Movie Review: James Bond – Quantum of Solace

Many critics felt that the Bond franchise made great strides forward following the rebirth of the series with Casino Royale in 2006. While the film retained the charm intended for the series, it abandoned some of the stale elements and did a reasonably successful job of propelling 007 into the twenty-first century. If that film was deemed a winner, then Quantum of Solace can only represent a regression of sorts; make no mistake, the latest offering from MGM is a confused mess of a motion picture that does nothing to build on the progress made with the film’s prequel.

Expectations were undoubtedly high for this feature and even the most ardent fans will surely accept the disappointment that Quantum of Solace represents. The most frustrating point to be made is that the foundations for a great film were all in place from Casino Royale. Daniel Craig returns as Bond and appears comfortable in the role and his surroundings, delivering a performance full of vigour and gusto. Judy Dench returns as M, and Giancarlo Gianini as the Italian spy.

If Casino Royale was the rebirth equivalent of Batman Begins, then why wasn’t this the equivalent of Dark Knight in terms of building upon existing foundations? Firstly, the plot is very poorly put together and most if not all viewers will exit the cinema wondering what on earth it was all about. Secondly, some of the film just feels like moving through the Bond motions with no sense of spontaneity. One would have hoped that the franchise would have the courage to move beyond Bond girls arbitrarily placed in the film with no real purpose. Even M’s motherly quips to Bond are so tired and overdone that it all feels like we’re back to the Brosnan films all over again. The most damning flaw however is the lack of suspense. There is a feeling of inevitability about every action, no element of surprise and while this has become par for the course of the Bond franchise as a whole, Casino Royale at least had a sense that something different might happen. The Bond girl did not live, for example. Quantum of Solace reverts to type and feels like every other Bond film you’ve ever seen, except this time it follows a suspenseful film that changed the rules even just that little bit.

The directing is, for the most part, poor. MGM are clearly trying to emulate the Bourne series with quick cuts and action sequences that move at frantic pace. But this feels like a poor man’s Bourne, with none of the finesse or skill that made those pictures stand out. The result is that the action sequences here are hilariously over the top and hugely disorientating for viewers. I found myself turning away until the sequences were over.

There is one scene in this film that is criminally not expanded and it would have been a dramatic face-off that could have linked this film to the last one. Indeed, it is the scene that this film should have been building towards. Of course this one scene that viewers would have been looking forward to like the resolution to a cliff hanger is over in five seconds and I can only assume it was deemed unimportant to the film makers. This unbelievable lack of judgment is what compounds the problems of the film as a whole; it just seems like no one knows what they are doing.

There is also some shameful advertising going on as well that is self-referential in its absurdity. If that was the intention then bravo, but it is so clumsy and ridiculous that it surely had to have been on purpose. I suppose the money is more important at this stage. This film is not awful; it can be embraced as disposable entertainment more than readily. But after a step forward for the series, viewers are entitled to more than is on offer here. Rumours abound that this was written while filming was going on; it certainly feels that way. This sort of Bond film might have been acceptable when there was no Bourne or Mission Impossible movies to contend with, but Bond has fallen some way behind, as sad as that is. What we’re left with here is a hollow motion picture that ultimately results in a highly unfulfilling cinematic experience.

GRADE: C-