Quantum Of Solace Review
This was a rather unremarkable Bond film in my opinion. It generally felt more like a Bourne Identity movie than a Bond flick given its focus on close-quarters combat and the directorial style. Personally I found this to be, while having a somewhat complicated plot, less intelligent than your average Bond film. It seemed to more often than not come down to who could punch harder and faster rather than who could outwit the other or who was better prepared which in my mind were hallmarks of a Bond film.
I understand that they wanted to go in a different direction with Daniel Craig’s Bond and I can appreciate them wanting to get away from the puns and not wanting to rely too heavily on the gadgets but I think making Bond such a physical person takes away from the suave charisma of Bond. Bond would pun because he had outwitted someone or had planned so far ahead that it was almost funny when he defeated the bad guys – I think they could have done away with the puns but kept the intellectual side of Bond.
Usually Bond was the coolest guy in the room, not because of how he looked or dressed (although that didn’t hurt) but rather because he was informed, prepared, and confident but when Craig’s Bond is perpetually chasing and fighting people it’s hard not to come off as a little frantic. And Craig’s performance…it’s almost unfair to other actors to call it a performance. He fights and says his lines but it’s like Craig was trying to keep so stoic and avoid every pitfall of every previous Bond he ended up making no decisions and barely reacting to anything. He could be looking at someone and be falling in love, planning their death, or thinking they’re hilarious and his face would look the same. Perhaps that was a choice Craig or the director made but frankly I find a Bond this stoic and stone-faced to be forgettable and boring. Frankly it came off as lazy.
Now I know Bond means a lot of different things to a lot of different people so let me assure I’m not the only one who feels this way.
The Sunday Times said “Bond has been stripped of his iconic status. He no longer represents anything particularly British, or even modern. In place of glamour, we get a spurious grit; instead of style…”
The Guardian said “Quantum of Solace isn’t as good as Casino Royale: the smart elegance of Craig’s Bond debut has been toned down in favour of conventional action.”
Roger Ebert said “James Bond is not an action hero! He is too good for that. He is an attitude. Violence for him is an annoyance…The chase, with Bond under constant machinegun fire, is so quickly cut and so obviously composed of incomprehensible CGI that we’re essentially looking at bright colors bouncing off each other, intercut with Bond at the wheel…I didn’t count, but I think M has more dialogue than 007…Greene could get useful security tips from Wal-Mart. There is no Q in “Quantum of Solace,” except in the title. No Miss Moneypenny at all…This Bond, he doesn’t bring much to the party. Daniel Craig can play suave and he can be funny and Brits are born doing double entendre. Craig is a fine actor. Here they lock him down. I repeat: James Bond is not an action hero! Leave the action to your Jason Bournes.”
I rest my case.
