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What is our expectation of a Bond film?
In anticipation of a new Bond film coming out, what expectation does one have of a Bond film? I ask because recently I read an article in which BB comments that casting a nontraditional actor in the role of Bond would open up new creative opportunities for the franchise to comment on cultural, political, and sociopolitical issues. Is that why we go to Bond films? In part to see how the film comments on those issues? What is our expectation?
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I'm not sure if casting a 'non-traditional' actor necessarily opens up opportunities, at least not in the way I think most us think when we read that sentence. But I'm sure the next Bond film will in some way reflect our current society.
In one sense, I'm really excited because normally the first film of the new actor is always a strong one. It seems when a new actor comes around everybody is re-energised.
On the other hand, I'm slightly nervous of the next film.
I think this might be the first time in the series Bond is less recognisable than before, not just in the actors features but his attitude and out look, given some of the producers comments in recent interviews. As someone who didn't enjoy parts of NTTD, I'm scared that's a precursor of what's in store
Even NTTD is still fundamentally a Bond film. For all the hyperbole around Nomi and 'wokeness' early on, Bond always gets the upper hand over her, and by the end she comes to trust him. We still have the core Bond elements - the villain, the Bond girls etc. Even considering the fact that Bond dies (a big departure from the traditional Bond story outline) he not only saves the day but is elevated to a heroic figure in his death, his legacy living on through the stories Madeline tells to Mathilde.
Like I said, it's always been the case with the cinematic Bond. Regardless of the times, how much 'socio-political' stuff is added in, even whatever departures from the usual Bond formula we get, I think there's a conscious effort to keep the core traits of the character and these stories alive - that sense of Britishness, good vs evil, a character with vices such as drinking, cars, women etc.
So, I don't have that much of an expectation, but after seeing NTTD, there's no hype for me.
It's uncertain for me, especially when I've heard that the Producers would likely to lean more on Bond's feelings, which I'm not sure.
My expectations were really not that high, just middle or fine.
I'm in the same camp that didn't enjoyed NTTD, and I don't know what would be my expectations for the next Bond film.
That’s why I didn’t mind a tonal switch from CR-QOS to SF… If they kept the same tone from the first two films, I think the Craig Era would have grown stale awfully quickly.
Instead they built on the first two, then expanded the tone.
I think we should expect no different in the future.
Plus, Ms. Broccoli has people she has to answer to: her creative partners who will finance the films, and her partners who will distribute the films. If she wanted to do something truly radical that changes the general archetypal traits of the character, guess what? she won’t have the money to produce the films, nor the people to distribute. In the end, she’s well aware that she’s in the film business and that there are expectations for this character.
At the same time, creatively, she’s more than a sausage factory and she will look for surprising ways to present James Bond to a worldwide audience. And, like anything or any venture in life: You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time…
When I look at all of the 25 pictures to date, she and her father and and all of their partners, I think, have pleased many of us most of the time. I expect no different in the future…
I like the idea that a Bond film function as a sort of luxe travelogue as a framework, filled in with sensuality and intrigue. I feel like that's pretty in line with what Fleming wanted for the stories.
How that is achieved is on a different level. I'm still dreaming of the series continuing as a period piece, set at a time when the novels came out. This would offer the opportunity to basically rehash all the movies we've already had, but closer to the literary Bond. However, I'm afraid that the general public won't like it that much, since it comes close to watching 80-year-old film noirs (which are mostly great, by the way!).
But my expectation of future Bond movies is at least that the character survives (after being revived in the first place), fights for the (relative) good, lays women (and yes, I'm afraid: not men), kills baddies, drinks dry vodka martinis, shaken not stirred (preferably Vespers), has an Aston Martin, flirts with Moneypenny, gets a few gadgets from Q, is reprimanded by M, and has a major fight at the end taking place in a villain's lair, preferably underground, with a monorail line and supported by Mini Mokes, before the entire place blows up.
I hope that doesn't sound too revolutionary to any of you.
That sounds brilliant, @NickTwentyTwo. I might even get my first streaming subscription ever if that happens. So far I managed to resist.
I would love that. 60-ish minute eps, some a bit shorter and some a bit longer, true to the period of the books. I would love me a direct adaptation of TSWLM.
Me too. It just won't be a box-office success, I'm afraid. Quite frankly (and with the requisite admonitions of comparing apples to pears), I like the novel more than the movie. The movie is Roger Moore 1970s fun (basically a continuation of The Persuaders in that regard), yes, but the novel is vintage Fleming, and if filmed as a period piece, it might be brilliant.
Please let me audition the girls whose silhouettes will be shown during the OT. 😄
Yeah, it's looking like the Reinvention talk means certain changes to the character and the films. Hopefully, for the best. Although, familiar traits would most definitely be retained. Interesting times for Bond.
However, if EoN went another route, and cast a “name”-name, then I’m on board with @talos7 and his suggestion: Hemsworrh…. If the next budget was $215 million, and $8-12 million went to Hemsworth, he’d not be a bad choice at all.
I just watched a weirdly terrible, but highly watchable Netflix film called Spiderhead…. Hemsworth may not have Craig-like acting chops, but his performances are always in the solid category, but, more importantly, he’s a specimen— he’s handsome and moves well. He’s got magnetism and I wanted to watch him. He was funny and dapper and charismatic….
Shout out to Talos7; this was a solid call …..
And he could play a (wide) variety of emotions, he's versatile, he could be gritty and angry like Dalton or Craig convincingly, he could be vulnerable and emotional like Lazenby, he could be a gentleman action star ala Brosnan, he could be funny, lighthearted and romantic like Moore or he could be a suave, sophisticated, sexy and swagger like Connery.
And he could be convincing as a realistic spy (think of Alex Leamas in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold), and something that he could brought something new to the table that none of the past Bond actors did before.
He could play or portray all of those very convincingly.
He's a great actor, something that in my opinion, Henry Cavill lacks, I couldn't see him playing different portrayals, being a diverse or versatile actor, and something whom I don't think could bring something new to the table.
Nice shout, though he lacks some charm or looks, I'm afraid.
I think he's a great actor too, but lacked charm and looks.
He looks more like a Bond villain than James Bond himself to me 😅 (more like a modern version of Max Zorin).
But great actor though.
https://www.gamespot.com/articles/chris-hemsworth-taking-a-break-from-acting-after-discovering-he-is-at-risk-for-alzheimers/1100-6509296/
Sad.
Wow, that's terrible. Good for him in taking a step a way and engaging in proactive steps. We've recently been dealing with this disease in our family and it's devestatting. My heart goes out to the guy.
Give him a chance while he's still have the strength to play! While it's still not coming!
If they tradcast, I'd want Aidan Turner. If they 'raceswap', I'd want Sope. If they wanted to maintain the Craig-style left field choice...I honestly don't know. I can't see an equivalent of the 2005 Craig among current British actors. Actually, maybe a dearth of suitable Brits would give Chris his chance, after all?
But like Craig, I don't see any other British actors, Hemsworth is the only one I really see who could come close to that, though he's an Aussie, same for Hugh Jackman too, but again he's an Aussie and way too old.
Yes, it's hard to imagine someone who could get close to Craig when he's in CR.
I think the next Bond will be someone more left-field, lesser known and British. If they're currently being discussed as potentials in the press by more than two outlets in these 'next Bond actor' lists at this this point, they likely won't get the role.
So probably stage actors right? Or someone whose in TVs (TV actors)?