Review of Quantum of Solace (2008) by Stefan G — 17 Oct 2015

As strange as it sounds, I'm willing to contend that this is perhaps the only watchable Bond film with Daniel Craig, and I say that because so far, this is the only one of the films featuring him that didn't make me want to cringe shortly after I started watching it.

Unlike the previous film, which was far less careful in application of its overly gritty "post-Bourne" approach, this film was less tedious, with the total runtime being around 40 minutes shorter (in fact, this is the shortest film in the whole series).

This was a significant improvement because it meant the pacing was faster and the action scenes were a bit more seamless. Sadly, this is the last Bond film to date that has this straightforward approach.

Bond himself hasn't improved much as a character, but at the very least he actually gets the job done this time. The other characters are alright, and the acting is pretty good, even if the characters themselves tend to be uninteresting at times.

This film certainly had a better sense of style than Casino Royale, and while it continued the gritty trend, it's definitely brighter than last time, which is a step up compared to the previous film's colour palette.

The last major improvement is the film's focus on action. In the film, Bond is a bit more trigger-happy than usual (which fits because he's trying to avenge the death of his lover), and this translates into a film that goes in a more action-oriented direction, which I think is something the Bond franchise desperately needs.

Quantum of Solace presented a flawed, yet interesting direction for the franchise, but it's not a particularly stellar film by its own merits, and it's a pretty sorry state of affairs for the Bond franchise when a relatively average film is the high point of Daniel Craig's time in the franchise.