Review: Lack of solace as Bond leaps back

The mission: To attend the first screening in the world of Quantum of Solace, writes Sunita Patel.

The venue: cannot be revealed - classified information and all that . . . well, not really. The rendezvous was at the Odeon, Leicester Square, last night.

It was a tough assignment, but someone had to do it. The 22nd James Bond film picks up from where Casino Royale left off - so be prepared to be taken on one hell of a ride. Daniel Craig is back in his second 007 adventure.

But her Majesty's secret service agent has turned from a loved-up puppy to a ruthless killing machine.

Nursing a broken heart, he is out to seek revenge for the death of his lover Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) with a licence to kill.

This is a fast and furious Bond - high on action and exotic location, but still mean and moody (he still does not care if his vodka martini is shaken or stirred).

For one thing he is too busy punching and kicking the living daylights out of everyone who crosses his path. One of the first scenes sees an angry Bond dripping with sweat in a car chase and sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

"You look like hell. When was the last time you slept?" asks M. There's no response from Bond. Need I say more.

No-one can be trusted, and no-one and nothing is going to stop the new bullish and brutal Bond from exacting revenge.

There were rumours of a James Bond jinx on the set of Quantum of Solace. Craig was injured twice - first his face was cut and required eight stitches and then was rushed to hospital slicing off the tip of one of his fingers in an action sequence.

Plus two stunt men were hurt in separate car accidents while filming in northern Italy in April.

Hardly surprising given the number of dangerous stunts and explosions in the film, including car and boat chases, plane wrecks and five star hotels being burned to the ground. There is barely time to catch your breath in between some sequences, which leap from one location to the next - blink and you might miss a crucial piece of the jigsaw.

Under the direction of Marc Forster, the film opens with a thrilling Bourne Ultimatum-style roof top chase during the Palio horse race in Siena.

Bond and M (Dame Judi Dench) interrogate Mr White (Jesper Chisternsen), who reveals the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is bigger than he thinks.

Bond's search for the truth leads him straight to Dominic Greene (French actor Mathieu Amalric), a billionaire environmentalist and the villain of the piece whose green credentials are a mask for his evil plan to control a vital natural resource of an entire continent. And thereafter, enter sexy new Bond girls Camille (Olga Kurylenko) and MI6 agent Fields (Gemma Arterton).

Despite the love scenes and murder, Bond has always been a family-friendly franchise. But not this one. Given the level of violence, it is not really the kind of film you would take the kids to see.

It is Bourne without the depth. And while it keeps you on the edge of your seats, at the end of the day, it is nothing more than a sequel - albeit compelling and gritty.

This latest offering is not as groundbreaking as the 2006 prequel. Living up to success of Casino Royale was always going to be a tall order.