Quantum of Solace

A spy thriller for the new millennium or just another copy cat sequel? The new James Bond features a quizzical title - Quantum of Solace - that's bound to have people mispronouncing or misunderstanding the whole mission. The title actually comes from Ian Fleming's book of five Bond short stories For Your Eyes Only. Frankly Quantum of Solace is a little bit of both a pot boiler spy chase flick mixed with a psychological thriller that finds 007 on a vengeance fueled journey around the world.
Quantum observes some Bond cliches, like an action packed opening sequence, and twists other conventions, like the Bond in the iris visual motif that always started the opening credits. In Quantum of Solace that bit of business signals the end of the film and the commencement of the end credits. Quantum picks up right where Casino Royale left off, with Bond cruising down a highway in Italy with Mr. White in the trunk, only we realize this after a crash bang auto chase through winding tunnels and mountain roads, all seemingly shot in close-up.
The actual opening credits features typical silhouettes against a graphic background while the song “Another Way to Die” performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys doesn't strike a lasting chord. Bond (Daniel Craig) is focused on finding the people behind Vesper's death (Casino Royale) and this leads to an open conflict between Bond and M (Judy Dench). Bond goes off the radar and starts a one-man vendetta against environmentalist CEO Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric from The Diving Bell and The Butterfly). Greene secretly has engineered the acquisition of the water supply of a South American country.
Director Marc Forster makes sure the series recalls early 60s Bond films in its architecture while giving the action a modern feel by editing at the speed of Bourne films. The good things are the portrayal of a spy in today's society as a kind of outcast spurred on by murderous rage rather than loyalty to a flag. Greene, the villain, is cold and stares a lot but his characterization avoids the overblown aspects of many previous Bond baddies. Forster most vividly recalls Goldfinger with the death of a Bond girl suffocated and nude in oil. Femme protag Camille (Olga Kurylenko) matches Bond for revenge impulses and looks good in torn clothing, a big consideration in Quantum as she and Bond must endure scorching deserts, aerial pursuits and burning buildings. CIA operatives are corrupt as well putting Bond and one time ally Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) on opposite sides of the ring.
Quantum ends quickly, way less than two hours, which is only a consideration in view of previous installations. This is meant to be a new chapter of the saga. Craig at times has a raging, almost suicidal motivation in some of his actions. This is a Bond devoid of humor, and considering most of the the Roger Moore outings that's a good thing. Perhaps not ironically this Bond resembles most the Moore headlining For Your Eyes Only, which was a bare knuckles action filled 007 excursion that was the exception of the Moore Bonds.
Regardless, Quantum of Solace will only perpetrate the series since Daniel Craig and the producers have etched this new Bond persona in a way that makes him an anti-hero, forlorn killer, and go-to guy for action in one package.