A Breathless, Fast-Paced Return from 007

Rating: 8/10 (2 November 2008)

After watching Quantum of Solace with my dad, I turned to him and said, "What did you think?" And, to my satisfaction and relief, he said, "Actually, it was pretty good". This was the first time that I had ever heard those words come out of my dad's mouth after watching a James Bond movie. The best thing was that Quantum fully deserved this praise.
Before I get started with my actual review of the film, I need to comment on something that has been worrying me. Many of the critics and public reviewers have said that this film lacks the feeling of the old Bond movies. I think that this complaint is a bit out-of-place. Do you want the spirit of the old Bond films? It might be a good idea to stick to the old Bond films. Casino Royale was a re-invention for the series, and provided a clean slate for the franchise. You should go into the cinema expecting changes to the formula. Quantum of Solace is a continuation of this re-invention, and makes some brave and unexpected moves in the process.
Although the initial reception by both critics and public reviewers worried me, it needn't have. Yes, Quantum isn't as good as Casino Royale. But nevertheless, it is a thrilling, action-packed time at the cinema. Combine that with intelligent direction, a terrific script and fantastic performances, and I'm definitely planning on a second viewing.
The film begins with a wallop of a car chase between Bond (Daniel Craig) and sinister bad guys. Lying in the boot of Bond's car is Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), a man who is high up in a shadowy organisation known as Quantum, and who played a large part in the death of Vesper, Bond's love from Casino Royale.
Bond is soon on the trail of Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a fake environmentalist and another member of Quantum, who has plans for a seemingly worthless piece of desert. On his journey, he meets Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who is on a personal vendetta against one of Greene's associates. Together, they team up against Greene, in order to take their revenge.
Quantum's high points are easily the action sequences. Effortlessly choreographed, intense and realistic, they are definitely some of the most gripping set-pieces of the year. Take, for example, the sequence in which Bond pursues a traitorous MI6 agent. The chase moves from the two of them flying through sewers to them dangling from scaffolding, colliding with each other in the air and desperately trying to grasp their guns. This sequence had my arms pinned to my arm-rests. My arms continued to grasp the arm-rests at several points during the movie, but never as tightly as when I was watching this sequence. Another exceptional piece of action is a gunfight which is cleverly contrasted with an ongoing opera performance. I congratulate stunt coordinator Dan Bradley for his top-notch stunt work.
Marc Forster does well in the director's chair. He has never directed a movie with the large scope and scale that Quantum has, but he does a nice job at covering it up. One of the best things that Forster does as director is that while he shows a adept hand at shooting huge action sequences, he doesn't ignore the traits of his earlier films. The art direction and locations are magnificent, and there is a raw, emotional power in Bond's struggle to both take his revenge for Vesper's death and remember his duty as a MI6 agent.
Most of the emotion in Bond's quest is still down to Craig's fiery performance. Brutal, hard-edged and full of damaged humanity, Craig's performance is immensely powerful and utterly commanding. He also has solid support. As Camille, Olga Kurylenko brings life to a passionate, refreshingly independent Bond girl. Her performance matches the high quality of Eva Green's bewitching portrayal of Vesper in Casino Royale. As the bad guy of the piece, Mathieu Amalric manages to be perfectly slimy and menacing, although he isn't as interesting as Casino Royale's Le Chiffre. Also providing a deadly threat is General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio), who is a despicable mad man. Judi Dench once again brings steely power to the role of M, Bond's superior, while Giancarlo Giannini and Jeffrey Wright make welcome returns as two of Bond's associates. Finally, Gemma Arterton is superb in her brief screen time as Agent Fields, who is sent by M to find Bond in the midst of his mission.
The script is once again spot-on. I am a huge fan of Paul Haggis's work, and I wasn't disappointed by the banter that he had cooked up between the characters, along with fellow co-writers Robert Wade and Neil Purvis. The story flows nicely from one point to the other, with a brilliant balance between drama (the death of one of Bond's comrades is a shocking jolt of emotion) and heart-pounding action. There are also some nods to some of the other Bond movies. For example, the fate of one of the main characters is a smart updating of one of the most enduring images from the earlier Bond movies.
No, I'm not saying that Quantum is flawless. There is more than a whiff of Bourne envy in the action sequences, and some characters, such as Agent Fields, are sadly under-used. But still, I will definitely say that it is an deadly piece of entertainment, which moves at an urgent pace and which is all the more intense for it. It doesn't skip on the killer action, yet it doesn't abandon the dramatic power of the story. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is open to change in the Bond franchise. If you are one of the people who can't stand a new vision of what Bond can be on screen, you may want to stick to the older entries in the series.