Today’s quick review: Quantum of Solace. James Bond (Daniel Craig) follows the trail of clues left in the wake of the events of Casino Royale in a mission that is as much personal as it is business. His investigation leads him to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a powerful man at the head of a secret organization known as Quantum. Together with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a woman out for revenge, Bond races to uncover Quantum before its criminal ambitions for the country of Bolivia become a reality.
Quantum of Solace is a spy thriller and the second film in the rebooted James Bond franchise. Despite high production values and many of the elements that made Casino Royale a hit, Quantum of Solace suffers from subpar writing, an incoherent plot, and shaky camera work. The premise is a reasonable one: Bond is up against the secret criminal organization responsible for the events of the previous movie. But the execution disappoints, with tangled plot threads and action scenes that are overshadowed by their counterparts in Casino Royale.
For all its faults, Quantum of Solace is still a modern Bond film and therefore a reasonably entertaining piece of cinema. Though it lacks the spectacle and crisp execution of Casino Royale, it retains Daniel Craig’s steely resolve as Bond, Judi Dench’s seasoned expertise as M, and one of the better universes the spy genre has to offer. Watch it if you are in the mood for a spy movie and do not mind a dip in franchise quality or for completion’s sake. Skip it if you dislike the Bond reboots or if you have already seen Skyfall.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it 7.0 to 7.5 for decent quality well below the Bond standard.