A follow-up that almost (but not quite) lives up to Casino Royale.

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2010)

I think Quantum of Solace is a good (but not perfect) follow-up to Casino Royale, and an example of what the new Bond films in the coming years will be like. It's a lean, stream- lined action flick with a British-spy glaze. It does not have all the intricacy of Casino Royale, but it won't be easy for any other film to match the significance of Bond's first mission as a 00.
In QoS, Bond continues down the path that he was set on during the previous movie. He's still fairly unpolished, and the grief of Vesper's death consumes him. The plot is simple, but entertaining. The stunt work and action scenes are the highlight of the film. They are brutal, visceral, and very "Bourne-like".
My main issue with Quantum is that because it's basically a side-story to Casino Royale, the plot does not really hold up as well as that of the previous movie. The villain (and his scheme) isn't very compelling. It's all a bit convoluted and occasionally hard to follow, but I ended up enjoying it more the second time I watched it.
Now that the two-part origin is done, it will be interesting to see where they take the "Quantum" angle. Does the idea of a secret, shadowy criminal organization for our hero to fight, fit well into the new Bond universe? I hope so, and I look forward to Bond 23.