Review

Review Date: 16-November-08
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Quantum of Solace (2008)

I might as well just say it: I am not a Daniel Craig fan. I object to his coarse thug looks and the aggravating air of detachment which always makes me question whether he is really acting.* And I did not like his debut as James Bond, although that was not solely his fault. I did not welcome the change he heralded in the 007 franchise.

Fortunately, one does not need to like Craig to enjoy his second outing as Bond. Quantum of Solace is a thumping good action movie in which inventive fight and chase scenes are interspersed with moments of wit or the awesome Judi Dench. Picking up where Casino Royale left off, the slim but serviceable story has Bond seeking to avenge the death of his lost love by following the trail of a society that manipulates governments across the globe. After a marvelous smackdown with a traitor in an Italian villa, he heads to Haiti and gets his first look at the society's leader (the inhumanly sexy Mathieu Amalric) and a woman who, like himself, wants to infiltrate the society to fulfill a dream of revenge (Olga Kurylenko). Then it's off to Austria for a clever scene where Bond eavesdrops on the society's plans, after which the action moves to South America. Along the way he angers his superiors and the CIA by pursuing his own agenda and leaving a trail of corpses behind. He also takes time to sport with a fetching redhead. Some things never change.

Consistent diversion at a quick pace is not the only strength of Quantum of Solace. Like its predecessor, it offers evidence of breaking with tradition, but in a context that made me able to accept belatedly what the retooled franchise is trying to do. In this post-Jason-Bourne world, I suppose Bond must be gruff and grittier, and director Marc Forster knows to keep the adrenalin flowing without sinking to the type of low-IQ stuff that crams summer multiplexes. I love the part where Bond describes his martini in minute detail (enough with "shaken not stirred") and appreciate that one of the most beautiful "Bond girls" ever is not primarily a sex object. This is a continued concept, I admit, from the first Craig installment, as is the eventual revelation of 007's softer side. If Craig must be at the fore, I can take solace when the series provides sweet thrills to help the reinvention go down.

* Although a look at a past review reminds me that I did like Craig in his break-out movie, Layer Cake.

Copyright © 2008 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.