James Bond U.S. Poster Rankings: No. 21

If I have to choose between two pieces of artwork that is supposed to market a film best, I will always err on the side of putting too much on the page than not enough.  While simplicity can certainly enhance the buzz factor for a movie, most of the time when there is very little to look at in a teaser or theatrical poster it just comes off as boring and uninspired.  That is why you will notice that most of the works I have near the bottom of my list for best American one-sheet poster in the James Bond franchise are characterized as lazy and lifeless.  The poster that comes in at 21 is a perfect example.

 

 

21. Quantum of Solace

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take away from this poster, but seeing two disheveled characters walking in the desert doesn't do much in the way of provoking hysteria.  The location isn't exotic at all, Bond and the femme fatale are about as unglamorous as you can get, and the only hint of adventure in the photo is so small and insignificant, it makes you wonder whether the movie is actually going to include any action at all.

 

The only thing saving this poster from being at the very bottom of the list is the contrast between the dark and light of Bond and Camille's clothing and the desert setting they are strolling through.  While I'm not particularly fond of this poster, it is markedly better than the teaser that came months before it.

 

The shadow of an iconic movie character isn't original and it certainly isn't exciting.  There are plenty of examples through history of the shadow being utilized on posters.  The only time I can really remember that it worked well was nearly a decade before Quantum of Solace, and the only reason it was successful for that movie was because fans had been waiting more than 15 years to see the next installment in one of the most popular film series of all time.

 

The marketing department for Quantum of Solace didn't do too much to create different posters throughout the world.  It really is pretty much the same image throughout the entire world.  I did find this poster from China that is a slight improvement on the original.

 

Adding just a little bit of color to the sky isn't a great improvement on an already disappointing poster, but it does help.  Plus, anything with Chinese characters is better.