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Quantum of Solace Appreciation Thread- We Found a Better Place to Meet

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  • JimThompson45JimThompson45
    Posts: 803
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    Grinderman wrote:
    To be honest, when I joined this site a couple weeks ago I was completely shocked to see how much vitriol was spewed toward Quantum of Solace. I absolutely loved the film, but I also tend to see it as Casino Royale Part II (in the same way that I also look at the Lord of the Rings trilogy as one, very long, movie instead of its individual releases).

    Sure, it’s not a “traditional”, light-hearted Bond movie and I can see why that would turn some people off (some people just find it hard to accept change). It’s one of the darkest, if not THE darkest, Bond movies (certainly the darkest since License to Kill) and probably the most “reality based”. But it was the perfect way to explore the Bond character in ways that have never been done before and I applaud the franchise for the willingness to take that risk - and for pulling it off so well.

    It’s not a film about being suave or flippant or scoring with the babes while saving the world. It’s a film about pain and revenge and, ultimately, redemption. It wears it’s emotional scars on its sleeve with a grit and honesty never before seen in Bond films. I found it more moving and intriguing than just about any other film in the Bond catalog.

    Very well stated. I concur.

  • jasonbournejasonbourne
    Posts: 82
    I didnt like LTK because I find it much to dark and violent. I prefer the Bond of Connery and Moore that were more light in tone with charm and humour. My favourite must be FYEO. Take for instance that scene in Spain where Bond and Melina Havelock escapes from the bad guys. There is a lot of humour even in the action scenes and I love the way Bond is presenting himself to Melina Havelock after they have escaped. She is by the way my favourite Bond girl!
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    jasonbourne wrote:
    I didnt like LTK because I find it much to dark and violent. I prefer the Bond of Connery and Moore that were more light in tone with charm and humour. My favourite must be FYEO. Take for instance that scene in Spain where Bond and Melina Havelock escapes from the bad guys. There is a lot of humour even in the action scenes and I love the way Bond is presenting himself to Melina Havelock after they have escaped. She is by the way my favourite Bond girl!

    Splendid taste in especially women I's say.

    The women of QoS were splendid but a bit wasted in the whole product. And it seems that DC's 007 lacks the erotic skills of the previous 007's as the women then wanted to do nothing else but throw themselves at him. I would say that this PC stuff should be taken out of the Bondmovies and return to some serious shagging for Queen and country.

  • JimThompson45JimThompson45
    Posts: 803
    SaintMark wrote:
    The women of QoS were splendid but a bit wasted in the whole product. And it seems that DC's 007 lacks the erotic skills of the previous 007's as the women then wanted to do nothing else but throw themselves at him. I would say that this PC stuff should be taken out of the Bondmovies and return to some serious shagging for Queen and country.
    I would see that sort of thing as a full-throated return to a much more adolescent (and therefore less interesting) take on Bond.

  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited November 2012 Posts: 12,837
    It's my least favourite in the whole series but I will now list what I actually like about QOS.

    1) The Opera scene.

    2) There's some nice shots.

    3) When I could tell what was going on I liked the car chase.

    4) Fields was hot.

    5) Mr White was good.

    6) Bond rides a motorbike again.

    7) The score.

    8) Craig does a decent enough job as Bond.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,335
    SJK91 wrote:
    Quantum of Solace DID indeed have a plot.

    It was nearly 100% ineffective and even the writers didn't seem to care about it, mind you. It's a mess of a story, and through all of it, it all has to do with Bolivia and some drought. Yikes. Even the Vesper subplot takes a side seat for nearly the entire film, until the very end when you realize, "Oh yeah, Vesper...right." (That last scene was a pretty good one though, shame about what it proceeded.)

    But alas, this is the Quantum of Solace appreciation thread and while the film sits very snuggly towards the bottom of my list, I do have some nice things to say about it. Firstly, Daniel Craig is an amazing Bond. Though the script does its best to make Bond a side-player and often times an idiot, Craig rises far and above the material to give a truly fantastic performance as Bond. He gets top marks from me.

    Mathis is a great Bond ally, too, and it was a shame to see him go. His death scene is actually quite a touching one, and one of the few scenes Forester actually pulls off. (Another one would be the scene featuring an inebriated Bond and Mathis on the plane, before arriving at La Paz).

    Quantum of Solace is also a very well shot film, despite the editors' best attempts to hide that. Roberto Schafer did a very commendable job in making QOS the best looking Bond film to date (until Skyfall, of course).

    Finally, David Arnold gave it his best shot with his score. I think that QOS probably features the best Arnold Bond score, though it could've used a little more Bond theme. But that's relatively nit-picky.

    That wasn't so bad, I guess. I'll hold all my other comments for another thread, though. ;)

    I like QoS more than you do (I'd rank it at 11 or so), but you hit on all the points of the film that work. Craig's performance (including his humor in Bolivia), Giannini's performance, and that last scene.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    JimThompson45 wrote:
    SaintMark wrote:
    The women of QoS were splendid but a bit wasted in the whole product. And it seems that DC's 007 lacks the erotic skills of the previous 007's as the women then wanted to do nothing else but throw themselves at him. I would say that this PC stuff should be taken out of the Bondmovies and return to some serious shagging for Queen and country.
    I would see that sort of thing as a full-throated return to a much more adolescent (and therefore less interesting) take on Bond.

    The Bondmovies should not pretend to be something they are not and your labeling of adolescent of a genre that has delivered great movies does put the brand down.
    For me the brand 007 movie is different from the general actioners, even if they are sometimes superiour to the Bondproduct at times. ANd while I do not mind the occasional step away from the usual way in the 007 movies, we had DC doing it three times and it was not interesting more the misuse of characters so far imho. It is time to see a more faithfull entry to the series so we can see if DC can do more than being miserable or depressive. of course imho.

  • JimThompson45JimThompson45
    Posts: 803
    SaintMark wrote:
    [The Bondmovies should not pretend to be something they are not and your labeling of adolescent of a genre that has delivered great movies does put the brand down.
    For me the brand 007 movie is different from the general actioners, even if they are sometimes superiour to the Bondproduct at times. ANd while I do not mind the occasional step away from the usual way in the 007 movies, we had DC doing it three times and it was not interesting more the misuse of characters so far imho. It is time to see a more faithfull entry to the series so we can see if DC can do more than being miserable or depressive. of course imho.
    Good thing I only talked about how I would see such a move and didn't brand it that way then, eh?

    I can appreciate what is currently being done isn't to your tastes, but that's all it is; an approach not to your tastes. Clearly, there are a great number of people who feel differently, and likely don't want to see the sort of change in direction you are advocating.

  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    SaintMark wrote:
    [

    The Bondmovies should not pretend to be something they are not and your labeling of adolescent of a genre that has delivered great movies does put the brand down.

    To be frank, there have been some very adolescent Bond films. MR immediately springs to mine as does DAD, DAF and bits of GE.

    The films do stray into that territory occasionally.

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,985
    I think I'll make a confession here...

    I love QoS. Please don't stab me.

    I know people compare it to Bourne, and I, myself, have stated that the entire film feels like one action set piece to another, but it is really entertaining to sit down and watch. Bond fighting Slate in Port-au-Prince is one of the my favorite fight scenes to watch in the Bond series. I love it.
  • JimThompson45JimThompson45
    Posts: 803
    Creasy47 wrote:
    I think I'll make a confession here...

    I love QoS. Please don't stab me.

    I know people compare it to Bourne, and I, myself, have stated that the entire film feels like one action set piece to another, but it is really entertaining to sit down and watch. Bond fighting Slate in Port-au-Prince is one of the my favorite fight scenes to watch in the Bond series. I love it.

    I'll never hold that against you; I love the film, too.

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,985
    @JimThompson45, thank you very much. Like I said, the action keeps me entertained, and I don't feel that the film drags out - it's almost as if all the scenes mesh together into a continuous flow, so I always know what to expect next.

    Not saying that longer films or surprising scenes are bad - they most certainly aren't - but it just has a nice, even pace, and is a good film to sit down and keep you busy for almost two hours. Plus, Bond really kicks some ass throughout it.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    For me the bad thing in QOS is not that is awful but that with little modifications it could be one of the best in the series! For example, the music is good but with a little more of Bond theme it could have been great. The story is not bad but the editing damages it.
    Besides the great Opera scene, I really like the discussion between M and the Foreign Minister because of the political context.
    There is also a bit of campiness (which I like) in the Bolivian taxi driver and in Beam.
    I enjoy it, but now with SF my perception about it was worsen a little.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Tobester95 wrote:
    jasonbourne wrote:
    About CR, then he must have thought that the value of the shares would rise aragin at a later stage. This was not very clear. Still, CR is among my favourite Bond films. I just had to accept that somehow he must have benefitted, even though it was not very clear how.

    Do you think attacking your opponent in a discussion shows a much higher level of maturity? Actually I think QoS is a typical Bond film, it has many of the typical Bond elements. Neither CR, QoS nor SF are very similar to the Bourne-films. Actually, I do not think SF is the worst Bond movie. I think LTK is the worst one.

    I've never got this, why do people hate LTK? You've got James Bond setting a guy on fire who then burns to a crisp, ON TOP OF THAT he then collapses next to a tanker which goes up like the fourth of July.
    I've always been a fan of the grim deaths that villains have in the Bond movies
    Even though I love Skyfall (I think it's the best Bond tbh with you), I got the knife in Silva's back was a reference to Kinkaid talking about 'doing things the old fashioned way', but I'd like one of the new Bonds to have an inventive way of doing off with the villains, it kinda makes it more interesting.

    Solid post. But I think the knife idea was a nod to the storyline. How Silva felt M stabbed him in the back, how he thought Severine did the same to him, that sort of thing.

    @ jasonbourne- Apologies if you felt my response was an attack on you. I was trying to point out that you didn't need to alter the name of SF to get your point across.

  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    Tobester95 wrote:
    jasonbourne wrote:
    About CR, then he must have thought that the value of the shares would rise aragin at a later stage. This was not very clear. Still, CR is among my favourite Bond films. I just had to accept that somehow he must have benefitted, even though it was not very clear how.

    Do you think attacking your opponent in a discussion shows a much higher level of maturity? Actually I think QoS is a typical Bond film, it has many of the typical Bond elements. Neither CR, QoS nor SF are very similar to the Bourne-films. Actually, I do not think SF is the worst Bond movie. I think LTK is the worst one.

    I've never got this, why do people hate LTK? You've got James Bond setting a guy on fire who then burns to a crisp, ON TOP OF THAT he then collapses next to a tanker which goes up like the fourth of July.
    I've always been a fan of the grim deaths that villains have in the Bond movies
    Even though I love Skyfall (I think it's the best Bond tbh with you), I got the knife in Silva's back was a reference to Kinkaid talking about 'doing things the old fashioned way', but I'd like one of the new Bonds to have an inventive way of doing off with the villains, it kinda makes it more interesting.

    Solid post. But I think the knife idea was a nod to the storyline. How Silva felt M stabbed him in the back, how he thought Severine did the same to him, that sort of thing.

    And also how a super high technological hacker can be destroy by one of the oldest weapons.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,985
    I never even thought of it like that: the physical "backstabbing" and one of the oldest weapons taking out one of the most highly technological people. I love it.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Anything at all can and does happen.
  • danielcraigbonddanielcraigbond Suspended
    Posts: 39
    quantum of solace is magnificent , a great james bond film, perhaps the boat chase could have been edited slightly better but appart from that flawless
  • danielcraigbonddanielcraigbond Suspended
    Posts: 39
    jasonbourne wrote:
    The plot in QoS was very easy to follow compared to Skyfall. In fact, it was easier to follow than Casino Royale as well. In Casino Royale I had to see the film a couple of time before I understood the relationship between the different people. I still have not entirely understood why Le Chiffre would have benefitted from the terrorist act against the airplane. In this way QoS was easier to follow. Still, I think CR is even better than QoS. In Skyfall there was too much action and too little plot. But worst was the villain who was too infantile. The theme of a former Mi6 agent who had turned bad was used also in Goldeneye, but with a much better plot and a far better actor as bad guy. Skyfall had many good action scenes and have some redeeming qualities, but I really cannot understand how people can rate this movie higher than QoS. Possibly Skyfall is better than Die another day, but only possibly.

    Die another day is inferior to skyfall my freind , and i sure many people will agree with me
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    DAD made the Tarzan yell in OP acceptable.
  • Tobester95Tobester95
    Posts: 117
    jasonbourne wrote:
    I didnt like LTK because I find it much to dark and violent. I prefer the Bond of Connery and Moore that were more light in tone with charm and humour. My favourite must be FYEO. Take for instance that scene in Spain where Bond and Melina Havelock escapes from the bad guys. There is a lot of humour even in the action scenes and I love the way Bond is presenting himself to Melina Havelock after they have escaped. She is by the way my favourite Bond girl!
    Ahh alright, I get that. I'm quite a fan of the Roger Moore films also.
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    It's my least favourite in the whole series

    Really? Worse than A View To A Kill? Worse than the second half of Die Another Day?

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Tobester95 wrote:
    jasonbourne wrote:
    I didnt like LTK because I find it much to dark and violent. I prefer the Bond of Connery and Moore that were more light in tone with charm and humour. My favourite must be FYEO. Take for instance that scene in Spain where Bond and Melina Havelock escapes from the bad guys. There is a lot of humour even in the action scenes and I love the way Bond is presenting himself to Melina Havelock after they have escaped. She is by the way my favourite Bond girl!
    Ahh alright, I get that. I'm quite a fan of the Roger Moore films also.
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    It's my least favourite in the whole series

    Really? Worse than A View To A Kill? Worse than the second half of Die Another Day?

    I know, right? Hard to believe.
  • jasonbournejasonbourne
    Posts: 82
    Actually, I think the somewhat "adolescent" Bond is what makes Connerys, and especially Moores, Bond that entertaining. If you try to make Bond into a serious spy movie, you will find a lot of other thriller and spy movies that are a lot better. That is why a Bond movie such as LTK fails.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    jasonbourne wrote:
    Actually, I think the somewhat "adolescent" Bond is what makes Connerys, and especially Moores, Bond that entertaining. If you try to make Bond into a serious spy movie, you will find a lot of other thriller and spy movies that are a lot better. That is why a Bond movie such as LTK fails.
    I think Dalton's Bond work is great, as is FRWL, as straight played espionage film that is among the best ever made.
  • jasonbournejasonbourne
    Posts: 82
    I would say that FRWL is the second best of Connerys Bond-films, with TB at the top and GF as nr. 3.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    Tobester95 wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    It's my least favourite in the whole series

    Really? Worse than A View To A Kill? Worse than the second half of Die Another Day?

    Well those two aren't far above it don't worry. But like you said, DAD doesn't get bad until the 2nd half (the first half is great). AVTAK has Walken a better villian, a better theme song and I think is just more entertaining than QOS.

    I am a bit harsh on QOS because when I first saw it I was really let down by it. After CR I was so excited for it and I wasn't able to see it for ages because at the time I was still in Iraq. I was home for a bit on leave over christmas, I saw the film and I just felt so let down by it.

    I do enjoy it more now. Last time I saw it I liked it much better.
  • DRESSED_TO_KILLDRESSED_TO_KILL Suspended
    Posts: 260
    I really don't get why so many on here dislike
    QoS so much. Is it because Bond doesn't
    make tons of corny and out of place quips
    like he does in SF? Is it because he doesn't
    have a car with lame kiddy machine guns in
    it? Yes QoS was nowhere as good as CR. But
    it sure as hell beats the living daylights out
    of any Roger Moore outing, DAF, YOLT , TND,
    and DAD and even Skyfail.

    My favorite scene definitely was when Bond
    gives Mr.Slate a fatal stab wound to the neck
    and blood gushes out of his neck onto Bond.
    A great gritty realistic scene that showed
    how Bond really is, just a licensed hitman.
    Some things in QoS did upset me, the
    miraculous fall out of the crashing airplane
    with Camille was a completely unnecessary
    scene .

    I felt like the whole Dominic Greene story
    was done quite sloppy and crossed paths
    with too many other subplots. The whole
    Camille revenge story with General Medrano
    felt unnecessary and out of place in so many
    ways as well...but all in all it had many great
    moments and showed Bonds darker side at
    times, I enjoyed seeing Bond throw Mathis in
    the dumpster and checking his wallet
    beforehand ..It showed how Bond is used to
    seeing people die and that he no longer
    holds any special attachments to anybody
    since vespers betrayal. But I did like Mathis,
    its ashame they killed him off because he
    brought this warm cozy feeling to the screen,
    his relationship with bond somewhat
    reminded me of bonds relationship with
    Kerim Bay. I also really enjoyed when Bond
    snuck into the opera , especially when he
    stealthily took down the opera guard,
    retrieving the ear piece then dumping the
    unconscious guard in the bathroom stall
    while walking out breaking the door handle
    off.

    I didn't like the scene where Bond just took
    out all those MI6 guards in the elevator and
    escapes, I thought that was a poorly written
    executed scene that could have been more
    realistically done.

    QoS is no CR, but it is better than others and
    is severely underrated on these forums.
  • bondboy007bondboy007
    Posts: 267
    I've always liked QoS. It could've benefitted from being about 20 minutes longer, better editing, a few of the action scenes (like the boat and plane scenes) being cut out, and more focus on explaining the plot. I really enjoy the film up until the final action sequence in the hotel, just felt off for some reason and I didn't like the desert setting. The humor is actually something I like about this film - really subtle, well done and isn't trying to be in your face at all. I do hope they continue the Quantum organization into Bond 24 and 25. Only other thing I'm not a fan of is Mathis dying, would've loved to see more of him in future films.

    It is a similar film to LTK in terms of locations and tone, but where it really excels over LTK is the class and glamour. The hotel scenes in LTK felt weird, and just kind of dirty to me. Not a glamourous look at all for a Bond film. The 45 minutes or so of the film is very good IMO. Would've liked to see it pick up right where CR ended as well.
  • JimThompson45JimThompson45
    Posts: 803
    Quantum is one of those films I suspect will move up on people's lists as time passes, much like License To Kill seems to be doing. I think it is one of the better films in the series.
  • AliAli
    Posts: 319
    4th post in and I may get banned for this, but I'd rather watch QoS than pretty much all the Connery films! I watched them with baited breath as a kid, but I just find Connery too smug and self knowing now that I've grown up. Then again, Moore was really my era's Bond (2nd for 3rd film I ever saw at the cinema was Moonraker). But Quantum had some great moments and, for me, had the best opening of any Bond film. As a petrolhead, the opening flashes of the DBS were just perfectly done. It had it's silly parts, but don't all Bond films? It wasn't as grounded as CR and I think that may be its problem because people were expecting that level of reality again. It's also the film that made me warm to Daniel Craig because I just didn't (and here comes that ban again) like Casino Royale. A few good sections, yes, but far too much nothingness, and it grond to a halt in the casino scenes. Plus, by that point, I was firmly in Brosnan's camp as best Bond, but Craig has been far better served with the scripts and, just as importantly, the ability to show the humanity of Bond. Brosnan was occasionally allowed to touch on it, but then ended up having to go through another 1/2 hour of ridiculous set pieces before then next scene that required acting. Shame really. I still think Pierce, given similar scripts to Daniel, would still be the better Bond. But, I still really love QoS. It's certainly in my top 10 of the series.
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