The expectations are high but that does not mean that “Quantum of Solace” can surpass them or at least reach them. The 007 franchise has pulled out all the stops in order to become known for its exquisiteness and action-packed scenes, not to mention love moments between the superspy and the Bond girls.

Nevertheless, you should not expect the second Bond flick starring the invincible Daniel Craig to be a work of genius, because it is not and you might be disappointed. After the amazing “Casino Royale” raised the stakes with its outstanding popularity, “Quantum of Solace” loses both solace and magic, thus forcing the series to lag behind a Bourne-like thriller, whose hysterical action scenes and mood make the story impossible to swallow and, why not, follow. Daniel Craig, however, is in great shape and even if he weren’t, he’d still rock big screens. And this is undoubtedly a plus for Bond, James Bond.

This particular 007 is not exactly as carefree and admirable as his predecessors were. Just think about Sean Connery for a second. It seemed that being a secret agent was the best job in the world. Or consider Roger Moore. He used to utter the words “James” and “Bond” with so much self-satisfaction that one would have done anything to follow in his footsteps. With their help, “James Bond” became a profession of its own. The utmost superspy position, if you ask me.

But no one (and when I say “no one,” I mean absolutely no one) would like to assume “Quantum of Solace’s” James Bond role. An explosion bursts every few seconds, while our hero, who became less of a hero in the meantime, miraculously survives car chases, car wrecks, shootings, crashes, as well as an airplane jump without a parachute.

We now face a changed Mr. Bond. He is grim, gloomy and vengeful. If you’re wondering why, try to recall Vesper’s (Eva Green) death in “Casino Royale.”

“Quantum of Solace” appears to have no idea about how to decrease speed, as everything happens so fast that you can barely understand the plot. In addition, it offers no moments to enjoy, no impressive pauses, no noteworthy dialogues between its characters and, in general, no elements to look back on dotingly. We can’t even find the slightest trace of recap, since we are immediately pitched in the middle of the battle field. And while its ending brings up a sentiment of incompletion, viewers try to beat confusion and realize that “Quantum of Solace” was not worth the fuss.