“Quantum of Solace”
Starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko,
Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric
Released: Nov. 14, 2008

WATCH THE TRAILER

Despite dizzying camera work and a complicated plot, this is definitely a fun watch, thanks to a ton of explosions, car chases, jokes, Judi Dench, and Daniel Craig.

JAMES BOND, the character, the smooth, handsome, tuxedo-wearing, gun-toting spy, has starred in 22 films to date, beginning in 1962 with "Dr. No."

Since then, James Bond, the image, has appeared in nearly every spy movie ever produced and then some, his most characteristic line, "I'm Bond, James Bond," reproduced in every single possible way hundreds of different times.

It seems as though you'd get tired of such an overused figure. You'd think that now, 46 years later, he shouldn't still be relevant.

You'd think that his old-fashioned habits, such as treating women like nothing more than entertainment, would have kicked him out of popularity. You'd think that no one would bother wasting time and money and risking lives to do something that's already been done 21 times before.

However, with the huge success of "Casino Royale" in 2006, the first installment in which the famous character was played by virtual unknown Daniel Craig, it was pretty much a given that a follow-up had to be made.

I found "Casino Royale" to be a little confusing overall. A few too many people were involved in the plot, and what turned out to be the most important aspect, Bond's love for Vesper (Eva Green), was overly complicated by a lot of poker and betrayal and the fact that she actually had another boyfriend, but Bond still loved her anyway, and she apparently still loved him, and then she didn't allow him to save her when she was drowning.

"Quantum of Solace" continues with this plotline, with Bond determined to avenge Vesper's death and bring down the people responsible, meaning that it starts out in the middle of an already slightly messed-up story.

Despite this, "Quantum" is awesome. Cars were falling down cliffs and things were exploding everywhere and Bond was jumping across buildings like a slightly less graceful Spider-Man. Shots were going off constantly and Judi Dench was being her usual über-British self, and it was awesome.

In his attempt to punish those responsible for Vesper's death, Bond (Daniel Craig) just starts killing people, mercilessly. Anyone who makes him angry just kind of dies, even if more information is needed out of them.

In his quest for revenge, he ends up going after an "environmentalist" named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) to prevent him from taking control of a country's water supply. Somehow, Greene links to Vesper's boyfriend, and bringing him down will somehow do something noble and satisfying and avenging.

As it happens, Greene's Mediterranean girlfriend, Camille (Olga Kurylenko), is also using him to get to some rich guy who did unspeakable things to her family, so eventually she and Bond team up and go on wild escapades, like intense car chases and fancy parties, and they survive massive explosions and even get trapped in a sink hole after falling out of a helicopter in the middle of a desert.

My biggest issue with the film, from the very beginning, was the claustrophobic quick cuts and extreme close-ups that made me a little dizzy. I will admit that being in the third or fourth row may have had some effect, but I imagine there would have been some dizziness no matter where I was sitting.

The wacky cuts left me not only dizzy, but also a little lost. It was difficult to tell whose foot was getting sliced by an axe, or which side — the good guys or the bad guys — was winning. All the cars were black, except for the ones driven by women (isn't that interesting?), making it hard to tell who just fell off a cliff or blew up. It was nearly impossible to tell sometimes who was dead or injured or even involved at all, making an already complicated plot even more confusing.

That said, the film was still an extremely fun watch. I'm not sure it's totally necessary to always know exactly what's happening. You can just be impressed with the special effects and Daniel Craig's body, which is most of the time wearing a tuxedo, tightish white pants, or hardly anything at all, and is not at all confusing.

The title has been a mystery debated by many a Bond fan over the past year or so, and it remains unsolved. The movie does not give any explanation. The word "quantum" is said about twice and not really elaborated on, and "solace" doesn't show up at all.

"Quantum of Solace" is essentially a bridge between "Casino Royale" and whatever other crazy adventures the filmmakers have planned next, but it does tie up the first film and provides a whole lot of entertainment and explosions and jokes and excitement in the process.

"Quantum of Solace" is currently playing at the Goodrich Savoy 16, 232 W. Burwash, Savoy, and the Beverly 18, 910 Meijers Drive, Champaign.

"Quantum of Solace" AT A GLANCE

• Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini
• Directed by: Mark Forster
• Written by: Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
• Rated: PG-13
• Runtime: 106 min.
• Release date: Nov. 14, 2008
• Summary (from IMDb): Seeking revenge for the death of his beloved Vesper, secret agent James Bond sets out to stop an environmentalist from taking control of a country's water supply.