Controversial opinions about Bond films

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  • 7. For Your Eyes Only is largely underappreciated.

    Absolutely correct. Strong Moore performance, dark moments, a realistic, gritty plot, impressive stunts and a good soundtrack. What's not to love? Well down sides to it are: Max the Parrot, a forgettable Bond girl, No Bernard Lee for first time and the cameo of the evil one at the end
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    I'd bang Dolly, easily.
  • Posts: 224
    I lost interest in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
  • Another one:
    I feel that most Bond films suffer from pacing issues.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 1,310
    Another one:
    I feel that most Bond films suffer from pacing issues.
    I tend to agree with you here, even some of the better films feel like they could lose 5 minutes or so.

    Some for me:

    - Casino Royale is my favorite Bond film, and Goldfinger is my second favorite Bond film (both films are among my all time favorite films ever)

    - I didn't think David Arnold was THAT bad, a tad uninspired yes, but not terrible

    - Brosnan was very stiff and wooden in GoldenEye

    - Tomorrow Never Dies is a solid Bond adventure and Elliot Carver is a fairly good villain

    - I like Caroline Bliss as MP and her scenes with Dalton in TLD. As a matter of fact, I like her more than Samantha Bond.

    - The best scene in the ENTIRE series is Bond's slaying of Professor Dent in Dr. No. There have been some fantastic scenes in many of the films, but none of them have quite lived up to that one IMO. (I think many of you can agree that it is a great scene, but it being my favorite might be controversial)

    - I'm curious to see how James Brolin would have turned out as Bond in OP

    - You Know My Name is the best Bond song

    - If you take away the stupid Bondola and Jaws flapping his arms like a bird, the first half of Moonraker is mostly great

    - When compared to DAF, Sean Connery looks healthier and more like Bond in NSNA

    - I don't mind Dr. No's score

    That's enough for now, me thinks.
  • 'The best scene in the entire series is the killing of Professor Dent'

    Well that covers a lot of ground to pick out best scenes from the 50 years of franchise but I was surprised by that, but each to their own. I would pick something like the introduction of Connery in that film, or even Andress coming out of the ocean, you know, something where it all started

    All of Moonraker is very good, so to speak, if we can just take away those absurd bits and pieces that were never needed

    Also, Nancy Sinatra should of been given another go at the main theme intro. If Bassey is allowed three attempts at it then why not other singers who I actually thought did a better job

    Lois Chiles should never have appeared in Moonraker but instead of featured six years later as one of the horses at Zorin's stud farm

    They shouldn't of had Bond having rides at the Prater fair in Vienna and participating on roller coasters and winning prizes. Dalton is supposed to be a serious Bond but that was all a bit questionable
  • 'The best scene in the entire series is the killing of Professor Dent'

    Well that covers a lot of ground to pick out best scenes from the 50 years of franchise but I was surprised by that, but each to their own. I would pick something like the introduction of Connery in that film, or even Andress coming out of the ocean, you know, something where it all started

    All of Moonraker is very good, so to speak, if we can just take away those absurd bits and pieces that were never needed

    Also, Nancy Sinatra should of been given another go at the main theme intro. If Bassey is allowed three attempts at it then why not other singers who I actually thought did a better job

    Lois Chiles should never have appeared in Moonraker but instead of featured six years later as one of the horses at Zorin's stud farm

    They shouldn't of had Bond having rides at the Prater fair in Vienna and participating on roller coasters and winning prizes. Dalton is supposed to be a serious Bond but that was all a bit questionable
    Ah, thanks for reminding me. Another one I forgot:
    I don't like Shirley Bassey.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    The LALD theme is a rubbish Bond song

    Eva Green isn't that hot

    Dalton's performance in LTK is the most underrated Bond performance in the series

    Many people who rate Roger Moore as the best Bond are blinded by nostalgia

    Miranda Frost was average looking at best and would make a better Bond girl now than 10 years ago

    Elliot Carver is the 2nd best Bond villain of the Brosnan era

    Toby Stephens would have made a good Bond
  • @BattleShips I never understood all the exaggerated hyperbole sometimes either, people go on about how she's synonymous with great Bond singers and everything, but it just doesn't wash with me. Maybe either Diamonds or Moonraker wasn't too bad, but I just turn off audio whenever I have time to watch a copy of Goldfinger (usually inebriated too as it's the only way to tolerate it all)

    But enough excitement for one night so it's a Goodnight
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 553
    TWINE is Brosnan's best performance and film

    I think Maurice Binder's work post TSWLM is weak.

    All the love for Shirley Bassey has held back development of the more ballad like themes, as to be seen as good they have to be Bassey-like. Nobody Does It Better is the noble exception.

    ..and now for the heresy....

    I don't really like Ursula Andress or her character. When she comes out of the water I can't help but have my eyes drawn to her stomach - which she is self consciously and needlessly holding in. Her character is too simple for me to enjoy...leading to my last controversial statement...

    When you look at the archetypal Bond girl, Honey Ryder is not the establishing figure, Tatiana Romanova is...future Bond girls have more in common with her.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 12,837
    doubleoego wrote:
    The LALD theme is a rubbish Bond song completely disagree

    Eva Green isn't that hot agree, Solange was hotter

    Dalton's performance in LTK is the most underrated Bond performance in the series Definetly agree

    Many people who rate Roger Moore as the best Bond are blinded by nostalgia some maybe but there's lots of younger fans of him on here like DC007, so disagree

    Miranda Frost was average looking at best and would make a better Bond girl now than 10 years ago She's probably improved acting wise now but she still looks the same, I think she's hot and is one of DAD's highligts.

    Elliot Carver is the 2nd best Bond villain of the Brosnan era He was fun but I prefer Renard, who I think is underrated

    Toby Stephens would have made a good Bond Too posh and slimy I think, he could've made a better villian if DAD's script was better towards the end. When I saw him do the skydive, I thought he could be Bonds equal, young, tough, handsome, but a villian

  • edited October 2012 Posts: 11,189
    Here's one:

    YOLT is an unfairly mangled Bond flick and more entertaining than TLD (saw both in the last couple of days, both are good but I found I enjoyed the former more suprisingly).

    Maybe I'm just a sucker for the whole 'meglomanic'/big set storyline - I draw the line at DAD though :p
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    YOLT is the most 'entertainig', if you're looking for an escapist avdenture. And I shall always have a place in my heart for YOLT (it was my first Bond). But I would prefer Bond to remain in the realm of spy thriller, so I look no further than TLD. But I agree that YOLT takes a lot of flak.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 11,189
    I've just seen a fair chunk of OHMSS and I think I prefer that too strangely (despite the crappy back projection in places). It just has a slightly more "exilerating", "escapist" quality with the Swiss Alps location, lush sets and fast paced action scenes. The helicopters flying to the Bond theme during the climax are wonderful.

    I'm officially in love with Diana Rigg too :D
  • I'm not a fan of Honey Ryder (excluding looks wise ofcourse) and think she is a weak Bond girl compared to others

    Sean Connery was great in Diamonds are Forever

    With the exception of Octopussy, all of the 80's films lack the Bond gloss that is seen in every other film in every other decade. Its mote noticeable in AVTAK admittedly something lacking in style/sets/camera used? I can't explain it

    AVTAK only gets better with age

    Dominic Green is the worst villain in the series. Weak, ineffectual and forgetable.

    Though I love both LALD and ROger Moore, Sean Connery would have done a magnficient job in it
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    doubleoego wrote:
    Toby Stephens would have made a good Bond
    I agree with this. Looking at recent images of him and listening to his narration of the FRWL Novel and bits from the Radio plays he did as Bond, he would have made a good Bond indeed.

  • Timothy Dalton could have easily been the best Bond ever. He had everything in spades except the charm - and if you watch the Rocketeer, in which he plans a psuedo-Errol Flynn, or Flash Gordon, you can see Dalton can be extremely charming and dashing when he wants to be.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 70
    -Blofeld in drag was his best transformation yet (not really).
    -Sean Connery IS Bond. Roger Moore is a close second.
    -From Russia With Love is the ultimate Bond film; the template for success.
    -Moonraker is classic and better than most people make it out to be.
    -For eleven minutes long, Live and Let Die's boat chase never gets tiring.
    -Karl Stromberg is the best James Bond villain.
    -There would probably be half as many Goldeneye/Brosnan fans if the N64 game was never released.
    -QoS is a disappointing Bond film in all aspects. Even the great action is ruined by extensive editing.
    -License to Kill probably had the least amount of 'Bond' in it.
    -Action/Espionage/Comedy/Girls/Style/Iconography (The gunbarrell sequence for instance) should always feature in a bond film, to some degree.
  • Brendoge wrote:
    Moonraker is classic and better than most people make it out to be.

    Absolutely agree, I love it. Nothing wrong with it. What people also forget is that without great Bond films such as Moonraker Octopussy, Diamonds are Forever etc, the Craig era would never happen because Bond would be dead. Moonraker is a great James Bond film, people are just bought up with the whole Craig/CR/QOS praising to realise it
  • People also forget Moonraker only has space battles at the climax - the rest of the film is amazing stunts, a great Bond girl, Jaws, a great villain in Drax, the genuinely scary scene with the dogs in the woods, Moore at his best (and not too old yet), loads of action, fantastic sets....and even the space stuff has superb special effects and great action. The climax with Bond shooting the bombs is incredibly tense and dramatic. Apart from some silliness, Moonraker is a great movie.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Would Moonraker have been considered better if the final climax was in the Amazon and not in space??

    But wouldn't that make it more like the end of YOLT? In the middle of Star Wars-mania to have Bond almost go into space again would've seemed anticlimactic.

  • Jaws

    Actually that's my problem with MR: They ruined Jaws. Well, that and the stupid sight gags. Other than that it's great.
  • Jaws

    Actually that's my problem with MR: They ruined Jaws. Well, that and the stupid sight gags. Other than that it's great.

    Jaws is ruined, I agree, but he has two great moments; the cable car sequence, and the Rio carnival sequence - Jaws as a giant clown is very creepy indeed.

  • Regarding Moonraker after a fresh viewing--
    This movie goes back and forth from ridiculous to dark far too much- resulting in the most inconsistent Bond movie of the lot, and it would have benefited by picking one extreme and sticking with it.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 12,837
    Jaws

    Actually that's my problem with MR: They ruined Jaws. Well, that and the stupid sight gags. Other than that it's great.

    Jaws is ruined, I agree, but he has two great moments; the cable car sequence, and the Rio carnival sequence - Jaws as a giant clown is very creepy indeed.

    I liked the cable car sequence but then Dolly is there straight after. Jaws as the clown would've been creepy if they'd made any effort to make him scary in MR like they had in TSWLM. By the time we get to the carnival it seemed like the clown costume suited him.

    Another good Jaws moment is the PTS, which is one of the best in the series, but even that has the stupid tent bit at the end.

  • I liked the cable car sequence but then Dolly is there straight after. Jaws as the clown would've been creepy if they'd made any effort to make him scary in MR like they had in TSWLM. By the time we get to the carnival it seemed like the clown costume suited him.

    Another good Jaws moment is the PTS, which is one of the best in the series, but even that has the stupid tent bit at the end.

    Watch that clown scene again - an 8-foot clown with a huge head silently stalking down a dark alleyway toward the camera - we all know who it is - who then takes his head off to reveal Jaws. It's nightmarish-!

    As for the PTS, I agree completely. TSWLM may have Bond skiing off a cliff, but MR has Bond jumping out of a plane WITHOUT A PARACHUTE. In terms of audacity and excitement, I don't think it's even been bettered.
  • Jaws was nowhere near as menacing as he was in Spy, and the end bit with him 'falling in love' and then speaking some words totally spoilt all that had come before

    It's been said a hundred times but the ski jump at the start of Spy is so totally exaggerated, I never knew what all the fuss was about. Moonraker is a far better, and exhilarating opening than the one before it and offers better suspense and drama

    The centrifuge scene with Bond in the g-force simulator would of made for a very suitable pre credits intro that year, but what we got was equally as fine and dramatic

  • My controversial contribution: Casino Royale '67 is a better movie than DAD will ever be.
  • Casino Royale (2006) is a good movie, but it's a terrible Bond film. The passage of time will prove that this hysteria around today will be seen as foolish and movies such as Diamonds are Forever and Moonraker will not only be more memorable but will be seen as better movies when compared to Casino Royale.

    Should rattle a few Craig/CR loving cages!
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    When DAF and MR are considered good films (nonetheless good Bond films) and stated to be better than the immaculate CR, then I will know for sure that the world has gone mad.
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