My Quantum of Solace for this Movie is Zero

Rating: 3/10 (16 November 2008)

Ever since I was old enough to gain admission to PG-13 movies, I have always made sure to attend the newest Bond movie during opening weekend. Never before have I been so upset. Albert R. Broccoli produced every James Bond movie from "Dr. No" to "GoldenEye." He would be ashamed of what his daughter Barbara and stepson Michael G. Wilson have done to Bond. A large faction of fans has become concerned that James Bond has been altered beyond recognition. I have advocated patience. "Casino Royale" is intended to document how he becomes the character we all love. However, there is no acceptable reason for what "Quantum of Solace" does with him. Sadly, the paper shredding job done to the character is not this movie's worst sin.
James Bond was always an immoral man, but fights for worthy values greater than himself. He has committed himself to protecting England first and the rest of humanity when needed. He does not murder because it amuses him or provides fulfillment. He fights to save lives and improve the quality of those lives. James is a protector of all that is good in this world. "This is about stopping a war," he tells Wai Lin in "Tomorrow Never Dies." If one watched the 21 Bond movies and took notes, they would find 200 quotes and decisions demonstrating that aspect of his character.
The people behind the 22nd throw that into a dumpster. This James Bond resembles Star Trek's Khan minus the intelligence. He is a man ruled by wrath and bitterness now. His mind has become so distorted by bloodlust that he begins to act like the Punisher. The consequences of his actions are hinted at in the trailer, but what the movie bludgeons its viewers with is even worse. "Is this how you treat your friends?" wonders Camille (rising superstar Olga Kurylenko). For the first time, Bond is unlikable.
The least coherent of the preceding 21 movies is "Octopussy." That movie is a model of clear storytelling next to this 225 million dollar plane crash. "Quantum of Solace" is not a movie. It is a collection of action scenes glued together. Did they conceive the action first and then meet for 60 minutes to decide how to connect them? The movie has James globetrotting with the speed of a terrified cheetah in fast forward. The script is full of pointless dead ends that receive and inordinate amount of attention. The villain, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) has friends in high places, but his connection to them, their motives and the benefit of their partnership are not clear.
Early reviews indicated that the plot is poorly explained and tough to follow. I prepared myself for that possibility, but was disgusted by the severity that fault. "Quantum of Solace" opens with a car pursuit. Who is chasing Bond? How do they know where he is? Why were they in that location in the first place? The movie does not consider those questions. A foot chase soon follows, but who Bond is chasing and how he connects with what transpired right before are a mystery. The entire movie is sloppy, and no other Bond movie even approaches it. "Quantum of Solace" is no easier to understand than "The Chronicles of Riddick." Marc Forster made his name with high-quality, low-budget dramas. "Quantum of Solace" proves that action movies are a galaxy out of his depth. The action does not border on incomprehensible; it is absolutely incomprehensible. Forster shakes and jerks camera so violently that its holder should have shredded tissue at every joint, if not broken bones and torn muscles. Paul Greengrass introduced the earthquake-camera. Forster raises the Richter scale to 10.
His errors do not end there. Forster's edits the action with such speed that were this movie a sprinter it would make Usain Bolt look sluggish. The average shot length during the action is far under a second. His shots are from a variety of angles and distances. Following the action is like climbing Mount Everest. Forster's editing and cinematography are so dreadful that I had trouble determining who is who during a fight involving two men *wearing completely different colors*! Their positions in the environment and in relation to each other are literally impossible to see. In Greengrass' "The Bourne Supremacy," Jarda and Bourne are similarly dressed during their scuffle and it is not difficult to tell them apart. "Quantum of Solace" required an enormous budget. Forster nullifies all the money and effort put into the action. What a costly waste! Daniel Craig's James Bond is far more immortal than any to come before. At least two hundred bullets are aimed at his car during the opening chase. Most are fired from close range. Predictably, Bond remains unharmed even though the car is pummeled. At least Pierce Brosnan always drove heavily armored vehicles during these chases. The science fiction elements in "Die Another Day" created drastic animosity among many vocal Bond fans. "Quantum of Solace" is an equal offender. MI-6 uses audio-visual equipment imported from the Star Trek movies. Their display panels look nearly identical to Zion's in the Matrix sequels. M (Judi Dench) comes a quarter-step away from talking to a computer.
Even a villain of historical proportions could not have saved "Quantum of Solace." Dominic Greene is among most boring in the series. The movie is in such a rush that Amalric has little screen time. He can not save Greene; nobody could have. His grand scheme borders on moronic. If the producers want to emulate Bourne, hire Doug Liman and sack the current writing trio. The end provides a beacon of hope that the real Bond will soon be back, but that does not excuse a dismal movie. The series has jumped the rails, and I hope it has not jumped the shark. There can be no solace for the cheated fans.