So I’ll admit that I am not the first person to point out that the new James Bond movie has a less than stellar name. Quantum of Solace. Doesn’t really role of the tongue. Or have the sort of tongue-in-cheek names we have come to expect from James Bond (A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Tomorrow Never Dies). But this isn’t the old James Bond. This is something completely different. And why not? Our world is a totally different world than James Bond’s circa Sean Connery, Roger Moore, or even Pierce Brosnan. We have been introduced to the likes of Jason Bourne & Christian Bale’s Batman, & frankly they have upped the ante. If they tried to make a movie like the old James Bond, it would look at best dated & at worst downright silly. And this is coming from a girl who confesses that Roger Moore was her favourite Bond. Sean Connery is the classic, but give me Roger Moore circa Live & Let Die, any day. So apparently I like a little silly with my Bond. Until now.
My hubby is the Bond nut. He used to have every movie on VHS. Until I donated them (he’s still a little sour on that one). Don’t worry, I’m slowly replacing them on DVD (which no doubt someday I will have to replace with the next technology, but I digress). He was very skeptical prior to 2006’s Casino Royale. Daniel Craig wasn’t right. He was blond. He had blue eyes. He wasn’t tall enough. He wasn’t tough enough. He wasn’t suave enough. He just wasn’t Bond. Me, I didn’t have quite so many issues.
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Pretty much all I needed to see. The rest was just window dressing. Or maybe Daniel Craig was just the window dressing? Whatever. So, I enjoyed Casino Royale immensely & was definitely looking forward to the new installment. The hubby was, shockingly, still skeptical.
Frankly, Quantum lived up to all of my expectations. The movie starts right where Royale left off (word to the wise, do watch Royale first) with Bond trying to get to the bottom of the organization responsible for the death of his love, Vesper. This isn’t your ordinary "we have a mission for you" Bond film. Bond is basically out for revenge. He’s out for his Quantum of Solace (see, not so bad a name after all). This revenge quest drives the movie & poor M (Dame Judi Dench) is left trying to follow along.
We get a great villain (Mathieu Amalric) who is just a bit loopy, a couple of beautiful Bond girls (one of which meets a decidedly traditional Bond-film end), dizzying action sequences, a crazy car chase, & stellar locations that made me want to leave the theatre & head to a travel agent.
The big complaint I have heard is that the story is a little light with just the "revenge quest" to drive it. I actually liked the idea of the rogue Bond, & frankly the movie really doesn’t ever let you off the edge of your seat, so I figure those people are just nit-picking.
So if you are looking for a fun, escapist movie that will please both the guys & the girls, Quantum of Solace should be at the top of your list. Even if it is a little hard to say.