The post-Moore Bond films were perfectly serviceable escapist action entertainments. But seeing Brosnan in "The Tailor of Panama" left me wondering, "What if they made a spy movie about James Bond?" Not an action movie with James Bond, who happens to be a spy, but an actual spy movie in the tradition of "The Man Who Came in from the Cold" or even "Our Man in Havana." The genius of "Casino Royale" was doing exactly that: Taking James Bond and putting him in an actual spy movie. So jolly good news if the makers of "Quantum of Solace" -- love the name, by the way -- continue to see the franchise as spy films first, action-adventure second.

Also, looks like the new Felix is in this one, too. Excellent!

Why doesn't anyone stick up for the Brosnan-era bond series anymore? At the time, he was seen as being the best Bond since Connery. And the Murdoch-themed "Tommorrow Never Dies" seems kinda prescient these days.

Ooooo, that looks awesome.  The title, though, is awful.

"Quantum of Solace" is an actual Ian Fleming title (though the film has nothing to do with the original short story), but today, the word "quantum" in popular entertainment and everyday conversation is used almost exclusively to refer to quantum physics, so it has an unintentional sci-fi vibe.  Here, it just means "amount" -- as in, "Measure of Consolation," presumably referring in this application to Bond's revenge -- but it's too fancy for that purpose.

At least the franchise now seems intent on using Fleming's titles, even if the story has nothing to do with the original source.  That bodes well for the far better unused titles "Property of a Lady" and "Risico."  (Hopefully they'll draw the line at "The Hildebrand Rarity" and "007 in New York," as they should have done with "Quantum of Solace.")

Future Bond titles I would like to see:

"The Spy Who Loved Goldenpussy"

"Dr. Killfuck"

"Never Say Live"

"Die Again Tomorrow"

"Living to Die"

"A Day to Kill"

"The Spy Who Came Again"

"A Shot in the Daylight"

"The Inimitiable Factor"

"Murderball"  Oh wait....

Oh YEAH x 1000!

Daniel Craig needs to be cast as Willie Garvin in a Modesty Blaise series done by someone competent. I'll wait until I see Wanted to find out if Angelina Jolie can play Modesty, but I'm skeptical. John Hurt is to play Fraser, though.

Nobody do this without consulting me. The number one reason why movies go bad is that this crucial step is ignored.

Also, I remember On Her Majesty's Secret Service as sucking. Are you saying it didn't?

Funny list jhild, 'cept some of those are probably already XXX tiltes.

The preview does look promising, but I see some of those Bond-is-famous-for-too-many chase scenes from a car, plane, and helicopter.  Here's to hoping they have a point, aren't used as padding, and are wise in their brevity.

I'm a fan of the way that preview starts out, some kind of smart, sinister organization, tells Bond they find him a real threat, and that he can't get away from them easily.  Plus, some of his own side that put him in real danger, like Vesper.

jhild, "Dr Killfuck" is the highlight of my day.

I agree with you, Chris.  OHMSS was an interesting movie, where you kind of got to see a little bit more of just what kind of person James Bond was.   This was magnified by like amillion times in Casino of course, but there was some genuine pathos in OHMSS.   Who, exactly, signs up to be a goverenment killing machine?  

I think I like Bond a lot more than I like Bond movies, if that makes sense.  I consider myself a fan even though I can't stand the bulk of the franchise.

Maybe I might have to watch it again.

Another fun fact: Patrick McGoohan [The Prisoner] turned down Bond before Connery was asked, because he thought Bond was a drunken womanizing sadist, and not a proper role model for children. Can't argue!

OHMSS had not only the best Bond Woman (Diana Rigg is no girl), it also had the best love theme with "We Have All the Time in the World."

Drool.

I'll also chime in with the OHMSS defenders, even if Lazenby acts like a model.  (Or perhaps I should say for an actor he's a fine model.)  But I have to wonder if the powers that were would have tried to make OHMSS as a sparer restart had Connery remained in the title role.  Somehow I doubt it.

Anyway, to the important stuff: any word on who will do the theme song?  Here I must agree with drdannyu, nobody has topped Satchmo to date.

Moving on to the category of non -insane newspaper articles about superhero films, A.O. Scott's piece

Just a year after suffering a massive stroke and spelling out an entire memoir in eye-blinks , French