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Reflections on Quantum of Solace

• Posted by Peter Chapman on 2010-05-23 12:34:18
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Premium movie channels such as Starz and HBO have about 10 “hit” movies showcased any given week. They show each 3-4 times a day. So, inevitably, if it's a movie you moderately enjoy, you'll see it a dozen times. Showtime is playing Quantum of Solace, a movie which I moderately enjoy.

Following Casino Royale, I was pumped for a sequel. The Bond reboot seemed like a good warm-up for a truly great bond movie, much in the way Batman Begins gave us The Dark Knight. Good stuff.

However, that was not the case. Quantum of Solace is flawed in more ways than one. The biggest of which Maddox explains succinctly:

In 1999, Bechtel corporation signed a contract with the president of Bolivia to privatize the water supply in the 3rd-largest city, and shortly thereafter tripled the water rates (source - new window). Yeah, that's right, they tripled the rates in real life... so when the bad guy in James Bond threatens to double the rates, it's like the producers are challenging you to give less of a shit. They took a non-interesting real-life story and somehow made it less interesting than real life.

Beyond the ludicrously dull “evil plan” the villains are boring and unimaginative. Basically they are crooked businessmen lacking any resemblance of a personality. The result is a emotionally detached viewing experience.

The movie is very beautiful. The wide landscapes and exotic locales are a Bond staple and quite interesting to behold. The action is enjoyable, but there's just too much of it. And really, that's the problem with Quantum of Solace. There's too much. Bond is awesome. We just want to watch Bond be Bond. Casino Royale knew that and so a huge part of the film was Daniel Criag playing a card game. A card game! Quantum of Solace, on the other hand, just doesn't sit still. Most scenes last less than two or three minutes and no more than ten minutes pass between the numerous brawls and gunfights. I argue that a good Bond movie isn't an action blockbuster, but a Bond movie, emphasis on the Bond. Take the style of Casino Royale, the cinematography of Quantum of Solace, and give that movie a worthy villain.

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