Quantum of Solace (2008)

So the lengthy pause gave us the brilliant Casino Royale. Would a very short break prove equally fruitful? N.O. No.

The intro is a really bad omen as a car chase bereft of all that made the predecessor brilliant, is all we get. Swerving cameras, frenetic editing, ridiculous stunts and what seems like utterly random shootings and chases, even involving lacklustre policemen firing at will. Short and useless and you start looking for Jason Statham.

Then there is a small dialogue between M and Bond before a genuinely interesting scene enters. That too, is cut very short and then there is more tedious action. Parts of it looks more like the makings of The Inventor in "Edward Scissorhands" than a believable action-flick. After 20 minutes 80% of Craig's lines are grunting and moaning.

After Craig's efforts in Casino Royale, it really is disappointing to see him reduced to a B-movie action-hero here. Director Marc Forster also fails to utilize Judi Dench as Martin Campbell did, but she still makes the best of it, and she does have a rather devastating zinger aimed at Bond. There are also welcome revisits from Giancarlo Giannini and Jeffrey Wright, though only the former makes any impact in what is the longest calm segment in the film. And the only smart scene, as it gives a realistic and dire insight into the effects such lines of work have, and the employees.

There are traces of plot here and there, and the angle where the CIA is trying to overthrow the Bolivian government using a private contractor isn't half bad. That part of the plot is well hidden for most of the running time, though, meaning it's mainly chasing and exploding. There is no henchmen of note, hardly a villain and the dry wit is absolutely sucked out of QoS. So the best thing you an say for this flick is that is at 106 minutes, it's the shortest Bond-film ever, and most of the time the pace is too frantic for boredom.

And at least it has a reference to Universal Exports.

3/10

Best car used: Aston Martin DBS
Most memorable drink served: Dry Martini (three measures of Gordon, one of Vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shake until it's ice cold then add a large, thin slice of lemon peel).
Henchmen: None, really.
Villain: Dominic Greene played by Mathieu Amalric. Conniving and always thinking big. Not really memorable though.
Best one-liner: None
Song: "Another Way to Die" by Jack White and Alicia Keys. A strange mix with his beat and her annoying vocals. One of the more quaint duets.
Bond-girl: Olga Kurylenko as Camille. Adds little, if anything, and is outshone by Arterto