Posted 19 November 2008 - 07:48 AM
Something curious happened to me on the third viewing. I became bored half way through, and started picking faults with the film. Maybe the bad reviews have finally gotten to my subconcious, so I was looking for faults, or maybe the film wasn't that good in the first place, but I was living in denial, and couldn't, wouldn't, accept QoS as being anything less than CR, after waiting 2 long years for this.
I actually enjoyed the first half more than the second this time round (something which I think is opposite to most people's experience of watching QoS).
Still love the Bourne-type filming with the Aston car chase, and the rooftop chase. I actually really like the opening credits too (despite the song). I really love the fight scene in the apartment, but after that I began to lose interest. The boat chase wasn't as good on third viewing, and the opera scene actually began to annoy me, not because of how poor it is, but because it was a small glimmer, a glimpse into what QoS should have been. Spying, espionage, detective work, suspense, tension, build-up.
We had plenty of this in CR, yet it was dropped in QoS in favour of more action. I just watched TBU again, and forgotten how much detective work and intelligence is within this film, despite the overlong action chase scenes, whereas QoS has mostly action, and very little else on offer.
EON had hit the jackpot with CR. Somehow they had finally stumbled on a winning formula, yet they've gone and thrown it straight back out of the water with this one, reverting back to OTT action, and less on story. The plane scene reeked of Brosnan, even if it was better made than anything seen in the Brosnan era. And the scene with Bond escaping in the hotel, bumping into M in the corridor, then conveniently getting into Camille's car outside came across as messy, clumsy. So did the scene with Felix straight after it. As soon as things calm down, and we get some nice exchanges between Felix and Bond at the bar, this is once again dropped very quickly in favour of loud machine guns.
The final scenes work for me, in the hotel (Ken Adam anyone?), the rape scene, the brutal fights, fire everywhere, Greene being dumped in the middle of the desert, etc. And the last scenes with the boyfriend, then M were good too.
So for me, the film starts great, and ends great, but gets lost somewhere in the middle. My advice to EON. If you were stuck for a script with the writers strike, a little hint for you. You should have picked up YOLT and TMWTGG. Two totally untapped Fleming novels, which would have served as far better stories than what you gave us instead.
Damn you EON. At least another 2 years to wait now, to see if you can improve on what you started with CR, because sadly with QoS, you didn't. The warning signs were there looong before the film came out. They were there the minute it was announced Arnold wasn't doing the song, and then the fears were confirmed once hearing that pathetic mess.