review: Quantum of Solace (2008)

In case you were wondering about the… odd title. Quantum of Solace takes it’s name from the title of a short story from a collection of James Bond stories called For Your Eyes Only written by Ian Fleming. So now you know.

We’ll start at the start. It was great to see the familiar style of opening titles, the posing sillhouttes and trademark gunshaft and the swell of the great new Bond theme tune. Hmm… not a great start. Actually, I like the music in the song, it’s quite grandiose – just like you want from a Bond theme tune – however Jack White and Alicia Keys… vocally it just doesn’t work. You really start to notice how long the opening titles are, that’s just not what you want at the outset…

The film itself starts promisingly though, great opening sequence, more action than you can shake a stick at. From then on it gets a little disappointing though… It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it. It was an enjoyable film; there were some great action scenes and Daniel Craig looks great in those white pants but let’s put it this way… if I wanted to see Bourne 4 I’d have waited to go see Bourne 4.

I also feel I should mention the plot, there isn’t really one. Other people I know have complained about this but to be honest that’s not what bothered me about the film. Does anyone ever remember the plot of a Bond film? The main thing you remember are the locations, and there are some great locations in this… Though I have to ask anyone who’s reading this – Mathis’s house looks a lot like a house that’s in one of the Transporter films… does anyone know if it’s the same house??

Anyway, what I didn’t like about it is that Quantum of Solace just doesn’t seem like a Bond film. And I know that everyone goes on about how this Bond is “closer to the books” (which I haven’t read). And that it’s grittier, more realistic, there are less “accoutrements” – like the crazy gadgets and invisible car, and the villians are just on the other side. But you know what? I like the gadgets, I want to see super villans, James Bond should fight his way though a mob and emerge without a hair out of place. It’s that stuff that makes a Bond film a Bond film… without that it’s just another action film with an amazing budget.

I’m just not sold on the new Daniel Craig Bond at all. I’m not a mad James Bond fan but I’ve seen a lot of Bond films and I like the old James Bond. Bring back the old James Bond!

6/10

But I will admit, I thought the invisible car was a step too far…