Good Bond Actor, Bad Bond Movie

Rating: 3/10 (21 November 2008)

Let me just start by saying that Daniel Craig remains a good choice for Bond. The film-makers hit the nail on the head when they cast him 3 years ago. But QUANTUM OF SOLACE is not a good Bond movie. How can they be so good at choosing the right actor but so bad at choosing the right story, script and director? The cinematography and editing make it impossible for us to truly appreciate the action and stunts. You find yourself squinting, hoping to make out what's going on. You WANT to enjoy the action sequences but the film-makers won't allow you to. Why do they spend millions creating an action sequence only to hide it behind bad camera-work and editing? Such a waste.
Speaking of waste: They've got this perfect Bond (Daniel Craig's impeccable portrayal) yet they have no clue how to build a movie around him. Some say it's an effort to return Bond to his roots. Okay, let's examine Bond's roots for a moment then...
The Ian Fleming novels were great. But if you are looking for a realistic presentation of what it's like to be a spy, you don't read Fleming. You read Tom Clancy! What Fleming gave us was the fantasy of what we WISH it was like to be a spy. Fast cars, beautiful women, fine dining, fun story and plotting, Etc. Those books were male oriented fantasies. (Not to say women can't enjoy them too, but they were geared primarily toward men.) There was a touch of "comic book" to the Bond novels. And the best, most classic 007 movies are the ones that understand that. QUANTUM OF SOLACE drops the fantasy elements entirely. We're left with a movie that does not transport us. We can't get lost in it the way we can when we watch THE SPY WHO LOVED ME or GOLDFINGER or FROM Russia WITH LOVE or any of the great classics of the franchise.
It's a shame too! Because I thought CASINO ROYALE was on the right track. What happened? You can be darker and grittier without trying to be Bourne or Clancy. Just look at LICENCE TO KILL and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (or CASINO ROYALE for that matter).
In summery, this movie might please the Internet fans who post on the message boards. (They get excited when Bond strays from fantasy.) But message boards do not represent a proper cross-section of what the average fan wants to see. Hopefully the producers will stop turning to the boards for ideas and get Bond back to what he does best.
(And please note: the question below asks if this review was helpful to you. It does not ask if you agree with me. So please don't click "no" just because you disagree.)