The opera sequence was alright, the best bit of the movie. Arnold hits all the right spots with the music. But the ending is ridiculous. The whole muting and sped up action was just a film school gimmick that i've seen a million times on youtube.
What exactly has this film achieved? As far as I know, outside fandom, no ones talking about it. Haggis has distanced himself from the project (unlike after CR), the Bourne comparisons seem to have stuck, officially making Jason Bourne top dog in the publics eyes. Sort of like Tony Blair being the poodle to W., a former great empire reduced to playing second fiddle to America. Damon was the very unlikely winner of People Magazine Sexiest Man of the Year last year, strictly off the strength of his Bourne movies. Now that I find funny!
QoS has hardly raised Craig's profile higher than what it was before, and the almost lackadaisical reaction to
Defiance hasn't helped his star power (despite it being a very good movie with a strong performance by Craig, only marred by the director going all Hollywood).
I find it laughable some go so far as saying QoS is better than Fleming inspired movies such as FRWL/TB/GF/OHMSS. Why? Well I think those movies were more memorable than QoS, which really didn't have the approach to character and depth that those movies carried. Also a hastily put together script really debunks any suggestion of 'intelligence' or 'depth' or 'Flemingian approach'. Just because Craig's walking around with a scowl on his face doesn't mean Bond's in 'pain' or 'coming to terms with Vesper'.
QoS is just an extended part of the script in CR that P&W wrote before Haggis suggested a 'third act', albeit, probably a worser version. The reboot idea has gone up in smoke because the theme of trust could really have been a center with which to develop the Bond character. Instead, its seems as if its been done to death. I expected a full arc spreading over 3-4 films encompassing all aspects of the character, not just Vesper. What I loved about Fleming's books is the
La Vie en Rose references and how Vesper is always at the back of Bond's mind. All this closure stuff was unnecessary, because the arc and reboot is done now. Craig's busy talking about character development for Q & MP for B23 now! How utterly pathetic. Erm...how about the producers use their gray cells and try to turn Craig's Bond into an icon with great stories that enhance James Bond's mythology and make us understand why this man is as big as he is. Surely that was what they should have been striving for. I fear that now these Bourne comparison's have stuck (outside fandom) Bond's legend and mythology has been dulled.
B23 will be a better effort than B22 because Eon will have paid attention to the bad reviews and criticism. I find myself falling out of love with the current movies and that stems from the way the producers approached this reboot. No thought behind it whatsoever, e.g. why announce during the CR press conference you've already started working on the B22 script and then start production with a poor draft? You've had two years. Why film a movie with no underlying vision? Forster had no vision, Craig had no vision, and Haggis was in a rush to make a vision for Forster. If this reboot was thought over thoroughly from the beginning, we'd know exactly where Bond is headed because the stories won't need to hang on the hair of CR's balls (which is precisely what QoS does). Their hiring a non action director for a movie filled with action. And the list is endless. Since GE, this series has been a perfect example of missed opportunities. I'll always watch Bond, but I have zero faith in Eon because they appear to be quite amateurish in their approach.
Guy's, its been a pleasure but I'm going on a hiatus for a while. I've got surgery tomorrow that might put me out for a few weeks, so you'll be free of my anti-QoS ramblings,
! I don't think there is much left to say, unless good ol' Hilly/MattofSteel etc. actually force me back!