Popcorn: Quantum of Solace

Okay, I admit it, I’m a bit of a James Bond fan, so when Quantum of Solace was released I was a tiny bit excited. In accordance with the David Attenborough Accord (Don’t ask, I just love him), I went to see the new Bond flick with my lovely family. It was during this exercise that I realised two things;
1) Going to see a movie at the local cinema is quite expensive.
2) Going to see a movie at the local cinema is bloody expensive actually!

Anyway, back to the point, Daniel Craig.
I was a little harsh when it was announced that new Bond would be a Blonde (haha alliteration)…in fact I believe that exact phrase was something along the lines of “What?! What a load of [insert 4 letter word here]!” - Yes that’s right people, I’m keeping this site PG.

But Mr. Craig surprised me…he was pretty good in Casino Royale, so I had high expectations for Quantum of Solace. First though, I think it’s important to note that this film is a continuation of the Casino Royale storyline. I don’t think many people realised this when they went to see it, partly because the only recognisable continuity in past Bond films was the characters professional occupation, alcoholic beverage of choice and the fact that he was a bit of a man-whore….oops! I just violated my PG rating. Apologies.

Craig puts on another epic performance as Bond, he’s cold, surly and as tough as nails. The action sequences have been stepped up a notch, probably in response to the Bourne films. However, at times, it is very hard to follow what is actually happening in the scene but this is compensated by the rush you feel while actually watching it. Although I do think that some sequences are a bit far fetched, I particularly object to the jumping out of the plane incident, as if they wouldn’t have sustained some serious injuries there! But it was still good!

I think I appreciate this film, and Casino Royale far more than past films because of the performance Craig delivers. He does actually get hurt and bleed and yes, I am looking at you Brosnan! There is a far more human element to the Bond character with Craig at the reins, and not just this superficial and egotistical idea of masculinity.

But what about the Bond Girls? Well I rather liked Camille/Olga Kurylenko, but really didn’t like Strawberry Fields/Gemma Arterton…I don’t know what it was but Ms. Fields just annoyed me and I didn’t feel sad that she…..oops, sorry I’ll try not to spoil anything else for you if you haven’t seen the film yet.

The storyline reflects contemporary issues and what terrorism could eventually lead to. In that sense it was a bit confronting and scary to think about really, but overall I liked the film. And ultimately, it serves its purpose; it provided entertainment and left you with more questions that will lead viewers to the box office again for the next instalment.