Quantum of Solace Blu-ray delivers truly amazing video and audio in this absolutely must-own Blu-ray release
Daniel Craig returns as James Bond in this thrilling, action-packed adventure which
starts shortly after Casino Royale ends. Betrayed by the woman he loved, 007 fights
the urge to make his latest mission personal. On a nonstop quest for justice that
crisscrosses the globe, Bond meets the beautiful but feisty Camille (Olga
Kurylenko), who leads him to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a ruthless
businessman and major force within the mysterious “Quantum” organization. When
Bond uncovers a conspiracy to take control of one of the world’s most important
natural resources, he must navigate a minefield of treachery, deception and murder
to neutralize “Quantum” before it’s too late!
Daniel Craig took the world by storm with his universally praised performance as James
Bond in Casino Royale, a film that revolutionized and revitalized the stagnant Bond
franchise. By emphasizing the character's grittier literary roots, Mr. Craig's Bond was a far
cry from the wisecracking cheese-ball of the eighties and nineties, who had long since
traded in any and all credibility, for invisible cars and missions to space. Many have hailed
Mr. Craig as the true heir to Sean Connery's legacy as the originator of the character, a
remarkable
testament to Craig's success in the role and high praise considering his single performance
as the legendary spy. 2008 brought Quantum of Solace; Mr. Craig's second outing
as James Bond, as well as the first true sequel in the history of the Bond franchise. It's a film
that
challenged audiences while racking up record box office numbers around the globe, securing
Mr. Craig's status as a different breed of James Bond.
Are you talking to me?
Quantum of Solace begins mere minutes after the conclusion of Casino
Royale, with Bond (Daniel Craig) and his trusty Aston Martin whisking a captured Mr.
White (Jesper Christensen) to a MI6 safe house; walking directly into a trap. White
escapes, nearly killing M (Judy Dench), and thrusts Bond into a desperate race to identify
White's secretive criminal organization. Bond's ability to separate himself from his emotions
is challenged at every turn, as painful memories of Vesper Lynd's (Eva Green) death and
betrayal drive him to vengeance. During his investigations, Bond encounters Dominic
Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a corrupt environmentalist and member of Mr. White's criminal
enterprise, a mysterious terrorist conglomerate known as Quantum. Bond will track Greene
to Bolivia, where he'll join forces with a beautiful agent named Camille (Olga Kurylenko); her
own painful past driving her obsession to seek revenge against Greene and his
conspirators. On their mission of revenge and justice, will these two emotionally wounded
assassins find solace in confronting the people responsible for their pain?
I can't understand the backlash that seemed to haunt Quantum of Solace while it
was breaking records in theaters. The film is a direct continuation of Casino Royale
and serves as the final chapter in what amounts to one long narrative. It's the film's reliance
on audience familiarity with Casino Royale that probably caused confusion and
mediocre reviews. Those not familiar with the intricate details of
Casino Royale will be completely lost, without a frame of reference to appreciate
Quantum and its relentless storytelling. If you intend to watch Quantum of
Solace and haven't seen Casino Royale, do yourself a favor and watch both
films in succession. Even viewers who are familiar with the first film should commit to re-
watching Casino before diving into Quantum.
In his second outing as James Bond, Daniel Craig confirms his mastery of the role, while
delivering a disciplined and modulated performance that finds Bond seething with barely
hidden rage. He's mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. Quantum of
Solace is almost completely devoid of humor; it's a serious film about Bond's quest to
bring Vesper's killers to justice. Those hoping for witty one-liners and gadgets will be sorely
disappointed; this Bond is far too busy stalking his prey and delivering a series of serious
smack-
downs. It occurred to me about mid-way through Quantum of Solace, that Daniel
Craig is the first actor to portray Bond as a physically imposing force; he's still a magnet for
the ladies and knows how to wear his impeccable Tom Ford suits, but this Bond isn't afraid
to get his hands (and suits) dirty. Frankly, Bond is a pretty scary guy; the kind of guy that
nobody would ever even consider messing with.
Quantum of Solace is a relentless film; a ninety minute third act that serves as the
conclusion to Casino Royale. As a stand-alone adventure, the film will confuse most
viewers, while enthralling fans of Casino Royale. It's easily the most action packed
of any of the Bond films and, despite rumor to the contrary, actually has an emotionally
resonant plot. Quantum of Solace is highly recommended.
Quantum of Solace is, perhaps, the most visually distinctive James Bond film yet
produced. Cinematographer Roberto Schaefer has given the film a series of unique styles
that represent the various locations that Bond visits throughout the film. As Bond travels to
Haiti, the film becomes grittier, with heightened contrast and more ample grain, while
shedding color saturation in favor of a more monochromatic look. Similarly, scenes in the
Bolivian desert also feature raised contrast and grain levels, but also feature a more
saturated color palette of deep browns and blues. Many locations are lusher in their
photographic styles, while some take on a steely-blue tone and cleaner esthetic. Some
might complain about these stylistic choices given the resulting inconsistent grain structure
and color palettes, but I tend to find photography of this type more interesting and complex
than a more straightforward style.
Framed at the film's theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and encoded at 1080p using the AVC
Mpeg-4 compression scheme, Quantum of Solace is absolutely faithful to its
intended look, while improving certain elements of the presentation. I saw the film on four
occasions theatrically; this Blu-ray edition captures that look perfectly, rendering the picture
more sharply and with a richer color palette. It's a rare example of a film that actually
exceeds the quality viewers experienced at the local Cineplex. Any time a film that would
ordinarily be considered a straight action piece strives for a high level of photographic
artistry, it goes a long way towards enriching my total viewing experience. Quantum of
Solace is the rare action film that does just that. Considering the cinematographic lows
that the Bond franchise has flirted with over the years, Quantum of Solace is a
welcome change.
Prepare to be floored. Quantum of Solace is one of the most heart-pounding,
window shattering and earth shaking surround sound experiences I've ever had on Blu-ray.
Everything about the track is the epitome of reference grade, from the quietest dialogue
passages, to the most speaker-shredding action sequences. MGM has wisely utilized
lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio encoding for the track; the results are incredible and will
leave viewers shaking their heads in disbelief. Take for example the opening car chase that
takes place around Italy's Lake Como. The sequence begins without musical
accompaniment, as Bond races his Aston Martin through oncoming traffic, dodging gunfire
and performing automotive acrobatics. Guttural engine shrieks race around the surround
channels, the subwoofer pounds with deep, immediate bass, gunfire ricochets off of the cliff
wall and bounces off of passing vehicles, all while subtle wind noise swirls around the room.
It's an amazing display of sonic wizardry that places the viewer in the center of the action,
unable to take one's eyes off of the screen. Amazing.
Though the film is light on heavy dialogue passages, those that do occur are handled with
precision and the utmost clarity. Another sequence that takes place in an Austrian opera
venue uses subtle surround cues to move sound around the room, in conjunction with
Bond's movements through the scene. It's one more example among dozens of
demonstration-worthy scenes that elevates this presentation to the top tier of Blu-ray audio
experiences. Quantum of Solace is the surround experience of the year,
making the film an essential purchase for audio aficionados.
- "Bond on Location"
- "Start of Shooting"
- "On Location"
- "The Music"
- "Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase"
- "Director Marc Forster"
- Crew Files
- "Another Way to Die" Music Video with Jack White and Alicia Keys
- Theatrical Trailers
Quantum of Solace lands on Blu-ray with a relatively light dusting of special
features. Heavy on featurettes, but light on substantive content, the set culls material
developed for the film's website and repackages it for Blu-ray. "Bond on Location" is a pre-
release documentary that is more of a promotional reel than anything; it's fairly lightweight
and not particularly satisfying. The remaining featurettes are comprised of the assembled
web features, none of which manage to offer much scope or behind the scenes information.
The crew files section is essentially a lengthy biographical sketch of various crewmembers
from the film; it also fails to impress. The best extra, however, is the music video for Jack
White and Alicia Keys' "Another Way to Die;" it's an exceptional Bond theme that is bound to
grow on fans with repeat viewings. Finally, the film's theatrical trailers have been included
in high definition.
Quantum of Solace is an exceptional James Bond picture that was unfairly maligned
by critics. Perhaps the film's abrupt beginning, which starts without alerting audiences to
the plot of the previous film, caught viewers who weren't intimately familiar with Casino
Royale off guard. As such, viewers of Quantum of Solace are advised to re-
watch Casino Royale immediately prior to beginning the film. MGM's Blu-ray
presentation of the film is first rate; its reference grade video and audio set new standards
in Blu-ray quality. Those on the lookout for supplements, however, will be disappointed in
the slim selection of extras included with the release. Quantum of Solace is an
intensely exciting James Bond adventure that ties up loose ends from Casino
Royale, while cementing Daniel Craig's place among the best Bonds in history.
Quantum of Solace receives my highest recommendation.
Quantum of Solace: Other Editions
2-disc set $10.79
1-disc
Blu-ray bundles with Quantum of Solace (3 bundles)
As we reported on our previous post, a full 36 percent of disc sales of
Warner's 'Watchmen' have been on Blu-ray. This is a record-breaking figure,
even for action movies. For example, back in September 2008, 'Iron Man' got
"only" 17% of its sales from Blu-ray. ...
The latest installment of the James Bond series, 'Quantum of Solace', is the top-selling title on Blu-ray for this year through June 7, followed by 'The Dark Knight', according to research published today by Home Media Magazine. In turn, the caped crusader is handily ...
While arguably one of the most popular film series in history, some fans
felt that the James Bond films had recently drifted too far from the series'
explosive beginings under the helm of Sean Connery. But when 'Casino
Royale' was released with fast-rising ...
