James Bond

[Masque]

I never flat out hated a Bond film which at first felt weird given therebwere installments I'd always see people hate on like Diamonds are Forever or Die Another Day.

 

[Tenebrae]

I never flat out hated a Bond film which at first felt weird given there were installments I'd always see people hate on like Diamonds are Forever or Die Another Day.

I love these two both. Same as you, I never quite hated a Bond film, but there are a few I don't like as much as the others. From Russia With Love, iconic as it is, feels super slow and not very interesting to me. I also don't like On Her Majesty's Secret Service very much, despite the awesome Bond Girl being played by the drop-dead-gorgeous Diana Rigg: the aesthetic choices on this film (clothing, colors...) feel more like a parody than an actual Bond film. Telly Savalas makes for a competent Blofeld, but his plan is ludicrous and there is practically no tension during the whole run. Awesome and surprising ending though; it took me totally by surprise back then. And the follow-up at the beginning of Diamonds Are Forever did not disappoint either.

As far as fictional characters go, I think James Bond has a great legacy. I have enjoyed just about every Bond film I have ever seen. Personally, I think Daniel Craig and Sean Connery were fantastic and of course, dashingly handsome

Hehe, as always, you have very good taste~ All the Bond actors are good-looking in their own right. My wife prefers Sean Connery despite the hair on his chest, but personally I think Pierce Brosnan from Tomorrow Never Dies onward was the most handsome.

 

[Masque]

I really liked Roger Moore's take on Bond but he really should've stopped at Octopussy I think.

 

[Bohemianne]

... but personally I think Pierce Brosnan from Tomorrow Never Dies onward was the most handsome.

Ha! You know, Tenebrae, I find opinions about 'critiquing a famous figure by an observer/or maybe admirer of the same gender' to have more integrity. Now, I could second that... I really like everything about Pierce Brosnan as an actor. They have really seen his qualities because he was able to be cast in one of the most competitive character roles in the film industry.

 

[Masque]

I'd learned Dalton was asked to do Goldeneye but he turned it down becausenhe said he'd only want to do one more film but Cubby Broccoli told him that wasn't an option.

 

[Wesker28]

I'd learned Dalton was asked to do Goldeneye but he turned it down becausenhe said he'd only want to do one more film but Cubby Broccoli told him that wasn't an option.

Unfortunately yes, too bad I would of liked to of seen him do more. I can understand Dalton though, 1987, 1989, legal problems until 1994. A whole 6 years of no Bond at all. I think most people would probably think, yeah ok i'll do one more but after 6 years of nothing, I would rather not do another. Had the original planned film been made in 1991, Dalton may have felt differently.

 

[Wesker28]

I really liked Roger Moore's take on Bond but he really should've stopped at Octopussy I think.

I agree, he felt more at home in Octopussy, it would have been a more fitting send off.

 

[Wesker28]

I would like to get my hands on the remake of Goldeneye; I hate that they replaced Brosnan by Craig but from the videos I managed to catch on Youtube it seems a worthwhile entry as far as Bond and shooters are concerned, especially considering I really liked the N64 version back when I was a kid.

If you are interested there is also a small team of people remaking Goldeneye 64, completely free for pc, single player only. The sound designer has recreated the Eric Serra musical style and the areas in the original game have been made to look more like the darker movie style. It looks fantastic so far!
Goldeneye 25.

https://twitter.com/007goldeneye25?lang=en

Look at this, the Janus Control Room!
https://twitter.com/007GoldenEye25/status/1198278160867086338/photo/1

 

[Tenebrae]

Ha! You know, Tenebrae, I find opinions about 'critiquing a famous figure by an observer/or maybe admirer of the same gender' to have more integrity. Now, I could second that... I really like everything about Pierce Brosnan as an actor. They have really seen his qualities because he was able to be cast in one of the most competitive character roles in the film industry.

Hehe, now we're talking 😉

Funny thing is, you are the first one to tell me that. Women usually quickly dismiss my opinion on men's attractiveness because they can feel that we are not attracted to the same things. Obviously, I do not see men as objects of desire, and the features that I find pleasing in them often are devoid of the qualities women usually look for. Usually, mind you, but not always because there is that happy moment every now and then when that sparkle ignites our interest across both sides of the gender aisle, like just now with Mr Brosnan, whom I deem to be a more attractive man than any who preceded or followed.

An interesting tidbit is that of all the actors who played the famous spy ("famous spy", now if that is not a contradiction in terms, I do not know what is 😀) Pierce Brosnan looks physically the most like the description Ian Fleming made of him in his books. If I recall correctly, he even made a sketch of what Bond looks like in his mind, and the resemblance with Pierce Brosnan was uncanny. The late Albert "Cubby" Broccoli had wanted to cast him in the role even before Goldeneye as a replacement for Roger Moore!

If you want to see how well Mr Brosnan handles his late career, I highly recommend a film titled "The Foreigner", with Jackie Chan in the title role. Not only is it very good, but our ex-Bond displays an amazing range of acting as a shady Irish politician caught in a very difficult situation. I won't say any more and I urge everyone on this thread to do likewise. Happy viewing

 

[Masque]

Yeah Brosnan was wanted for the role iirc as far back as when his wife was in For Your Eyes Only and he got to visit the set.
He was gonna do The Living Daylights but due to all the attention he was getting as the next James Bond the series Remington Steele got renewed for another season at the last minute.

 

[Masque]

Kananga's death also felt weird because they built it up like he was gonna get eaten bybthe sharks.

 

[Masque]

I've now been thinking of getting Bloodstone and/or the Quantum of Solace game provided my brother still lets me have his old XBox 360.

 

[Wesker28]

An interesting tidbit is that of all the actors who played the famous spy ("famous spy", now if that is not a contradiction in terms, I do not know what is 😀) Pierce Brosnan looks physically the most like the description Ian Fleming made of him in his books. If I recall correctly, he even made a sketch of what Bond looks like in his mind, and the resemblance with Pierce Brosnan was uncanny. The late Albert "Cubby" Broccoli had wanted to cast him in the role even before Goldeneye as a replacement for Roger Moore!

Really, because Fleming's Bond also looks a lot like Dalton as well.
On the subject of Brosnan though, he has said himself he would of been happier to act darker but the *Producers* wanted Bond to act lighter..
Which is just typical of them, after all Dalton went though and said it needs to be grittier and the characters need to feel more real. Which is also how we ended up with Goldeneye.

 

[Wesker28]

Kananga's death also felt weird because they built it up like he was gonna get eaten bybthe sharks.

Well he always did have an over inflated opinion of himself!
The first time I saw that film I had a hunch it would involve the air bullet somehow, especially since Bond went out of his way to pick it up with the magnet, a good indication he is going to use it.

 

[Masque]

I always thought the sketch I'd seen resembled Sean Connery the most.
Also I felt Brosnan could do the cold blooded killer like when the guy begs for his life saying "Wait. I'm just a professional doing a job," and Bond coldly remarks "Me too" then shoots him in the head.

 

[Tenebrae]

I've now been thinking of getting Bloodstone and/or the Quantum of Solace game provided my brother still lets me have his old XBox 360.

I highly recommend the former

Really, because Fleming's Bond also looks a lot like Dalton as well.
On the subject of Brosnan though, he has said himself he would of been happier to act darker but the *Producers* wanted Bond to act lighter..
Which is just typical of them, after all Dalton went though and said it needs to be grittier and the characters need to feel more real. Which is also how we ended up with Goldeneye.

Brosnan was not so light, in my opinion. The word that comes to my mind when I think of his version of Bond is "military". Sean Connery was a charming assassin, Moore a suave adventurer with an upper class bent, Dalton a professional infiltrator, but Brosnan really ramped up the action. He wore military fatigues and/or armour in each of his entries, and the kill count went through the roof. I think he kills more people in Goldeneye alone than Moore ever did in all of his movies put together, for instance. Or at least it looks this way. In my view, the producers did right to inject some light-heartedness in the mix, otherwise we would have ended up with a generic action film instead of a Bond film.

I always thought the sketch I'd seen resembled Sean Connery the most.
Also I felt Brosnan could do the cold blooded killer like when the guy begs for his life saying "Wait. I'm just a professional doing a job," and Bond coldly remarks "Me too" then shoots him in the head.

Exactly. Although one could argue that it was a bit personal at that point 🙄 Great line, awesome scene.

I adore Dr Kaufman. I remember watching the film with my father at the time (I was 12 when it came out), and when I voiced my regrets of seeing Kaufman being offed so quickly, my father told me that on the contrary, it was the smart thing to do, because the character would have a better impact this way instead of being a running joke throughout the whole film. It did make sense.

I still laugh every time he says "I feel like an idiot. I don't know what to say... I am to torture you if you don't do it", seemingly sorry I love when the villain is so polite.

 

[Masque]

I recall seeing someone say they were glad Bronan got the "me too" kill in Tomorrow Never Dies given how many of his kills apparently via large crowds with a machine gun.

 

[Tenebrae]

I recall seeing someone say they were glad Brosnan got the "me too" kill in Tomorrow Never Dies given how many of his kills apparently via large crowds with a machine gun.

An assault rifle or a submachine gun, usually, but I see your point. James Bond films of his era usually involved a lot of auto-fire. The Kaufman kill was not the only "up close and personal" kill he ever carried out, though, and there were many stealthy moments as well calmer scenes where he traded verbal blows with his opponents while wearing a tuxedo, in traditional James Bond fashion.

Overall, I love the Brosnan era. Solid stories, great hi-tech, charm galore and extremely well choreographed action scenes (including a glorious sword fight). The body count may be a bit high, but it is still bona fide James Bond.

 

[Masque]

"I never miss..."

 

[sonnymadler]

Overall, I love the Brosnan era. Solid stories, great hi-tech, charm galore and extremely well choreographed action scenes (including a glorious sword fight). The body count may be a bit high, but it is still bona fide James Bond.

I guess I must disagree with you Tene 😀 Brosnan was given only one good script, which was Goldeneye, and by his own admission that's the only one he vividly remembers. The other three movies are a blur in his memory, which kinda speaks for the quality of those movies. Not that they're bad, they're just wasted potential.

I especially feel like The World Is Not Enough (which I'm an apologist of) is an example of that, because Brosnan never felt more like Bond than in this one. From the emotional tension of whether or not he should trust Elektra, to the cold-blooded kills he delivered in Bilbao, to Davidov and to Elektra herself. But it gets held back by a lackluster finale on the sub with Renard and Denise Richards' wooden acting.

Then there's Die Another Day. There's a lot wrong with it which I won't go into, but the potential lay with the North Korea plotline. Bond spent over a year imprisoned and tortured there, and the writers didn't think to give him some PTSD as a consequence? He comes out of there with only cosmetic injuries and mentally practically unscathed like it was an overnight layover.

 

[Masque]

I know nothing about her but with The World Is Not Enough I frequently saw people find Denise Richards obsurd as a nuclear physicist and one reviewer pretended to be laughing under his breath any time she delivered techno babble.
Also the fact that they named her Christmas just so they could end the film on him going "I thought Christmas only comes once a year."

 

[Tenebrae]

I guess I must disagree with you Tene 😀 Brosnan was given only one good script, which was Goldeneye, and by his own admission that's the only one he vividly remembers. The other three movies are a blur in his memory, which kinda speaks for the quality of those movies. Not that they're bad, they're just wasted potential.

I especially feel like The World Is Not Enough (which I'm an apologist of) is an example of that, because Brosnan never felt more like Bond than in this one. From the emotional tension of whether or not he should trust Elektra, to the cold-blooded kills he delivered in Bilbao, to Davidov and to Elektra herself. But it gets held back by a lackluster finale on the sub with Renard and Denise Richards' wooden acting.

Then there's Die Another Day. There's a lot wrong with it which I won't go into, but the potential lay with the North Korea plotline. Bond spent over a year imprisoned and tortured there, and the writers didn't think to give him some PTSD as a consequence? He comes out of there with only cosmetic injuries and mentally practically unscathed like it was an overnight layover.

Allow me to disagree in return 🙄 I do think that the writers could have exploited the fact that Renard did not feel pain a bit better for a more intense fight. The way Bond killed him was seriously anti-climatic.

However, Denise Richards? If her acting was wooden then it was all firewood because she was sizzling HOT While I do think her character felt underused and very forgettable, it did not have to be this way. They could have given her guns for instance, to match that Lara Croft look, and be more of a help for Bond. Or there could have been a scene of her getting tortured by Renard or Elektra; that would have given her more emotional power. Also, to be fair, Ms Richards must have hated Sophie Marceau. It is not only very hard to play opposite her as she eats all of the screen, her character (Elektra) was so wonderfully written that it overshadowed everyone, including Bond and Renard.

I love Die Another Day. Awesome plot, wonderful action scenes (save for that embarrassing surfing moment) and above all very referential. A real love letter to the genre. My favourite scene has got to be the duel between the two gadget-laden cars, super intense and well-choreographed; finally the villains have the tech to match Q-branch! And about the captivity/torture, I disagree too. Best opening in the history of the series: Bond fails his mission About the fact he does not have PTSD, I wanna say au contraire, it would have been a major faux-pas to have him traumatized. This is not Bourne, this is James Bond, he does not break. If anything, it was worth it for the scene on the boat where he is getting medical treatment and the doctors comment on the state of his liver

Die Another Day also contains two amazing sword fights, and two of the most attractive and intriguing ladies in the franchise, with Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike, both playing highly trained agents. That scene where Ms Berry runs up that grassy hill in Cuba in her bare feet, silenced gun in hand and lightly clad in an evanescent sundress...

 

[Tenebrae]

I know nothing about her but with The World Is Not Enough I frequently saw people find Denise Richards absurd as a nuclear physicist and one reviewer pretended to be laughing under his breath any time she delivered techno babble.
Also the fact that they named her Christmas just so they could end the film on him going "I thought Christmas only comes once a year."

I hate those critics who make fun of her for being a nuclear scientist. This is pure misogyny. Seriously, dudes? You don't think a girl can be hot AND smart? I mean James Bond is hot and smart, no one disparages him for that, duh.

I am NOT including you among them, just to be clear. I simply find this kind of criticism unfair and quite vicious, to be honest

 

[Masque]

Again the fact that she was in The World Is Not Enough was all I knew of her.

Also Die Another Day has infamous moments like kite surfing on a CGI tsunami (which even Brosnan laughed his ass off at in the documentary) but at least Mr Tamahori's plans to make the codename theory canon fell through.

 

[DEV]

Honestly, I felt Tomorrow Never Dies was a fun Bond movie and one that holds a special place for me because of it being the first one I ever watched. Goldeneye is much better however. I feel Quantum of Solace is rather underrated and Skyfall was a great one-half of a Bond movie, but just utterly nosedived in quality at they went back to London. Spectre... exists.