Out of Touch and Generic, It's a Far Cry from the Casino

Rating: 5/10 (25 January 2013)

It was bound to be tough to match the runaway success of Casino Royale, but this doesn't even seem to make an effort. As generic action pictures go, it's fine: the screen is well-stocked with explosions, cars and women, and the production is extremely stylish. It does assume quite a lot of the viewer, in terms of remembering names, faces and circumstances from the preceding chapter, but as a direct sequel much of that can be forgiven. Solace's major flaw - and, as a Bond picture, this is utterly unforgivable - is that it routinely gets caught up in dull, blasé situations and lingers. A long stretch near the end of the second act nearly put me to sleep, and the plot never seems like it's too concerned about where it's going, nor does Bond himself. Several action scenes had potential (the flick is fully equipped with chases by land, sea and air) but the director is so head-over-heels for Bourne-styled hand-held shots that he completely smothers us with them. Daniel Craig rarely gets the chance to shine in this chapter, his foil seems overmatched and insubstantial, and the big payoff at the end comes off as a cheap, hollow moral victory. Underwhelming all around, and completely lacking in the grins and winks that gave previous films in the series their character.