On second look, Quantum of Solace was even better than I thought it was when I saw the film in the theater. I'm not sure why I missed the nuances the first time, but my appreciation for the film itself, and Craig's portrayal, grew with each passing minute of my second viewing. Craig IS Bond, and even the haters will have to admit that this super double-agent is better than anyone could have imagined.

With the action picking up fifteen minutes or so after the ending scene of Casino Royale, we find ourselves in the first of many chase scenes that populate this plot-driven action thriller. First, Bond escapes with Mr. White in the trunk, while thugs attempt to drive or shoot him off of the road. Then, Bond chases a double-agent by foot and by hanging candelabra, before the boat chase, that precedes the car chase... but these aren't even the best parts of the flick. Yes, they are shot with a wonderful eye by Marc Forster, marking a departure for him (Monster's Ball, The Kite Runner, Finding Neverland) but eliciting intimate insight into what makes Bond tick.

And that is what this Bond is about. Yes, he beds a Bond girl and kisses another, but Bond'smotivation and mission remains lockedin bythe death of his first love, Vesper, while his soul slowly seeps away. This Bond is different from the one played by Roger Moore or Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan (please ignore Timothy Dalton) because we see his heart. He's still not wearing it on his sleeve, but his emotions are raw and tense and real. Bond is more than we might expect from ourselves in the situations that he finds himself, but there's something about the way that he's depicted and played by Craig that lets us believe he's a person that we could relate to if we met him.

Bond's mission, to track down and destroy the organization Quantum, puts him at odds with M (Judi Dench) even as he works to uncover who is behind the murder attempt on her life. His mission interfaces with that of Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) who seeks to avenge the murder of her family, and he drags in his previously-allied pals, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) and Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini), to battle Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). Bond has been made relational and reliant, two descriptives that I once never thought capable for Bond, but this is Bond for the 21st century.

This relational aspect to Bond, this man who desires the comfort of others, who thrives in tension but seeks to make the world right, is what forces Quantum of Solace (and Casino Royale before it) from the "standard" Bond motif set forth in the 1970s and 1980s into something more unique. Bond is an international man of mystery, but he's also the kind of silent warrior who does think more for himself and operates less like a blunt instrument. He's a thinking person's superspy, who operates in the void between the light and the dark, protecting the unsuspecting who dance happily in the light.

When you finally get around to it, Bond is a Christ figure. Without him, M dies, Camille dies, and the free world falls prey to Quantum; but because of him, those people live and the world rings in another day blind to the impact of Bond's actions, hurt, and sacrifice. Much like our naivete to the work of those who protect our freedoms, we can be oblivious to the work of Christ in our own lives and the grace of God in the world around us, or we can embrace that love and accept that we don't make it on our own. Bond realizes the need for others here in Quantum of Solace, and in the end, embraces that love in community, even if he doesn't understand (or need) forgiveness.

So sit back, relax and enjoy the entertainment value of the twenty-second entry into official Bond lore, but realize that it's not the same. This Bond is smarter, more aware, and mostly human; he's a three-dimensional person, and he represents the forces that work quietly while we sleep to make our lives better than they would be alone.