Quantum of Suckers

Rating: 6/10 (7 November 2008)

Quantum of Solace aims but misses, it shoots but it doesn't score. Its Bonnie without Clyde and its one of the disappointing movies to have come out this year. It really was a shock because everything seemed so right before its release. It had a credible director, Marc Forster who directed some of the finest films in recent memory, the plot seemed so right, its a revenge tale; its a look at Bond's ugly side and his inner demons and they cast a perfect actor as the villain. Mathieu Amalric was outstanding in "Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and I couldn't wait to see how he fares well as a Bond villain.
Well, it turns out Dominic Greene is just as uninteresting as a plank of wood. Gemma Arterton's character Agent Fields was just there for eye-candy and we could have just got on with the story line without her. The tragic conclusion that happened to her was totally unnecessary and honestly, it was a waste of running time. Given that this is a Bond movie, we should expect flashy gadgets, a treasure trove of hot Bond babes and signature trade marks that we all got used to in the first 21 films.
Sadly, they're all not here. The things that we liked about this franchise was just gone with the wind. No gadgets, no classic one-liners like the Martini one and the gun in a barrel intro was left out until the end credits. Granted there is a dazzling Bond girl here in the form of Ukrainian born actress Olga Kurylenko but Bond didn't even get the chance to use his charm and sex appeal to have mighty sex with her. Besides, what's a Bond girl got to do other than have sex with the Man, right? The action scenes was turned up a notch but it gets in the way of the storyline and you end up with a noisy film going nowhere. But nevertheless, the choreography was impressive and is a step above to the action scenes of its predecessor Casino Royale. There is not much to say about acting other than Daniel Craig is the epitome of what Ian Fleming had in mind. Dame Judi Dench gives her supporting powers and the two of them are the compass of a lost movie that was going nowhere. Director Marc Forster mishandled the camera especially in some of the action scenes and it is rather obvious that his priority went to the guns-blazing, barrel exploding action rather than the storyline itself. The audience was glad when Casino Royale rejuvenated the dying franchise but the gladness only lasted two years when Forster flushed it all in the toilet with this disappointing mess. He should never direct an action movie again.