Bland...James Bland

Rating: 4/10 (12 April 2009)

Disappointing. "Quantum", hot on the heels of one of the best in the Bond series, "Casino Royale", delivers more quick cuts than your average 80's hair-band video. The director doesn't let you come up for air and enjoy the ride. Dialogue and plot, never really a major drawing card for the Bond movies, gets reduced here to nothing more than an afterthought. There's not even the occasional double-entendre or gag line dropped in as a respite from the unrelenting shock and awe campaign of car chases and shoot-em-ups. Daniel Craig is better than this, as witnessed in "Casino". Call this a misstep. Craig's batting .500 as the new Bond. Let's see if a new director can get bring the series back up to snuff.
On the upside, the DVD video of Jack White and Alicia Keys doing the latest Bond song is probably more entertaining than the movie itself. In fact, Alicia looks like she's auditioning for one of those coveted Bond girl slots. Come on. Dip Alicia in some gold or oil or green toxic slime or whatever and let her show up as the latest in a string of beautiful Bond DBs .Can I get an Amen here? "Another Way To Die" can take its rightful place in the "Goldfinger" pantheon of cool Bond themes, probablysomewhere smack in the middle of "Live and Let Die" and "For Your Eyes Only".
Here's hoping the next Bond project gives Craig a shot at re-setting the bar.