Quantum of Solace - A license to thrill

By Evan-Lee Courie: @evan1985

17 Nov 2008

The character that we all know today as James Bond 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, originally featured in 12 novels and two short story collections. The character as we know, has been used in the second most successful film franchise to date. Forty six years and 21 films later, the current film, Quantum of Solace, will be released here in South Africa on 19th November 2008.

I must admit I'm not an avid follower of the 007 franchise, so I had to brush up on my knowledge of the previous films.

In 1962, the first adaption was made with Dr. No, which starred Sean Connery, who starred in six more films after his initial portrayal. George Lazenby replaced Connery for just one film, for seven more films Roger Moore played the character of Bond, Timothy Dalton followed with two more films and Pierce Brosnan starred in another four more.

The 21st film, Casino Royale, saw Daniel Craig taking on the role of M16 Agent James Bond.
In the latest adaption and 22nd film, Quantum of Solace, with the ingredients of the women, the cars, the guns, and the stunts, we continue to see the high octane adventures of James Bond (Daniel Craig) seen in Casino Royale. Following the betrayal of Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the latest mission personal. Determined to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Dame Judi Dench) interrogate Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.

If you are a fan of an action-packed (106 minutes, the shortest Bond film to date) film then this is a definite go-see as Daniel Craig performs a large amount of his own stunts, which is pretty impressive as he jumps from one rooftop to another. It certainly makes up for the lack of gadgets that was seen in previous Bond movies.

Olga Kurylenko, who plays a refreshingly different kind of female companion, Camille, does well with a part that has far more depth than most Bond girls.

For the most part the villainy rightly takes a back seat to Bond's emotional journey. 007's mission may be what drives the film's plot, but the real interest lies in how Bond deals with the individuals and situations he meets along the way.

Quantum of Solace, isn't at all as great as Casino Royale but is believed to have been toned down in favour of 'conventional action', however there is no doubt that this Bond installment will be ruling the box-office once again.