I’ve been a lurker on this forum for years, but never felt the need to post. With the release of QOS I can stay silent no more.
I saw QOS twice today (11/14, US release) back to back. I wanted to make sure I caught everything before I rendered a judgment. To me Bond films are like Presidents (or PMs for my friends across the pond); you have to give them years of study before you can really rank them against their fellow films.
First my tastes in Bonds to establish a baseline. My favorite actor is Sean. My favorite film is YOLT. Other notable favorites are TSWLM (which I am watch as I write this), TMWGG, T, and CR. Overall they are like children to me, I love them all. That said I will outline my stance on QOS.
This will probably go down as one of my least favorite Bonds, right in line with FYEO. This film has so many problems with it that I found it difficult to watch the second time around.
Here’s the good. The opening chase is well done. Fast, brutal, and engaging. The firefight at the opera was inspired. Also having Bond go up against a SPECTER/SMERSH adversary organization was very appealing since I’ve wanted to see this for years (be careful what you wish for). Lastly the fight scenes, while somewhat poorly shot are brutal and reminiscent of those in OHMSS.
Here’s the bad.
Mr. White, I’m sorry did the actor (Jesper Christensen) have a stroke between CR and QOS? This accent is completely different in this movie. Yes he had been through a bit of trauma before he spoke his first line; but he sounded NOTHING like he did in CR. This was the first thing that bothered me.
Bond is using a PPK. Why? Bond hasn’t used a PPK since TND. Four films later MI6 decides to give him an inferior side arm? Why? No chance. Bond’s weapons should get better not worse.
No toying with the enemy. Where is the preliminary meeting/game with the henchman or villain? No cards, golf, quail hunting, or tennis (for those of you who have read Devil May Care). Not to be found. Bond doesn’t toy with his prey for one second before dispatching them.
Speaking of henchmen, where were they? Where was the clever death of them? No Mr. Kill, Oddjob, Jaws, Le Chiffre’s ugly girl friend with poison….nothing.
Bond girls. God-awful. Olga Kurylenko is not only unattractive but she has what looks to be an obvious burn or scar on her back. This is very obvious in several scenes. Why? There is never any explanation for this. Plus the one he beds is so out of place it is laughable. MI6 sends a (and this was made clear in the film) desk jockey to bring in one of their most highly trained agents. No. This is simply absurd. Bond’s jump to the airplane in the opening sequence of GE is more believable. Any yes I understand we all have to suspend disbelief with Bond, but this was too much of a stretch. Plus, the use of the Goldfinger, gold paint switched for oil, pose was blasphemous.
Felix Leiter. Please don’t tell me the only connection we Yanks have to Bond is somehow turning on him. They allude to Felix getting rid of his boss (pretty well played as a
by David Harbour) at the end but there is no guarantee he’s still on Bond’s side. I hope I am VERY wrong on this one.Mathieu Amalric. Oh did he have promise in this role. He was brilliant in Munich; but alas no. His character (and I can’t make up my mind if this is b/c of a bad script or bad acting) is totally forgettable. Where is the weird tick, the cat, or the obsession with fish? There is nothing distinguishing about him whatsoever. I was hugely disappointed with him. The film gives you really no reason to hate him. His evil plot while original is pretty lame.
Overall this Bond felt like filler between the brilliantly made CR and 23, which will be filled with huge revelations about Quantum. It better be because this one was so full of holes and so divergent from the Bond we all know and love that I feel the fans are owed something special the next time around.
