Wow, haven't done a movie in a while! Have a few that I want to chatter about, though, so here's the first (I'll space out the others as we go along). Let's hit it off with Quantum of Solace.
Plot? Bond, James Bond. 'Nuff said. Yeah, there's some stuff about South American dictators and environmental asset control, and a secret organization that sounds something along the lines of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from the older Bonds, but really, it's all about Bond.
Daniel Craig has officially won me over as Bond. My favorite Bond is still Sean Connery, and I like both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan in the role, but Craig is definitely movie up the list of my favorite Bonds. I had first seen him in Sharpe's Eagle as a bad guy. Yes, an outright villain, and a reeeeeally creepy one at that. And heading into Casino Royale, that was the only image I had of him, not having seen anything else he'd done. So, was pleasantly surprised with how he handled the role. I wasn't opposed to him for the blond thing (apparently a LOT of fans were outraged by the idea of a blond Bond). Never really bothered me. I just couldn't shake the image of creepy Lt. Berry for a while. But, he has totally shaken that role and I approve of the current Bond. My favorite Bonds are the ones that aren't quite so campy (translation: not most of the Roger Moore ones, Thunderball, etc), so Craig's movies fit in beautifully with my Bond taste. Bond should have some dry humor, but not over the top punning, should look equally beautiful in a tailored suit and kicking bad-guy butt, and be rather cold and suave and aggressive and aloof and charismatic (yeah, I know, big shoes to fill). Craig: Check, check and check.
As a Bond movie, this is a good one. I've been very pleased with both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. I guess it's the current production team? Any good action movie should have enough plot to keep things moving along, but not so involved that you lose track of who's who. This, being a continuation of Casino Royale, has Bond still brooding over Vesper's death and betrayal. His way of finding peace? Kick bad-guy butt. It's very helpful therapy for him, then, that Vesper's death was tied to her connection with big-bad-secret criminal society. Gives Bond lots of bad guys to go after. He has a few tender moments too - another friend's death, some moments thinking of Vesper. I have liked the more human moments in the most recent Bond movies (like the scene in the shower in Casino Royale). I like it in the same way I like the newer Batman movies - still good action movies to the core, focused on beating up bad guys and saving the world even if the world doesn't know or appreciate, but with enough brooding angsty-ness to round out the lead. Makes Bond a little more than a martini-sipping, fast-car-driving, gun-slinging lust machine. Don't worry though - all that stuff's still there too :)
The action scenes were both really good and really frustrating. Some of them were awesome. I loved the last shot of the one where he's hanging upside down in the rope - great shot. But some were edited oddly - very close, very fast cuts. Made it harder to tell what was happening in the scene. In the opening chase scene, for example, it was hard to tell who was chasing whom, or really what was going on. And it didn't help that both cars were dark! Get a few scratches and busted windows on them, and a dark grey car and a black car are EXTREMELY hard to tell apart!
For Bond girls, Camille (played by Olga Kurylenko) was probably one of my favorites. She can hold her own in the fight scenes, and actually didn't hop into bed with Bond! I think that makes her unique in the realm of Bond girls. And no horrible "I thought Christmas comes just once a year" puns. Yes, Christmas Jones was one of my least favorite Bond girls - Denise Richards is just NOT believable as a Nuclear Physics PhD!!
The opening theme was unique. I thought the song was OK (a first for me - not usually a fan of Jack White) but it wasn't as slinky as a lot of Bond themes are. Just a thought.
Overall: 5 of 5. Good action, good cars, good gadgets, good suits. One of the better Bonds.
Plot? Bond, James Bond. 'Nuff said. Yeah, there's some stuff about South American dictators and environmental asset control, and a secret organization that sounds something along the lines of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. from the older Bonds, but really, it's all about Bond.
Daniel Craig has officially won me over as Bond. My favorite Bond is still Sean Connery, and I like both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan in the role, but Craig is definitely movie up the list of my favorite Bonds. I had first seen him in Sharpe's Eagle as a bad guy. Yes, an outright villain, and a reeeeeally creepy one at that. And heading into Casino Royale, that was the only image I had of him, not having seen anything else he'd done. So, was pleasantly surprised with how he handled the role. I wasn't opposed to him for the blond thing (apparently a LOT of fans were outraged by the idea of a blond Bond). Never really bothered me. I just couldn't shake the image of creepy Lt. Berry for a while. But, he has totally shaken that role and I approve of the current Bond. My favorite Bonds are the ones that aren't quite so campy (translation: not most of the Roger Moore ones, Thunderball, etc), so Craig's movies fit in beautifully with my Bond taste. Bond should have some dry humor, but not over the top punning, should look equally beautiful in a tailored suit and kicking bad-guy butt, and be rather cold and suave and aggressive and aloof and charismatic (yeah, I know, big shoes to fill). Craig: Check, check and check.
As a Bond movie, this is a good one. I've been very pleased with both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. I guess it's the current production team? Any good action movie should have enough plot to keep things moving along, but not so involved that you lose track of who's who. This, being a continuation of Casino Royale, has Bond still brooding over Vesper's death and betrayal. His way of finding peace? Kick bad-guy butt. It's very helpful therapy for him, then, that Vesper's death was tied to her connection with big-bad-secret criminal society. Gives Bond lots of bad guys to go after. He has a few tender moments too - another friend's death, some moments thinking of Vesper. I have liked the more human moments in the most recent Bond movies (like the scene in the shower in Casino Royale). I like it in the same way I like the newer Batman movies - still good action movies to the core, focused on beating up bad guys and saving the world even if the world doesn't know or appreciate, but with enough brooding angsty-ness to round out the lead. Makes Bond a little more than a martini-sipping, fast-car-driving, gun-slinging lust machine. Don't worry though - all that stuff's still there too :)
The action scenes were both really good and really frustrating. Some of them were awesome. I loved the last shot of the one where he's hanging upside down in the rope - great shot. But some were edited oddly - very close, very fast cuts. Made it harder to tell what was happening in the scene. In the opening chase scene, for example, it was hard to tell who was chasing whom, or really what was going on. And it didn't help that both cars were dark! Get a few scratches and busted windows on them, and a dark grey car and a black car are EXTREMELY hard to tell apart!
For Bond girls, Camille (played by Olga Kurylenko) was probably one of my favorites. She can hold her own in the fight scenes, and actually didn't hop into bed with Bond! I think that makes her unique in the realm of Bond girls. And no horrible "I thought Christmas comes just once a year" puns. Yes, Christmas Jones was one of my least favorite Bond girls - Denise Richards is just NOT believable as a Nuclear Physics PhD!!
The opening theme was unique. I thought the song was OK (a first for me - not usually a fan of Jack White) but it wasn't as slinky as a lot of Bond themes are. Just a thought.
Overall: 5 of 5. Good action, good cars, good gadgets, good suits. One of the better Bonds.
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