I think you know I’m a big James Bond fan.  It’s a combination of sexy cars, ultimate luxury, gadgets, action, and hero worship that gets me.  I’ve seen every movie and read many of the books (there are many more books than movies).

Daniel Craig has returned for his 2nd movie with Quantum of Solace.  He’s the first blond Bond which took some getting used to.  With his first movie, Casino Royale, the series went back to the start.  Bond  was just becoming a secret agent.  He was reckless and emotional, instead of the usual focused and determined.  It added a level of depth to the movie that has carried over into Quantum.

Being a traditionalist in the realm of Bond, I actually do not prefer the deep and dark veil the new movies have taken.  Sean Connery was a gentleman and sturdy, Roger Moore was sophisticated and humorous.  Despite the point that Bond is always saving the world, the older movies were actually fun to watch, instead of entertainment by adrenalin we see today.

That’s not to say I don’t like the new movies, but they have become increasingly difficult to follow.  The same problem occurred with the Star Wars prequels, too much action and not enough room to tell the story.  Star Wars was easier to follow because the story is linear, Bond movies are not in the least, with each flick having a different plot.  With Casino Royale I had to watch the movie twice, read the book (70% based on the book), and finally read the short version from The Movie Spoiler.  Which brings me to a favorite website.

I love The Movie Spoiler for two reasons.  I love movies, but I don’t want to commit a few hours to watching one and I don’t want to pay to see it.  The Movie Spoiler receives nice synopsises from people that actually watch the movies.  They take between 10-20 minutes to read, and cover all the important details to the story.  It’s certainly not the same, but there are so many movies I want to know about but don’t want to watch.  Recently I’ve used them for “The Omen,” “The Happening,” “No Country For Old Men,” “The Sentinel,” and “You Don’t Mess With Zohan.”  These are all movies I was interested in seeing, but refuse to commit the time or money watching them.

Quantum of Solace is a movie that I want to see in the theater.  I want that theater experience to truly enjoy the film.  Yes I banged on it because I’m a traditionalist, but I would still rather watch any Bond movie over just about anything else.

PS, if you are a true Bond fan like myself, this was my favorite line from Casino that showed Bond was still molding into the sophisticated Bond we’ve come to know:
James Bond: Vodka-martini.
Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Do I look like I give a damn?

By The Weakonomist

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categories: media, personal, weakend