Bond Without Any of the Action, Spectacle, or Fun You'd Expect

Rating: 3/10 (7 November 2015)

Quantum of Solace is the follow-up to the electrifying reboot of the 007 franchise, Casino Royale. By the end of that film, I have to say, I was ecstatic about the direction the Bond films were heading. If you haven't seen it, Casino Royale told what was basically a James Bond origin story. It showed how Bond became the legend we see today, and by the film's end, it seemed as though Bond was back. It gave the impression that the next film would show 007 in all his classic glory, with action, gadgets, exotic locations, and spy thrills. Instead, Quantum of Solace turns out to be a hollow, depressing exercise in new age "gritty" action movies.
I won't bother with the story of Quantum of Solace because frankly, I didn't understand it. What I do know is that the interesting, over-the-top villains and their diabolical schemes are long gone from this Bond flick. Replaced instead with bland, confusing political espionage, and a completely forgettable bad guy (And I mean FORGETTABLE. The only thing I can remember about him was that he wore a suit), Quantum of Solace ditches the traditional Bond formula in favor of "realism". Unfortunately, realism doesn't translate to quality.
Even accounting for the incomprehensible plot and forgettable characters, there is still something in Quantum of Solace to, at the very least, get excited about. That thing would be the action. I remember seeing the trailer and being absolutely giddy. "A classic Aston Martin car chase, a speedboat set-piece, a breathtaking motorbike stunt, and a hand-to-hand fight, Bond is back baby!". In the actual film, these shots are undeniably great, but the big catch is that all (yes, all) of the action from the trailer takes place during the opening scene of the film. The film's best stunts, set-pieces, and moments are stuffed into one five-minute sequence at the very start of the movie, leaving the rest of the film to sit flat as a board until the equally underwhelming climax.
Quantum of Solace is not a Bond film. The fun typically associated with James Bond is nowhere to be found, and the bookend action scenes are certainly not enough to overcome this. Now, Bond can be realistic; I think Casino Royale and even Skyfall did a great job of putting Bond in a realistic setting. The difference is that those films retained the elements that make the James Bond franchise great. Quantum of Solace is embarrassed by the classic Bond films, ditching anything fun and anything over- the-top in favor of "gritty realism". The result is a completely joyless endeavor, and one of the worst Bond movies of them all.
30/100