Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace is the 22nd installment in the James Bond series of movies. Lots of boom, not much bang and barely any brains, Quantum of Solace is a bit of an explosive let down.

James Bond (Daniel Craig), a British Secret Agent, fights bad guys, drives quickly, and tries to avenge a character, Vespa, who is never explained in Quantum of Solace. Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) is the head of a business that makes the green movement look like an infection. With him is the motivated and beautiful but damaged Camille (Olga Kurylenko). M (Judi Dench) tries to keep James in line but she does little more than clean up his messes.

Director Marc Forster along with his team of writers Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade managed to suck the marrow out of James Bond. Quantum of Solace sacrifices plot, women, emotion and gadgets for scenes of violence of one type or another. Plot is shoved between car chases and fight scenes are shoved in like cinematic wedgies.

In fact, there are so many high speed, ass kicking scenes that there is no time for gadgets, unless you count guns and SUVs. There are no mini-ray guns, no disguised rockets and no remote controlled cars. There isn’t even a watch that “also tells the time”, if you get my drift. There is no anticipation on how Bond will use the gadgets, no guessing when a scene arrives, no disagreement with his decisions. Part of the excitement is knowing how the bad guys might meet their maker, but instead we are left to wonder, will his right or left eye be blackened?
The audience is left to chill further when Bond starts spewing information we didn’t see him get. I thought I had seen everything he had seen but I guess James ditched me at one of the parties and took off for a briefing with M. I felt betrayed by James when he felt I wasn’t worth telling his secrets to anymore.

Quantum of Solace’s story line feels like 106 minute length of train track. James and Camille’s stories go in the same direction but they feel independent of each other. They lack any true connection and they don’t share a motivation, an emotional connection or mode of transportation.

An audience member who did not see Casino Royale, the 21st bond movie will be confused by the plot. Characters are mentioned repeatedly in the Quantum of Solace without explanation. There is even a character who makes an appearance from the previous movie, and they do make a reference to their history, but not enough to make the Bond-ignorant well informed.

The movie is saved from total failure by a few exciting scenes. The opener is classic Bond. The closing scene is not classic, but it’s still enjoyable.

Daniel Craig is as Bondtastic as ever but he is hindered by the atrocious script. Craig is especially talented keeping his stoney expression during fight scenes.

Quantum of Solace is worth admission prices if you can get by solely on explosions. If combustion isn’t enough for you, Quantum of Solace can wait for DVD.

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