QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)

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"Entertaining but Empty"

Unlike its predecessor Quantum of Solace lacks the kind of the weight that made the re-launch Royal so successful. We were introduced to a new kind of Bond with Royal...a blunt instrument of pain, perseverance and death. We also saw in the re-boot Bond...a sense of vulnerability and imperfection. Unlike the debonair full swagger Bonds of the past...we were given the most realistic depiction of 007 to date. Audiences embraced this new Bond. Young and old, men and women alike all found something to connect with while watching Casino Royal. Now with Solace, it seems the filmmakers have made a distinctive choice. They have decided to cater to no one. This film hits very hard...with one action/fighting sequence coming right after the other. Like some traditional sequels it picks up almost immediately where Royal left off, however five minutes into this film you immediately know that it's an entirely different kind story. The action in Solace is knock-down drag-out fun. These sequences are filmed in amazing locations and brutally realistic most of the time (an opening sequence involving ropes was rather "Transporter" Esq.) but for the most part this new Bond delivers all the alpha male mayhem. This however may be the films greatest flaw. While focusing on the "revenge" aspect in the film it definitely directed its appeal to the male 15 - 55 demographic and almost wholly ignored any other type of audience. While I commend the director and writers for sticking to their artistic guns...the film lacks the heart and emotional weight that Casino Royal carried so well. While understanding Bond's rage and want to avenge his love (who perished in the previous film) by finding and punishing the men (or man) responsible, they could have tried a little harder to interject a bit more story and perhaps tension to make us feel a presence of suspense or danger. As it stands Bond pretty much bull-dozes through the bad guys with little to no trouble. The female lead in the film to me had the more compelling storyline, and perhaps if her back story and character had been given more screen time and further development, the film would have benefited greatly. One of the more interesting concepts of the film was Bond taking this character under his wing as an almost assassin type mentor and the revenge mirror theme that followed. Again they just didn't do enough with it to bring out the full potential of this plot point. So in closing I would have to say that the action film fan in me really liked this new installment, it was fast, it was gritty, and most importantly like its predecessor it was really cool. All that being said the fan in me that appreciates dramatic, deeply involved film definitely feels that Solace fell well short of the standard set by Casino Royal. Give it a peak, I would certainly recommend that.