(Quark)Tries to copy the Bourne franchise

[Mazer Rackham]

by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat | November 16, 2008
QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Directed by Marc Forster
Sony Pictures Entertainment
PG-13 - intense sequences of violence and action, and some sexual content

Bond is back. Only this time the long-running series has succumbed, like many other recent action dramas, to what can only be called the breathelessness of the Bourne franchise -- a mania for adrenalin-pumping scenes with minimal dialogue and no emotional frills. "Quantum of Solace" links to "Casino Royale" for a plot thread but doesn't spell it out in any detail. The opening car chase sequence lacks the creative élan of many previous Bond openers.

Bond (Daniel Craig) arrives in Siena, Tuscany, to meet with M (Judi Dench), his superior, who is having Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) interrogated. This villain tells them that they have no idea of the clout of the secret organization they are up against. And he's right. M is nearly murdered in a shoot-out. Bond chases the potential assassin across the rooftops of the city.

Tracking down a lead on the organization in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Bond bumps into Camille (Olga Kurylenko). She is connected to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a pint-sized power-hungry man who is the head of Greene Planet, a group that is making deals all over the world for resources that can yield huge profits for them. In his reckless pursuit of this industrialist, Bond gets in trouble with both the CIA and M16.

It is sad to see director Marc Forster ("The Kite Runner," "Finding Neverland") and Paul Haggis ("Crash," "In the Valley of Elah"), one of the screenplay writers, swerve so sharply away from serious, independent movies for this blockbuster work. The screenplay for "Quantum of Solace" is especially disappointing: Bond is a tight-lipped mercenary who shows no feeling even though the premise of the entire movie is his grief and anger over the loss of Vesper Lynd, a lover. In the only scene in the film that generates any emotion, the demise of Rene Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini), the agent throws his body unceremoniously into a dumpster!

Reviewed by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Rating: 1/5

[katied]

I have to say, the scene where Bond throws Mathis' body into a dumpster got a few "WTF!?!?" giggles from the people sitting behind me when I saw it yesterday.

[X3C]

Maybe a mini-cooper, split-screen scenes and a 24 hour realtime digital clock between scenes should make Bond 23 a bit hit?

[Mazer Rackham]

Maybe a mini-cooper, split-screen scenes and a 24 hour realtime digital clock between scenes should make Bond 23 a bit hit?

That may be next. Although the vampire movie is big and that genre is making a comeback so maybe the next official Eon poster will say "Craig Sucks"

[FelixLeiterRocks]

Bond has always been an interpretation of the times he was in. Connery was really the only original interpretation of the character.

24 and the Bourne movies definitely had an effect on the more realistic approach to the films. I guess we're just in disagreement about that being a bad thing.

[X3C]

That may be next. Although the vampire movie is big and that genre is making a comeback so maybe the next official Eon poster will say "Craig Sucks"

Movie: Interview with the BondPire: Dead & Loving It.
Tagline: Craig Sucks


Bond used to have his own trademark on Bond Films. Most of them were lost for the reason that the franchise is coping up with Jack Bauer & Jason Bourne.

[katied]

I'd hardly call one vampire movie(albeit a lame one ) a comeback *shrug*

[X3C]

Vampire movies are very common and is tiring to watch...

[katied]

Amen to that..but I'd rather watch QOS again rather than watch The Crappy Vampire movie(a.k.a Twlilight ) again

[FelixLeiterRocks]

Speaking of Jack Bauer and Vampiers, I do have a guilty pleasure for watching The Lost Boys.

[katied]

Now, see I like The Lost Boys. That's an example of the *right* way to make a vampire movie.Not like the horrible mash up of Interview With a Vampire and Dawson's Creek that's in movie theaters right now

[X3C]

Speaking of Jack Bauer and Vampiers, I do have a guilty pleasure for watching The Lost Boys.

That's a classic. Nowadays vampire movies are just remade or do have repetitive themes. How about a new topic about vampire movies?