New Bond settling nicely

For a film that has “Solace” in its title, the 24th James Bond features little of it. Airplanes explode, boats collid and punches and kicks are thrown with total abandon. That doesn’t mean the film is bad; although not as good as the previous entry, “Casino Royale,” “Quantum of Solace” has impressive action and an unquestionable asset in Daniel Craig.

Fresh off an invigorating and surprisingly successful reboot of the franchise, Craig returns as the MI6 spy James Bond. “Quantum” picks up literally minutes after “Casino Royale,” and the opening bullet-riddled car chase is a testament to what the rest of the film is concerned with: unceasing and well-choreographed action. What little plot there is involves Bond tracking down the organization (dubbed QUANTUM) that killed his love interest. As he finds out more and more about it, an undercover plot is discovered and 007 has to decide whether revenge or duty is more important.

Where “Royale” was a love story, “Solace” is a revenge tale through and through. Bond stabs, shoots and slices his way through enemies with a recklessness that rivals most cinematic villains, let alone heroes. This is Bond on ire, a malicious and calculating man who has his eyes (and brutal hands) set on one goal:vengeance. It gives the film a sense of urgency, and it allows Craig, so cowardly in “Road to Perdition,” to fully embrace the character. “Royale” introduced us to Craig’s motives; “Solace” fully immerses us in them. His physique and sheer presence on screen make him supremely watchable as 007, though it helps that the choreography is top-notch. The movie takes a page from the “Bourne” trilogy, with multiple hand-to-hand combat scenes involving all sorts of improvised weapons, along with a rooftop chase sequence straight out of “Bourne Ultimatum.”

The action works though, because it seems more borrowed than stolen. Along with Craig, Olga Kurylenko (Camille) does a fine job as “Quantum’s” obligatory Bond girl, playing it differently than prior ones. Unlike most of the past women, Camille’s purpose isn’t to sleep with Bond; it’s to get her own revenge. Dominic Greene (played by French actor Mathieu Amalric), the movie’s central villain, also manages to stray away from standard Bond eccentricities. He dons no physical obscurities (a la Jaws’ teeth or Le Chiffre’s bloody tears). Director Marc Forster (“Monster’s Ball,” “Finding Neverland”) does this to hit home the idea that many so-called “villains” look like everyday people, albeit with sinister motives. Exotic locations abound, from Haiti to Siena to Austria, and the locales are thoroughly and skillfully filmed.

As a companion piece to “Casino Royale,” “Solace” is sufficient. Though it doesn’t retain the quality or brilliance of the reboot, it serves as a worthy conclusion to the story introduced in the first film, and solidifies Craig in the role of 007.

“Quantum of Solace” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content.

Grade: B-