Quantum of Solace
December 3, 2008
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric
Alright. So I finally got my ass out to the theater for the first time since Choke was released (a film which I did not review on this site that I might get to someday but not so much right now) to see this new Bond flick that everyone seems to be dissappointed with. My first thought after hearing all of the bad things about this film was basically a thought of disbelief. I couldn’t believe that this movie could be horrible after one of the best bond movies ever in Casino Royale preceded it. And you know what? I was right.
This movie is not a bad Bond movie like many critics have been saying and it definitely hasn’t lost it’s charm and humor. It presents itself with a more subtle humor that people may not quite understand without first realizing what was done with the franchise in Casino Royale. The previous installment established everything that happened in Quantum of Solace. The lack of humor and charm that many critics are pointing out to be lacking in this current Bond episode is actually something I find confusing, because the charm is there. It may be much more subtle but it does basically the same things as Casino Royale such as not having Money Penny and ignoring the classic Bond drink, the “vodka marini, shaken, not stirred.”
The main problem with the film that I can see is that it does not stand alone very well by itself. If a viewer comes into this movie without having seen Casino Royale they will be confused because the entire plot is based on what happened in the first film. The way I feel about this movie is that it is to Casino Royale what The Matrix Reloaded was to The Matrix; that is it is more concerned with the action sequences and kicking ass than plot and the tradition of the Bond franchise. Basically, go see it because it’s a lot of fun to watch, even if it’s not like all the other Bond films.
