Quantum of Solace Review

This direct follow up to "Casino Royale" certainly packs a punch. A leaner, meaner and altogether darker offering than Daniel Craig's debut as James Bond, "Quantum of Solace" is every bit the equal of his first outing. In fact, dare we say it, "Quantum of Solace" actually offers up a great deal of thrills, a stronger insight in to Bond's rarefied psychosis and, when taken as one half of a larger story, marks itself out as the greatest achievement in the Bond franchise to date!

High praise indeed but this Bond is an altogether different proposition to those we have become accustomed to over the years. Having started out of the blocks in "Casino Royale's" franchise reboot so ferociously, this 007 has a confidence in his stride now and a vengeance in his heart. It's fair to say, nay imperative, that this is the darkest Bond ever - and it drives this outing through 1 hour and 40 minutes (the shortest runtime of any Bond) with a breakneck urgency and a palpable tension. The decision to set the film nary five minutes after "Casino Royale" was certainly a gutsy one and one that may alienate newcomers to the franchise. Year on year this new, harder-edged 007 will gain new fans and introduce them to this pared down world of Ian Fleming's creation. So, to start so abruptly after the events of "Casino Royale" may leave some lost in its wake. Not that you have much time to care of course. "Quantum of Solace", pound-for-pound, is the most action-packed outing for Bond your likely to see. Director Marc Forster seems to have forgotten about the set-up and just gone straight for the jugular with some terrific set pieces, from a blistering car chase along Lake Garda to the Explosive House of Horrors, which adds the grenade atop this richly layered cake. There's even the now obligatory madcap foot chase lifted from "Casino Royale", given a few CG bells and whistles, and transplanted to Italy here with devastating effect.

But it's not all guns and girls. "Quantum of Solace" also offers the clearest look yet at a conflicted Bond torn between his duty and a broken heart. Daniel Craig has struck right at the core of this character and made it his own. Most startling of all is how Forster, Craig and Judi Dench play on Bond's relationship with M, almost as if Bond's a scorned child just looking to get back in to the good books! Olga Kurylenko, as Bond's ally Camille certainly has the looks and skill set to match and proves a great Bond Girl. A more well rounded character than Gemma Arterton's Agent Fields - a slight misadventure in such a focused film. The film is almost stolen right from under Craig though with Mathieu Amalric chewing up the scenery as the resident arch-villain Dominic Greene - a predatory environmentalist (a true first for Cinema!).

Simply put this is Bond at his very, very best.