11.18Bourne, James Bourne
I mentioned in my other post that I had seen the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace and I came out feeling somewhat torn about the film.
Now yes I recognize that the franchise is trying to go in a more down to earth “book oriented” direction than some of the previous films, but walking out of QoS I couldn’t help feel that I had just watched a Jason Bourne movie rather than a Bond flick. With the fact that Quantum is indeed a Iam Fleming short story, the movie comes off as way to quick as well.
Of course the movie has great action, Daniel Craig is good and the directing is tight as we see Bond through the lens of Marc Forster (Monster’s Ball, The Kite Runner). However watching it seemed to me like watching another action movie where the plot once again, like Casino Royale, leaves itself hanging and we still wonder exactly HOW Quantum functions or who is behind it. Now I know it is “par the course” to setup a major villain for all the movies but in the meantime can we please at least have meaningful “minor” villains. The major plot in Quantum of Solace is Bond getting to the bottom of who killed Vesper Lynd. While he tracks this down he faces a Quantum middle management bad guy that is…well…he is stealing water. Yes, that is right: stealing water. Please.
First off, do NOT change the name of Bond’s ultimate nemesis organization. What happened to SPECTRE? Will we even see a Ernst Stavro Blofeld? If we are going back to Bond basics why is this general plot information being changed around and made even more confusing? Meanwhile in this film we have no gadgets, no really stunning women, and no massive end movie fight scene like the classics in Moonraker or Thunderball. I realize that Bond needed a change and we were all growing tired of the formula, but I thought that Casino Royale kept the root of the franchise alive and at the same time made it grittier. Now with Quantum of Solace we have what amounts to a neutered Bond film that becomes one action scene after another with nothing that makes it very “Bondish”. Honestly if I wanted Bourne movie I would simply wait for the 4th Bourne film.
I guess now we will have to wait for a 3rd Daniel Craig Bond movie to FINALLY get a look at this Quantum society. While one of my favorite scenes in the new Bond movie was the opera house scene where we get a glimpse of some Quantum members, it was not ENOUGH to satisfy my curiosity as to where the script writers are taking this thing. Quantum, you are no Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. Think of some of the great Bond villains of all time and honestly I have really been let down in the latest Bond movies by these villains doing “normal everyday” type villainy. An arms dealer and a guy stealing water to destabilize a government? Big deal. Where are the Emilio Largos, the Mr. Wints and Mr. Kidds, the Doctor No’s and the Rosa Klebbs? I miss those classic villains.
I am not saying Quantum of Solace is a terrible film. QoS features a well played deeper and more violent Bond than we have come to imagine and does have a good backstory with MI:6 and some other things. I really hated the villain and the overall plot. I guess if I had my choice I would wait for this one as a renter to be honest. I enjoyed the new Tom Cruise movie trailer (Valkyrie) and the Star Trek trailer more.




















