Didn't live up to expectations.

Rating: 5/10 (8 March 2014)

Following the amazing Casino Royale (2006), I rightly had high expectations for Quantum of Solace (2008). However, I should have known the former was going to be very difficult to trail. Due of how high the bar was set for Casino; unfortunately I was a fairly disappointed with this sequel. Don't get me wrong as some aspects of the film were worthy, however they were not as admirable as its predecessors.
Wanting to take revenge for his lovers' death, James Bond (Daniel Craig) aims to save the country's valuable resource from being taken over by Dominic Greene. As we all should be aware, the expositions of all Bond films are of importance (although they are becoming repetitive). Although this particular opening was not as good as previously, it is still impressive. The high-speed car chase is hot with a hand-held camera providing shaky and quick shots, thrilling the audience and creating intensity and adrenaline. The film itself is very fast paced as Bond jumps from location to location without much in between. However, due to the film being so action-packed, the fast pacing makes the film hard to follow and the plot quite confusing. It almost seems that, if it's possible, there is an imbalance between action and plot information. It is all action and no plot or narrative direction to help the audience understand what on earth is happening.
Lacking deep character development, the audience doesn't get to build any sort of relationships with any the protagonists, making it difficult to connect with them. They are very bland which gives them a lack of depth, which is why I found myself not caring much for any of the characters. The villain is very dull and uninteresting – I did not feel much fear or hatred against him at all. Olga Kurylenko plays the Bond Girl. Although she is awfully pretty and did play her role well, she was also not very memorable at all. It wouldn't have made much of a difference personally if she weren't in it – nor did the other characters.
Although the characters in the movie aren't established, as always, Daniel Craig still owns the role and is the finest Bond to this day. He gives greater realism to the film with his very focused and driven performance. Though he has very minimal dialogue, his solid and poker- faced act brings the script to life as he has in Casino also. This performance is definitely the appeal of the movie.
While it is enjoyable to watch the high-speed action scenes and of course see Craig do what he does best, the Quantum of Solace is let down entirely due to the lack of excitement and direction in the plot. The undeveloped characters lessen the experience and let it down, leaving not only me but many other viewers also, highly dissatisfied.