DVD Release Date:  March 24, 2009
Theatrical Release Date:  November 14, 2008
Rating:  PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content)
Genre:  Action, Drama
Run Time:  105 min.
Director:  Marc Forster
Cast:  Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini

If Casino Royale was a promise to elevate future Bond films above their cheeky forerunners, then Quantum of Solace fulfills it.  The second film in this franchise reboot makes good on every tonal shift successfully accomplished in the first—and so while this new entry doesn’t quite plumb the psychological depths of its predecessor, it packs just as many punches (and maybe more).

Picking up almost exactly where the last one left off, Quantum of Solace is more than a sequel; it’s literally a continuation of the Casino Royale story.  Though it does work as a stand-alone experience, much of the narrative glides past important references to Royale; in consequence, re-watching that before diving into this would be strongly advised. 

More specifically, some characters make surprise returns (thus emphasizing the linkage of the two films), so being cognizant of their histories with Bond makes events and relationships echo with more complexity and intrigue.  And in Quantum of Solace, the intrigue runs deep.

When we last left our favorite double-O, he was reeling from the betrayal of Vesper—the woman he was ready to leave MI6 for—while also suspecting her martyrdom may have been a final act of love that saved him.  But for Bond, the emotional gut-punch of her “double-agent” deception trumps the possibility of an altruistic sacrifice, and so now his pursuit of the clandestine organization (revealed as “Quantum”) that controlled her has become personal.  Though he coolly denies accusations of such by M (his famed superior), it’s clear that James Bond is on a mission of vengeance. 

The stakes have also been raised significantly.  So far-reaching is Quantum that they have infiltrated deep into MI6 and the CIA, and now even the most reliable allies are suspect.  Before, Bond had to make allegiances with people he wasn’t sure if he could trust.  Now he’s forced to align himself with people he knows he can’t trust, but he has no other options so he must. 

Situations, circumstances and relationships have been elevated from calculated risks to outright gambles, and eventually Bond must deliberately break M’s orders and go rogue (no doubt Sarah Palin would approve).  Early on, a seasoned vet tells Bond that when he was younger it was easier to distinguish between good and evil but now it’s harder to keep track, and that you can even get the two mixed up.  That’s not only a sober reflection of our increasingly complicated world but also proper advice for 007, an agent who’s quickly learning (and becoming more jaded by the fact) that he can’t afford a cavalier self-confidence any longer.