"Impress me."

That's the challenge issued by M (Judi Dench), head of the British Secret Service, early in "Quantum of Solace," the 22nd James Bond adventure and second starring Daniel Craig as Agent 007.

Moviegoers, pleasantly surprised by Craig in "Casino Royale," might be thinking the same as they wonder if lightning can strike twice. It can and does, although this is gritty, action-soaked Bond where the hero is pursued or in pursuit on land, water, underground and in the air, both in a sputtering DC3 airplane and free-falling without benefit of parachute.

If ever a movie proved there should be an Academy Award for stunt coordinators, this is it, although Craig reportedly did some of his own work, including scrambling across rooftops and jumping out a window and dropping 20 feet toward the roof of a speeding bus. But there are other manic maneuvers clearly handled by professionals and which we should not try at home.

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'Quantum of Solace'

3 stars = Good
Ratings explained

• Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric
• Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content
• Web site: 007.com

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"Quantum of Solace," which takes its title from an Ian Fleming short story, picks up the action an hour after the end of "Casino Royale," as Bond is still reeling from the betrayal of Vesper, the woman he loved.

The question of trust is at the center of "Quantum," which also addresses the wobbly line between hero and villain as "The Dark Knight" did.

Here, Bond is bent on vengeance, a prisoner boasts, "The first thing you should know is that we have people everywhere," and M is stunned by the betrayal of someone close to her. A woman named Camille (Olga Kurylenko) who meets Bond in Haiti, has a personal vendetta and scars both visible and invisible to the eye, and the opera "Tosca" with its themes of political oppression, love and treachery provides a spectacular backdrop to a meeting of murderous minds.

With Kurylenko as the Bond girl, the role of the villain is filled by Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene, a weasely businessman who claims to be green but is all about the green, as he covets natural resources.

Although Bond is in the driver's seat of an Aston Martin and downs multiple martinis, the number of men he kills far outweighs the number of women he sleeps or flirts with (one carnal encounter ends in an echo of a "Goldfinger" signature moment).

As M scolds, "Bond, if you could avoid killing every possible lead, it would be appreciated." This is serious Bond, not bon mot Bond, with barely a quip to be had.

It was thrilling to watch the franchise be reinvented with Craig in "Casino Royale" and the awkwardly titled "Quantum" isn't as purely entertaining -- intimate torture scene aside -- but it integrates such modern marvels as GPS technology into the story and shows Craig can play the blue notes of his character.

As directed by Marc Forster ("The Kite Runner," "Finding Neverland") and written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, "Quantum" features stunts and special effects that are first rate.

"Quantum" feels like a bridge to a third movie, as the story allows Bond to close a door and chapter in preparation for the next installment, which we hope will allow him to smile, dally and have a little more fun, so we can, too.

"Quantum of Solace" opens in some theaters at midnight today or 12:01 a.m. Friday. Check theater listings.