IGN Defends QoS

Hardyboy

While killing some time, I came across this IGN article, "Ten Movies People Hate. . .and Why They're Not That Bad." Much to my surprise, Quantum of Solace is on the list. I knew some people grumble about it, but I always thought hatred was reserved for the fringe elements in Bond fandom (not looking at anyone in particular). The entire article is worth looking at; and, frankly I agree with a lot of their takes, especially on Superman Returns and A. I.--but I have no idea what they were smoking when they were watching The Village. Anyway, you can find the article here:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/05/ten-movies-people-hate-and-why-theyre-not-that-bad

If you don't want to look at the whole thing, here's IGN's take on QoS:


Quantum of Solace

Must’ve been a tough gig, making the follow up to Casino Royale. Bond had been rebooted so magnificently with Martin Campbell’s 2006 blockbuster, and we were rabid to see what hijinks 007 would get up to next in Marc Forster’s 2008 sequel. Unfortunately for us, Quantum of Solace turned out to be just like so many other hard-bitten actioners populating our multiplexes – the movie screams "BOURNE!" from the Italian rooftops – and we left disappointed and dejected, ruing the moment ‘gritty’ became the trend du jour.

But is Quantum really all that bad? The movie speeds along at breakneck pace, offering up some of the best action sequences the series has yet seen, while Bond himself is humanized beyond even Casino, his grief for Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd written in every line of his scowling face. He has become a Bond we can relate to, a Bond mourning for a Bond Girl, and god forbid if he’s going to let a labyrinthine narrative involving Bolivian oil stand in his way of delivering justice. Let’s just hope that come Skyfall he has recovered from his melancholy, and we can look back on Quantum as a brief – yet thrilling - dalliance with his own broken psyche.

welshboy78

I actually like A.I. but always try to imagine how it would have turned out under Kubrick.

As for QoS - I think it gets a hard time (mainly from the Craig haters.) Is def disappointing considering its the follow up to Casino and certainly weak in areas however there are other Bond films I would avoid before it! I enjoy bits of the beginning, and also the end etc however bits in the middle and all that high-tech stuff back at MI6 HQ was a turn off for me. I also think including Mathius again was totally unnecessary (especially how he is bumped off) and would have preferred he had a better fate or used him in another adventure in the series.

Enjoyed Olga but thought she was under used (literally) what a waste )

The Domino Effect

I quite enjoyed QoS but apart from the anti-Craig brigade, I think a lot of the 'hatred' comes from disappointment. CR was so good and appealed to so many people who either weren't fussy on Bond films or who had actually never seen one before, that expectations for QoS were almost sky high. I attended an invitation-only screening before its release and was surprised on the way out by how many non-Bondies were so passionately disappointed by QoS on the way out. On its own, I think it was fine...not epic, just fine. As a 'sequel' to a film that was so enormously popular, I think that's where a lot of the problems came from.

Blackleiter

Agree.

The Domino Effect wrote:

I quite enjoyed QoS but apart from the anti-Craig brigade, I think a lot of the 'hatred' comes from disappointment. CR was so good and appealed to so many people who either weren't fussy on Bond films or who had actually never seen one before, that expectations for QoS were almost sky high. I attended an invitation-only screening before its release and was surprised on the way out by how many non-Bondies were so passionately disappointed by QoS on the way out. On its own, I think it was fine...not epic, just fine. As a 'sequel' to a film that was so enormously popular, I think that's where a lot of the problems came from.

Golrush007

I think QoS is a middling Bond film, whereas CR was one of the best. I think the disappointment is that we couldn't get two classics in a row. I think the two biggest problems with QoS are the wafer-thin plot and the lack of Bond style in the shooting and editing of the action scenes (ie too much Bourne influence).

don p

i enjoyed the Mathis /bond reunion, and i dont think he should have been killed off, ide rather have seen mathis as a bond mentor, during the films,,

i have warmed to QoS over the yrs, and now enjoy it, for what it is,, an action film, maybe we have come to expect far to much from bond films, we are critics, due to being fans,, and every film has flaws, but i now enjoy QoS more that CR,,

Don,,

don p

the things that really annoyed me in QoS are,,

Bond seemed to get from london to Hati over lunch,, !!! and with no luggage,, got from the theater to mathis,s house, changed clothes, rode in a boat, with no money,, no credit card no nothing, lol,,,

BIG TAM

Yes, QUANTUM OF SOLACE is so disliked because CASINO ROYALE was considered so good. I don't hate it. There's much to enjoy but agree it's a middling entry. I've vented my spleen over the visual styling of QUANTUM. Just too damned fast in-your-face editing. The plot could have been more focussed, too. I'm still not entirely sure what Greene's up to. Presumably it's keeping the water away from the local communities so he can bleed them for profits. I don't know how. And that's the problem. There's an interesting notion tucked away that Quantum are basically a group of high-flyer chancers, happy to switch allegiances to the highest bidder in their quest for profit but it's unexplored. A Pity. I'm all for the notion that as an audience member I don't get handed everything on a plate but QUANTUM's all a bit too vague.
The writer's strike gets much of the blame for the way it turned out. I don't quite understand this. For one thing I thought most current Bonds were written by committee (a problem in itself) & for another, how long exactly does it take to fine tune a script? Dick Maibaum & co used to knock out pretty good ones years ago albeit with the advantage of a novel to hand. Perhaps I'm underappreciating just how difficult it now is to get a Bond script right from the off. Can anyone enlighten me?

The Domino Effect

don p wrote:

i enjoyed the Mathis /bond reunion, and i dont think he should have been killed off, ide rather have seen mathis as a bond mentor, during the films

I agree entirely. I liked Mathis as much as I like Leiter and was rather disappointed when Mathis was killed-off.