A great Bond, just not the one we're used to.

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2008)

Many people may cry foul, and say that Quantum of Solace abandons too many of the traditions which the die-hard fans hold dear. Many people may ask, "Where is the Goldfinger? Where is the Octopussy?" Where is the goofy villain with some bizarre gimmick, and why does the action feel like it belongs in a superhero movie? And why the hell is the humour so dry? I thought James Bond was just supposed to spout cheesy double-entendres all day long! Quantum of Solace is not your typical Bond film. It is no exaggeration to say that it has double the action of most, if not all, of the previous Bond films, and it certainly departs from many of the customs established by the series. For example, the classic gun-barrel sequence is used at the end of the movie, as opposed to the beginning. This is not necessarily a bad thing; throughout the movie, one still feels as if Craig's Bond is not quite yet the Bond we saw played by Connery or Brosnan, but rather a work in progress. This Bond starts fights when he probably should have avoided them, and he doesn't have a neat gadget to solve all of his problems. By the end, we see that the character has gained a little wisdom, and is ready to take on the big, bad, and relatively unharmed, villainous organization that is Quantum.
Quantum expands upon what Casino Royale started; it brings us close to the characters and lets us see them grow. In Bond films of the past, we would see Bond save the world from some villainous scheme, running through the motions until he reached the inevitable conclusion of scoring the babe. Not this time. This time, we are shown why it is important that Bond succeeds; we are shown the people who will be hurt and damaged by Dominic Greene's scheme to control South America's water, and we see Bond's own hurt and growth. Characters like Judy Dench's M aren't just cute little cameos who pop in at the beginning of the film to fulfil their predetermined role, but rather are actual people. Instead of the Bond girl being some dime-a-dozen bimbo with a catchy name and simple motivation, we are presented with a real, breathing, troubled character in the form of Camille Montes.
Casino Royale may have given Bond's characters the attention they always needed, but Quantum is fuelled by its characters. The action sceneswhich are phenomenalare the unavoidable result of the characters which so vividly populate the screen. The plot doesn't necessarily take a back seat, but it feels more like a consequence of the characters' actions, and less like a contrived scheme. Again, this is a good thing. The villain has no evil lair, because it doesn't make sense for the villain to have a lair. Sure, the Bond series dictates that the villain must have said evil lair, but Dominic Greene disagrees, and it isn't up to Dr. No to decide his actions.
Quantum of Solace may disappoint some of its oldest, fondest fans. Very few of the series' conventions are obeyed, and even if they are, they are rarely adhered to in the usual manner. This does not change, however, that Quantum of Solace is a great film, equal parts action and character development, taking us into the next chapter of 007's struggle by way of the individuals on-screen. He will face Quantum, and he will do it as Bond. James, Bond.
****/****