Ponderous in being slightly opaque

Rating: 6/10 (24 November 2008)

Even now I can't fully describe just how or why Quantum of Solace is an "inferior" Bond film, save for a fact that it seems to put more emphasis on one chase sequence or another in a gritty sort of way that would almost seem to step into the empty-headed vomit-inducing-camera-shaking of a "spy thriller" like the Bourne Identity, and yet manages to maintain its own identity (no pun) as a Bond film of this "new" Bond era.
The main prevailing error or issue in the film is the seemingly gaping disconnect between two plot lines that run throughout the movie. The micro-story of Bond wanting revenge on -someone- (not even really explained who) over Vesper's problems leading to her self-sacrificing suicide, and the fear by M and MI6 that Bond is letting his emotions destroy his subtlety and skill as an agent, and instead opt to barrel through enemies aimlessly and kill anyone he wants (spoiler alert: he doesn't do any of that).
While we are probably supposed to believe that Bond is driven to stopping Dominic Green (Matthieu Amalric) in whatever his dastardly plan with Bolivia is, the key issue here is that the two plot lines have almost no connection whatsoever, and that Vesper's sacrifice seemingly has nothing to do with Quantum or its schemes. I say "seemingly" because the movie very clearly shows the opposite, but does not show exactly HOW she has to do with Quantum's schemes. She's just an opaque plothole that may or may not be a red herring. Bond shows absolutely no emotion over her save for a few minor scenes, usually involving Mathis or Camille, of which there are not nearly enough of these to give any justification of this sense of a need for revenge.
At no point in time is it ever explicitly explained or mentioned just why Bond is so "devoted" to stopping Dominic Green beyond the fact that it's his assignment to do so. Very early on it is revealed that he, along with Mr. White and countless others from big-name diplomats to nameless henchmen, are part of a secret organization devoted to -something- (not even really explained what). The only memorably line about Quantum is Mr. White joking to the degree of "Here we are afraid to say too much over the phone thinking the CIA and MI6 are listening in on every word when you don't even know we exist!" Aside from the seeming infiltration of people on almost every level in every organization criminal and political, in an almost sort of Illuminati sort of way, Quantum really does nothing but remain a nameless cloud over which it apathetically watches things happen and occasionally puts its own people out of their misery when they are on the brink of death and/or about to reveal too much about them or break them out of the situation. Even Mr. White gets away alive and unpunished.
Dominic Green also appears to be so completely out of his element that everything about him just screams "nameless minion" from the beginning. He doesn't even seem to be sane, as he constantly fills the screen with bug-eyed expressions of frozen-stupid, like a mix of Barty Grouch Jr. in Harry Potter, and Grima Wormtongue in Lord of the Rings, only without as much to do. The only time Green appears remotely human is when he gives a speech or talks with a Bolivian general, in which in either case it seems clear that he's been prepped with a pre-written speech or protocol by other members of Quantum.
Dominic's entire hare-brained scheme is also another dangling plot-hole in the making that never really seems important even though the entire movie is focused on it; it first throws off the viewer into thinking it involves exploiting untapped oil resources in a Bolivian desert, then is later revealed that there is no oil there, and that Green's plan is little more than to dam up the underwater aquifers in Bolivia and force a drought on the country, before literally pulling out and doing the same elsewhere while the international community deals with Bolivia's problems. There's nothing else in the plan aside from that, and I fail to see any conceivable way that this would make any lasting money beyond a few millions made screwing investors out of oil and pipeline money.
Green proves on multiple occasions to be just as dumb and incompetent as a campy Bond villain of old, most memorably in which he is leaving an opera with a group of investors, and catches Bond in a hallway, after an earlier scene in which he ordered Bond to be killed. Not only does Green freeze up and stare at Bond for what feels like 30 seconds, but he proceeds to do absolutely nothing to stop him short of sending only two guards to have a shootout with him which obviously fails.
What is then left in the film is a piece of poor exposition tied around multiple action sequences that ultimately have a sense of confusion attached to them. What is most stunning is how Casino Royale had viewers on the edge of their seat with the mere action of a POKER GAME and yet the colossal boat chases and roof-top acrobatics and down-hill car-flipping chases have people on the back of their seats, placidly staring and wondering what is happening, why it's happening, and when Bond will do something 007-y instead of just being a generic pawn in a gigantic action sequence that could just as easily be slipped into a bland straight-to-DVD movie without much trouble.
In totality, there's barely half a movie here, with enough explosions and guns and fighting to fill in the rest for time, making it the shortest Bond movie, but nowhere near the worst, as the -potential- story lines set up for future entries are good enough on their own to not be a total failure.