The What if Brosnan or Dalton returned as an older Bond for Bond-26 or beyond?

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  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,922
    DAD straight out the gate. :P Maybe not. Feels more like a Brosnan-style adventure though. I do kinda like the idea of robotic security/vehicles appearing. Portray them as they are found in real life - not too sci-fi and we're good.

    There are some things we'd already seen in previous films, like nerve gas, Bond's belt filled with plastic explosives and hang gliding over waterfalls. A flying wing backpack would be cooler. I take it all of these ideas would've been substituted for something similar. Lots of dialogue parroted from earlier films too.

    Would be great to see the character of Sir Henry appear in future. With him dealing arms you could probably combine this story with Hammerhead (Hunt Engineering), which also saw a car being operated remotely by the enemy - Bond's Mustang hacked with a chip and attacking him before launching off a cliff.

    Interesting that in Bond17 the DB5 dropped mines behind it and they bounce along the road. That's one for the NTTD winks & nods thread.

    All in all, the thought of not getting GoldenEye as we know it has me painfacing like hell.
    n3UX7ZHYBGZEV.png
  • Posts: 7,922
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    I think Pierce would've been great for that treatment of B17 .

    I remember People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive Connery issue from '89 had a smart article about Brosnan being back in contention for the role. At the time it seemed feasible as LTK's US box office was less than expected. In addition, B17 was still set for a summer '91 release.

    Imagine a scenario where Cubby releases Tim from his contract late fall of '89, immediately signs Pierce and Alphonse Ruggierio's script is greenlit to begin production in November of '90.

    Pierce could've skipped MISTER JOHNSON, LIVE WIRE, and MURDER101 and began his Bond career early.

    My idea of a nightmare, mate 🫣
    That could have meant 5 or 6 movies with Ol Brossa, instead of 4!!! 🥶
  • Posts: 16,399
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    I think Pierce would've been great for that treatment of B17 .

    I remember People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive Connery issue from '89 had a smart article about Brosnan being back in contention for the role. At the time it seemed feasible as LTK's US box office was less than expected. In addition, B17 was still set for a summer '91 release.

    Imagine a scenario where Cubby releases Tim from his contract late fall of '89, immediately signs Pierce and Alphonse Ruggierio's script is greenlit to begin production in November of '90.

    Pierce could've skipped MISTER JOHNSON, LIVE WIRE, and MURDER101 and began his Bond career early.

    My idea of a nightmare, mate 🫣
    That could have meant 5 or 6 movies with Ol Brossa, instead of 4!!! 🥶

    Hahaha! I remember actively reading the 007 magazine newsletter during those days being re-assured that Tim was indeed coming back for B17 , so I wasn't too worried.
    Oh, well.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,922
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    That could have meant 5 or 6 movies with Ol Brossa, instead of 4!!! 🥶
    One can dream. But at least we were blessed to receive over double the amount of Brosnan films with video games. That really made up for it and plays a huge part in why Brosnan era is the best era overall. 👍
  • slide_99slide_99 USA
    edited March 16 Posts: 767
    We seemed to have skipped this one:
    What if Max The Parrot couldn't speak and didn't gave Bond and Melina the location of Kristatos and his group?
    Presumably Bond would've gone to Columbo and search every possible hideout Kristatos would've gone to. Since St. Cyril's was a place they had used before, it's a good bet that they would've found him eventually, though probably not in time.
  • QBranch wrote: »
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    That could have meant 5 or 6 movies with Ol Brossa, instead of 4!!! 🥶
    One can dream. But at least we were blessed to receive over double the amount of Brosnan films with video games. That really made up for it and plays a huge part in why Brosnan era is the best era overall. 👍

    Agreed 100%!
  • Posts: 7,922
    QBranch wrote: »
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    That could have meant 5 or 6 movies with Ol Brossa, instead of 4!!! 🥶
    One can dream. But at least we were blessed to receive over double the amount of Brosnan films with video games. That really made up for it and plays a huge part in why Brosnan era is the best era overall. 👍

    Disagree 100%
  • Posts: 4,807
    I wouldn’t say the Brosnan era is the best Bond era, but I think for video games the ones that used his likeness, voice, or films were the best for Bond, and Everything or Nothing sits very neatly in his era as a story.

    So I suppose agree 50% but disagree 50%!
  • I’d say the only true dud of the Brosnan era is Die Another Day; and even that’s half a dud because the first half of the film is pretty good for the most part. Unfortunately when Halle Barry gets introduced that’s when the film takes a nosedive in quality for me. But having the 90’s trifecta of GE/TND/TWINE in addition to the video games (in particular Nightfire and EON) results in the Brosnan era offering an immersive experience that I don’t think any other era offers; for the first time not only were you watching Bond on the screen, but now you could BE Bond - think like Bond - be in Bond’s world.

    That’s why I think Brosnan’s era is one of the best.
  • Posts: 4,807
    I’d say the only true dud of the Brosnan era is Die Another Day; and even that’s half a dud because the first half of the film is pretty good for the most part. Unfortunately when Halle Barry gets introduced that’s when the film takes a nosedive in quality for me. But having the 90’s trifecta of GE/TND/TWINE in addition to the video games (in particular Nightfire and EON) results in the Brosnan era offering an immersive experience that I don’t think any other era offers; for the first time not only were you watching Bond on the screen, but now you could BE Bond - think like Bond - be in Bond’s world.

    That’s why I think Brosnan’s era is one of the best.

    For me with DAD it’s when he stops his own heart! It’s a strange but fascinating film though. One of those misfires in Bond films.

    To be fair I think the Brosnan era hasn’t always been kindly looked on (unfairly - no Bond era is perfect and long term they’re always subject to shifts of tone and even quality, and it was certainly the case with Craig, Connery and Moore). But for video games it’s a great era.
  • edited March 16 Posts: 2,424
    007HallY wrote: »
    I’d say the only true dud of the Brosnan era is Die Another Day; and even that’s half a dud because the first half of the film is pretty good for the most part. Unfortunately when Halle Barry gets introduced that’s when the film takes a nosedive in quality for me. But having the 90’s trifecta of GE/TND/TWINE in addition to the video games (in particular Nightfire and EON) results in the Brosnan era offering an immersive experience that I don’t think any other era offers; for the first time not only were you watching Bond on the screen, but now you could BE Bond - think like Bond - be in Bond’s world.

    That’s why I think Brosnan’s era is one of the best.

    For me with DAD it’s when he stops his own heart! It’s a strange but fascinating film though. One of those misfires in Bond films.

    To be fair I think the Brosnan era hasn’t always been kindly looked on (unfairly - no Bond era is perfect and long term they’re always subject to shifts of tone and even quality, and it was certainly the case with Craig, Connery and Moore). But for video games it’s a great era.

    I’ve learned to conveniently ignore the heart stopping sequence haha. Yes it’s incredibly stupid but tame compared to some of the stuff Bond is doing later on in the film. In fact I’ve lightened up on DAD recently; I think if you go into it not trying to compare it to what came before or after, and accept the fact that is a film riddled to the brim with flaws - you can have a good time with it and Brosnan makes the whole thing worth watching imo.

    The video games are great - made with a sort of passion that I found missed in a lot of Activision’s titles (Blood Stone withstanding - the last great Bond game) which made up for some of their technical flaws. I think they may have suffered from issues with release dates. Goldeneye Rogue Agent was infamously rushed and a lot of the initial ideas were scrapped and it severely impacted the final product. But EA delivered the best era of Bond games. I’m hoping IOI will give them a run for their money though.

    Really on a whole, it looks like the Brosnan era is undergoing a sort of renaissance with many people going back and appreciating TND/TWINE. If you looked over to the James Bond Reddit page you’ll find hundreds of posts by people proclaiming their love for those 90’s films and those posts getting hundreds (sometimes thousands) of upvotes and as somebody whose always been a Brosnan fan - that’s gratifying to see. He’s become the definitive Bond for an entire generation much like Connery and Moore were and despite the mixed reactions to those films - the fact so many people immediately think of Brosnan when they hear James Bond is a testament to the work he did with the character.
  • edited March 16 Posts: 7,092
    QBranch wrote: »
    All in all, the thought of not getting GoldenEye as we know it has me painfacing like hell.
    n3UX7ZHYBGZEV.png

    Avatar infringement?! This is my reaction:
    n3UX7ZHYBGZEV.png
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,922
    mattjoes wrote: »
    QBranch wrote: »
    All in all, the thought of not getting GoldenEye as we know it has me painfacing like hell.
    n3UX7ZHYBGZEV.png

    Avatar infringement?! This is my reaction:
    n3UX7ZHYBGZEV.png
    Damn, well ain't that a real pain in the neck.
    1cnpav.jpg
  • edited March 18 Posts: 4,807
    007HallY wrote: »
    I’d say the only true dud of the Brosnan era is Die Another Day; and even that’s half a dud because the first half of the film is pretty good for the most part. Unfortunately when Halle Barry gets introduced that’s when the film takes a nosedive in quality for me. But having the 90’s trifecta of GE/TND/TWINE in addition to the video games (in particular Nightfire and EON) results in the Brosnan era offering an immersive experience that I don’t think any other era offers; for the first time not only were you watching Bond on the screen, but now you could BE Bond - think like Bond - be in Bond’s world.

    That’s why I think Brosnan’s era is one of the best.

    For me with DAD it’s when he stops his own heart! It’s a strange but fascinating film though. One of those misfires in Bond films.

    To be fair I think the Brosnan era hasn’t always been kindly looked on (unfairly - no Bond era is perfect and long term they’re always subject to shifts of tone and even quality, and it was certainly the case with Craig, Connery and Moore). But for video games it’s a great era.

    I’ve learned to conveniently ignore the heart stopping sequence haha. Yes it’s incredibly stupid but tame compared to some of the stuff Bond is doing later on in the film. In fact I’ve lightened up on DAD recently; I think if you go into it not trying to compare it to what came before or after, and accept the fact that is a film riddled to the brim with flaws - you can have a good time with it and Brosnan makes the whole thing worth watching imo.

    The video games are great - made with a sort of passion that I found missed in a lot of Activision’s titles (Blood Stone withstanding - the last great Bond game) which made up for some of their technical flaws. I think they may have suffered from issues with release dates. Goldeneye Rogue Agent was infamously rushed and a lot of the initial ideas were scrapped and it severely impacted the final product. But EA delivered the best era of Bond games. I’m hoping IOI will give them a run for their money though.

    Really on a whole, it looks like the Brosnan era is undergoing a sort of renaissance with many people going back and appreciating TND/TWINE. If you looked over to the James Bond Reddit page you’ll find hundreds of posts by people proclaiming their love for those 90’s films and those posts getting hundreds (sometimes thousands) of upvotes and as somebody whose always been a Brosnan fan - that’s gratifying to see. He’s become the definitive Bond for an entire generation much like Connery and Moore were and despite the mixed reactions to those films - the fact so many people immediately think of Brosnan when they hear James Bond is a testament to the work he did with the character.

    I always wonder what DAD would have looked like with a darker, more mature approach but pretty much the same story (I feel it’d be not dissimilar to NTTD in many ways - still polarising for fans in many ways, certainly unusual, but ultimately more satisfying).

    Yes, I think Brosnan’s looked on more favourably nowadays. Dalton had a similar renaissance too I feel. But for sure, so many people grew up with Brosnan as Bond, and if his films (and video games) didn’t have any merit he wouldn’t be as popular.
  • edited March 18 Posts: 1,719
    Brosnan's formula was always something neither too serious nor too light. A darker DAD couldn't be too dark.

    Not being Dalton (or Craig) was always part of his appeal. This is how his Bond was sold.

    This is why I think Brosnan's return is complicated. The tone of his films is very difficult to recreate now, 25 years later, and I don't think fans want to see Brosnan making a Craig movie.
  • LucknFateLucknFate 007 In New York
    Posts: 1,737
    To be fair, as a child, I totally believed a superspy would be trained to stop their heart. I know it's dumb now, but part of me still wants to believe that's a trick somebody would pull, and I'd argue it almost reads like Fleming on paper.
  • edited March 18 Posts: 4,807
    Brosnan's formula was always something neither too serious nor too light. A darker DAD couldn't be too dark.

    Not being Dalton (or Craig) was always part of his appeal. This is how his Bond was sold.

    This is why I think Brosnan's return is complicated. The tone of his films is very difficult to recreate now, 25 years later, and I don't think fans want to see Brosnan making a Craig movie

    I always get the sense they were trying to add a bit more seriousness to Brosnan's films by TWINE though. Even DAD has ideas in there that skew a bit darker and on paper wouldn't look out of place in the Craig era (hell, SF recycles broad elements of TWINE).

    I don't think it's as much to do with any Brosnan formula. I think he could have easily starred in a more serious Bond film and done it well (GE definitely feels more mature and has its darker moments). I think the issue with a film like DAD comes down to a few things, a major one being they didn't have the right director to balance the thrills of a Bond film with what they were trying to do story-wise (Tamahori's certainly no Sam Mendes or Martin Campbell).
    LucknFate wrote: »
    To be fair, as a child, I totally believed a superspy would be trained to stop their heart. I know it's dumb now, but part of me still wants to believe that's a trick somebody would pull, and I'd argue it almost reads like Fleming on paper.

    Kinda reminds me of Bond trying to hold his own breath and kill himself during the torture scene in GF (the book that is). Not that it works in that instance!
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 17,402
    007HallY wrote: »
    Brosnan's formula was always something neither too serious nor too light. A darker DAD couldn't be too dark.

    Not being Dalton (or Craig) was always part of his appeal. This is how his Bond was sold.

    This is why I think Brosnan's return is complicated. The tone of his films is very difficult to recreate now, 25 years later, and I don't think fans want to see Brosnan making a Craig movie

    I always get the sense they were trying to add a bit more seriousness to Brosnan's films by TWINE though. Even DAD has ideas in there that skew a bit darker and on paper wouldn't look out of place in the Craig era (hell, SF recycles broad elements of TWINE).

    Yeah I think you could easily do a Craig version of DAD, the first half anyway. Bond working for another country's secret service and going on a mission for them to Cuba is something we even saw him do in NTTD.
    007HallY wrote: »
    I don't think it's as much to do with any Brosnan formula. I think he could have easily starred in a more serious Bond film and done it well (GE definitely feels more mature and has its darker moments).

    I think he'd be... okay. He's very mannered and I'd say the dramatic bits aren't his Bond's finest bits, I can see why they went with someone else. He's a great star for the films he did, he's just got limitations.
  • Posts: 1,719
    I always say that Brosnan's Casino Royale is TWINE. I don't think you could have asked for more. Not before the Bourne films existed.

    And yes, I think DAD is an example of the Brosnan formula. The film tries to play both games: not too serious and not too light (it's not MR, after all).
  • edited March 18 Posts: 4,807
    mtm wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    I don't think it's as much to do with any Brosnan formula. I think he could have easily starred in a more serious Bond film and done it well (GE definitely feels more mature and has its darker moments).

    I think he'd be... okay. He's very mannered and I'd say the dramatic bits aren't his Bond's finest bits, I can see why they went with someone else. He's a great star for the films he did, he's just got limitations.

    I agree he has his limitations as an actor and often makes... well, interesting performance choices. I think Brosnan was always better at dramatic scenes when he played them in a more understated way (I'm thinking of the beach scene in GE, or the hotel encounter with Paris in TND). With the right director I suspect he could have been pushed in that direction. I always get the sense he's trying too hard in TWINE and DAD to act.
    I always say that Brosnan's Casino Royale is TWINE. I don't think you could have asked for more. Not before the Bourne films existed.

    And yes, I think DAD is an example of the Brosnan formula. The film tries to play both games: not too serious and not too light (it's not MR, after all).

    They're both misfires in my opinion. They definitely have confused tones, and it's worth saying even the 'light' stuff in both movies could have been done better (I'd argue Bond films like SF or LTK excels more at the humour and those 'Bondian' moments than TWINE and DAD do).
  • I’ve never had any issues with Brosnan’s performances to be honest. He’s given more consistent performances as opposed to some of the other Bond actors - it’s actually hard for me to pick a favorite Bond performance from Pierce because he’s always great imo even if the films aren’t always up to standards.
  • Posts: 4,807
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.
  • 007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    Huh I have to admit I don’t see it. The only issue I have with Brosnan performance wise are some of those cringey lines of dialogue he’s forced to deliver opposite Halle Berry but that’s more Purvis/Wade than the actors, at least I think.
  • DaltonforyouDaltonforyou The Daltonator
    Posts: 695
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    I was never bothered by that, but I see what you're saying. Brosnan has that dramatic flair in TWINE. Honestly, I wish Connery could have gave a bit more emotion since he's always a cool cat.
  • edited March 18 Posts: 4,807
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    Huh I have to admit I don’t see it. The only issue I have with Brosnan performance wise are some of those cringey lines of dialogue he’s forced to deliver opposite Halle Berry but that’s more Purvis/Wade than the actors, at least I think.

    Well, it's at least a bit to do with the actors (it's not unusual for actors to have to deliver some ropey lines in those sorts of films, and ultimately a big part of their job is to make it believable - CR has its share of bad dialogue but I'd say Craig's performance on the whole is great and it even detracts from the odd writing).

    For me Brosnan feels a lot less natural in TWINE and parts of DAD. There's something less assured about him in parts of TWINE especially. It's like he doesn't quite gel with the material he's given.
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    I was never bothered by that, but I see what you're saying. Brosnan has that dramatic flair in TWINE. Honestly, I wish Connery could have gave a bit more emotion since he's always a cool cat.

    I can see that with his later performances. But I think Connery's Bond has his more human moments too.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited March 18 Posts: 17,402
    007HallY wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    I was never bothered by that, but I see what you're saying. Brosnan has that dramatic flair in TWINE. Honestly, I wish Connery could have gave a bit more emotion since he's always a cool cat.

    I can see that with his later performances. But I think Connery's Bond has his more human moments too.

    Not a huge amount though to be fair! I always think Roger gets the unfair rap for being the walking quip machine, whereas I'd say that suits Connery more- you rarely get the impression he feels anything, whereas Roger does. Connery gets to be a bit more of human in FRWL maybe, where he does show a bit of anger towards Grant and sorrow for Kerim Bay's death, but after that his emotion is very fleeting. He's angry about Jill's death for a couple of seconds and M tells him to stop it, Aki's death affects him even less, and after that he's more about the gags and pressing buttons on Q gadgets. That's why I get puzzled when he's sometimes called the closest to Fleming: he's very cool but there's no emotional depth there (and I don't blame Connery: that's the films they were making).
    By NSNA (which I do count!) he's kind of like a very charismatic robot just aiming to be as cool as possible in every situation, whereas Rog in OP a couple of months later is actually showing anger, sorrow, desperation and romantic feelings. Not a huge amount of any of those, but it's still a slightly less winking-at-the-camera performance I'd say. It's a weird situation where you can say Octopussy is the more dramatic film than any other one, but in this instance it actually is! :)
  • DaltonforyouDaltonforyou The Daltonator
    edited March 18 Posts: 695
    mtm wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    I was never bothered by that, but I see what you're saying. Brosnan has that dramatic flair in TWINE. Honestly, I wish Connery could have gave a bit more emotion since he's always a cool cat.

    I can see that with his later performances. But I think Connery's Bond has his more human moments too.

    Not a huge amount though to be fair! I always think Roger gets the unfair rap for being the walking quip machine, whereas I'd say that suits Connery more- you rarely get the impression he feels anything, whereas Roger does. Connery gets to be a bit more of human in FRWL maybe, where he does show a bit of anger towards Grant and sorrow for Kerim Bay's death, but after that his emotion is very fleeting. He's angry about Jill's death for a couple of seconds and M tells him to stop it, Aki's death affects him even less, and after that he's more about the gags and pressing buttons on Q gadgets. That's why I get puzzled when he's sometimes called the closest to Fleming: he's very cool but there's no emotional depth there (and I don't blame Connery: that's the films they were making).
    By NSNA (which I do count!) he's kind of like a very charismatic robot, whereas Rog in OP a couple of months later is actually showing anger, sorrow, desperation and romantic feelings. It's a weird situation where you can say Octopussy is the more dramatic film than any other one, but in this instance it actually is! :)

    Agreed, I think Dr. No and FRWL he has a lot of emotion, standout moments are when he's at the Jamacaian bar with Felix asking about Strangeways, and the action on the train or finding Rosa Kleb in his hotel room. I think the relative lack of it thereafter is just a sign or disinterest in the material, mainly.
  • edited March 18 Posts: 4,807
    mtm wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    I was never bothered by that, but I see what you're saying. Brosnan has that dramatic flair in TWINE. Honestly, I wish Connery could have gave a bit more emotion since he's always a cool cat.

    I can see that with his later performances. But I think Connery's Bond has his more human moments too.

    Not a huge amount though to be fair! I always think Roger gets the unfair rap for being the walking quip machine, whereas I'd say that suits Connery more- you rarely get the impression he feels anything, whereas Roger does. Connery gets to be a bit more of human in FRWL maybe, where he does show a bit of anger towards Grant and sorrow for Kerim Bay's death, but after that his emotion is very fleeting. He's angry about Jill's death for a couple of seconds and M tells him to stop it, Aki's death affects him even less, and after that he's more about the gags and pressing buttons on Q gadgets. That's why I get puzzled when he's sometimes called the closest to Fleming: he's very cool but there's no emotional depth there (and I don't blame Connery: that's the films they were making).
    By NSNA (which I do count!) he's kind of like a very charismatic robot, whereas Rog in OP a couple of months later is actually showing anger, sorrow, desperation and romantic feelings. It's a weird situation where you can say Octopussy is the more dramatic film than any other one, but in this instance it actually is! :)

    I agree that Moore made Bond feel more human (it’s partially because the films leaned into it, but I think the reason they did so was because of Moore’s natural qualities as an actor and their need to play to his strengths). And I get what you mean on the whole. Part of Connery’s appeal as Bond was that sense of cool, detached irony (which in many ways differs from Fleming’s conception of the character or was at least done differently with Connery). But still, those moments are there and I think Connery sells them however fleeting they are. I think the difference between his performances in DN and FRWL particularly is very stark.
  • edited March 18 Posts: 1,719
    mtm wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    He had a tendency to go a bit... well, best I can describe it is 'big' occasionally in TWINE and DAD, at least during some of the more dramatic scenes. He had his quirks in GE and TND but something about those last two performances feels a bit different at times. Stuff like him seemingly on the verge of tears while watching Elektra's interview and him being a touch too angry when he first meets Graves. It's why I say his instincts as an actor are sometimes a bit odd. He's not terrible, but they're just not always the best choices performance-wise.

    That said I think he's great in GE and TND, and would go as far to say the former is one of my favourite Bond lead performances.

    I was never bothered by that, but I see what you're saying. Brosnan has that dramatic flair in TWINE. Honestly, I wish Connery could have gave a bit more emotion since he's always a cool cat.

    I can see that with his later performances. But I think Connery's Bond has his more human moments too.

    Not a huge amount though to be fair! I always think Roger gets the unfair rap for being the walking quip machine, whereas I'd say that suits Connery more- you rarely get the impression he feels anything, whereas Roger does. Connery gets to be a bit more of human in FRWL maybe, where he does show a bit of anger towards Grant and sorrow for Kerim Bay's death, but after that his emotion is very fleeting. He's angry about Jill's death for a couple of seconds and M tells him to stop it, Aki's death affects him even less, and after that he's more about the gags and pressing buttons on Q gadgets. That's why I get puzzled when he's sometimes called the closest to Fleming: he's very cool but there's no emotional depth there (and I don't blame Connery: that's the films they were making).
    By NSNA (which I do count!) he's kind of like a very charismatic robot just aiming to be as cool as possible in every situation, whereas Rog in OP a couple of months later is actually showing anger, sorrow, desperation and romantic feelings. Not a huge amount of any of those, but it's still a slightly less winking-at-the-camera performance I'd say. It's a weird situation where you can say Octopussy is the more dramatic film than any other one, but in this instance it actually is! :)

    Oh come on, Connery in NSNA looks like a real person compared to Tarzan Moore.

    More "dramatic" doesn't mean more human.

  • edited March 18 Posts: 4,807
    Controversial take, but Connery’s performance in NSNA isn’t anything special in my opinion. It’s more the fact that he returned to the role which was significant. While he’s not bored like he comes off in TB and YOLT, I don’t think he’s as good as Moore in OP.

    Don’t get me wrong he’s good in NSNA and does his thing well (although I don’t remember any extraordinary stand out moments but I haven’t seen the film in a while) but it’s far from the best Bond performance and for Connery it’s definitely not his best (in Bond or otherwise!)
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