Very Good Film, But Can Not Stand Alone

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2008)

Daniel Craig returns for round 2 as James Bond... or should we say Round 1.5. The movie is very good with a subtle plot that many seem to be missing, including a great red herring throwing many folks off (it involves "oil"). "Quantum of Solace" begins immediately where "Casino Royale" left off, and this may be its one weakness. Of all the Bond films, each is a "stand-alone." You can view the main movie without needing to know the other movies. In "Quantum of Solace," you HAVE to know "Casino Royale." Bond, although playing the uncaring spy, seeks revenge on those who killed Vesper in "Casino Royale." His brutal quest ends up uncovering a much deeper plot and a secret criminal organization that is in deep everywhere.
(((SPOILER))) You can tell who are hard-core members of this organization by their names. In an apparent ode to "Reservoir Dogs," all the baddies have color names (Mr. White, Mr. Greene, Mr. Slate, etc). The group, SPECTRE-like, calls itself "Quantum." (((end spoiler)))
Anyhow, Bond uncovers a philanthropist, Mr. Greene, who is also up to no good and has a plot to corner some utilities markets. On his quest for revenge, Bond gets caught up in the machinations of another agent, Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who has her own agenda.
The supporting actors are good, the action is intense, and there are not many quiet moments, This is Bond at its most intense and brutal. After hearing the critics and complainers rip on this movie, my wife and I feared watching it, but our fears were unfounded. The movie was exciting, though not in the more formulaic Bond fashion. Withoout giving more away, there are sub-plots here that stretch to other Bond movies and future ones. This is a movie one may need to watch a second time to catch the hidden references, allusions, and catch the seeds being planted. The action is in your face, but the plot requires one to actually think- something many viewers have forgotten to do in this "beat the audience with your message/there is no message" movies around today. We enjoy thinking on our own, and to truly understand the plot of this movie, you need to see it in conjunction with "Casino Royale" and ask some questions quietly. In the end, that is the only weakness of this movie... it really can not stand alone... this was the true Denouement of "Casino Royale" and really has to be seen in conjunction with it. Certain plot lines flow through both movies (the entire motivation of QOS comes out of CR). This movie seems to suffer from the same criticisms that plagued "The Man With the Gun"- after an explosive intro for a new Bond, the next one goes a little differently, and the pre-conceptions of what a "sequel" should be don't mesh with what is given and some can't handle it. One must go into such movies with no pre-conceptions or expectations. Let the movie speak for itself- not mix it with your vision. In this case, you must listen to the entire CR-QOS dialog before judging. You just may be surprised and enjoy it more.