James Bond is back — with a vengeance. In the person of Daniel Craig, the British secret agent is so driven to settle a score that he doesn't even stop to introduce himself as "Bond, James Bond."

So while "Quantum of Solace" is one of the most action-packed films in the franchise, it's also one of the least obliging to the traditionalists. A coherent plot, iconic villain and sexual chemistry are jettisoned for a transcontinental thrill ride that leaves us shaken, not stirred.

Craig's second lap in the Aston Martin begins where "Casino Royale" left off. Bond wants answers about the fatal disloyalty of his lover, Vesper Lynd.

The manhunt takes him to Siena, Italy, during that city's fabled horse race. But instead of incorporating the race as an obstacle, director Marc Forster (whose background is in art-house films such as "Finding Neverland" and "Monster's Ball") needlessly cuts back and forth between the galloping stallions and Bond's thrilling rooftop pursuit of a henchman.

Forster similarly complicates a chase scene in Vienna, Austria, jumbling it with an avant-garde production of "Aida" instead of trusting that the top-notch stunt crew he borrowed from the "Bourne" movies can sustain the excitement on its own.

The zigzagging plot threads take Bond to Bolivia, where a nefarious eco-developer named Mr. Greene (the colorless Mathieu Amalric) is engineering a regime change with the consent of the CIA.

When Bond interferes, his flinty boss M (Judi Dench) declares that 007 is too blinded by his personal vendetta to perform his duties. So Bond goes rogue, accompanied by Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a dark and lovely local who is gunning for the coup plotters to settle a grievance of her own.

Alas, there's no fire between Bond and Camille, except for the literal kind, as both plaintiffs corner their criminals in a hothouse hotel and Forster again indulges in some promiscuous editing.

"Quantum of Solace" promises more than it delivers, starting with the psychological heft of that awful title. While Craig is a formidable Bond, his stoicism seems to have affected the team of screenwriters, who place the most important payback scenes off camera.

Fortunately, Forster compensates with a double dose of adrenaline at clockwork intervals. Notwithstanding the reinvention of the character, the recurring emphasis on spectacular action scenes in exotic locales is reason enough to hope that James Bond may die another day.

joewilliams@post-dispatch.com — 314-340-8344

PG-13 — 1:46 — Contains intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content