Wasted potential

Rating: 7/10 (24 November 2008)

Nothing that made Casino Royale so memorable is present in Quantum of Solace. QoS's plot is ludicrously thin compared to Casino Royale's. What could have been a deeply intriguing story is hardy touched upon and left unexploited. The major events in QoS are merely excuses for Bond to kick some more ass.
Quantum's action sequences are stimulating, but far less interesting than its predecessor's. Whereas Casino Royale's action scenes were dynamic and carefully detailed, QoS's are frantic and standard. While it's obvious a lot of time and energy went into them, there's not much to show for it. The cuts are quick and the shots are hard to catch.
I, like many, fell in love with Casino Royale's James Bond. He was young and authentic, capable of failing and getting hurt (both physically and emotionally). Seeing as how Casino Royale ended at what felt like the beginning of Bond's real character development, I expected Quantum of Solace to continue that development. QoS's Bond, however, is the same emotionless James Bond audiences have been watching for almost half a century. He has no believable motivation, so nothing he does feels purposeful.
Finally, the antagonist never poses a real threat to Bond. Mathieu Amalric has a creepy look that could have been put to good use, but Dominic Greene is a painfully boring and clichéd bad guy. Le Chiffre's very presence was intimidating; I wouldn't even cross the street to avoid Greene.
Casino Royale was a powerful reboot for the Bond franchise. It abandoned the old 007 formula and established a new one, gaining a lot of fans in the process (myself included). For whatever reason, Quantum of Solace dropped the ball. While it certainly serves as fun escapism, it disappoints as a continuation of the story Casino Royale began.