Should the Bond Movies Ever End or Should They Keep on Making them ad inifitum?

What do people think?

Comments

  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited November 2015 Posts: 1,984
    They'll probably have to stop at some point, but I'd really like to see Bond pass the 100 years mark. I mean, spies will always be relevant, and just because it gets more digital/technological is no reason to render Bond obsolete. I mean, he's survived the Cold War (his intended home) and has adapted to satisfy audiences for half a century already, with no problem. Why can't he do it for another half a century?

    Plus, Bond is a British cultural icon now. I highly doubt he's going to stop any time soon, and it'd be nice if he never did.
  • Bond is such a HUGE part of cinema history at this point, part of what makes the series so interesting for me is the way it's developed and changed over the course of decades. As long as they can keep the series fresh and modern, it should go on for as long as possible. As mentioned above, spies will always be relevant and so will stories featuring classic heroes.
  • edited November 2015 Posts: 582
    I agree. I want Bond to continue, but if it were ever to end I would like it to end on a high rather than ending because they become so bad that no one wants to see them anymore. The Bond franchise is in great health at the moment. Annoying as it no doubt is to Mr Craig, the fact that there is such media interest in who will play it next is testament to how much it is currently in the public's mind. I remember when DAD came out, I was 16 at the time and most of my friends weren't that bothered about seeing it. With the Craig Bonds it feels like everyone wants to see it, even my work colleagues who don't go to the cinema all that often have been excited to see these films.

    I was pondering this question when discussing with a friend how Spectre seems to be polarising Bond fans. In a franchise like this there is always the question of how much you stick to the formula or change things, as well as the pendulum swing that the Bonds have always struck between being a tense realistic thriller and a fantastical, humourous fun ride.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Why should it end? I don't see any need for it to end. It can continue to go, reinventing itself and reflecting the cultural landscape, as it's done for the past 50+ yrs.

    Everyone always wants a good, fallible hero. There aren't enough famous English ones anymore. Babes are always in fashion. So are cars. Nasty villains are as old as time itself.

    There's no need for Bond to ever end, unless EON sells out to someone who just drives the whole concept into the ground.

    SP is polarizing, no doubt, and it didn't need to be. That is a matter of execution, not a problem with the overall concept. Once Mendes is booted or leaves of his own accord, Bond can get back to executing without pretension, and the polarization will no doubt end. Having said that, one can't please everyone all the time.
  • Posts: 582
    bondjames wrote: »
    Why should it end? I don't see any need for it to end. It can continue to go, reinventing itself and reflecting the cultural landscape, as it's done for the past 50+ yrs.

    Everyone always wants a good, fallible hero. There aren't enough famous English ones anymore. Babes are always in fashion. So are cars. Nasty villains are as old as time itself.

    There's no need for Bond to ever end, unless EON sells out to someone who just drives the whole concept into the ground.

    SP is polarizing, no doubt, and it didn't need to be. That is a matter of execution, not a problem with the overall concept. Once Mendes is booted or leaves of his own accord, Bond can get back to executing without pretension, and the polarization will no doubt end. Having said that, one can't please everyone all the time.

    I couldn't agree more. Although I think Spectre is brilliant.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,584
    The Broccoli/Wilson family will always keep the franchise and plough on regardless. One day however Michael and Barbara will be gone and their children will take over. Will they stick with the family traditions, or will they make a mess of it?

    And of course one day a Bond film will flop; but even that won't stop the franchise, it will merely withdraw from the market, lick its wounds, and come back a few years later stronger for the experience.

    As @ForYourEyesOnly says why not 100 years? Motion Pictures is a relatively young art form, so it's perfectly feasible.
  • Does anyone else selfishly not want it to end in their lifetime, but wouldn't mind if they end after that? I hate the idea of missing Bind films because I'm dead....
  • Posts: 582
    NicNac wrote: »
    The Broccoli/Wilson family will always keep the franchise and plough on regardless. One day however Michael and Barbara will be gone and their children will take over. Will they stick with the family traditions, or will they make a mess of it?

    And of course one day a Bond film will flop; but even that won't stop the franchise, it will merely withdraw from the market, lick its wounds, and come back a few years later stronger for the experience.

    As @ForYourEyesOnly says why not 100 years? Motion Pictures is a relatively young art form, so it's perfectly feasible.

    I agree. I love the Bond films, even the likes of Die Another Day, which when all is said and done is a pretty terrible film. What EoN has done so successfully I think is to keep it fresh, and they have been willing to take the series in different directions. Die Another Day was immensely successful but they made a deliberate decision to change. Long may this continue, I want to be watching new Bond films still in my 80s if I'm still around (in my 20s now). I really like Spectre and I think one of the reasons I do like it is because it is a bit different to Craig's earlier ones. I love the gritty realistic Bond, and CR is far and away the best Bond film. But I don't want the best Bond film being made every time. I don't want the next 10 Bond films to be my favourite entries CR, FRWL and OHMSS. My hope is that they will always keep it fresh. 24 is a good example to draw here. Although I would probably sit through another 10 seasons if they made them, after a few it became really repetitive. And it seemed that there was only so many times they could really pull that concept off.
  • edited November 2015 Posts: 582
    lalala2004 wrote: »
    Does anyone else selfishly not want it to end in their lifetime, but wouldn't mind if they end after that? I hate the idea of missing Bind films because I'm dead....

    Me too. :)
  • AntiLocqueBrakesAntiLocqueBrakes The edge
    Posts: 538
    tigers99 wrote: »
    lalala2004 wrote: »
    Does anyone else selfishly not want it to end in their lifetime, but wouldn't mind if they end after that? I hate the idea of missing Bind films because I'm dead....

    Me too. :)

    Wow. Front-runner for JB fan of the year.
  • Posts: 582
    tigers99 wrote: »
    lalala2004 wrote: »
    Does anyone else selfishly not want it to end in their lifetime, but wouldn't mind if they end after that? I hate the idea of missing Bind films because I'm dead....

    Me too. :)

    Wow. Front-runner for JB fan of the year.

    I take a gentlemanly bow to your comment sir.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    lalala2004 wrote: »
    Does anyone else selfishly not want it to end in their lifetime, but wouldn't mind if they end after that? I hate the idea of missing Bind films because I'm dead....

    My sentiments exactly. That would be the worst thing ever.
  • JNOJNO Finland
    Posts: 137
    I already miss Bond films.

    And I´m very much alive!

    So EON, please keep on going. I want my children and possible grandchildren to enjoy the Bond universe as much as I do...

    A lot of brainwashing to do.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    They definitely should end

    as soon as the world stops turning
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    bondjames wrote: »
    Why should it end? I don't see any need for it to end. It can continue to go, reinventing itself and reflecting the cultural landscape, as it's done for the past 50+ yrs.

    Everyone always wants a good, fallible hero. There aren't enough famous English ones anymore. Babes are always in fashion. So are cars. Nasty villains are as old as time itself.

    There's no need for Bond to ever end, unless EON sells out to someone who just drives the whole concept into the ground.

    SP is polarizing, no doubt, and it didn't need to be. That is a matter of execution, not a problem with the overall concept. Once Mendes is booted or leaves of his own accord, Bond can get back to executing without pretension, and the polarization will no doubt end. Having said that, one can't please everyone all the time.

    Polarization will end? Dream on...

    Otherwise, I agree. Sherlock Holmes, Dracula and Tarzan are examples of heroes going on. Or on again off again on again, but Bond will be the same. If he disappears for a while, he will surely resurface. Expiration of copyright will make sure of that if nothing else will.

    Over 20 years ago, all media outlets pronounced Bond gone, but they were wrong. After a fashion, at least until 2006.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Bond returned triumphant in 1995 with GE, deal with it.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Bond returned triumphant in 1995 with GE, deal with it.

    You are right. The General Electric turbofan entered service that year, and the stock price for GE went up. Congratulations on your bonds.
  • Posts: 1,098
    Bond will continue, until the public no longer has the desire for these films.
  • James Bond will return. Period. End of statement.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    James Bond will return. Period. End of statement.

    Is that what it says after the end credits of Spectre?
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    James Bond will return. Period. End of statement.

    Is that what it says after the end credits of Spectre?

    No it says:

    At last the real James Bond has returned
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,249
    @tigers99

    I'm really getting fed up with you opening threads that we have going already! This is the reason we have threads piling up on top of one another, causing us to lose a clear view on what's being discussed. So here are, once again, links to older but still useful threads:

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/1027/how-does-it-end-for-007/p4
    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/1993/what-if-eon-did-a-film-where-it-was-bonds-last-mission

    We already closed down this one a long time ago:

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/4749/when-and-how-do-you-want-the-bond-series-to-end-or-not-end-at-all
This discussion has been closed.