No Moore, thanks

Rating: 8/10 (6 November 2008)

There are two kinds of people in the world - those who like Roger Moore's campy, arch, eyebrow-raising moonrakin' Bond, and those who don't.
Within the first twenty minutes of Quantam of Solace it becomes pretty apparent that the first group aren't going to be leaving happy. A furious car chase, edited so brutally you feel the grinding and crumpling of steel with each impact, an interrogation scene, a shoot-out, a chase on foot culminating in the money-shot of Bond and quarry tumbling through a glass roof.
And no, Bond's eyebrows stay exactly where they are throughout.
Like Casino Royale before it, you get the impression Quantam's creators have had a long Bourne session and decided to finally drag Bond kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Gone are the gadgets, gone is the Moneypenny banter - in its place are messy fight scenes, blood, and torture. Craig's Bond has become darker than the amateur thug he played in Royale, murdering leads in every direction and dismissing his emotional problems with a combination of booze and witty retorts...
And this is where the film's flaws lie. Perhaps after hearing the criticism levelled at Royale for not being 'Bond-enough,' Quantam's creators have attempted to work in a few of Bond's old habits - the one-liners, the ditzy females, the creepy villain, and in doing so at times the film falls between two proverbial stools.
Craig is clearly uncomfortable with the corny asides, whilst Mathieu Almaric's sleazy villain Dominic Greene is at times unsure which side of the fence he's on - occasionally his rasping and his casual psychotic outbursts come across as ridiculous in a world we're supposed to take seriously, yet in keeping with the 'realism' he comes across as too bland for a pre-retcon Bond villain. Olga Kurylenko's Camille is as two-dimensional as most Bond girls, but she's a veritable masterpiece compared to the criminally underused (and lovely) Gemma Arterton, playing Easily Seduced Floozy. Yeah, he's Bond, we get it, but come on, a chat-up line about stationary? At least he had to work for a bit on her counterpart in Royale.
Yet all this is nitpicking, and nitpicking in an otherwise fine mop of blond hair. There is enough satisfying action and plot to keep one entertained for its surprisingly short length, and fans of Casino Royale will find more of the same - if a little watered down - here. It's just a shame the creators aren't as willing to completely embrace this new formula. Next time no Moore, please.