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Quantum
of Solace
(originally
posted in slightly different form by Jamie Kelwick at his
own site -- www.the-usher.com.)
In 2006
the most successful action franchise in movie history started
again with a new lead actor and a new approach. The man
who had made some of the most financially successful films
of the series, Pierce Brosnan, had been replaced by a younger,
rougher character actor in the shape of Daniel Craig while
the franchise returned to the start of the British agent's
career with an adaptation of Ian Fleming's first novel Casino
Royale.
But
this was a very different James Bond than fans were used
to. In what was considered a response to the success of
the 'Bourne' movies, which approached the spy genre with
a vivid realism that did away with the slightly over the
top style of the Brosnan era, Casino Royale injected
realism into Bond, meaning the gadgets, the over the top
villains and grandiose lairs had to go. The fans' response
was positive, but can a second adventure in this style still
appease them?
For
the first time in the series, this is a direct sequel to
the previous Bond movie. Quantum of Solace picks
up just after Bond, James Bond, had announced himself to
Mr. White and flows into a relentless hunt by Bond to find
the people behind Vesper Lynds' betrayal. With the Government
thinking he has gone rogue and the CIA seeing him as a hindrance
to their interests in Bolivia, Bond has to call on some
old and new allies to help him discover who is pulling the
strings.
This
challenging, driven approach to storytelling pushes a very
serious Bond and one that is still very different from the
man created by Sean Connery, Brosnan and especially Roger
Moore, which might not go down well with fans who hoped
that Daniel Craig's second adventure would introduce a few
more familiar aspects from the franchise.
With
no Q branch, Miss Moneypenny and most importantly humour,
this is another darker approach to Bond. Daniel Craig's
007 is still learning his trade and because this is a continuation
of the storyline set up in Casino Royale, we are
still seeing Bond become a 00.
What
Quantum of Solace does is show Bond becoming much
more than a blunt instrument and this gives Daniel Craig
the chance to show a deeper side to the noticeably hurt
Bond, after the betrayal of Vesper. You can see the growth
in the character and the maturity shown by Craig throughout
the film and into its finale, defining Bond and showing
his development into the secret agent we know.
While
Bond's development is clear, the development of the mysterious
organisation behind Mr. White, Le Chiffre and Dominic Green
seems to take a backseat to Bond's growth. While this is
all well and good, with it being obvious that this is going
to be covered in later movies as part of the continuing
story, it does leave you with too many questions unanswered
after two movies. It functions much the same as the introduction
of SPECTRE during the Connery era, but at a lot slower pace.
The main reason for this is the inclusion of some many action
scenes.
The
action sequences come quick and fast throughout the duration
of the movie to the detriment of the advancement of the
story. With chase sequence following chase sequence, the
action is relentless, with Daniel Craig excelling and revelling
in doing most of his own stunts.
With
producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson employing
the stunt team responsible for the 'Bourne' franchise, this
is another change for Bond, with the action and visual style
now been very reminiscent of the Matt Damon movies, which
isn't always a bad thing but in some cases the closeness
of the camera doesn't give the action as big as an impact
as it could have.
With
Daniel Craig excelling again as James Bond, his supporting
cast have to be up to the same high level. Dame Judi Dench
returns as M, with another fine performance as the MI6 boss
with difficult decisions to make. Jeffrey Wright is also
back as Felix Leiter, having a slightly bigger role but
still not fulfilling the character's potential.
Quantum
of Solace also has two Bond girls, one played by up
and coming British starlet Gemma Atherton and the other
played by Olga Kurylenko. Atherton's role is the smaller
one, as consulate officer Ms. Fields, who makes an impression
on Bond. It is Olga Kurylenko who plays a very different
Bond girl and one that might just not end up in 007's bed.
She is an up and coming actress who made a big impact with
her appearance in Hitman
and now, with Camille she has created a character that helps
Bond in his own growth and could be just as influential
as Vesper.
Mathieu
Amalric's performance as environmental industrialist Dominic
Green, who has another more sinister agenda, is one that
needed a little more screen time to be more effective but
he is still a decent villain to push the story along.
Quantum
of Solace develops the story of what makes James Bond
a 00. While some fans will still lament the lack of the
gadgets, Q, Moneypenny and the one-liners that they loved
during the Moore and Brosnan eras, this is the Bond that
Ian Fleming created and one that is becoming the ultimate
secret agent.
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