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TheJags
Reviews
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Bond loses his charm
Bond seems to have lost his way a little bit since Casino Royale. Quantum of Solace, despite being far from the worst instalment ever (Die Another Day still haunts most), is really rather poor overall. The plot is wafer-thin, the action overrated and the directing inappropriate.
Half of the film barely makes sense, and many of the characters feel completely one-dimensional. M has lost her "balls," Mathis doesn't really play much of a role and the Bond girl's history is such a terrible cliché that the film quickly elbows through it, almost as if embarrassed.
Fans have clung to the action as the saving grace of this piece, but at the end of the day the film has geared itself to compete with the Bourne series and has failed miserably. The camera work deserves a special mention here too, as I can only assume the man behind it was drunk most of the time.
Overall, the film isn't awful by any stretch of the imagination, but after finally witnessing Bond getting back on track with Casino Royale it's difficult not to be left feeling stunned at how far it's fallen so fast. In the end, this has left me feeling the most disappointed in a film for a long time.
Tom yum goong (2005)
Two sides to the argument
Right, first off, if you're a "I'm going to analyse this thing to death" sorta person, just don't bother with this film. The story is terrible, the acting even more so, and occasionally the script genuinely makes you want to laugh (unintentionally).
So, this must be terrible, right? WRONG.
Notice the 9 stars above, then notice that this film has only one thing going for it: Tony Jaa.
What can I say? Primarily, I'd advise a youtube surf on the guy, just to check what you're buying - I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Then I strongly suggest you check out "Ong-Bak" as well (which is probably better). But really, mainly just sit back and enjoy one 5'6" Thai man kick the living cr@p out of everyone in the general vicinity. People call this film repetitive; maybe it is, after all, it is a martial arts film. But anyone who claims that the actual fights are the same thing again and again are just plain ignorant.
Trust me.
Into the Blue (2005)
Not great, but not bad
"Into the blue" isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination. However if you, like me, were expecting little more than another poor cheese-fest, you may well be surprised. Cheesy it is, but not sickeningly so, and while the acting will never win any Oscars, it's of an acceptable level for the most part.
However, the film's real strength lies in it's eye candy. Now, I'm not just talking about Alba in a bikini (although, phwoar) or the obligatory sixpack with a mouth (in the form of Paul Walker here), because the of the beautiful Bahamas and ocean life are just fascinating.
The story itself tries to be that bit more than your average yarn of this type, however, it doesn't really succeed in doing anything more than linking each diving/action set piece (which, in fairness, are usually executed with aplomb). However, everything that's required to pull off a rather brainless action adventure is here, and it's worth watching if sounds like your sort of thing.