Quantum of Solace

Strange: I never posted a review the first time I watched this movie. I must not have been all that impressed. Truth be told, that’s understandable, if this film is watched in isolation. This entry in the series is so closely tied to its predecessor that, if viewed without immediate reference to the prior film, a lot of what’s going on here gets lost. Having re-watched this film back-to-back with Casino Royale immediately preceding, this one becomes a much better film: what seems like muddled storytelling coalesces into an easier to follow plot when the antecedent information is fresh in the mind. The one weakness is the relationship between Craig’s Bond and Dench’s M; is she on his side, or not? There’s too much doubt attributed to her character in this two-film sequence, particularly given her appearance in prior films in the same role. In retrospect, there should have been a new M on hand once they took Bond back to the beginning (contractual obligations, perhaps, made for the mistake). Beyond those major matters, the production remains top notch, the performances are fine, and the action is impressive. Overall, this seems destined to bear a legacy as the weakest of the Craig/Bond movies, but that hardly means it’s bad--just not quite what it could have been.