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Did he even have time to get in shape? I don't know the time-line between getting hired back in the 11th hour and when filming commenced but it didn't seem like there was a lot of time. Besides, he and the producers didn't care. They were just happy to have him back and it was probably a case on his side of "You need me and need me now. This is what you're getting. Take it or leave it."
Also, I kind of wish that Amazon would buy Ian Fleming Publications, so that the books won’t be edited (hopefully). We could also have a regular novel every year, with a possible character spin-off, at the same time.
I think the only say he had in the wig was that he wanted to match it with his actual greying hair, because he wanted to depict his Bond having aged, rather than try play Bond as if he’s still in his 30s by dying it all brown. I think he looks very dignified that way. It’s certainly better than the wig they gave him in NSNA.
And while Connery probably didn't have enough time to get in top shape for DAF, he must've had a spare 20 minutes to have those brows sorted, no?
A pink tie, or;
In a red thong and not much else…
And still be the coolest man in the room.
I always think the main problem with his 'pieces is that they only add to the top, never to the sides, and hair recedes from the sides too. So you have this unnatural-looking widescreen forehead, especially by the time of NSNA.
I don't have an actor in mind for the next film. I liked what the producers did with CR. They chose an actor who didn't seem an obvious choice. But Craig sold us on his Bond because the script was so good. He was given something very meaty to work with. I don't feel he ever got as good a script again, but he was Bond. I don't feel P&W are the right choice for Bond 26, even though they wrote CR. I would love to see some of the unused material from Fleming's novels penned by new writers who can move this series forward. I don't subscribe to the notion that everything old is new again. I like the idea that it's new because it's new. The potential is here to create a new and modern Bond.
You should look into the original drafts that Maibaum wrote for DAF before Mankiewicz was brought in. Suffice it to say, Mankiewicz’s rewrites were actually an improvement over what Maibaum was conjuring up.
In one of those Maibaum drafts Blofeld gets killed by being mauled by a bunch of white cats.
To take nothing away from Craig, but the screenplay's the thing. Not much a great actor can do with a poorly written script. Both he and the script were on the mark.
Despite being dated and overmuch description, the novel was a much better story than the film. The addition of Blofeld, Whyte, spaceships, lasers, a moon buggy and the rest of the silliness spun out of hardly anything resembling the novel simply did not make for a good film.
Great point @Venutius ....
If there was the same director, same script, but say, Cavill was starring.
I don't think I'd have had the same heart-pounding response that I had when I first watched CR. I'm sure it would have been a very good Bond... But would it have been as elevated?
My gut says, no.
I agree with you on all your points. Namely that Tom Mankiewicz was a bit of a hypocrite with writing Bond and Superman. He was told to make Superman more serious, and called the original scripts campy. His Bond movies were not much different, than what Superman 3 became. They almost killed the series. Guy Hamilton was just as much to blame. Like George Lucas directing Star Wars, his first And contrary to what his ego often told him, Richard Maibaum wasn't always the right person to write Bond scripts. The solar stuff in TMWTGG is proof of this.
As for P&W on CR, Martin Campbell wanted them fired, as he felt that they weren't giving him strong enough material. But BB and MGW demanded that they stay on. They are too trusting, honestly. I'm with you @CrabKey it would honestly be disappointing if they came back, no matter who was in the director's chair. They're like those creepy cousins that show up at family reunions, who have weird obsessions, in their case, Bond leaving MI6. Richard Maibaum was like that egoistical uncle who was always bragging about past accomplishments, and never giving others credit for his success. With maybe that one person (Sean Connery).
I talked about EON taking risks. The writing truly needs to change. It doesn't matter who to a degree honestly, but these two are part of the problem and they need to go. I'd go with a lesser known like Craig for Bond himself. With Ralph Fiennes as Sir Miles for M. I think more action directors are needed as well.
I don’t judge the film by how well it adapts the book.
Much as I’d hate to admit it, you’re definitely right. I remember listening to the “James Bond Radio”
Podcast episode where they talk with Charles Helfenstein about his Making of OHMSS book and the topic of the early Diamonds drafts came up. Always wanted to read those based on how awesome the PTS sounded alone, until I discovered what happened during the rest of that draft. Much as I may dislike DAF, I can’t imagine the original concept being any better than what we got.
With DAF, I don’t think there was ever really any thought given to making an adaptation as faithful as OHMSS. Cubby just wanted to make another film in the tone of GF, hire Hamilton to bring back that kind of comic book sensibility, and use whatever ideas are in the book combined with original ideas that the screenwriter comes up with. Maibaum wasn’t delivering, so new blood was brought in.
Disney enters the public domain before Bond. And they will fight it, with good coattail consequences for Bond.
CR captured lighting in a bottle. Craig, Green, the novel, that script, and Campbell. And several MVPs in the supporting cast.
We'll be lucky to reach those heights again anytime soon. Here's hoping.
Back in the day I recall how disappointed I was SC left the series. I liked OHMSS, but still smarted from Connery's departure. GL wasn't Connery. But then along comes DAF and Connery is back. Only something is off. It doesn't grab me like previous Connery Bond films. In fact, the film is nowhere near as good as that one starring the other feller. After OHMSS, tonally DAF felt off. OHMSS charted a new direction. Rather than building on that film, the producers tried to recapture a previous magic and missed. In many ways the Craig series understood OHMSS best. That more serious tone begins with CR and ends with multiple nods of appreciation to a film that was initially scorned and now ranks at the top of many lists.
Hunt and Majesty provided a new vision for the series that was criminally set aside. Instead of getting Bond films in the 70’s that were more sincere and epic in their film-making, we essentially had a decade of the series riffing off other film trends. Now as much as I may enjoy the likes of LALD and TSWLM, it’s hard to deny the 70’s were not entirely kind to the Bond series. People can say what they will about George Lazenby, but I’d imagine its hard for people to deny that losing Peter Hunt was a bit of a mistake.
I would LOVE a casino scene with smoke so thick you can taste it for Bond 26. Why? Not just because it’s Fleming, but also because it would never happen nowadays - thus it becomes fantastical without delving into spyfi or nukes, etc
I think Craig wanted to get Bond smoking again and was rejected. And Craig's been given more creative control than any other actor, so if even he couldn't make it happen, I don't think there's much hope of anyone else doing so.