QUANTUM OF SOLACE TWO DISC SET

For a film with such a thoughtful title the latest James Bond film comes dangerously close to losing the footing gained by the it’s stupendous franchise reboot Casino Royale. Instead of an equally thoughtful story we get a pretty basic James Bond outing with nods to the dark groundwork that fleshed out the character so memorably last time around. True this is stunning action adventure easily on a scale with anything offered up by the Bourne films. But as great as the cast is one senses better material is what will be needed if the Bond series isn’t to sink back into self parody.

This two disc set contains the expected number of extras although none really stood out. Overall this is a must own for any Bond library and I would hazard it will bear review but it’s only liable to become a fan favorite on the heels of other far lesser efforts to take the franchise seriously. I Bonded a long time ago and remember the thrill of catching the slicker than slick The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. They were thrilling because they understood what made the series a little silly all the way back to Goldfinger. But this is dangerously close to becoming just another brand that doesn’t even bother to be very entertaining when it is self-reflexive or reflective when it has the chance. Hence the Special Features which fill another disc with been there done that back slapping, and technical details and anecdotes about filmmaking that are old hat for anybody whose been buying DVDs for the last few years.