Quantum of Solace Doesn’t Disappoint
the Second Time Around
Last night, I was looking for a mindless action film to share a burrito with. And though, I had taken an oath to never rent Quantum of Solace, it was the only thing I saw that seemed to fit my need – without wasting a lot of time searching and thinking.
Coming out of the theater after viewing Quantum of Solace when it was released, I was very disappointed. I had hoped that this second James Bond film with Daniel Craig would have built more upon the character of Bond Craig established in Casino Royale. I was also disappointed by the lack of a more sinister antagonist. Mr. Greene was just a wimp, which bad acting, poor script and bad dialouge didn’t help. And then there was the obvious fumble of dropping the more sinister Mr. White from a more prominent role.
So knowing this in advance of renting Quantum of Solace, I was surprised to find that I was not disappointed in renting the film. In fact, the film was exactly what I wanted and expected. I imagine if they had corrected all the points mentioned above, I might have found myself too engaged in the film – not something I was looking for.
How often in life do we enter into something with high expectations only lto be disappointed. Some will say, don’t have expectations, then you won’t be disappointed. But most of the people I hear espousing this are more jaded cynics than enlightened beings.
As I write this, I see that most of my disappointment was not with the particulars listed above, but more about the loss of creative potential. The first Daniel Craig Bond film was such an unexpected, refreshing quantum leap from the inane Roger Moore Bond. My primary expectation seems to have been that Quantum of Solace would have continued with that creative evolution instead of falling back on the tried and true – action and adrenaline everywhere and not much else.
Somewhere in this mix is some insight into openness, curiosity and the thrill of things as they unfold. Inquiry to continue.
Links of Interest
[ad#post468]
Items of Interest