Quantum of Solace

J: Ok, I’m a believer! Yes, I’m one of those really stubborn and obnoxious movie fans that says, “There is only one James Bond and that’s Sean Connery!” Yes they were sexist – what would you expect from an Alpha Male like 007. But they were also witty and inventive, something that has gotten difficult in this high-tech world of special effects. So I was curious but ultimately never saw “Casino Royale”. I now deeply regret that mistake because watching Daniel Craig fill those tricky shoes as 007 is a pure joy. He is as close to the type of uber-male destined to be MI6’s top operative as there has been in 20 years. I always found Roger Moore to be far too giddy a spy. And I felt Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were too slickly packaged. Daniel Craig returns us to the dangerous 007 and it is a joy to watch.

"Quantum of Solace" very literally takes your breath away. There were several times during the chase scenes when I had to remind myself to breathe! Everyone stand up here and say it with me….”Welcome back Aston Martin!” Of course, during the initial chase scene, which rivals some of the best I’ve seen, it’s a bit tricky to keep your eye on the cars because they quickly become jump-cut blurs. But Daniel Craig’s Bond remains steely-eyed and determined. In fact, if I had to boil his characterization down to one word it would definitely be “determined”. His gaze never waivers and Oh Mama, those blue eyes! Paul Newman’s successor is here (but don’t tell my mom I said that!).

This movie could have quickly devolved into a dueling bad accents mess but the plot is pretty straight forward, with a nice twist, and very Bond-like so if you’re a fan you won’t be disappointed. The only thing I lost by not seeing “Casino Royale” is the back-story for Giancarlo Giannini’s character who Bond turns to for help. I was never clear about whether he was a good guy or a bad guy and I have a feeling that was important. I was also glad to see a Felix Leiter back for this movie. This Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, clearly is not happy with his government or his boss and he shows it. Everything else could well be inferred so I was never really lost. My Movie Mate K, however, didn’t get to enjoy some of the homage’s to original Bond films such as the reference to “Goldfinger” so she was in for a few eye-roles from Yours Truly but I did ultimately share. There is nothing I like more than a little wink shared between fans of established franchise films. It makes you feel like you’re in a special club – No Boys Allowed!

I have heard some criticism that this Bond strays a bit too far from the expected Bond conventions, which I didn’t find. But in one place, I would have liked the old stand-by, “shaken, not stirred”. Instead of that particular Bond-ism a carefully calculated, overly complicated drink order was substituted and it really stuck out. Please, some things are definitely better left alone. One change I did think was welcome, though, was that this Bond was far more bent on getting the job done than he was in bedding every Bond Girl that came within three feet of him. Even the relationship he has with this movie’s Bond Girl, Olga Kurylenko, was more of a partnership than dragging a fawning female along for the ride. And speaking of Bond Girls, Kudos to the newest one, Dame Judi Dench as the new “M” was fabulous and her relationship with Daniel Craig’s Bond was interesting and a fresh take on that part.

Of course there is the globe-trotting that you would expect from a Bond film; check in that box. But, oh my, the gadgets! The new Bond is definitely a 21st Century Bond, complete with touch-screen computer terminals and PDAs. Bond is never far from the Mother Ship but always seems to know exactly how to disconnect and get lost in the crowd. In all, this is a very satisfying new chapter in the venerable Bond franchise and Mr. Craig has sealed the deal as the New Bond! Looks like “Casino Royale” is now on the J list of movies to catch up on!

K: Unlike my PIC, I am not a fan of the Bond movies. They were always all flash and no substance until these recent two with Daniel Craig, who is an phenomenal actor. It seems like they revamped the franchise and actually put a little thought into the scripts and the casting. I'm totally digging the new Bond. You owe it to yourself to check this one out.