While this film lacks the sophisticated grace of the last entry, Solace is a gentle reminder that a darker, grittier Bond can still thrill audiences and in the process - divide them.
FILM REVIEW
The new Bond flick, stripped of its flashier tech fare and much of the series jokey one-liners (with the exception of a couple of scenes), exists in a world that closely resembles the concerns of our own - minus the usual gadget punch line.
As Bond-inspired gadgets go, not everybody is going to be totally satisfied with Solace’s general lack of tech flamboyance, and the undercurrent of an anti-tech theme (with a strong environmental stance) simmers under the flames of Bonds brooding mannerisms. Although female audiences may still enjoy swimming laps in Daniel Craig's striking blue eyes.
Indeed, as the film expresses its zest for real life fights and bloody spills, some of us may find it hard to invest in a Bond void of his lifesaving gadgets; a subtle wink back to an era of exploding ejector seats, mini-rocket cigarettes and laser wristwatches. And if that floats your jet boat, then the newest Daniel Craig outing may leave you slightly wanting.
Honing in on a more realistic template (and getting into Jason Bourne territory), Quantum of Solace director Marc Foster has casually stripped Bond of his old gadget tricks; not entirely gadget-less, but imbued with a sense of modern tech realism that many of the previous films neglected; possibly because the science fiction version of Bond (and Q’s lab, which was often played for laughs) were much more interesting than the contemporary technology available to viewers of the 60s and 70s.
This new (and some may say - inspired) direction away from the Kitschy gadgets narrative signals the unveiling of a true 21st century Bond - the type of Bond that relies on brawn, brains and a good mobile phone to get his man. The Sony C902 gets majors rock star treatment in this flick; a product placement dream.
Following ten minutes after the events of Casino Royale, Bond appears to be driven to avenge the death of his former lover - Vesper Lynn. As part of the film's deeper subtext, even after we've survived the headache-inducing editing of the films choppy action scenes, we finally see Bond as a man searching for ‘solace’ in himself; a chance for final redemption.
Much of the plot becomes a globe-trotting race to uncover the men behind the secret SPECTRE–like organisation of QUANTUM and audiences may find the story confusing without rewatching the last flick - which we definately recommend.
The bullet-speed pace and frenetic action cutting won’t be for everybody, but then again, this isn’t your father’s Bond. With the film's box office numbers setting records worldwide, Daniel Craig's Bond is clearly this generation's 007 archetype and is likely here to stay..... that is until, the producers eventually get bored and reintroduce invisible cars and Roger Moore eyebrow winks again.
Rating: 4/6 ****