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Inside Quantum of Solace and the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD
by Reg Seeton
 Before I get going on the 2-Disc Quantum of Solace DVD, the direct sequel to the first Daniel Craig toplined Bond film, Casino Royale, I have to get a few things off my chest. If you've been bouncing around The Deadbolt, you may have picked up on my frustration with the many conventional movie reviews that you see on the web by the thousands. What frustrates me so much is the standard template type critical reactions to movies that play out in the conventional "movie review formula." And when it comes to sequels, more often than not you can expect to read things like "good, but not as great as the first" or "expected for a sequel." Although no one would admit, or may not even be aware, in today's movie reviewing world they're beginning to sound like canned sequel reactions. Not all the time when it's truly warranted but a lot of the time. When it comes to sequels, that kind of stuff is just too easy to write.
But the funny thing is that if you go back through time and look at all of the Bond films, you'll see the exact same type of reactions to many Bond follow-ups. Having spent time with Quantum of Solace for a second time now that Daniel Craig has landed on DVD as 007, I'm jumping out of the herd to say that a lot of the negative press for this film has been largely undeserved and overblown. Once you check out Quantum, if you haven't already done so, ask yourself if Quantum of Solace is worse than the transition from Goldeneye to Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough.
 That's not to say Quantum of Solace is perfect, it's not. But neither was Casino Royale and half the Bond films people hail as classics. However, unlike Casino Royale that turned the Bond franchise on its head, Quantum of Solace returns to the atmosphere of Bond movies of old with a much more methodical pace. Even the opening credit sequence feels a lot more like a traditional Bond movie. But the interesting thing is; Quantum of Solace is different from Casino Royale, as it should be, even for a direct sequel. Quantum obviously messed with some higher critical expectations that the sequel would be exactly the same. But what Bond movie is exactly the same as the one before it? To a large degree that's part of the fun and magic of the franchise.
As a Bond film, Quantum of Solace exists within the Casino Royale universe since it picks up not long after the events of Casino Royale. That's most evident when Daniel Craig touches down in Haiti and meets up with actress Olga Kurylenko in the role of new vengeance seeking Bond girl Camille Montes, which has the same breezy, cinematic ocean vibe as Casino Royale. But where Quantum of Solace departs from Casino Royale is its focus on the multiple characters within the story, including Diving Bell and Butterfly actor, Mathieu Amalric, as the deeper behind-the-scenes corporate villain, Dominic Greene. Although the storyline picks up where Casino Royale left off to follow Bond as he deals with being duped in love and double-crossed by Vesper Lynd in the first film, Quantum also spends time flushing out the motivations and back stories of Camille Montes, Dominic Greene and his co-negotiator in crime, Bolivian General Medrano, while also delving into the mystery behind Greene's ecological front, Planet Greene, its plots to control the world's water supply and overthrow the Bolivian government, and the secret organization known as Quantum.
 Seen as a loose cannon, MI6 stays close to Bond since his actions have worldwide implications of the global intelligence community and various governments controlled by Quantum. The story also sees Judi Dench's "M" take on a larger role as she keeps track of an out-of-control Bond bent of avenging the death of Vesper plus the appearance of actor Giancarlo Giannini as 007 ally Rene Mathis and Jeffrey Wright as CIA Agent Felix Lighter. And for anyone wanting to see one major difference between old Bond and new 007, in years past throughout the Bond franchise the Bolivian sub-villain, General Medrano, would have been THE main villain. Once you see it, if you have seen it, you'll understand.
Although that may sound like a lot, it is. But that doesn't make Quantum of Solace a bad movie. The one noticeable difference is the presence of Mathieu Amalric, who - let's be honest - you can't cast in a movie and give him five minutes of screen time. His sophisticated, corporate European class gives the villain a less thug-like feel than Casino Royale's Mads Mikkelsen. So it's easy to see how anyone expecting wall-to-wall, non-stop action would be unsettled by the more methodical and measured intellect of Quantum of Solace.
What was so interesting about Casino Royale is that we got to see the human layers that made Bond tick. Quantum of Solace does spend more time in that arena as and feels more like a more mature and complicated Bond movie. Given how Bond is dealing with the death of Vesper, it only makes sense. This time it also appears that the complaints about how the gadgetry and hokey qualities from the Bond films near 2002 are coming back to haunt fans. Be careful what you wish for. The only gadget you'll see Bond use in this one is a state-of-the-art, all-in-one satellite tracking cell-phone. No hokey guns, RPGs and gadgets or the recasting of "Q". Isn't that what fans wanted a few years ago, a revamp of the franchise? Either way, Quantum delivers in that regard.
 As a 2-Disc Special Edition DVD, Quantum of Solace will satisfy true fans of the Daniel Craig version of 007 and the new era of Bond films. For the more cynical and hardcore DVD-phile, the extras won't be enough. Spread across two discs, fans will find a slew of extras that cover the film front to back, from the opening theme, location, on-set, the new Bond girl, the director, Daniel Craig, and the production at large. Disc 1 houses the music video "Another Way to Die" by Jack White and Alicia Keyes plus two Quantum of Solace teaser trailers while Disc 2 is where the heart of the special features gadgetry can be found. Seven featurettes and docu-segments delve into almost every aspect of the film from a behind-the-scenes standpoint.
In fact, on a number count alone, Quantum tops the magic within the 2-Disc Casino Royale Widescreen set. However, unlike the more philosophical franchise angle in the 2006 DVD (ie: Bond Girls are Forever and James Bond for Real), Quantum of Solace follows the more traditional behind-the-scenes extra route that fans have come to expect. From Quantum front to Solace back, there's not much that the 2-Disc set doesn't touch on via "Bond on Location," "Start of Shooting," "On Location," "Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase," "Director Marc Forster," "The Music" and "Crew Files." an in-depth feature that will keep you Bond busy a bit more than necessary. Although the shooting and location segments are great behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the film, it's the Boat Chase extra that makes the extras all the more worthwhile. I mean, hot Bond girls and speeding boats ... nuff said.
What do I think of Quantum of Solace? It doesn't matter. Despite what others have said, I enjoyed Quantum of Solace every bit as much as Casino Royale. With only two missions under his Bond belt, Daniel Craig is 007 with a heartbeat. The first film was so different that it blew the doors off the franchise. Given how Casino Royale exceeded expectations, from a psychological reviewing standpoint it’s easy to see why some could simply say Quantum of Solace is “good, but not great” or “expected for a sequel.” Quantum reels 007 back into a more realistic Bond atmosphere without as many Bourne type theatrics and roller coaster pace as the first film. If I sound a bit peeved about some of the reaction I've seen, "c'est la vie," as Quantum villain Dominic Greene might say. As for the DVD, like I said, Quantum of Solace will satisfy true fans of the Daniel Craig version of 007 and the new era of Bond films. Have fun and enjoy the ride on DVD like you did with the first film.
Features:
Disc One:
- Another Way to Die Music Video
- Theatrical and Teaser Trailers
 Disc Two:
- Bond on Location Featurette
- Start of shooting Featurette
- On Location Featurette
- Olga Kurylenko and the Beat Chase Featurette
- Director Marc Forster Featurette
- The Music Featurette
- Crew Files Behind-the-Scenes Clips
Video:
Widescreen 2.40:1 Color
Audio:
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: DTS 5.1 [CC]
SPANISH: Dolby Digital 5.1
FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles:
English, Spanish
Release Date:
3/24/2009
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