Quantum of Solace – Blu Ray Review

The Film:

Donny: I am completely pleased with the direction that the franchise has taken.  I know that lots of critics are upset at the tone of the new flick.  I can understand that some people can’t let go of the crazy super-villains, suave ladies man with tons of gadgets Bond that populated the previous flicks.  But in my opinion because the franchise was completely rebooted I don’t have a problem with taking Bond into another direction.

This new Bond is pissed, he’s dealing with his demons, and because he only recently received his license to kill he’s still dealing with the emotional strain leaving a pile of bodies in your wake can bring with it.  He loves the ladies, but is struggling with the loss of his beloved.   I’m looking forward to watching him grow into the Bond that we all know and love.  I want to watch him figure out exactly what kind of agent he wants to be, while choosing the battles he wants to fight.

Jon: I’ll freely admit it took me a couple of viewings to really like Casino Royale and now that I’m soaked up into this reboot, I thought Quantum of Solace was a prefect continuation of ideas, themes, and style from where they started from. Do yourself a favor and revisit Casino Royale because this literally takes place very soon after, with no recap of any kind. Bond is like a raging bull inside of a glass cage-something bad is going to happen.

Despite that, he still works within his MI6 terms and while he’s leaving a pile of dead bodies everywhere, he still has the mission as his top priority. Really, this film is a classic Bond story: you got Bond going rogue against MI6 because he knows something they don’t, a villain with sort of world domination plot, sexy vixens that will either help or kill Bond, and of course action 007 can only deliver. What I like about this film is how it feels like yang to Casino Royale’s ying. Both can be viewed as separate stories but are better viewed as one movie, two-parts. With an ending that could hint at a new psychological direction for our favorite double-o, it fits into what they are re-establishing.

If the film does have any flaws, it’s that the action is almost undone by over-editing, an irritating practice that has been in all action films since Michael Bay came about. But really that was the only thing I disliked about it. Overall, this Bond isn’t the one-step ahead, suave, fast quipping agent we’ve seen for 40 years. He’s learning as he goes, more emotional and reactionary that in the past. This was the Bond critics praised in Casino Royale. What are they bitching about in this is the exact opposite of what they praised. Dumb. Listen to us, this Bond is awesome and I pray we get a couple more of these types before Daniel Craig retires from the character.

Donny: Basically all I’m trying to say in a really long winded fashion is that I really dug Quantum of Solace.  The opening credits rocked, the car chase gave me wood, the girls gave me wood, and Bond was a complete bad-ass!  I also really enjoyed Judi Dench as M.  She’s perfect for the role, adding a touch of class to every scene she’s in.  Jeffery Wright was also impressive as Felix, the CIA agent with his heart in the right place.  Overall I think Mark Forster rocked the hell out of the Bond mythos, 007 is back with a vengeance!

The Blu Ray:

Audio/Video: Fans of Bond and action films will love this. The audio is amazing; I hope you have a good system. The surrounds are highly active and the bass is solid. The video is great too; it keeps the rough look of the film, you know that grainy look. While not as impressive as the audio, it’s still really good quality.

Bond on Location: This half-an-hour feature has interviews and some behind-the-scenes footage but feels like a commercial trying to sell you on the film. EPK basically, it’s okay but not quite worth while.

Additional Featurettes: This collects five featurettes and spaces them out to make it look like the disc has a ton of bonus materials. These are all quick 5 minute types focusing on the girls, cars, etc.

Crew Files: This one too collects the webisodes and makes them run about 45 minutes if you watch them all. Again, it’s all promo, EPK stuff, nothing major.

Music Video and the Trailers round out the extras.

Conclusion: Watch Casino Royale first, to get everything back in your memory and you’ll enjoy this one a lot more. With really weak extras, I feel when the next Bond comes out in a year or so, we’ll surely see this as a double-dip, but the presentation and film comes recommended.

Rating: