Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion

[TedShatner10]

Good Will Riker wrote:

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^^^

Not me. Quantum of Solace belongs with the other sophomore EON James Bond productions that have gone wrong such as The Man with the Golden Gun and Tomorrow Never Dies.

The Man Withe Golden Gun was mostly mediocre, but Christopher Lee elevates it, but I always thought Tomorrow Never Dies was Brosnan's best instalment anyway.

[Bob The Skutter]

Well I guess the somewhat negative reviews aren't really harming it.

Quantum Of Solace has entered the US box office chart at number one on its first weekend of release.

The 22nd James Bond film's $70.4 million gross makes it the most successful opening for a 007 outing, ahead of Die Another Day's $47 million take and Casino Royale's $40.8 million.

[Indysolo]

There's an interesting theory about box office numbers. It has to do with how people perceived the previous film. For instance Matrix 2 had a huge opening because people enjoyed the original so much, while Matrix 3 struggled at the box office. I think the same could be said here. Casino Royale didn't open as well as Die Another Day because DAD isn't a good film and people really didn't respond to it. Now QoS has a huge opening. Could it be because audiences loved CR? Of course, this is just a theory. Maybe we'll find out when Bond 23 is released.

Neil

[RoJoHen]

Indysolo wrote:

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Now QoS has a huge opening. Could it be because audiences loved CR? Of course, this is just a theory.

I'd actually say this is kind of a no-brainer.

[Indysolo]

RoJoHen wrote:

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I'd actually say this is kind of a no-brainer.

Well of course, but if I didn't say it was a theory, people could say I was completely wrong. In this case, I'm covered.

Neil

[CaptJimboJones]

trevanian wrote:

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Sadly, the Bond people have owned all the SPECTRE rights since the last nefarious bit of legal chicanery they employed with McClory several years back. They could use them anytime now, it isn't like the Moore era where they had to change the scripts to omit SPECTRE references, they're choosing not to use them.

Actually, I'm not entirely sure of that. I think McClory's estate is still making some claim to the Thunderball elements, enough so that MGM is being very cautious about using SPECTRE. Just a couple of years ago, they put out a video game version of From Russia With Love, and changed every SPECTRE reference to to "The Octopus," a move that was clearly done for legal reasons.

I could be wrong, of course, but I also recall reading that the QoS screenwriters wanted to feature SPECTRE but were nixed for legal reasons.

[Good Will Riker]

doubleohfive wrote:

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You are entitled to your opinion, however melodramatic you choose to make it.

However, having seen the film this evening, I can say with full confidence that while you are entitled to your opinion and I respect that, I also heartily disagree, from the perspective of a viewer, fan, writer, artist and critic. Wholly, qualitatively, and sincerely, I disagree with you.

Coming from my mouth, you wouldn't agree with me even if I told you that the Earth is round.

trevanian wrote:

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I think they friggin' ruined Bond with CASINO ROYALE (though QOS is so good it ALMOST makes me forgive them for casting Jack Palance II as ImpostorBond), but I love BATMAN BEGINS. I agree with a lot of your points (esp about TFF), and don't see anything about the trailer (which I caught today) that said STAR TREK to me ... it was just too generic and, to be honest, mindless.

I am of the opposite mind who believes that the richly-layered Casino Royale is one of the more superior James Bond outings while the plot-thin Quantum of Solace belongs in the bottom of the barrel.

By way of comparison, I though the Craig casting in CR and writing Bond as a reckless overaged adolescent

It worked for Daniel Craig's "new 00-agent" in Casino Royale, but backfired on him in Quantum of Solace, because it is unbelievable that this agent will not be severely reprimanded or have his license revoked for disobeying orders so recklessly.

At least Dalton's Bond in Licence to Kill and Brosnan's Bond in Die Another Day had good reasons for doing that. Plus those Bonds were already established, and have proven countless times that they could get the job done in saving the world, so they already have some brownie points in getting some leeway in going rogue like that. Craig's "green" Bond didn't have much of an excuse for doing that because Vesper is the one who killed herself in CR, and going after Quantum for her death -- a girl who did not even love him but only used him in the first place -- isn't much grounds for M to give him leeway in going rogue like that for an agent who hasn't proven his worth yet to MI6 beyond the fact that he is a superb card player.

The whole plot falls apart under close scrutiny. And, I am not saying that about Bond films in general, but that Quantum of Solace truly sucked just as bad as 2 Fast 2 Furious and Speed 2: Cruise Control.

[MeanJoePhaser]

Polarizing movie, innit?

I didn't get a Trek trailer, Instead I got Clive "NOT BOND" Owen in The International (not to be confused with Christopher Walken's The Continental), some Adam Sandler shit, some Jim Carrey shit and some Will Smith shit.

Personally, I'd pay to see Daniel Craig kick them all in the face.

[Silversmok3]

I thought it was a good flick.

Casino Royale's job was to bring James Bond back to earth. No more space rays and cloaked cars, just Bond and the job.

Quantum of Solace really exists to develop Bond into the 'cold-hearted' bastard he needs to be to do his job.

Its not so much made to showcase shootouts or car chases( though the opening scene was niiice) but to illustrate Bond's transformation.And for that reason its got more depth than the later editions of the previous, tea-and-Q editions of Bond.

I liked it because it , like Casino Royale, makes it clear that Bond's choices make for grave consequences.

Whereas before Sean Connery/Timothy Dalton/Pierce Brosnan could sleep around, lie, get locked up, blow their covers and the day is still saved.The word consequence just didn't exist.

[Good Will Riker]

DVD wishlist for this future Blu-ray player adopter:

Be sure to add to personal collection -

- Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines DVD (for under $6.00 including sales tax) with the purchase of Terminator Salvation on Blu-ray.
- Spider-Man 3 DVD (for under $10.00 including sales tax) with the purchase of Spider-Man 4 on Blu-ray.
- Quantum of Solace DVD (I wouldn't pay more than 2 gallons worth of gas for this title) with the purchase of Daniel Craig EON-James Bond #3 on Blu-ray.

No amount of "Blu-ray experience" can save those above titles for me.

[TGTheodore]

Silversmok3 wrote:

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The word consequence just didn't exist.

I think Tracy Bond getting shot to death on their honeymoon was a pretty big consequence.

--Ted

[TemporalFlux]

I was disappointed by Quantum; it just didn't have the heart that Casino Royale had. Quantum came across as a paint by numbers outing for Bond; there was nothing that really gave the film its own stand-out identity.

[Good Will Riker]

TG Theodore wrote:

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I think Tracy Bond getting shot to death on their honeymoon was a pretty big consequence.

--Ted

Technically, that was George Lazenby's Bond.

The above poster was referring to Connery/Dalton/Brosnan.

[TGTheodore]

Good Will Riker wrote:

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Technically, that was George Lazenby's Bond.

The above poster was referring to Connery/Dalton/Brosnan.

Yes, I know, but he essentially was talking about pre-Craig lack of consequences for Bond.

--Ted

[Barbados Slim]

Plus we have to remember this Bond is still green. The movie opens minutes after Casino Royale ended. He's still basically on the same, first mission. The end was very fitting:

M: I need you back, Bond.
B: I never left.

It made me feel that Bond 23 he's ready to get down to business, but what happened on this first mission will resonate.

The small moments are what I'm taking away from the film. Bond getting drunk on the plane. The moment when Bond asks Mathis his real name. The moment where Camille is wanting Bond to shoot her rather than die in the fire. That final scene with the Algerian boyfriend. Dropping the love knot in the snow. The action was fantastic, but I don't get why people think this movie didn't have heart and didn't emotionally connect because a) it did and b) we've never asked that of a Bond movie.