It took only 10 minutes of Quantum of Solace for me to realize it was going to be Daniel Craig’s worst James Bond film. Daniel Craig’s James Bond movie run is an all-timer, but that’s not to say it’s flawless. Casino Royale and Skyfall were instant classics, but his other three adventures all had issues.

Spectre might be one of the most disappointing James Bond movies of all time, since it not only followed up Skyfall, it also brought back ironic foes SPECTRE and Blofeld. This 2015 adventure is incredibly stylish and has great sequences (like the train fight), but the story barely holds together and it’s all just kind of… dull.

For me, the тιтle of Craig’s worst 007 adventure is awarded to Quantum of Solace. Again, the film looks great and has some nice individual sequences, but the plot feels made up as it goes along and the action numbs instead of thrills. Right from the introduction, I knew the sequel was in trouble.

Quantum Of Solace’s Opening 10 Minutes Let Me Know It Would Be Daniel Craig’s Worst 007 Movie

Quantum of Solace opens shortly after Casino Royale’s ending, where Bond has captured the mysterious Mr White (Jesper Christensen). While making his getaway, White’s men pursue Bond and a car chase ensues. That might sound simple, but in reality, the editing of this car chase is like a migraine simulator.

The sequence is cut so frenetically that it’s genuinely difficult to understand the geography or where the cars are in relation to one another. Combined with the sound of engines and relentless gunfire, Quantum of Solace’s opening chase is noisy and unpleasant instead of adrenaline-soaked.

It’s a shame, since it looks like the scene has been filmed with practical stunts and crashes, but it’s hard to see any of it. After a few minutes the chase mercifully ends, the editing slows down and there’s the funny reveal Mr White was trapped in the boot of Bond’s Aston Martin the entire time.

I remember Quantum of Solace came out during a time when many big movies (like Michael Bay’s Transformers or the Bourne sequels) were being criticized for their choppy, chaotic action. The 22nd Bond is the worst example of this trend from a major blockbuster, and sets a bad omen for the film ahead.

And then come the opening credits, with the тιтle song “Another Way to Die” being a duet between Alicia Keys and Jack White. Individually, either artist could have done a good job; together, they’re a disaster. Keys and White’s vocal styles clash badly, and the song itself is overproduced and forgettable stuff.

Why Quantum Of Solace Went So Wrong

The only Bond movie I truly dislike is Die Another Day, but Quantum of Solace would definitely rank in my bottom five of the series. Given the conditions it was made under, it’s impressive that it holds together at all. The biggest problem is it entered production without a finished script and was sH๏τ during the 2007-2008 Writers Guild strike.

So instead of having a team of professional writers mᴀssaging the story throughout production, Daniel Craig and director Marc Forster were the ones shaping an incomplete script. Craig revealed this to Time Out in 2011, stating, “We got away with it, but only just.“

There was also the issue of Forster himself having no real experience helming blockbusters, and learning on the job while rushing to meet a тιԍнт ᴅᴇᴀᴅline. He wasn’t much of a 007 fan either, and styled Quantum of Solace as more of a Jason Bourne movie.

An inexperienced director and a weak screenplay resulted in a film that distracts from its thin plot with tons of action. Bond’s revenge arc is undercooked, while villain Dominic Green (Mathieu Amalric) is one of the weakest of the franchise. It’s a pretty, but hollow adventure, and the scars of its production are found throughout its lean runtime.

Even Roger Moore Criticized Quantum Of Solace’s Editing

The Craig era is far away from the campy antics of the Roger Moore Bond movies. That doesn’t mean Moore was offended, and he became a great cheerleader for the Craig run. Being a British gentleman, Moore rarely voiced a negative opinion, but on Who’s Calling Christian in 2009, he got candid about his Quantum of Solace issues.

I enjoy Daniel Craig, I think he’s a damn good Bond but the film as a whole, there was a bit too much flash cutting for me. I thought Casino Royale was better. It was just like a commercial for the action. There didn’t seem to be any geography and you were wondering what the hell was going on but there you are, call me old-fashioned and an old fuddy duddy!

Considering most critics of the film took issue with how bad the editing was, Moore wasn’t saying anything controversial. Especially when compared to the action in Casino Royale, the follow-up is really lacking. Most of the setpieces are just shaky messes where the action is cut so quickly it becomes almost impressionistic.

I Would Love To See A New Cut Of Quantum Of Solace

After knocking Quantum of Solace for so long, I believe the key issue with the film was the rush to release it. There’s a lack of refinement to the editing that suggests there was just no time to smooth things out, and since the action is largely practical, it’s not like the edits are masking anything.

In an ideal world, Forster would get the chance to go back to the editing room and cut a new version. This Quantum of Solace could let the action breathe, while establishing some sort of spatial awareness. It’s worth noting the film does have the occasional well-edited sequence too, such as Bond’s visit to the opera.

Quantum of Solace has its fans too, with its breaking of many James Bond traditions being the reason some people dig it. It’s wishful thinking on my part that a re-edit could or would happen, but if it did, this black sheep sequel could finally get a little reappraisal.

Source: Time Out, Who’s Calling Christian