Bond is Back in Quantum of Solace!

SPOILER WARNING

(Don't Read the Below If You Don't Want to Know!)

My second favorite Bond, (Daniel Craig), hit theaters with a vengeance this weekend - just in time for my birthday! 

So Michael and I celebrated by taking in the 22nd Bond  movie. 

I've seen them all - except the George Lazenby 'Her Majesty's Secret Service'. (Just could never bring myself to watch it.) 

I've suffered through the Roger Moore years. (Michael loves him as Bond!)  I enjoyed Pierce Brosnan. But when I first saw Daniel Craig I thought -- finally a Bond who looks like he can actually do what he does so well; We haven't seen that since the ultimate Bond, Sean Connery!

Craig handles the physical work well, and there's a lot of it.  What's surprising is how well he does with the more emotional elements of the story. 

The movie opens on the heals of the previous film.  Bond is bent on revenging the death of his love, Vesper.  So we have a Bond who's not sleeping, drinking heavily (out of martini glasses, of course!) and relentlessly pursuing (even killing) any lead to the dismay of his boss, M (The marvelous Judi Dench).  We get more insight into this Bond than in all the other films combined. 

The movie grabs you immediately with a harrowing car chase which practically destroys the fabled Bond car.

Then, alas, no more car, indeed, we have no gadgets, no bag of "Q" tricks in this movie - no "Q" of course, and unfortunately no John Cleese either.

The movie peaks early.  From the opening car sequence to the surprise interrogation to the rooftop chase in beautiful Sienna - this is classic Bond.  The studio knows it; most of the shots you see in the movie's ad campaign are from the beginning of the movie.  Unfortunately, the story doesn't keep pace. 

The story is a sequel which has its upside (more emotion and depth to the character).  The downside is it's tough to follow despite the references to Vesper most viewers aren't going to remember the betrayal in the previous film, so the storyline is confusing.  And the whole eco-global monopoly villian isn't very villanous. 

The other downside to the sequel storyline is that Bond is out of his normal routine.  We're used to his gearing up with his new gadgets, toys and car, instead he's cut off by M - she even terminates his credit cards!  It's a sign of the times: Bond needs a financial bailout!  The pacing of the movie is very different than other Bond films and it suffers.  You never see Bond plotting and planning, just relentlessly pursuing.

That said, I still enjoyed it, it just wasn't as satisfying as the previous film.  I'll give it an 8 out of 10.

A final note:  Michael was very disappointed by the opening credits montage.  The little homage that began the closing credits didn't cut it for him.  (I liked the signature song.)