Quantum of Solace - Mini-Review

First, the absolute BEST thing about seeing Quantum of Solace was the Star Trek trailer. It totally got me from that little kid declaring, "James Tiberius Kirk!" I'll post it online tomorrow when they make it available.

I thoroughly enjoyed Quantum of Solace. Daniel Craig is a great Bond, and as my son said, "We got to see tons of explosions!" There was one particular knife fight scene that definitely was influenced by the Bourne films. I just wish Bond's morose demeanor wasn't also so much Jason Bourne, and Dark Knight for that matter. A. O. Scott noticed the same thing in his NY Times review. Does every hero now have to be a tragic hero?

This is a good film, but it's not as good as Casino Royale, because there's no Bond joie de vivre. He's mourning Vespa, and he's out for revenge. Got it. But couldn't he seduce Strawberry Fields in a more amusing way than telling her he can't find the stationary in his hotel bedroom? In Casino Royale we had some witty banter and tension with Vespa. I'm not expecting to go back to the old Bond bimbo days, but a little spark would be nice.

The plot? I couldn't explain it to you if I tried. My husband and I joked all the way home about how weird the villain's goal was -- not to rule the world, but more in the meeeeellion dollar category -- to corner the market on Bolivian WATER. Water, for cripes sake! It's still not clear if Bond was dealing with a middle man, and more will be revealed about the super secret Quantum organization in the next film.

I won't be as harsh as the Chicago Tribune (2 1/2 stars) or Roger Ebert (2 stars). It's a Bond film, so expectations are high. It was action value for the money, and worth seeing on the big screen so three stars. The action sequences are stellar. I just hope that Bond dropping that necklace at the end means he's over it, and he'll at least give us a little smirk once in a while next film.