Quantum of Solace?

Rating: 1/10 (18 November 2008)

I really wanted to like Quantum of Solace, but try as I might it just wasn't possible. This film did not work on any level and since I love Bond films and count the days until their release I was very disappointed to find that Quantum of Solace wasn't worth the wait. I would say it's the worst Bond film ever, but I can't because it wasn't really a Bond film at all. It did have James Bond in it, but that's where the similarity ends. The opening sequence was unwatchable with bad cuts coming at me so quickly no information was to be had until the title sequence began. Then there was the awful theme song. I mean, I like the White Stripes and all, but really where's Shirley Bassey when you need her? The rest of the soundtrack isn't any better. Music just seems to be arbitrarily placed to fill up space with no relationship to the scenes at hand. Photographically most of the action sequences are largely out of focus and shot so closely no tension what so ever builds during the entire length of this film. This results in a lack of danger being felt and a separation of the audience from the film itself. You never care about the characters and that is the death of any film. The story is thin and full of holes. Actually there is not much story at all. Seems like the filmmakers got spooked by the Bourne films and tried to make something comparable but just ended up with a washed out watered down version of a bad Bourne film. Sad really. There is one good part. Near the end, for a split second, a small snippet of the original Bond theme is played. That's the only thing about this film worth anything. It is such a bad day for Bond to have this drivel put out to represent what Bond has meant for the last 45 years. As I said earlier, usually I can't wait for the release of next Bond film. During the screening of this disaster I couldn't wait for it to end and release me from the theater. What a painfully sad and irresponsible destruction of the Bond legacy.