Pure Crap!

Rating: 3/10 (16 November 2008)

I just returned from a screening of Quantum of Solace. Boy was I disappointed--and so was the audience. Nowhere do they advertise going in that this is a direct sequel to 2006's Casino Royale. Many of the characters are the same. So if you did not see that movie, or did not re-screen it recently, you will DEFINITELY BE LOST in the plot, with characters that are never explained. Those who claim otherwise are very familiar with Casino Royale or they are lying. How in the world would anyone know who "Vesper" was if you didn't see the first movie? This movie should be more correctly titled "Casino Royale 2." The only reason they didn't name it that is that those who did not see the earlier film might stay away, and they don't want to lose those extra millions of dollars in ticket sales.
Whose idea was it to get an art-house director like Marc Forster to direct the latest Bond action flick? The man knows nothing about action films or achieving the correct tone of a Bond film.
The film is poorly shot, and the action scenes are so quickly edited with so many close-ups, that it is literally impossible to follow the characters. In one early scene, a major character appears shot to death from what we can see visually, but she is very much alive in the next scene.
The opening song by Alicia Keyes is probably one of the worst title songs in Bond history. The Bond girls we have come to expect are nothing special in the looks department. The cool cars we have come to expect are nearly unseen due to poor cinematography and editing. The sense of fun that used to pervade the Bond films is totally missing. There is little to no character development. The story does not engage the audience. There is only one set piece worth remembering, involving two planes. This is also supposed to be an early Bond picture chronologically, or else the plot involving M and Bond makes no sense, yet Daniel Craig looks tired in the role.
The studio must have bought off the major critics who are somehow giving this film a positive review. This film does not deserve the money it is raking in. It makes "hash" of a once great series of films. If you want a movie "thrill-ride" that actually thrills, see "Eagle Eye" instead--it is better in every way.