My verdict on Quantum Of Solace

[James]

I saw it the other night. Pretty much what I expected. The film is far too short and was apparently edited by someone in a secure institution. Craig is always jumping around chasing someone and most of the time I had no idea who he was chasing and why, especially with the rapid cuts and wobbly cameras. It's like watching a rubbish Hong Kong film from the eighties where all the action sequences are speeded up. The car chase is incomprehensible and the titles are rubbish. There are about four scenes lifted right out of Bourne, no Bond music, a crap villain, wooden Bond girls, and endless action sequences that eventually become tiresome with Daniel Craig wandering around the world with his one facial expression stabbing people. In the middle of all this nonsense we get overwrought drama like a comical death scene in the middle of a road. The plane sequence ends with one of the silliest stunts in Bond history and what's with the new futuristic MI6 building? I wouldn't have been suprised if that holographic Doctor from Star Trek had suddenly appeared and asked them to state the nature of the medical emergency.

I struggled to follow it to be honest and there are some tedious bits with shady army types talking to Greene that had me dropping off. What was the villain up to? Search me. There are, despite what you've heard, a few one-liners and jokes but Craig is rubbish at them. He's a cold-eyed nutcase in this film for the most part and I won't suprise anyone by saying he still doesn't look like Bond IMO. I don't think this film will change any minds in either camp. To me it's grim and unBondian, feeling far less like Bond than even Casino Royale. There is an attempted rape scene and some very violent moments. They really need to think about the writing next time and get a better action director.

The whole film feels hollow and like an afterthought.

[katied]

Good review.

[The Sweeney]

I think this review will be pretty much standard for everyone else here too.

Tell me James, did you think QoS was an improvement over CR, the same, or worse?

[James]

I would have no hesitation in saying that Casino Royale is a better film. This one feels like an afterthought. It's as if they took a load of footage left over from CR and cut it into an incomprehensible 100 minute action film. Sometimes it reminds you of The Transporter, sometimes Spooks, sometimes those Clive Owen BMW adverts, but mostly a Bourne homage. None of these influences are done in a clever way or fuse into a coherent film. It really is an astonishingly daft film with CGI Daniel Craigs falling out of aeroplanes and smashing through glass ceilings. It's not a pleasant film either. As one review said, you won't ever be watching this on Christmas Day afternoon with a box of Quality Street.

I really think Forster lost control of this film somewhere.