Quantum of Solace 2-disc “Special Edition” DVD
First of all, let’s get to truth in packaging. Is this worth even putting on 2 DVDs? The answer is absolutely no.
Disc 1 has the movie, 2 theatrical trailers, and the music video for “Another Way to Die.”
Disc 2 has 4 featurettes and the complete collection of the crew diaries that were posted on the official 007 site during production.
By contrast, I recently rented Rachel Getting Married from Netflix. On a single disc was found: The movie, 2 separate commentary tracks, more than a dozen deleted scenes, and 3 featurettes.
The contrast is striking. There is more and better material on one DVD produced on the cheap than there is on a two DVD “special” set produced by a major studio.
Let’s go over the Quantum of Solace features.
First, the movie. QOS turns out to be a much better movie on home viewing. Its two biggest problems are pacing and disorienting action, both of which are mitigated by the smaller screen and the ability to get up and get a beverage. Unfortunately, the third problem, that QOS is so dark it makes Licence to Kill seem like a Roger Moore romp, is much worse once the other problems are eased. A slow, thoughtful watching of QOS shows all the places where tension might have been eased but was not, where a smile was possible, where the darkness is simply relentless. QOS, unfortunately, will remain a mid-level Bond film despite its dynamic cast (not unlike LTK).
The disc 1 features are negligible. The music video is very good, and I hate to admit it, but the song is really growing on me. But it amounts to about nine minutes of extras in total.
On disc 2, the first featurette: Bond on Location, is really very good. It’s the kind of feature you really want to see on a DVD; it explores behind the scenes and gives you footage, information, and interviews. Unfortunately, the other three all include extended clips from the first one, making it clear they’re stretching out a small amount of material to make it look like more.
As hard as I tried to be fascinated by the production diaries when they were online, I found them dull and repetitive, and didn’t put myself through a second viewing.
And that’s it! So unless you’re an obsessive collector, I’d save my money and wait for the real special edition.
6 users commented in " Review: Quantum of Solace 2-disc “Special Edition” DVD "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackMy thoughts exactly, with Bond 23 I’ll buy the single disc and wait for the special.
I also fell for it with Casino Royale. In the end I bought the double and triple and gave the double too a friend. I’ll do the same with QOS.
I read on mI6.co.uk that Mark Forster already works on the very special version, maybe even with the deleted scene where Bond kills White and confronts Haines.
From Holland with Love
Flapflop
It was’nt bad,better then the first release of CR,,,”Walmart” gave you three choice of DVD, 1),single,,2) double with extra DVD and 3) a speacial package with a single DVD and a small James Bond calendar..Also got the new NSNA,with extras,this runs about 38 minutes without the photo gallery,not bad…….
I too am liking QoS on home viewing. I remain perturbed by the lack of resolution with the Haines issue. How can they leave an adviser to the PM (with his own special branch bodyguard to boot making him basically a British gov’t employee regardless of how Mathis characterized him)out there as a major criminal? IMO he’s one of the worst villans in the flick. Bond needed to expose/dispose of Haines for the sake of justice. Failure to do so because including a scene would require a trilogy does not cut it for me. Change the script and film a scene so that its wrapped up in a single movie. What, did EON run out of plastic?
Also another thought on why White does not kill Bond at the end of CR as revealed in the interrogation scene–Quantum was hoping to turn Bond using Vesper –”we would have had you too”.
I think Bond couldn’t go after Haines (yet) because otherwise he and probably M would have been fired, or even arrested, because he’s that close to the prime minister and (hinted)foreign minister.
Remember the scene where M goes too the foreign minister and is pulled back of going after quantum because ‘if we would never deal with bad people, we couldn’t do anything’, or something like that.
Also Bond’s movements are closed by M when they think he killed a bodyguard of Haines (only Quantum did it, the man was still alive when he landed on the car of Greene). This because there isn’t enough evidence yet. Remember Haines could always say i got up too go to the bathroom or something like that, not to flee the scene after Quantum was uncovered.
Apart from that, getting Haines would technically be something more for Mi5 then Mi6 because its a domestic problem, not international.
I think the next step for Bond to get 2 quantum will probably be:
1. Going to Canada to find out what Quantum is after by luring/manipulating a Canadian agent the same way as Vesper.
2. Haines and/or White
3. One of the other Quantum-members who fled from the theater.
From Holland with Love
Flapflop
I agree that QoS works better on the small screen. The problem I found with it is that it just left me cold – I felt nothing for any of the characters including 007, and despite the location hopping didn’t feel I’d been anywhere, possibly because fitting more locations into a shorter film just ends up confused.
It is a real shame as this could have been so much better with just a few changes, and despite the fact that anything coming after CR was going to be a letdown this remains a disappointment.
One thing I’d really like EON reduce s the amount of screen time given to M – are we really supposed to believe that she’ll hop on a plane to oversee Bond in the field when things don’t go to plan? Judi Dench is a great actress, but she is way overused.
Excellent point about M.
I still feel if the direction and editing were more narrative-driven, if the color palette had been more diverse (Forster was really committed to lots of black and white to represent Bond’s inner turmoil), and if there had been just a touch of humor, this would have been a very fine movie indeed. Such small changes could have made such a big difference!
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