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Most Underused Characters in the Series
jake24
Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
Do you feel that any certain characters from the series were underused and could have benefited from more screen time?
I'll start with mine. Severine from Skyfall. I felt that we never really captured the essence of her character, and that her relationship with Bond would've been more understandable if most of her scenes hadn't been cut from the film. It would have been better if we saw more of her bad side and what was going through her mind throughout the film (e.g. the deleted scene at the Shanghai airport where she hands Patrice the case, and how it was perceived that she only used Bond to her own advantage, etc.). I think that in the end Mendes/EON wanted her character to be more mysterious; that they wanted the audience to guess what was going through her head, which was why much of her part was cut out.
I'll start with mine. Severine from Skyfall. I felt that we never really captured the essence of her character, and that her relationship with Bond would've been more understandable if most of her scenes hadn't been cut from the film. It would have been better if we saw more of her bad side and what was going through her mind throughout the film (e.g. the deleted scene at the Shanghai airport where she hands Patrice the case, and how it was perceived that she only used Bond to her own advantage, etc.). I think that in the end Mendes/EON wanted her character to be more mysterious; that they wanted the audience to guess what was going through her head, which was why much of her part was cut out.
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Comments
On a more serious note, I always thought Tanner was underused in the films, especially when they chose Rory Kinnear (!) to portray him.
Help out on a few more adventures.
JW Pepper?
Elvis in QoS. I have no idea what this chap's role was, apart from making baby eyes at some goon while watching the Opera and revealing his bad toupee'. I would have preferred if his character was given more depth so we could understand what the heck he was on screen for (apart from the aforementioned bits).
Agree also with Severine.
I feel the same about Bill Tanner for the whole series. He is finally getting some recognition.
And is it me or do they have now set Tanner to pretty much replace Felix Leiter? Tanner's role has been expanded, he will be play by the same actor in three films in a row (Leiter never had this chance), he is thus most consistently depicted, etc.
at first for the film, but I think he could have made a good side kick for Q
How about Campbell in OHMSS? I took me a couple of views to realize his importance to the plot.
At least they are showing some camaraderie! Before they barely had any. And Kinnear was at the press conference, so they seem to be keen on expanding his role.
How about Micheal Kitchen? I though he had good chemistry with Brosnan in GE. Although Villiers was a bit crap in FYEO.
Like I said, at least they showed Tanner and Bond interact and it was obvious they were friends. Kitchen had good chemistry with Brosnan, he was good in GE, but they did far less with him.
Remove Goodnight from TMWTGG and give her screentime to JW Pepper! Imagine Bond being almost fried by the lazer because Pepper bumped his ass on the controls!
I've said this time and time again but Colin Salmon, although the character wasn't called Tanner, was the best Tanner. He can use a gun so we can assume he's ex military like Fleming's Tanner (unlike Rory "hide behind a desk when a fight breaks out" Kinnear) and he actually seemed like he was mates with Bond. In the TND PTS, after talking to Bond using the code names, he then whispers under his breath "get out of it James". In Die Another Day when he gets released from prison, Bond goes to say hi to him as soon as he sees him. And he's the only person in MI6 that Bond has ever been on first name terms with.
Salmon>>>Kinnear by a mile. In fact there's an underused character: Robinson. He had less screentime than the current Tanner but he was way more interesting and he actually seemed like he was mates with Bond.
I also think killing of Mathis was a big mistake. He's another character Bond seemed like friends with, he had great chemistry with Craig and he was brilliantly written and acted. He should have been a recurring characrer ala Felix but nope, they killed him off and revealed Mathis was just his code name. Huge mistake imo.
... Oh wait, wrong thread. :D
Personally I'd sooner have less Tanner not more - especially given he's played by the charisma free Kinnear flopping across the screen like a pastry.
The bloated MI6 team gets far too much screen time as it is, without having to shoe horn another character into the narrative. What next? Bring Smithers back in the Q scenes and expand his role to more than having a broken arm?
Far more than in any other movie, save GE. They don't need to bleeding say: "Hey, we are friends!" Everything is in the attitude, and the way they talk. Tanner has no problem saying a few sarcastic remarks about Malory for instance, and "the new MI6". They don't speak to each other with professional distance. Bond's attitude towards say Q is very different.
I disagree. Bond is part of MI6 and Tanner is an original Fleming character. Why not use them? We tend to forget that in the early movies, the world outside 007 was featured a lot more: he does not show up right away in DN or FRWL. In DN MI6 is featured a good deal before we see the first glimpse of Bond. In FRWL, it is SPECTRE. In TB, the same thing happens: a lot of time is spent featuring the whole hijack and the reaction of Free World.
I don't get the charisma comment: is a civil servant supposed to ooze charisma now?
it is one of many aspects of an actor's craft. I am not saying Kinnear is a great actor, but he is a competent one. But in any case, not every character has to be charismatic.
Another underused character was Villiers I think. A devoted, competent but overall average MI6 agent with a desk job, I thought he was a nice contrast of character against Bond. I would love to see him again, say as a station agent, even an head of station, not always cooperative and maybe resentful about Bond for the events of SF? Instead of having an anonymous "Ronson" die for Bond 25, maybe they could have Villiers, who already has a history in the franchise.
If you're going to use Fleming's Tanner then make him friends with Bond. Fleming's Tanner used to have lunch with Bond and little chats behind M's back. Make him a character who has a relationship with Bond rather than just 'generic bloke in the office' which is what 99.9% of the audience would think his character is called. It's only because he's nominally called Tanner this question has arisen. If his character was called Smith the debate would be 'that Smith is a dull, pointless character. Why don't they do Tanner properly like in the books?'
Kinnear's Tanner somehow combines being Basil Exposition but without actually furthering the story in any way. He's just the fluffer until M is ready to see Bond.
You make the point yourself when you mention Villiers. What changes in QOS or SF if you swap Villiers for Tanner? To quote Edwin Starr - absolutely nothing!
Villiers and Kinnear's Tanner are utterly interchangeable blokes in suits sat behind a desk helping M. Now I agree its nice to see the nuts and bolts of MI6 from time to time but the core should always be Bond out in the field on his own not constantly cutting back and forth to what's going on in MI6. The reality is no doubt a team effort where lots of people have an input. If that's what you want go and watch a Le Carre film. Bond is a fantasy where one lone man goes out and saves the world against ridiculous odds.
Cutting to Ralph Fiennes reactions is one thing but shots of Kinnear's bland photocopier salesman's face just deflates any drama and tension IMO, and, more crucially, nothing Tanner ever does furthers the story. And the golden rule of filmmaking is if something doesn't further the story it belongs on the cutting room floor.
And ofcourse Mathis. His death hit me pretty hard in QOS.