26 replies to this topic

[00Twelve]

Trying to figure out where I should begin…



You know that feeling after you step off of a rollercoaster? Minus the inability to walk a straight line, I’m there right now. And I want another ride. QOS is unapologetically intense and mature and I feel I’ve been rewarded for waiting to see if they could do it again after CR.



Much as I’d heard about how fast the PTS gets into gear, it still took me by surprise. And it’s furious. Tazmanian devil furious. But there’s method to this madness. Metaphor abounds in the film and it starts with the reflection of Bond’s state of mind in this chase. Oh, and it’s amazing how much better a car chase can be when there’s no stinger missiles behind the headlights.



The title sequence was delectable. The retro vibe may not be for everyone, but it sure works for me. LOVED the title sequence. The song’s never sounded better (as always, the film edit works best) and there were visual homages to everything from the Robert Brownjohn days to Moore-era Maurice Binder to even Daniel Kleinman circa 2006. Seriously, when’s the last time we’ve seen Bond suspended in air, falling from nowhere to nowhere? Come to think of it, when’s the last time the font’s been something other than Arial? [Hint: not since the days that this movie hearkens back to.] The round 70s-ish typography was awesomely stylish and immediately told me that EON’s finally embracing a bit of the modern take on the 60s/70s aesthetic that I’ve fantasized they someday would.



A more beautifully shot spy movie may never have been made. Colors, cultures, textures, timbres…this film sets itself apart in a delicious way from the rest of the franchise and from all that’s come before it. From the first shots of Garda to Siena’s Palio straight to the “Bolivian” desert, I can’t think of a Bond film that displays a more unique and sensual aesthetic-- not even YOLT. Marc Forster is the textbook definition of a director: a photographer capturing pictures in motion. I’m always in awe of people who have such an eye for angles and textures.



The script is, on one hand, economic; on the other hand, it’s more than enough. Any more and I’d have felt spoonfed. Any less and I’d have felt starved. In the hands of weaker actors, it would have been bad. BAD. In these actors’ hands, however, it was good. GOOD. Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.



Allow me to make observations on the acting from my point of view as an actor [after your eyes have made a full arc]. Now, I wouldn’t pretend that I’m some kind of RADA grad or that I’ve been doing this for decades. I’m only a couple of years out of college and a fledgling in the professional world, but I will venture to say with confidence that I understand what I’ve studied and know how to create characters, and I know intention when I see it. Every choice that each actor in this movie made was 100% deliberate. Every moment in which we saw them had intent and thought behind it. In Bond, I saw a man who was hungry for satisfaction from the deaths of men who conspired with those that caused Vesper’s death. That hunger was there, but so was the emptiness that lingered after each kill, the growing realization that killing Quantum members one at a time wouldn’t offer a quantum of solace. Reading all this into it, am I? Not by a long shot. These are professionals, and I can promise that professionals consider every possible aspect of their characters that they can conceive of. No moment is neglected. One may not like some of these choices, but every nonverbal moment communicated something that was just as deliberate as every scripted word. I, for one, am very thankful not to have been treated as if I needed everything verbally spelled out for me. And it’s beyond denial—Daniel Craig is James Bond. No one’s taken the character on such a compelling journey and I can’t imagine anyone could do it as well as what I’ve seen in these last two movies.



Arnold has delivered a score that I can finally call “cool.” It’s something that ventures to sound like something more than a Barry homage—it’s his most original score to date. Sure, Barry’s in there [Night At The Opera recalls tip-top-form Barry], but so are sounds that Arnold can proudly call his own. The first transition to London is a great example. And for the first time, Arnold even pays homage to greats like Lalo Schifrin [Field Trip is as close to a Schifrin-inspired track as I’ve ever heard]. The eventual full Bond theme is satisfying as well—every bit as much as in CR.



QOS takes Bond through the understandable turmoil after Vesper and brings him through to the other side with maturity and style. How does it rank with me? [Always the ultimate question for whatever reason.] It’s somewhere in my top 5, probably top 3 at least. I can’t say that it’s better than CR. But it’s not far off. I’m very much looking forward to seeing it again in hopes that I can give a more coherent and detailed reaction next time. My sympathies for those that disliked it; I fail to understand that, but that’s Bond for you. We all find different parts of him that we love.



I really hope that EON is confident about moving forward with this level of maturity and individuality. Bring on the new franchise, I’m waiting with arms open wide.

[JimmyBond]

I couldnt have put it better if I had tried. Excellent review

[00Twelve]

I couldnt have put it better if I had tried. Excellent review

Thanks very much, and likewise, of course.

[quantumofsolace]

The script is, on one hand, economic; on the other hand, it’s more than enough. Any more and I’d have felt spoonfed. Any less and I’d have felt starved. In the hands of weaker actors, it would have been bad. BAD. In these actors’ hands, however, it was good. GOOD. Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.

Well said. Agree completely. What I find most frustrating with the negative reviews is that they did not get this and now we will be spoonfed in 23 because of the negative reaction.

[Gobi-1]

Great review. Save for the opening credits I agree with a lot you've said. Texture is a great word to describe QoS. This feels like a movie you could touch and then you'd have to rub the grit off your hands.

[CM007]

Trying to figure out where I should begin…



You know that feeling after you step off of a rollercoaster? Minus the inability to walk a straight line, I’m there right now. And I want another ride. QOS is unapologetically intense and mature and I feel I’ve been rewarded for waiting to see if they could do it again after CR.



Much as I’d heard about how fast the PTS gets into gear, it still took me by surprise. And it’s furious. Tazmanian devil furious. But there’s method to this madness. Metaphor abounds in the film and it starts with the reflection of Bond’s state of mind in this chase. Oh, and it’s amazing how much better a car chase can be when there’s no stinger missiles behind the headlights.



The title sequence was delectable. The retro vibe may not be for everyone, but it sure works for me. LOVED the title sequence. The song’s never sounded better (as always, the film edit works best) and there were visual homages to everything from the Robert Brownjohn days to Moore-era Maurice Binder to even Daniel Kleinman circa 2006. Seriously, when’s the last time we’ve seen Bond suspended in air, falling from nowhere to nowhere? Come to think of it, when’s the last time the font’s been something other than Arial? [Hint: not since the days that this movie hearkens back to.] The round 70s-ish typography was awesomely stylish and immediately told me that EON’s finally embracing a bit of the modern take on the 60s/70s aesthetic that I’ve fantasized they someday would.



A more beautifully shot spy movie may never have been made. Colors, cultures, textures, timbres…this film sets itself apart in a delicious way from the rest of the franchise and from all that’s come before it. From the first shots of Garda to Siena’s Palio straight to the “Bolivian” desert, I can’t think of a Bond film that displays a more unique and sensual aesthetic-- not even YOLT. Marc Forster is the textbook definition of a director: a photographer capturing pictures in motion. I’m always in awe of people who have such an eye for angles and textures.



The script is, on one hand, economic; on the other hand, it’s more than enough. Any more and I’d have felt spoonfed. Any less and I’d have felt starved. In the hands of weaker actors, it would have been bad. BAD. In these actors’ hands, however, it was good. GOOD. Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.



Allow me to make observations on the acting from my point of view as an actor [after your eyes have made a full arc]. Now, I wouldn’t pretend that I’m some kind of RADA grad or that I’ve been doing this for decades. I’m only a couple of years out of college and a fledgling in the professional world, but I will venture to say with confidence that I understand what I’ve studied and know how to create characters, and I know intention when I see it. Every choice that each actor in this movie made was 100% deliberate. Every moment in which we saw them had intent and thought behind it. In Bond, I saw a man who was hungry for satisfaction from the deaths of men who conspired with those that caused Vesper’s death. That hunger was there, but so was the emptiness that lingered after each kill, the growing realization that killing Quantum members one at a time wouldn’t offer a quantum of solace. Reading all this into it, am I? Not by a long shot. These are professionals, and I can promise that professionals consider every possible aspect of their characters that they can conceive of. No moment is neglected. One may not like some of these choices, but every nonverbal moment communicated something that was just as deliberate as every scripted word. I, for one, am very thankful not to have been treated as if I needed everything verbally spelled out for me. And it’s beyond denial—Daniel Craig is James Bond. No one’s taken the character on such a compelling journey and I can’t imagine anyone could do it as well as what I’ve seen in these last two movies.



Arnold has delivered a score that I can finally call “cool.” It’s something that ventures to sound like something more than a Barry homage—it’s his most original score to date. Sure, Barry’s in there [Night At The Opera recalls tip-top-form Barry], but so are sounds that Arnold can proudly call his own. The first transition to London is a great example. And for the first time, Arnold even pays homage to greats like Lalo Schifrin [Field Trip is as close to a Schifrin-inspired track as I’ve ever heard]. The eventual full Bond theme is satisfying as well—every bit as much as in CR.



QOS takes Bond through the understandable turmoil after Vesper and brings him through to the other side with maturity and style. How does it rank with me? [Always the ultimate question for whatever reason.] It’s somewhere in my top 5, probably top 3 at least. I can’t say that it’s better than CR. But it’s not far off. I’m very much looking forward to seeing it again in hopes that I can give a more coherent and detailed reaction next time. My sympathies for those that disliked it; I fail to understand that, but that’s Bond for you. We all find different parts of him that we love.



I really hope that EON is confident about moving forward with this level of maturity and individuality. Bring on the new franchise, I’m waiting with arms open wide.

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

[bendertherobot]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Yet that very same audience are the ones complaining that they didn't "get it."

The MTV generation are the very ones bemoaning the film.

[CM007]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Yet that very same audience are the ones complaining that they didn't "get it."

The MTV generation are the very ones bemoaning the film.

Wrong it´s the Bond fans that are hatin this film or being very cold towards the film.The Mtv generation were the one moaning about CR being boring too long with a stupid card game in the middle so what do EON they gave them the film that they wanted a a Craig who is da mostest badass Bond eva because the Brozz sucks and the Connery is for old Geazzers,and Pee´d over the core Bond fans not the iSheep that we have here.

Edited by CM007, 15 November 2008 - 12:29 PM.

[Bureau Of Weapons]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Oh come on! That charge belongs to the explosion after explosion and machine gunobsessed Brosnan era which is now thankfully all but a distant memory.

[Craig is 007]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Yet that very same audience are the ones complaining that they didn't "get it."

The MTV generation are the very ones bemoaning the film.

Wrong it´s the Bond fans that are hatin this film or being very cold towards the film.The Mtv generation were the one moaning about CR being boring too long with a stupid card game in the middle so what do EON they gave them the film that they wanted a a Craig who is da mostest badass Bond eva because the Brozz sucks and the Connery is for old Geazzers,and Pee´d over the core Bond fans not the iSheep that we have here.

I am a Bond fan, and I'm lovin' this film

[Publius]

Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.

Same here. I even thought it felt more like the literary Casino Royale than the film version did. The atmosphere was, for the first time in Bond film history, reminiscent of the cruelly indifferent world Fleming's Bond inhabited. What people are mistaking for an absence of "soul" is a cold impartiality. The only moral beacon we have is Bond himself.

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Tell me, honestly, you're just parodying the mindless critics only capable of communicating in buzzwords... right?

[CM007]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Oh come on! That charge belongs to the explosion after explosion and machine gunobsessed Brosnan era which is now thankfully all but a distant memory.

The machine gun Obsessed Bond.Could you elaborate a bit further as I´ve just watched those movies and don´t see what your talkin about.Oh wait

GE-Machine Gun was taken of a Russian Guard and used to defend himself and Natalia
TND-Machine Gun was used on the Stealth boad but was used in conjunction with his P99 with Silencer
TWINE-Same situation as TND only in the Bunker.Actually Bond was going to use his P99 to assasinate Renard and managed to get a machine Gun from one of Renards Men but was used in conjunction with P99
DAD-No machine gun was used in the movie by Bond-If I remeber correctly

So you analogy is full of you know what.

[bondrules]

Wrong it´s the Bond fans that are hatin this film or being very cold towards the film.The Mtv generation were the one moaning about CR being boring too long with a stupid card game in the middle so what do EON they gave them the film that they wanted a a Craig who is da mostest badass Bond eva because the Brozz sucks and the Connery is for old Geazzers,and Pee´d over the core Bond fans not the iSheep that we have here.

I think this is going too far on slamming ppl who liked QoS.

[HH007]

Wrong it´s the Bond fans that are hatin this film or being very cold towards the film.The Mtv generation were the one moaning about CR being boring too long with a stupid card game in the middle so what do EON they gave them the film that they wanted a a Craig who is da mostest badass Bond eva because the Brozz sucks and the Connery is for old Geazzers,and Pee´d over the core Bond fans not the iSheep that we have here.

I think this is going too far on slamming ppl who liked QoS.

I agree.

[Zorin Industries]

Now if the individuals who did not like the film could outline as eloquently why as 00Twelve has done to say here why he did, then Bond fandom would rise above the fanorak trench it feels it needs to dig out every time something different and creatively brave marches over the horizon.

[00Twelve]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Guess which generation began using "retarded" as a common adjective.

And I do happen to have ADD. No joke. Guess the movie was made for me. Still content either way.

[bondrules]

The round 70s-ish typography was awesomely stylish and immediately told me that EON’s finally embracing a bit of the modern take on the 60s/70s aesthetic that I’ve fantasized they someday would.
-------------------------------
A more beautifully shot spy movie may never have been made. Colors, cultures, textures, timbres…this film sets itself apart in a delicious way from the rest of the franchise and from all that’s come before it. From the first shots of Garda to Siena’s Palio straight to the “Bolivian” desert, I can’t think of a Bond film that displays a more unique and sensual aesthetic-- not even YOLT. Marc Forster is the textbook definition of a director: a photographer capturing pictures in motion. I’m always in awe of people who have such an eye for angles and textures.

Beautifully written. I think it's a big mistake for some to recommend on not going to see this movie.

[Marquis]

QOS is no more mature or a film for a mature audience.You are way off there.If anything the movie is so retarted that it´s for people with ADD and who love video games oh and the Mtv generation.

Guess which generation began using "retarded" as a common adjective. And I do happen to have ADD. No joke. Guess the movie was made for me. Still content either way.

Quite. Still, no doubt the irony will be lost him (or her).

Anyway, let's not allow the inane ramblings of one individual detract from what is a superb review. Thanks for sharing 00Twelve.

Edited by Marquis, 15 November 2008 - 07:09 PM.

[__7]

YES! Another pro is in with an outstanding review of an outstanding film. I'm feeling better already. Great work on the review. Agree completely. How soon can I get back on that rollercoaster!

[00Twelve]

You're too kind.

[DaveBond21]

Trying to figure out where I should begin…



You know that feeling after you step off of a rollercoaster? Minus the inability to walk a straight line, I’m there right now. And I want another ride. QOS is unapologetically intense and mature and I feel I’ve been rewarded for waiting to see if they could do it again after CR.



Much as I’d heard about how fast the PTS gets into gear, it still took me by surprise. And it’s furious. Tazmanian devil furious. But there’s method to this madness. Metaphor abounds in the film and it starts with the reflection of Bond’s state of mind in this chase. Oh, and it’s amazing how much better a car chase can be when there’s no stinger missiles behind the headlights.



The title sequence was delectable. The retro vibe may not be for everyone, but it sure works for me. LOVED the title sequence. The song’s never sounded better (as always, the film edit works best) and there were visual homages to everything from the Robert Brownjohn days to Moore-era Maurice Binder to even Daniel Kleinman circa 2006. Seriously, when’s the last time we’ve seen Bond suspended in air, falling from nowhere to nowhere? Come to think of it, when’s the last time the font’s been something other than Arial? [Hint: not since the days that this movie hearkens back to.] The round 70s-ish typography was awesomely stylish and immediately told me that EON’s finally embracing a bit of the modern take on the 60s/70s aesthetic that I’ve fantasized they someday would.



A more beautifully shot spy movie may never have been made. Colors, cultures, textures, timbres…this film sets itself apart in a delicious way from the rest of the franchise and from all that’s come before it. From the first shots of Garda to Siena’s Palio straight to the “Bolivian” desert, I can’t think of a Bond film that displays a more unique and sensual aesthetic-- not even YOLT. Marc Forster is the textbook definition of a director: a photographer capturing pictures in motion. I’m always in awe of people who have such an eye for angles and textures.



The script is, on one hand, economic; on the other hand, it’s more than enough. Any more and I’d have felt spoonfed. Any less and I’d have felt starved. In the hands of weaker actors, it would have been bad. BAD. In these actors’ hands, however, it was good. GOOD. Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.



Allow me to make observations on the acting from my point of view as an actor [after your eyes have made a full arc]. Now, I wouldn’t pretend that I’m some kind of RADA grad or that I’ve been doing this for decades. I’m only a couple of years out of college and a fledgling in the professional world, but I will venture to say with confidence that I understand what I’ve studied and know how to create characters, and I know intention when I see it. Every choice that each actor in this movie made was 100% deliberate. Every moment in which we saw them had intent and thought behind it. In Bond, I saw a man who was hungry for satisfaction from the deaths of men who conspired with those that caused Vesper’s death. That hunger was there, but so was the emptiness that lingered after each kill, the growing realization that killing Quantum members one at a time wouldn’t offer a quantum of solace. Reading all this into it, am I? Not by a long shot. These are professionals, and I can promise that professionals consider every possible aspect of their characters that they can conceive of. No moment is neglected. One may not like some of these choices, but every nonverbal moment communicated something that was just as deliberate as every scripted word. I, for one, am very thankful not to have been treated as if I needed everything verbally spelled out for me. And it’s beyond denial—Daniel Craig is James Bond. No one’s taken the character on such a compelling journey and I can’t imagine anyone could do it as well as what I’ve seen in these last two movies.



Arnold has delivered a score that I can finally call “cool.” It’s something that ventures to sound like something more than a Barry homage—it’s his most original score to date. Sure, Barry’s in there [Night At The Opera recalls tip-top-form Barry], but so are sounds that Arnold can proudly call his own. The first transition to London is a great example. And for the first time, Arnold even pays homage to greats like Lalo Schifrin [Field Trip is as close to a Schifrin-inspired track as I’ve ever heard]. The eventual full Bond theme is satisfying as well—every bit as much as in CR.



QOS takes Bond through the understandable turmoil after Vesper and brings him through to the other side with maturity and style. How does it rank with me? [Always the ultimate question for whatever reason.] It’s somewhere in my top 5, probably top 3 at least. I can’t say that it’s better than CR. But it’s not far off. I’m very much looking forward to seeing it again in hopes that I can give a more coherent and detailed reaction next time. My sympathies for those that disliked it; I fail to understand that, but that’s Bond for you. We all find different parts of him that we love.



I really hope that EON is confident about moving forward with this level of maturity and individuality. Bring on the new franchise, I’m waiting with arms open wide.

Good review, 00Twelve. It's interesting to see who liked it and who found it not so good. I am getting my 2nd helping tonight.

[00Twelve]

Thanks, Dave. With movies, I like being challenged, being smacked with a ruler across the back of my hand and commanded to pay attention. A few years ago, I never thought Bond would demand that of me. I'm happy to be in a different place. I'm also happy to be rewarded for my attention with stimulation not merely of senses, but further back into the gray matter, wondering if (as I've noticed in another thread), say, Greene eating his green apple illustrates Quantum with the world or the destruction of his "green" facade. Or if Bond's quest reflects the Tosca scene onstage, with his fight with Quantum set against a backdrop of unknowing civilians. Helps to know Tosca, I admit, but the fact that I do only enhances the scene and reveals yet more method in Forster's madness. And all the while, there are wonderful references to Hitchcock and Lewis Gilbert. All throughout the movie there's SO much going on, and one viewing can't get it all. I like that there's more for me to consider than the formula's variables.

[Skudor]

Trying to figure out where I should begin…



You know that feeling after you step off of a rollercoaster? Minus the inability to walk a straight line, I’m there right now. And I want another ride. QOS is unapologetically intense and mature and I feel I’ve been rewarded for waiting to see if they could do it again after CR.



Much as I’d heard about how fast the PTS gets into gear, it still took me by surprise. And it’s furious. Tazmanian devil furious. But there’s method to this madness. Metaphor abounds in the film and it starts with the reflection of Bond’s state of mind in this chase. Oh, and it’s amazing how much better a car chase can be when there’s no stinger missiles behind the headlights.



The title sequence was delectable. The retro vibe may not be for everyone, but it sure works for me. LOVED the title sequence. The song’s never sounded better (as always, the film edit works best) and there were visual homages to everything from the Robert Brownjohn days to Moore-era Maurice Binder to even Daniel Kleinman circa 2006. Seriously, when’s the last time we’ve seen Bond suspended in air, falling from nowhere to nowhere? Come to think of it, when’s the last time the font’s been something other than Arial? [Hint: not since the days that this movie hearkens back to.] The round 70s-ish typography was awesomely stylish and immediately told me that EON’s finally embracing a bit of the modern take on the 60s/70s aesthetic that I’ve fantasized they someday would.



A more beautifully shot spy movie may never have been made. Colors, cultures, textures, timbres…this film sets itself apart in a delicious way from the rest of the franchise and from all that’s come before it. From the first shots of Garda to Siena’s Palio straight to the “Bolivian” desert, I can’t think of a Bond film that displays a more unique and sensual aesthetic-- not even YOLT. Marc Forster is the textbook definition of a director: a photographer capturing pictures in motion. I’m always in awe of people who have such an eye for angles and textures.



The script is, on one hand, economic; on the other hand, it’s more than enough. Any more and I’d have felt spoonfed. Any less and I’d have felt starved. In the hands of weaker actors, it would have been bad. BAD. In these actors’ hands, however, it was good. GOOD. Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.



Allow me to make observations on the acting from my point of view as an actor [after your eyes have made a full arc]. Now, I wouldn’t pretend that I’m some kind of RADA grad or that I’ve been doing this for decades. I’m only a couple of years out of college and a fledgling in the professional world, but I will venture to say with confidence that I understand what I’ve studied and know how to create characters, and I know intention when I see it. Every choice that each actor in this movie made was 100% deliberate. Every moment in which we saw them had intent and thought behind it. In Bond, I saw a man who was hungry for satisfaction from the deaths of men who conspired with those that caused Vesper’s death. That hunger was there, but so was the emptiness that lingered after each kill, the growing realization that killing Quantum members one at a time wouldn’t offer a quantum of solace. Reading all this into it, am I? Not by a long shot. These are professionals, and I can promise that professionals consider every possible aspect of their characters that they can conceive of. No moment is neglected. One may not like some of these choices, but every nonverbal moment communicated something that was just as deliberate as every scripted word. I, for one, am very thankful not to have been treated as if I needed everything verbally spelled out for me. And it’s beyond denial—Daniel Craig is James Bond. No one’s taken the character on such a compelling journey and I can’t imagine anyone could do it as well as what I’ve seen in these last two movies.



Arnold has delivered a score that I can finally call “cool.” It’s something that ventures to sound like something more than a Barry homage—it’s his most original score to date. Sure, Barry’s in there [Night At The Opera recalls tip-top-form Barry], but so are sounds that Arnold can proudly call his own. The first transition to London is a great example. And for the first time, Arnold even pays homage to greats like Lalo Schifrin [Field Trip is as close to a Schifrin-inspired track as I’ve ever heard]. The eventual full Bond theme is satisfying as well—every bit as much as in CR.



QOS takes Bond through the understandable turmoil after Vesper and brings him through to the other side with maturity and style. How does it rank with me? [Always the ultimate question for whatever reason.] It’s somewhere in my top 5, probably top 3 at least. I can’t say that it’s better than CR. But it’s not far off. I’m very much looking forward to seeing it again in hopes that I can give a more coherent and detailed reaction next time. My sympathies for those that disliked it; I fail to understand that, but that’s Bond for you. We all find different parts of him that we love.



I really hope that EON is confident about moving forward with this level of maturity and individuality. Bring on the new franchise, I’m waiting with arms open wide.

Thanks for that great review. Just like QoS, it's just long enough but full of goodness.

[ImTheMoneypenny]

The script is, on one hand, economic; on the other hand, it’s more than enough. Any more and I’d have felt spoonfed. Any less and I’d have felt starved. In the hands of weaker actors, it would have been bad. BAD. In these actors’ hands, however, it was good. GOOD. Especially in the latter half, I really felt like I was seeing a Fleming novel. I found myself seeing everything that was happening and thinking about how I wouldn’t be surprised to have read about all of it in one Fleming novel or another. I feel justified—QOS indeed carries some of the spirit of LALD and the other early SMERSH-led stories.

I loved your whole review but this part I really identified with. For me I felt like I was watching a Fleming novel.

[Mojito133]

Perfect and honest review. I agree with you in every single word.

[double o ego]

Great review.

[BoogieBond]

Good read 0012. Thanks