Quantum of Solace, no spoilers

[amanuensis1]

Short non-spoilery thoughts on Quantum of Solace:

No James Bond opening titles music has ever moved me so little (okay, maybe Gladys Knight's License to Kill ties it), but that's the beginning and end of my beefs. The film was wicked cool. The action sequences, in particular, were a heckuva editing choice, for which my personal jury was out for a bit, but I decided they really fit. Every chase scene, on foot or by motorbike or car or boat or plane (and, yes, of course you'll have every one of those and then some in a Bond film), essentially said, "Look, it doesn't matter if the viewer knows in every eighth-of-a-second cut who it was who got their windshield shot out or nearly missed that leap to the next roof or got his arm sliced with a sliver of glass--all you need to know is that every move of this is fast and violent and it HURTS LIKE HELL."

Daniel Craig ate up that screen--and so did Judi Dench. I also enjoyed the villain; I have a thing for weaselly weak-sternumed bad guys, ever since I realized I wanted to be Piter De Vries in the De Laurentis Dune, what can I say.

Comments

[hpstrangelove.livejournal.com]

I'm so happy to hear it's good! I'm going with my dad tomorrow. I've been looking forward to it ever since I saw the first trailer back in the beginning of the summer. But, I hate crowds, so I figure Monday at 11 a.m. won't be bad.

(we're watching Casino Royale right now, in anticipation of tomorrow!)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I love matinees, less of a crowd! And it's a great follow-up to the previous one. God, I really really disliked Brosnan's James Bond, and now Daniel Craig's has made me PISSED they wasted so many years on crappy Bond films.

[herbmcsidhe.livejournal.com]

Even at his worst, Brosnan was better than Moore. But, Craig, oh yeah....and I LURV Dame Judi as M.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm the only one who loved The Living Daylights and Dalton's grim Bond, I think.

[hpstrangelove.livejournal.com]

My dad and I agree that as far as who we imagine a 'James Bond' should be, Daniel Craig is 'IT'.

[pir8fancier.livejournal.com]

I liked it much, as well. Only one thing didn't work for me and that was the dumpster bit. But other than that, cripes, it was good.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I think there's one moment near the end of the film when you could argue what was going on, and argue very vehemently, but, yeah, very little to make me unhappy.

[badgerbag.livejournal.com]

I agree. I was totally indifferent to the opening credits... music was very blah... dancing naked women always inspire me to mentally regender the whole thing.

I also agree about the action scenes - wrote that up over here

Camille, with a gun, in pants! (http://badgerbag.typepad.com/badgerbag/2008/11/camille-with-a.html)

I think the uncertainties of what happened when to who or to which in the action scenes was interesting - though at first I wished for it to be much more clear and linear.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Camille in sensible shirt and pants was SUBLIME.

[sorion.livejournal.com]

And the shoes. Must not forget the shoes... Loved that. It made sense.

[dramaphile.livejournal.com]

ugh yes, that song was AWFUL! Who came up with the brilliant idea to choose two musical artists who could not be more different and tell them to write a bond theme song. Where's Shirley Bassey or Wings when you need them? Also? What was it with the opening titles with the sand girls?

Agreed on the film as well. It was exciting and Daniel Craig was sexy as hell and I want to marry Judy Dench. Or give her another Oscar or something. As the Boyfriend said yesterday, "It really weirds me out that M. is called a "he" in the books, because I can only think of Judy Dench in that role."

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I was amused by the sand girls--as soon as I saw the sand dunes, I said, there's girls under those, aren't there. I'm sure a lot of people are happy to see the return of the nekkid chicks during the credits!

[realpestilence.livejournal.com]

Have you read "Queen of Spades", by astolat? A Casino Royale-based fic, it's my favorite Bond rec. :)


If not, try it!

http://intimations.org/fanfic/jamesbond/Queen%20of%20Spades.html

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, and yes, and yes. But I think I'm going to reread it right now, just because!

[sorion.livejournal.com]

Whoah! Thank you so much for that link! *_*

[dancing-moon.livejournal.com]

The visuals in the credits were ok, not too exciting but properly Bond-ish. But the music was crappitycrapcrap all the way through.

I got tired of the very jumbled action scenes. The airplane fight felt as if it worked the best - I think the moment of jumbles would have worked for bits but when it was all like that I just get dizzy.

Otherwise, I like the film. I guess I could have lived without gratitiously killed Strawberry-girl, but otoh it is in character for that slimy little villain to do a shitty thing like that. And Camille kicked ass through most of the movie, FINALLY! an interesting girl.

So, overall, satisfied. Much better than the Brosnan-era movies and as good but in a different way than the first generation of Bonds

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

The Brosnan-era films were downright embarrassing, in my book. YIPE.

Bond is back

[(Anonymous)]

Bond is back in action as the director says the title may be odd, but the plot is familiar. Yet again I am surprised with the action and technology used by the movie Quantum of Solace .One was Bond's cell phone camera capabilities, it is very much related to the current political frame I think http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com Is where I saw and remarkable movie it will be.

Re: Bond is back

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

"Bond is back in action" has to be the most overused phrase for James Bond, I swear! ^_^

[quigonejinn.livejournal.com]

SO MUCH DAMAGE. SO MUCH DAMAGE.

Though, OK, I think my favorite thing about this movie, on pondered reflection, has to be the fact that it actually has Bond fastening onto doing the right thing, however warped that "right" thing may be. Like the little evolution he has from just crazed killing dude to. You know. The little whispered "Thank you" from the girl at the end?

GOD THIS MOVIE PUSHES MY FANNISH BUTTONS SO HARD AND JOYFULLY.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled to pieces that he actually [SPOILER SPACE EVERYBODY]never actually boffed you-know-who. OMIGOD.

[sorion.livejournal.com]

The action scenes floored me. They were brilliant! *_*
Also, M rocks! *ggg*

(And the bad guy who spoke Swiss German on the phone with his mom was the icing on the cake LOL)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I think the dangling-from-the-rope bit was the ultimate. :D