Quantum Of Solace- Licensed To Kill, Not Thrill

Rating: 3/10 (5 August 2012)

Pre-credit sequences did serve a purpose.
In almost every film, before those creatively designed titles and credits would pour in the scene, there would be a short sequence introducing the man James Bond to the audience. There are also a number of times when the opening scene has introduced the villains and even provided us clues to the rest of the plot. But, while it might have been indulgent to let Bond settle down to business, it did lend the entire franchise a lot of charm.
And charm is what is essentially missing in Marc Foster's 'Quantum Of Solace', a film which , right from its name, does not sound or even is halfway as charming as the films of the past. The film is so desperately keen to prove itself a serious film, a film that refutes the trademark elements that it ends up being easily the worst film in the series. Yes, sir, even 'Die Another Day' was better than this.
Indeed, it is the first scene that ruins it completely. It is of course an opening scene but unlike any other. In the past, we saw Bond flirting with gadgets, cars, women and smart-ass lines, proving why 'Nobody Does It Better'. It was hilarious.
But instead we cut right away to a frenetic chase scene on roads and tunnels that wind across Lake Como and we are immediately, unnecessarily lurched to a world of thundering gears and gun-play. Excuse me, sir, but this is a Bond movie and not a 'Need For Speed' installment. And I was desperately crying out for some gimmicks in the car that can beat the bad guys. But, no, I was left without the old-time charm of those movies.
The entire film functions like a sequel to 'Casino Royale'(which I found to be more fun) and this spoils it as well. We are thrust a plot about Bond pursuing the mastermind who had sent out his lover Vesper Lynd as a spy to deceive him and MI6. 30 years ago, 'Diamonds Are Forever' began with a scene chronicling Bond taking his revenge against Blofeld for killing his wife in the previous film. It was so much fun and Bond, played memorably by Sean Connery, sealed it unforgettably with 'Welcome To Hell, Blofeld'. It was an instant classic.
But no, the revenge story plods on and gives enough excuse to Bond to beat up bad guys. The locations are perfectly shot with all their beauty and grittiness but the relentless purges of violence may sicken even a fan of Bourne films. Yeah, even Connery was brutal and ruthless at times but Craig is completely different. There is something mechanical about him. He is lacking the real soul and essence that made James Bond a true legend with us.
Blame it on the writers indeed to assign him a world-weary look but Craig, despite being a fine actor, can hardly bring any versatility to his character. There are times when he carries on smart banter with M or a woman who is supposed to be his guide in La Paz but the rest seems simply a character who can't wait to use his fists again. And he uses them an awful lot! Sigh!
That is only one of the problems. The problem also lies with the female lead in the film. Olga Kurylenko as Camille is undoubtedly attractive. However, she too tries too hard to be a serious girl that we end up losing all interest in her. It could have been the role of a beautiful woman with no brains, a beautiful woman whom Bond, with his flair for heroics and misogyny is supposed to save from the villain. But, no, there is no romance between the two; Both Bond and Camille are too busy with avenging the people they have lost and this sudden dramatic rhythm only slows down the film's thrill factor.
And then there is the villain. Like Craig, Mathieu Almaric has been given a role that is a complete waste of his potential. A true Bond villain is a man menacing enough to command a screen presence and make Bond cringe. But all we get is a faint presence which makes the expected confrontation a routine affair. Perhaps, that is why the climax is such a dull affair! Indeed, how I miss those times! The action scenes are nicely shot but I have to say that they are too fast and hectic. The problem is that you get little time to marvel any masterstroke of storyboarding, unlike the neatly cut action scenes of the past films. It is all too hurried and harried instead of making any real sense. And yes sir, they drag a lot!
On an overall, it is not a bad film. That is if you are not a true Bond fan and you just want to watch the action and get out of the theaters. The visuals are plain fantastic but we only get to glean in the locations while the rest of the film whizzes by in a forgettable way.
As I said, the 007 series has hit a new-low. For, even escapism is not about being pretentiously serious. It is about being smart and irresistibly charming. Bond has always the license to thrill, than just kill. But here is a film that kills all the soul while failing to thrill us as well. Not letting Bond linger on his martini seems to be unpardonable crime itself.