Quality of Bond

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2008)

I have read other reviews, both fan and paid critic, that seem to absolutely miss the point of Quantum of Solace. The biggest miss is that this is the very first direct sequel in the franchise. We catch up with Bond literally minutes after the events of Casino Royale, which means he is still "learning" to be 007. With that, his emotions are very fresh off the loss of Vesper. He is still evolving into the Bond that Connery introduced with Dr No back in 1962. The producers are doing a very smart thing here, in that they are taking Bond back to the beginning and allowing him in these first two films to become Bond. I have no doubt that all the elements fans have learned to love about Bond will be introduced in Craig's subsequent adventures as Bond. But you folks need to let him become Bond, not go from the ending of Casino Royale and all of a sudden be a mature 00 agent. Craig does that at the end of Solace, his leaving behind of the last symbolism connected to Vesper and his subsequent admission to M show he is now ready to become the agent we know.
From start to finish, QoS hits us heavy and hard. There is no wasted moment on the screen, each minute is pushing the birth of Bond along. There have been complaints about the shaky action in the first act of the film. In my opinion, this action has to be frantic, it is a direct representation of Bond's mental state. He is not taking time to think much, but react. I think given the penchant for the hand-held action the last 5 years, I have become accustomed to it and I was not bothered by it, as said, it represented for me the visual image of Bond's state of mind.
Once we are done with the frantic 1st act, the 2nd act gives us the usual pause for exposition. We learn that a new threat is amongst the world, it is called Quantum. We are given a more details of what this new organization is all about. Greene is the new villain and like Le Chiffre, we learn just enough about him, but in the end, he is yet a clog in the wheel of Quantum. This is much in the same vain as the early Bond films introduced Spectre. I really love how this new criminal organization is being introduced.
Finally we get a 3rd act that is all about Bond putting his recent past to rest and becoming a full fledged 00 agent. The ending is both satisfying and emotional. I can't think of a better 3rd act in Bond history. There has been some who have complained about the lack of depth or exploration of character with the two Bond Girls introduced in this film; Camille and Strawberry Fields. First off, anyone that has been a long time fan knows there are always two Bond Girls introduced, one that has a short time on screen (usually meeting an untimely demise) and the main Bond Girl who grabs the bulk of Bond's time. This film is no different; Fields is the quick, but ultimately doomed one and Camille is the main. Any complaints here come from reviewers with absolutely no history with the franchise. I loved how Fields ended up being much like Jill Masterson of "Goldfinger", both in screen time and demise.
On a superficial note, I enjoyed the title song. I'm not much on Jack White, but the song sets a perfect tone and coupled with Key's vocals, it kicks the movie off in the right atmosphere. It was nice to see the return of the T&A opening credits sequence, another nod that Craig's incarnation of Bond is that much closer to the one introduced in 1962.
Pish posh on those that can't see this film for what it is. I can not wait for the next installment.