The sweet smell of revenge for Bond

Oct 29 2008 Pierce Hunt, Surrey Herald

When Daniel Craig was originally cast as James Bond in late 2005, many fans were sceptical of him and the enormity of the task he faced in filling the shoes of one of the most iconic roles in film history.

But after Casino Royale raked in more than $590million, the highest grossing Bond film ever, critics and fans alike were silenced as Craig proved his worth in one of the most spectacular feature films in the Bond franchise.

So, Quantum of Solace had a lot to live up to. And it kicks off with 007 aiming to seek revenge for the death of his former lover, Vesper, in the previous film.

Right from the get go it's all-out action, with Bond flying around blind bends on a picturesque Italian coastal road in his pristine Aston Martin, which soon devalues at a colossal pace as it's shunted, shot at and driven recklessly at breakneck speed.

The quick-fire editing and framing of each shot keeps you glued to your seat with its deafening tyre screeching and sea of flying bullets.

After Bond disposes of few undesirables along the way in various beautiful sites, he is led to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). He's not your conventional bad guy in the context of a Bond flick, but evil and perverse enough to warrant his position in the film. His ruthless goal of controlling one of South America's most important natural resources leads Bond all over the world.

Bond is here, there and everywhere around the globe looking for his many enemies, and you can't help but feel that the glamour of the worldwide locations and unrelenting action scenes (a rooftop chase across a Verona skyline is gripping), make up for the lack of direction in the film's narrative.

But it's the look and the excitement each scene brings, along with Craig's charismatic, quick-witted charm, that makes the film a credible addition to the series.

Quantum of Solace often harks back to previous Bond outings including Goldfinger, where one of Craig's beauties is found dead covered in oil, and Goldfinger, where Sean Connery finds Shirley Eaton dead on their bed covered in gold paint. And when a forced skydive looks set to end in disaster for Bond and Camille (Olga Kurylenko), it brings back images of Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me.

But unlike previous Bond efforts, there is a distinct lack of gadgets and gizmos, which seems peculiar as Sony, the film's producers, aren't normally afraid of using product placement to their advantage.

M (Judi Dench) plays more of a motherly role, and begins to get agitated with 007's constant disregard of the rules and regulations. Maybe this is the new direction of the franchise; blow away the audience with jaw-dropping action scenes, gorgeous, far-flung destinations and the stark, ice-cold attitude of Daniel Craig.

But a lack of substance in future storylines could hinder the progression of the seemily-unstoppable Bond phenomenon.

Whatever your views on Daniel Craig, there is no denying that he has stepped up to the mark once again as James Bond, even if the film itself isn't as impressive as his secret agent debut.