Quantum of Solace

[ellen_datlow]

Today I went to see the new James Bond movie. Not as good as Casino Royale, the one that introduced Daniel Craig as the new Bond, but pretty good anyway. Perhaps a few too many vehicle chases, and for a bit of plot confusion, neither of which kept me from enjoying watching Craig, the two new Bond girls, and the evil machinations of the bad guys. And the loose ends left by Vesper's death in the first movie are resolved.

Oddly, the poster of the movie with the woman on the left and Bond on the right, is the opposite configuration of the actual movie.... weird that.

Comments

[time-shark.livejournal.com]

I felt the same way, that the new movie had its moments but doesn't match up to its predecessor — the jump-cutting close-ups in the action scenes left me wondering "What just happened?" a few two many times. But Craig is a great Bond. Hopefully they'll have a better narrative next time.

[jeffpalmatier.livejournal.com]

I still haven't seen any of the new Bond movies even though I've been meaning to. What I found fascinating is when I heard somebody on TV say that if you read Fleming's novels, Craig's portrayal of Bond is actually arguably closer to how Bond was originally conceived in that he was a bit rougher, a real tough guy, than perhaps the more polished representations of him in the earlier Bond movies. In any case, I'd really like to read Fleming's novels.

[amysisson.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I really loved (spoilers ahead for anyone reading these comments who hasn't seen the movie!) the fact that Vesper's boyfriend turned out to be not only a bad guy, but way up there with The Bad Guys. Casino Royale completely worked for me, but months later, I'd find odd questions popping up in my head. Why did she kill herself? Was it because she couldn't face James, or because she realized that as long as she was alive, they'd be able to turn James? And so on.....

I loved the opera house scene too. Yes, a few too many chase scenes, and the hydrogen-hotel blowing up all over the place harked back to cheesey-era James Bond (when the secret hideway always had to blow up). It didn't help that I'd just had fire safety training at work, which told me that they'd have been dead in two minutes from the smoke.

But still. There was no way it could surpass Casino Royale, so I think it did almost as well as I could have hoped.

[paulhaines.livejournal.com]

My sentiments exactly.

[anselmo-b.livejournal.com]

Fully agree. I also believe that much of this also applies to Timothy Dalton and the pictures he played in too. Strangely enough, people disliked those maybe just for these reasons...

I really loved...

[themadblonde]

the first Dalton Bond movie & it's one of the few I actually more than enjoyed. It's the only time Bond ever seemed particularly 3 dimensional to me.

[doortoriver.livejournal.com]

Huh! I wonder why the image got flipped.

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

Did you see that Twilight beat out Quantum of Solace, money-wise? I am sitting over here with my mouth open. TWILIGHT. O_o

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

You're surprised? two words: Teenage girls

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

I liked it. It's a film that one can rewatch and get even more out of the second time...which is not to say that it's great art :)

I especially enjoyed the ongoing nods to the Connery films. The past was acknowledged in a generally creative manner which maintained interest.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes, I too noticed and appreciated those nods.

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

Then we nod in agreement.

Somewhere off-camera Sean Connery cries "Splendid!"

But Philip Seymour Hoffman perhaps felt a fowl...