Bond? James Bond? Uh, no.
Instead, you might be shaken and stirred to find someone like Bourne, Jason Bourne in “Quantum of Solace.” The highly anticipated second outing of Daniel Craig as 007 breaks the bonds of Bond in several ways. The Craig era continues to be been more influenced by the hard-boiled, pure action orientation of modern efforts like the Matt Damon series and less by the kitschy traditions that made the Ian Fleming character a silver screen icon for the last four decades.
Except for its gun glorifying in the opening credit sequence, the sashaying of two stunning “Bond” girls, and the name and occupation of the protagonist, there’s almost nothing else about today’s very exciting — though generic — spy thriller to bring to mind the pre-Craig era. His steely sexiness and imposing presence do tend to compensate, however, for what’s missing of the traditional motifs: No tongue-in-cheek attitude or cute smirking. No gadget guru or wild futuristic weaponry. No over-the-top story of world domination or luxury travelogue whimsy.
What’s left — besides the convoluted plotline, the plague of most Bond films — is a no-nonsense pursuit of revenge in the first direct sequel for the franchise.
“Quantum of Solace” picks up in time just a few minutes from where 2006’s “Casino Royale” ended.
It gives Her Majesty’s hottest MI6 agent a new villain for his license to kill. A supposedly environmentally conscious tycoon named Dominic Greene (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’s” great Mathieu Amalric) has both a mysterious connection to the death of Bond’s one true love in the last picture and a sinister scheme to force his ownership of a profitable monopoly on a South American country.
With “Royale’s” screenwriting team Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade still on board, actor’s director Marc Forster (“Finding Neverland,” “Monster’s Ball”) helms his first action flick with a terrific cast.
Judi Dench as Secret Service honcho M, Giancarlo Giannini as elder European operative Mathis and Jeffrey Wright as CIA good guy Felix Leiter return to provide the thespian heft. But the newcomers, sultry Olga Kurylenko as Bond’s partner in vengeance Camille and Gemma Arterton as his frisky homegirl minder Strawberry Fields, provide the pulchritude to spice up a take-no-prisoners “Quantum” that offers little other solace for old-school 007 fans.
Quick info
“Quantum of Solace”
4 out of 5 Stars
Stars: Daniel Craig, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench
Director: Marc Forster
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content.
Running Time: 106 minutes
