Casino Royale vs. Quantum of Solace
JimmyBond0129
United States Posts: 263MI6 Agent
Is Casino Royale (2006) better than Quantum of Solace? Discuss.
"I admire your courage, Miss?..." "Trench, Sylvia Trench."
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
Comments
Much better in CR, one of the best PTS in the series
1:0
The Titles
CR had better titles and a much better song
2:0
The Action
I don't actually mind QOS's action scenes or CR's action scenes
3:1
The Score
Both fantastic
4:2
The Girls
I like Camille better than Vesper, she was more attractive and one of the most interesting Bond girls in a while.
4:3
The Villains
Dominic Greene is much better than Le Chiffre. The henchmen were equally pointless in both.
4:4
The Allies
Mathis was good in CR, but more interesting in QOS.
4:5
The Staff
M was a pointless character in CR, I hated the fact that Bond was able to break into her house.
4:6
The Plot
CR had the advantage: it had a novel to be basd on.
5:6
QOS wins!
Yeah right.8-)
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
We'd much prefer that people refrain from asking questions like these, unless they have something to add.
Rather than just ask the question, why not try and offer your opinion at the same time ?
So, JimmyBond0129 - what are your thoughts on this ?
I like Casino Royale but I haven't seen Quantum of Solace yet. Although the word of mouth around QoS was pretty bad.
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
I wouldn't put much stock in other people's opinions; for every discouraging word said about QoS, there's an opposite view. QoS is unapologetic and challenging, to be sure, but in my opinion it rewards the patience of many who give it a chance.
I'd recommend you rewatch CR just before you watch it; I think it helps to put the film into context. Be sure to let us know what you think when you do see it! {[]
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Now I don't mean to sound overly negative, but I've really grown to hate CR. I hate the pseudo-psyho-analytical character analysis that Bond and Vesper repeatedly engage in; I hate the fact that Bond is a rookie 00 and something of a screw-up much of the time; I find Vesper to be a really annoying and ultimately pathetic character; I hate the fact that Bond defeats LeChiffre at the table not by cunning or guile but literally by the luck of the cards, thus rendering his whole "you never play your cards, you play the man across the table" speech moot; I hate the fact that the movie needs to rely on not just one but two deus-ex-machina moments: first, the way in which Bond is saved from LeChiffre (I know its from the novel but I still don't care for it) and then the way in which Bond stumbles across Mr. White's identity and location. I found CR to be too clever-clever for its own good and really can't bear to watch it anymore.
QoS on the other hand is a fast paced film that happily tones down the character moments in favor of a fast action thriller that only slows down when it absolutely needs to. The hectic action sequences can be jarring but work much much better at home and don't run too long or overstay their welcome. The film has a better villain, a better and stronger leading lady, Bond actually does some sleuthing and figures stuff out on his own, there's a more ambitious scheme with bigger stakes and we get a more satisfying, more physical confrontation with the main bad guy.
I find QoS a more well constructed film that doesn't beat you over the head with its story. It doesn't grind to a halt so that it can inject some scene like that interminable conversation on the train that screams "Look at me! Look at how clever I am and how different I am from those other silly Bond movies!" It gets its point across succinctly and economically. It's no contest, actually and the only place that CR comes out on top is in the title song; "You Know My Name" is energetic and works well; "Another Way to Die" is cruel and unusual torture for the ears and easily QoS' biggest misfire.
The PTS
QOS, Something different, good start to the film
0:1
The Titles
CR had better titles and a much better song
2:0
The Action
Casino Royale much better: Madagascar, Airport, Venice, Casino Royale etc
3:0
The Score
Both good
4:1
The Girls
Vesper is much much better, Camille was missing so much, she could of been better, Eva looks better and has a better character.
5:1
The Villains
Le Chiffre is alot better in my opinion, better plan, you could see that he is the evil character, unlike Dominic.
6:1
The Allies
Mathis was good in CR, but more interesting in QOS.
6:2
The Staff
M was a pointless character in CR, I hated the fact that Bond was able to break into her house.
6:4
The Plot
CR had the advantage: it had a novel to be basd on.
7:4
Casino Royale Wins
CR had the usuall production values I had come to expect of the series.Witty script, exotic locations and action sequences that pushed the envelope of what could be done by a stunt crew.
QOS IMHO had a cut down script plot points hidden so well or just left out that it took a second viewing to to tell what was going on.
The locations were so boring to look at the plane chase could of been filmed anywhere(they looked alot like the ariel shots used on the A Team).
The action set pieces were so badly filmed that in the boat chase I still can't see how Bond flipped the villans boat.There is obviously a shot left out of this sequence, Which leaves me with the feeling that despite the huge budget QOS was made with an " it's not great but it's good enough!" attitude.
I believe somebody else on this forum (I forgot who, sorry) said it best when they mentioned that they from a great epic together with CR having the suspense and the drama, and QOS being the action packed third part.
I might've been that guy...but I think there are a few of us here who feel that way. QoS really is a true sequel, in that the key personal issue for Bond, left unresolved at the end of CR, reaches a natural and effective conclusion.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
"Your contact?" "Not well."
I just finished re-watching QoS and yeah, it's not clear at all how that happened.
My only real beef with Quantum is that it needs to slow down and let us chew on some scenery. The cinematography in Casino Royale that put us in beautiful Montenegro and Venice was a large part of its appeal.
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
Seeing the gun barrel at the end was strange but I kind of like it that way. It reminds me of the Chris Nolan Batman films, you don't get to see the title of the movie until the end credits appear on screen.
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."