The James Bond Discussion Thread

Out of curiosity, is Brosnan's joke at John Cleese's expense in The World is not Enough being adhered to? In other words, Q's replacement is indeed R?

 

Personally, once Brosnan has decided he wants to hand the role over, I think Ralph Fiennes would make an excellent James Bond. I could see him bringing the Lazenby looks and the Dalton portrayl to the character. It's just another possibilty . . .

R.

Edit: I think John Cleese is indeed 'Q', and the 'R' thing was just a joke that they won't adhere to. After all, should Bond ever retire or be killed in action, someone else would become '007', just as his superior is always called 'M'.

Edit Mk II: Actually, according to IMDb, Cleese's character is called 'R'. Hmmmmm, well there goes my argument.

 

Isn't he called "Q" in the trailer, and on jamesbond.com?

Ralph Fiennes - perhaps, he is very "actorly" but so was Dalton. Doesn't anyone like Clive?

E_S

 

Oh, I thought it was Pierce's last. My bad.

Die Another Day - it looks like a modern update of the classics like Thunderball and You Only Live Twice combine- high adventure, glamourous women, and a rather silly lair (It's all ice!).

I tell you what I miss about James Bond? The Walther PPK. I appreciate Bond had to modernise to the P99, but I just miss that little underdog handgun...

But hey, we've finally got Aston Martin's back. W00t!

E_S

 

I thought it was Brosnan's last?

Anyway, I'm thinking that Clive Owen is looking a little old now. (Like Pierce? Oooh, controversial!) You have to think 3 odd films ahead. Will he look the right age then?

I say get in Christian Bale. Cool, Calm, handsome yet very, very DEADLY.

UKS

 

"I don't know anything by Clive, do you have a pic, or can tell of his movies?"

[image=http://www.efanguide.com/~cliveowen/croupier8.jpg][image=http://www.efanguide.com/~cliveowen/croupier9.jpg]

---

"[i]Can we get some confirmation on this Pierce Brosnan "last/not last" idea?[/i]"

Ask, and you shall receive, my good friend. [face_wink]

-[link=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/film/1753809.stm]BBC World News: Brosnan agrees to fifth 007 film[/link].

"Actor Pierce Brosnan has extended his contract to play James Bond for a fifth time.
The Irish performer told reporters at the launch of his fourth 007 adventure he was keen to make one more film [beyond [i]Die Another Day[/i]], but admitted it would probably be his last."

 

Not a bad idea, UKS. At least someone's heard of Clive too... Though he's not looking that old, not as of Bourne Identity. Hey, when you think of Roger Moore from, oh I don't know, 1981 onwards; that's when you think of James Bond as old...

EDIT: Never mind that last bit - just wanted confirmation about Pierce.

Those pics of Clive Owen, from Croupier are perfect, IMO - very Sean Connery. If you've got a fast connection go to BMW Films - Clive driving BMW cars for famous directors like Ang Lee.

Has anybody read the books?

E_S

 

For more info on Clive Owen, you could try:

Clive Owen on IMDB

E_S

 

Obi Anne, I can't agree with you more. They have more important things to talk about than his eggs and how many cups of coffee he drinks!

 

Has anybody read the books?

It's been awhile since I've read any of the books, but I have read:

Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
You Only Live Twice
The Man With the Golden Gun
Octopussy and The Living Daylights
From Russia, with Love
Live And Let Die

And the novelisation of The Spy Who Loved Me.

It was interesting to note that the shark-feeding scene in Dalton's Licence to Kill was originally in the novel version of Live And Let Die. I sometimes think that perhaps they could have included this scene in the film version of LALD . . .

R.

 

I read a newer Bond book, by Raymond somebody. It seemed pretty Bondy, but wasn't as good as some of the movies.

 

Raymond Benson. His books are very much Brosnan-style Bond, and you know it's the movie M, Q and Moneypenny. He does tend to try to emulate Fleming's obsession with the quality of 007's meals. Fleming thought Bond should be cultured and that a cultured man ate a certain way.

The books are great, but dated. You're right about LALD. It also contained the scene with the coral reef and Bond being dragged by a ship, from For Your Eyes Only. OHMSS was my favorite book; Bond punches someone out using his Rolex wrapped around his knuckles.

I remember reading a while back that producer Michael G Wilson is really into a doing a retro-story - like set during the 1960's. How do you think that would fare? I like the idea; as long as it's not camp. And I think Clive Owen would be perfect in that.

E_S

 

OHMSS was my favorite book; Bond punches someone out using his Rolex wrapped around his knuckles.

That is my favorite Bond novel as well, and I also rate the film version highly. I think the film stands alongside some of the very finest from the Bond film library . . . certainly George Lazenby came in for some criticism, but IMO I don't believe he was that bad in the lead role, and portrayed the character with a nice air of sensitivity. And you also have Diana Rigg as one of the most memorable Bond girls; a very resourceful and strong-minded woman . . . and thus far being the only woman Bond has been married to.

The score is my favorite of all the series . . . and no title song - just a very cool theme. Perhaps future Bond films might return to that occasionally, and have the opening theme be instrumental with nary a vocal present?

I remember reading a while back that producer Michael G Wilson is really into a doing a retro-story - like set during the 1960's. How do you think that would fare?

If he wanted a retro-story he should see who has the rights to Casino Royale . . . and try adapting that, perhaps?

I think a retro-story might fare really well on a commercial basis as the James Bond character is popular in print, films, games and just plain 'ol image . . . a new project with that character's named attached would generate huge interest, and this fan would be eager to see something like that.

R.

 

Obi Anne, you should try some of the books. They're good for that; Bond using his wits.

E_S

 

I want to bring this thread out of the depths since these movies are awesome.

I have yet to see DAD.Should I?

I believe that the older films were the best of the series--excluding Goldeneye which was my favorite of all time.Nowadays the movies have become just another series of action movies that lack the wit,style and storys that made up the originals.IMO Tommarow Never Dies was probably one of the most Assembly line movies i've ever seen.Maybe it was the death of Producer of Albert R.Brocalli that threw everything off-who knows,but if DAD is anything like TWINE then this series has gone down the drain.

 

I just got back from watching Die Another Day, and I thought it was utterly mindblowing.

One of the things that stood out in my opinion was the opening sequence with the credits. The movies have always been known for their women in the credits, and I was surprised and amazed at how they portrayed the women in DAD with the water, heat, and ice "models" of them.

While Connery might be my favorite bond, I do like Brosnan movies better, perhaps because I've grown up with him as Bond.

 

I actually think that when Brosnan retires from the role, they should get either Ralph Fienes or Jason Issacs.

 

DAD was great.

I think this is my favorite Bond film with Brosnan in it.

I'm just glad they got an environmentally friendly super weapon.

 

Die Another Day, my synopsis:

"another lame James Bond movie" this is not.

In actuality, I think it's one of the best the franchise has ever seen... and I'm rather certain it's going to be the highest grossing (worldwide) for the series.

Keeping in mind the context of James Bond films, this is not a tired outing like The Living Daylights... it's not a parody of itself like The World is Not Enough or Goldeneye... it is, however, a conglomeration of the best of 40 years of James Bond. The film begins as usual, with the classic bond intro and opening action sequence... then somewhere about 15 minutes into the longest continuous pre-title sequence yet for a Bond film, the train suddenly derails... and goes in a rather unexpected direction. No, this is not the cutesy James Bond we see... but the grittier James Bond... closer to Ian Fleming's ruthless creation.

It's not a perfect film... but I don't expect Bond films to be that way... after all, in order to be a Bond film, they must stick to the formula... "gadgets, guns and girls." But the difference is, this one actually has a story that's semi-interesting, some interplay between Bond and villain that goes beyond the pattern and gets aggressive.. very aggressive... and yet we for the first time see Bond's vulnerability. John Cleese's excellent fit for the role makes the absence of Desmond Llewelyn (aka "Q") almost unapparent.. a seamless transition... and the bad guys are more interesting and complex than in recent years. Who to trust is also much less obvious in this film. I think Brosnan fills the shoes quite well... as well as Connery, but in his own way... making this HIS Bond, rather than just being someone who has to be measured against Connery. No pun intended.

*****

Pierce Brosnan is definitely going to do more... I mean, he has said it gets routine, but he knows the part and it's beginning to feel like a comfortable pair of shoes for him... and the shoes look better on him than on any previous Bond, IMHO! He is presently signed on to do at least one more, but has been quoted at least on one occasion saying he could last through another "three or four" before feeling too old for the part.

As for the whole Q thing somebody brought up earlier... a little bit of Bond trivia here.

"Q" refers to the Quartermaster Branch of the Royal Navy to which Major Boothroyd, aka the original "Q" as played by Desmond Llewelyn through the last film, belongs. "Q" is basically a nickname for the head of the Quartermaster Branch... who is now played by John Cleese. Major Boothroyd was the actual name of the character in the Ian Fleming novel which were the basis for every film up until, if I'm not mistaken, Goldeneye.

Fleming's basis for "Q" was, quite possibly, an acquaitance of his who was good with gadgets back in the days when Fleming himself had been recruited, operating under the guise of a reporter for Reuters (his former employer), as an agent for the British Secret Intelligence Service (Branch MI-6, international surveillance... equivalent to the CIA. MI-5 is the British government's domestic surveillance, same as our FBI.)

Interesting few easter eggs... in Die Another Day, Bond does actually refer to Cleese at one point as "Quartermaster". Bond at one point says he "likes to watch birds", and the book Bond picks up and flips through, A Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies, was written by none other than the (now deceased) real-life ornithologist James Bond... after whom the character was so named by Ian Fleming. By the way, more useless trivia here in case anyone's wondering: "M" stands for Minister of Intelligence... The "MI" in MI-6 stands for the "Ministry of Intelligence."

 

Ahhh, no. "M" was actually for Sir Miles Messervy. The real head of MI6 was called "C", after Sir Mansfeld Cummings, the founder.

Jason Issacs? Possibly. Clive Owen is apparently EON's favorites.

E_S

 

Ender_Sai: In real life or in the Bond series? Either way, it appears I stand corrected.