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Author Topic: Quantum Of Solace David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 11-16-2008 04:39 PM                        Today at Regal 15 in Eugene, #1 and #8 (explanation to follow), 35mm. Screen #1 had a bad xenon lamp. I'm sure the arc was moving around or something because the screen image looked like someone was waving a gel in front of the lens or something. Also the volume was not loud enough. So I switched to #8, where the image looked much better, but the volume was once again not loud enough. There's a lot of softly-spoken dialog in this movie and it's hard to hear it all when the volume is too low. The loud stuff had no punch at all. Actually I suspect the soundtrack to this movie is quite sucky anyway. Anyway for god sake play it loud enough for people to hear the dialog. *** POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOLLOW *** "Quantum of Solace" manages to be both boring and dumb. The action sequences are a jumbled series of quick cuts adding up to nothing. The "plot", and I use the term loosely, is something about taking over the water supply of Colombia or some such thing. A highlight of the level of idiocy this film reaches is when the bad guys need to have a meeting so they all go to the opera and while wearing Bluetooth headsets*, they TALK OUT LOUD to each other while the opera is going on. Right, talking out loud during the opera, about things like taking over the Colombian water supply or some crazy nonsense. Nobody's gonna pick up on that. Your secret is safe with your fellow opera fans. This movie SUCKS. I left after about 3 reels. It was wasting my time and I could barely hear the dialog anyway. Zero stars. ZERO. This movie actually both BLOWS and SUCKS. Although I might have given it 1 star if I could hear all the dialog, who knows. Regal gets an "F" for the presentation on screen #1 due to the bad screen illumination and also for the volume being too low. *Well they might as well have been Bluetooth. No doubt they're supposed to be something more sophisticated than that but who knows for sure.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 11-16-2008 06:57 PM                     Aww man I wanted to make the Jason Borne reference but Jonathan beat me to it. Over all I liked it and disagree about it not having a plot, I do admit that it didn't really have a resolution to anything but it is looking like this may be the middle segment of a James Bond Trilogy so look for resolution in the next movie. ------------------- SPOILERS ---------------------------- Alright so we had a car chase scene, a foot chase scene, a boat chase scene and an airplane chase scene, I half expected Bond and a group of baddies to jump on horses for another cliche movie chase scene. The plot of the movie seemed to be about learning more of the Solace group and it's members and activities (and stopping their latest plan). This corrsponds with Bond's motives as far as getting to those responsible for Vespa's death. I am guessing the information learned (but not revealed to the audience) near the end of the movie, will lead to the actual take down of the Solace group in the third movie (after which I assume Craig steps down as Bond). I was really hoping that the movie would end with Bond somehow recapturing Mr. White. I thought that would have been a nice arc to the movie and would have provided at least some resolution before the next film. Over all very entertaining and I would give it 3.5 stars ot of 5  |  IP: Logged Mike Schindler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1039 From: Oak Park, IL, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 11-17-2008 12:31 AM                     This movie is everything I wanted it to be. CASINO ROYALE was near perfection. But there was always that risk that Part II would be the same as every other Bond movie, totally disregarding what had come before by taking Bond on a completely unrelated adventure. Instead, this movie picks up right where CASINO ROYALE left off. That movie was really dense. And QUANTUM OF SOLACE digs even deeper. As this new continuity progresses, the previous 20 movies become less and less relevant. While I'd like to see some of the old familiar elements reintroduced into the franchise, they better have a really good reason to be there, or I'm checking out. I hope that Daniel Craig remains the one and only Bond for the rest of his career. I'd love to see the character evolve as he ages. I want to see what a 75 year-old Bond is up to.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 11-17-2008 10:09 AM                     The similarities with Bourne Ulitmatum were deliberate, not coincidental, I believe. Dan Bradley and Terry Madden both worked on Bourne as second unit director and AD, and reprised those roles in QoS. I thoroughly enjoyed QoS, but agree with several criticisms. I felt like the plot was edited down from the script and we really deserved to learn more about QUANTUM, especially about what Bond learned from Greene. I'll also agree with all the mainstream critics in that the lack of a sexual relationship between Bond and Camille seemed out of place with the 007 genre. And I really didn't care for the Jack White / Alicia Keys duet. Oh, and also, the initial car chase scene was tough to follow. But it was still fun and exciting. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Sean Weitzel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Vacaville, CA (1790 miles west of Rockwall) Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-17-2008 12:17 PM                     It was a good ride. I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous one. Saw it at the Century 21, San Jose. Presentation was excellent, however the CAP code on this print was ridiculous. I stopped counting after seeing about 8 very conspicuous cap coded frames in the span of one reel.  |  IP: Logged Phil Blake Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 558 From: esperance western australia Registered: Nov 2003 posted 11-18-2008 05:54 PM                        It was still up there with the rest of the Bonds, I will agree strongly with others comments on the Bourne simularities. I hated the that hand held camera work on the action scenes , it spoilt them. The car chase would have been so much better without it. It moved well yet lacked the glamour most of the Bonds have. The prints and sound was quite good and I was ever so pleased to have DTS discs arrive with the print. I need to watch it again i think to form an exact opinion. for now it gets a 3 out of 5 from me. it lost half a point for the gunbarrel sequence at the end.  |  IP: Logged Stu Jamieson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 524 From: Buccan, Qld, Australia Registered: Jan 2008 posted 11-22-2008 07:35 PM                     Bond#22 has Her Majesty's Thug hunting down a kingpin from the secret organisation, Quantum, who means to acquire ground water sources in Bolivia for his own personal profit. Quite what this has to do with the same organisation brokering deals between terrorists and rogue bankers (the residual plot thread from Casino Royale) is anybody's guess and herein lies the central flaw of Quantum Of Solace (what does that title even mean, anyway?) Quantum Of Solace was intended to be the sequel to Casino Royale, indeed it follows on directly from its predecessor without so much as an introduction. But the problem is that the script makes little effort to clarify the overall objective of the Quantum group, with the result being that Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace come across as two completely unrelated stories when we are expecting quite the opposite. With the exception of the carry-over alpha villain, Mr White (who is swiftly written out of the plot), this new film quietly departs from the plot of its predecessor and this merely serves to create confusion as to exactly what the plot of this installment is. Indeed, Quantum Of Solace has so little to do with its predecessor that one wonders why the "To Be Continued..." style ending of Casino Royale was even used. It all smacks of over-zealous marketing and a rushed script. This is also evident in a marked continuity error in M's attitude towards Bond between the two films. Her statement, "When you can't tell your friends from your enemies, it's time to go", is a direct contradiction to her congratulating 007 on his "trusting no-one" at the conclusion of Casino Royale. The film has much in common with the Bourne movies in terms of style and setting; the roof-top chase sequence is almost lifted in it's entirety and the action editing (particularly the car chase sequence) is even less discernable than those from the Bourne films - do we really care about all those split second gear changes and throttle pedal stabs? Performance-wise, most are adequate but replaceable, the exceptions being Giancarlo Giannini, who brings much heart to the character of Mathis, and Judi Dench who, as always, is a treasure. Jeffrey Wright is criminally underused as Bond's intriguing American opposite number, Felix Leiter. The films key asset, however, (as was the case in Casino Royale) is Daniel Craig who is an excellent 007 and, arguably, the best yet. If nothing else, Daniel Craig deserves a better vehicle for his talents. 6.5 out of 10  |  IP: Logged Benny Walters Film Handler Posts: 41 From: Columbus, OH USA Registered: Jul 2008 posted 11-23-2008 10:14 PM                     quote: Sean Weitzel Presentation was excellent, however the CAP code on this print was ridiculous. I stopped counting after seeing about 8 very conspicuous cap coded frames in the span of one reel. The print I screened had no less then a dozen in the reel that had the flying scene... Uber-annoying.  |  IP: Logged Demetris Thoupis Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1240 From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus Registered: Apr 2001 posted 11-24-2008 03:09 PM                     This was bound to happen. I have not seen the film yet but they set the bar so high with Casino Royale they would be no way they could close in the perfectness of Casino. They thought they could do it again but it seems that this time it lacks. Demetris  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-24-2008 06:40 PM                     You guys ought to go through and cut those frames out! That may very well be LESS annoying then the missing frames themselves. This is an annoying problem in which D-Cinema does not suffer! Mark  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-30-2008 10:46 PM                     Finally had time to see this tonight... Megaplex Gateway screen #11. The image was too bright causing the blacks to be washed out. There also appeared to be a slight hot spot in the right part of the image from my seat in row J seat 9. This is a curved matte white screen! Sound was very definately a tad too loud as well. Mike you need to check this room out! I enjoyed the movie overall... Not as well put together as the last installment but this one didn't really let me down all that much either. I felt the editing was way too tight with too many cuts too quickly. Other than that it was enjoyable. Presentation: 2 stars Movie: 3 stars  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 12-02-2008 10:25 PM                        CINEMA: Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, Sandy, UT AUDITORIUM: 9 PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema DLP PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None RATING: Two and one half stars (out of four) THE PLOT: A guy wants revenge. A girl wants revenge. A dictator wants his country back. A guy wants to extort him. The CIA wants to hang around and not care. Wackiness ensues. I liked it better than Casino Royale, largely because this movie actually ends (well, I guess it IS the end of Casino Royale, actually). But not enough to give it a better rating. Still, I look forward to the next installment.  |  IP: Logged Kurt Zupin Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 989 From: Maricopa, Arizona Registered: Oct 2004 posted 12-03-2008 12:05 AM                     I saw this when it first came out, I just never really cared to post nor gotten around to it. Like all most everyone else, I did not like this movie as much as CR. There was ZERO plot, just enough to string along taking Bond from one country to the next. I have to disagree with you Sam, this movie did not end at all. There was no resolution to the main story, the only thing it did was capture Vespars "lover". We are not privy to the information that was gotten from Mr. Green, just told what happened to him. 2.4/5 for some cool action scenes. I still prefer Casino Royale to this.  |  IP: Logged Hillary Charles Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 748 From: York, PA, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 12-05-2008 07:58 PM                     Possible Spoilers Just saw it tonight and I thought it a decent follow up to CR. The ending made me feel like we're seeing the point where the legend is born (or reborn). The final image was touching, as if Bond has symbolically left his humanity behind, and won't make the same mistake twice. The allusion to "Goldfinger" was cute in a grim sort of way, and I liked how every location was begun with the name in a different font (no Trajan from what I remember). Now I can't wait for the next one!  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 07-09-2009 10:32 AM                    I finally started watching this last night - holy crap the editing SUCKS on this movie!!! Good lord, you can't even follow the action! What idiot cut this thing together? I don't know what's worse - the seizure-cam or these quick cuts. I got the sense that they wanted you to be able to follow two things going on at once, but the result of their edit job is that you can't really follow either of them. So far the movie is... eh. I'll come back and finish this when I finish watching it... probably tonight. So far, Casino is much better.  |  IP: Logged

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