Bond De-Camped
Went to the Quantum of Solace premiere. Phones, cameras, laptops had to be checked at the lobby because not only was it the Philippine premiere, but the movie doesn’t open in the US until late next week, so Columbia Pictures was worried about piracy.
My main concern was that the movie would be so terrific I’d have to review it in my column pronto, and I’d already written my column for the week. Well Quantum is not bad, but not Crank-out-a-column-right-now good. It helps if you remember the plot and ending of Casino Royale. In Quantum of Solace—a title they are contractually obligated to use, I think, as part of their deal with the Ian Fleming estate, because face it, would you use that title if you had a choice—James Bond is hunting down the members of the secret organization who had used the late Vesper Lynd to get to him. He’s also hunting down the Algerian boyfriend that the organization used to get to Vesper Lynd. And an environmentalist who looks like Roman Polanski. Along the way he meets a stunning Bolivian who’s using the Polanski lookalike to get to the evil dictator who killed her family. And he makes up with his former associate Mathis whom he’d turned over to the organization to be tortured, and someone tries to kill M, which apparently stands for “Mummy”.
There is a big action sequence set in a different country (introduced by a different typeface) every five minutes, but instead of being thrilled to death the audience is thrilled into a coma. The only joke in the movie is that Bond can’t find a link to the organization without killing him. After the upteenth corpse viewers start drifting off and ceasing to care, although I am always amazed when 007 steals a stranger’s evening clothes and they fit perfectly. Daniel Craig is insanely hot, but the producers have decided that he cannot be campy or even funny so there are no great lines to repeat. Everyone is so dead serious you actually wish Roger Moore would make a cameo, and that’s not something you’d wish on a movie. I firmly believe that all James Bond themes should be sung by Dame Shirley Bassey.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
November 4th, 2008 at 03:42
I’m watching the movie tomorrow, and two yeses: Quantum of Solace is a very baaaad title and Tita Shirley should always be the one to sing Bond themes. (Digression: I thought you were launching the Flip anthology somewhere a few months ago; was surprised to see it already populating the shelves at National Bookstore in SM Southmall.)
November 4th, 2008 at 12:44
i’d be happy with the title if the sequel will be “joule of denial” (michael douglas/katherine turner sequel reference anyone? …anyone?? aw, nevermind). resent amy winehouse’s drug habit for keeping her and mark ronson from doing the title song, which i think could have been amazing. maybe not tita shirley amazing, but still.
November 4th, 2008 at 13:29
Matagal pa showing nyan sa bukirin, Lipa City…
I learned that the theme song was originally offered to Amy Winehouse but she declined (?), ayun napunta tuloy kina A Keys and the White Stripes guy, sana Shirley Bassey-ish ung theme song, na favorite pala din ni Amy W.
November 4th, 2008 at 18:07
You mean Quantum of Solace hasn’t a modicum of consolation to James Bond fans? Bummer.
November 4th, 2008 at 19:32
Amy Winehouse was rejected because she was on drugs.
I’m a fan of Jack White, but while it was a pretty good Jack White song (and hey, I like it), it wasn’t too much of a Bond song. Too much consideration was given to White, who is relatively unknown and regarded as too “eccentric” for pop/mainstream rock, ergo, big franchise movie soundtracks. It would’ve been salvageable if Amy W. did the vocals (why Alicia Keys?).
November 4th, 2008 at 19:48
Amy Winehouse didn’t decline. It was Mark Ronson who backed out because Amy can’t sort herself out with her drug problems, as chotda pointed out.
The Alicia Keys/Jack White theme song is not very good. Chris Cornell’s in the last one IMO is better.
November 4th, 2008 at 21:39
I saw your Mac Notebook in the pic it is really great but may I know how long have you been using your mac? I just want to know the point of view of a responsible mac user… well I consider you responsible…I asked that because I am planning to buy a mac notebook and I just want if it’s worth the cost.
November 7th, 2008 at 01:37
Good points. I personally wonder how Bond manages to change into those expensive tailored clothes between flights to different countries, gun battle after gun battle, when he doesn’t appear to be carrying any luggage. In the film, there are references to his insomnia–can a person really go around the world shooting, fist-fighting, jumping between buildings and parachuting from a crashing plane without sleep? What, no broken bones? What about jet lag?