Action packed, highly watchable Bond film that only JUST falls short of Casino Royale.

Rating: 7/10 (1 November 2008)

Taken from COMBAT FILM (http://combatfilm.blogspot.com) Quantum of Solace is a spectacular, often emotionally charged Bond film that won't be to everyone's liking. It's a film of two halves that benefits greatest from the slower pace in the final hour that allows the characters time to breathe and the story time to develop. For me this film rates somewhere between Licence To Kill and Casino Royale. It's better than any that Bronsan managed but doesn't quite rise to the lofty standards set by 2006's Casino Royale.
The film suffers from a confused first thirty minutes, is over edited in places and isn't as tightly written or plotted as it should have been. It's also been criticised as too Bourne in places, which to be fair it is. But that's not a bad thing is it, considering how intense and real the action in the three Bourne films were? Finding Neverland director Marc Foster may have been an odd choice but he brings a level of style and individuality to the film that Bond has lacked in the past. This isn't the production line Bond by numbers the last few Brosnan film's become. And it's better for it for sure.
This is Bond as the ultimate killer, a trained super spy that's as hard as they come and when it comes down to it the action here IS very good  especially the opening car chase and final fight with Greene in the exploding hydrogen filled hotel (when was that ever going to be a good idea?). But action aside for the first time since the underrated On her Majesties Secret Service we get a story that gives us a more emotionally driven look at a character that has often lacked depth. It's a more contemporary and much more dangerous James Bond than we have seen in the past. Okay so the story could be stronger in places and the pacing is off at the start, when the story does settle down it allows the characters to grow and develop and is never boring.
At just under two hours it's also one of the shortest Bond films ever and moves at such a pace that you're never bored let alone allowed to dwell on the films many conveniences or confusing plot turns.
In short: Action packed, highly watchable Bond film that only JUST falls short of Casino Royale.
Film rating: 4/5 Action Rating: 3/5 If you liked this try: Casino Royale; License To Kill; Bourne Trilogy Phil Hobden Editor - Combat Film Check out the full in-depth review in next months Combat Mgazine, Out End of November from all good retailers. www.combatmag.co.uk