Quantum of Solace Review

In short: damn good flick.

Sure, it's no Batman or Casino Royale, but the "professional" reviews I've seen pretty much blasted the film as nothing but explosions. I seriously considered waiting to see this one until it came out on DVD. Carolyn really wanted to go, so even though I had a ton of work to do (how come it seems like I'm working 6 or 7 days a week now?), we went to a Sunday Matinee.

I think that Daniel Craig is the best Bond ever! I know I'll take some flack for that stance, but I personally want Bond to seem like at any moment he's going to give up life and limb for Queen and Country. In Casino Royal Bond acknowledges that he's likely to live a very short time: such is the fate of a 00 Agent. We see him get the living crap beat out of him. Quantum was no different. We see him getting wounded and even in the obligatory shirt-off scenes we get to see that his cuts and scrapes haven't yet healed. Unlike Roger Moore's James Bond who could parachute into the Saraha in summer and walk out refreshed and ready for a dinner party without even breaking a sweat. All the previous Bonds were like this to some extent.

Anyway, Quantum is a different Bond film in that it is more of a transitional story...a segway between before and after. In some respects Casino Royale was also a transitional story, but one that wasn't fully told. We saw the beginnings of a new Bond, just not a new actor playing Bond. There were several loose ends from Casino Royale that needed to be tied up in order to present the James Bond we've all seen for years. I don'y want to give away any details, so I won't, but I truely think that Quantum of Solace needs to be seen as the continuation of Casino Royale that it is. The film isn't designed to be viewed in a vacuum.

Go watch Casino Royale and then go see Quantum of Solace! When you see them together you'll have a full understanding of James Bond....one that can be the supporting framework that many great future Bond films can stand on.