Quantum of Solace (2008)

quantum of solace (2008) - teaser poster 3.5rating  (3.5/5) action – adventure  – thriller

Reference: imdb6 | wikipedia12
Reviews: Roger Ebert | IMDb External Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes 65% | Metacritic 58%

Quantum of Solace (2008) is part 2 to the spectacularly good Casino Royale (2006). It takes up just minutes after the first ends. I agree with the critics who say that this Bond instalment tends more towards the action-oriented Jason Bourne series of movies than a typical Bond flick.

But, was there too much action? I disagree with the critics. I enjoyed the action. I enjoyed all things Bond including the beautiful  women, sports cars, political intrigue and exotic locals. While different, it was still very much a Bond film.

quantum of solace (2008) - daniel craig and Olga Kurylenko

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Casino Royale (2006)

casino royale cover art 5rating  (5/5) action, adventure, thriller

Reference: imdb6 | wikipedia12
Reviews: Roger Ebert | IMDb External Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes 94% | Metacritic 81%

As I did before watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I went back and watched the fantastic Casino Royale (2006) in preparation for the forthcoming Quantum Solace (2008). Quantum Solace takes-up 15 minutes after Casino Royale ends.

daniel craig - casino royale (2006) opening credit - gun sites Casino Royale (2006) is a remake of thee earlier Peter Sellers, Casino Royale (1967). The remake follows the classic James Bond formula – exotic locals, fast action sequences, beautiful women and sports cars. But this time, Daniel Craig’s Bond is blonde haired, blue-eyed and superb.

daniel craig - casino royale (2006) - crane jumping action sequence

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W. (2008)

W. poster 3.5rating  (3.5/5) political drama

Reference: imdb6 | wikipedia12
Reviews: Roger Ebert | IMDb External Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes 56% | Metacritic 56%

W. is Oliver Stone’s take on the life of George W. Bush. The advertising for this movie is misleading. I was half expecting a lampoon-style, slapstick comedy but I got a drama.

Not as blatantly, over-the-top, biased or revisionist as some of Stone’s prior work (JFK, Platoon, Nixon), but still riddled with cheap shots – such as the multiple, and disingenuous, uses of famous Bushisms (or DubyaSpeak) taken out of context.  Nonetheless, the movie is a surprisingly sympathetic and engaging portrait of George W. Bush.

w movie - war room The huge cast is destined to yield Oscar nominations. Josh Brolin embodied Bush. He was absolutely terrific. Richard Dreyfuss (one of my all-time favourite actors) as Cheney was superb. Scott Glenn as Rumsfeld and Jeffrey Wright as Colin Powel were very good. Elizabeth Banks was enjoyable as Laura Bush.

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