Product Description

Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 03/24/2009 Run time: 107 minutes Rating: Pg13

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #58 in DVD
• Brand: MGM HOME VIDEO (UNDER FOX)
• Released on: 2009-03-24
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 5.00 pounds
• Running time: 106 minutes

Features

• Betrayed by Vesper, the woman he loved, 007 (Craig) fights the urge to make his latest mission personal. Pursuing his determination to uncover the truth, Bond and M (Dench) interrogate Mr. White (Christensen) who reveals the organization which blackmailed Vesper is far more complex and dangerous than anyone had imagined. Forensic intelligence links a Mi6 traitor to a bank account in Haiti where a

Amazon.com
Daniel Craig hasn't lost a step since Casino Royale--this James Bond remains dangerous, a man who could earn that license to kill in brutal hand-to-hand combat… but still look sharp in a tailored suit. And Quantum of Solance itself carries on from the previous film like no other 007 movie, with Bond nursing his anger from the Casino Royale storyline and vowing blood revenge on those responsible. For the new plot, we have villain Mathieu Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), intent on controlling the water rights in impoverished Third World nations and happy to overthrow a dictator or two to get his way. Olga Kurylenko is very much in the "Bond girl" tradition, but in the Ursula Andress way, not the Denise Richards way. And Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, and Giancarlo Giannini are welcome holdovers. If director Marc Forster and the longtime Bond production team seem a little too eager to embrace the continuity-shredding style of the Bourne pictures (especially in a nearly incomprehensible opening car chase), they nevertheless quiet down and get into a dark, concentrated groove soon enough. And the theme song, "Another Way to Die," penned by Jack White and performed by him and Alicia Keys, is actually good (at times Keys seems to be channeling Shirley Bassey--nice). Of course it all comes down to Craig. And he kills. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

DAMAGED GOODS
Some reviewers and fans of the Bond films have complained that this film is a lesser effort in the series and pales in comparison to "Casino Royale". They have missed something important in their assessment of the film. When Dominic Green says to Bond that he and Camille Montez have something in common, that they are both "Damaged goods" he has clearly put before the audience the crux of the film that is "Quantum of Solace".
The film picks up only minutes after the end of "Casino Royale" and we are presented with a very damaged and changed James Bond. As revealed in the first film by Vesper Lynd's assessment of him upon their first meeting on the train, James Bond is a man who came up from humble beginnings and was given a privileged education but never allowed to forget his low origins. This has made him a very guarded loner with a chip on his shoulder, a perfect candidate for recruitment by MI6. In his words to her later on in the film, Vesper has "stripped me of my armor." But by the end of that film he is a man scarred by the death of his love, the armor is back on never to be penetrated again. He is now becoming the Bond of legend and a man bent on revenge.
So in "Quantum" there is no reason for the old fashioned quips or much humor in this man. Yet if you pay attention the character of James Bond as played by the incomparable Daniel Craig he lets us see that there are cracks in the armor. Something of a human heart still exists in him. This is played out in the scene after the plane crash where Camille asks him about his past. Craig shows it in his eyes in the most marvelous example of his layered and subtle acting style. Craig builds and molds a deeper, darker more complex Bond than we have ever seen before, a character more true to the books than in previous incarnations of Bond.
The action in the film is superlative and stylish. The opening car chase is indeed a nail biter only surpassed by the Sienna chase moments later. This too is then topped by the DC10 aerial battle towards the end of the film. The stunts are breathtaking and propel the film at top notch speed. But perhaps the most stunning and original sequence is the gun fight in the restaurant at the Opera house. This is played without sound effect as the score of "Tosca" commands the ear and heightens the emotion of the scene. This is inspired and brilliant film making taking in account all aspects of editing, cinematography, score, and acting. And since I mentioned music I cannot leave out the incredible delicious score by David Arnold who has infused his Bond scores with the much need taste of John Barry. He captures the glorious Barry sound and builds brilliantly upon it.
All the principle players give superlative performances. Judi Dench command attention as she always has as "M". Giancarlo Giannini redeems himself and is truly touching as Mathis. Mathieu Amalic is appropriately slithery and devious as the villain Green. As Agent Fields, Miss Gemma Arterton brings a light and fun light to the film. Finally in the role of Camille Olga Kurylenko holds her own opposite Daniel Craig. This is no mean feat and she is wonderful, athletic and touching in the film.
In the end Bond does find a quantum of solace and ends the film in a telling way. A small gesture that lets us know he is now moving on but not without a tinge of sadness. This beautiful sad ending is a refreshing and moving way to end a Bond film.
"Quantum of Solace" is a fast paced film that demands attention to the small details and respect for superlative performances by all involved from the director Marc Forster to the entire cast and crew.

Quantum of Solace Not Perfect, But Still A Superior Bond Film
"Quantum of Solace," the latest James Bond film and the second featuring Daniel Craig has its flaws, but is still a pretty spectacular film. The series is in full retooling mode, hardly recognizable when compared to the films of Sean Connery and Roger Moore. While closer to the darker sides of Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan's Bonds, it does have more in common with the popular Jason Bourne series starring Matt Damon, which is not a bad thing.

This Bond pickes up right after the end of Casino Royale, as Bond takes a prisoner for interrogation to M, again played by Dame Judy Dench. The interrogation and subsequent events uncovers a global conspiracy named Quantum, with members of prominence and power, including an admired environmentalist who is obviously up to no good. The rest of the film plays out as Bond races to find out and foil the villain's scheme, partnered with a revenge-minded woman, played by Olga Kurylenko.

The negatives - This film is much shorter than most Bond films, which isn't good or bad by itself, but the film plays in parts like it had a bit too much cut out, most notably the scenes between Bond and Strawberry Fields, a female agent played by Gemma Arterton. Like many women, she tries to resist Bond's charms to no avail, but as events unfold, it is obvious that Fields and Bond had quite a bit of time together, which is not reflected in the final cut. The villain, played by Mathieu Almaric, does not convey much in the way of danger or menace. He doesn't need to be the kind of kitschy, cartoonish villain that the old Bond films are famous for, but he should at least raise the audiences hackles, but he does not. Finally, the tension between Bond and M is understandable, but every film shouldn't have Bond being stripped of his license and having him act any more of a free agent than he already does. It would be more realistic to show the continued development of their relationship with disagreements and dialogue rather than rely on a plot device that has been used numerous times in the Bond series.

The positives, which far outweigh the negatives - Daniel Craig continues to prove that his Bond is like no other. His Bond is nuanced, troubled, and truly, truly dangerous. This Bond seems like someone who has a license to kill and is more apt to use it than any other Bond save Dalton's Bond. His acting talent gives Bond the gravitas and good humor that provides a balanced character. The action scenes have been updated and are breathtaking, and the potential for future films seem limitedless.

Quantum of Solace bodes well for the future of the series since even though it is flawed, it is at the same time a very remarkable film.

Missed Opportunity to Add to Bond Canon
The movie starts off well enough with a nice car chase sequence that employs quick-cut scenes to convey adrenaline-pumping action, but it can be difficult to follow and I have to agree with critics' description of this approach as hypercut editing. In fact, a few people left the theater after the movie starts off with its two signature action sequences utilizing this approach. This unfortunately just underlines the problem with the film's pacing. Marc Forster is well-regarded for his previous work on "Finding Neverland" and "Monster's Ball", but it is obvious that this is his first venture into action-film-making. While I think it is a great idea for the production team to employ "Bourne" veterans to stage the action sequences, the movie was overly reliant on their approach and the aforementioned hypercut editing should have been a complement to the movie's style rather than its primary tool.

I defended Bond's state of mind and soulless demeanor as a vehicle in his early character development that would take him to the familiar suave, debonair spy he eventually becomes, but the portrayal of his motivated actions were inconsistent and rang hollow. As referenced in the title of this review, this was a greatly missed opportunity to memorably add to and definitively establish his early beginnings in James Bond canon. It is all the more disappointing when you consider the serial core cast--Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Jeffrey Wright--was at the top of its game and that there were some intriguing story elements that could have been delved into more or at least handled better to have the audience empathize more with James Bond's inner demons. This might be attributed to a rushed script that was turned in before the writers strike in order to meet production deadlines.

Being a sequel to the storyline from the indelible "Casino Royale", there was a perfect set up to finish Bond's emotional journey but instead it seems like the movie was more interested in hastily ending that part of his life so that it can move onto his next. "Quantum of Solace" even tries to emulate its predecessor with an ending to signify the birth of the Bond the world knows and loves. However, it is executed unconvincingly not only in that particular scene, but also in the buildup throughout the whole movie. It would have been better off for "Royale" to serve as a standalone end story rather than have "Solace" expand on it in such a paint-by-numbers fashion.

As much as "Casino Royale" took a quantum (pun intended) leap in re-invigorating the Bond franchise with a classic telling of Bond lore, "Quantum of Solace" stumbled with a couple of mis-steps back with an unfulfilling product that won't necessarily hurt the franchise but does indicate a possible return to the uninspired, formulaic approach to making James Bond movies.

It's funny how a previous reviewer mentions paying attention to detail in order fully appreciate this movie because I feel this movie would be better enjoyed if the audience would gloss over the details. In fact, if you compare the end scene of "Casino Royale" with opening scenes of "Quantum of Solace", you'll notice the suit Daniel Craig was wearing is different as Bond donned a Brioni suit in CR but a Tom Ford suit was shown in QoS.

I'm still glad I saw the movie but it comes off as superfluous and if I had to give it a grade, it'd get a C+ with the plus only added due to being somewhat related to the previous Bond outing, which I obviously have a high affinity for.