Quantum of Solace - Doesn't Even Compare To Casino Royale

Quantum of Solace

By: Noah Newcomb

        I have a rough relationship with Quantum of Solace. Even when I first time I saw I wasn't really sure about it. I always remembered it as one of the lesser Bond films. The only good thing I could remember about it was Craig's performance as Bond. I was forced to once again watch this movie and wasn't too thrilled about it. The movie had worsened in my mind more and more as time passed. I didn't even look forward to the action one should do for every Craig Bond film and instantly in the second action scene I remembered why. Quantum picks up minutes after Casino Royale which I always thought was a rather weird choice but I'll let it pass. I wish someone would do a fan edit of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace together, I'd watch that. The opening, action scene car chase was pretty good, but the way it was shot was whiplash to me in a bad way. All the action is shot quick, and choppy. It can't ever seem to linger on one shot for more than a second. This didn't bother me in the opening action scene, but it did in the second one that I mentioned earlier. Bond is chasing after someone and Craig is doing an awesome job. He's smashing through wood and jumping from other buildings but like I mentioned earlier the action is choppy. The chase keeps cutting to a house race nearby, for no reason! To this day that still infuriates me. Marc Forester, the director, keeps cutting to that race for no reason and it serves no purpose to the plot. It wastes a perfectly good action scene. The part where they're both fighting for the gun did pique my interest but it stills is a bad action scene. The Bond song is nothing special, possibly my least favorite of the ones I've heard or that might go to Goldeneye. Something I do appreciate about Quantum is that it's the introduction of M's larger role in the Craig Bond era. I like Bond's and M's relationship in this movie. There isn't really a Bond girl in Quantum. We do have our signature Bond girl who dies in the first half of the film though. There are two action pieces I do enjoy in this movie. I really enjoy the Opera scene and when Bond is escaping from the MI6 agents (which I guess is a minor spoiler but not a very important one). All the other action is choppy like I was describing earlier and it becomes non-enjoyable. There are brief moments where I see potential in a scene and then it just cuts to another frame. Then, of course, there's always the Bond villain and I'm not crazy about this one. They try to make hin a reasonable villain at times and that he's just another businessman, then he'll do something cruel and we don't know how we feel about them. He's definitely my least favorite Bond villain from what I've seen so far. Before I go into spoilers I should bring up the Opening Credit Bond song. The song is called Another Way To Die, it is composed by Alicia Keys and the White Stripes. This is the first 007 movie with the opening song being a duet. I don't think the song is that good, to be honest. It is my least favorite Bond song, that probably goes to Goldeneye. It isn't terrible but it's not good either.

SPOILERS!!!

        There is a side plot in here that's the most interesting to me. Since this takes place after Casino Royale Bond is still processing Vesper's death. This has made Bond even more dangerous but in a bad way. Bond kills every lead. Bond continues to kill leads, frustrating MI6. MI6 eventually start hunting Bond cutting off his resources. Eventually Bond gets back into MI6 but he goes to Vesper's boyfriend's house. Due to everything Bond's done in the movie we believe Bond will kill him. He doesn't and that gives Bond an arc through the course of the two films and it's done very well and is by far my favorite thing about the film. 

Final Thoughts

          But what are my final thoughts on the film? Overall I think this is a rather weak film. Marc Forester has made some pretty good films, I've seen a few: Finding Neverland and Christopher Robin. Both films are better than this one. The real reason to check out this film is Craig's performance as Bond. He's by far my favorite Bond so far. Craig is the reason I care about this film's story. I'm going to give this a small recommendation. This is definitely the weakness film I've reviewed so far on the Noah Newcomb Hub. I think if you enjoyed Casino Royale then this is one you should check this one out.

Quantum of Solace Official Trailer