Post by brookystreet on Nov 24, 2008 7:39:47 GMT -5
Quantum of Solace - Review
James Bond sets on a mission to find out who is responsible for the death of his love in the sequel to Casino Royale. Daniel Craig reprises his role as the British agent and has a more accomplished role than in his previous outing. The character was very quiet and subtle but here he is more open and upfront. This is the finest point of the film as the character is developing and viewers get to see the darker side of the hero and as this is a predecessor to all other Bonds, it shapes the character in exactly the right way. The heart of the film is Bond's emotional journey as he comes to terms with the death of Vesper and therefore it feels less consequential than other Bond films where Bond is a key player in a wide reaching plan and plot. Action sequences are shot in a similar way to 'Paul Greengrass's' 'Bourne' films, and the comparisons are inevitable. They do work though, and are well conceived and shot. 'Daniel Craig' delivers a solid performance again, as in 'Casino Royale' this is his film; he is a primeval force that pushes the film forward. This is of course personal taste.
Kurylenko is a fantastic Bond girl. She looks the part, worn down by her past and carrying her own agenda. She is dark, feisty and mysterious, a great combination and has some great onscreen moments with Bond, just watch out for a great boat chase. The concept of the series has changed too. There is no gigantic laser orbiting in space or evil megalomaniac genius watching the world burn from his stronghold. The evil comes slowly and in this movie, it's just the tip of then iceberg. A networking evil, impersonated by people who are dangerous because they're intelligent, ruthless and not alone. Future instalments will almost certainly reveal more of this.
The plot is fantastic. Whereas Casino Royale set the tone for introducing Bond into the world, this 2008 sequel builds on the central character and gives viewers more of a story. Bond has a stronger aim in this sequel, to find out who is behind the tragedy of the last film. Here everything is done quickly and in an exciting manor to, justifying the action genre. The determination behind Bond is excellent and really gets the action pumping. There is a beautiful score to further generate the adrenaline feeling. This, for me, is the reason why I like the movies better than a lot of Bond movies before them. They are connected with each other, like chapters in a book. 'Olga Kurylenko', 'Mathieu Amalric' and 'Judi Dench' are all superb, although they inevitably fade into the background at times as Dan does his stuff. However 'Giancarlo Giannini' holds his own as an emotional core to the film to rival Dan in his few brief scenes. 'Elvis' and 'Medrano' are less consequential than I was expecting.
Bond fans will be pleased with the action sequences as Casino Royale lacked in that area. Here we have cars, planes, boats and on foot chases all generating that action styled feeling that the Bond franchise does so well. However the early action sequences, specifically the opening car chase scene, is poorly directed. The fast montage does not do the car chase any justice. There are 1 second shots showing brief glimpses of vehicles and characters and is never effectively established. The feeling is there, but without a clear cut picture it is hard to get a proper view of the sequence. The producers have taken a big risk with this film. More casual viewers who sit back with a bucket of popcorn and expect to be entertained while switching off their brains will not be pleased. The film expects you to understand Casino Royale and for you to engage. It's smart and rewarding but very, very, different.
James Bond sets on a mission to find out who is responsible for the death of his love in the sequel to Casino Royale. Daniel Craig reprises his role as the British agent and has a more accomplished role than in his previous outing. The character was very quiet and subtle but here he is more open and upfront. This is the finest point of the film as the character is developing and viewers get to see the darker side of the hero and as this is a predecessor to all other Bonds, it shapes the character in exactly the right way. The heart of the film is Bond's emotional journey as he comes to terms with the death of Vesper and therefore it feels less consequential than other Bond films where Bond is a key player in a wide reaching plan and plot. Action sequences are shot in a similar way to 'Paul Greengrass's' 'Bourne' films, and the comparisons are inevitable. They do work though, and are well conceived and shot. 'Daniel Craig' delivers a solid performance again, as in 'Casino Royale' this is his film; he is a primeval force that pushes the film forward. This is of course personal taste.
Kurylenko is a fantastic Bond girl. She looks the part, worn down by her past and carrying her own agenda. She is dark, feisty and mysterious, a great combination and has some great onscreen moments with Bond, just watch out for a great boat chase. The concept of the series has changed too. There is no gigantic laser orbiting in space or evil megalomaniac genius watching the world burn from his stronghold. The evil comes slowly and in this movie, it's just the tip of then iceberg. A networking evil, impersonated by people who are dangerous because they're intelligent, ruthless and not alone. Future instalments will almost certainly reveal more of this.
The plot is fantastic. Whereas Casino Royale set the tone for introducing Bond into the world, this 2008 sequel builds on the central character and gives viewers more of a story. Bond has a stronger aim in this sequel, to find out who is behind the tragedy of the last film. Here everything is done quickly and in an exciting manor to, justifying the action genre. The determination behind Bond is excellent and really gets the action pumping. There is a beautiful score to further generate the adrenaline feeling. This, for me, is the reason why I like the movies better than a lot of Bond movies before them. They are connected with each other, like chapters in a book. 'Olga Kurylenko', 'Mathieu Amalric' and 'Judi Dench' are all superb, although they inevitably fade into the background at times as Dan does his stuff. However 'Giancarlo Giannini' holds his own as an emotional core to the film to rival Dan in his few brief scenes. 'Elvis' and 'Medrano' are less consequential than I was expecting.
Bond fans will be pleased with the action sequences as Casino Royale lacked in that area. Here we have cars, planes, boats and on foot chases all generating that action styled feeling that the Bond franchise does so well. However the early action sequences, specifically the opening car chase scene, is poorly directed. The fast montage does not do the car chase any justice. There are 1 second shots showing brief glimpses of vehicles and characters and is never effectively established. The feeling is there, but without a clear cut picture it is hard to get a proper view of the sequence. The producers have taken a big risk with this film. More casual viewers who sit back with a bucket of popcorn and expect to be entertained while switching off their brains will not be pleased. The film expects you to understand Casino Royale and for you to engage. It's smart and rewarding but very, very, different.
