Nov 14 2008
Oh, Bond, Where Art Thou?
Is Quantum of Solace worth the price of the ticket? Yes.
Is it good? Yes.
Is it excellent? No, it’s too disappointing for that. It’s too short, it’s not ambitious enough, and frankly, it’s disappointing to see the filmmakers going back to some of the earlier cliches like the women in the opening credits and the Bond Girls with stupid names (check the credits at the end for Miss Fields’ first name. Oh, please.).
Casino Royale caused the stir that it did because it was edgy and fresh. Quantum of Solace is Casino Royale Part 2: The Tying Up of the Loose Ends, and nothing more.
And besides the fact that it’s too short, the biggest disappointment is that the director/editors need a serious talking to about the action sequences. Many of the fight scenes are blurred, the camera is too close, and it’s hard to get involved in them because you can’t always tell what’s going on. That’s a shame because there are good actors in this film–but I don’t care as much as I want to. I don’t feel the danger they’re in.
It was especially bad during one aircraft scene. This isn’t a spoiler. C’mon, are you surprised there’s some sort of aircraft scene in a Bond film? I’m not telling you what kind. But one of the characters was in danger, and after a few near-misses, I just didn’t care, anymore. The problems strangely didn’t seem to be effecting the character, mostly because of the bad directing/editing of the scene.
Am I glad I stayed up to go to the very first showing at midnight? Absolutely.
Can I recommend this film? Yes, with reservations, but I’m sure I’ll see it again a few dozen times during my lifetime.
Did I learn anything as a writer? Yes. Go farther. If my character has reason to be out of control, then take the plot and his/her actions much farther into the danger zone. Take more chances.
We know Bond. Holy Superspy, we know Bond. So my message to the filmmakers is this: Next time, tell us something we don’t know about Bond. Surprise us. I know you can do it because you did it last time.
