Bond goes Bourne

Rating: 7/10 (23 November 2008)

After the brash and fresh take on Bond which appeared with 'Casino Royale' two years ago, expectations had to be high for 'Quantum of Solace'. But setting it as a sequel taking place immediately after the earlier film is bound to alienate some viewers, as well as causing confusion in later years when it is shown on TV as a standalone film.
Daniel Craig is a gritty and tough Bond, with enough charm to reel in the ladies, but his fatal flaw in the context of the Bond series is his lack of humour. Rarely even a smile cracks those determined features. As an action man, he's probably the hardest nut of all the incarnations of the character. But action films are ten-a-penny, and the Bond franchise should be something that bit different to the likes of the Bourne trilogy.
The Bond girls in this are OK, although one of them has little to do other than allowing 'Quantum of Solace' to take a nod to Bond history and 'Goldfinger'. The other is a tough cookie who has her own score to settle, giving her a shared motive with Bond for tearing up the world and blowing away the villains. 'M', in the person of Judi Dench, is worth watching as usual, being given a bit more to do this time.
And, looking at Bond history again, was Vesper Lynd really the only woman he ever loved? Wasn't there a wife who was killed on their wedding day? 'Quantum of Solace' has lots of action sequences and a fair amount of gore, but it lacks energy and fun, and is therefore just that bit disappointing. I like Craig in the role, but next time I'd like to see a self-contained story with a bit more humour mixed amongst the bullets and the punches.
And the theme song is awful!