Do you expect me to talk?
No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!
Over the past couple of weeks, we've had an entertaining time deciding on the vilest Bond villain and the ultimate movie Bond, so the the time has come to pose perhaps the most critical 007 question: What's the best James Bond film? Sean Connery was voted your fave Bond, so we suspect one of his outings has to be in with a …
Quantum of Solace was for me a complete dog of a movie.
Bond villains need to have an evil plan. As you say setting up a utility monopoly in Bolivia doesn't quite cut the mustard. It was the Diet Coke of evil master plans - just one calorie, not evil enough. (With thanks to Dr. Evil)
It wasn't evil enough or big enough. A water monopoly would have been fine - IF it covered the entire world. But Nicaragua*? Please!
Paris would have made a better Bond villain.
*I don't even care what minor country it was.
The later movies have become too action orientated...no intrigue, no deductions or working out of the cunning plan (instead, we rely on Mr evil to spell it out), no covert ninja-ing, too much reliance on intel and gadgets to solve the problems for you. All DC has to do is run about fighting.
More brain, less braun please. More John le Carré, less David Morrell (Rambo).
Casino Royale (Daniel Craig) is an hour long poker game because the book is largely a poker game. I admit that is a lot of time to be sat there watching some people stare at each other (even Bond and Le Chiffre kept dashing off to change their shirts and restart their hearts etc) but a necessary part of the plot.
Fleming describes Bond as a damaged, detached killer. I think DC has portrayed this well and the directors are giving us fans all the gadgets, action and beautiful women that we expect.
As for Quantam of Solace - WTF
Goldeneye had all the elements, EMP pulse weapons, trick helicoptors, Cold war Missile trains, a tank chase, a secret jungle radar base (Sean Bean trying his best not to sound like he comes from Sheffield).
But the Bond Car.... A BMW Z3, I half expected Bond to confront Alec Trevelyan and offer him a light perm and a bit off the back.
Product placement is one thing, but not when you put the worlds greatest secret agent in a Hairdressers car.
But the Bond Car.... A BMW Z3, I half expected Bond to confront Alec Trevelyan and offer him a light perm and a bit off the back.
It could be worse - he could drive a rented Mundane-o, whereapon he'd jump out and try and sell you some plumbing supplies...damn you Cas Roy!
I am a Dalton fan. I personally feel he was an excellent Bond and his two movies were both better than later Moores and all of Brosnans bar Goldeneye.
He played a Bond that was far closer to Fleming's character.
Was he my favourite Bond - no. Was he in the best Bond film - no.
He certainly wasn't the wurst* though.
*Oktoberfest - everybody drink!
I think you could tell they didn't know what to do with Living Daylights, Moore might have come back, so they needed the comedy, but it was likley to be someone new who would be more serious, so it fell between 2 stools.
Licence to Kill they got a much better fit for him. Much more serious, and really played to Dalton's acting strengths (i.e. that he's a bloody good dramatic actor). I also think it's one of the few Bond films you could rename the main character and it would still work as a film. Had Dalton made another Bond in 1991 or so whenever it was supposed to come out (thank you Kevin Sodding McClory), I think we'd have had a much grittier path through the 90s, much more akin to what we have with the Daniel Craig reboot now, rather than Brosnan, who always sounded like he was straining a stool when ever he said Buaaahnd. (*plop*)
And this is one of the times I wish I could punch people through the screen - all 8 of you who voted for QoS as the best film...
Beer, because it's as close as you have to a martini...
Another Dalton Fan here. He is the proper balance between Sean Connery's playfulness and Daniel Craig's aloof coldness. As Spud just wrote, his Bond was far closer to Fleming's character.
That's why I like License to Kill - it's Bond going off-the-rails. His friend is killed, and he's going after his killer, Service be damned. It's Bond at his most focused and most dedicated.
Tells me two things, we have different generations of Bond fans here!
I like all of the Bond films, from the stern Connery, the cheesy Moore, the doubtful Dalton, the poncy Brosnan to the non nonsense Craig.
Rest assured if I play "Remote Roulette" and a Bond film comes up, I watch it!
However the latest Bond played by Daniel Craig is probably the best portrayal of a modern no nonsense spy with realistic fight scenes and the "Jason Bourne" esque persona I've come to love, but with the British flair.
It's a tough choice to pick one, but in essence they're all great in their own way..
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