Movie Review: Quantum of Solace

Last week I went to see the very successful new 007 movie. Quantum of Solace (2008) is the sequel to Casino Royale (2006), with Daniel Craig playing the role of James Bond.

I really liked these 007 movies with Daniel Craig in the lead. I prefer them to the previous James Bond-movies and my suspicion is that the new James Bond audience (my generation*), could not identify with the cold perfectionist James Bonds of prior years as much as they can identify with the current Bond. What makes this James Bond different is he’s vagabond determinism. And that, I think, is the core resonance my generation has with these latest two James Bond movies. We are a generation that stands critically against the laws of the powers-that-be. It is not that we are anarchists per se, but we are against the arrogance of centralized systems of power, which seem to focus more on protecting the welfare of giant corporations, rather than the common good.

There is a practicalness about this James Bond that I like. Although he is equally charming with the ladies than his predecessors, one does not think him a womaniser. After all, these last two 007 movies showed James Bond not to be a heartless chauvinist, but quite the opposite. In Casino Royale he finds the love of his life – a seriousness towards commitment that we never saw in the previous James Bond movies. This is a tough guy with emotions, not one of the British androids of the past.

The plots of these Bond-movies have consequences. Bond's decisions have serious and often negative results. The life of the spy is not sugar-coated.

I liked Casino Royale (directed by Martin Campbell) better than Quantum of Solace (directed by Marc Forster), but the latter didn’t disappoint. As far as action movie chase-scenes go, Quantum of Solace has a motor chase (cars), an aquatic chase (boats), a dog fight (airplane chase) and a foot chase. The fighting scenes seem a little clumsy at times, but that adds to their realism. There is a constant thread of action from start to finish.

Nothing about the movie bothered me, and that doesn’t happen often. If you like action movies, Quantum of Solace is a good movie in the genre. The movie left me with a feeling of contentment and isn’t that what we want from our escapisms?




The Dark Knight is still my favourite movie of the year, but as far as Quantum of Solace’s popularity is concerned, it is one of the great box office hits of the year, making headlines at most news agencies.