Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

Mastidon's Spoiler-Free QUANTUM OF SOLACE Review!!

no mr bond... by furious1	Oct 31st, 2008 09:29:47 AM
I epect you to be first! damn Im awesome.
mastidon by unkempt_sock	Oct 31st, 2008 09:30:17 AM
who is mastidon?
snap by furious1	Oct 31st, 2008 09:30:33 AM
fucking typo. ahh, still, I'm awesome.
by unkempt_sock	Oct 31st, 2008 09:31:00 AM
kinda came out of nowhere
NEW VILLAIN'S NAME IS: PLAAAAAANT! by Err	Oct 31st, 2008 09:31:06 AM
First to say it, but not the last.
by unkempt_sock	Oct 31st, 2008 09:31:15 AM
no you're not
hmmm by greyspecter	Oct 31st, 2008 09:31:56 AM
Could "Empire" stand on its own?
I barely remembered Casino Royale... by rev_skarekroe	Oct 31st, 2008 09:34:15 AM
...5 minutes after I finished watching it.
I can't even remember what I had for breakfast. by tonagan	Oct 31st, 2008 09:38:04 AM
I'll be completely lost, won't I?
Who is Mastidon? by mastidon	Oct 31st, 2008 09:40:00 AM
Good question. Some dumb IT guy in Germany. Just search on my other stories and you will see I cover film festivals for AICN for my spare time.
No Empire Couldn't by Crow3711	Oct 31st, 2008 09:47:18 AM
I'm totally pumped to hear you need to see CR to understand the details in QoS, that's awesome stuff. But to answer GreySpector, my opinion is most certainly, most definitely, not. If you hadn't seen IV are you just followed the Drone down to Hoth and then followed Luke to the ice cave...I'm not convinced any one would give a shit. It's not really even a question. Empire is great because it relies heavily on what happened before and our genuine love of the characters we already know.
The Bond of the books... by peter skellen	Oct 31st, 2008 09:59:38 AM
Disliked killing. He wasn't a sociopath running around the world on a kiling spree or an invulnerable superhero. Can the next review please do better.
What an idiot by Seacor	Oct 31st, 2008 10:02:50 AM
Horrible comment about the the gadgets being dead because it's 2008 and everything is high tech in the world and to get over it. This was like one of the stupidest things I read. What an idiot. Gadgetry is very important. People go to the films to see cool and unique devices. Now, you don't have to have gadgets in every scene like in Moonraker or an invisible car (which actually isn't far fetched as the military has been developing that technology). Gadgetry needs to be present like in From Russia With Love and Goldeneye where it wasn't overkill. And don't confuse gadgetry with invisible cars. We're talking about little unique things you can do with brief cases, pens, watches, cameras, phones, etc. Gadgetry and the characters Q and Moneypenny are definitely a part of the James Bond phenomenon just like the cars, girls, locations, villains, etc. They all work together as a team. Without these aspects, you have a run of the mill action film no different than the Bourne film series.
"Bond is definitely not dead, but the gadgets are" by codymr	Oct 31st, 2008 10:09:44 AM
I agree with Mastidon... many of the Bond films from the 70s, 80s & 90s look very dated because of the gadgets. And I think they were often an easy out for lazy screen writing. On the other hand, many of Connery's early films hold up very well as cold war era spy thrillers because of the less goofy tech. For example in FRWL I think Q gave Bond an attaché case with hidden features like a knife and a sniper rifle that breaks down to a portable size - nothing over the top. That said, I had a university prof who was a former intelligence officer and on a lecture he did on defense technology he did mention that he did see a demonstration where a tank was made to disappear "like the Predator movie". He didn't really go into any more detail. So as completely silly as Bond's invisible car seems to me... maybe the Bond producers had info about technologies that are not readily available... like the stealth ship from TND (http://tinyurl.com/5p6yny).
Seacor by codymr	Oct 31st, 2008 10:15:12 AM
You beat me to the post! I agree with you about how the style of the gadgets should be more simple... I think that's what Mastidon was trying to get at by saying "Bond is definitely not dead, but the gadgets are". At least that's the way I read it.
Yep Codymr by Seacor	Oct 31st, 2008 10:26:52 AM
Exactly. How cool is it to watch From Russia With Love and see the attache case. It's still cool today and it makes you smile when it's used. How cool is it to watch Goldeneye and wait anxiously for Boris to click the pen three times to unknowingly set the explosive. Cool stuff. How cool was the cell phone in Tomorrow Never Dies and all it could do? Very cool to this day.
Simple gadgets by mastidon	Oct 31st, 2008 10:29:27 AM
Personally, I would LOVE a return to the simple real gadgets like the multi-function briefcase. But I don't think today's movies would allow it. BTW, I never said don't bring back Q or Moneypenny. They are central Bond characters who should be there. BTW, Vesper was sort of introduced as Moneypenny in CR on the train.
Seacor by codymr	Oct 31st, 2008 10:37:57 AM
I had forgotten about the pen moment in Goldeneye... you're right, that was great moment in the film.
Money Penny and Q by jamestewart007	Oct 31st, 2008 10:50:41 AM
Q was a character creation for the films. He was there to make things a little more fun. The closest thing to Q in the books was the armourer we see at the start of Dr. No, when Bond is given the choice between the Walter and Colt. (He doesn't choose the Walther either). So unless we want the films to take a step back and have them be a little less serious, then go a head and bring Q back. As for me i agree with mastidon, and they are out dated and should be retired. When I can buy a the watch from 24 that can blind someone for 15 minutes, why do I need to see a fancy watch in the movies? Money Penny on the other hand is totally awesome. And she should totally be brought back. Only problem with that is that we would have to replace M with a man. Bond answering to two women just seems wrong. And mastidon, how do you think Vaesper was introduced as Money Penny? She came from the treasury department, and all she did was burn Bond with her ice cold stare. Not exactly a flirtatious secretary if you ask me.
jamestewart007 by mastidon	Oct 31st, 2008 10:59:26 AM
The quote was something like Bond,"So I guess you are the money?" Vesper, "Every penny of it." But don't hold me to the exact wording as I am sitting at my desk debugging atm.
The story is secondary to the action??? by maddox	Oct 31st, 2008 11:05:04 AM
"The story is clearly secondary to the action." Holy CRAP! You guys are telling me horror stories and passing it off as good news! Massa's review said all the 'problems' with the first movie are gone (problems listed were positives in my view), and this one tells me action>story. I hope we're not talking about "getting back to the Casino Royale roots" for the next film after this thing is over.
Gadgets by Embeedeuce	Oct 31st, 2008 11:52:13 AM
What I hated about the gadgets was that it was always conveniently the right gadget at the right time. In Casion Royale, Bond's having a heart attack and there just happens to be a defibrillator in his car's glove box.
Embeedeuce by codymr	Oct 31st, 2008 12:01:30 PM
You mean to tell me that your car doesn't have a defibrillator in the glove box? Yeah it's lazy screen writing. Although I thought CR was far better with that type of thing than many of the Bond's during Moore's tenure in the role. At least the writers of CR made an attempt to curb the silliness.
Old lady breasts. by auddym	Oct 31st, 2008 12:31:31 PM
Yum
General Crom by rogueleader66	Oct 31st, 2008 01:47:50 PM
Let me tell you something my friend, I may be old compared to you, but I still maintain that digital effects ARE OVER FUCKING USED. They can be supremely effective when used correctly, but when they are used FOR EVERYTHING that's when they piss me off. CGI spaceships or models? Models any day of the week, they always have looked more real, but that's just my opinion. Digital effects are great for SOME things, just not everything. Digital effects have never lessened my experience of a movie as long as the movie itself was good. I just don;t like the fact that digital effects are used for every god damned fucking effect in a movie. Iron Man did it right, it had a good balance of digital AND practical effects, it's too bad more film makers don;t take that approach, most of them take the easy way out and let a computer do everything. Sorry but digital effects DO NOT work for everything, they work for a lot of things to be sure, but not everything. Take it as a complaint if you like, but it's the truth.
One other thing by rogueleader66	Oct 31st, 2008 01:55:47 PM
Complain about stuntman replacemtnts all you like, to me it's way better than some pussy ass actor who is too afraid to take on the stunt himself, or a studio that wants to cut corners and replace an actor with an obvious digital image. THAT is fucking lame. Oh yea, I can just about tell every fucking time an explosion or fire or any of that shit is fake, another reason digital effects are over fucking used. It's pretty sad when no tension is produced in a movie because it's obvious NOBODY is in any danger because every damn thing is a computer graphic. That was the great thing about stuntmen and non digital effects, IT LOOKED FUCKING REAL, real fire, real explosions, wow who would have thought that REAL explosions and REAL fire could look better than CGI reproductions, damn I am behind the times.
Codymr by Embeedeuce	Oct 31st, 2008 02:16:44 PM
Agreed. It bugs me every time I watch the movie. And it's the only thing. I hate to be one of those "if I had written it" guys, but would it have killed them to have him stumble into an apothecary and rip a defib off the wall or something. (Aw, crap; I did become one of those guys.)
Craig promises Moneypenny in the next one! by IAmMrMonkey!	Oct 31st, 2008 02:20:51 PM
http://tiny.cc/2nq5G
And Q too! by IAmMrMonkey!	Oct 31st, 2008 02:21:28 PM
Forgot to mention that.
Embeedeuce by codymr	Oct 31st, 2008 04:50:39 PM
It also bugged me that Vesper knew what to do to fix the disconnected wire... I mean a guy is having a heart attack right in front of you and you don't attempt CPR and chest compressions and call for help? Instead she decides to fiddle with some wires? Lucky for Bond, Vesper apparently reads technical manuals for medical equipment in her spare time.
Mastidon by jamestewart007	Oct 31st, 2008 04:54:11 PM
Touche. Never thought of it that way. I just took it as spy talk to make sure she wasn't a counter agent or something. But holy crap that blows my mind now. V:"I'm the money". B:"Every Penny of it." Its so freaking obvious! I'm totally looking at money penny in a new light in the films as well. One thing I've got to mention to yah tho. I know you've seen all the movies like a dozen times each, or so you said when you talked about the opening. But you didn't mention the books at all. I highly recomend them if you really like your Bond. Actually getting to see what he's thinking while killing people or getting his butt handed to him is amazing. CR is okay, but Dr. No and Thunderball are the best. Especially Dr. No. There is a very good reason why that film, and Connery did so well.
James (King) Kong by Ricky Retardo	Oct 31st, 2008 09:51:59 PM
Craig looks like a chimp in a tuxedo. Mr. Jiggs lives! He should put on roller skates and do tricks for a banana. Tarzan Meets Chimpy Bond: "Me Tarzan. You lame."
Chimp-lookin' Dudes by MrMajestic	Nov 1st, 2008 03:29:17 AM
If you really want a chimp looking dude to feast(?) your eyes on, GIS Wanderlei Silva. Now that dude's momma must've been hanging around some zoos 'cause man... "shakes head"
rougeleader, i agree with crom. by 2sdaychicken	Nov 2nd, 2008 01:32:41 AM
And the fact that you said Iron Man had a good mix goes to prove hes right. The Iron Man suit was CGI 99.9% of the time. In fact, they barely used a practical suit ever if at all. But it was hard to tell because the CGI was flawless. Cgi needs to be supported so it can get better. If everyone clung to old technology, we'd still have black and white silent films.
Very Clever Film by FILMFUNK	Nov 2nd, 2008 07:29:05 AM
You go and its good but there's so much you need from the first one to fully 'GET' the second one many more people will return than usual and only after renting/buying Casino Royale! Never noticed the product placement or CGI that much! and i got tired of the Bournes by no.3 so this fills that gap nicely Also the French Villian dude needs to get his hands on some tooth whitener! they say us brits have bad teeth Also can't fault the bond girls in this especially the one with the burned back! she was SMOKIN! The stoopid assed woman next to me kept laughing all the way through at random bits! not even the funny one liners!? I deduce she has a nervous laugh reflex to things she does not understand but I will have to see this again just so I don't have to try and enjoy it sat next to little Miss chuckles!!!

Talkbacks

Mastidon's Spoiler-Free QUANTUM OF SOLACE Review!!

User login

Quick Talkback

Talkbacks