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Has and/or is the Daniel Craig era living up to your expectations
What do people think.
I'd have to say no, but I don't want that to appear negative, as I really like the DC films, and think he's the best Bond. And to be honest it'll be very hard indeed in my opinion to top CR which for me is just superb. But ...
QoS obviously a disappointment, and for me DC films not really improving upon that very impressive start. His era so far hampered by the writer's strike on QoS and the fact that they didn't have the rights to SPECTRE straight off gives off a sense of making it up as they go along, in terms of the continuity etc rather than a well orchestrated and planned execution from the original idea of making his Bond a reboot.
I'd have to say no, but I don't want that to appear negative, as I really like the DC films, and think he's the best Bond. And to be honest it'll be very hard indeed in my opinion to top CR which for me is just superb. But ...
QoS obviously a disappointment, and for me DC films not really improving upon that very impressive start. His era so far hampered by the writer's strike on QoS and the fact that they didn't have the rights to SPECTRE straight off gives off a sense of making it up as they go along, in terms of the continuity etc rather than a well orchestrated and planned execution from the original idea of making his Bond a reboot.
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Comments
So far, it's been quite a ride, and I've enjoyed all 3 of his films much more than all of his predecessor's bar the first one (GE).
CR was so far his top for me as well, which is a bit disappointing. However, I think it's similar to DN/FRWL being Connery's irrefutable best as well. Only Moore probably did his best work later in his tenure. Most of them seem to get worse as they go along.
The one big way that it is living up to my expectations is Craig himself. He's been brilliant as Bond and has redefined the part in a way that nobody since Connery has really been able claim. Obviously, the fact that his films were a reboot of the series helps with that, but largely it's been up to his performance.
On the other side of the coin, though, the approach of coming up with an over-arching story as they go really doesn't work. We get the rookie Bond in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, which set up a new and potentially awesome villainous organization in Quantum only for it to be discarded as soon as we learn the first thing about them. Following that, we skip through a good chunk of Bond's career and skip past his supposed "prime" and go to the washed-up, burned-out agent in Skyfall who is surrounded by incompetence on every level. That's much to big of a jump considering that these new films were supposed to be a reboot of the series, setting it up for another long run in much the same way Connery set things up in the beginning.
negativity?
I was super hyped about SPECTRE and left with a huge grin on my face. That doesn't mean the film is without flaws, to be honest most films, plays etc. have flaws, doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.
Go see it, it's brilliant.
So, 'it's brilliant', but you still felt the need to start a topic that states the era has not lived up to your expectations?
I agree, i have massively enjoyed the DC era so far, but do agree. I think the orginal reboot concept was MGW's, he had the idea earlier with going to Bond's navy days in TLD and earlier going to Bond's past originally with FYEO (Cubby felt Bond should go forward), might have been better to have had an idea where all those ideas were going from the start - the reboot, Quantum etc. I understand why DC and SM were reticent about doing back to back movies a la Matrix/LOTR, but an outline of where they wanted it to go roughly may have helped the DC era.
My hope with CR was that future instalments would just have that Flemingness that that had about them, like having the scene at the end of Moonraker where Bond sombrely reflects that Gala is already engaged.
Yes, and I don't think it's being far off my expectations. SPECTRE is a great Bond film with some flaws. Every film, bar maybe a few of the greats have flaws of some kind, whether characterisation, plotting etc. I think you can be critical of certain aspects of a work and still highly enjoy it, doesn't seem incompatible to me.
I'm not a Fleming purist, but I agree with the premise that if they wanted to tie everything together for his era (which reportedly is what they have done) then they should ideally have had this plan in place all along, at least conceptually. It's not that difficult to think through, given DC was likely going to have a 10 to 12 yr run at most and given two of the films were already connected CR/QoS).
If one is going to retcon it, then it should be done properly and not in a fashion that appears forced.
I'll comment after the 6th, but I'm curious to see how I feel about it, knowing it's an after the fact insertion. It's all about how they've executed it imho.
Yes, that's quite true. I agree with this. I enjoy SF very much, but I'm also highly critical of it.
If I was Roger Moore, I would have come up with some kind of spaghetti pun, sight gag by now :)
Don't let the forums get you down. I'm still excited and plan on a $40 tub of popcorn and $12 coke and my favorite seat.
...and pray my bladder last the full 150 minutes.
(I didn't read the following post before I posted this one. Apparently everyone was hungry when answering this thread.)
Are you serious about the prices? That's surely ridiculously overpriced no matter how big the portions are. As for the bladder, unless one has some medical condition (I hope you don't, and I'm sorry if you do) that should not be a problem and you can influence it yourself, no need to pray. ;)
I never drink lots before going to movies and never take a drink along (I can't even imagine why I would) and don't have problems bladder-wise even with longer movies. I had dinner and a couple of glasses of water with it right before I went to see Spectre and was perfectly fine. I did, however, skip the coffee I'd have liked after the meal - simple common sense, I know how coffee works...
I mostly agree with op and this. CR was and continues to be my fave, so in a way the answer to the original question would be "no", yet the overall view I have of this era is very positive.
QoS - 7/10
SF - 8/10
SP - 9/10
The Craig era isn't perfect but it's doing very well and has seen Bond become a cultural phenomenon again, break all sorts of records, attract talented people in front and behind the camera and given us the best Bond since Connery in Daniel Craig who never puts a foot wrong in his performances as Bond and has just completely owned the role from the start and basically told every media outlet speculating on his replacement as well as the potential candidates to sod off with his spectacular performance in SP.
The Craig-tenure has been so marvellous and exciting for me. I had to live through those Brosnan years when I was aching on the theatre bench, watching those movies that didn´t move me a bit (though I still like GE) and eventually I had to watch total crap and utter shit called DAD. I lost my faith in the franchise after the DAD premiere.
In 2006 came Craig and Casino Royale. I was sold immediately. Fleming´s Bond was back. It´s still the best Craig movie although SF and SP are doing their best to top it. And I like Quantum, too. It´s a grower. And after seeing DAD (I usually go to a theatre to see the new Bond at least 3 times, I was fed up with DAD after just one) a movie like Quantum is a masterpiece. Skyfall and Spectre have nailed the soul of a modern Bond films. At least for the Craig-tenure. Maybe in the future we´ll see the comeback of a single mission movie with a new leading man.
I have two definite cinematic Bonds. The original man in tuxedo, Sir Sean Connery and his greatest successor of all time, mr Daniel Craig. The rest of the gang have done a good job too (OHMSS is my favourite despite the wooden Lazenby).
And here´s my ranking of DC films:
Casino Royale 10/10
Quantum Of Solace 8/10.
Skyfall 9.5/10
Spectre 9/10 (may change, only seen it once).
"Call me a Craig fanatic ´cos that´s what I am!"
So to the question itself. I am very happy that Craig gets to show a variety through out the films. It gives his era greater depth and longivity for me. They could surely have made every film in the same style as Casino, but I am not sure it would have made the sum total any better. Could the three last films have been even more perfect? Possibly... But talk about having huge expectations! Perfection every time is simply impossible. I am just so grateful that we have got this generally high quality (IMO) through out all four films. Long live Daniel Craig and the (for the most part) talented poople who have backed him up!
You're not an Arsenal fan by any chance are you RC7? Happy to celebrate 4th every year rather than criticise the small things that need addressing in order to make the final step to greatness.
The negativity over SP comes from frustration that with both SF and SP we are inches from two truly great films.
This doesn't mean, as a lot of others have said, that we don't appreciate that we are living in a golden age of Bond.
Compared to the Brozza era we are spoiled as 3 of Craig's films smash Brozza's out of the park. But does this mean we should be smugly satisfied and not strive towards perfection?
True perfection is impossible (even OHMSS has things I don't like) and even if you have a film that is 99% perfect doesn't mean you should blindly accept it and ignore that 1%. By criticising that 1% next time you might refine it to being 99.5% perfect.
I think that's all a lot of us are doing. I've only seen the film once and because my natural predisposition is to be a miserable bastard and because the appalling screening I had to endure (I really should've walked out. Why didn't I? Idiot) put me in a shitty mood when I started watching I am guilty of focussing on the negative too much to be fair so I do take your point.
In a few weeks I am going to a proper IMAX screening in premium seating in Berlin where people behave in a civilised manner. I'll read TLD on the plane, visit the killing zone and Checkpoint Charlie to get me in a Bondian mood and then Mrs Wizard and I will head to Vesper bar on the Ku'Damm for a couple of cheeky Vespers beforehand. So I'm going to treat this as my premiere and pretend the first viewing was just watching a spoiler video on YouTube by accident. I fully expect to enjoy the film infinitely more next time round and come out in a far more positive frame of mind.
As a kid, I was always taught that "he who expects nothing will never be disappointed".
I was, and still am, an ardent supporter of DC as Bond and in the pre-CR months I fought the good fight against the CnB naysayers because I sincerely felt that DC was a good choice. However, I made a conscious decision not to expect too much from CR.
I needn't have worried though because the movie turned out to be, in my opinion, the best in the franchise.
I think that @doubleoego has summed up my feelings of the Craig era so far, as quoted above. Well said, sir.
I don't think this is the end though. Let's keep our retrospective judgements on a low key for now because the best may be yet to come.
I'm not expecting anything, but...
I hadn't realised until seeing SP and being totally blown away by it that I have been unburdened of my disappointment I felt after watching what is to me a deeply miserable flawed film in SF. I have a buzz about Bond and anything about Bond again and can't stop talking about it whilst I felt totally flat after the last outing. The last time I felt this Bond high was after viewing CR.
Sadly it seems now on this forum I am among an apparently reducing daily section of posters who really like SP as more and more see fit to join in and rip into the film and enjoy the downer on it. Sadly it seems easier to be negative upon some who haven't even had the opportunity to see it yet and are having their excitement suppressed I believe unfairly.
Personally I find the press reviews have been more balanced and not fed off the hype that was most likely fuelled by the countrywide patriotism of the. 2012 London Olympics that was an undoubted phenomenon. On this outing there have been the 'Ok but not SF' type three star ratings but there have also been many 5 star ratings too. It would be fair to say already that the general consensus shows SP has been received better than not only QOS but by some to believe a better film than SF and on a par with CR. Myself included.
I stopped reading the reviews, as I havent seen it myself. On a whole, the films selems to have evetything from best ever to worst ever. Theydidsomething different on purpose and not everybody is gonna like that. Imo, from what I read, cutting a bit from the length might have been good.
Regarding negativity, it offten seems to me, that someone is enthusiased in his first review, but after a while, he starts following those,vwho have their teeth in it. Almost as if being positive is not cool.
I have seen this a lot here and its not, because they have suddenly seen the light, but because...it the tone. And lets not forget, that negativity is always louder.
I am really looking forward to make up my own mind. My 30 year old son totally disliked SF. Lets see, what he makes of this.
I read that too, but after seeing the film I don't agree. I could hardly notice that two and an half hour was gone by the end. If I have any complaints, its not with the pacing. If anything they needed more time to explore some of the major themes in more depth.