Apologies in advance if I miss anything major out or if my spelling is terrible: it's late!
Oh and there are no major spoilers in my review- the one's which are are tagged and if anyone wants to know anything else just message me! 
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Quantum of Solace had to achieve two things. Firstly it had to prove that Casino Royale was not just a one-off flook. Secondly it had to leave us in no doubt that Daniel Craig is James Bond and will be for some time.
On both of these point it delivered; in style.
The opening sequence of the film (PTS) was also one of it's most memorable action sequences. Steve McQueen in Bullitt eat your heart out! This car chase was well worth the written-off Aston and inured stuntmen; it was one hell of a gripping ride and more than a nod to those who said CR could have done with a decent car chase. Also this was not the overly long PTS of 20 minutes plus that had been rumoured. This was a pulse-pounding 10 minutes of great action.
And it took me right up until "Another Way to Die" fired up and the titles began to play to realise something was missing.
Spoiler
But back to the opening titles. I loved them, in fact I liked most of MK12's work throughout. The titles are very stylish and very contemporary- which some traditionalists may object to. Although the titles weren't as bigger departure from Daniel Kleinman's work on CR.
Spoiler
The title's end and we're back on the quest for information about "the organisation". The adventure takes us on a brilliant and unexpectedly sudden chase through Sienna and then we're straight to Haiti (after a short pit stop in London). The action is great but at this point I start to feel slightly uneasy. I am a little concered that there may be a bit too much action. (For me this was only a slight and momentary worry but I'm sure for some it will be more of a concern.)
My worries are soon assuaged by our good friend Rene Mathis. From his arrival onward the film really does get into it's stride. The action/plot balance is redressed and we are treated to some great performances. Not least from Giancarlo Giannini himself who really is top class. I was impressed also by Gemma Arterton and of course Jeffery Wright.
Mathieu Amalric was very good but not brilliant. Similarly Olga Kurylenko was very pleasant and competent but lacks any great depth or range. But these are by no means weak-links they are just at the lower-end of a brilliant cast.
As before, there are some very funny moments. Bond, Fields and Mathis get the best witty exchanges, along with M's few good quips. Mentioning M I really thought Dame Judi was great. A lot less grumpy and head mistress like than in some previous outings. In this one Bond and M really do seem to form an understanding.
The cinematography and editing really shone. I'm slightly biassed as I work in this sector but I do think it would be hard for anyone not to notice some of the great shots and stylish editing on show.
Even at the times when the narrative is slightly faltering there is one thing that remains rock solid: Daniel Craig's performance. As one journalist put it to me as we were leaving "God Craig is a bloody good Bond." I don't think there is much more I can add to that other than he is brilliant.
The short running time affected the film in a different way than I expected. I feared it would feel like there was less substance. It didn't feel that way at all. You got your money's worth in relation to the amount of locations, set-pieces and globe-hopping but, at times, it all felt a little rushed. Though there were nice quieter moments to catch your breath.
If I had my way I would have cut down the action just a tad. Maybe removing one sequence from early on would have done the tick. Other than that I wouldn't have made many other changes.
This was a very different film to Casino Royale. It felt far faster, often darker and at times rougher. The change in tone also appeared to reflect Bond as a changing character. This time around things are done with far more pace and precision but with no less style. Indeed the film is very similar to CR in that they both feel firmly part of the same Daniel Craig series- QOS does not feel in any way out-of-kilter with Casino or the rest of the franchise.
Some won't like the style, some won't like the amount of action and some won't like the film but I thought it was great. For me CR still has a special place in my affections. It had the trump card: change. Quantum of Solace didn't have the luxury of that card but made up for it with jaw-dropping action, brilliant performances and an exciting plot. This is no Casino-wannabe but a great film in it's own right!
8/10
Edited by kitt22, 17 October 2008 - 11:18 PM.
