Quantifiable

After drying my eyes caused by the pain brought about by paying $12.50 for a ticket, I walked into the non-stadium-seated, over capacity theatre on the Upper West Side. From beginning to end, Quantum of Solace had me in awe. Between the perfectly choreographed fight/chase scenes, excellent plot and by far the most beautiful Bond girl, this movie was, I dare say, better than Casino Royale.

Ok, ok, I know. Casino Royale was the greatest Bond film of all time. It will always remain a classic in the respect that it was the first to break the mold of how a typical 007 film should be. Quantum expands upon that. Bond is now out for revenge and the viewer can actually sense how much the death of Vespa has taken its toll. Though there are plently of elements of dry Brititsh humor, Quantum is a darker, angrier film than its predecessor.

I have read many reviews that say Quantum is lacking in plot, basically all icing without any cake. I respectfully disagree. There was very much character development throughout the film and between all the main characters. Many relationships are fueled by events in each characters past and bonds are formed. Through this, we see the new James Bond actually has a heart, as was seen in Casino Royale.

Olga Kurylenko is in my opinion, the hottest of all the Bond girls who have graced the silver screen. Strawberry Fields, played by Gemma Arteton, who in the movie refers to herself as simply Fields (with good reason) is not only more attractive than previous girls, but younger too, being 18 years younger than Craig. I expect to see both of these fine ladies' fame rise and perhaps a reappearance by Kurlenko in future Bond films.

The action in Quantum of Solace was much akin to The Bourne Ultimatum; intricate hand to hand combat with amplified sound effects, extreme close-ups on individual fist-to-face connections, and of course an amazing car chase (that was missing from Casino Rolyale) with extreme close-ups on just how dented and mangled an Aston Martin DBS can get. On top of all that, we even see a plane chase, something that I'm not aware has happened in any previous Bond film.

Quantum of Solace will get mixed reviews from all that see it. It's not a typical Bond movie, just as Casino Royale wasn't. The plot is a mere firecracker compared to the explosive, red-eyed action throughout the movie, but they come together to produce a needed bridge in this new route that Bond has taken. I'm already excited for Bond 23.