“Hancock” tells the story of a self-loathing, hard-drinking superhero who is given a chance to redeem himself. It is widely expected to become a box office hit, and leading up to its debut, the movie has been heavily promoted. (That’s Will signing autographs at the U.K. premiere of “Hancock.”)

Film footage of the upcoming Bond flick, however, has been kept top secret. Not anymore. The promotional trailer, which is essentially a long commercial, began playing on Monday in the U.S. and Canada on Web site AOL.com and internationally on MSN.com.

The trailer begins with a flashback to the drowning of Bond’s love, Vesper Lynd, in 2006’s “Casino Royale,” and it continues with scenes of plane and car chases, a speedboat crashing into a larger boat and plenty of acrobatic fighting.

Bond appears to be bent on revenge over Lynd’s death, and his boss M (Judi Dench) seems angry at her top agent for allowing his emotions to get the better of him. “I think you’re so blinded by uncontrollable rage that you don’t care who you hurt,” M says.

Perhaps borrowing from the “Bourne” action movies starring Matt Damon, the “Quantum of Solace” trailer also hints at Bond becoming an outsider at his own spy agency. “Restrict Bond’s movements, put a stop on his passports — find Bond,” Dench’s character says in another voice-over.

“Quantum of Solace” opens in the United Kingdom on Oct. 31, in the United States on Nov. 7, and in various countries around the world throughout November.

It was a slight shame that the company name in the quote, printed in large letters on one of the exhibition walls, was misspelled as “Reuter’s”. One of the press officers promised to have that put right, so I shall go back and check some time.

Reuters correspondents today would struggle to recognise some aspects of the world of reporting in the 1930s, but a few things appear to have changed little over the 70-odd years between then and now. While many would continue to maintain that life with the company was “great fun”, they may also understand why Fleming switched to the world of finance before taking up writing novels. In the words of Grimond, he “changed career because he wanted to earn more money”.