Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion - Page 16

Good Will Riker · November 22 2008, 06:31 AM

Zeppster wrote:

That may be true, It doesn't really matter though. Marc Forster isn't doing the next one, he's already said he's not coming back. But I don't think directing was a problem in this one. I felt it was a well directed movie.

Whoever was responsible on the second unit directing of "the way too close to the camera, and shaky" action sequences definitely should not return for the next entry.

Whoever was in charge of viewing those dailies clearly does not understand the theatrical concept of "widescreen."

S. Gomez · November 24 2008, 02:28 AM

I really liked it. Not as good as Casino Royale, but then you can't expect near-perfection from every Bond movie. I think the aspect I appreciated most was the one thing the Bond movies have almost entirely lacked: continuity. When I heard that this film would follow on directly from the last one, I about jumped up and down in excitement (except for M's new office, but there's any number of explanations to explain remodelling... like, maybe, remodelling). Hopefully they'll continue the trend of not ignoring what's happened in the past and we'll see more of Quantum and what their goals are in future installments.

I did like the last scene very much (maybe the best part of the movie), and although curious about what Bond said to Vesper's boyfriend, I don't think the fact that it happened offscreen really detracts from it in any way.

There was some stuff I wasn't wild about: The editing in the action scenes was one of them, as has been mentioned. I think some of the plot (particularly the tagged bills, which was told in such a rush I couldn't follow it at all) could have been made just a little clearer, and maybe a few more jokes added ("We are teachers on sabbatical... and we have just won the lottery" got the biggest laugh when I went to the theatre). Also, while I loved the dark homage to Goldfinger, it feels like it may have been in the wrong movie, or revealed in the wrong way, if that makes any sense to anybody; I'm not sure what I'd do to improve it, but there ya go.

I gave it "Above Average". I can't give it "Excellent", but that's purely on the basis of it not being Casino Royale.

archeryguy1701 · November 24 2008, 06:47 AM

^I think the movie curtailed quite nicely into a third movie. Heck I noticed for the first time today (it's amazing how much more clear things because when you watch it at noon rather than midnight) that Mr White was alive in the opera house! I fully expect to see him again in the next movie.

Good Will Riker · November 24 2008, 08:11 PM

Zeppster wrote:

Good Will Riker wrote:

^^^

Thanks for giving us more insights after a 2nd viewing.

Next time, I hope that the Broccolis hire a director more like Martin Campbell and less like Marc Forster.

That may be true, It doesn't really matter though. Marc Forster isn't doing the next one, he's already said he's not coming back. But I don't think directing was a problem in this one. I felt it was a well directed movie.

I just hope that the problem of action sequences shot too close to the camera is corrected in the next EON James Bond outing.

I just hope that the way the action sequences were filmed doesn't effect one's viewing in the comforts of one's own home.

archeryguy1701 · November 24 2008, 09:31 PM

^Those sorts of fight scenes are usually much easier to watch on a small screen than they are in the theaters.

Nerroth · November 24 2008, 11:30 PM

It wasn't too bad - but there were a couple of elements I felt somewhat uncomfortable with.

But anyway...

The scene in Haiti made me think of The Bourne Ultimatum - only that scene in Morocco was handled much better.

For me, this movie didn't pick up until Tosca. That was a great scene, and things seemed to flow much better afterwards.

I kept thinking of how much better a follow-up movie could be if it was done by Paul Greengrass, and had a certain other character known as JB thrown into the mix...

suarezguy · December 2 2008, 03:10 AM

Between below average and poor but I had to go with the latter. The villain and political message were somewhat interesting, but otherwise the story not there or badly done (Craig's not that interesting), the action scenes were too long and excessively shaky. Didn't like that Mathis turned out to be innocent and thought his acting wasn't as good as in CR.

Starkers · December 3 2008, 10:44 AM

Well I've seen it twice now and have to say that I like it even more on the second viewing. The editing of the early action scenes still annoys a bit, but I found I could follow the car chase a lot better second time around, and the titles/theme didn't grate as much either.

I'd still say this was better paced than Casino Royale and a much tauter film...I do think it was maybe one draft light in terms of the script but I guess that's the writer's strike for you.

I seriously can't beleive some critics didn't see the humour in this, or hear the familiar Bond riff that was played several times within.

Really looking forward to Bond 23 now

Trekker4747 · December 14 2008, 03:30 AM

Went to see this movie tonight, yeah I'm several weeks late.

First of all, I'm still not 100% sold on Craig as Bond. I like him, but he just doesn't "feel like" Bond to me. Secondly, I think this movie and the current franchise misses Q, the gadgets, the gadget-car, etc. and the Bond Girl, cute as she was, wasn't... "Bond Girl"-y enough.

But in the end I liked this movie. The action scenes were good, better (and more of) than CR's. Pretty much I enjoyed this movie, felt more like Bond than the bulk of the Brosnan films, but this line of films is just missing something... "Bondian."

JacksonArcher · December 14 2008, 04:29 AM

Good Will Riker wrote:

Whoever was responsible on the second unit directing of "the way too close to the camera, and shaky" action sequences definitely should not return for the next entry.

Whoever was in charge of viewing those dailies clearly does not understand the theatrical concept of "widescreen."

That would be Dan Bradley, who was the second unit director on all three Bourne films, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, Superman Returns, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and much much more. He's one of the busiest and more talented second unit directors working today.

trevanian · December 23 2008, 11:05 PM

Bradley is getting buried alive on the bond websites as the antichrist, but it is more the cutting (not Forster's cutter, the other cutter, the Bourne idiot that the Broccolis brought in) than the shooting that is the prob, I think.

You can go with close views and wide views and the sequence design would probably work, but when you select only close views and cut the way they did (that idiotic cut- five-times-for-a-single action bourne approach that seems designed to mask BAD choreography, at least in the first one, the only Bourne I was able to suffer through [thank you Clive Owen]), the designed choreography gets destroyed. The DP and Forster both talked with Bradley about doing everything different from Bourne, and the DP really dislikes the BOURNE approach too, so again, this sounds like the producers messing with the product, not the director.

The Borgified Corpse · December 24 2008, 03:00 AM

Scrooge4747 wrote:

First of all, I'm still not 100% sold on Craig as Bond. I like him, but he just doesn't "feel like" Bond to me. Secondly, I think this movie and the current franchise misses Q, the gadgets, the gadget-car, etc. and the Bond Girl, cute as she was, wasn't... "Bond Girl"-y enough.

I hated it. I think Daniel Craig is giving an excellent effort. He's very good at what he's doing. I just don't see what he's doing as even remotely recognizably Bond. I miss Q. Even more, I miss the quips & the suaveness. Even the hallowed Sean Connery wasn't above throwing in a few puns here & there. Daniel Craig's Bond is just a joyless, immature, petulant thug. Hell, John McClaine from the Die Hard series shows more charm than Craig, even when he is all tuxedoed up.

Trekker4747 · December 24 2008, 03:27 AM

^^^

Yeah, I agree. It just missed some "bondness." The quips, the gadgets, the car, the gadget-filled car. Watch "Goldfinger" and then watch "QoS" and you'll see a classic, awesome, definitive Bond movie and some pale imitation.

The oil-covered woman, though, in QoS was a nice nod.

Zeppster · December 24 2008, 03:43 AM

There are plenty of quips with Craig's bond. And there's some good cars too. Just not all the gadgets.

Trekker4747 · December 24 2008, 03:46 AM

Zeppster wrote:

There are plenty of quips with Craig's bond. And there's some good cars too. Just not all the gadgets.

"QoS" just "missed something" that made it "Bond."

It didn't feel like Bond to me. Not Bond Bond, at least.

Makes me want to watch Goldfinger again.

View Poll Results: Grade the movie...
Excellent	31	22.30%
Above Average	58	41.73%
Average	32	23.02%
Below Average	12	8.63%
Poor	6	4.32%
Voters: 139. You may not vote on this poll

November 24 2008, 02:28 AM	#227
S. Gomez Rear Admiral Location: Vancouver, BC	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion I really liked it. Not as good as Casino Royale, but then you can't expect near-perfection from every Bond movie. I think the aspect I appreciated most was the one thing the Bond movies have almost entirely lacked: continuity. When I heard that this film would follow on directly from the last one, I about jumped up and down in excitement (except for M's new office, but there's any number of explanations to explain remodelling... like, maybe, remodelling). Hopefully they'll continue the trend of not ignoring what's happened in the past and we'll see more of Quantum and what their goals are in future installments. I did like the last scene very much (maybe the best part of the movie), and although curious about what Bond said to Vesper's boyfriend, I don't think the fact that it happened offscreen really detracts from it in any way. There was some stuff I wasn't wild about: The editing in the action scenes was one of them, as has been mentioned. I think some of the plot (particularly the tagged bills, which was told in such a rush I couldn't follow it at all) could have been made just a little clearer, and maybe a few more jokes added ("We are teachers on sabbatical... and we have just won the lottery" got the biggest laugh when I went to the theatre). Also, while I loved the dark homage to Goldfinger, it feels like it may have been in the wrong movie, or revealed in the wrong way, if that makes any sense to anybody; I'm not sure what I'd do to improve it, but there ya go. I gave it "Above Average". I can't give it "Excellent", but that's purely on the basis of it not being Casino Royale. __________________ NOW READING: Doctor Who: The Wheel of Ice by Stephen Baxter Marvellous Adventure--Online periodical with escape, excitement, and adventure

November 24 2008, 06:47 AM	#228
archeryguy1701 Rear Admiral Location: Cheyenne, WY	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion ^I think the movie curtailed quite nicely into a third movie. Heck I noticed for the first time today (it's amazing how much more clear things because when you watch it at noon rather than midnight) that Mr White was alive in the opera house! I fully expect to see him again in the next movie. __________________ "If it weren't for stupid, difficult races, there'd simply be no point to living." Sometimes you just gotta roll the hard six- Bill Adama

November 24 2008, 09:31 PM	#230
archeryguy1701 Rear Admiral Location: Cheyenne, WY	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion ^Those sorts of fight scenes are usually much easier to watch on a small screen than they are in the theaters. __________________ "If it weren't for stupid, difficult races, there'd simply be no point to living." Sometimes you just gotta roll the hard six- Bill Adama

November 24 2008, 11:30 PM	#231
Nerroth Fleet Captain Location: Ontario, Canada	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion It wasn't too bad - but there were a couple of elements I felt somewhat uncomfortable with. But anyway... The scene in Haiti made me think of The Bourne Ultimatum - only that scene in Morocco was handled much better. For me, this movie didn't pick up until Tosca. That was a great scene, and things seemed to flow much better afterwards. I kept thinking of how much better a follow-up movie could be if it was done by Paul Greengrass, and had a certain other character known as JB thrown into the mix... __________________ You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning. ---------------------- The Star Fleet Universe: ST: TOS' other legacy.

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December 2 2008, 03:10 AM	#232
suarezguy Commodore Location: Albuquerque, NM, USA	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion Between below average and poor but I had to go with the latter. The villain and political message were somewhat interesting, but otherwise the story not there or badly done (Craig's not that interesting), the action scenes were too long and excessively shaky. Didn't like that Mathis turned out to be innocent and thought his acting wasn't as good as in CR. __________________ "[T]hey still crave what we all crave: Our country back! Our democracy back! Our good name back!"-Michael Moore http://suarezguy.blogspot.com/

December 3 2008, 10:44 AM	#233
Starkers Admiral Location: Behind enemy lines...	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion Well I've seen it twice now and have to say that I like it even more on the second viewing. The editing of the early action scenes still annoys a bit, but I found I could follow the car chase a lot better second time around, and the titles/theme didn't grate as much either. I'd still say this was better paced than Casino Royale and a much tauter film...I do think it was maybe one draft light in terms of the script but I guess that's the writer's strike for you. I seriously can't beleive some critics didn't see the humour in this, or hear the familiar Bond riff that was played several times within. Really looking forward to Bond 23 now __________________ Werewolves on the Moon Now with Star Trek Into Darkness review The Devils of Amber Street

December 14 2008, 03:30 AM	#234
Trekker4747 To boldly go... Location: Kansas City	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion Went to see this movie tonight, yeah I'm several weeks late. First of all, I'm still not 100% sold on Craig as Bond. I like him, but he just doesn't "feel like" Bond to me. Secondly, I think this movie and the current franchise misses Q, the gadgets, the gadget-car, etc. and the Bond Girl, cute as she was, wasn't... "Bond Girl"-y enough. But in the end I liked this movie. The action scenes were good, better (and more of) than CR's. Pretty much I enjoyed this movie, felt more like Bond than the bulk of the Brosnan films, but this line of films is just missing something... "Bondian." __________________ Just because it's futuristic doesn't mean it's practical.

December 23 2008, 11:05 PM	#236
trevanian Rear Admiral	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion Bradley is getting buried alive on the bond websites as the antichrist, but it is more the cutting (not Forster's cutter, the other cutter, the Bourne idiot that the Broccolis brought in) than the shooting that is the prob, I think. You can go with close views and wide views and the sequence design would probably work, but when you select only close views and cut the way they did (that idiotic cut- five-times-for-a-single action bourne approach that seems designed to mask BAD choreography, at least in the first one, the only Bourne I was able to suffer through [thank you Clive Owen]), the designed choreography gets destroyed. The DP and Forster both talked with Bradley about doing everything different from Bourne, and the DP really dislikes the BOURNE approach too, so again, this sounds like the producers messing with the product, not the director.

December 24 2008, 03:27 AM	#238
Trekker4747 To boldly go... Location: Kansas City	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion ^^^ Yeah, I agree. It just missed some "bondness." The quips, the gadgets, the car, the gadget-filled car. Watch "Goldfinger" and then watch "QoS" and you'll see a classic, awesome, definitive Bond movie and some pale imitation. The oil-covered woman, though, in QoS was a nice nod. __________________ Just because it's futuristic doesn't mean it's practical.

December 24 2008, 03:43 AM	#239
Zeppster Commodore Location: Oklahoma	Re: Quantum of Solace - Grading & Discussion There are plenty of quips with Craig's bond. And there's some good cars too. Just not all the gadgets.