Quantum of Beefcake

[archerships]

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!

Original: craschworks - comments

Comments

[xleste.livejournal.com]

CHRIS!! What're you trying to do to me?!!
Thanks. I may flag this as a favorite post, except the experience of being reduced to drooling is a little disconcerting!

[crasch.livejournal.com]

What're you trying to do to me?!!

It wasn't drooling exactly...:>

But I'm happy to hear you've been pleasantly disconcerted.

[xleste.livejournal.com]

Uh-huh. Thanks.
It effectively eradicated any delusion that I'm a sane, reasonable, intelligent woman. :p

[crasch.livejournal.com]

It effectively eradicated any delusion that I'm a sane, reasonable, intelligent woman.

Tragic.

At least you've still got hot, charming, and a great dancer left.

Now if only we could do something about the drooling.

[xleste.livejournal.com]

Well, hey, maybe the hot dancing w/ charm will land me Daniel Craig. Hmm...maybe not until the drooling is fixed. It's the same problem I have in the same room as Helo. I can't speak straight sentences. :)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

It's the same problem I have in the same room as Helo. I can't speak straight sentences. :)

From what you've told me about his tastes, I think that's a feature, not a bug...:>

[xleste.livejournal.com]

*grin* Yes, but for me, I happen to prefer men who can talk in complete sentences, which requires me to respond in kind. :)

[crasch.livejournal.com]

BTW, I think you'd like Layer Cake. I suspect it was his role in that film that got him the Bond gig.

[nasu-dengaku.livejournal.com]

Layer Cake was excellent.

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw it in a film class.

[ladykalana.livejournal.com]

Huh. What movie was he so very nekkid in? And that really doesn't look like him... in the face, I mean. My first thought was Benicio del Toro.

[crasch.livejournal.com]

I think the screenshots are from Love Is The Devil

[evelynne.livejournal.com]

BOND PEEN!!! I'm happy to see he doesn't wax his nethers.

[integreillumine.livejournal.com]

Actually, I didn't think he was just about revenge. There were subtle themes in the fact that he saved the second girl, kissed but never did anything with her (esp after M said stuff about him putting all his femmes at risk).