The Quantum Of Solace

I’ve just watched “The Quantum Of Solace”.

…What was all that about, eh?

I enjoyed Casino Royale immensely, but this sequel seems to be a mis-fire on many levels. There were little touches I enjoyed – the sequence during the opera where Bond listened in to the secret meeting; the montage detailing his subsequent escape; the quiet “thank you” from the Canadian operative near the end – but these were brief flashes of brilliance in a muddled mess.

I think there’s a rule developing: if your character swings on a rope or a chain during a fight sequence, chances are the film’s not going to be great. It’s true here, it’s true of the climax of Stardust (which has more than a few moments of brilliance itself) and it was true of the god-awful Van Helsing, where pretty much everyone swung on chains at some point. I think it was part of the casting call.

Special effects have developed to the point where you can almost believe it’s all happening in front of you, but there’s always a slight disconnect, a slight feeling of “pop”, usually a sign that the character is standing in front of a green screen. I can usually tell, sadly.

Anyway, all of this is an excuse to post this: