Movie Review:Quantum of Solace

The street fighting, error prone, jilted Bond is back and back with a vengance in this action packed sequel. In addition to the task before him, he has issues of his own. He is conflicted from the loss of a woman heloved, his anger towards her from betraying him and his anger towards himself for allowing himself to be played.

Quantum of Solace begins almost exactly where Casino Royale left off. Once again, the focus is more on Bond than on the evil designs of madmen. It is more about Bond seeking redemption for himself and his prior deeds.

Bond is still prone to recklessness. This time he is after the person who was responsible for the death of his woman. His assignment is not assigned by the British Government. In fact he must seek out the evil minds and then find out the the evil designs on these minds.This chase takes Bond from Italy to Bolivia. Bond joins forces with a woman who has a vendetta of her own.

Physically, Craig is the biggest of the Bonds and prefers fist fights and in chasing the bad guys on foot through elaborate sets. The movie is action packed and intense, but I expected more after watching Casino Royale. There are some great car chases and one particular chase has no doubt, been 'inspired' the the Bourne Ultimatum.

I also noticed that the last couple of Bond movies have cut down on gadgets that we had come to expect from these movies.This is probably a wise decision from the movie makers in realizing that audiences worldwide have probably seen the cutting edge of technology and would not be awestruck by electronic devices created by Hollywood.

Quantum of Solace is worth watching but I would recommend that you wait till it comes on on DVD/Blue Ray.

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Movie Review: Casino Royale

Few fictional characters have gone through as many avatars as Ian Flemming's creation, James Bond. In five decades, Bond has been unemotional rugged(Connery), one hit wonder(Lazenby), wisecracking philanderer(Moore), Shakespearean (Dalton), runway model(Brosnan) and finally, street fighter(Craig).

Daniel Craig has indeed created a phenomenon with the street fighting, no nonsense Bond, a big contrast to the one played by Brosnan. Many have criticized Casino Royale, including Roger Moore, for excessive violence but as Moore himself would concede, it is a sign of our times that we prefer more 'high Octane' action.

Bond movies have had many fixtures, notably the scantily clad bond girls, high tech gadgets, fancy cars and of course, maniacal villains with grand designs of destroying or altering the planet. This is where Casino Royale breaks away from many Bond cliches.

As one would expect, it has more violence than any of the bond movies made before it. There are women, but unlike in past movies many are more than mere showpieces. In fact, Casino Royale continues the trend from the Brosnan movies of portraying Bond's Boss, 'M' as a woman.

Unlike the earlier Bond films that focus on a madman hellbent on causing world destruction this one focuses on Bond himself and how he got to be 007. Unlike his predecessors, this Bond is not infallible and does not make the right judgement. He gives into his emotions more than once, incurring the wrath of his demanding boss. He is also vulnerable to feminine charm and this could jeopardize his future with the Secret Service.

Casino Royale is the tale of a vigilante Bond trying to destroy the entire supply chain of an illegal arms trade. The endeavor would take Bond from Africa to the Bahamas and the United States and finally land him in a high stakes Card Game.

Could Bond keep his emotion and the villains at bay and win the game? The climax, however is not the game but its aftermath, that would force Bond to make judgment calls on who to trust.

Casino Royale is among the best of Bond movies and humanizes 007 for the first time. It is the tale of how Bond becomes 007.

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Movie Review: The Road to Perdition

With the passing of Hollywood heavyweight Paul Newman on Friday, I thought that it would a fitting tribute to review this forgotten masterpiece, today. Based on a graphic novel by Max Allan Collins, the movie stars academy award winners Tom Hanks and Newman. Jude Law also appears in the movie in a smaller role.

The Road to Perdition is the story of a hitman, Michael Sullivan (Hanks) who works for a crime boss, Rooney(Newman). He is trying hard to balance his work life, of carrying on assignments for his boss and his home life, of being a responsible father and husband.

The actions of Rooney's reckless son (Daniel Craig, of James Bond fame) would cause Sullivan to loose all, but one of the members of his immediate family. Sullivan is now faced with choosing between his loyalty to his boss, who has been like a father to him and his loyalty to his family, which would mean protecting his son, and seeking retribution for his dead wife and son.

Rooney, for his part, will do all he can to save his son, including hiring another bloodthirsty hitman (Jude Law) to kill Sullivan and his son.

Tom Hanks plays the quiet, unassuming but strong-willed Sullivan to perfection. Newman plays the polished, charming yet ruthless gangster Rooney, with grace and dignity, as he has done in most of his other roles.

Sam Menendes, who directed the movie has done a splendid job with the picturization and scenes of the movie. While there is a lot of violence, Menendes has expertly forced it into the background, as the drama between the lead characters takes center stage.

Newman is an icon and will be missed for years to come. Fortunately, he has left behind a trail of memorable movies(and not to mention, salad dressing) for us to enjoy for a long time.

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