Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere for the past 3 weeks you will know the latest installment of Bond is out there in cinemas. Quantum of Solace picks up moments after the end of Casino Royale, as we see an angry, grieving Bond escaping a castle in Siena with Mr White in his boot, hell bent on discovering the agent responsible for Vespa's death and to expose the Quantum organisation that employed him. What follows is 100 minutes of high-octane set pieces, stylishly shot action scenes and Daniel Craig looking very, very angry.
It would be fair to say I was pretty excited when I walked into the cinema on Saturday night. I loved Casino Royale, Empire had given Bond's latest a 4 star review and I had been waiting 2 years to see what happened next. Sadly my mood wasn't as good when I came out
The film was just an extended set up for the next movie, which meant it didn't really develop any kind of an involving plot of its own. Yes, it was fantastic to look at, the explosions were impressive and the pace was relentless, but there was no depth to it, which is what had marked its predecessor as a cut above other recent Bond outings. None of the characters get time to develop personality between the action scenes and the consequences are that Quantum of Solace felt flat and uninvolving.
This film was purely a vehicle to establish a little more information about Quantum and tie up the loose ends of Casino Royale. For me this seems a little indulgent on behalf of the film makers, and means it can't really stand alone as a movie in its own rights, in the way Empire Strikes Back or LOTR Two Towers did. Each of those movies, despite being the middle installment of 3 had enough independent plot, character development and suspense to stand alone as a good watch whilst developing the overall story arc. In Quantum of Solace there simply wasn't enough going on beyond the action to sustain serious interest, it is purely a stepping stone on the way to episode 3. For me that is just lazy and disappointing.
Hardcore Bond fans are complaining about the lack of gadgets, one liners and quirky villans, but for me that's not really a problem. In so many ways Bond has always reflected the political and social context in which it was made, and whilst we made be obsessed with gadgets, the political mood is far more sombre, the world has moved on and Bond has gone with it. I wont spend long on the obvious Bourne comparison, but that series did raise the bar for spy movies and rendered the Brosnan era Bond irrelevant and a thing of the past.
But all of the things in the previous paragraph are secondary to Quantum's main problem; ultimately the film needed more of plot. I'm not sure Bond going postal is not really enough to sustain and justify an entire movie. Maybe you think it is?!
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2 comments:
I'm afraid that I somewhat disagree with you, despite the fact that I agree with eveything you said. While this film in no way carries the same level of depth as Casino Royale, it was nevertheless an extremely well produced high energy film that spoke to many human emotions and provided further insight into Bond's character. While sadly it is fully reliant on it's predecessor, it is an easy to watch film, one that I will definitely be adding to my DVD collection when it is released and will no doubt turn to it when I have had a long day, am feeling weary, and want to watch a short film about a guy getting his own back.
well in some senses its not worth debating as I dont think either of us will change our minds, but never the less I didn't see any emotion from Bond apart from anger, and then just at the end cold acceptance. If the 3rd film is good I would get it just to complete the set! As for a short film about a guy (or in this case a girl) getting his own back- kill bill volume 1 would be a good choice!
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