Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...

Rating: 10/10 (19 November 2008)

This was not only a different kind of James Bond film but a different kind of action film as well. Trimmed of any fat--so much so we get the equivalent of "key" frames in the action, skipping as much exposition as possible--this thing runs like a well tuned sports car. Things move so quickly that the viewer has to work to keep up with what's happening. Through imaginative use of sound the startlingly beautiful cinematography (the opening car chase, an amazing edit on the Palio di Siena, a shoot out where we hear only Puccini's Tosca on the track), my interest never wavered as it did during the conclusion of the previous Casino Royale.
There is no attempt to recap what happens in the previous film. The action picks up where it left off in Casino Royale. You might be at a disadvantage if you aren't familiar with that film. Still the action sequences here top anything before in Casino Royale. A chase through a construction site and bell tower was so imaginative that it could stand alone as a short film.
Mark Forster's "Quantum of Solace" up's the ante for the next installment. So much of the "cheese" has been omitted from the Bond series (which was fun but sadly predictable and often silly) now that we're working in a realm of thriller rather than espionage drag. Something now actually seems to be at stake for James Bond rather than a reputation as a lothario and a wag.
The complaint that Bond's vengeance is a bitter pill is not without relevance in today's world. How the character emerges at the end elevates the material far more than anything we've seen in the franchise. As a nod to its forbearer's the opening title sequence is elaborate and references the climax of the film. As always, it was a dazzling display of graphic arts.
I hope the trend to revise the Bond series continues. This was one of the big surprises for me at the movies this year. I could watch it again in an instant.