Quantum of Solace is one of the most divisive movies in the James Bond franchise. The contentious Bond entry was intended to be a direct sequel to 2006’s Casino Royale, successfully launching Daniel Craig as the new 007. Still, in a rush to get it into theaters within two years of that movie, the budget ballooned to make it the costliest film in the series up to that point. It didn’t help that it was filmed during a writer’s strike (history repeats itself) and had a director in Marc Forster, who had never made a film of this scale before. When it came out, the short length (106 minutes) and Bourne-style action scenes were criticized, with many saying the film was a mind-numbing mess. Plus, there was a wimpy villain, a Bond girl with no romantic relationship with 007, and a theme song people mostly hated.
Despite the film’s failure to connect with hardcore Bond fans, Quantum of Solace broke records at the box office, rising to the top of the charts in several territories and dethroning blockbuster releases regarding monetary milestones. Forster’s Bond film retains a 64% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 300 reviews, with an Audience Score of 58%. Thankfully, fans celebrate Craig’s tenure as James Bond, with some saying his version of the beloved super spy is their favorite.
Quantum of Solace is still a technical marvel with significant challenges to overcome during production. Bolstered by Craig’s swagger, the film’s overall design by production designer Peter Lamont is slick, with costume design by Louise Frogley jazzing characters up with style and threads we all wish we could afford.
Even though Quantum of Solace remains one of Bond’s most questionable chapters, the film overflows with seasoned stars like Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright, and Judi Dench, who always bring performances worth experiencing. Les Claypool once said, “They can’t all be zingers,” lending truth to the concept that even James Bond can stumble now and again.
What went wrong? We’ll dig into it in this episode of WTF Happened to this Movie, written and narrated by Mathew Plale and edited by Cesar Gabriel.
Do you think Quantum of Solace is underrated? Let us know in the comments.