DVD Sunday: New Bond

By Aaron, Nov 9th, 2008 | In Community

Watch lasers. There aren't any watch lasers in the new James Bond movie, nor are there jet packs, wheelchair missile launchers, bagpipe flamethrowers or shoe daggers.

The newest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, continues the work of "rebooting" the franchise after 2006's Casino Royale, and revisits a darker, grittier Daniel Craig as the blond Bond somewhere at the start of 007's career. Quantum of Solace is basically a revenge story. Bond lost the woman he loved in the previous film and he is now out to settle the score. Simple as that.

Cinemas in Shanghai

All major cinemas in Shanghai show "Quantum of Solace" in English with Chinese subtitles. See a full list of cinemas in Shanghai here.

The UME International Cineplex in Xintiandi has shows every 30 minutes, check their schedule here. Tickets 70-90 rmb. For address and taxi-printout click here.

The Kodak Cinema World in Xujiahui has shows every 2 hours, check their schedule here. Tickets are 80 rmb. For directions and taxi-printout click here.

The Stellar Cinema City is your best choice if you are in Pudong, China's "first Egyptian cultured themed Cinema" is located on the 8th floor of the Super Brand Mall. Shows start every 30 minutes, and tickets are 80 rmb. For directions and taxi-printout click here.

If you like to save some money, the Film Art Center on Xinhua Lu (near LOgO, and next to Jiaotong Uni) has a "half-price day promotion" with a 50% discount every Tuesday, so you'll only have to pay 40 rmb instead of 80. Directions and taxi-printout here.

The big complaints from audiences after Casino Royale opened was that it was too different from the other films, the Bond formula had been abandoned, and Bond himself had become an irredeemable hero - kind of an asshole, really.

And there were no shoe daggers to lighten the mood. And no Q at all for that matter.

If these were concerns with Casino Royale you shared, be prepared to be disappointed with Quantum of Solace, as this latest Bond continues in the strategy of making Bond relevant to this generation of movie-goers by making him really serious, kind of angsty, and really violent.

It's just something about our generation that these new Batman movies have revealed to us. Blowing shit up is fine and all for an action movie -- we like that -- but we also liked to be a little depressed about it at the same time.

And that's where Quantum of Solace succeeds -- in the blowing shit up and making you a little depressed category. The action sequences are elaborate and intense (no pesky plot to get in the way), and Bond destroys just about every mode of transportation known to man, but it's all done with a sort of humorless gravity and seriousness that really speaks to my generation.

So I liked it. And I'm waiting for the next one, in which, I presume, they start to explain just who the bad guys are (they didn't do it in this one). But if you're looking for the Bond mythology, and whimsical, old-time, sweater vest-wearing, martini-drinking, witty Bond, revisit one of the old ones and stay away from Quantum. I think the only time he says something funny is right before or after shooting someone in the face.

No shoe dagger. Just gun to the face.

Grade: B.