Quantum of Solace is the first direct Bond sequel,the sequel to the amazing Casino Royale,which set the bar high for the future movies in the series.So,does it meet expectations?Does James Bond find his quantum of solace?
The filmakers said from the start,that they wanted to make a different movie from Casino Royale.And surely that's the case here.And while the spirit of the new series is here,the movie has more in common with previous Bond films than Casino Royale had.There are more action scenes,there is more spectacle.But the action scenes are more stylised and the selection of the locations where they take place is not random.There's a symbolism.There's a symbolism in other scenes of the movie.The artistic influences are evident.For example,the scene at the opera in Austria is memorable.
The influence of the director in the style of the movie is evident and so is the influence of the Bourne Trilogy (something that started in Casino Royale).The second unit director,Dan Bradley,also worked in the Bourne movies.All these elements are part of the reboot of the series.
James Bond claims that he does not care about the death of Vesper Lynd,that she betrayed him,that he does not want revenge.However,that's obviously not true.The impact of her death on him is severe.And the fact that Quantum's men almost killed M,gives him one more motive to search for answers.To some level,he experiences an existential crisis:everyone that has contact with him,dies?Eventually,he goes rogue.M while she's concerned about him,she still trusts him.In his journey to salvation,he's accompanied by Camille Rivera,whose past is haunting her and wants to take revenge.Their goals meet and while there's not the same connection that James Bond and Vesper Lynd had,there's an understanding,there are shared emotions.
Daniel Craig is once again very good as James Bond.Olga Kurylenko gives a solid perfomance,probably her best perfomance,judging from the movies i've seen (Max Payne,Hitman,Le Serpent).The villain or to be exact the perfomance of M.Amalric is relatively weak.
QOS takes some time to gear up and that happens mostly in the second half.Despite its flaws,it's a successful conclusion to the story arc set up in Casino Royale and so the next movie will probably be a stand-alone one.
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Quantum of Solace Review
James Bond:The Video Games
With several dozen movies to his name, James Bond is a true icon of the cinema screen. Bond also has nearly as many videogames to his name, though many fail to do the same level of justice. No matter how good Goldeneye was, there's no ignoring the fact that it was followed by Tomorrow Never Dies.
For better or for worse, Agent 007 has seen a lot in his console adventures, and his appearance is always changing. In this Many Looks of James Bond feature, we examine how MI:6's finest has evolved over the years. From Atari to Nintendo 64 to Xbox 360, it's been an interesting journey, to say the least.
And as all the Bond fans around these parts gear up for the latest movie, Quantum of Solace, we want to hear what they think. Are you firing up that duty old Goldeneye cartridge for a few more multiplayer rounds?
http://stars.ign.com/articles/928/928552p1.html
After the jump,videos from Goldeneye,Everything or Nothing and Quantum of Solace
Goldeneye Speed Run in 29:58 minutes
http://www.speedruns.net
http://youtube.com/user/R151NGT3MP357
Uploaded by webnations
Everything or Nothing Trailer
Uploaded by ebayismybit0h
Quantum of Solace Opening Titles
Uploaded by Tautika
Quantum of Solace Gameplay Trailer
Uploaded by Kiaostar
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Top 10 Bond Locations
Lucy Fleming on how Jamaica inspired her uncle, Bond author Ian Fleming + 9 more hotspots
Lucy Fleming, Gareth Scurlock and Ginny McGrath
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
April 3,2008
Bond fans have much to thank Jamaica for.
“It was a naked girl, with her back to him. She was not quite naked. She wore a broad leather belt round her waist with a hunting knife in a leather sheath at her right hip. The belt made her nakedness extraordinarily erotic…
"The whole scene, the empty beach, the green and blue sea, the naked girl with the strands of fair hair, reminded Bond of something. He searched his mind. Yes, she was Botticelli’s Venus, seen from behind.” (Dr No).
This is where the iconic film scene when Honechile Rider emerges from the sea and morphs from Ursula to Halle to Daniel, started. Ian Fleming spent two months a year writing in Jamaica. He wrote at his desk in Goldeneye and produced a book a year for the last fourteen years of his life. Hard work.
He closed the jalousies so as not to be distracted but, “out of my left eye I can see waves crashing quietly on the reef, and out of my right a pair of doctor humming-birds going the rounds of a small jungle of hibiscus.” Ian found the island an escape, “a refreshment for all the senses.”
James Bond’s name came from Ian’s bible of Jamaican birds. One of his heroines was named after an elusive Jamaican bird called the Blue Solitaire and, from his beach at Goldeneye, Ian swam past the reef where the sights of the undersea world inevitably crept into his writing.
Of a stingray he wrote: “When it rose up from the pale golden sand and swam a little distance it was if a black towel was being waved through the water.” (For Your Eyes Only). Baracudas feature in lethal underwater battles and Octopussy was what he named his local eight-armed friend who lived in the rocks below his house.
Ian found the peace and relaxation to write in Jamaica and he set three of his books there. As he says of Bond in Live and Let Die: “he had grown to love the great green island and its staunch humorous people.”
Gareth Scurlock's top five locations
Jamaica: Dr No
Where better to start than in Bond author Ian Fleming's back garden. Jamaica, the Caribbean island the author made his home, is celebrating the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth with plenty of events, details can be found on the Jamaica Tourist Board website.
You can stay in Goldeneye, Fleming's former home, now a luxury hotel and resort in Oracabessa, Ocho Rios. The resort is expanding this year to 170 rooms spread over 100 acres.
There's even a James Bond Beach on the island, though the iconic scene from the first Bond film, Dr No, was filmed elsewhere. Ursula Andress emerges from the sea, singing Underneath the Mango
Tree, in that famous white bikini, Sean Connery's Bond is waiting to surprise her. You'll find that idyllic location at Crab Key.
Luxor, Egypt: The Spy Who Loved Me
One of my earliest memories of Bond is the remarkable temple columns at Karnak just north Luxor.
The scale of the place and the long shadows cast by bright sunshine as Bond weaved in and out of the dramatic structures, trying to avoid the gun and biceps of big bad Jaws, is enough to foster a fascination in Ancient Egypt.
Luxor is the perfect base if you only have a week to explore the best of Egypt's historical sites. It's own temple dominates the city, while there are plenty of good deals to be had in hotels with views across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings.
It takes minutes to cross the Nile on a Felucca, before catching a lift up into the Valley of the Kings, where you can visit a number of famous tombs on the site where famous kings such as Tutankhamun were discovered.
Karnak is the most impressive of the great monuments around Luxor. Construction commenced ni the 16th century BC and the highlight is undoubtedly that roofless hall with rows of 25 metre-tall tall columns that Bond hid behind.
From Luxor you can take the train north to Cairo for the Great Pyramids, or south to Aswan.
Check the offical Egytian Tourism website for destinations and information.
New Orleans, USA: Live & Let Die
When Bond, played by Roger Moore for the first time, gets on the trail of a heroin baron, the pursuit takes him to grand old New Orleans. The film gives a real sense of the carnival atmosphere of a city that is well and truly back on the tourist trail following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
There's also the backdrop and involvement of voodoo and the occult. It may be stereotyping, but there's no doubting the impact of painted voodoo man Baron Samedi and Solitaire's tarot card reading, especially on younger Bond fans.
Supplement this with intriguing traditions such as slow marching brass band funerals, and you have an air of a place that you can't help but want to explore.
There's voodoo tours available to spook visitors, but the real highlight of a visit has to be delving into the historic jazz and blues music scenes.
The sense of the Deep South is increased by Bond's incarceration on an island in Louisiana's swamps, before the bad guys try to feed him to alligators. His escape is made in a dramatic high-speed speedboat chase. You can re-enact it at a docile pace on a Louisiana swamp tour.
Belgrade and Zagreb, Yugoslavia: From Russia With Love
When From Russia with Love was filmed, Yugoslavia was seen as a shady communist destination. Now, post-independence, both of the locations are tourism hotspots - Belgrade, the resurgent capital of Serbia, has become famous for its nightlife, and Zagreb, Croatia's capital, is accessible on no-frills flghts.
The Exit Festival, held in a fort in the city of Novi Sad near Belgrade, is a great excuse to explore the country. It is one of the best in Europe, hosting many of the same big-name bands that trawl the Continent during the summer months. Combine this with some time in the capital to get an idea of why the young people of Serbia had a repuation for partying while the bombs fell outside.
Croatia's many tourist hotspots are well-documented - ancient Zadar, the national parks epitomised by the waterfalls of Plitvice, history and villa culture in Istria and the wonderful islands that pepper the Dalmation coast between Split and Dubrovnik.
The Cold War and post-Cold War terrorism theme has also taken Bond to Russia and potential rogue states from the former USSR such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, both featured in The World Is Not Enough. Central Asia is enjoying growing interest from tourists keen to explore the Islamic architecture of Uzbekistan and the dramatic landscapes of Krygyzstan and Kazakhstan, despite (or thanks to) the efforts of Borat.
Outer space: Moonraker
Even more unbelievable than the usual Bond, especially when the sets were pretty ropey, was the space location in Moonraker. Only Bond could get himself into an extra-terrestrial scrape way back in the early-seventies. To go where not many men have gone before, and see the world from space, is the ultimate adventure. And now, bookings are being taken to follow in the footsteps of the astronauts and Roger Moore.
American businessman Dennis Tito was the first civilian to enjoy space tourism, enjoying his own space odyssey in 2001 - a mere snip at a reported 20 million dollars. Space Adventures organised that trip on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and the company is still offering trips to the space station - but limited availability and the price tag assure exclusivity - only five men have enjoyed the experience commercially to date.
Trips into space on commercial flights are the long term aims of companies like Space Adventures and Virgin Galactic. The latter, Richard Branson's project, has started taking bookings and reckons the $200,000 flights couple be operational as early as 2009.
It remains to be seen how long it will take, and which company makes it there first, but Virgin's 6-minute flight price is still prohibitive. One day we could all be jetting to the stars - until then we are stuck with sci-fi and telescopes.
Ginny McGrath's top five locations
London, England: The World is Not Enough
London has featured in many Bond movies, but never so spectacularly as a backdrop in “The World is Not Enough”. There’s an explosion at M16 and Pierce Brosnan as Bond bursts out of the MI6 building in a speed boat and starts a high speed chase down the River Thames.
It’s not the only Bond role that London’s had – Bond fanatics will also know that the city also has masqueraded as Hamburg and St Petersburg among other destinations for various Bond films.
Many of these examples of location trickery have taken place at Pinewood Studios, which is on the outskirts of London near Uxbridge and has had a long-standing relationship with Bond going back to Dr No in the 1960s. It is closed to the public but events are occasionally organised there by Bondstars.com, which include tours and a chance to meet “special guests”.
One of the many companies that offer Bond tours of London is London Taxi Tour, which offers a three and a half hour tour of sights including MI6, the Millennium Dome, and Buckingham Palace. It costs £190 for the taxi with up to five adults
Cadiz, Spain: Die Another Day
When Halle Berry emerges from the sea in an orange bikini as Jinx, the love interest in "Die Another Day", it’s a beach in Spain, and not Cuba, as we’re led to believe.
The scene seeks to recreate that classic Ursula Andress moment, when she strolls out of the Caribbean sea in a white bikini.
The Jinx beach is La Playa de La Caleta, the most popular in Cadiz, but it’s not the only Cadiz location that stars. Balneario de La Palma is the Havana hotel where Bond invites Jinx back to his room, and Castillo de San Sebastián, a 16th century castle, and now a museum, can be seen in the backdrop when Jinx flirts with Bond over a mojito.
All three locations are in close proximity and the castle is free to enter. There’s also the covered market, which doubles as a tobacco factory in “Die Another Day”, and is a good place for a cheap pavement-side lunch.
Monte Carlo, Monaco: Goldeneye
Monte Carlo’s port, which glistens with flashy yachts and powerboats, is an obvious Bond setting – its inhabitants already look like Bond characters in their over-sized sunglasses and flashy swimwear.
It was in this harbour that Pierce Brosnan’s Bond sees the Admiral and possibly one of the most cheekily-named Bond girls, Xenia Onatopp, board the Manticore yacht. His high viewpoint is from Fort Antoine, an 18th century fortress in the old town above the harbour. It is now an outdoor theatre and is free to enter, except when it is hosts performances during the summer.
The Riviera roads to the west of Monaco around Nice are perfect Bond car chase territory – winding narrow roads with a dramatic coastal or mountain backdrop. It’s on the road leading to Gréolières that the scene is filmed where Bond races with Xenia.
Phuket, Thailand: The Man with the Golden Gun
Such was the Bond hysteria in Thailand after “The Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed in Phuket, that Ko Tapu island was renamed James Bond Island. It is in Phang Nga Bay and was the hideaway of three-nippled villain Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee.
Bond was Roger Moore, who together with Lee formed one of the most celebrated Bond/villain partnerships.
There are countless day trips on offer to the island, mostly aboard Thailand’s charismatic long-tail boats. Tours don’t spend long on the island because it is so small and gets very busy, but nearby there’s plenty of beaches with more space and opportunities for swimming, snorkelling and watersports.
Other Thai locations that starred in the film include Ko Khao Phing Island, Ko Tapi Island and various Bangkok sites, including a kick boxing stadium and some of the city’s canals.
Udaipur, India: Octopussy
The Lake Palace Hotel on Lake Pichola was the stunning island home of Octopussy in the eponymous Bond film. The palace looks like a vast white ship because it covers the island and its walls drop to the water. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754 and was once the royal summer palace.
The hotel is owned by Taj Hotels and is best visited when the lake is full, so visit at the end of the rainy season in late September/October time.
En route to Udaipur Moore’s Bond visits India’s most iconic site, the Taj Mahal.
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Saturday, November 15, 2008
Bond Girls
Holly Goodhead in Moonraker (1979) 5. Britt Ekland Mary Goodnight in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) Perhaps more than a little creepy, this "Frankenstein Meets Q Branch" exercise resulted in 008 (right) -- a conglomerate woman named for the year of her birth.
Times Online All Time Bond Girls
Source:tvguide
Entertaiment Weekly-Top 10 Best Bond Girls10. Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet)
For Your Eyes Only (1981) 
9. Tiffany Case (Jill St. John)
Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 
8. Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya)
From Russia With Love (1963) 
7. Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) 
6. Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen)
GoldenEye (1995) 
5. Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) 
4. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green)
Casino Royale (2006) 
3. Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) 
2. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)
Goldfinger (1964) 
1. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)
Dr. No (1962) 
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1557446,00.html
London Times Top 10 Bond Girls (Full List)
10. Grace Jones as May Day (A View To A Kill, 1985)
9. Lois Maxwell, Caroline Bliss and Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny
8. Halle Berry as Giacinta ‘Jinx’ Johnson (Die Another Day, 2002)
7. Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova ‘Triple X’ (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977)
6. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore (Goldfinger, 1964)
5. Diana Rigg as Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969)
4. Famke Janssen as Xenia Zaragevna Onatopp (GoldenEye, 1995)
3. Maud Adams as Octopussy (Octopussy, 1983)
2. Ursula Andress, Honey Ryder (Dr. No, 1962)
1. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale, 2006)
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
Worst 7 Bond Girls
7. Lois Chiles
Bibi Dahl in For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy in Octopussy (1983) and Andrea Anders in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
3. Karin Dor
Helga Brandt in You Only Live Twice (1967)
2. Denise Richards
Dr Christmas Jones in The World Is Not Enough (1999)
1. Tanya Roberts
Stacey Sutton in A View to A Kill (1985)
http://www.hecklerspray.com/worst-7-bond-girls/200813236.php
The Ultimate Bond Girl
By John Scott Lewiski,http://blog.wired.com
As James Bond killed box office records in the United Kingdom with his Halloween movie premiere, 007 fans compiled the ultimate Bond girl piece by piece online. 
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Friday, November 14, 2008
Quantum of Solace Video Interviews:Daniel Craig,Olga Kurylenko and Marc Forster
Interviews from CNN's The Screening Room
Daniel Craig
Olga Kurylenko
Marc Forster
Source:CNN
http://cnn.com/screeningroom
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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Casino Royale,Quantum of Solace Theme Songs
"You Know My Name" - as sung by Chris Cornell and written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold (from the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell and starring Daniel Craig and Eva Green)
"Another Way to Die" - as sung by Alicia Keys and Jack White and written by Jack White (from the 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace directed by Marc Forster and starring Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko)
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Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 4
Based on an IGN Feature published on November 17,2006
1. "Live And Let Die" - as sung by Paul McCartney & Wings and composed by Paul & Linda McCartney (from the 1973 James Bond film Live And Let Die directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Roger Moore and Jane Seymour)
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Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 3
Based on an IGN Feature published on November 17,2006
4. "For Your Eyes Only" - as sung by Sheena Easton and composed by Bill Conti (from the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only directed by John Glen and starring Roger Moore and Carole Bouquet)
3. "Nobody Does It Better" - as sung by Carly Simon and composed by Marvin Hamlisch (from the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach)
2. "Goldfinger" - as sung by Shirley Bassey and composed by John Barry (from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman)
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 2
Based on an IGN Feature published on November 17,2006
7. "You Only Live Twice" - as sung by Nancy Sinatra and composed by John Barry (from the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Sean Connery and AkikoWakabayashi)
6. "Thunderball" - as sung by Tom Jones and composed by John Barry (from the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball directed by Terence Young and starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger)
5. "Diamonds Are Forever" - as sung by Shirley Bassey and composed by John Barry (from the 1971 James Bond Film Diamonds Are Forever directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Sean Connery and Jill St. John)
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Monday, November 10, 2008
Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs part 1
Based on an IGN feature published on November 17,2006
10. "A View To A Kill" - as sung by Duran Duran and composed by Duran Duran and John Barry (from the 1985 James Bond film A View To A Kill starring Roger Moore and Tanya Roberts)
9. "The World Is Not Enough" - as sung by Garbage and composed by David Arnold (from the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough directed by Michael Apted and starring Pierce Brosnan and Sophie Marceau)
8. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - as performed by the John Barry Orchestra and composed by John Barry (from the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service directed by Peter R. Hunt and starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg)
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Thursday, November 6, 2008
Casino Royale Review
November 19,2006
New Bond in town!Four years after Die Another Day,the last movie with Pierce Brosnan as James Bond ,the successfull franchise returns ,but this time to the beginning.To the beginning of Bond as a 00 agent.
This movie may be regarded as a reboot to the series.Daniel Craig takes the lead role,previously portrayed by Sean Connery.Roger Moore,George Lazenby,Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan (maybe the best Bond,judging from the 007 movies I’ve seen).This choice caused a lot of controversy from the first moment it was announced. Some fans were against this choice and some said that they would even boycott the movie.To be honest,I didn’t like Craig as a new Bond.I definitely preferred P.Brosnan.When you see the movie,at first, the impression is mixed.However,as the movie progresses Craig proves that all the skepticism about him was wrong.His portrayal of Bond is actually very good.A Bond certainly different from the previous movies.
The movie takes a more realistic,more “raw” path.Bond is more human than before,more violent and to some point emotional.All this change is justified from the fact that,as said before,we see the early days of Bond.
The actors that stand out in Casino Royale are Daniel Craig and from the women side,Eva Green.One strong point of the movie are its well-written lines.This fact helps the actors,mainly Craig , in their performances.Eva Green is something more than a simple Bond girl,she’s the woman J.Bond falls for.Her performance is also exceptional.
Two other positive things are the directing and the intensity of some scenes(for example the scene of the poker game against Le Chiffre in Casino Royale).
However,there are some flaws.First flaw ,the villain:Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre is not bad but he’s just too bland.C.Murino’s character (Solange ) is understated,”decorative” maybe and some action scenes last too long.
Casino Royale is very good movie and so is Daniel Craig,despite the doubts about him.This time the “formula” worked,but will it work next time?The fact that when you see Craig you may still have second thoughts about him as Bond, is it a drawback?(it seems that it is decided that D.Craig will reprise his role in Bond 22 as ign.com reports).
UPDATE 11/2008:A few days ago,i watched Casino Royale again (i watched the Blu-Ray,great transfer).I have to say that,while my opinion hasn't changed,i liked the movie even more.It's entertaining,action-packed,yet complex and moving.After some point,it's a tragic love story.It's probably the best Bond movie that i've seen.As for the flaws i mentioned in my original review,i think that Mads Mikkelsen is actually very good as the villain and the chase scenes are one of the pros of the movie.I don't have second thoughts for Daniel Craig anymore.He's very good as Bond and the reviews for Quantum of Solace say the same thing for his perfomance in it too.Is he the best Bond?He's certainly different from the previous ones.
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Friday, August 22, 2008
Release date shift for Quantum of Solace
Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, announced yesterday that it will release Quantum of Solace on November 14th in North America.
The film will begin its worldwide roll out on October 31.
