Craig dour "tight-ass"

[007]

http://www.articlearchives.com/humaniti ... 227-1.html

What have they done to James Bond?

If you've never read any of the 007 novels, you should read at least one of the early books to get the true flavor of the special spy that English author Ian Fleming created.

The official James Bond 007 series consists of those M-G-M movies produced by the team of Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, starting with Sean Connery in "Dr. No" in 1962. The Bond films are now under the guidance of Broccoli's daughter Barbara.

The new 007 movie, "Quantum of Solace," picks up literally hours after the previous film ends. Having been betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 resists the temptation to turn his new mission into something personal. OK, I can handle a vengeful Bond, but with his boss M tsk-tsking everything, and a possible mole at the spy works, Bond's desires receive a setback.

The problem here is how it all plays out. The movie opens promisingly, although I wasn't that impressed with the car chase, which is more CGI slick than believable. I've driven on coastal roads in Italy with their hairpin turns and cliff edges over the Mediterranean, and what we get has to be taken with a grain of sea salt.

Next comes an interesting locale. We're at the Paleo horse races in the great piazza in Siena, Italy, which is followed by a foot chase around scaffolding erected for a restoration project. This leads us to a Mr. White, some doubledealing, and strong hints that an evil criminal organization (Quantum) will take us on a road to deeds that could be more nefarious than anyone imagined. I wish.

Alas, it turns out that the bad guy and Quantum have something wacky in mind. Forget dominating outer space, these guys want fresh drinking water, and they will take over Third World countries to control supplies of it.

Bond is on the trail of Dominic Greene, the king of all water. Yes, permission to laugh is granted. Worse is the fact that Greene is played by a schlump of an actor named Mathieu Amalric. Nothing about him is impressive, not his looks (short and pudgy, but not in a good way), not his sloppy clothes (they look as if he picked them up from the floor), nor his acting (he has one expression--quizzical). He resembles nothing more than a mouse about to steal some cheese, and he's about as frightening as a rain drop.

"Quantum of Solace" fails in many ways, not the least of which is a bad storyline thanks to a misguided and uninteresting screenplay by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. They and German-born director Marc Forester (who has made stark dramas like "Monster's Ball" and light fantasies such as "Finding Neverland"), along with, I assume, Ms. Broccoli, have decided that Daniel Craig's dour demeanor in "Casino Royale" worked so well that this time around they would completely drain 007 of his delightfully jaundiced humor.

This is a huge mistake, because Bond as a character is a fully evolved personality, and his humor is part of his psyche. What we get here is an unfunny Bond.

And somewhere along the line, it was decided to have Craig play him
so stiffly that he drags everything down with his bleak narcissism. He's become a tight-ass. If Ingmar Bergman had made an action-adventure thriller, this would have been it.

There's also a problem with the women in the film. Olga Kurylenko is Camille, the lady who turns 007's head. She's ostensibly the Bond Girl, but I was more intrigued by Miss Strawberry Fields.

The actress playing Fields, Gemma Arterton, has everything Kurylenko doesn't: the right attitude, the right look, and the right acting talent. Arterton is so perfect a Bond-movie character that she makes you wish Connery might peek around a corner.

Someone who does peek around the corner is Bond's old pal Mathis, played by Giancarlo Giannini. He's primarily here to give 007 another reason to get angry and to exhibit some seriously callous behavior. Would you toss your friend's body in a dumpster? What is this--"Hamlet"?

All in all, "Quantum Of Solace," the 22nd entry in the official series, is a wasted effort. Something went seriously wrong along the road to this 007 caper. The action is basic, and there are no fun new spy gadgets. M (Judi Dench) has been turned into a brittle old crone.

I sure hope the next one's better than this one, which ultimately lacks the true spirit of the 007 adventures.

[katied]

I have to say I disagree about Dame Judi..Brittle old crone?She's pretty sprightly for someone her age and it shows in how she plays M.

[James]

Good review.

[Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry]

http://www.articlearchives.com/humaniti ... 227-1.html

What have they done to James Bond?

If you've never read any of the 007 novels, you should read at least one of the early books to get the true flavor of the special spy that English author Ian Fleming created.

The official James Bond 007 series consists of those M-G-M movies produced by the team of Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, starting with Sean Connery in "Dr. No" in 1962. The Bond films are now under the guidance of Broccoli's daughter Barbara.

The new 007 movie, "Quantum of Solace," picks up literally hours after the previous film ends. Having been betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 resists the temptation to turn his new mission into something personal. OK, I can handle a vengeful Bond, but with his boss M tsk-tsking everything, and a possible mole at the spy works, Bond's desires receive a setback.

The problem here is how it all plays out. The movie opens promisingly, although I wasn't that impressed with the car chase, which is more CGI slick than believable. I've driven on coastal roads in Italy with their hairpin turns and cliff edges over the Mediterranean, and what we get has to be taken with a grain of sea salt.

Next comes an interesting locale. We're at the Paleo horse races in the great piazza in Siena, Italy, which is followed by a foot chase around scaffolding erected for a restoration project. This leads us to a Mr. White, some doubledealing, and strong hints that an evil criminal organization (Quantum) will take us on a road to deeds that could be more nefarious than anyone imagined. I wish.

Alas, it turns out that the bad guy and Quantum have something wacky in mind. Forget dominating outer space, these guys want fresh drinking water, and they will take over Third World countries to control supplies of it.

Bond is on the trail of Dominic Greene, the king of all water. Yes, permission to laugh is granted. Worse is the fact that Greene is played by a schlump of an actor named Mathieu Amalric. Nothing about him is impressive, not his looks (short and pudgy, but not in a good way), not his sloppy clothes (they look as if he picked them up from the floor), nor his acting (he has one expression--quizzical). He resembles nothing more than a mouse about to steal some cheese, and he's about as frightening as a rain drop.

"Quantum of Solace" fails in many ways, not the least of which is a bad storyline thanks to a misguided and uninteresting screenplay by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. They and German-born director Marc Forester (who has made stark dramas like "Monster's Ball" and light fantasies such as "Finding Neverland"), along with, I assume, Ms. Broccoli, have decided that Daniel Craig's dour demeanor in "Casino Royale" worked so well that this time around they would completely drain 007 of his delightfully jaundiced humor.

This is a huge mistake, because Bond as a character is a fully evolved personality, and his humor is part of his psyche. What we get here is an unfunny Bond.

And somewhere along the line, it was decided to have Craig play him
so stiffly that he drags everything down with his bleak narcissism. He's become a tight-ass. If Ingmar Bergman had made an action-adventure thriller, this would have been it.

There's also a problem with the women in the film. Olga Kurylenko is Camille, the lady who turns 007's head. She's ostensibly the Bond Girl, but I was more intrigued by Miss Strawberry Fields.

The actress playing Fields, Gemma Arterton, has everything Kurylenko doesn't: the right attitude, the right look, and the right acting talent. Arterton is so perfect a Bond-movie character that she makes you wish Connery might peek around a corner.

Someone who does peek around the corner is Bond's old pal Mathis, played by Giancarlo Giannini. He's primarily here to give 007 another reason to get angry and to exhibit some seriously callous behavior. Would you toss your friend's body in a dumpster? What is this--"Hamlet"?

All in all, "Quantum Of Solace," the 22nd entry in the official series, is a wasted effort. Something went seriously wrong along the road to this 007 caper. The action is basic, and there are no fun new spy gadgets. M (Judi Dench) has been turned into a brittle old crone.

I sure hope the next one's better than this one, which ultimately lacks the true spirit of the 007 adventures.

There are so many of these critical reviews in this section of the forum that I have not had a chance to read all of them.

The title of the review:

What have they done to James Bond?

is apt.

I agree also that Gemma Arterton was wasted in this Bond movie.

[katied]

Eh,Arterton is kind of a non-entity IMO .She's been in Tess Of The D'Ubervilles,sure, but she was in that remake of the St. Trinian's movie too.

[Blowfeld]

Gemma Arterton was certainly wasted. Judy had a rapport with Pierce's Bond and with Craigs she had to be come crone-ish.

Very good review.

[katied]

Eh Olga would have been better,they really didn't need Gemma...or they could have kept her role to a few lines at the very least.But that's just me. .

[Blowfeld]

Eh Olga would have been better,they really didn't need Gemma...or they could have kept her role to a few lines at the very least.But that's just me. .

I thought Olga's character was really closed off. Gemmsa's like the man said you'd expect Sean to peek around the corner. Olga did so much better in Max Payne

[katied]

I actually agree with you on Olga's character.Those scars on her back?Not explained until *well* into the movie(but that was probably bad scriptwriting than anything else )

[Blowfeld]

It was a bad Script. Why did Olga have to be Bolivian? Surly Russian or Ukraine would have worked just as well.

[katied]

I think her mom was Russian but it was mentioned only in passing but since she was(presumably) born in Bolivia, she was written as a Bolivian.

[Mazer Rackham]

Looking for another old post had to bump this thread because it is such a good review of Fleming's Bond vs Babs

http://www.articlearchives.com/humaniti ... 227-1.html

What have they done to James Bond?

If you've never read any of the 007 novels, you should read at least one of the early books to get the true flavor of the special spy that English author Ian Fleming created.

The official James Bond 007 series consists of those M-G-M movies produced by the team of Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, starting with Sean Connery in "Dr. No" in 1962. The Bond films are now under the guidance of Broccoli's daughter Barbara.

The new 007 movie, "Quantum of Solace," picks up literally hours after the previous film ends. Having been betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 resists the temptation to turn his new mission into something personal. OK, I can handle a vengeful Bond, but with his boss M tsk-tsking everything, and a possible mole at the spy works, Bond's desires receive a setback.

The problem here is how it all plays out. The movie opens promisingly, although I wasn't that impressed with the car chase, which is more CGI slick than believable. I've driven on coastal roads in Italy with their hairpin turns and cliff edges over the Mediterranean, and what we get has to be taken with a grain of sea salt.

Next comes an interesting locale. We're at the Paleo horse races in the great piazza in Siena, Italy, which is followed by a foot chase around scaffolding erected for a restoration project. This leads us to a Mr. White, some doubledealing, and strong hints that an evil criminal organization (Quantum) will take us on a road to deeds that could be more nefarious than anyone imagined. I wish.

Alas, it turns out that the bad guy and Quantum have something wacky in mind. Forget dominating outer space, these guys want fresh drinking water, and they will take over Third World countries to control supplies of it.

Bond is on the trail of Dominic Greene, the king of all water. Yes, permission to laugh is granted. Worse is the fact that Greene is played by a schlump of an actor named Mathieu Amalric. Nothing about him is impressive, not his looks (short and pudgy, but not in a good way), not his sloppy clothes (they look as if he picked them up from the floor), nor his acting (he has one expression--quizzical). He resembles nothing more than a mouse about to steal some cheese, and he's about as frightening as a rain drop.

"Quantum of Solace" fails in many ways, not the least of which is a bad storyline thanks to a misguided and uninteresting screenplay by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. They and German-born director Marc Forester (who has made stark dramas like "Monster's Ball" and light fantasies such as "Finding Neverland"), along with, I assume, Ms. Broccoli, have decided that Daniel Craig's dour demeanor in "Casino Royale" worked so well that this time around they would completely drain 007 of his delightfully jaundiced humor.

This is a huge mistake, because Bond as a character is a fully evolved personality, and his humor is part of his psyche. What we get here is an unfunny Bond.

And somewhere along the line, it was decided to have Craig play him
so stiffly that he drags everything down with his bleak narcissism. He's become a tight-ass. If Ingmar Bergman had made an action-adventure thriller, this would have been it.

There's also a problem with the women in the film. Olga Kurylenko is Camille, the lady who turns 007's head. She's ostensibly the Bond Girl, but I was more intrigued by Miss Strawberry Fields.

The actress playing Fields, Gemma Arterton, has everything Kurylenko doesn't: the right attitude, the right look, and the right acting talent. Arterton is so perfect a Bond-movie character that she makes you wish Connery might peek around a corner.

Someone who does peek around the corner is Bond's old pal Mathis, played by Giancarlo Giannini. He's primarily here to give 007 another reason to get angry and to exhibit some seriously callous behavior. Would you toss your friend's body in a dumpster? What is this--"Hamlet"?

All in all, "Quantum Of Solace," the 22nd entry in the official series, is a wasted effort. Something went seriously wrong along the road to this 007 caper. The action is basic, and there are no fun new spy gadgets. M (Judi Dench) has been turned into a brittle old crone.

I sure hope the next one's better than this one, which ultimately lacks the true spirit of the 007 adventures.

[FormerBondFan]

I sure hope the next one's better than this one, which ultimately lacks the true spirit of the 007 adventures.

I hope he's wrong 200%.