craschworks

Spoilers and NSFW beefcake below!

Saw “Quantum of Solace” this morning with a friend and her folks. As with “Casino Royale”, the stunt scenes were incredibly well done. The acting was also superb. It’s definitely worth seeing.

However, after a while, the fight/chase scenes, as well done as they were, grew tiresome. In real life, everyone’s luck runs out sometime. Even the most skilled real life soldier would be lucky to escape from even one of Bond’s battles without serious injury. But Bond repeatedly escapes, with almost no injury (aside from a few rakish scrapes to the face, that disappear in the next scene).

Given that it’s a movie, I’m willing to grant Bond extraordinary ability to evade injury, and to withstand the blows that do land. But drama arises from the illusion that the characters are real, and at risk of being hurt. Unfortunately, the writers and directors can’t kill Bond–he’s the namesake of the franchise after all.

Since Bond can’t be killed, the writers have to find someone else to put at risk. In the Bond films, it’s often Bond’s love interest, the Bond Girls. That’s why I think Casino Royale worked so well. Bond was in love with Vespa, and we believed it, so we cared when she was at risk. Even if Bond can’t be killed, she could die, and therefore, we cared about the outcomes of Bond’s fight scenes.

In QOS, Bond has no serious love interest, and no one he (or the audience) really cares about is put at risk. All Bond cares about is revenge. As a result, the audience’s attention bounces along a series of fight scenes, as we wonder how the bad guys will try next to kill the man who can’t be killed. As I said, this is really well done. Like eating cotton candy, it’s enjoyable while it lasts. But in the end, you leave feeling unsatisfied.

Now for the beefcake!