Not as good as Casino Royale, but still great.

Rating: 9/10 (3 November 2008)

After the immense critical praise and box-office success of Casino Royale, Daniel Craig is back as James Bond in Quantum of Solace. We follow the super spy about an hour after the events of Casino Royale, in which the love of Bond's life, Vesper Lynd, betrayed him and drowned herself. Bond and M (Judi Dench) interrogate baddie Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), who tells them that there is an organisation of villains which has recruits everywhere, even in MI6. Bond is determined to take down the organisation's leader, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), whilst finding the man who blackmailed Vesper into betraying him.
Daniel Craig is again excellent in the role of 007, just as he was in Casino Royale. In my view, he's the best actor to have played James Bond, with Sean Connery in at a close second. He amazingly captures the gritty and more realistic feel of the two Bond films he has starred in. Olga Kurylenko is this movie's Bond girl, and she's great at portraying the tough, kick-ass woman we're not used to seeing in the Bond franchise. Dominic Greene is played by Mathieu Amalric, who is perfectly cast as the more-brains-than-brawn villain.
Staying very true to its predecessor, Quantum of Solace has many breathtaking action scenes which should get the blood pumping. Even the very first scene is a mesmerising car-chase that triumphantly sets the mood for the rest of the film. My personal favourite action scene is when Bond is chasing a man through the rooftops of Sienna.
In comparison to Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace doesn't do as well as I was hoping. It just doesn't match up to the masterpiece that was Casino Royale, although it was very unlikely Quantum of Solace would be as perfect. However, it comes close and keeps the same feel and mood of Casino Royale.
As with any James Bond movie, the beginning titles in Quantum of Solace are very important. I was browsing through Youtube one day when I heard the song "Another Way To Die" by Jack White and Alicia Keys, which is the new Bond theme tune. I had mixed signals about the song: some parts I liked, other parts I didn't, but I was somewhat satisfied with its use in the film. The beginning titles aren't as stunning as I was hoping, but they're good enough.
It may not be as good as the masterpiece Casino Royale, but Quantum of Solace is still a great addition to the Bond franchise. I give it 9/10.