New Bond Film - Quantum Of Solace

[byronic]

I thought the Bolivian scenes dragged it down a bit. I would have liked something a bit more glamorous. I thought the European scenes were better.

Spoiler:
Also, I was disappointed that the name of the organization was Quantum, though I know they need to tie it in. I would have been very pleased had it been Spectre!

Also, what happened to Mr. White? Why didn't they pick him up again?

Due to a court case involving EON and Kevin McClory (he was arguing that Thunderball was a joint idea between himself and Fleming, and thus owned certain intellectual property rights and the right to re-make Thunderball as Never say never again), round about 1980- I forget the exact outcome of the case, but he was able to make his movie, and Eon are unable to use the names 'SPECTRE' or 'Blofeld' anymore. I'm not sure if they were banned by the court, or whether they thought it would lead to more litigation and decided that it wasn't worth the trouble.

 

[AmateisGal]

Good question on Mr. White. I wonder if he will make another appearance in the next Bond film?

I admit, I'm anxious to see what they come up with next and what Bond book (or short story) they will base it on.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

i just watched this for the first time last week...

loved it...

 

[AmateisGal]

i just watched this for the first time last week...

loved it...

Did you think it was better than, equal to, or not as good as Casino Royale? (Gee, nothing like calling you out, eh? )

 

[scottyrocks]

I thought Casino Royale was significantly better.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

lol no worries

you know, i'm not sure they can be compared like that...

i mean they are really two very different films even if quantum picks up right after casino...the first scene with the car chase told me this was going to be veeery different...

i think casino is extremely good because we didn't really see an action movie like brosnans but incredible character development on bonds part...

quantum still had that development going but there was a lot more action which suited it because now bond was up against an entire organization rather than just a frill like in casino...i dunno if any of this is making any sense but i have it all worked out in my head lollollol

i think daniel craig is doing an amazing job as a 'rebooted' bond...the scene my friend and i were discussing today was the scene on the plane with mathis...it really showed how very much a human being bond is rather than the super spy that brosnan fell into...

i personally think casino is in a class of its own because it is so different from the entire bond series and quantum is a breath of fresh air from the more recent bond films because amongst all the action it still held onto some of the parts that made casino so good...even it was surprisingly short at about 106(?) minutes...

i thought both of them were very good...and i still haven't gotten over how smooth and ruthless bond was in quantum...he really changed from the first film...learning from his mistakes and all...

i hope that ridiculously long response answered your question lollol

oh, and the fact that they brought back the walther ppk was awesome...i was super happy..

 

[AmateisGal]

Sam, that was a great analysis. I think you're spot on - they are two very different films and comparing them (as apples to apples) is difficult.

I liked both films immensely. And I agree that Daniel Craig is doing an excellent job. It's hard for me to watch the Pierce B. films now because I just don't see that same character development in them as in Craig's.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

thanks

i just hope the third one he is signed on for keeps the quality up...

but you never know...he may end up turning into the invincible super spy again...[huh]

if that happens i hope Craig stands up and fights it...i would rather see him quit the Bond roll then fall back to Brosnans and Daltons level...

 

[Kilted_Surveyor]

thanks

i just hope the third one he is signed on for keeps the quality up...

but you never know...he may end up turning into the invincible super spy again...[huh]

if that happens i hope Craig stands up and fights it...i would rather see him quit the Bond roll then fall back to Brosnans and Daltons level...

Isn't that was James Bond is, an invincible super spy? That is what make him James Bond.

Please tell me you don't go to see a James Bond movie for a dose of reality...

 

[Dr Doran]

I agree with you, Sam Marlow. I think that's about right. And no, I don't think that reply was too long!

 

[AmateisGal]

Isn't that was James Bond is, an invincible super spy? That is what make him James Bond.

Please tell me you don't go to see a James Bond movie for a dose of reality...

That's the thing, though - I don't think Ian Fleming ever meant him to be an invincible super spy. I've read three of the novels so far - From Russia with Love, Casino Royale, and Dr. No. He isn't portrayed as invincible in any of them. I think Hollywood did that to the Bond character more than Fleming ever imagined they would.

 

[Dr Doran]

That's the thing, though - I don't think Ian Fleming ever meant him to be an invincible super spy. I've read three of the novels so far - From Russia with Love, Casino Royale, and Dr. No. He isn't portrayed as invincible in any of them. I think Hollywood did that to the Bond character more than Fleming ever imagined they would.

I agree with you, Amateis. I have read only one or two. One was Dr No. That's the one on Jamaica, right? Personally I don't think they are well-written novels in the literary sense, but that's not necessarily the point. The point is, Ian Fleming wrote Bond as a dark, amoral, somewhat sadistic, highly misogynistic, violent freak. The scene of him escaping and swimming toward the end of Dr No (if it was that one; maybe not) was extended sadism against Bond. It's all foreshadowed when M and Q (maybe not them, but at any rate two higher-ups in British Intelligence) are musing in the beginning of the book about how much abuse a man's body can take before he snaps. There is something weird and pornographic about the descriptions of Bond's inujuries and this plays up the weird, ugly aspects of the character (and the writer).

 

[scottyrocks]

It's all foreshadowed when M and Q (maybe not them, but at any rate two higher-ups in British Intelligence) are musing in the beginning of the book about how much abuse a man's body can take before he snaps. There is something weird and pornographic about the descriptions of Bond's inujuries and this plays up the weird, ugly aspects of the character (and the writer).

This, imho, is illustrated perfectly in the bottomless chair scene in Craig's Casino Royale. I would have to think that every man in the theater was on the edge of his chair (pardon the pun) during that one.

 

[Diamondback]

In one of my psych classes, the prof assigned me to proflie both the literary and screen Bonds, and he can be summarized in two words: "Death Wish". Everyone who he's been close to has died on him (his parents while he was young--shades of Hughes?--Vesper Lynd, Teresa di Vicenzo, several more ladies in the novels) or gone rogue and needed to be put down (Lynd, former friend and ex-Agent 006 Alec Trevelyan) with the exceptions of M, Moneypenny, Bill Tanner and a few other colleagues.

Bottom line, I think Bond has taken so much punishment both from those losses and the trauma of what he does that he's basically dead inside, just that he doesn't realize it. You could say he's become a Terminator, albeit one made of meat instead of metal and with a very few tiny shreds of humanity.

 

[Brian Sheridan]

Due to a court case involving EON and Kevin McClory (he was arguing that Thunderball was a joint idea between himself and Fleming, and thus owned certain intellectual property rights and the right to re-make Thunderball as Never say never again), round about 1980- I forget the exact outcome of the case, but he was able to make his movie, and Eon are unable to use the names 'SPECTRE' or 'Blofeld' anymore. I'm not sure if they were banned by the court, or whether they thought it would lead to more litigation and decided that it wasn't worth the trouble.

The court awarded McClory the use of Blofeld and SPECTER. That's why the Spy Who Loved Me had Stromberg basically substituting for Blofeld. Sony ended up owning Blofeld and SPECTER and, in a typical Hollywood fashion, now own the Bond franchise and can use Blofeld and SPECTER is they want to for future movies. The stress of the court case hastened Fleming death.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

*SPOILER*

i really liked the line in casino when bond has followed vesper and the guy she is meeting grabs her and says, "i'll kill her!" and bond replies to himself, "allow me"...how he switched off so easily after realizing she double crossed him was amazing yet he still tried to save her...whew!...

and i really liked in quantum how he didn't end up hooking up with camille...he just dropped her off lol...i don't think that has ever happened in a bond film and i definitely liked it...just one more thing that makes it good...

too cool...

 

[AmateisGal]

i really liked the line in casino when bond has followed vesper and the guy she is meeting grabs her and says, "i'll kill her!" and bond replies to himself, "allow me"...how he switched off so easily after realizing she double crossed him was amazing yet he still tried to save her...whew!...

and i really liked in quantum how he didn't end up hooking up with camille...he just dropped her off lol...i don't think that has ever happened in a bond film and i definitely liked it...just one more thing that makes it good...

too cool...

Oh, I agree with you about the part in Casino - that ability to switch off his personal feelings is absolutely amazing and exactly what Bond would do.

And yeah, gotta admit I was surprised that nothing happened with Camille. But I'm glad it ended that way.

 

[byronic]

The court awarded McClory the use of Blofeld and SPECTER. That's why the Spy Who Loved Me had Stromberg basically substituting for Blofeld. Sony ended up owning Blofeld and SPECTER and, in a typical Hollywood fashion, now own the Bond franchise and can use Blofeld and SPECTER is they want to for future movies. The stress of the court case hastened Fleming death.

Yes, Mr Sheridan, but that was the court case between Fleming and McClory in the early 60's. The case I referred to took place in the very early 80's between EON and McClory, who wanted to go ahead with his remake of 'Thunderball', understandably Eon were unhappy about this and went to court. The outcome was the somewhat underwhelming 'Never say never again', I remember a review at the time suggested it should have been titled 'Please don't ever do it again' lol
Pre-production rumours said the film would be called 'Warhead' and would be scripted by Len Deighton, no less.
And Mr Marlowe , I'm sorry to disagree, but the Quantum scene on the plane where Bond is the worst for wear is NOT in keeping with Flemings' Bond: The original character drinks hard liquor on a regular basis (in Thunderball, Bonds medical report suggests some furring of the liver, and Bond admits to downing roughly half a bottle of spirits each day), but Bond NEVER drinks to excess- meaning he holds his liquor well, which he certainly does not in Quantum.

 

[byronic]

THE REAL Q.O.S. THEME!!

Well, what a wonderful tool google is, I stumbled upon this demo theme written by David Arnold, lyrics by Don Black, and the voice of the immortal, unstoppable, Dame Shirley Bassey. The uploader of this has set it to the Quantum of Solace titles, my gratitude to him, but sad to see how the producers caved in to marketing pressures and didn't grace this movie with a theme that befits its heritage, IMHO, one of the greatest Bond themes ever - MUST SEE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liy0rR3fkQ0

 

[Dr Doran]

Well, what a wonderful tool google is, I stumbled upon this demo theme written by David Arnold, lyrics by Don Black, and the voice of the immortal, unstoppable, Dame Shirley Bassey. The uploader of this has set it to the Quantum of Solace titles, my gratitude to him, but sad to see how the producers caved in to marketing pressures and didn't grace this movie with a theme that befits its heritage, IMHO, one of the greatest Bond themes ever - MUST SEE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liy0rR3fkQ0

Wow. Glad you have good internet in Yemen. That is a marvelous song, and it should have been the official one. Perhaps it can go on a dvd with specials. I am very fond of Shirley Bassey. BTW if anyone seeks that kind of music, the first album by the pop singer known as Goldfrapp has a lot of Bassey's influence in it.