2008 has been an interesting year for sequels, there have been some highs (The Dark Knight) and some low points (Indiana Jones and the goofy ass space aliens). In the case of the 22^nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, this sequel is as good as, if not better than, the 2006 relaunch, Casino Royale.

Quantum of Solace starts an hour after the events of Casino Royale. Bond (Daniel Craig) has captured the mysterious Mr. White and is taking him to M (Judy Dench) for interrogation. In his quest to find the mysterious organization that Mr. White works for, Bond finds himself cut off from MI6 and hunted by the film’s main villain Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) as well as another intelligence agency.

Instead of bringing back organizations like SMERSH or SPECTRE from the Connery and Moore films, the producers introduce a new organization, one that is a lot more grounded in reality. The evil organization of this film is basically a completely amoral version of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), a politically apathetic group who will work with anyone in pursuit of their goals. The villains still have the same monetary ambitions as in previous films, but their means are much more practical, no more space armies or satellite death rays.

From the start of the film, Solace moves at a rapid pace which is noticeably different than the last film. One thing I really like about the new films is the visceral quality of the film; the action sequences are compelling, filled with tension and based in reality. Craig brings a lot of physicality to the film and seems to end every fight bloodied and bruised. As a nice nod to 007's trademark firearm, Bond ditches the Walther P99 (in use since The World Is Not Enough) for the classic Walther PPK.

Judy Dench (the only holdover from the previous series) is excellent as Bond's boss, M. The always solid Jeffrey Wright returns as Bond's colleague in the CIA, Felix Leiter (a character that has been played by almost a dozen actors over the years). Former runway model, Olga Kurylenko plays a Bolivian agent hell bent on revenge, which contrasts with Bond’s own revenge mission.

In addition to the great supporting cast, Daniel Craig plays 007 as an intelligent ruffian who will eventually evolve in to the more refined (but tough) versions of Bond, played by Connery, Dalton and Brosnan.

If you are a fan of action films, Quantum of Solace is your kind of movie. If you are a 007 fan, then you should enjoy the return to the hard edged roots of the James Bond character. All in all a great sequel and as the credits informed the audience, “James Bond Will Return”, and I can’t wait.