The start of a connected Bond storyline.

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2019)

Ever since the turn of the millennium, many film franchises have taken to starting over; reinventing themselves for this modern era. From superheroes like Batman and Superman to age old classics such as "Rocky" and "Rambo", these franchises have been going back to the drawing board in order to pull in ticket sales. The James Bond franchise is no different. In 2006, the ranks of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan gained Daniel Craig as the new James Bond.
"Quantum of Solace" is a rather rare Bond film as it actually has a connection to its predecessor, "Casino Royale".
It also has all of the elements of the franchise. There are the spectacular opening credits, Bond girls, fancy car chases and gun fights. Somewhat missing from the mix is the legendary set of gadgets, which was also missing from "Casino Royale". Instead, an impressive graphical user interface on all the computers and cell phones (think "Minority Report") replaces the somewhat obscure and specific gadgets.
The film feels like an action film from the Bourne series, with vehicle chases and somewhat jittery camerawork that becomes hard to watch at times. "Quantum of Solace" starts with a car chase and uses any available vehicle to drive the action, including a motorcycle, boats, and airplanes. However, the action kind of lulls in the second third which drags the movie towards the final, fiery fight.
Daniel Craig has been hailed as the Bond closest to the literary image created by Ian Flemming. Craig takes the character and gives Bond depth and complexity to match his martini. The villain is real enough, but feels like a bitter Al Gore who is using global warming to scare people into giving him control over everything. With a set of unknown actors (with the exception of Judi Dench, and now Daniel Craig), the Bond franchise is starting over from the string of Pierce Brosnan films which tended towards celebrity and over-the-top silliness.
Fueled by action sequences and lightened by British wit and charm, this film should be enjoyable to both those wanting to become familiar with the Bond films and those diehard fans. It's definitely worth the price of admission.