I loved the new style Bond, so it was a given that I’d see the current one, at least to see if Daniel Craig could do it again. Luckily, we’d recently re-watched Casino Royale, so it made some modicum of sense…
Quantum of Solace
Fasted paced action flick with an English guy in it
Named after an obscure Ian Fleming short story, this film begins mere minutes after the previous film ends, and drops you right into the action. If you want to follow the plot, it’s best to be familiar with the earlier film, but if you don’t care about plot, then no fear – this film jumps from action sequence to action sequence with minimal explanatory dialogue. You get multiple chase scenes, fight scenes (apparently Daniel Craig got real bruises), beautiful people and sinister villains.
However, it’s not really a spy film. In fact, it hardly follows the James Bond formula at all – for example, there is no trip to the exotic weapons laboratory. Frankly, our Bond couldn’t have managed to fit it in, given all the chasing and fighting that he has to do. I suspect that, with a few tweaks, this could have been a Steven Seagal or Will Smith movie.
But Craig’s bond is more of that ilk than the “snooping around the lair” style hero, and there is plenty of edge-of-the-seat excitement to make it an enjoyable 1:45 hours.
My rating: stars
How much do you think the Bourne series has influence the new-look Bond? And do you think that’s a good or bad thing? Good, i expect, since you like the new look. Me too, love what they did in Casino Royale.
I enjoy the Bourne films, although I do think the first (Bourne Identity) was the best. You are right that the new Bond does seem to have some similarities with them, but it’s probably just as true to say the the new Bond is influenced by the latest set of comic book hero movies, in particular the new Batman. Daniel Craig has a bit of the Christian Bale about him.
I’m sorry Andrew, but Daniel Craig could kick Christian Bale’s maudlin arse any day. :P
I watched ‘Casino Royale’ again last night and I have to say, it’s so much better than QoS. So. Much. Better. Pity. But maybe the third new Bond won’t disappoint. And yes, I think that all the hype about Bourne being like Bond, only with actual toughness instead of ludicrous gadgetry, has probably influenced what they’ve done with this new incarnation. And I like it, oh yes. If a man is going to get away with being an misogynistic anachronism he should at least be intoxicatingly manly whilst doing it.
Hahaha. I’m just saying that the Bond franchise has recently transitioned from Super Spy to Action Hero to Super Hero. You might compare, say, Batman The Dark Knight with Quantum of Solace, and see similar echoes of the renegade / the playboy / the technology king / the duty-bound hero. Of course, there’s much more depth to Batman in TDK than Bond in QoS, but the Super Hero franchises have been going through their own transitions.