Quantum of Solace is rated PG-13: for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content.

After Daniel Craig's first and highly successful step into the Bond character in Casino Royale, it was just a given that the actor would return to play the masterful British secret service operative. Continuing along the same path, Quantum of Solace delves deeper into the personal motivation and physical strengths of 007, while wandering away from the gadgets and gizmos of decades past.

Picking up where Casino left off, the agent is still hurting over being double-crossed by Vesper, a woman blackmailed into stealing his hard-earned gambling winnings (which were supposed to be given back to the British government). Returning to pay Mr. Bond an unwelcome visit is bad guy Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) who reveals the organization involved in all that former nasty business is far bigger and more penetrating than anyone at MI6 can imagine. (Read that to mean the bullets are about to fly...)

Following a trail that begins in Italy, makes a stop in Haiti and eventually winds up in Bolivia, Bond also finds new allegiances with old enemies, like Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini). And, of course, there's always a woman or two to distract him from his "official" duties. Yet, in this case, the rambling Romeo is provided with a stark lesson ? la Goldfinger about the moral consequences of mixing recreational sex with the Queen's business.

His violent behavior still seems to be condonable though, as evidenced in the dozens of on-screen and off-screen shootings, hard-hitting hand-to-hand confrontations and car chases -- all of which place no value on the lives of innocent background civilians who become collateral casualties amidst the mayhem. While only a few of these depictions are moderately explicit (and overall the level of carnage feels a little less intense than Casino Royale), it is nonetheless plentiful enough to prevent a recommendation for family viewing.

That's somewhat unfortunate because this is a well-constructed film, which even puts the brakes on coarse language (granted, you'll still hear one scatological expletive and an assortment of mild profanities, along with terms of Deity). Thanks to the remarkable talents of screenwriter Paul Haggis, we are given an unusually intelligent plot and a superbly paced trip around the world. Although the movie is continually punctuated with high-octane action, at least the snippets of included dialogue are important to the storyline, as opposed to the fluffy and frequent witticisms of previous Bond scripts. However, if the more humorous Bond was your preferred cup of tea, this new direction may leave you yearning to check out some classic 007 titles in your home theater.

Studio: 2008 Columbia/ Sony Pictures. Visit the official movie site.

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Rapid-fire editing and an aggressive car chase open this film and set the tone for what’s to come. More chases, shootings, stabbings and hand-to-hand conflicts continue throughout the film and although the carnage isn’t explicit, we do see blood at times. During some violent scenes, many secondary characters or “innocent bystanders” would be presumed killed or injured as a result of Bond’s determination to bring about justice. In a photograph we see a person’s mutilated face. A body is seen floating in water. Sexual activities engaged in by an unmarried couple are heavily implied (we see them in bed afterward, apparently naked but no details are shown), however a third character explains the negative consequences of these behaviors. A murdered woman is found naked and covered in oil (she is shown lying on her front). A woman is about to be raped, but the act is interrupted. Some female characters wear revealing clothing. Profanities are infrequent, but include one scatological term, a handful of mild expletives and one Christian term of Deity. Frequent social drinking is portrayed and in one scene a principal character attempts to escape from stress by drinking heavily. A comment is made about the availability of drugs.

What do you think about the changes to the Bond franchise? Do you appreciate its more serious depictions of the characters? Has our society grown tired of “Bond women” and making jokes about criminals and terrorists? Or, do you think there is a place for lighter and comedic attitudes about these solemn topics?

As well as being part of the James Bond franchise, Quantum of Solace is a direct sequel to Casino Royale. Although this movie is fictitious, it is based on some real world concerns, which are examined in the documentary Flow. A scene in this movie also pays homage to the classic Bond film Goldfinger. Other 007 films we have reviewed include: Die Another Day, The World Is Not Enough and Tomorrow Never Dies.

On October 21, 2008, various other James Bond films were restored, re-mastered and release to Blu-ray disc. Fans of the franchise should look for Dr. No, Die Another Day, Live and Let Live, For Your Eyes Only, From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

Release Date: 24 March 2009

James Bond fans will feel appeased with the home video release of Quantum of Solace. The following options are available:

Quantum of Solace: Single-Disc DVD

The movie comes with theatrical trailers and the music video, Another Way to Die.

Quantum of Solace: Two-Disc Special Edition DVD

This version comes with the afore-mentioned theatrical trailers and the music video, Another Way to Die, plus: Bond on Location (a 24-minute special feature), Start of Shooting, On Location, Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase, Director Marc Forster, The Music and Crew Files.

Quantum of Solace: Blu-ray:

This edition also includes all of the features found on the two-disc DVD special edition.