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I think Haphazard get's it wrong there. I do remember enjoying some of the early scenes though, apart from John Cleese...
BTW, I've taken the liberty of quoting you in the rogue SF thread. You made some interesting comments about Bond 23 last year in a conversation with DarthDimi. Wondering whether you still feel the same way after SF.
Yes, but when the Dalts took his shirt off in LTK the glare nearly dazzled me. \:D/
That's back in the day when real men didn't drink protein shakes, use fake tan or wax their chests... A lot has changed since 1989!
Maybe, but real men still looked like Sean Connery. I do remember my initial reaction when Timbo went topless. But if he ticked the box for all those panting women, then who am I to judge. ;)
The way I see it, Brosnan was the generic Bond through and through. You take one look at him and he has that typical, generic, cliched Bond look about him and unfortunately for him, generic is the operative word that summed up his entire Bond career. Maybe that's what the series needed at the time.
However, I look at the Brosnan era and I look back to the movies of the 60s and in terms of quality, cinematic innovation and a genuine credibility, the Brosnan era just doesn't hold up. The series had become a pastiche of itself and to be honest, I think that no one at EoN really cared that much as the movies were making money and audiences were flocking to see the movies regardless. As great as Dalton and his movies were, the Dalton era and the 6 year hiatus really left EoN somewhat scared and it clearly shows. One of my biggest complaints about Brosnan though is, when he was required to really act without the "help" of a costar to bounce off of, he couldn't do it. One scene in particular that springs to mind is in TWINE where Bond is watching the tapes of Elektra and then he touches the screen and is supposed to feel touched and sadened by her ordeal.....I just couldn't buy it. That was some of the worst acting I've ever seen.
But as others have said, Brosnan was clearly there for the ride, he cleary loved what he was doing but the problem was, instead of being James Bond he was too busy pretending to be James Bond. Brosnan the man and the actor was never on set it was Brosnan the 11 year old boy who'd come out of Putney high street cinema after watching GF that showed up for all 4 entries.
Yes, I do think the 11 year old boy fantasy coming true clouded Brosnan's portrayal. I remember Craig saying he never dreamed of being Bond or even playing him. Dalton too. So those two did what any fine actor does and looks for what has not been done rather than giving a generic performance.
And though EON never said it, the Craig era is clearly their preference. Dalton actually did not like the direction they wanted to head in during the nineties and bowed out after the hiatus. It is documented there were elements of the script he did not like.
Plus the Bond humour has to be subtle and not delivered like you are stepping out of character. Otherwise the whole premise collapses like a deck of cards.
And though Brosnan's Bond was a more generic womaniser, I felt Dalton showed the underlying bastard that makes a woman get attracted to a man better. Dalton was dead sure of himself and that came across. Like when he barks at Pam in LTK to get him a drink as he needs to distract her to work on Lupe's weaknesses.
Brosnan's womanising was an update of Roger Moore's in his early films but Roger was playing it as a joke and nothing else. Brosnan's bed scenes looked too set up but without showing a proper set up. The doctor in TWINE is an example.
In fact the Brosnan era looks more sexist than the Moore era. I mean surely they could have shown that a woman needs to be wooed a bit more. Connery does not get into Jill St John's knickers until much later and the pay off looks better as a result.
Sure he bed's the bimbo in the casino in DAF but she looks like the fickle girl and he treats her as such. And it is played more for humour with a huge wink without the obvious wink.
I think they waxed Dalton's chest because his stubble is very thick and he would have a Connery carpet otherwise. That was the fashion at the time. The hairier the better in the early seventies and sixties. Austin Powers even makes jokes of that as a sign of virility.
Haphazard points out the scene in the bankers office where Brosnan really gets the cold Bond down so well and implies that more should have been made of that for the rest of the film.
Brosnan's characterisation is all over the place. He plays light Bond, then dark, then in between. Connery was way more consistent and in control as was Moore, Dalton, Craig.
Brosnan comes across like he looked at the part in the script for the scene he was doing that day ignoring what his character had been through and ignored the overall story arc of the script. He looks too at ease most of the time and I never sense danger for him. Brosnan could jump off a skyscraper and survive almost as his Bond.
In the DAD car chase on ice scene, Brosnan looks like he is in about as much danger as if he was driving back from the shops and listening to the radio. He tries to play it too cool and relaxed. Now watch Connery in DAF when he tells Jill to lean over in the car
I think he is a good actor but I am sure he knows where he went wrong. I think he should have threatened to quit unless they give him better scripts rather than allow them to tell him what is required. Broccoli's book clearly states that when Dalton came on board, he told them how it was going to be and they said they agree.
But when an actor is not as confident, he or she allows the risk of being misguided by others. Moore too guided the producers to his way of thinking. They did not have to tell him to be funny.
Ha true. Funnily enough I thought the same about Connery in YOLT when he's trapped in the plane.
Considering that Connery was the Bond style Brosnan was going for, I am so surprised by what the end result was. It still makes no sense. It also shows the part is dangerous to take on even if you tick all the Bond boxes without exception.
I think they should have made Brosnan more in line with The Fourth Protocol in terms of the seriousness. Camp suits Moore better as it is less noticeable because of how he has the personality to get away with it. Personality is the operative word.
Sean was salt, Dalton was pepper and Roger was sugar. Brosnan mixed the three up and the taste does not gel together if you get my drift. They tried adding salt to Roger and Lewis Gilbert said it was a mistake and took it out.
Craig is salt and pepper and that is a good combination.
I imagine the likes of Brooke Shields didn't see it that way. ;)
More like a souffle, very leightweight.
I heard many rumours she fancied him and her acting in the film is actually her revealing her true feelings.
Now that's interesting, I read somewhere that it was more than just rumours. :-?
Oh Dalton in real life knows how to woo women younger than him. I don't think getting it off with Brooke would have been a stretch for him. He had many girlfriends in the 70's or so I heard. In fact when it was brought up in an interview, he said he will not discuss it as they may be married now.
Dalts was Bond.
I remember Maryam D'abo talking about him like he was an ex. At the time of filming TLD, she looked up to him and really liked him in the really liked him sense. It is obvious.
He has a good real life chemistry with her. Teri Hacher with Pierce was stand offish. That was nothing to do with Pierce but her attitude. Not all women are nice co-stars.
There were gay rumours during the early 80s you know.
KIDDING! ;-)
I nearly fell off my chair!:)
He's Welsh, you know, so it's the sheep he'd be after.
I sense a whole new thread idea coming from that.
A Jock
An Aussie
A Paddy
A couple of Limeys
A Welshie
:D
But he should have put his foot down concerning DAD. De-cheese the script or I walk.
problem is he clearly loved it and thought it was quality.
Surely Brosnan must have known something was wrong when Halle Berry comes out of the water to start her dialogue introduction. If I had been him, I would have called the director over and told him she needs to redo those dialogue scenes.
Considering she won an Oscar, she looks so taxed at delivering the simple lines. not exactly better acting than Denise Richards and no one can tell me that this was not picked up on set.
Eon threw the kitchen sink into DAD and the film sunk under it's own weight of ambition. Rosamund Pike was excellent though and I cannot fault her. She is classy.
The Madonna scene was taken from Austin Powers. Bond escaping from the hospital was tacky beyond belief. Michael Madsen was cast on Pierce's wishes but he certainly looks like he is playing in a different movie.
This is why every time I hear the line "Classic Bond", I get scared.
Brosnan cannot blame the scripts. Dalton would immediately try to get a change if he did not agree with it. Brosnan went for DAD hook line and sinker. Stopping your heart is not far from the invisible car. And he went for it.
The Bond formula is quicksand in the wrong hands. And if you try to put in too many desired Bond elements you end up spoiling the recipe.