Bond continues in the right direction and gives Casino Royale the closure it deserves.

Rating: 9/10 (8 November 2008)

If you are going in expecting Die Another Day, Goldeneye or any of the Bond films previous to Daniel Craig, you are not going to get it here. In fact Quantum of Solace has little in common with many Bond films but for fans of Casino Royale who want more of the story, Quantum of Solace does continue in that vein providing much need closure to Vesper's story whilst leaving tantalising questions about the shadowy Quantum organisation that are certain to be answered in future Bond movies. In fact, after I had seen Quantum of Solace, I have no particular desire to watch Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, Roger Moore or George Lazenby in the role of 007 ever again - quite an achievement by Daniel Craig, considering I love all of the Bond films.
Daniel Craig cements his place at the top of the tree of Bond actors with only Sean Connery matching him as the iconic 007 and Craig makes any misgivings in the plot of Quantum of Solace irrelevant through his superb portrayal of a man in search of revenge. Quantum of Solace was never meant to stand alone as a Bond movie and without Casino Royale, it would be confusing, but as a sequel, the film does tie up some loose ends in the plot whilst allowing the Bond producers to give Vesper's death a little closure, even though the shadowy Quantum organisation is still very mysterious and questions still need to be answered.
Camille is a great Bond girl as she is a woman on a mission of her own who is helped by Bond and the relationship between 007 and M is also a very interesting one here. Bond seems to be something of a loose cannon who gives M some problems but the hotel scene shows, she has trust and faith in her top agent even when others do not. Felix Leiter, for only the second time is portrayed by the same actor more than once and I feel that Jeffrey Wright is growing into the part and the Bond producers should ensure that he continues to play the part in the future. Mathieu Amalric plays something of a subdued villain in this movie and whilst not being as memorable as Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre, he is a good addition to the film in the role of Dominic Greene. Jesper Christensen reprises his role as Mr. White and would be a good character to return in future Bond films or at least one more.
Marc Forster is maybe not my choice to direct this film and for people who only see the film once, it's an assault on the senses in the way that the action is shot. Shaky cam in places, the action is very up close, personal and it's sometimes hard to distinguish details, making it an acquired taste. On my second viewing however, it wasn't as bad, still very visual but I feel that the film and the conclusion of the "Vesper storyline" may have benefited from the return of Martin Campbell, the best Bond director in years.
A minor complaint I have is the input that Ford is having in Bond movies these days. Simply because they own Aston Martin, they are forcing the producers to integrate Ford's into 007 films in exchange for use of Aston Martin cars. This is OK in discretion but the Ford KA seemed completely out of place, more so even than the VW Beetle Camille ends up in later on and Bond really should never be behind the wheel of an economy car. His popularity has grown through his association with Aston Martin, Omega, Bollinger Champagne, etc. Ford does not fit into this high class world.
I feel that Bond 23 will follow a new path, featuring and uncovering more of the Quantum organisation. I would like to see the return of Camille too as I feel she may have more to offer. The way Quantum of Solace pans out gives me the impression that we could be getting Moneypenny back in the next Bond film too. Whatever happens though, the Bond franchise is definitely on the up and better for the existence of Quantum of Solace. With Daniel Craig, 007 is in very safe hands and it is inevitable that in due course, he will surpass Connery in popularity polls worldwide if he is given enough Bond films to properly establish himself in the character.
Watch and re-watch Quantum of Solace and then look forward to Bond 23 with even more enthusiasm, 007 isn't back. In the words of Daniel Craig's Bond in his latest adventure "I never left" 8.5/10