October 9, 2008. Copyright 2008, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Bond is back: this time it'sÊpersonal
ÊBy Joanna Griffin

LONDON, October 9, Graphic News:  There were a few sly digs that many fans probably wouldn't know the meaning of the words, Quantum of Solace, when the title of the new Bond film was first made known. But the title does hint that, as in Casino Royale, this time we'll be entering the once unfamiliar realm of secret agent 007's emotional life -- undeniably a key factor in the remarkable success of its immediate prequel.

In Quantum, James Bond (Daniel Craig) embarks on a deadly mission to find the killers of Vesper Lynd, the woman he loved and who ultimately betrayed him in Casino Royale. Bond must put his feelings to one side as he travels to Austria, Italy and Latin America on the trail of evil faux environmentalist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) and the shadowy Quantum organisation.

As Craig has explained: "At the end of his Casino Royale the love of Bond's life has been taken from him. But Vesper Lynd was forced to betray him and she has ripped him apart. That's where he is at. There's a sense of vengeance. He's out to get them."
  
If early reviews are anything to go by, this personal vendetta only intensifies the drama of Quantum. At just over 100 minutes, the 22nd Bond movie is the shortest one in history but every second is packed tight with high-octane adventure and dramatic tension as Bond meets the feisty and beautiful Camille (Olga Kurylenko) who will lead him to Greene, whose Greene Planet organization hides a sinister agenda behind its eco-friendly veneer.

Greene is planning to seize control of a major source of Latin America's water supply by striking a deal for an apparently barren piece of land with the exiled General Medrano. Cue speedboat and yacht chases, motorcycle stunts, skydiving and, of course, edge-of-the-seat shootouts as Bond tries to get to Greene. In his mission Bond is helped by Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton), an MI6 agent sent to keep an eye on him by M (Judi Dench).

Director Marc Forster has said that his Bond is a more grounded character than the lithe and lethal charmer we knew of old. And, after he defied the sceptics in Casino Royale, we know that the super athletic Daniel Craig will invest the latest outing of his 007 with the same darkness, pain and fear, not to mention the sheer energy, of his first. 

Forster has also said that while he believes no one really wants James Bond to "talk about his emotional feelings", he has characterized the hardened Camille as "a mirror image" of Bond, and she expresses some of the emotions that are boiling within him.

So, while traditionalists might bemoan the lack the gadgets and corny one-liners in Quantum, moviegoers who got hooked by Casino Royale will again revel in the 21st century depiction of what had become a very dated hero. And, with Casino Royale grossing an unprecedented £325 million (UK pounds) at the box office, that's got to be good news for the producers.

Quantum of Solace premieres in London on October 29 and is released worldwide from October 31.
/ENDS

Release dates worldwide:

Oct 29: World Premiere, London, England
Oct 31: France, Sweden, UK
Nov 05: Bahrain, Belgium, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Oman, Philippines, Switzerland (French speaking region)
Nov 06: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Peru, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland (German speaking region), Syria, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates
Nov 07: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, India, Italy, Norway, Switzerland (Italian speaking region)
Nov 13: Hungary
Nov 14: Austria, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Romania, Taiwan, Turkey, U.S., Vietnam
Nov 21: Spain
Nov 27: Australia
Nov 28: South Africa
Dec 04: New Zealand
Dec 05: Venezuela
Dec 26: Uruguay
Jan 10, 2009: Japan