Bond gets re-bourned

March 27, 12:08 PMDes Moines Movie ExaminerAndy Chung

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"Quantum of Solace" picks up after "Casino Royale" with James Bond's (Daniel Craig) encounter with Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). Bond is still reeling from the pain of losing Vespa Lynd and is unable to find closure making him a rogue and uncontrollable agent for M (Judi Dench). During their interrogation, Bond learns that MI6 along with other secret service agencies has been infiltrated by Mr. White's organization taking Bond across the globe exposing the group while trying to stop a new villain, Mr. Green (Mathieu Amalric of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), from helping General Medrano (Joaquín Cosio) take over the government of Bolivia and being positioned as president in return for a desert region.

Helping Bond is Camille (Olga Kurylenko of "Hitman") as the Russian Bolivian secret service agent who is also on a personal vendetta of her own against General Medrano. Familiar associates of "Casino Royale" are encountered with Felix Leiter (Jeffery Wright), the American C.I.A. agent and Inspector Mathias (Giancarlo Giannini) help him infiltrate Mr. Green's organization while learning about his ultimate objective and his interest with the Bolivian desert.

To understand the thin plot line, viewers are encouraged to check out "Casino Royale", but by viewing the predecessor film it may make "QoS" a bit of a letdown and a step backward. With "Casino Royale", it took an interesting introspective look of how Bond becomes the agent he is today with fine writing, mixed with blends of action and drama scenes, however with "QoS" viewers are left with an English version of "The Bourne Ultimatum" with Bond globe hopping, chasing after villains on top of a roof and fighting in small quarters. That was the first mistake of "QoS" was incorporating more action scenes in forsaking of dialogue and drama in order to attract the younger viewing audience to get hooked onto the Bond franchise.

Mr. Craig along with Ms. Dench's performance of their character is respectable with M being the mother concerned about how Bond is going on a downhill slide fueled by revenge and concerned about how this will impact his ability to perform his duty while questioning his loyalty to MI6. Bond is still the same gritty, everyday-working man's Bond as opposed to Pierce Brosnan's portray of suave gentleman spy. They both share the same common characteristics of having no problems of bedding gorgeous ladies and in "QoS" he has the cheesiest pickup line that succeeds against a female English agent.

Mr. Amalric as Mr. Green, the environmentalist who wants to the have control of the world's most precious item, does an adequate job of portraying Bond villain as being charming while being aggressive as an opposing force of Bond. Ms. Kurylenko as Camille is nothing more than tan eye candy. The attempt at establishing a relationship between Bond and herself is not fully flushed out as she lets herself get closer to Bond by explaining her circumstance and why she is set out to take revenge against the general. The only connection felt between these two characters mirrors the exact same scene between Bond and Vespa in the shower scene of "Casino Royale".

While "QoS" succeeds in being better than some Bond films with its intense car chase scenes, fight sequences and preventing diabolical schemes of trying to take over the world. This film does give final solace for Bond as he can finally let go of the memories of Vespa as he continues his fight against Mr. White’s organization.

DVD Features:
• Music video of “Another Way to Die” featuring the first ever duet featured in a Bond opening performed by Jack Black and Alicia Keys

• Theatrical Teaser Trailer

• Theatrical Trailer