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The problem isn't Bond though. Blofeld is the one that obsesses, and he truly does.
Maybe connect him to his own hokey torture contraption, and see if the CGI needle could be jammed in just the right place to purge his daddy loves James more than me obsessions.
Would probably take several pokes but eventually they might find the right spot, and while they're at it, find the part of his deranged brain that doesn't wear socks and kill that too.
If he is going to continue as ultimate villain, he needs to pull it together.
After this cocked-up operation (9 Eyes) his Spectre compatriots might insist on it.
Pretty much my view as well.
The personal connection between Blofeld and Bond was unnecessary but it was dealt with so briefly in the film that it hardly bothered me.
I found SF really painful to watch. It was like TDKR - a lumbering, pretentious, joyless, badly written snore fest. After that, SP was just what was needed. A light and fluffy Bond adventure without too much of Mendes's tedious family issues or clunky 'thematic' motifs. And more importantly, no poetry (leave that to the student film makers next time Sam).
They aren't step brothers.
Brothers, stepbrothers, childhood acquaintances, kissing cousins etc...
It's all daft.
Just clarifying. They are acquaintances.
Most of us probably wouldn't lose our mind over it, we might even be good with it
What's daft is that Bond and Blofeld have this connection.
Mendes I fear is certifiable. He's the one that thought this would be great fodder for Bond's latest "personal journey".
But adding to the daftness, as many of us have quite astutely noted, Bond doesn't play along. He barely gives the matter a second thought.
So much for his personal journey.
So what the hell was the point?!
A Blofeld Spectre origins story couldn't have been crafted minus a boyhood connection with Bond?
Mendes greenlights Bond's new personal journey and then actually couldn't make it work, so it turns out to be all about Ernst instead. Yawn.
But truth is we actually dodged a bullet.
Craig's great work as Bond in this film turned out to be a triumph of the authentic Bond persona over the madness of Mendes, which is one of the main reasons I keep skipping back for more.
Long live Bond!
7th viewing scheduled for next week.
I wear shades BTW to shield the blinding white glare of Blofeld's sockless legs. Shudder.
====hmmm. Waltz as Ernst may be a manifestation of the madness of Mendes.
Does Sam wear socks?
Maybe an essay topic for the resident Bondologist.
@dragonpol ?
That is the saving grace right there.
I absolutely was @pachazo. On paper I utterly hated the concept. However, as with a lot of SP, many things worked for me that theoretically shouldn't have. Do I think it fantastic? No I don't, but I found it subtle and underplayed to the point where I don't find it detracting, or worse, offensive. I feel like it's part of the Craig myth, but isn't something that will be carried over beyond his tenure and in that regard I'll take it as one of the many idiosyncrasies of this very personal era.
Or the opposite. Give us the Oberhauser story and make him a Spectre operative. Hell, even make him Blofeld. (Welcome to hell, Blofeld.) But for him to orchestrate all of Bond's pain was just too omnipotent and unbelievable.
I feel like the ties to the past and the scar bother me way more than they should. They are like a heavy duty concrete blast door in my mind, blocking any positive thoughts from breaking their way through. I hope that I can come to accept it as a product of it's time, as you have, and just enjoy all of the positive aspects (which are numerous).
If anything the events of SF bought a close to a part of Bond's life, he got to face his childhood fears by returning to his home and then M dying. The film ends with a new boss and Bond with a new found confidence.
That should have been a great jump off for the next film. I have no problem with SP being a sequel to SF but all you needed to do to connect them was use the 00 section bought into question element started in SF and run with that. The whole Nine Eyes project would also make sense. That segment in SP was like an after thought to think what they could have done if they'd applied more to that. It would have given Fiennes and MI6 team a real purpose. It was DC & SM saying they wanted them to be relevant and involved not just there as window dressing.
Also Max Denbigh that could have been a real humdinger of a role for someone but not Andrew (Sneery) Scott. The guy might as well had a moustache and twirled it in all his scenes, he was about as subtle as a sledgehammer.
Dench's M leaving Bond a message in the event of her death sending Bond after someone she'd been tracking. As I said in my revisions a few posts back, M would be looking into Quantum after the events of Mr White and Mitchell in QOS so it all makes thematic sense.
This would lead to Bond through tracking down White realising this new Shadowy figure he's just met is actually behind everything but without it having to have come from is distance past.
Although instead and unlike some I can't let the Blofeld and Bond connection go, to me it just jars. Some might think it's subtle enough to get away with it but to me it's glaring obvious and wasn't necessary. Logan and Mendes are clearly to blame here, P&W might be guilty of plenty but they only tried to repair the wreckage of what they were left.
At some point I'm just going to have to let it go as I'm going to spoil SPECTRE for myself when I see it again. QOS was similar as that could have been so much with more thought but I think even though I rate SP higher SP is actually more flawed in my view due to what might have been.
At the end of the day if they had just introduced him as the head of the organization like they have done in the past it would have probably been the best way to go, but what's done is done.
This film will go either way for me once the blu ray comes out and I see it with the other films in the canon - either it will drop like a stone or it will stabilize where it currently sits in my rankings (10 - a few points).
I'm hopeful that it's going to be a grower like QoS. Only time will tell and also when one has the opportunity to do the 'back to back' viewings with the other films all on the same tv set. I find I always learn new things and get new impressions that way.
1) Get Adele to sing the song.
2) Get Arnold to do the music.
3) Ummm....
I guess it isn't that endless. :))
I'm not entirely pleased with it but still it's quite watchable as a Bond film, but Babs has got to challenge herself to do better IMO.
My rankings don't mean much anyway. I have the first 7 films on a pedestal and the rest all jumbled behind. I will happily watch any of them. Any ranking beyond top 10 really is just splitting hairs and breaking a big logjam for me.
@rc7' sentiments regarding the "brother" angle I think are realistic. I kind of roll that way too. It is easily gotten past, in that the way the film is done, its all on Ernst. The scenario contributes to Blofelds psychosis.
But if you watch some of the interviews with Mendes, he prattles on about how this element of exploring Bond's continued personal journey was very important to him.
It seems he's just trying to establish his Sam Mendes bonafides, although I would humbly suggest he's talking out of his arse, as I don't think he delivered, but again I am happy that he didn't, even if maybe he thinks he did.
Anyway, fun to kick around, but it ultimately doesn't amount to a whole hill of beans.
I have no idea where they might be going with a sequel.
Shatterhand and Castle of Death does beckon, but the possibilites are endless.
The brother angle though doesn't have to continue, even with Waltz, although his continued presence will remind.
But I wouldn't mind a full blown sequel with Seydoux and Waltz returned.
Do not kill Swann though. She is not Tracy!!!!!!!!!
I am adamant about this, plus we've had enough dead girls in the Craig era already. It's old.
Where I do relate to Logan, is this notion that Bond should always be fighting Blofeld, if he did indeed say that, although I don't quite take him literally.
As the original series exhausted all the other Fleming lead villains but for possibly the Spang Brothers, I think its a good thing to have Bond perpetually battling SP.
That's what we got for 6 of the first 7 films anyway but for the GF interlude. Eon even grafted SP and/or Blofeld onto DN, FRWL and DAF.
Going forward this sets up real well I think. Bond versus Spectre. Spectre is a massive threat to global well being. Future plots could be fronted by SP operatives with no Blofled at all, other than the man himself in shadows with cat possibly.
Other films could have full blown Ernst front and centre, including direct confrontations with Bond.
This is what I really do like about SP the film, is that Spectre and Blofeld are back in play. I never thought I would see the day. It's the stuff of Bond dreams.
And I do like the little touches that harken back to the original cimematic run ie the Nehru jacket, the cat and yes the scar. When we first met Ernst he had a scar.
In this new continuity, we also know where it came from. That in itself helps establish a fresh Blofeld animus towards Bond beyond their childhood.
They now have fresh adult history which can be milked going forward. And down the line the scar can magically disappear again, with a fresh actor. Stuff heals, plastic surgery etc.
I do applaud Mendes for all the nods and winks he's included towards the franchises glorious past. He handles this stuff deftly I think.
Aside from the DB5 and the Blofeld touches, I don't think the homages are terribly apparent to anyone other than hardcore fans, so I thank him for these little touches.
As for improvements to this film. Well what's done is done. I find with Bond films you eventually accept them for what they are. I wouldn't want to change them after the fact, except I wouldn't mind a copy of AVTAK minus the Beach Boys tension destroying musical interlude, and a copy of TMWTGG minus the car jump whistle, so I am not being terribly conistent here, but those two moments really do grate.
As for SP, if we were back in the planning stages, I would blow up the whole torture scenario. Nuke it entirely and go with a tension filled dinner scene, continuing with the DN vibe that had already been established.
I would also redesign the entire compound. The idea was good, working with the YOLT volcano inspired setting, but the interior design I found to be dullsville, just like the Piz Gloria inspired Hoffler Kklinik.
Set design I think gets a big fat F here. The entire compound setting needed to be entirely re-envisioned I believe. The meteor room was OK but the rest of it blahhh.
It did remind of QoS. Been there done that. Fresh look please.
And the final scenes post compound arrggh. I have seen the movie 6x and after compound blows up, I know I have nothing but darkness to look forward to.
Nothing grabs me beyond that. I just kind of roll with it to the end and thats it. Time to go, see you next week.
There issome decent dialogue still to come, especially the Bond-Blofeld reunion separated by bullet proof glass.
I do like that Bond didn't blow Blofeld away at the end. I think that is consistent with the Bond persona. Bond is not an executioner in that sense. The battle has been won. Blofeld is utterly defeated. There is nothing more to be done. The authorities are on hand to take him away.
Bond is not a sociopath. He is rather noble warrior. He has a code. Fleming took pains to establish that.
Bond walking away was right, and even tossing the gun was simply a gesture to Swann.
She hates guns. She hates the life.
Bond is not suddenly down on the life. He is simply taking a break and happy that he's got some time with Swann after all.
=D>
Yes of course, the music.......I won't be blasting this soundtrack in the car anytime soon. OK maybe once, but not ongoing and I'm sorry Sam Smith, but I won't be buying any of your music anytime soon.
Babs I think needs to give the order, that the JB Theme needs to be worked in somewhere and in all its glory. Not over the end titles.
Its on her. She's the boss.
The opening instrumentation is very Bondian. It reminds of the opening licks to TWINE.
It's the Sam Smith vocals that grate, but the instrumention throughout the titles is reasonably Bondian.
These titles, music aside, don't rank among my favourites.
Passable, definitely Bondian enough, but I prefer most of what's come before, actually maybe all of it, with possible exception of DAD. That might be it though.
I completely agree with this. Über-ridiculous.
Putting that aside, do you guys actually want to see another film where Blofeld is the villain? Blofeld has been behind the scenes in the early Connery films, and has featured as the main villain in YOLT, OHMSS, DAF, and SP. He appeared in NSNA, and in the FYEO pre-title sequence. Now we found out that he was behind the scenes in CR, QOS and SF.
I really don't see the point anymore in having him again and again and again. I think it's the worst and laziest thing they could do now, even if they ditch this terrible childhood connection between him and Bond.
Firstly, get rid of Newman as composer, hire Michael Giacchino.
- Mexico
keep it the same. Remove stupid gags, half of building almost falling on Bond. Shorten incoherent running scene.
- PTS
I was never fond of it. More silhouettes, more guns, less CGI, no love song, no stupid Madeline homages.
- First half
Mostly the same. Keep the part in the beginning with Bond walking and noticing all the surveillance. Keep C, hire a different actor, change dialogue so Bond isn't randomly a dick.
Bond and Moneypenny scene mostly the same. Remove "trust" convo. Here's where I'd really change it. M's video talks about how there's a leak in MI6 linking to Marco. Says she has a keycard that needs to be analysed for further information. Bond reveal it to M, and has Q to decrypt, who are now on the lookout for potential leaks. The leader of Spectre, aka ESB, forces Bond to do what he says via earpiece, watching him from all the new surveillance at MI6, threatening a huge attack on London if he doesn't. He tries to communicate with everyone at MI6, and appears extremely suspicious, but it's impossible not to be so because Ernst can hear his voice and see everything he does. Bond needs to capture M, who is trying to stop C's transition for a New World Order, along with delivering the card back to ESB. He explains to Bond the power of his new technology, where he can persuade and threaten whom ever he wants and control the minds of anyone via similar method. He's put everything into place so far, using Bond as one of his chess pieces. This would actually give the audience a glimpse at what his power could do. Anyways, M gets captured, but Bond manages to escape with a link he got from the card "The Pale King". Cue Austria.
Cut the walk about scene shorter. Scene pretty much the same, I really liked "the word of an assassin" speech. White kills himself. Goes to the clinic. I'd remove all the comedy out of the scene. Q is not in Austria. Meanwhile at MI6, M's capture is causing a lot of controversy, lockdown trying to find Bond who is seen escorting M out of the building. C's case is further enhanced due to Bond's "betrayal" to mi6. Madeleine is the key to finding the mysterious man on the phone. Instead of Bond driving an airplane, he uses ski's to go downhill to chase after the cars, avoiding trees and obstacles. He eventually gets ahead, and is able to jump onto the car Madeleine is in. They car behind them is still causing quite a challenge for them going down the hill, so Bond proceeds to turn the car onto a large ski hill, causing the car chase to become much more hectic and tense. Anyway, Bond wins. I think this would have been much more interesting then a simple car vs airplane chase.
Blah blah, they find out about Spectre. L'American, they go but much less casually because Bond is being hunted. They find the info they need to without the sentimental bull.
Train to the Morocco base, have the henchmen approach Bond and Madeleine more similar to FRWL, more tense, more menace, doubting if he's really a good guy or a bad guy. He then reveals himself as Bond and Madeleine's official escort to ESB. Bond is kept conscious, but Madeleine is knocked out. They are brought to the lair. Blofeld introduction: maybe he isn't just a nobody, maybe a former PM? Felt like he never had enough power? He shows Bond "the room", explains his plan to control the world the way he wants, via surveillance and a system to edit video footage to look like it was never touched. He shows an example to the conscious video feed of Madeleine, who's shown a video of Bond to make it look like he killed her father. Bond is utterly in the you-know-what. Blofeld then reveals his plans of a massive attack on London, tells him that his and Bond's city will be in ruin along with him. Bond is thrown in prison with the captured M, with a video screen to show him what is left of his legacy and life before he finally kills them. Bond is able to tease a guard on the outside of his window about giving him his Omega, which blows up the barrier between inside and outside, and allows Bond, M to escape, get Madeleine back. Henchmen provides the fight at the lair, eventually "dies".
Eventually, that plot is resolved and we end up with a more tense, suspenseful, and time-sensitive situation in London where Bond is revealed to not have been an insider but it was C, who has the supporters of the world blah blah. C broadcasts it to M, not knowing he's under surveillance, and shares it online and all over the world, which would give more impact to M saying "Not a good feeling is it, being watched..."
Anyway, I'm already tired of trying to think up a Bond story.
I obviously would like to see Blofeld and Spectre as ongoing nemesis.
I think this is what Eon always intended from day one anyway. McClory and the rights issues derailed their plans.
Blofeld had been intended as villain for TSWLM but due to the rights wrangling, they had to invent Stromberg, a virtual supervillain clone to replace him.
The beauty of Flemings iconic recurring villain is severalfold.
1 You can build a history
2 You don't have to keep inventing Blofeld like clone villains with vast organizations eg Stromberg, Zorin, Trevelyan, Carver, Graves.Even Eon Drax was a Blofeld knockoff
3 You get best of both worlds. Bond can battle Spectre in various guises. He can battle colourful Spectre operatives and their organizations, with Ernst only in background, or Blofeld can be cast as lead with more prominent role
Re-boot is already down this path anyway, with Spectre revealed as having orchestrated the nefarious goings-on of all 4 films.
CR even alluded to the existence of the sinister organization behind the scenes right from the start.
As an Uncle fan as well as Bond fan, the recurring nemesis has appeal. The Uncle agents battled the forces of Thrush non-stop for 4 years, which was really just a riff on 007 battling Spectre. Same as the Avengers battling Hydra is a riff on Spectre.
A big YES to this one. I can't wait to hear his Incredibles 2 score.