Quantum of Solace (2008)

***SPOLIERS AHEAD*** After the extraordinary high of "Casino Royale," one of the best James Bond films since the early days of Sean Connery, the new "Quantum of Solace" is a huge letdown. This isn't even a full film, really. It's the didn't know it was missing last act of 2006's "Casino Royale" stretched to nearly two hours and sapped of the spectacular, new Bond magic that Daniel Craig showed in his first outing.

Here, Bond is out to kill every single person involved with the death of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) at the end of "Casino Royale." That's it for plot. This "Death Wish" mission means Bond taking on the mysterious international terrorist organization known as Quantum. We're promised, but never told or shown, what these people are up to, or who runs them, or why they even exist. They're just dead meat filling screen time. It makes one miss Blofeld.

For reasons not worth explaining, Bond sets his beady eyes and pistol on Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a rather dull but nasty Euro-businessman who claims to be an environmentalist, but has his eyes set on Bolivia's fortunes. Greene's big caper? He's stealing the country's water and forcing a drought. Sigh. Double-O-"Chinatown." But that's not the saddest part of this 007 entry. Every action scene is edited into oblivion, from a confusing opera house shoot out to an overblown finale at a desert hotel in Bolivia that explodes for no sensible reason. That last fight has Greene going Hulk and smacking Bond around. How's that?

Can all of this be laid at the feet of director Marc Forster, who is debuting in the action genre after making the dramas "Monster's Ball" and "Finding Neverland"? Or on the stunt people who seem to have script control? Whatever the case, there's no 007 charm here, or logic or labyrinth spy thrills, or even a story. Craig brings the same stellar charisma here from "Casino Royale," but he's not given much to do except scowl. This reboot needs a reboot. Stat. Let's hope the next film is better. C