Quantum of Solace

I go a chance to see the new Bond movie over the weekend. I liked it, but not as much as Casino Royale. I felt CR was a giant leap forward for Bond, but QoS is a slight step backward. My big problem with the recent Bond movies is that Bond is a spy....not an action hero. Casino Royale seemed to go back to basics a bit, but Quantum started to return to action-hero land. That's not to say it' isn't an improvement over the Dalton/Brosnan era Bonds.

I'll try to keep away from spoilers, but if you want to go into the movie fresh stop reading now.

What I Liked:

• Still has the gritty, unpredictable style of Casino Royale. He takes a beating and comes out ahead, but his victory is never assured.
• The opera scene.
• The last scene with Mathis.
• The relationship with him and M. Their dynamic is completely different from every other Bond/M relationship, but it works on so many levels.
• The references to previous Bond movies (Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, etc).
• The final scene.

What I didn't like:

• The phrenetic direction of the first two action sequences. Did the editors drink too much Red Bull? Or did they just stay up too late watching the Bourne series?
• Less character development. Bond and the girl (I can't even remember her name) were pretty well fleshed out. Other than that....not so much. I love Jeffery Wright as Felix, but he wasn't given much to do. And who can tell me anything about the villain other than his name?

As I mentioned before, I don't like the new theme song. However, it works when you see it with the title sequence. I guess it's all about context.

Definitely worth another viewing.