iteration of the new leaner and meaner Bond. Daniel Craig once again does a great job, albeit with much less dialogue this time around. Craig is excellent at portraying the emotionally damaged secret agent who still finds time to kick immeasurable amounts of ass while jet-setting around the globe. There are the obligatory Bond girls and Olga Kurylenko does a fine job as the sexy but dangerous Camille, Bond's unwilling partner. Giancarlo Giannini and Jeffrey Wright are welcomed back as Rene Mathis and Felix Leiter, respectively. Mathieu Amalric is serviceable as the villain but the relationship between protagonist and antagonist isn't nearly as developed, and thus fulfilling, as that of Bond and Le Chifre in Casino Royale. Marc Forster knows exactly what he wants in Quantum of Solace and that's a fast-paced and exciting film which nicely wraps up the Vesper revenge story arc for Bond while also introducing the villainous and shadowy Quantum organization. The film ends with Bond ready to step fully into the role of a deadly blunt instrument with the Vesper tragedy finally behind him. Meanwhile, the Quantum organization is given a grand introduction and looks to be a stalwart of the series in the future.
Marc Forster's Quantum of Solace is a stylish and action-packed direct sequel to perhaps the best Bond film ever, and while it doesn't match Casino Royale, it does deliver top-notch entertainment and the promise of a continued storyline concerning the development of James Bond and the elusive Quantum organization. 4 out of 5 stars.
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