Quatum of Solace-Ogling Olga

To start off,people were already grunting at having to hear the new Alicia Keys-Jack White theme song played in whole in the overlong opening credits.Now..to the review!I actually kind of liked it,especially because as a non-gambler I didn't understand the last one (Casino Royale),a movie also dampened by a sluggish pace and unmemorable characters.Helming the 22nd installment is director Marc Foster,whose previous work includes Finding Neverland and The Kite Runner-he's chosen to retain several "traditional'' elements of the Bond franchise I don't like,particularly the having of a distinctly harmless and Disney-like villian who has neither class nor presence,and the essential role of guns in the movie.On the upside,he's also dared to introduce a welcome change in many other areas.

The first few action scenes depict Bond as some kind of extreme circus performer-sure its fun seeing him jump roofs and drive a motorcycle into a boat-there's something to be enjoyed in the escapism,but I couldn't help feeling that some of the action scenarios were unecessary and too contrived.The bigger problem was the editing-its the frantic,hyperactive editing practiced with more skill in the Bourne flicks-we get only glimpses and major details are lost,the camera pausing only to show a car blowing up etc.The good part is that it gets better,fast.The later action scenes were more focused and there's a balanced trade-off between the action and exposition.Plus,I really like how they made vengeance a pivotal part of Bond's drive-I'm so sick of seeing him as the only the good guy in the room,always pouting and posing like a perfect gentleman and showing hardly a drop of sweat.This time he gets into trouble and surely,in the end he wins the upper hand and survives-but things still do fuck up in the process,he goes a bit mad and careless and in turn lives are lost.

Judi Dench is fantastic as usual-in fact most of the supporting characters play an individual role,unlike most action flicks where they're total tools who do nothing but wear uniforms and delegate sternly from the office.Olga Kurylenko was just absolutely perfect-she won't be winning Oscars anytime soon,but she makes a strong counterpart and is devastatingly stunning.Daniel Craig,it has to be said-is a huge improvement Pierce Brosnan,who had "Dumbass" written all over his face and is completely implausible as an action man-Craig's acting is a bit one-dimensional,but he carries the character's aura and sophistication confidently.

So why all the hate for Quantum of Solace?My take is that this piece doesn't cater to Bond fans-its a kickass flick,but on many levels feel stereotypical and is lacking that certain uniqueness a Bond film should have,some might argue.So,the thing completely missing here is Bond's identity.Not being a fan of the franchise,I found it to be a highly enjoyable action flick and whether it was Bond,Bourne or another "special agent" roving the globe for bad guys,I couldn't care less.

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