After Casino Royale reinvigorated the ailing franchise after the forgettable Die Another Day, Quantum of Solace continues 007's new direction -- more grit, more emotion and less focus on gadgetry and all that ancillary stuff that I forget about right when I leave the theater. That said, Casino Royale had its own problems -- far too long, pacing was off and it was hard to not cringe at the unjustified love-dovey stuff being tossed around. Quantum of Solace fixes some of those problems, but brings some of its own. Still, it's a tighter, more thrilling product and if you liked the new direction Casino Royale took the franchise, then Quantum of Solace will please you.

QoS starts with a full-on sprint. One hour after the hugely satisfying ending to Casino Royale, Bond (Daniel Craig) is in a middle of car chase. It's thrilling, intense and easily rivals the chases present in the Bourne movies. After a successful escape and a stylish intro, with music provided by Jack White and Alicia Keys, the film takes a brief breather and then takes you to another exciting action sequence. This process repeats for the first 45 minutes or so.



It's relentless. Brief plot details are given and then Bond gets involved in some more action. The action is believable; considering how all the bullets miss Bond, he comes out injured, bleeding and scarred after every fight. After establishing the main players and love interests, QoS settles down.

The middle section of the film is generally sluggish and uninteresting, save for some fleeting moments of fun when Bond charms and tosses in some snappy lines. The problem stems from the plot. It's hard to really recall what happened, except that some bug-eyed dude wanted to take over something. At the very least, there aren't any laughably implausible poker tourneys.

And then QoS gets right back up. Story elements are done and explained, and all that's left is for Bond and the perfectly-tanned Bond girl Camille Montes, played by the lovely Olga Kurylenko, to finish off all the bad guys and call it day. There are genuinely memorable scenes in the last third of the movie and no, it's not all action related. Just like Casino Royale, QoS brings emotion and unlike its predecesser, all of it feels real and authentic.



A lot of it comes from the cast. Daniel Craig once again portrays a cold, merciliess and suave James Bond perfectly. Kurylenko does a great job as the latest Bond girl and easily outdoes Eva Green's Vesper in terms of both looks and character. The bug-eyed villian, Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) portrays a sly, and somewhat shrilly villian, but a credible threat nonethless. A great cast overall and not a mistep to be seen, really.

By the end of QoS, a lot is left unresolved and it sets itself up for another direct sequel. In another two years, we'll see another installment and I look forward to another one. QoS has a nice mix of grit, real emotions and a hint of looser, less serious tone present in pre-Craig Bond movies. It's a nice concoction, but just a bit more fine-tuning could've turned it into a wonderful one.

8.0/10

The movie's title is a bit misleading. Yes, Zack and Miri do eventually make a porno, but it only makes up one out of the three acts. It's a shame too, because that's easily the best part. It's raunchy, funny and pretty goddamn hot. The two other acts lodged on the right and left of it aren't nearly as, but as a whole, Zack and Miri Make a Porno is worth a watch.

Zack and Miri (Seth Rogen and the insanely attractive Elizabeth Banks, respectively) have been friends since the first grade and their relationship has been surprisingly platonic. They've roomed together in a dinky little house for years and eventually, they can't make ends meet. Zack comes to the realization that making and distributing a porno will solve all financial problems.



The problem is getting to the actual porno-shooting part of the movie. Everything is largely hit-and-miss. Sometimes the delivery of lines feel stilted and forced and other times the actor doesn't have to make much an effort, because what's written is already funny. One thing that remains a constant is the authentic relationship between Zack and Miri. You can tell they've been friends since forever; vulgar langauge is a constant, they chat about sex toys they're fond of and they've seen each other nude more times than they can remember.

Obviously, things will change. Tensions rise and during the third act, it's hit-and-miss again. Sometimes it's way too sappy and melodramatic and sometimes it's just sweet enough to make manly men, like me, feel some emotion. However, since the relationship between the two is so believable already, some of the narrative faults are forgivable.

This is a Kevin Smith movie, so expect tons of cussing and lots and lots of stuff that pushes the R-rating. Really, it does. The "porn" actually looks like real porn and it's pretty amazing how far Smith and crew were able to push this. The writing is full of cussing and obscenities and sometimes it borders on excessive, but mostly it sounds natural. What I was disappointed by was the lack of really biting and exciting exchanges that are present in some of Smith's previous efforts, like Clerks. You'd think he'd be able to unleash some long arguments on porn, but there's disappointingly little of it.



There are some inspired casting choices, like Brandon Routh's character. It's nice to see him in a new role and he's perfect in this movie. His scene with Justin Long is easily one of my favorites in the entire film. Rogen and Banks bounce off each other with bubbling chemistry and Smith's long-time pals, Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson, arrive and add tremendously to the movie.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is at times disgusting, vulgar, hilarious and sweet. When they all mingle together in perfect harmony, the movie's a riot. It's a good movie, but spurts of brilliance makes it that much easier to recommend.

7.5/10

AC/DC is a legendary band that has come back for more. The band known for their high voltage rock and roll has gained some mixed reactions to their last album "Stiff Upper Lip" but they plan to rectify that with their new album "Black Ice". Black Ice is going to be their first new studio album in 8 years, and unlike Stiff Upper Lip all the lyrics are now handled by the lead singer Brian Johnson. Johnson also comments that fan's reactions to the blues direction with Stiff Upper Lip can now rejoice because of Angus Young writing heavier riffs. But without further ado let's get on to the songs, which is what we really care about.

1. Rock N Roll Train - The first single off this record. It starts out slow, it reminded me of the beginning of Riff Raff, at the end of it you will find yourself bobbing your head and singing the chorus.
2. Skies on Fire - Starts with simple drums and then the guitar ease you into the song. It has a main riff that you will remember after hearing the song.
   
3. Big Jack - A great one, the main riff is just as catchy as Skies on Fire. And the mood is brought up in the chorus, where you can't help but feel pumped.
   
4. Anything Goes - This is the most different of all the tunes. It has a more poppy sound than the rest. Still worth a listen, but it still feels odd.
   
5. War Machine - Starts off with drums for a dramatic intro. Everything about this song will get you pumped, so it's basically great work out music. Throughout the song it builds momentum until it finally launches you into the verse.
   
6. Smash N Grab - Starts out big and loud. Slows down a bit until the chorus. Another memorable chorus though.
   
7. Spoilin For A Fight - This has one of the most distinct riff. Being so you will consequently make sound effects to sing along with it.
   
8. Wheels - A fun track that could only be summed up in one word: WHHHEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLSSSS
   
9. Decibel - This is a prime example of Brian Johnson not being able to enunciate certain words. The song should instead be called "Jezebel". But it's an interesting one because it has a more ZZ Top sound that that of AC/DC.
   
10. Stormy May Day - This is my favorite on the entire album. This is the only track without a guitar solo, but to make up for it, the song is played with a slide guitar. The slide gives it a unique sound, it's rock not blues, and that's the reason I pick this out of the entire batch.
    
11. She Likes Rock N Roll - When it stated off, I actually thought it was a White Stripes song. It's nothing special until the chorus, which is the only reason to listen to this song. It is incredibly catchy.
    
12. Money Made - Heavy on the bass, and a great verse. This has a Led Zeppelin feel to it, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
    
13. Rock N Roll Dream - Probably the softest song in the entire album, I wouldn't say it's a ballad but it comes close. The reason it isn't one is because it explodes at the chorus. Also what's different on this one is that there is a presence of a synth, but it doesn't take away from the experience.
    
14. Rockin All The Way - Starts off very bluesy, and with a voice that the high pitch screaming that is on the rest of the record. And it has the best solo on the entire thing.
    
15. Black Ice - The title track, this is the song that definitively returns to their roots, it could be mistaken for any of their older songs if you don't know all of them. It rocks, but at the same time it sounds outdated. Still though it is one of my favorites.
    

The Good:

• Great guitar work by Angus Young
• Fun songs and catchy choruses
• They return to their Rock N Roll roots with impressive results
• Other instruments get their recognition besides the guitar alone
  

The Bad:

• Some different directions the band went that isn't that great.
• Probably would not be as legendary as the rest of the band's catalog
• Lyrically it's not very diverse, it's the standard of Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll

I liked this album a lot, not too much to complain about. I probably would have bought this if there wasn't an album that I'm excited for that comes out next month, the one which will grant a certain soda to everyone. After listening to this entire thing, there are definitely some guitar parts that made me want to sit down and learn. I would recommend this to everyone, even if they don't listen to rock.

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