Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace released in 2008 and was Daniel Craig's second outing as Bond but what made this film different from others in the series was that it followed Casino Royale just minutes from where that ended. Not wanting to avoid the elephant in the room though; this is generally seen as the "bad" Daniel Craig Bond film as a result of it being caught amongst the ongoing writer's strike at the time. This left director Marc Forster and Craig having to chip-in with much of the script and try to salvage the film from disaster, which is not something you want when in control of the sacred franchise.

With LeChiffre dead and his killer, Mr. White, in the boot of the Aston Martin, the film begins with a punchy opening action sequence as Bond is pursued through the Italian mountains by henchmen belonging to the mysterious organisation, Quantum. Mi6 have no knowledge of where Mr. White is from and he conveniently escapes interrogation leaving Bond with a few rough leads that sends him on his way to South America, whilst also on revenge for the death of Vesper. From here, Quantum of Solace becomes a fast-paced, incredibly short (just over 90 minutes) adventure as Bond hops from location to location in search of Mathieu Amalric's Dominic Greene, a wealthy French businessman with connections to Quantum.

Despite the short running-time and occasional choppy editing, QOS still holds-up when rewatching over a decade later. For many Bond fans, Craig's appearance here shows him in his chiseled prime and is completed with Tom Ford now providing the suits, which haven't aged badly at all. The man himself is on fine-form as he captures the internal brooding rage of an agent who is expected to appear smart and composed at all times. The problem for many was that this film, more than the last, was starting bare a considerable resemblance to the Jason Bourne franchise. The small moments of wit, humour and romance from Casino Royale were replaced with gritty violence as Bond leaves a trail of bodies in his wake. Forster's direction is undeniably and suitably cold in Bond's quest for revenge, and this is reflected in the film's more earthly colour scheme, which I should say makes for one of the most visually impressive Bond films to date.

With the supporting cast, Amalric's villain isn't one for the ages but is suitably slimy and works perfectly within the story. Judi Dench continues to effortlessly control every scene she's in and for an actress of her caliber, a mere writer's strike would hardly damage her performance. We also get to see more of Jeffrey Wright's Felix, always a bonus in a Bond film, and he is great in the limited screen time as he shares only a single scene with Bond but it is still a highlight. Matching Bond's darker edge this time around is Olga Kurylenko unconventional 'Bond girl', who is on a similar mission to infiltrate Quantum for revenge, and the two work well together. Again, the film is criminally short but the fiery relationship she shares with Bond helps to make for an entertaining experience, and also for a satisfying conclusion between the two.

Quantum of Solace excels through its sharp pacing, thrilling action sequences that generally go for practical effects instead of CGI, strong visuals and a talented cast. However, the criticisms towards the villain's silly endgame to control water in Bolivia, the lack of the series' trademark humour and messy overall story still ring true to me as a fan. What's more, even though I still enjoyed returning to this, the rumours of deleted scenes and last minute changes to the script do hint at what could have been a more complete Bond film for the franchise. There's a lot to like about QOS and it's certainly not Craig's worst outing but this is not a film for all Bond fans and it pains me to admit that maybe it does deserve some of its criticism. However time seems to have been kind on this and maybe it will win over the fans as George Lazenby's OHMSS has quite rightly managed to do. I'm glad QOS dared to be different and this is still a welcome addition to the franchise in keeping with Fleming's work.