After Casino Royale, I don't think anybody could expect "Quantum of Solace" to be like the vintage James Bond films but the lack of any real personality or Bond-esque touches leaves the latest 007 film feeling like it could be anybody. A few changes and the film could have as easily been a Bourne film or a Mission: Impossible flick or a redo of the "Hitman" movie.

And while that disappointment is easily overlooked, the more damning problem is that James Bond has become a reactive hero. The film portrays James as an almost rogue agent but he is always just running down a lead. The great action heroes take it to their nemeses. I think one reason many people didn't like Die Hard with a Vengeance was because it was the one time that John McLane simply reacted to others. In the past Bond films, James would be dropped into a situation and then would rewrite the rules of the game. Even in Casino Royale, he did this: wooing the wife of his enemy, not going by any cover name, etc.

The other issues with the plot is that there really isn't enough of a villain. We know who the bad guy is and know he's bad but most of the film is spent trying to figure out why exactly he is bad. You don't ever really feel any time pressure or tension. There's no ticking clock. There's no damsel in distress needing to be saved. There's just this guy who's bad. And while the Bond girls are beautiful, one is a minor character and the other is basically doing her own thing for most of the film. She's as much a separate B-story as she is tied into the main Bond adventure.

As for the action scenes, nothing touches the opening scene of Casino Royale (that admittedly is going to be a tough one to beat) but the editing of the scenes is confusing and choppy. The first scene of the movie especially is tough to follow. There are so many cuts that you have no idea what's really going on. When something cool happens, you just think, "That's cool but I have no idea how it happened."

All that being what it is, it's still an entertaining film. It's a capable movie that won't be remembered for either being one of the best or one of the worst Bond films. In fact, it probably won't be remembered at all. There's just nothing really there. I'd recommend seeing the film (albeit with lowered expectations).