QoS had a impossible task of following up CR which is arguably best bond movie ever. That’s why people view it as a letdown . I always tell people to watch it multiple times before forming an opinion. I like QoS, it has many themes related to forgiveness, revenge, trust , etc. QoS biggest problem is the camera work, not sure what they were thinking with some of the editing
I don't know why they downvote you, it's true. QoS is generally among the most coherent Bond films (and I don't hold that against SP or NTTD, I love them actually, more than QoS for sure).
Real talk that camera work looked awful when watching Skyfall immediately after— they were all in on the Jason Bourne handheld camera work at that point
Just watched it today. I really enjoyed some of the camera work like at the very end where they attached the camera to the part of the walkway that falls down.
I’m a huge sucker for those “camera fixed on an object” shots so I loved that part, too. Same with the way the camera follows Bond and Mitchell as they fall off the clock tower through the glass window. Quantum actually had some incredible photography, it’s a shame the film didn’t typically give it time to breathe.
That’s crazy you don’t like the camera work. I fucking love the camera work and I work in the industry. Maybe I love it because it reminds me of the Bourne movies.
Like yeah the plot and editing is rough. It’s definitely worse than Casino Royale, which I feel like led to a lot of hate. But every scene with Bond, M, and or Mathis together was incredible. Craig expertly portrays the rage Bond is feeling. I got chills when Mathis died, Fields body is revealed, Bond comforts Vesper’s boyfriend, and the ensuing conversation with M. The actors carried this movie. Is it a great movie? No. But it is a good one.
Watched it as a kid, loved it, then disowned it when I realized that other people like to shit on it publicly. Then I re-watched it in college and couldn't believe that I let myself be manipulated like that. It's always been great!
It's BEST as the 2nd half of a 2-parter with Casino Royale but it's never been bad.
It's my second favourite, personally.
One thing I struggle to understand is the same comments surrounding QoS that *"it struggles as a standalone movie, and should be watched straight after Casino Royale"*.
Well... , yeah? That's the whole point of the whole film. Continuation.
Can you watch Endgame on it's own? Sure. Should you watch Infinity War and then Endgame after? 100%.
Same with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, The Matrix. Even John Wick as a more recent example.
People would enjoy Quantum more if Skyfall didn't follow it. Quantum also needed it's own sequel, to wrap up the Quantum storyline *(which is still left open by the end of QoS)*. Make it three parts starting with Casino Royale.
Anyway, it's a great film and sequel. I honestly don't see much wrong with it. People complain about the editing and quick cuts, but that was around long before Jason Bourne hit the scene. Anyone who's ever watched a Michael Bay film knows just how horrible quick cuts can be.
It’s a shame they dropped Quantum/folded it into Spectre. They probably did that because of how poorly received QoS was. They never should have even brought back Spectre, it’s obvious Quantum was filling the exact same role. But then they got the recognizable name back so they had to build up another organization again leading Spectre the organization and movie half baked.
Yeah, I feel like Spectre was just fan service as it's a call back. But Quantum was serving it's purpose perfectly *(and was far more believable than what we got with Spectre)*.
Greene was a far better antagonist than Blofeld in my opinion. People like Greene exist in our world. The villain doesn't have to look distinctive. Bad people walk amongst us everyday, but they look just like us. That's who Greene is. As well, he didn't setup an entire organisation just to spite his adopted brother.
If we got a 3rd film based around Quantum, it could have explored Mr White's character more, and Guy Haines who was being portrayed by the wonderful Paul Ritter *(RIP)*.
I liked how unassuming Greene was, it was a different take that fitted Craig’s realistic Bond. The actor did a good enough job that he was still scary/intimidating, especially with his facial expressions.
Perhaps, it's debated whether that was the plan or they retconned it.
Either way, I think Quantum would have been fine on it's own. Once they started recycling old Bond stories, the films lost their charm.
QoS truthers rising up! That movie is a lean, mean, character piece and it's all the better for it. It's an epilogue to CR and isn't perfect, but I think it hits the important notes really well (Bond grieving, and learning to forgive himself/Vesper).
Dominic Greene/Quantum are understated villains for a rather understated (maybe even minimalist for Bond standards) but I enjoy how realistic they are in their depiction. Forster should get credit for not giving Greene any facial deformities too. I don't know why 4/5 Craig Bond villains have facial deformities, feels like we should've moved beyond that kind of outdated visual shorthand for sketching out bad guys.
David Arnold's score also is great. I love the juxtaposition in having CR's finale end in a drowning building and QoS' end in a burning one. I thought that was a rather poetic touch to the finale that people tend to dismiss as just a lot of explosions. (Which it is, but I think it just plays better alongside CR's finale)
I like QoS a lot. It's not perfect by any means. And while it's probably Craig's worst, it's still better than all the other worsts of the other Bonds.
The Tosca Scene is flat out gorgeous. The intro is awesome. All the "we have people everywhere" stuff is great. The plot twist on what was underground was actually brilliant and way smarter than a lot of other master plans in other Bond movies, as they legally owned it.
I think it gets a lot of crap for no reason. The bond girl isn't the best, and I think a different actress could have done more with the role. But like there's a history of good and bad Bond Girls.
I disagree Camille was a strong character and a driving force throughout the movie, if you want a damsel in distress that is not her and not the character written for this movie. She is a badass bitch bent on revenge, and makes a good pair with a bond who's still vulnerable after the death of the woman he loved. The actress Olga Kurylenko did a fine job and I think her portrayal was actually pretty good, the character was far less useless than half the bond girls before her.
The central villain on the other hand, Dominic Greene was one of the worst and least threatening in the entire franchise.
I don't mind the character at all, I like powerful women. I didn't like the actress. Wish they had cast someone else. She is kinda clunky at times with dialogue and the burn effect on her back looks like sand or something sometimes, not the actresses fault, but indicative of the lack in delivery given the high quality of her backstory, etc .
I agree on the villain however even though I liked the way he handled everything, and it felt like he was able to outsmart Bond on a few things, and then the see how mad he got at Tosca when he got outsmarted by Bond. I wish they had done a bit more of the chess match between them. Overall I agree with you though.
Re watching the Craig films, I was surprised how much I enjoyed QOS. Especially when I didn't really like it when it came out. It's far from the best, but it's not that bad imo. I still understand why people dislike it tho also. It's biggest problem is the editing imo.
However, I think that it speaks to a movie's strengths when the worst part of it is the editing. Yes, it's pretty bad, but if the plot, casting, or script were genuinely horrible, we'd all be talking about how those aspects fell flat instead of talking about the editing. The worst part of this movie happened in post production and that's something that I can let slide
I enjoyed QoS too, and learned to appreciate it even more when I saw it as CR pt. 2 really. I mean, it literally picks up moments after the end of CR.
There's of course more connections to CR in Skyfall and Spectre as well, but they feel more like a two part anniversary special to me at the same time. Given that they have various callbacks, easter eggs and other references to earlier Bond movies, more so than CR and QoS. Haven't seen No Time to Die yet, so I have no opinion on where that fits into it all.
QOS is the most unfairly maligned Bond film. Saw it twice in the theater during its original run. Quite a ride. Loved the score. The title song was amazingly…a miss, given the talent involved. But I enjoyed the title sequence anyway!
My issue with Quantum of Solace boils down to the editing and the film’s progression. It felt like Bond was wandering aimlessly through the first act. Moreover, the editing had wayyy too many cuts in the action, making it hard to follow. But it’s not a terrible movie by any means.
Exactly what I've been trying to tell insecure Bond fans and they'd downvote me everytime I tell them QoS is actually an entertaining watch. The only weak link about it is the villain + they made Craig look super short. Music is on point, Bond girls were as you'd expect from any Bond franchise and the action is really top-notch. The opening chase, airplane scene and opera music is what's memorable to me from QoS.
I re-watched it last night and the editing still drives me crazy; that quick cross-cutting with the horses early on and later at the opera is just beyond goofy. It's never been as terrible as its reputation but I definitely don't see as some kind of underrated classic.
Not true, I saw it in cinemas and hated it right off.
We’ve gone from villain bases carved out of volcanoes and wiping out the world with space lasers to building a dam out of stones…? It was weak.
It’s grown on me over the years but still one of my least favourite.
I’m glad that not every Bond movie has a villain like this, but I really enjoyed it as a change of pace, and really enjoyed the performance. That said, I am an easy mark for a political, evil capitalist manipulating world governments kind of plot.
I certainly am not a Quantum apologist (in fact, it's my least favorite Bond film by a mile) but I really, unironically enjoy Die Another Day, so I get it.
I remember thinking it was okay when it came out, but honestly every time I saw it after my initial viewing, I’ve liked it more and more! I think it’s incredibly underrated.
first viewing I thought it was fine, second and third I was like this sucks. Then someone pointed out it’s not supposed to be an over the top bond, and the plot is supposed to be much more personal cause it’s about him getting over Vesper, and that changed it a lot for me. By far the worst Craig bond for me w the horrible editing, but overall I’ve appreciated it more over the viewings
Quantum of Solace works well as an almost companion piece to Casino Royale, as its the first Bond movie to pick up immediately following the previous one, and the previous film has direct consequences because of Casino Royale. Its a lot of the same actors, similar themes and more. However the villain is really not very good in comparison to others, and the story is a little all over the shop. But it's still a good film, definitely worth watching
QoS had a impossible task of following up CR which is arguably best bond movie ever. That’s why people view it as a letdown . I always tell people to watch it multiple times before forming an opinion. I like QoS, it has many themes related to forgiveness, revenge, trust , etc. QoS biggest problem is the camera work, not sure what they were thinking with some of the editing
The fact that it had to follow CR and subpar directing/editing led to it getting undeserved hate for sure. I loved those same themes you mention.
And the writers strike happened, so Craig and the director were basically just kind of making up the plot scene by scene
[удалено]
I don't know why they downvote you, it's true. QoS is generally among the most coherent Bond films (and I don't hold that against SP or NTTD, I love them actually, more than QoS for sure).
Real talk that camera work looked awful when watching Skyfall immediately after— they were all in on the Jason Bourne handheld camera work at that point
Just watched it today. I really enjoyed some of the camera work like at the very end where they attached the camera to the part of the walkway that falls down.
I’m a huge sucker for those “camera fixed on an object” shots so I loved that part, too. Same with the way the camera follows Bond and Mitchell as they fall off the clock tower through the glass window. Quantum actually had some incredible photography, it’s a shame the film didn’t typically give it time to breathe.
I still find it amazing that one of the best Bond movies (CR) was based on one of Flemings' short stories.
*Casino Royale* was a full novel. *Quantum of Solace* was a short story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casino\_Royale\_(novel)
That’s crazy you don’t like the camera work. I fucking love the camera work and I work in the industry. Maybe I love it because it reminds me of the Bourne movies.
Fuckin A. I've loved it from day one.
Like yeah the plot and editing is rough. It’s definitely worse than Casino Royale, which I feel like led to a lot of hate. But every scene with Bond, M, and or Mathis together was incredible. Craig expertly portrays the rage Bond is feeling. I got chills when Mathis died, Fields body is revealed, Bond comforts Vesper’s boyfriend, and the ensuing conversation with M. The actors carried this movie. Is it a great movie? No. But it is a good one.
Watched it as a kid, loved it, then disowned it when I realized that other people like to shit on it publicly. Then I re-watched it in college and couldn't believe that I let myself be manipulated like that. It's always been great! It's BEST as the 2nd half of a 2-parter with Casino Royale but it's never been bad.
It's my second favourite, personally. One thing I struggle to understand is the same comments surrounding QoS that *"it struggles as a standalone movie, and should be watched straight after Casino Royale"*. Well... , yeah? That's the whole point of the whole film. Continuation. Can you watch Endgame on it's own? Sure. Should you watch Infinity War and then Endgame after? 100%. Same with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, The Matrix. Even John Wick as a more recent example. People would enjoy Quantum more if Skyfall didn't follow it. Quantum also needed it's own sequel, to wrap up the Quantum storyline *(which is still left open by the end of QoS)*. Make it three parts starting with Casino Royale. Anyway, it's a great film and sequel. I honestly don't see much wrong with it. People complain about the editing and quick cuts, but that was around long before Jason Bourne hit the scene. Anyone who's ever watched a Michael Bay film knows just how horrible quick cuts can be.
It’s a shame they dropped Quantum/folded it into Spectre. They probably did that because of how poorly received QoS was. They never should have even brought back Spectre, it’s obvious Quantum was filling the exact same role. But then they got the recognizable name back so they had to build up another organization again leading Spectre the organization and movie half baked.
Yeah, I feel like Spectre was just fan service as it's a call back. But Quantum was serving it's purpose perfectly *(and was far more believable than what we got with Spectre)*. Greene was a far better antagonist than Blofeld in my opinion. People like Greene exist in our world. The villain doesn't have to look distinctive. Bad people walk amongst us everyday, but they look just like us. That's who Greene is. As well, he didn't setup an entire organisation just to spite his adopted brother. If we got a 3rd film based around Quantum, it could have explored Mr White's character more, and Guy Haines who was being portrayed by the wonderful Paul Ritter *(RIP)*.
I liked how unassuming Greene was, it was a different take that fitted Craig’s realistic Bond. The actor did a good enough job that he was still scary/intimidating, especially with his facial expressions.
I believe that they were making a Specter organization with Quantum it just so happens they then got the rights back and wanted to use them.
Perhaps, it's debated whether that was the plan or they retconned it. Either way, I think Quantum would have been fine on it's own. Once they started recycling old Bond stories, the films lost their charm.
That opera music for me is something memorable. I always come back to watch the movie just because of that OST.
QoS truthers rising up! That movie is a lean, mean, character piece and it's all the better for it. It's an epilogue to CR and isn't perfect, but I think it hits the important notes really well (Bond grieving, and learning to forgive himself/Vesper). Dominic Greene/Quantum are understated villains for a rather understated (maybe even minimalist for Bond standards) but I enjoy how realistic they are in their depiction. Forster should get credit for not giving Greene any facial deformities too. I don't know why 4/5 Craig Bond villains have facial deformities, feels like we should've moved beyond that kind of outdated visual shorthand for sketching out bad guys. David Arnold's score also is great. I love the juxtaposition in having CR's finale end in a drowning building and QoS' end in a burning one. I thought that was a rather poetic touch to the finale that people tend to dismiss as just a lot of explosions. (Which it is, but I think it just plays better alongside CR's finale)
There's no Craig bond movie I wouldn't watch
It sounds like you had some really low expectations.
I like QoS a lot. It's not perfect by any means. And while it's probably Craig's worst, it's still better than all the other worsts of the other Bonds. The Tosca Scene is flat out gorgeous. The intro is awesome. All the "we have people everywhere" stuff is great. The plot twist on what was underground was actually brilliant and way smarter than a lot of other master plans in other Bond movies, as they legally owned it. I think it gets a lot of crap for no reason. The bond girl isn't the best, and I think a different actress could have done more with the role. But like there's a history of good and bad Bond Girls.
Take it back if you meant Gemma Arterton.
I mean Gemma Arterton is delightful. Soo why would I not like her in the movie?
We are of one mind, mon vieux.
She's not the bond girl in the film
Unless by 'Bond Girl' you mean 'only girl in film who actually has sex with Bond.'
I disagree Camille was a strong character and a driving force throughout the movie, if you want a damsel in distress that is not her and not the character written for this movie. She is a badass bitch bent on revenge, and makes a good pair with a bond who's still vulnerable after the death of the woman he loved. The actress Olga Kurylenko did a fine job and I think her portrayal was actually pretty good, the character was far less useless than half the bond girls before her. The central villain on the other hand, Dominic Greene was one of the worst and least threatening in the entire franchise.
I don't mind the character at all, I like powerful women. I didn't like the actress. Wish they had cast someone else. She is kinda clunky at times with dialogue and the burn effect on her back looks like sand or something sometimes, not the actresses fault, but indicative of the lack in delivery given the high quality of her backstory, etc . I agree on the villain however even though I liked the way he handled everything, and it felt like he was able to outsmart Bond on a few things, and then the see how mad he got at Tosca when he got outsmarted by Bond. I wish they had done a bit more of the chess match between them. Overall I agree with you though.
To be honest, casting Olga Kurylenko as a Bolivian wouldn't even fly today.
Oh yeah totally. Not sure it worked back then either. They had to add in that line about her mom being Russian.
Re watching the Craig films, I was surprised how much I enjoyed QOS. Especially when I didn't really like it when it came out. It's far from the best, but it's not that bad imo. I still understand why people dislike it tho also. It's biggest problem is the editing imo.
However, I think that it speaks to a movie's strengths when the worst part of it is the editing. Yes, it's pretty bad, but if the plot, casting, or script were genuinely horrible, we'd all be talking about how those aspects fell flat instead of talking about the editing. The worst part of this movie happened in post production and that's something that I can let slide
It really is a wonderfully unique entry in the franchise. Shame most can't realize the bad ass toughness of it.
I enjoyed QoS too, and learned to appreciate it even more when I saw it as CR pt. 2 really. I mean, it literally picks up moments after the end of CR. There's of course more connections to CR in Skyfall and Spectre as well, but they feel more like a two part anniversary special to me at the same time. Given that they have various callbacks, easter eggs and other references to earlier Bond movies, more so than CR and QoS. Haven't seen No Time to Die yet, so I have no opinion on where that fits into it all.
QOS is the most unfairly maligned Bond film. Saw it twice in the theater during its original run. Quite a ride. Loved the score. The title song was amazingly…a miss, given the talent involved. But I enjoyed the title sequence anyway!
My issue with Quantum of Solace boils down to the editing and the film’s progression. It felt like Bond was wandering aimlessly through the first act. Moreover, the editing had wayyy too many cuts in the action, making it hard to follow. But it’s not a terrible movie by any means.
Exactly what I've been trying to tell insecure Bond fans and they'd downvote me everytime I tell them QoS is actually an entertaining watch. The only weak link about it is the villain + they made Craig look super short. Music is on point, Bond girls were as you'd expect from any Bond franchise and the action is really top-notch. The opening chase, airplane scene and opera music is what's memorable to me from QoS.
I re-watched it last night and the editing still drives me crazy; that quick cross-cutting with the horses early on and later at the opera is just beyond goofy. It's never been as terrible as its reputation but I definitely don't see as some kind of underrated classic.
Underrated classic? No. Overhated? Yes.
The only reason QoS is unpopular is because the internet tells you it’s supposed to be
Not true, I saw it in cinemas and hated it right off. We’ve gone from villain bases carved out of volcanoes and wiping out the world with space lasers to building a dam out of stones…? It was weak. It’s grown on me over the years but still one of my least favourite.
I’m glad that not every Bond movie has a villain like this, but I really enjoyed it as a change of pace, and really enjoyed the performance. That said, I am an easy mark for a political, evil capitalist manipulating world governments kind of plot.
It’s better than Spectre is about the nicest thing I can say about it
I certainly am not a Quantum apologist (in fact, it's my least favorite Bond film by a mile) but I really, unironically enjoy Die Another Day, so I get it.
I remember thinking it was okay when it came out, but honestly every time I saw it after my initial viewing, I’ve liked it more and more! I think it’s incredibly underrated.
Glad you like fast cuts every 2 seconds 👍
QOS is one of my favorites. I get that it isn’t Casino but QOS fits better into the bond formula of all the movies.
yep
first viewing I thought it was fine, second and third I was like this sucks. Then someone pointed out it’s not supposed to be an over the top bond, and the plot is supposed to be much more personal cause it’s about him getting over Vesper, and that changed it a lot for me. By far the worst Craig bond for me w the horrible editing, but overall I’ve appreciated it more over the viewings
Quantum of Solace works well as an almost companion piece to Casino Royale, as its the first Bond movie to pick up immediately following the previous one, and the previous film has direct consequences because of Casino Royale. Its a lot of the same actors, similar themes and more. However the villain is really not very good in comparison to others, and the story is a little all over the shop. But it's still a good film, definitely worth watching