72 replies to this topic

[Messervy]

I love every minute of QoS.
The direction is very clever and original for a Bond movie (the Opera scene, when the sounds fade away to give way only to the music during the fight, is brilliant), the cinematography is highly stylised, some sets are superb (e.g, Talamone). All in all, a beatufil picture. And the car chase is magnificent (possibly my all-time favorite Bond PTS).

I also think it is a very interesting look into Bond's character, a clever follow-up of what's been initiated in CR as far as Bond's "psyche" is concerned.

The only 2 things that really bother me are the title song (plain unbearable, I have to skip it everytime I watch the movie) and a lack of character development. We needed to have more in-depth into Greene's character and motivations; we needed at least 10 to 15 minutes more of footage (him in his lair, him and his henchman, a longer Bond-Greene confrontation, etc.).

[Miles Miservy]

"I haven't seen Amalric in anything else, but I've heard that he's a fantastic actor. In here he's just wasted. A massive shame, because when the trailers were released he looked great."

Daniel Craig and Almeric had shared the screen previously, along with Michael Lonsdale (MOONRAKER) in Steven Spielberg's MUNICH.

Best Bond film since OHMSS. In fact it's that film's long-lost sequel (for Bond, emotionally-speaking). Love how streamlined and thrilleresque it plays out, I keep reading how Craig bashes himself and his writing skills working on it on the fly, but IMHO it's one of the best written films in the series: knows the story it's telling, doesn't insert needless fluff, packs an emotional wallop. Fleming would be proud. (I'm actually gearing up for SF being a bit of a letdown... but we'll see).

I don't get the emotional wallop at all. In fact people in the theatre sniggered at Olga's dead family speech in the cave. It was so cliched and also all from a character we didn't really care about.

___________

I don't agree with that. I felt that Camille's hatred for Madrano AND Greene were more of a plot driving force than Bond's own quest for vengeance. She wanted them dead far more than he did..

[Messervy]

"I haven't seen Amalric in anything else, but I've heard that he's a fantastic actor. In here he's just wasted. A massive shame, because when the trailers were released he looked great."

Daniel Craig and Almeric had shared the screen previously, along with Michael Lonsdale (MOONRAKER) in Steven Spielberg's MUNICH.

Best Bond film since OHMSS. In fact it's that film's long-lost sequel (for Bond, emotionally-speaking). Love how streamlined and thrilleresque it plays out, I keep reading how Craig bashes himself and his writing skills working on it on the fly, but IMHO it's one of the best written films in the series: knows the story it's telling, doesn't insert needless fluff, packs an emotional wallop. Fleming would be proud. (I'm actually gearing up for SF being a bit of a letdown... but we'll see).

I don't get the emotional wallop at all. In fact people in the theatre sniggered at Olga's dead family speech in the cave. It was so cliched and also all from a character we didn't really care about.

___________

I don't agree with that. I felt that Camille's hatred for Madrano AND Greene were more of a plot driving force than Bond's own quest for vengeance. She wanted them dead far more than he did..

They're actually both lost, and can only see the big picture after having met thus adding their own little personal piece to the whole frame. That was quite clever.

[Miles Miservy]

There is a lot I like about the film but its just easier to list the things I didn't like.

Right from the start of the film I'm in a bad mood because of the missing gun barrel which will forever haunt me.
So the film takes place moments after CR however it looks like our man Bond has lost some muscle, whatever.
I wonder how much better the theme song would have been if it were just Alicia Keys...
The whole scene of Bond dangling from ropes I thought was a little cheesy and I think Bond has a dump look on his face about it.
I thought the airplane stunt was boring and the ending a little weak, and we learn nothing about Quantum besides "we have people everywhere."
Stana Katic had too short a role although see originally auditioned for Strawberry Fields. I now have high hopes this character of hers will return to make up for it.
I also hated the way Bond talked to her, I get the impression Craig is going to start crying or something.
Besides that I really enjoyed the film.
I hope they can bring back Mr. White cause it feels like they abandoned the whole Quantum story line however it would be nice to go back to IMO, I would like closer is all.
I'll never understand why they felt it had to be released right away, perhaps they had hoped to release another film in 2010.

I have t o add Strawberry Fields covered in oil was a great throwback to GF, who didn't enjoy that image?

It hadn't escaped my attention that Gemma Arterton bears such a STRIKING resemblance to Rachel Weisz. I understood where all the rumors were ciculationg that Daniel Craig's "bride to be" was poised to be the nex Bond Girl.

[seawolfnyy]

A couple things, Stana Katic and Gemma Arterton should've been switched. Arterton is not as talented or as attractive as Katic and Corrinne was a complete waste of Katic's talents. Alicia Keys should've sang "Another Way to Die" herself, I've heard her perform live on her own and its MUCH better. As for Greene and his plot, I always saw that as filler as the real story was Bond. It was about him trying to balance revenge with his duty. Personally, I love Quantum and think it is a worthy follow-up to Casino Royale. I honestly believe that 30 years down the road, it may regarded as an absolute classic. Everyone hated OHMSS when it first came out and now its regarded as one of the best. I think the same will happen with Quantum of Solace.

Having said that, I do agree with you Masservy that the film is too short and could benefit from another 10-15 minutes of running time. Is it too much to ask for a director's cut?

[tdalton]

A couple things, Stana Katic and Gemma Arterton should've been switched. Arterton is not as talented or as attractive as Katic and Corrinne was a complete waste of Katic's talents. Alicia Keys . I honestly believe that 30 years down the road, it may regarded as an absolute classic. Everyone hated OHMSS when it first came out and now its regarded as one of the best. I think the same will happen with Quantum of Solace.

I certainly hope this turns out to be the case. I've been a fan of it since its release, and it's only gotten better with each viewing.

I disagree to a degree on Arterton. I think that she did well with what little she was given, although she might have benefited had they waited to cast her down the road, either for SKYFALL or BOND 24 so she'd be just a bit older. With that said, I thought she did a good job portraying the naivete of Fields and I would have liked to have seen her get a bit more screen time to play that up a bit more, giving more time to showcase a character who is caught in the absolute wrong situation at the wrong time. We get flashes of that, but she isn't given enough time to really flesh out the character and to make Fields' demise as tragic as it should have been.

As for Katic in the role, I actually think she might have been slightly too old for it. I believe she would have been in her late 20s when QOS was filming, and she would have performed the character quite well, but I think the fact that Arterton makes the character, by default, into one of the youngest in the series brings something to the character that Katic, despite being more talented than Arterton, couldn't have brought just by virtue of the fact that she was older.

[SecretAgentFan]

Was Katic at that time already the star of CASTLE?

She definitely should get another chance to star as a Bond woman (hey, Maud Adams could do it). I don´t think she would be too old for Daniel Craig.

[tdalton]

Was Katic at that time already the star of CASTLE?

She definitely should get another chance to star as a Bond woman (hey, Maud Adams could do it). I don´t think she would be too old for Daniel Craig.

She had done some work on it by the time that QOS was released, as Season 1 began in late winter or early spring of 2009, but I'm not sure if that had happened during or after filming on QOS had been completed. Season 1 of CASTLE was only 10 episodes, so I'm not sure how much that would have impacted her chances of taking the Fields role.

Definitely agreed that she should get another shot at it. She would be a good fit for Craig's Bond, and I can't imagine that CASTLE is going to go beyond another couple of seasons, so I think she would probably become available at some point during Craig's tenure.

[seawolfnyy]

A couple things, Stana Katic and Gemma Arterton should've been switched. Arterton is not as talented or as attractive as Katic and Corrinne was a complete waste of Katic's talents. Alicia Keys . I honestly believe that 30 years down the road, it may regarded as an absolute classic. Everyone hated OHMSS when it first came out and now its regarded as one of the best. I think the same will happen with Quantum of Solace.

I certainly hope this turns out to be the case. I've been a fan of it since its release, and it's only gotten better with each viewing.

I disagree to a degree on Arterton. I think that she did well with what little she was given, although she might have benefited had they waited to cast her down the road, either for SKYFALL or BOND 24 so she'd be just a bit older. With that said, I thought she did a good job portraying the naivete of Fields and I would have liked to have seen her get a bit more screen time to play that up a bit more, giving more time to showcase a character who is caught in the absolute wrong situation at the wrong time. We get flashes of that, but she isn't given enough time to really flesh out the character and to make Fields' demise as tragic as it should have been.

As for Katic in the role, I actually think she might have been slightly too old for it. I believe she would have been in her late 20s when QOS was filming, and she would have performed the character quite well, but I think the fact that Arterton makes the character, by default, into one of the youngest in the series brings something to the character that Katic, despite being more talented than Arterton, couldn't have brought just by virtue of the fact that she was older.

I see your point. When Quantum first came out, I thought that the epilogue in Russia could've been fleshed to Bond 23 on its own with Yusef as the villain and Corinne as the Bond girl. It also would've been nice to see Fields fleshed out slightly more. I think the fact that Forster cut the film to make it shorter resulted in some of Fields' scenes (as well as Greene's) being cut. As I said above, director's cut?

[Messervy]

As I said above, director's cut?

I'd love that for sure.
Even without the much talked-about last scene that was shot but that we never saw, I'd love to get some more footage of Greene, and a trifle more of Fields.
But unfortunately I think we'll never get it. There's never been any Bond director's cut, contrary to what seems to be trendy now in Holywood (where pretty much every other movie gets a theatrical release and a DC).

[seawolfnyy]

As I said above, director's cut?

I'd love that for sure.
Even without the much talked-about last scene that was shot but that we never saw, I'd love to get some more footage of Greene, and a trifle more of Fields.
But unfortunately I think we'll never get it. There's never been any Bond director's cut, contrary to what seems to be trendy now in Holywood (where pretty much every other movie gets a theatrical release and a DC).

If you've played QoS the game, it has a version of that deleted scene.

[DR76]

Why all the Quantum of Solace hate? I admit that Forster's directing was bad and the title song was not the greatest (if Alicia Keys had sung it entirely by herself it would've been better), but for a film that had an incomplete script it did alright. Daniel Craig was arguably better than he was in Casino Royale and it was interesting to see M as a main character vs. a secondary one. The car chase at the beginning is great as is the plane chase in Bolivia. I think it mainly suffers from trying to do too much in too little a time frame. Had it had a complete script and given a longer running time, I feel Quantum could have been Bond's Dark Knight. But taken for what it is, it's still a good film and certainly better than the crapfest that we got in the Brosnan era.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE is not the typical Bond movie that most fans love. They will tolerate a non-typical Bond flick every ten years or so. But to have two Bond films back-to-back, without the usual formula? I have yet to come across a Bond fan who is willing to tolerate such a phenomenon.

When Quantum first came out, I thought that the epilogue in Russia could've been fleshed to Bond 23 on its own with Yusef as the villain and Corinne as the Bond girl.

Why? Why use Vesper's seducer as the next main Bond villain? That doesn't make any sense to me.

[seawolfnyy]

So basically you hate Quantum of Solace and are just posting that fact in a page meant for people who actually LIKE QoS?.....dick

[plankattack]

I'll give you some Quantum love:
- another terrific performance by the lead
- a Bond girl that is a refreshing change from the series' norm
- one of the series leanest entries, never bloated, and moving efficiently through it's run-time (the terrific PTS setting the tone)
- a Bond ally with some heft, rather than just another plot tool for the hero
- the most strikingly photographed film in the series, with some shots and cuts that help the film transcend its status as action flick

And Belmont, I'm sorry to have to disagree with you. Forster may not have been a fan of the series yet he understood the most important thing, which was allowing the driving force of the lead to power the picture.

I've never know what "getting Bond" means, but considering that the series has a good few weaker entries IMHO, I don't think that this film's weaknesses are down to the director not understanding the franchise. (I think most of the faults were down to a lack of a finished script pre-shooting).

[JimmyBond]

So basically you hate Quantum of Solace and are just posting that fact in a page meant for people who actually LIKE QoS?.....dick

No need for the insult. Besides, I believe you misread the post. Nowhere does DR76 say QoS is a bad film. In fact I believe they're opinion is quite the opposite.

[seawolfnyy]

Calm down, it was a joke.

[Messervy]

QUANTUM OF SOLACE is not the typical Bond movie that most fans love. They will tolerate a non-typical Bond flick every ten years or so. But to have two Bond films back-to-back, without the usual formula? I have yet to come across a Bond fan who is willing to tolerate such a phenomenon.

That's precisely what's always been upsetting me. With QoS, we have the perfect example of a movie being taken hostage by the so-called "fans" who don't want anything changed to a supposedly sacred formula. What's outrageous about inserting innovative direction ideas into the franchise? To me, it enriches the formula. I even read on CBn some time ago one poster saying the direction was "too artistic". Honestly, what does that mean? Does it mean one should call for an unoriginal, bland, stale copy/paste each time round?... But if/when we get that (DAD, for instance), those "fans" will yet complain that it's always the same thing and that EON are unable to renew themselves.
Really, the "what the fans will allow" concept is something that's completely lost to me.

[JimmyBond]

When Craig hangs it up after his fifth film, I wonder how Quantum will be treated then.

I think even after Skyfall, Quantum's rep should raise a bit. I've always felt it gets such a dogging because it has been (up till Skyfall) the most current Bond film. And to some fans it could possibly represent the future of the franchise, and that scares them.

[Gt Munn]

I wish I had more Love for it.
Unfortunately, the only two scenes I look forward to watching are the incredible Opera scene (smartly done with great action) and the Hotel Escape scene which I felt was very well done.

I felt the pacing and story arc were a major thorn in its side. The amount of action scenes and lackluster climax keep it from being as strong as it could of been. The primary flaw with the climax is that Bond never has to overcome anything. Yes, there is a fire and Green has an axe (whatever that's worth), but Bond does not face a difficult foe, he doesn't have to use his wits (escaping the building doesn't really count), he is never captured throughout the film, and the focus is primarily on the girl during the climax. The suspense of watching Bond face off against, let's say, Oddjob in Goldfinger incorporates all of the lacking elements perfectly.

The primary problem with the film I have is the editing during the action scenes. It is just not enjoyable. I find it a chore to watch them.
I don't believe the film will age well at all for that primary reason. OHMSS also experienced with editing of its day (having Peter Hunt as director), but OHMSS is a truly great film and takes time to tell a strong story. The style isn't as frequent, and does not detract from the scene.

Also, Jack White's voice is nearly unbearable (as is the harmonizing).

[Henry-Jones-Sr]

The primary problem with the film I have is the editing during the action scenes. It is just not enjoyable. I find it a chore to watch them.

I totally agree. There's something ugly and jarring about the flow of the shots during the action scenes, especially the speedboat scene near the beginning.

[MattofSteel]

The primary problem with the film I have is the editing during the action scenes. It is just not enjoyable. I find it a chore to watch them.

I totally agree. There's something ugly and jarring about the flow of the shots during the action scenes, especially the speedboat scene near the beginning.

Yup.

My standard one-liner about QOS is that there's a terrific, beautiful, well-made movie in there somewhere. They just forgot to write and edit it properly.

[DR76]

So basically you hate Quantum of Solace and are just posting that fact in a page meant for people who actually LIKE QoS?.....dick

So basically you hate Quantum of Solace and are just posting that fact in a page meant for people who actually LIKE QoS?.....dick

How does a pathetic "dick" like you managed to completely misread what I had to say? Amazing?

[SecretAgentFan]

Just curious: why is the word "dick" as a slang word for the male organ used as a derogative word? Especially between men this does not seem to make any sense. Of course, a man has a male organ. So why call him that? Should one call him "beard" just because a male tends to grow one?

Let´s be more creative and to the point if we want to insult someone.

But please, don´t do it on this board. We are better than this. I hope.

Edited by SecretAgentFan, 10 September 2012 - 05:56 AM.

[DR76]

So basically you hate Quantum of Solace and are just posting that fact in a page meant for people who actually LIKE QoS?.....dick

How does a pathetic "dick" like you managed to completely misread what I had to say? Amazing?

My standard one-liner about QOS is that there's a terrific, beautiful, well-made movie in there somewhere. They just forgot to write and edit it properly.

Hmmm . . . I can't agree. QoS was not perfect. But I have never seen a perfect Bond movie in my life. But it is ranked 10th out of 22 Bond films . . . which means that despite its flaws, it did some things rights. One of those things that I'm happy about was that Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson did not repeat Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman's mistakes, when the latter followed up OHMSS with the comedy fest and lame writing of DAF.

[seawolfnyy]

I did not misread what you said. It was a joke. Get over it.

[SecretAgentFan]

Let´s all get over it, shall we?

[Messervy]

"Forgive yourselves..."

[DamnCoffee]

Just curious: why is the word "dick" as a slang word for the male organ used as a derogative word? Especially between men this does not seem to make any sense. Of course, a man has a male organ. So why call him that? Should one call him "beard" just because a male tends to grow one?

Quote of the year. Fantastic!


seawolfnyy, please refrain from personal insults on this board. We do not tolerate any form of bullying. Remain civilised. Consider this an official warning.

[W1llardWhite]

How about some Quantum love indeed! I really enjoyed Quantum of Solace, DESPITE it's problems. If it is the worst of all the Bond films that Craig makes, then he can certainly hold his head up high when he leaves the role (I personally think QOS is a LOT better than Diamonds Are Forever, For Your Eyes Only & Die Another Day!)

It suffers because Casino Royale promised and delivered so much, and a sequel HAD to hold up just as well, if not better, and it is all over the place.

I came across this fan rewrite of Quantum of Solace which is very interesting. It doesn't chop and change things, it merely ties up loose ends whilst working with what is already there. I think if you are interested in this film (and you don't hate it), then this is definitely worth reading

http://vivavigilante...ntum-of-solace/

[seawolfnyy]

Just curious: why is the word "dick" as a slang word for the male organ used as a derogative word? Especially between men this does not seem to make any sense. Of course, a man has a male organ. So why call him that? Should one call him "beard" just because a male tends to grow one?

Quote of the year. Fantastic!


seawolfnyy, please refrain from personal insults on this board. We do not tolerate any form of bullying. Remain civilised. Consider this an official warning.

Understood. I'll clear the air once and for all. It was just a joke, not an insult. I realize that it didn't come off that way and I apologize for that, but that's all it was and I'm sorry if I offended anyone.