007: Quantum of Solace

(2008)

Directed by

Marc Forster

Review by Terry Plucknett

Bond has changed, and I have no problem with it.

Before you start reading this review, you really need to read Todd’s review of the movie as much of what I will talk about is reaction to his negative review.

The latest installment in the James Bond saga has Daniel Craig as the iconic character for the second time.  Craig gave a breath of fresh air to the series in 2006 with Casino Royale, taking the calm, cool, collected, but aging Bond previously portrayed by Pierce Brosnan, and making him young, impulsive, and rough around the edges.  Bond is no longer the experienced professional he was in the Connery, Moore, and Brosnan days.  He is now an inexperienced agent that is constantly learning on the job.  This philosophy made Casino Royale a revival of a franchise much like Batman Begins was for the Caped Crusader, and although it is not what The Dark Knight is, Quantum of Solace is a worthy follow-up to the successful predecessor.

Once again, the performance by Daniel Craig is stellar.  He is asked to play a Bond we have never seen before in that he is coping with personal loss while working a case.  However, unlike what a certain brother of mine that will remain nameless says, he is not acting much out of revenge.  There is definitely a sense that this case is personal as well as professional, but many acts that are seen as revenge are actually meant to frame Bond to remove him from the case.  This personal aspect to the story again does not necessarily show that Bond has turned into something that does not fit into the iconic character we have all come to know and love.  It just shows that Bond is at a different stage in his life than we have seen before.  When Sean Connery graced the silver screen as 007 in Dr. No, he was already a well-rounded, experienced agent.  Quantum of Solace helps us see how he developed into the character we have seen now for 20 films.  As I said, Bond is learning on the job in this film; something he has never had to do before.

The newest Bond girl for this movie is Camille, played by Olga Kurylenko.  The relationship between Bond and Camille is unlike any other Bond/Bond girl relationship.  Camille is hurting just like Bond is.  Where Bond lost the woman he loves, Camille lost her parents.  The two of them work their way through the movie helping each other cope.  The rough, young Bond by the end of the film becomes the voice of reason to the vengeance-filled Camille.  Also, because of this different type of relationship seen with the Bond girl, the relationship ends differently than any other Bond girl relationship, which was an added surprise that was welcome.

As for the argument that Bond is turning into Bourne, I believe this is due to two things: the stage of Bond’s development and the era of movies we are in.  First, the Bond of Casino Royale and  Quantum of Solace is simply a younger Bond than we have seen before.  We are in the early stages of Bond’s career where he is more athletic, more likely to act before he thinks, and has complete disregard for his body if it gets the job done.  The Bond we see in the other films is past these phases in life and has learned to do things an easier way.  This film, like Casino Royale, does not have Q or R or any of the gadgets they bring to the table.  The reason why is simply Bond does not need them at this point in his life.  In the world of these new Bond movies, a Q or R might exist, but Bond would rather do things with his bare hands.  It doesn’t fit with the character of a young Bond that likes to do things in this way.  As he gets older and matures, this changes.  Another reason for the increased action in these movies is the current culture of movies.  If some of the Connery movies were made in this era, they would resemble the newer movies more than the older.  The Connery movies were not without their moments of action.  The difference is Connery would grab onto the bad guy’s shoulders, wrestle him for a little bit, then knock him out with one phantom punch where Craig breaks into an intricate, choreographed, hand-to-hand battle.  So this aspect of the movie I think fits in several ways.

With all this said, I think Quantum of Solace is a very worthy Bond movie.  Yes, it has its faults, but I like seeing the younger Bond with a rougher edge to him.  It also makes it more fun when you hear the stereotypical Bond line or see him drinking a shaken martini because you see this new Bond slowly becoming the Bond we all know.

Although it is a quality movie, it does have several things working against it that will lead to some disappointment from moviegoers.  First, it is not as good as Casino Royale, and any sequel that does not live up to its predecessor can easily be written off as a disappointment and a failure.  Secondly, with the parallels between the fresh looks at the Bond series and the Batman series, and with the much anticipated sequels coming out the same year, AND with The Dark Knight being such a monumental success, there was no way Quantum of Solace was going to live up to the expectations.  So this movie had a lot of things working against it.

Taking all of this into account, Quantum of Solace is not as good as Casino Royale, but it is another fresh look at a legendary franchise that is worth seeing.

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