Posted on 03/25/2009 12:02:13 PM PDT by ReformationFan
By some tortured, objective filmmaking standard it might be possible to make the case that Quantum of Solace isnt the worst James Bond film of all time, but I defy anyone to argue that it isnt the least satisfying. After all, a bad James Bond film is still a James Bond film. There is that going for it. Invisible cars and Grace Jones have done no small amount of damage but in the smoking, campy wreckage there still lies a James Bond film. Unfortunately, in the smoking, plodding wreckage of Quantum of Solace that scrap of comfort is nowhere to be found. Quantum isnt Bond #22, its Bourne #4, and the worst of the four but, you know, starring an adult this time.
After Daniel Craigs knock-out debut in the superb Casino Royale (2006), two fatal mistakes were made. Direction was handed over to Marc Forster, a talented helmer of small, intimate dramas but a newbie in the action department, and with regard to the script, obviously good enough was the phrase of the day when those woefully undercooked pages were passed around.
(Excerpt) Read more at bighollywood.breitbart.com ...
Oh yeah...that was pretty silly. But, it’s hard to top the invisible car, the ice palace, and the cheesy graphics of Bond surfing across the ice floes on the hood of his car.
Oooh, that would’ve been good !
All the Pirs Bonbons Bonds were poor.
I actually thought the first 1/2 to 2/3 of “Die Another Day” was probably Brosnan’s best hour in the role. I liked the use of North Korea serving as a 2000s replacement for the way the USSR served in the 1960s thru 1980s 007 films. I also liked how they tried to incorporate aspects of Fleming’s “Moonraker” novel into the script. The sword fight between Bond & the villain was the highpoint of the film. However, once the CGI tsunami parasurf hit, the film went downhill. I think if the poor-CGI work, Madonna(both her dreadful song and even worse cameo appearance), much of Halle Berry’s dialogue, the over Bruckheimered finale on the plane and some of the other cheesier elements had been dropped from the film, DAD would be a much more highly regarded entry in the Bond series than it now is. There’s some pretty good analyses of both what was right and wrong with the film here-
http://www.hmss.com/films/survey/20dad.HTM
“Oooh, that wouldve been good !”
Indeed. We can dream about the possibility from this fan trailer
Timothy Dalton in “Casino Royale”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB_I_aNbYdE&feature=channel_page
“All the Pirs Bonbons Bonds were poor.”
They were among the more mediocre entries in the series. However, I found “Quantum of Solace” more disappointing than any of the Brosnans since my expectations had gotten so much higher post-”Casino Royale.”
Not bad. It's too bad the problems the producers had after "Licence to Kill" that delayed filming any new ones for 6 years. I'd have liked to have seen Dalton continue in the roll for a longer period.
"They were among the more mediocre entries in the series. However, I found Quantum of Solace more disappointing than any of the Brosnans since my expectations had gotten so much higher post-Casino Royale."
One concern I had when I saw PB in the role was that they were taking a swing back towards the worst of Roger Moore's entries (right down to the smug winking at the camera behavior, a la the adjusting his tie when the boat went under water, just head-shakingly bad). Part of it was also the series just lost its magic. I was a big fan of John Barry and losing him was bad enough, but the '90s Bonds didn't even FEEL like Bond films, just something else entirely. You felt the continuity clear up from "Dr. No" to "The Living Daylights" and a slip-off in LTK (which seemed more like an expensive "Miami Vice" episode, although I loved MV so I could give it a pass), but after LTK, it seemed to just vanish. Sure, Desmond Llewellyn was still there, but that was the last remaining link, and he was well past too old.
I didn't want to pass judgment on Daniel Craig until seeing him play it at least twice, but my initial problems with him (nevermind his being a Blonde Bond), was that the producers went "extreme." Before, they have insufferably smug and too comedic (Moore/PB) and now they had a guy who was a walking ice cube and more like a villain himself (Robert Shaw's Red Grant without the panache). They failed to strike the right balance (as they did with Connery and Dalton, and even George Lazenby, who acquitted himself well in trying to succeed Connery). I was thinking Clive Owen seemed to "look" the role more (he looks like an amalgamation of Connery, Lazenby & Dalton), and I was rather sorry he didn't get it.
I haven't seen "Quantum", yet. The theaters play films so loud I can't tolerate it, but given the opinions of a lot of JB fans, it sounds like it was a big letdown. I presume Craig will do one more before hanging it up, although they don't appear to even have a new JB in pre-production on his IMDb credits despite his being credited for a 2011 film.
Dalton was excellent in my opinion. His rumored planned third film (”Property of a lady”) according to a script I saw had a fembot in it so it’s good that wasn’t made. But I wish he had done Goldeneye one of my favorites which imo is better than the other Bronson movies due to it’s originally being written for Dalton.
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