Quantum of Solace (three and a half stars total) I think I liked the new Bond movie even better than the last one. The main character seems more sure of who he is and what needs to be done. I prefer the new, up close and personal, choreographed fight scenes over the classic, panoramic armies exploding of yesteryear. And the best part of the new movie is the part that's not in there - the afterglow bed scene (oh yes, there's some bare back kissing, but not played out, laying in bed). Accuse me of not being a purist, I know I'm not. But at least I hold a grudge that Daniel Craig doesn't have dark hair. Anyway, on with the "James Bond Formula":1. Traditional Theme, Logo, Single Shot, and Blood - yes, but just at the end(?)
2. Bond Almost Dies - yes, the opening, hillside, car chase that tops Goldeneye's
3. Title - yes, I suppose the title could have many, different meanings
4. Opening Credits - yes, silhouettes of nubile women, but more desert than anything else
5. Movie Theme Song - yes, but not same title as the movie; the lead singer of Oasis complained that Americans did it this time, but has that really been the first time? Jack White and Alicia Keys melded two styles so completely that it gives hope for the future of music
6. Briefing of Mission - yes/abduction and murder from within the organization
7. Toyland - yes, but not FOR Bond to take with him; I'm referring to the Minority Report-style office desks and satellite phone screens
8. Exotic Locations - yes, Haiti, Cairo, and Bolivia
9. "Bond, James Bond" - no, but maybe I just missed it
10. Casino Gamble - no, that would have been seriously redundant after the last movie
11. Game of Skill - no, the substitute of another game didn't even come into play; you could count the opera/tele-conference he interrupts or the eco-fundraiser for at least requiring a tuxedo
12. Henchmen - yes, and the fight right before he meets the Bond Girl reminded me a lot of the cramped slugfests in The Bourne Supremacy
13. Bond Girl - yes, and I can't remember a Latina ever before
14. Company of the Bad Girl - no, there are only two girls, both on his side
15. Sexually Hinted Female Name - yes, Strawberry Fields
16. American Agent - yes, the same guy from Casino Royale, who I like
17. Enemy Spots Bond - yes, he gets ID'd with help from the bad CIA guy
18. Chase - yes, by land, sea, and air
19. Russian Writer's Name - I don't know my authors; the Bond Girl is the daughter of a Russian
20. Fallen Comrade - yes, both Mathis and Ms. Fields
21. Bad Guy's Headquarters Found - yes, in the middle of the desert
22. Bad Guy's Nasty Pet - no, just the General's nasty habits
23. Battle Armies - no, thank goodness; I refer now to Clerk's discussion of Star Wars' stormtrooper recruitment and the mass civilian casualties in the destruction of the Death Star
24. Bond and Company Captured - no, but Bond coaches on how to kill
25. Bond Left to Die - no, but one bad guy still reveals his whole evil plan
26. Bond Saves Self and Bond Girl - yes, in a blaze of glory, yet a somehow anticlimactic ending
27. Final Combat - yes, both Bond and the Bond Girl gets their vengeance
28. Cynical Eulogy - yes, there's something about a drink but it's not laugh-out-loud funny or even smile-worthy; I have to admit, this newest Bond has almost none of the humor of the others
29. Destruction of Bad Guy's Headquarters - yes, but it starts during fighting
30. Secondary Combat - yes, if you call ordering someone to sit down at gunpoint a form of combat; the dismissal of the Canadian agent is slightly amusing, but definitely not humorous
31. Taking the High Road - no, Bond and Bond Girl are neither retrieved in an exotic or unusual manner, nor do they need any help getting home
32. Bond Has the Bond Girl - NO, can you believe it?????
According to my table of the previous movies (see my 11/3/08 post), Quantum of Solace was more faithful to "James Bond Formula" (20 out of 32) than On Her Majesty's Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only, or The Living Daylights
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