Review: Quantum of Solace's James Bond Gets Human

James Bond has always been the coolest of the cool. He never seems to get rattled by the bad guys and he always gets the girl. Quantum of Solace seems to have taken James Bond to a new place. Perhaps, Bond is only human after all.

The new James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace has numerous elements that previous Bond flicks have shied away from. What becomes immediately evident is that Quantum of Solace picks up where the last James Bond film left off. Never before has there been a continuation of sorts with James Bond. Typically, he ties up all loose ends at the conclusion of every film and the viewer is left fully satisfied.

Quantum of Solace is a little different in that we join James Bond immediately after apprehending the bad guy at the end the last time we saw him. Without giving away too much, there are twists and turns that are thrown at the viewer immediately, leaving you questioning exactly what is going on. There is also the suggestion of a growing criminal enterprise that has permeated Mr. Bond's world and we may be hearing more from them in the future.

What is also tremendously different about this James Bond adventure is that he seems to be becoming a little more human. By that I mean, it doesn't appear that he has any fancy gadgets in this movie. A dearly missed element from the daily grind that Bond must endure is his good friend and colleague in arms M. For those true blue Bond fans out there, you will remember that M is the agent who comes up with all those great toys that James gets to use to get himself out of trouble.

Without M or any of his gadgets around this time, Quantum of Solace forces Bond to have to rely upon his own wits and brute force to get through the tough times. Don't worry though. The toys may have disappeared but James seems to be becoming somewhat more superhuman. He doesn't seem to ever lose a physical confrontation now and is capable of amazing feats of strength. In one scene he literally breaks off a stainless steel door handle to lock a foe in a room.

Craig's Bond is flawed in that he takes things very personal. That could be a good thing. He carries grudges and seems to be acting out of self interest rather than for Queen and country although he would say otherwise. The love interest doesn't seem to be as prevalent in this episode as in previous ones but is part of what drives Craig's Bond forward. The women are strong and beautiful but don't play as relevant a role anymore. In fact, what seems to be completely absent from Quantum of Solace is the enchanting female villain, who always seems to challenge Bond both in and out of bed.

There is no question that Quantum of Solace is a different kind of ride. It is that way because James Bond seems to be slowly becoming more like a common secret service agent. There are both good and bad things about that. The movie was indeed entertaining and I would still recommend it. Don't come with any preconceived notions about the James Bonds of the past and sit back and enjoy. It is both a different and exciting ride.