Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDaniel Craig was injured at least three times during the making of this movie. The most prominent ones included an injury to his face, which required four stitches, another to his shoulder, which required six surgical screws to be inserted in an operation, and his arm in a sling, and then his hand was injured when one of his finger tips was sliced off. He laughed these off, noting they did not delay filming, and joked his finger wound would enable him to have a criminal career (though it had grown back when he made this comment). He also had minor plastic surgery on his face.
- GoofsIn the opening chase, Bond's car door is torn off, but as it spins around not only is the door there, but there isn't a scratch on the driver's side.
- Quotes
James Bond: [Bond is holding Yusef and Corinne at gunpoint] Sit down!
[they both sit]
James Bond: [looking at Corinne] You're Canadian...? You work in Canadian intelligence?
[Corinne doesn't answer]
James Bond: That's all right... I know you do. And knowing this man, you likely have access to some very sensitive material that you're going to be forced to give up. His life will be threatened... and because you love him, you won't hesitate.
[pause; Bond looks at Corinne's necklace]
James Bond: That's a beautiful necklace. Did he give it to you?
[Corinne still doesn't answer]
James Bond: [showing her Vesper's necklace] I have one just like it. He gave it to a friend of mine... someone very close to me. Your name is...?
Corinne: Corinne.
James Bond: Corinne... Corinne, I suggest you leave now. You contact your people, and you tell them to check their seals. They have a leak. Do it now, please. This man and I have some unfinished business.
Corinne: [softly, as she leaves] Thank you.
[Bond turns back to Yusef]
Yusef: Please. Make it quick.
- Crazy creditsThe iconic "James Bond gun barrel" sequence, not seen in its traditional format since Die Another Day, is incorporated into the closing credits.
- Alternate versionsFollowing an advisory screening of a rough cut, the film was pre-cut on BBFC advice in the UK before official submission to the Board for a formal cinema classification, with edits made to one scene in the finale. It was subsequently passed "uncut" as a 12A. More detailed notes can be found on the BBFC's website. Worldwide versions are this same pre-cut version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Coca-Cola Zero Zero 7 'Quantum of Solace' Television Commercial (2008)
The film opens with a car chase - Bond is being pursued by thugs. Why? We find out later, but the fact that we have no information at the start makes it really hard to care about the action. On top of that, the camera is moving and cutting every half-second so it's nearly impossible to tell what's even happening. This shaky-cam technique is used throughout the film and it's as disorienting as it is annoying.
We're eventually led to our Bond Girl, Camille, who is a unique Bond Girl for having her own character arc (and her own villain), then she leads Bond to our main villain, Dominic Greene - a businessman who wants to buy a pipeline to control Bolivia's water supply. Not exactly a James Bond-level threat, is it? Greene is no match for Bond physically in any sense, but their final confrontation is gratifying if only to see a villain genuinely, and rightly, terrified of Bond. It's great fun to watch Greene yelp as he's swinging an axe around for dear life while his fuel cell-ridden desert hotel explodes around him.
The rest plays out like a standard revenge story. Camille wants revenge against General Medrano for killing her family, and Bond wants revenge for Vesper by going after the organization that was blackmailing her. The writing is stilted and unpolished, but where the movie mainly fails is in its directing. It's pretentious and tonally clashes with the dark character study of Bond that the script is going for. It also doesn't help when the action scenes keep cutting away to a nearby horse race or an opera.
What we have here is a Bond-Bourne hybrid that had the impossible burden of having to follow Casino Royale. However, it's nice to see a gritty Bond adventure for a change. It's not a great Bond movie, but it's engaging enough to be a good time if you're able to look past its flaws.
- lnvicta
- Nov 25, 2019
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- 1 hour 46 minutes