"Quantum of Solace" Movie Review

This week we take a look at the latest in the long line of James Bond films, Quantum of Solace (PG-13). Daniel Craig returns for his second go round as 007, and Marc Forster takes his first shot at directing the franchise. Olga Kurylenko, Judy Dench, and Jeffrey Wright costar.

Ryan: Quantum of Solace, like this summer's The Dark Knight, is a sequel to a very successful rebooting of a franchise (Casino Royale and Batman Begins, respectively). But unlike The Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace fails to bring the franchise up to that next level. Don't get me wrong. Quantum of Solace is a very entertaining action flick but it's a step back from the high standard that was reset by Casino Royale. Yet, ultimately most Bond fans and other casual moviegoers will be satisfied by the film.

Andy: Casino Royale was a big surprise, partly because it was so much better than the previous Bond films. Quantum of Solace does not have that advantage. It still packs enough punch to be a very good movie action movie, and shouldn’t be faulted too much for not living up to the quality of its predecessor.

Ryan: One of the biggest strengths of Casino Royale is how it simultaneously revived the Bond franchise for a contemporary moviegoing audience while still respecting the formulaic elements of the forty year old series. But regrettably, Quantum of Solace doesn't feel like a Bond film. I'm conflicted in whether that is a good or bad thing. The box-office results (a weekend hall of over 70 million dollars) would indicate that it's a good thing in that they are pulling in new viewers. But for Bond fans the movie might prove to be frustrating at times in that it's almost completely devoid of the allurement of the previous incarnations.

Andy: There’s no question that Solace break with many of the Bond traditions. There are not any spy gadgets, save what you can see on CNN on a nightly basis. Outside of the opening sequence there aren’t really any cool cars. Even on the seduction front this Bond seems preoccupied with other things, just having a token love scene with a token character that wasn’t very necessary for the film in the first place. That said, the movie still works like spy film should. But unlike most Bond films, it doesn’t check all of the 007 boxes.

Ryan: There's no question that Daniel Craig fits the modern Bond (a steely detachment with a lot of rage) that the producers and filmmakers are striving for. And there's also no question that Craig delivers the goods with regard to his cool performance. The only thing that I think needs tinkering with in regards to his performance is that it needs to be less intense. Yes, Bond is an intense character but he's also a suave character. Craig demonstrated in Casino Royale that he could handle that duality. Unfortunately with Quantum of Solace there was no opportunity to showcase his charming side.

Quantum of Solace is an excellent action film, even if it does lack some of the identity of a traditional Bond film. Final grade: B.