Quantum of Solace - The worst Bond flick to date

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  • edited April 2011 Posts: 8
    Qos had the worst possible camera angles ever feautered in the series, this ruined the movie mainly. However the film could have been much better.
    The peremise was quite interesting, a monopoly for water in a developing country seems cruel enough, far more original than most of the plots.
    The story simply needed to be told in a more interesting way.
    The villians were extreamly poor in Quantum, a bunch of bland, charisma less characters with bad lines. Craig delivered a fine performence dough, the leading ladies however were mediocore to say the least. It seems to me that the series is out of gas, which is not suprising after a nearly 50 year run, as they are running out of ideas for stunts, locations and evil plot. Despite this, there are still some interesting things to do with the character, the problem is, they keep on going in circles, repeating themselves by feeding us with Jason Bourne style action and fight scenes. Bond never played Tennis for instance, this could have been an interesting opportunity for some dialog between 007 and his adversary because of the sence of rivaly the game has. Perhaps a henchmen could have placed an explosive device in a tennis ball in an attempt to murder the protagonist in the good old fashioned way :) . If they made the series formulaic, why not stick to it, its already to late to make major changes. The unique style, ridiculousness, specific humour and gadgetery are strongly associated with Bond. I have always treated these films as a pleasent getaway from the real world.
  • ummmm some deep deep deep replies here. but really it can't be a serious question - worst Bond movie, as everyone knows is the second half DAD and that's because of poor production values and jinx.

    QofS will probably be the worst of DC's tenure but the movie does have its moments; GA, DC and Giancarlo Giannini.
  • Posts: 37
    ...my favorite Bond movie is For Eyes Only......the worst DAD......
  • Posts: 2,599
    My German friend thinks it's the worst too. I largely agree with what your mrs says Vodka_Martini but I would say TND, TWINE and DAD are even worse.
  • Posts: 1,092
    quote Martin Campbell:

    "I felt “Quantum of Solace” completely lost its way. We were lucky on “Casino Royale”, it was the origin story of Bond-"

    This is 100% false. CR is the first novel, not an origin story for Bond. I don't think this is what Campbell meant, or I hope not.
  • edited April 2011 Posts: 11,189
    I quoted that aswell and you're right, CR itself was not an origin story - but it does introduce the character to the readers. We get to know about his world of glamour and violence but don't end up knowing much about where Bond came from.

    When Royale (novel) began, Bond was already the fully formed secret agent (his early inspection of DIY burglar alarms suggest an experienced professional 00).

    In regard to his "Quantum" comment though, I find it hard to disagree with him.
  • Posts: 638
    Quoting BAIN123: you're right, CR itself was not an origin story - but it does introduce the character to the readers.
    I think you are correct about this, It is not the origin story of Bond as a 00, but CR is the origin of the James Bond character and what happens to him in that book sets up much of his personality for the remainder of the books (although he does change quite a bit as the books go on).
  • Posts: 1,993
    Hopefully lessons have been learned. CGI and smash cut editing generally call attention to themselves. Hence, one's technique is showing. The producers now have the opporutnity to make good on the promise of CR, which includes better opening credits, a better theme song, and an opening sequence that can actually be watched. And enough tributes to earlier films. The oil on the girl on the bed was less of an homage than just plain laziness.
  • Posts: 140
    I went to an old pub of mine once. The name was the same but they served fancy food there was no sawdust on the floor and the barman had showered that morning.

    I left very confused.

    Maybe this is the Bond equivalent. A good action film, took itself serious, blood galore and all that but I thought I went to a Bond film.

    I left very confused.
  • Posts: 1,092
    I think Mendes will learn from the percieved msitakes of QoS. I liked it a lot but I see where others might not.
  • Posts: 1,497
    Quoting The_Reaper: quote Martin Campbell:

    "I felt “Quantum of Solace” completely lost its
    way. We were lucky on “Casino Royale”, it was the origin story of Bond-"


    This is 100% false. CR is the first novel, not an origin story for Bond.
    I don't think this is what Campbell meant, or I hope not.
    I think what Campbell was getting at was they had a full Fleming source material to pull from, which is in stark contrast to QOS--which didn't derive from any Fleming content as far as I know.
  • Posts: 11,189
    Quoting JBFan626: I think what Campbell was getting at was they had a full Fleming source material
    to pull from, which is in stark contrast to QOS--which didn't derive from any
    Fleming content as far as I know.
    They took Bond's speech about good guys and bad guys from CR but that was about it.

    Oh...and the title of course.
  • I remember being really p***** off when i saw QOS in the Cinema. My main gripe was that it was so different in approach to CR, which considering this was a 2 parter was a bad mistake.

    If QOS is taken as a standalone fBond flick then it's not too bad, apart from the out of place ultra fast and close up (aka Bourne) editing.

    My views have somewhat mellowed although I still think QOS should have been made in the same style of CR.

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    I was expecting a CR 2 as well, and that includes certain technical aspects. If you drop the end titles for example, the film plays for no more than 90 minutes. That's 45 minutes below CR. This is probably my main gripe with the film. I feel ripped off. I can even forgive the ADHD cinematography - to some length - but making it the shortest Bond ever after the longest one ever is hard for me to understand. Normal editing could have, perhaps, saved an extra 5 minutes. More plot, and there's plenty of room for more plot in this film, could have added another 15 tot 20 minutes. That's what should have been the case. Fields died before I got a chance to know her. They always show things when they've happened, never when they're happening (killing the geologist, taking care of Fields, killing Mathis...) In some ways, it feels like a TV film, desperately trying to save some money in the process. So where those 200 mill dollars went in these 90 minutes, is beyond me.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Quoting The_Reaper: We were lucky on “Casino Royale”, it was the origin story of Bond-"

    I never get what Campbell is implying here. Whether it's an origin story or a first Bond adventure or whatever, is he saying that they could not have made CR as good as it is if this was just another Bond adventure?
    Doesn't make sense to me because the overall quality of the writing, directing etc would still be present whether it was Bond's first 00 case or not.
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    Posts: 1,812
    I do have to say that I'm happy to see that no one has said that "Tomorrow Never Dies" is among the worst Bond films.
    Anyway, I don't think QoS was that bad of a film. Honestly I can't say which is the worst Bond film because I love them all.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Quoting QsAssistant: I do have to say that I'm happy to see that no one has said that "Tomorrow Never Dies" is among the worst Bond films.
    It's bad, but not TWINE/DAD bad. ;)
  • edited April 2011 Posts: 503
    QOS sits in the "Decent" section of my current Bond film rankings, alongside 4 other films, so it's not the worst, but it's nowhere near the greatest either:

    Decent (5—6/10)
    15. Live and Let Die (1973)
    16. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
    17. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
    18. Quantum of Solace (2008)
    19. Moonraker (1979)

    I've already watched it several times and still can't appreciate what is so great about it, but since many respected members of this forum and other Bond forums I participate in seem to like it, I'll have to give it another go. Still don't see the appeal, though.
  • Posts: 1,497
    Quoting DarthDimi: More plot, and there's plenty of room for more plot in this film
    Agreed Darth: The ending of CR set up QOS to be two specific things: 1). A revenge story for Bond and 2). a movie to fully introduce and incorporate Quantum.

    What we got was a story that only really addressed the avenging of Vesper at the end of the film, and even then it felt like it came out of left field. The main narrative seemed to sidetrack into Greene's story and plan to drain the Bolivian water supply for most of the movie, which would have been fine, but as a plot for a standalone film. More time could have been spent connecting Bond's motives for revenge and how it ties into Quantum. We're merely teased with the concept of Quantum in the opening scene and in the Tosca sequence.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    Quoting JBFan626: We're merely teased
    Exactly, and it plays for nearly everything in the film. Fields was a teaser, Quantum was a teaser, the whole water plot was a teaser, Mitchell, Slate, ... all mere teasers. Only the get-in girl could have been given a little less to do, I think. I find her utterly uninteresting and even irritating at times. When Greene's with her on the balcony, guess who I sympathise with.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    QoS will never be the worst Bond film (in my eyes) if only for the stunning final scenes played out between Bond, Yusef and the Canadian girl. The tension is palpable, the performances by all three were impecable, and the girl's 'thank you' to Bond as she leaves is heart breaking. Whoever came up with the idea that she should say that as she leaves deserves credit because it spoke volumes about a girl who has been duped, lied to and led astray and she has to take it all in in a couple of minutes. And she realises she has been let off the hook big time by Bond.

    I may be bigging this scene up, but it deserves it.

    And there is too much that is right with QoS for it to be considered worse than maybe half a dozen other Bond pictures.
  • Posts: 1,092
    I think there are some great scenes here. We've got a chase scene that is similar to the opening one in CR. The oprea scene is awesome, the fight with Slate is some nice hardcore action and shows Craig's dupilicty as a killer, ie, he does what he has to to finish the job but isn't happy about murder, and I love the scene with Camille before they go into the finale against Greene at the hotel.

    This is a trained assassin, telling this young girl about how to shoot someone for real, giving her advice he knows works b/c he has been there himself. It's a nice moment. I agree there needs to be a director's cut b/c most scenes feel short and truncated but we got what we got and there are moments of greatness in this film.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited April 2011 Posts: 15,718
    Quoting The_Reaper: We've got a chase scene that is similar to the opening one in CR.
    But what was the point of it? Were they totally out of idea so they had to do another chase with Bond and the villain jumping around ? If they had put the Bond theme full blast, I'd forgive them. But this is still Statham-Bond running and jumping around.
  • edited April 2011 Posts: 1,497
    Quoting DaltonCraig007: But what was the point of it? Were they totally out of idea so they had to do another chase with Bond and the villain jumping around ?
    Totally...I thought I was watching Bond Cirque du Soleil
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Quoting DaltonCraig007: Were they totally out of idea so they had to do another chase with Bond and the
    villain jumping around ? If they had put the Bond theme full blast, I'd forgive
    them. But this is still Statham-Bond running and jumping around.
    I think due to the previous film's chase being so highly rated, they had to do it again.

    As for having the Bond theme in there making it better, not at all. If it's rubbish, it's rubbish, regardless of what music is played over the scene.
  • Posts: 116
    Funny, QOS keeps rising in estimation for me. I presently rank QOS in my 2nd tier ranking for Bond movies, alongside: You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only, and License To Kill (among others) [the 3rd tier's for stinkers]. I agree that the camera work & editing are not immersive enough for a Bond movie, but this is the Bond I like from the IF novels (if only one aspect of him). It's tight & has no annoying whistles & bells. But I can see why others might not like it.
  • Posts: 116
    I agree about Nolan: he is 100% perfect for Bond. Just as I think he's a bad choice for Batman.
  • SharkShark Banned
    Posts: 348
    Quoting The_Reaper:
    This is 100% false. CR is the first novel, not an origin story for Bond.
    Campbell was referring to the film, was was crafted in the spirit of Nolan's BATMAN reboot. The novel is vastly different.
  • Posts: 1,092
    It's not vastly different at all. It follows the same basic premise and structure. They updated it and good for them.
  • Posts: 4,762
    Have to disagree here. I used to dislike it a little, but after watching it more recently, it's become a favorite of mine. In fact, I'd say I liked it better than Casino Royale, which I'd have never thought just a few months ago. The things which make QoS better now for me are Dan's performance, the explosive, exciting action, the great pacing, and the stellar locations. Other aspects such as the villains, run-time, and music are rough, but not enough for me to throw it to the bottom of my rankings.
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