|
Sure, they aren't even hiding the fact that it is directly influenced by the Bourne series anymore (hell, Bond is even pursued by his own agency in this one as well) but that doesn't seem to stop Quantum of Solace marking one of Bond's most enjoyable cinematic outings yet.
Kicking off mere hours after the culmination of the events in Casino Royale
we find Bond in a fierce car chase (with the obligatory Aston Martin)
bursting through the streets just ahead of an Alpha Romeo equipped
with men and machine guns.
Once he disposes of those faceless baddies, we delve into the adventure.
Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 fights the urge to make his last mission personal.
Pursuing
his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and 'M' (Judi Dench, who my
Dad has a truly weird obsession for) interrogate the mysterious 'Mr.
White' who reveals that the organisation which blackmailed Vesper is far
more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined.
Yep - as
the best evil organisations do, they have got people everywhere and in
every aspect of life - this one goes straight to the top.
What
follows is a minefield of murder and deceit, as Bond allies with old
friends, some sexy new women in a
battle to uncover the truth -- all in one perfectly tailored suit.
However, as Bond gets closer to finding the
man responsible things start to get tricky, leaving poor old James to fend off
not only the enemy... but the CIA, terrorist cells, and even 'M'.
Let me be honest though. I have never understood a single James Bond movie.
Not once.
Perhaps
it is because I can never quite seem to keep track of all the names and
motives,
meaning that when we eventually get to the "he double crossed you, but
you double crossed her uncle's brother's sister, oh, and I killed them
both" big reveal - it all becomes quite irrelevant because my eyes
simply gloss over.
But, to Bond's credit, he always knows how to draw you back in with an explosion or twelve. And believe me, the explosions in Quantum Of Solace are some of the best a Bond movie has offered yet. The action is simply phenomenal.
What sets this current reboot of the franchise apart (and, I guess this is true of Bourne
as well) from the classic Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan flicks is
simple: you can really feel the pain of each hit inflicted upon James Bond, no matter how unbelievable the circumstances.
The key here seems to be director
Marc Forster's insistence on keeping the camera moving. It's a skill
which has served the current spate of 'quality genre' movies quite
well, and it's definitely one of Quantum Of Solace's stronger elements, because the action feels relentless.
What
is most striking is the sheer audacity and complexity of the action
sequences.
The choreography of it all is utterly superb (hopefully a
Reality TV Game show hits our TV screens soon: So You Think You Can Action Sequence),
a particular highlight coming during a remarkably suspenseful
encounter between Bond, a baddie and some conveniently placed
scaffolding.
It really is like poetry in motion.
In every respect, the
movie looks superb. No expense has been spared on scouting
locations across the globe, with on-site action sequences across some
seriously remote locations, which gives the film such an amazing visual depth
and charisma.
Add to that the contrasts of Bond and his gal in dinner
suits walking across barren desert and you've got yourself some prime
visual imagery / advertising for top shelf Italian wool suits.
Whether you're a fan
of the classics or not, Quantum of Solace is a must see for every popcorn movie goer. All the elements are here, with an excellent return to
the nostalgic Bond opening sequences of yesteryear - Jack White and
Alicia Keys have delivered in spades with the song Another Way To Die.
It is fun, it is gritty, it's fast paced and it's damn sexy.
DVD EXTRAS
A whole bunch of stuff on offer here, as always, fans are best off
checking out the 2 Disc Edition as there is very little left off.
That said, prior to the release of Quantum at the cineams - a three disc edition of Casino Royale was released. So perhaps there are a few more extras floating around...
There
are some great featurettes on here which cover some of the expansive
and amazing set pieces filmed for the movie. The story traversed the
globe, and it seems they went to great lengths to capture everything
they could without resorting to CGI.
This is a DVD that is a must have for any action fan.
Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 65%
|
