Shortest Bond film ever is still good, solid action.

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2008)

It is undeniable that Quantum of Solace literally feels a bit small after the powerhouse of Casino Royale, but even though a lot of people complain that it is not real Bond but just a regular run-of-the-mill action film, and director Marc Forster has been criticized for a lack of uniqueness in his directing, and for relying too much on extreme camera movements and lightning-fast editing techniques in putting together his action sequences.
In some ways these complaints are justified. It's true that the conclusion of the film is cut together at such a break-neck speed that the sheer number and speed of the cuts are a distraction from what's actually happening, but I have to disagree with the idea that the entire movie only reveals the name of the evil organization and introduces a few new characters and so is really unnecessary. It takes place immediately after Casino Royale ended and gives a feeling that it's tying up some loose ends, but if those ends were left untied and Casino Royale was not continued, we would certainly be missing a 007 film right now.
The movie starts out with a chase across rooftops that feels immediately uninspired, since we've seen it so many countless times before, but when we see one of the original action shots that was showcased in the trailer it turns into something much more. Like much of the rest of the movie, it has a sense of uncertainty, but ultimately proves itself.
Quantum of Solace continues the very sharp turn that Casino Royale took in the direction of the Bond saga. We are now very firmly in the real world. Gone are the days of the super- villains that want to steal satellites and destroy continents and sink Silicon Valley and start their own personal societies at the bottom of the sea. Gone are the constant efforts to start World War III, the efforts to achieve some form of global destruction, the slow deaths at the hands of primitive laser beams and the villainous side-kicks with bizarre weapons like buzz- saw yo-yos and flying, razor-blade lined bowler hats.
Now, it's all about economics and power, and to say that these are not some of the most important issues in the world society at this very moment would be quite a statement.
Casino Royale ended with Bond standing over an injured Mr. White, the man behind Vesper's betrayal, and introducing himself. He is then the subject of the rooftop chase at the beginning of Quantum of Solace, and soon we learn the real meaning of Quantum itself. It seems that Craig's claim that the title is meaningless might have been a strange marketing ploy, since it clearly is not.
Quantum is an extremely powerful organization that, as our team learns early in the film, "Has people everywhere." M is amazed to discover that, while people use phrases like that all the time, this guy actually meant it. Her sense of security is shattered when she learns that her personal bodyguard of eight years was an undercover Quantum agent, and she realized the power of the enemy that MI6 is facing.
Quantum's main goal is to help an exiled Bolivian governor retain control of his country, in exchange for turning over to them a seemingly meaningless piece of land. The exiled governor is unaware that this tract of land would give him power of a tremendous quantity of all of South America's water supply and, get this, provide him with exclusive utilities provider rights! How's that for a Bond villain? He isn't interested in starting global warfare, he wants to become South America's PG&E!
A lot of people were unimpressed with Casino Royale and Daniel Craig in general. Personally I thought both were outstanding, but what I can tell you about Quantum of Solace is that, if you hated Casino Royale you're probably not going to love Quantum Solace either. But if you loved or even at least enjoyed it, then you are almost certainly going to have a similar good time in this one.
I have heard rumors that Royale and Solace are the first two parts of a sort of trilogy within the 007 saga, and it makes sense because the two are very unique among the rest of the films and, most importantly, this one closes without many loose ends but with a definite feeling that there is another movie after it somewhere.
We may do well to keep in mind that Casino Royale was a prequel, so those of you wondering if and when the franchise will ever come to a conclusive end might look for ways in which the newer movies start to lead into the beginning of Dr. No, the oldest one.
Personally it looks to me like there is no end in sight, but I love the new direction that the films have taken, so I am happy to see them continue. They take themselves much more seriously now (whether or not you like Craig's two films so far, you can't deny that they are more serious than their predecessors), and they have certainly generated more interest in where the films will go in the future.
Daniel Craig is under contract to do four films as 007, and I predict that he will do two more prequels and that the next actor to portray Bond will take over where Die Another Day left off. Until then, Quantum is not the biggest and not the best Bond film, but it is a solid entry in the revitalized series.