New Bond goes for action, not words
By Bruce R. MillerJournal staff writer | Posted: Friday, November 21, 2008
You don't hear "Bond. James Bond" in "Quantum of Solace."
That could be because director Marc Forster wanted to change things up. Or he didn't have enough time.
The new spy thriller is so filled with action Daniel Craig barely talks. In the opening, he's so busy piloting his Aston-Martin around dangerous curves he doesn't have time for introductions.
The film, in fact, is a lot like any of the "Bourne Identity" flicks. It's wall-to-wall action with just a smidge of relevance.
Based on a line in one of the James Bond stories, "Quantum" picks up where "Casino Royale" left off. Bond is eager to find the folks responsible for his lady love's death. In Bolivia, he pinpoints a likely suspect and begins to circle. The quest takes him around the globe and includes more than a little talk about the need to "go green."
As the key villain, Mathieu Amalric looks more than a little like Roman Polanski. He's a lot like the director in "Chinatown," too, and he gets the job done without killer hats, expensive toys or a gaggle of goons. The guy is little, too, which makes him an unlikely foe for Bond.
They square off a couple of times, then have one of those farewells that live on.
As a hat tip of sorts, Forster duplicates a scene from "Goldfinger" and uses an opera much the way Hitchcock appropriated a concert in "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
Olga Kurylenko is the key Bond "girl" but she's not just eye candy. She has a vendetta, too, and she partners with 007 to settle her own score. In the quest to make the series more realistic, Forster downplays the bimbo aspect of Bond's sidekicks and plays up their intelligence. That's a step forward but it does deny the franchise a key element.
Martinis, "M" and great cars are here but they're not placed in the context of high-concept. This is gritty, brutal stuff - which makes Craig such a fine choice to play Bond. He's a rugged sort who looks like he'd actually do the stuff Bond does.
The film, though, has a big dry space near the end. It bores with a lot of talk about ecology and available water.
Bond has lasted so long because the films have been escapist fare. Clean water discussions bring it too close to home.
Luckily, Judi Dench is around to deflate the pomposity and bring it back to what we love. She's worried that Bond has gone to the dark side and does what she can to keep him in line. When it looks like the spy is going to be drummed out of the business, "Quantum of Solace" is anything but.
It's not the best Bond. But it is one of the shortest. That's good in anyone's book. But here? Here it's like a footnote to the classics we've come to love.
Rated PG-13, "Quantum of Solace" features profanity and violence.
On a scale of four stars, "Quantum of Solace" gets:
2 1/2 stars
That could be because director Marc Forster wanted to change things up. Or he didn't have enough time.
The new spy thriller is so filled with action Daniel Craig barely talks. In the opening, he's so busy piloting his Aston-Martin around dangerous curves he doesn't have time for introductions.
The film, in fact, is a lot like any of the "Bourne Identity" flicks. It's wall-to-wall action with just a smidge of relevance.
Based on a line in one of the James Bond stories, "Quantum" picks up where "Casino Royale" left off. Bond is eager to find the folks responsible for his lady love's death. In Bolivia, he pinpoints a likely suspect and begins to circle. The quest takes him around the globe and includes more than a little talk about the need to "go green."
As the key villain, Mathieu Amalric looks more than a little like Roman Polanski. He's a lot like the director in "Chinatown," too, and he gets the job done without killer hats, expensive toys or a gaggle of goons. The guy is little, too, which makes him an unlikely foe for Bond.
They square off a couple of times, then have one of those farewells that live on.
As a hat tip of sorts, Forster duplicates a scene from "Goldfinger" and uses an opera much the way Hitchcock appropriated a concert in "The Man Who Knew Too Much."
Olga Kurylenko is the key Bond "girl" but she's not just eye candy. She has a vendetta, too, and she partners with 007 to settle her own score. In the quest to make the series more realistic, Forster downplays the bimbo aspect of Bond's sidekicks and plays up their intelligence. That's a step forward but it does deny the franchise a key element.
Martinis, "M" and great cars are here but they're not placed in the context of high-concept. This is gritty, brutal stuff - which makes Craig such a fine choice to play Bond. He's a rugged sort who looks like he'd actually do the stuff Bond does.
The film, though, has a big dry space near the end. It bores with a lot of talk about ecology and available water.
Bond has lasted so long because the films have been escapist fare. Clean water discussions bring it too close to home.
Luckily, Judi Dench is around to deflate the pomposity and bring it back to what we love. She's worried that Bond has gone to the dark side and does what she can to keep him in line. When it looks like the spy is going to be drummed out of the business, "Quantum of Solace" is anything but.
It's not the best Bond. But it is one of the shortest. That's good in anyone's book. But here? Here it's like a footnote to the classics we've come to love.
Rated PG-13, "Quantum of Solace" features profanity and violence.
On a scale of four stars, "Quantum of Solace" gets:
2 1/2 stars
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