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Quantum of Solace

Movie Grade: B-

DVD Features Grade: B+

Overall Grade: B

Daniel Craig is James Bond. Enough with the Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan comparisons. If nothing else, Quantum of Solace shows that Craig is perfectly suited to his role as the martini downing, suit wearing, gun toting, spy to end all spies, and that further romps across the world will be both forthcoming and wildly successful with him as the lead. He owns this part with a solitary charisma that completely bypassed both Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton, lingered occasionally on Brosnan, and never existed at all with Lazenby. Seeing him kick serious ass and do it with a flair that only Bond can provide is the reason this film matched the totals of its superior predecessor, Casino Royale, at the box office. That film was one of my favorite Bond movies of all time, floating somewhere around both Goldfinger and Goldeneye for tops on my internal list. This movie picks up right where Royale left off, seemingly minutes later in fact, and that was both an inspired decision and a brash one as it sets the tone for the remainder of the film.

Were you to run Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace back to back I would contend that you'd have a fairly brilliant 4-hour movie. Where Royale was long, Solace is short. Where one has plot and character development in spades, the other is all pay off, no set up. In a three-act structure, Quantum of Solace is the no-holds-barred final act that works with all the existing pieces to build up to a tightly wound and excessively nail-biting conclusion. The problem is I'm not reviewing a film called Casino Royale and the Quantum of Solace. This is the first instance where I've ever used the term "expansion pack" to describe a film, but that's truly what this story is. It's an hour and a half longer continuation of the previous episode, and as such, it never really has a chance to stand on its own in any genuine capacity.

Some of the blame for this lies in the writing. The villain's just not very interesting, the main girl doesn't even sleep with Bond (feminists cry "Yay!""¦ don't worry gents, a different girl does) and the action sequences feel just sort of there, but not really story dependant. These could have been some of the greatest action set pieces in the history of Bond, but the editing succeeds in killing them before they have a chance at becoming impactful. Without even adding a single scene, I'd say they needed to put 20 minutes back into the movie for "breathing room." Extend every shot, let us see what the hell is

going on, and maybe we'd get involved in the action occurring on screen. There are a handful of moments which make the film feel like a Bond movie, and they stand out brightly due to the haze of mediocrity beneath them. I didn't like this kind of action style all that much when the Bourne movies did it, why would I like it when it's done with a character who is thematically the exact opposite?

The cast all does great work here, despite their situation. Judi Dench is given even more screen time, always a plus, and her exchanges with Craig have already earned "classic" status in my mind. Olga Kureyenko does fine with what she has and is awful skilled at looking stunning no matter the dirt or injury. The inclusion of Mathis and Felix Lighter, both strong supporting characters from Royale, gives the film it's most emotionally poignant moments. All the elements were there for a truly great sequel, they just never really gelled together in the end. Even Marc Forster, known for more dramatic and interesting directing work, was up to the challenge of staging Bond's chase scenes and explosive mayhem with capable ease. The disappointments lie in the story, the editing, and the incredibly high bar of the previous film. One can only hope for an improved third outing in the next few years.

The Extras:

Bond was made for Blu-Ray. Say what you want about the film itself, the transfer is nothing short of gorgeous. Royale was the first movie I ever saw on the hi-def format, and the image quality was simply incredible. Solace is no different, and the sound and picture of this release is the best I've seen the format look. It's not surprising since MGM was bought by Sony Pictures before Royale and this is a completely Sony product from conception to the hard plastic I'm holding in the palm of my hand. Even so, it still amazes me how precise and beautifully colored the image is. The extras are fairly detailed overall, with a series of featurettes covering most of what went into the production of the film. I'd hold off until the next film comes out if you're looking for the Special Edition version, in fact Marc Forster recently confirmed that he is hard at work on the double-dip's extras, but there's plenty here to keep you interested long after the credits roll.

Movie Grade: B-

DVD Features Grade: B+

Overall Grade: B