Continuing barely an hour after Casino Royale, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is out for revenge.
Interrogating Mr White, Bond discovers the existence of the 'Quantum' organisation. With businessman Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) as their legitimate front, Quantum are planning to take over Bolivia's water supply.
Alongside Russian agent Camille (Olga Kurylenko), Bond gets to work smashing Greene's megalomaniacal plans, satisfying his thirst for vengeance.
This is the most blatant re-invention of 007 so far. Casino Royale laid the groundwork for the grittiest interpretation of Ian Fleming's brutal and misogynist spy yet, but QOS establishes everything our new Bond will be. He will bleed, he will wield his physicality like a blunt instrument and he won't have a quip ready every time he offs someone. Though by the end of the story, which is more Casino Royale Part 2 than a separate film, this arc has largely been closed up.
The next time we meet Mr Bond he is probably going to be far closer to the man we know. Daniel Craig doesn't do silliness. His emergent Bond is freshness personified.
The pacing is probaby what has put some people off the film. It wizzes round so fast you can barely breathe to take it all in. It makes it look as if there is no story there at all. When in fact there is; albeit that it is masked in the high octane stunts and car chases it IS there.
Agent Camille is a very bland bond girl. The fact that she has to live up to the devious Vesper is a hard one. Olga Kurylenko plays an extremely stern and serious character the sucks the little happiness that the film has from it. Whether this seriousness is purposely placed or the fault of Olga is unclear, to me however.
A few familiarities, in what is an unfamiliar addition to the franchise, come in shape of Judy Dench (M). I must say that the character has become tiresome and unnecessary. Lady M is in dire need of retirement.
With all this taken into account, Bond has become Bourne. For someone like me, who has not seen man previous Bond films due to being quiet young, it doesn't matter. The gadgets are gone and the realism is here to stay. The glamour of Bond is also gone, the unique sense that was associated with the first 21 films with it. For me this is a good thing.
Real Reviewer Rating: 8/10
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