iloveblackmovies
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Hancock
MOVIE REVIEW
Rated - PG 13
2 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
LAUREN FRANCIS-SHARMA SAYS:
MOVIE REVIEW
Rated - PG 13
2 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
LAUREN FRANCIS-SHARMA SAYS:
Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize
Theron star in "Hancock."
Theron star in "Hancock."
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The Dark Knight
MOVIE REVIEW
Rated - PG 13
2 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
LAUREN FRANCIS-SHARMA SAYS:
MOVIE REVIEW
Rated - PG 13
2 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
LAUREN FRANCIS-SHARMA SAYS:
Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize
Theron star in "Hancock."
Theron star in "Hancock."
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2 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
KAM WILLIAMS SAYS:
Jeffrey Wright reprises his role as
American CIA operative Felix Leiter. Alicia
Keys and Jack White sing the theme song
for "Quantum of Solace."
American CIA operative Felix Leiter. Alicia
Keys and Jack White sing the theme song
for "Quantum of Solace."
Craig is back for an action-oriented, globe-trotting adventure apt to disappoint fans anticipating the
suave spy’s sophisticated airs and other staples of the storied franchise.
For instance, instead of the peripatetic playboy’s trademark parade of a bevy of beauties, this flick
finds him fairly obsessed with understanding why he had been betrayed in Casino Royale by Vesper
(Eva Green), his late love interest from that picture. In fact, Bond becomes so desperate in this
endeavor that he roughs up as many good guys as bad.
This development frustrates the director of the British Secret Service, M (Dame Judi Dench), who
suggests “I think you’re so blinded by inconsolable rage that you don’t care who you hurt.” Then, when
James continues to behave irresponsibly, his boss cancels his passport and credit cards, strips him
of his license to kill and summarily calls him in from the proverbial cold, because, “When you can’t tell
your friends from your enemies, it’s time to go.”
As a result, this version of Bond is a rogue agent who operates sans the futuristic firearms, armored
sports car and other state-of-the-art accoutrements ordinarily equipped by M16’s genius inventor, Q, a
beloved character conspicuous in his absence here. Nevertheless, Quantum of Solace does offer
about double the amount of gun play, fisticuffs, foot chases and pyrotechnics, plus all the automobile,
motorcycle, airplane and speedboat derring-do of the typical 007 installment. The problem is that the
movie no longer feels like a Bond film when stripped of its eagerly-anticipated earmarks, but looks
suspiciously similar to a high-octane Jason Bourne affair in terms of non-stop stunts and its
unflappable protagonist’s inscrutable demeanor.
What does remain intact is Bond’s familiar mission to save the world from a diabolical villain bent on
world domination. In this case, the creep is Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) whose benignly-
named Greene Planet Corporation has for some reason been quietly acquiring ecological preserves
around the planet by any means necessary.
007 discovers that Greene is a member of Quantum, the shadowy brotherhood of thieves implicated
in the death of Vesper. Thus, the solution to her suicide conveniently dovetails with cracking the case.
Along the way to finding answers, Bond encounters a couple of fetching temptresses in Strawberry
Fields (Gemma Arterton) and Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a disenchanted gun moll of Mr. Greene. But
he’s far too consumed withy kicking butt from start-to-finish to pause for anything more than a
perfunctory appreciation of their pulchritude.
Unfortunately, Bond the bon vivant and charming ladies man who would flirt with Ms. Moneypenny and
anything in a skirt is nowhere to be found. Woefully underdeveloped except for the array of exotic
backdrops and the display of fighting skills, this incarnation of 007 is too busy taking on wave after
wave of equally-impersonal adversaries for romance or the subtleties of espionage.
A hyperactive James Bond whose attention-deficit antics ought to resonate with the restlessness of
the Joystick Generation.
suave spy’s sophisticated airs and other staples of the storied franchise.
For instance, instead of the peripatetic playboy’s trademark parade of a bevy of beauties, this flick
finds him fairly obsessed with understanding why he had been betrayed in Casino Royale by Vesper
(Eva Green), his late love interest from that picture. In fact, Bond becomes so desperate in this
endeavor that he roughs up as many good guys as bad.
This development frustrates the director of the British Secret Service, M (Dame Judi Dench), who
suggests “I think you’re so blinded by inconsolable rage that you don’t care who you hurt.” Then, when
James continues to behave irresponsibly, his boss cancels his passport and credit cards, strips him
of his license to kill and summarily calls him in from the proverbial cold, because, “When you can’t tell
your friends from your enemies, it’s time to go.”
As a result, this version of Bond is a rogue agent who operates sans the futuristic firearms, armored
sports car and other state-of-the-art accoutrements ordinarily equipped by M16’s genius inventor, Q, a
beloved character conspicuous in his absence here. Nevertheless, Quantum of Solace does offer
about double the amount of gun play, fisticuffs, foot chases and pyrotechnics, plus all the automobile,
motorcycle, airplane and speedboat derring-do of the typical 007 installment. The problem is that the
movie no longer feels like a Bond film when stripped of its eagerly-anticipated earmarks, but looks
suspiciously similar to a high-octane Jason Bourne affair in terms of non-stop stunts and its
unflappable protagonist’s inscrutable demeanor.
What does remain intact is Bond’s familiar mission to save the world from a diabolical villain bent on
world domination. In this case, the creep is Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) whose benignly-
named Greene Planet Corporation has for some reason been quietly acquiring ecological preserves
around the planet by any means necessary.
007 discovers that Greene is a member of Quantum, the shadowy brotherhood of thieves implicated
in the death of Vesper. Thus, the solution to her suicide conveniently dovetails with cracking the case.
Along the way to finding answers, Bond encounters a couple of fetching temptresses in Strawberry
Fields (Gemma Arterton) and Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a disenchanted gun moll of Mr. Greene. But
he’s far too consumed withy kicking butt from start-to-finish to pause for anything more than a
perfunctory appreciation of their pulchritude.
Unfortunately, Bond the bon vivant and charming ladies man who would flirt with Ms. Moneypenny and
anything in a skirt is nowhere to be found. Woefully underdeveloped except for the array of exotic
backdrops and the display of fighting skills, this incarnation of 007 is too busy taking on wave after
wave of equally-impersonal adversaries for romance or the subtleties of espionage.
A hyperactive James Bond whose attention-deficit antics ought to resonate with the restlessness of
the Joystick Generation.
