James Bond 2- Moderator
Number of posts: 107
Age: 15
Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire, England
Registration date: 2008-12-19
by James Bond 2 on Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:56 pm
Quantum of Solace Review - James Bond 2
James Bond sets on a mission to find out who is responsible for the death of his love in the sequel to Casino Royale. Daniel Craig reprises his role as the British agent and has a more accomplished role than in his previous outing. The character was very quiet and subtle but here he is more open and upfront. This is the finest point of the film as the character is developing and viewers get to see the darker side of the hero and as this is a predecessor to all other Bonds, it shapes the character in exactly the right way. The heart of the film is Bond's emotional journey as he comes to terms with the death of Vesper and therefore it feels less consequential than other Bond films where Bond is a key player in a wide reaching plan and plot. Action sequences are shot in a similar way to 'Paul Greengrass's' 'Bourne' films, and the comparisons are inevitable. They do work though, and are well conceived and shot. 'Daniel Craig' delivers a solid performance again, as in 'Casino Royale' this is his film; he is a primeval force that pushes the film forward. This is of course personal taste.
Kurylenko is a fantastic Bond girl. She looks the part, worn down by her past and carrying her own agenda. She is dark, feisty and mysterious, a great combination and has some great onscreen moments with Bond, just watch out for a great boat chase. The concept of the series has changed too. There is no gigantic laser orbiting in space or evil megalomaniac genius watching the world burn from his stronghold. The evil comes slowly and in this movie, it's just the tip of then iceberg. A networking evil, impersonated by people who are dangerous because they're intelligent, ruthless and not alone. Future instalments will almost certainly reveal more of this.
Picking up almost immediately from where Casino Royale left off, Bond has captured Mr. White (Jesper Christiansen) and brought him in for questioning by Bond's superior, M (Judi Dench, once again). What Bond and M quickly discover is that the organization that White works for, known as Quantum, has far ranging influence and are using their powers to topple governments in order to gain a foothold wherever they deem financial lucrative for them. Bond follows clues that lead him to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a key player in Quantum, who is helping to destabilize the government of Boliva in order to install a dictator, General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio), to allow them to control a valuable natural resource. Accompanying Bond on his mission is Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who has a personal score to settle with Medrano, while Bond is also set on revenge for the death of his love from Casino Royale, Vesper Lynd.
Bond fans will be pleased with the action sequences as Casino Royale lacked in that area. Here we have cars, planes, boats and on foot chases all generating that action styled feeling that the Bond franchise does so well. However the early action sequences, specifically the opening car chase scene, is poorly directed. The fast montage does not do the car chase any justice. There are 1 second shots showing brief glimpses of vehicles and characters and is never effectively established. The feeling is there, but without a clear cut picture it is hard to get a proper view of the sequence. The producers have taken a big risk with this film. More casual viewers who sit back with a bucket of popcorn and expect to be entertained while switching off their brains will not be pleased. The film expects you to understand Casino Royale and for you to engage. It's smart and rewarding but very, very, different.
8.3/10
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Opening car chase was excellent loads of action