Favourite Bond film: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Now and forever.
Best Bond film (if different to your fave - you may, of course, cite QUANTUM OF SOLACE): CASINO ROYALE.
Least favourite Bond film: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
QUANTUM OF SOLACE rating out of 5: 4.
How many times have you seen QUANTUM OF SOLACE?: Once.
Was QUANTUM OF SOLACE better than you expected, worse than you expected, or about the same as you expected?: Better than I expected. Yes, considerably. Given the recent griping, I'd suspected I'd write a review entitled QUANTUM OF SUCKAGE. Alas, I'll have to pass on using that zinger.
Most memorable moment: I'm very partial to the PTS. It's just so balls-to-the-wall. I know that that implies that it's all downhill from the start, but this film
is full of very good things.
Which part of the film did you enjoy most?: See above. That and the opening credits animation. That feeling of "Bond is back and I've just started watching the new film and OMG
it's really good!" just can't be beat.
Which part of the film interested you least?: The dogfight and freefall. Fundamentally Brosnanesque and not even very exciting. Doesn't belong in this by and large wonderfully gritty and Craigian outing.
What surprised you most about the film?: Just how hard-edged it feels at times and just how hard-edged
Bond feels as a character. Beyond, say, LICENCE TO KILL or CASINO ROYALE, and beyond even the mighty Bourne.
Most amusing scene in the film: Well, this may be something I've misinterpreted, but it seemed to me that when Bond knocked on Mathis' door he (and I'm gonna put this in spoiler tags 'coz it's a really lovely joke)
Class.
Most "Fleming" bit in the film: Bond's visit to Mathis' villa.
The film's biggest strengths: Incredible visual flair, generally hard-edged flavour and risk-taking feel (albeit that it
feels rather more risk-taking than it actually
is), some stunning action scenes, and fine performances by all and sundry.
The film's greatest flaws: Two action scenes too many (the Haiti boat business and the dogfight/freefall) - they're not all that great to look at, add nothing to the story and undercut its gritty tone. M's willingness to - apparently - shadow Bond's every globetrotting step seems less than believable, as does her ability to do so (although the British secret service has never been portrayed as more hi-tech, so perhaps they've developed superfast planes or teleportation or something). The final scene is needlessly BOURNE SUPREMACY (come on, it
is) and also falls pretty flat. Now I see why it was felt necessary to cap it with the gunbarrel (a great "
yeah!" moment), and it ain't only because of the supposed completion of Bond's "character arc".
Additional comments: Flawed but great fun, with Craig on awesome form. A solid and surprising Bond flick, all told, with some flashes of greatness. If Forster comes back for BOND 23 (doubt he will, though), you'll hear not a murmur of complaint from me.