Daniel Craig once again plays James Bond in Quantum of Solace. Casino Royale rebooted the Bond franchise, going back to Bond’s first 00 mission to recreate the character. The plot takes up where Casino Royale left off, as MI6 becomes aware of a hitherto secret or­ga­ni­za­tion, Quantum, a sort of latter-day SPECTRE.

Said plot makes as little sense as these plots normally do. Rich, evil mastermind wants to corner the market on <substance> as a stepping stone towards world dom­i­na­tion; Bond follows villain and henchmen across several continents, blowing stuff up and killing people; sexy women are bedded along the way; nice suits, fast cars, and gadgets all get a workout.

Emo­tion­al­ly, Quantum is on a sounder footing. Bond still grieves for Vesper, who died at the end of Casino Royale. His need for revenge drives him, compounded by the treachery of a Quantum mole. This Bond is tough, but not impervious. Events have gotten under his skin. Under M’s too: initially disdainful, she develops some trust for Bond.

The action is more than adequate. The first half hour is a blur of car and foot chases, bruising fights, and shootouts. A great deal more action will follow later.

Connery used to be my favorite Bond. If Craig keeps this up, he’ll take the crown.