It's rather surreal seeing many negative reviews and knowing QOS has had the biggest opening yet (accepting inflation makes a bit of a nonsense of that, but hey, I guess enough people went to see it over the weekend).
Maybe it's all the fault of repeat customers like myself.
For starters there's the much criticised Tosca sequence where an opera about doomed love & espionage is cleverly counterpointed with on screen events.
I liked the look of the whole Tosca sequence, even though I thought they were all a bit daft getting up after Bond did his "I can see you" comment, but as someone who doesn't know the actual story of Tosca any counterpoint of story was wasted on me.
The subtext of the rise and power of corporations and shadowy groups which have even more power than countries now do, hence the CIA and MI6 being very, very unwilling to combat them.
Not really a subtext - couldn't have more obvious.
I didn't like this film as much as Casino Royale, and personally feel that each Bond film should be a standalone film.
The action sequences were too fast, too close, and too many, and I feel that this Bond has none of the humour of his predecessors, not that I want to see a return to the Roger Moore era, but Bond's humanity always came over in his banter with Moneypenny.
I've always felt that the Bourne films are Hollywood's attempt to cash in on the Bond popularity, so didn't like to see Bond try to emulate them.
I liked the look of the whole Tosca sequence, even though I thought they were all a bit daft getting up after Bond did his "I can see you" comment, but as someone who doesn't know the actual story of Tosca any counterpoint of story was wasted on me.
You don't need to know the story of Tosca to get the gist of the scene.
Although it was very obviously a deliberate choice.
Well there's an interesting scene in Quantum of Solacewith Mathis which infers by default that James Bond is a code name.
So that would explain why Judi Dench is M to both Daniel Craig & Remington Steele.
That would just be silly though - he already has a code number, I will be annoyed if they go on to suggest that his whole identity is fake too. I don't there's ever previously been a suggestion that his name is a code (though I seem to recall that Fleming picked it to be as nondescript as possible). Obviously M is a code name as Fleming gives (the first) M's real name at one point as well.
If they'd going with Bond as a code name, I'd rather they used it to differentiate Bond's 7 and onwards from Daniel Craig rather than to differentiate Craig from the previous 4. By that I mean that Casino Royale be treated as the start and the previous 5 Bonds where part of a different universe. It's probable that the first 4 Bonds where supposed to be treated as the same character (certainly the first 3).
Although ultimately it's going to be irrelevant as it will never be addressed in the films.
If they'd going with Bond as a code name, I'd rather they used it to differentiate Bond's 7 and onwards from Daniel Craig rather than to differentiate Craig from the previous 4. By that I mean that Casino Royale be treated as the start and the previous 5 Bonds where part of a different universe. It's probable that the first 4 Bonds where supposed to be treated as the same character (certainly the first 3).
I think it's fair to say Craig's Bond is not the same as the 'Connery through to Dalton' Bonds. Craig's Bond is very much a post 9/11 James Bond and Connery's was very much a Cold War Bond. Brosnan's Bond was in between the two which explained why in Goldeneye M called his Bond "a sexist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War." Craig's Bond is very much a 'war on terrorism' type Bond with Jason Bourne/Jack Bauer characteristics.
If they'd going with Bond as a code name, I'd rather they used it to differentiate Bond's 7 and onwards from Daniel Craig rather than to differentiate Craig from the previous 4. By that I mean that Casino Royale be treated as the start and the previous 5 Bonds where part of a different universe. It's probable that the first 4 Bonds where supposed to be treated as the same character (certainly the first 3).
Although ultimately it's going to be irrelevant as it will never be addressed in the films.
Well it can be both. Either Bond is a code name, or he is 'is' James Bond and the other Bonds never happened.
I personally like the idea of Bond being a code-name, but as you said it will never be addressed, which lets it drift in that ambigous territory which lets people decide what they want for themselves.
Did anyone else think there was a "Mini Q" in the film?
Yeah, that guy with the tweed jacket and the rather posh accent, who talked about them dumping marked bills into LeChiffre's operation. Seemed very Q-ish to me. I was half expecting them to call him Major Boothroyd as he seemed like he was really intended to be that character.
Yeah, that guy with the tweed jacket and the rather posh accent, who talked about them dumping marked bills into LeChiffre's operation. Seemed very Q-ish to me. I was half expecting them to call him Major Boothroyd as he seemed like he was really intended to be that character.
Yeah, that guy with the tweed jacket and the rather posh accent, who talked about them dumping marked bills into LeChiffre's operation. Seemed very Q-ish to me. I was half expecting them to call him Major Boothroyd as he seemed like he was really intended to be that character.
The character that you mentioned is Bill Tanner who is M's Chief of Staff (had to check imdb and Wikipedia for that) but I agree there was a Q like quality to him.
It will be interesting if or how they bring back Q into the new Bond films. I think making him younger would change the dynamic between him and Bond.
The character that you mentioned is Bill Tanner who is M's Chief of Staff (had to check imdb and Wikipedia for that) but I agree there was a Q like quality to him.
Just googled an image of Rory Kinnear - I'm pretty certain we're refering to a different person.
According to IMDb agent Fields first name was...Strawberry :rolleyes: That wasn't mentioned in the film was it? I'm sure I would have remembered. I don’t know why they still try to give the Bond girls stupid names – Fleming’s were truly awful but at least they were authentic. I think that part of the franchise could be laid to rest.
Comments
Bournefinger?
We could go on all day really...
Maybe it's all the fault of repeat customers like myself.
How and when did he lose his '00' status then?
Sorry, trying to catch up without having to watch all the films
Thunderbourne scans better than the rest
I liked the look of the whole Tosca sequence, even though I thought they were all a bit daft getting up after Bond did his "I can see you" comment, but as someone who doesn't know the actual story of Tosca any counterpoint of story was wasted on me.
Not really a subtext - couldn't have more obvious.
I didn't like this film as much as Casino Royale, and personally feel that each Bond film should be a standalone film.
The action sequences were too fast, too close, and too many, and I feel that this Bond has none of the humour of his predecessors, not that I want to see a return to the Roger Moore era, but Bond's humanity always came over in his banter with Moneypenny.
I've always felt that the Bourne films are Hollywood's attempt to cash in on the Bond popularity, so didn't like to see Bond try to emulate them.
Well there's an interesting scene in Quantum of Solacewith Mathis which infers by default that James Bond is a code name.
So that would explain why Judi Dench is M to both Daniel Craig & Remington Steele.
Although it doesn't explain what Roger Moore was doing visiting the grave of George Lazenby's wife in For Your Eyes Only.
Continuity hell. Don'tcha just love it.
I missed this first time around. I'll probably go see it again in the next week or so - which bit was it?
You don't need to know the story of Tosca to get the gist of the scene.
Although it was very obviously a deliberate choice.
Thought it might have been that bit.
Will pay more attention next time I watch it.
EDIT: was it this bit your refering to?
Indeed.
That would just be silly though - he already has a code number, I will be annoyed if they go on to suggest that his whole identity is fake too. I don't there's ever previously been a suggestion that his name is a code (though I seem to recall that Fleming picked it to be as nondescript as possible). Obviously M is a code name as Fleming gives (the first) M's real name at one point as well.
Although ultimately it's going to be irrelevant as it will never be addressed in the films.
Die Another Day certainly resides in another universe.
I think it's fair to say Craig's Bond is not the same as the 'Connery through to Dalton' Bonds. Craig's Bond is very much a post 9/11 James Bond and Connery's was very much a Cold War Bond. Brosnan's Bond was in between the two which explained why in Goldeneye M called his Bond "a sexist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War." Craig's Bond is very much a 'war on terrorism' type Bond with Jason Bourne/Jack Bauer characteristics.
Well it can be both. Either Bond is a code name, or he is 'is' James Bond and the other Bonds never happened.
I personally like the idea of Bond being a code-name, but as you said it will never be addressed, which lets it drift in that ambigous territory which lets people decide what they want for themselves.
I didn't say I needed it to get the gist of the scene, merely to see the parallels with the opera they were watching.
Yeah, that guy with the tweed jacket and the rather posh accent, who talked about them dumping marked bills into LeChiffre's operation. Seemed very Q-ish to me. I was half expecting them to call him Major Boothroyd as he seemed like he was really intended to be that character.
My thoughts exactly
The character that you mentioned is Bill Tanner who is M's Chief of Staff (had to check imdb and Wikipedia for that) but I agree there was a Q like quality to him.
It will be interesting if or how they bring back Q into the new Bond films. I think making him younger would change the dynamic between him and Bond.
Just googled an image of Rory Kinnear - I'm pretty certain we're refering to a different person.
There's a lack of tweed on him in this pic
http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/bond22/images/20080104_dench_london_3.jpg
Brendan O'Hea is listed on IMDB as "Forensics Tech" I can't find a pic of him, but I think it could be this guy we're refering to
EDIT:
I've found pictures of him but not from Quantum of Solace, however I'm pretty certain this is the guy we're refering to as "Mini Q"
https://media.nt-online.org/files/OHea_Brendan2z0Tbe.jpg
I see, sorry for getting confused but I see what you mean by Mini Q.