MichaelRunyon.com – All Things Geek

Leah and I went to see the new Bond movie tonight, Quantum of Solace. I had read a few reviews of the film before going, and despite my initial excitement at the second film in the reboot of the series featuring Daniel Craig, the reviews adequately prepared me for what I was about to experience. 

The movie is violent…extremely violent. That is not to say that there is a spectacular decapitation or something controversial. Moreso, it is that everything near and dear to everything, save the MI6 agents and the lead female, is destroyed or killed. What’s wrong with this concept is that it is not adequately setup with situations or dialogue that make it important to the viewer. The viewer should feel vindicated when a premier villain is gunned down or dies in some ironic way. The viewer should gasp in astonishment at the candor of the villain, when their master evil plan is revealed. Here, there is none of that. The film makers wrote the plot and the dialogue with much the same manner that the hero executes them: cold-blooded efficiency. 

The climactic moments are all destroyed by elements that are revealed prematurely in other parts of the film, the villains are not properly setup, their evilness is not well conveyed or even well explained. The protagonists accomplish their goals, but their is no celebratory sex so common with the genre. There is no feeling at all.

Sure, this is supposed to be a brutal reboot of the series, a more down to Earth James Bond. But to strip away both all that make a good film and all that makes a Bond film is leave nothing for the viewer to enjoy. The inventive circumstances and remote locations are barely noticed amid the unthinking combat and brutality. We are never on the edge of our seat, because we know so little about what is going on. If we are to enjoy ridiculous circumstances, at least make them a little fun. Don’t thtow the baby out with the bathwater: it leaves the film taking itself too seriously and alienating its proud and historic heritage.

Overall Review: 5.1/10 

Well, i got back last night from a wonderful trip to visit Leah’s dad’s family in Greeley, CO. The mountains are beautiful there, and only about an hours’ drive away. It does a body good to see something besides corn all the time. Here’s the link to the Picasa album: http://picasaweb.google.com/mrunyon/2008ColoradoHernandezVisit

I also sent out this year’s notification emails for the gift registry last week. I gave the registry a little face-lift. Hopefully it will be more useful now. More changes to come, i’m sure.

I’ve got a mountain of work to do now that i’m back, so i probably shouldn’t spend too much time writing about all that I’ve been doing lately. Working mostly, and trying desperately to stop time from screaming by so quickly. Winter is upon us in full force; I can only hope to focus on getting my crucial work done before all hell breaks loose and deadlines start looming.

Hope that you all are doing well. Best wishes to you all as winter approaches and a new season begins.