8 Overhyped Movies We Can Consider Fairly Now The Dust Has Settled
6. Quantum of Solace (2009)
The Original Reaction...
rating: 3
That... was it? That's how the majority of Bond fans felt when they left the theatre having seen the second Daniel Craig movie in the rebooted franchise, which followed on the heels of what is arguably the series' best entry ever, Casino Royale. Whereas Casino Royale felt fresh and timely, Solace made the new format and take on the world's favourite secret agent feel stale already - it didn't seem to offer anything new, or draw us in with an interesting story. In fact, it felt like a kind of epilogue to Casino Royale, existing only to explain the lingering plot points of that far better movie. This was just some set-pieces and a bunch of Casino Royale references. Now The Dust Has Settled...rating: 3.5
Casino Royale is my favourite Bond movie, so my disappointment with Quantum of Solace felt personal at the time: how did they screw it up with only the second movie? I've revisited Solace a couple of times since first release (most recently for this article), and have frequently found myself peeved at how thin and empty it feels - like an afterthought. But embrace it as a simple epilogue to the events of Casino Royale, and it's a far more satisfying venture. Thinking on it as a standalone entry - as the last few chapters in the Casino Royale story - and it's more pleasing. The fact that the writers' strike spoiled this somewhat should be considered, too, I guess, but as a brief Bond adventure there's plenty to like here if you're able to excuse some of its lesser (and frankly underwhelming) qualities.