Sunday, July 3, 2022

The 007 Project: Quantum of Solace

Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:
Bond and MI6 continue to investigate the organization behind the events of Casino Royale and Vesper's death. The trail leads Bond to Haiti, Austria, and Bolivia, where he discovers their plot to keep a dictator in power in exchange for control over the Bolivian water supply. 

Memorable Quote:
Can I offer an opinion? I really think you people should find a better place to meet.  ~Bond

Highlight:
The entire opera scene is great, especially the line referenced above where Bond speaks on the Quantum frequency. 

Lowlight:
The way Bond drops Mathis's body in the dumpster with such disdain is disrespectful and doesn't make sense given how he was tenderly consoling Mathis moments earlier in death. 

Most interesting piece of IMDB trivia:
In a later interview, Daniel Craig revealed that the script originally wasn't intended to be as much of a sequel to Casino Royale (2006) as it ended up being. However, because of the writer's strike, they had only the "bare bones" of a script, and Craig and director Marc Forster ended up re-writing a lot of scenes between them, with many decisions being made on the fly, and at the last second. Much of the content that made it such a direct sequel to Casino Royale (2006) was a last-second addition. Also, the title was chosen more or less at random, with Craig saying that most Bond movie titles are "meaningless" anyway, and they hoped it would sound intriguing. 

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:
  • Solid and intense opening car chase punctuated by Bond opening the trunk to reveal Mr. White while a cool version of the Bond theme plays. 
  • I don't like the Another Day to Die song at all, just doesn't sound good to me. Ranking it as a solid last on the song rankings
  • At the moment that Mitchell breaks his cover, it would have been smart of him to shoot Bond first instead of the other random security guy. 
  • 15:12 -- Nice quick musical cue as the scene shifts back to London
  • 32:28 -- A solid boat action sequence ending with another cool musical cue. 
  • 54:00 -- Great scene where Bond takes one look at the run-down hotel and walks out. "So shoot me, I'd rather stay in a morgue."
  • 1:05:20 -- "He'll make much more when he sells us out." So it's a crappy looking plane to begin with, and you know that the guy is gonna sell you out -- not Bond's finest plan. 
  • At the very end where Bond exposes the Vesper's old boyfriend, the Canadian agent just leaves very meekly and doesn't show any surprise or emotion. "OK, this guy betrayed me, thanks, see you later." The actress is actually the lady from Castle (a show I saw maybe one episode of). 
  • End credits score is good. 

Final Analysis:
This movie doesn't do much for me -- it's ok, and I like the music (not including the title song), but it's kind of bland and devoid of any real highlights. Additionally, the lead villain and Bond girl aren't that memorable. Ranking it 13 out of 22. 

2 comments:

  1. Fascinating to me that even a modern-era Bond movie that "doesn't do much for you" still ranks higher on your list than "From Russia With Love", "Goldfinger", and "The Spy Who Loved Me", which I always considered the best of the Bond films. Perhaps nostalgia is failing me as I haven't seen any of them in 25 years, but those are the films typically rated at or near the top of most lists. I've never seen "Quantum of Solace". My friend Dan, a Bond film superfan, hated it.

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    1. Yeah I go against the grain for sure with some of my preferences, and in general I prefer more modern movies than older ones, though not alwayss.

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