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My preference would’ve been for them to tear it up during the day, but I’m fine with it as it is. I have far more issues with the plane scene.
I read the leaks before he did his knee in and from what I remember it's pretty much the same, I think the plane chase was planned that way before filming started.
I could not agree more. Why is Bond putting Madeleine's life, let alone his life, at such risk? This is a problem in the PTS as well. I remember a quote somewhere--Cubby or MGW--that "Bond would never put the public at danger."
I maintain that Mendes never quite "got" Bond.
Its better than the totally naff and inexplicable 5 second parachute landing in QoS.
Take out the freefall abortion which shits all over BJ Worth's grave - if he was dead - and I'd give it QOS for the dogfight. If we're counting the freefall as part of the sequence then I'd give it to SP.
But the inescabple truth is that they both get brutally beaten to death by the OP and TLD sequences.
1. TLD - Simply staggering stunt as a concept and in execution (apart from the shots of Dalton clearly three feet from a model on the studio floor)
2. OP - Outrageous stunt which they could probably only pull off in a Rog film but nonetheless you can see the guys are actually, to quote Goninda's incredulity 'out there' doing it for real.
3. QOS - Good dogfight with Bond using his brain in a crapper plane.
4. SP - Bond not using his brain and nearly killing everyone before succeeding by pure chance.
True. They are very similar types of sequences, right down to the damsel in distress. I suppose the difference is that Bond didn't directly put Natalya in danger by slamming the tank into her car, as he did with the plane in SP. I'm not a fan of either sequence really, although I realize the GE one is looked upon positively by most.
Bond is never out of control of his vehicle and I never thought for one minute that if he caught up with Natalya's car his plan was to drive over it.
The civilians thing - well they're only Russians, the one nationality it's fine for everyone to be prejudiced about and slag off wily nily without any comment from the PC brigade.
I need to rewatch the sequence in GE but just driving that tank is a risk in itself of hurting her. And I'm not trying to defend any sequence but why one is praised while the other two are criticized even though they are in essence similar is beyond me.
@TheWizardOfIce In an interview I read back at the time, Martin Campbell said that he added a shot of police officers getting off their wrecked cars because Bond could not be accused of causing the death of civilians even by accident, so Russian or not there was that concern. Granted Bond is no Popeye Doyle but he does not inhabit the same movieverse than Doyle either so the magic hand of destiny allows Bond to get away with some morally questionable actions.
Now if you're going to start down the health and safety route of 'Because Bond is chasing them that forces Ouromov's driver to take more risks' that's a different debate entirely that leads us to the current PC shackled police force we have that has to let criminals escape if they drive too fast as it's too dangerous to carry on. But then eliminating any risk to a Bond girl at all would see Bond hauled up before the health and safety Nazis as far back as DN when he allowed Honey to be contaminated with radiation because he failed to take preventative measures such as suits and radiation shields despite the fact he knew the area was contaminated due to Steangeays rock samples so should have been carrying such kit with him.
Anyway what is indisputable when comparing the GE tank sequence and the SP plane sequence is:
1. Bond never puts the Bond girl in danger through his direct actions in GE. In SP he risks her life several times in an outcome he has no control over through his decicision to deliberately ram the car.
2. The risk to Bond's own life is minimal in GE given when he smashes into a brick wall he is surrounded by a steel box for protection. In SP the risks he takes are excessively foolhardy bordering on the suicidal.
3. The GE sequence is better because it relies on Bonds skill at the controls of his vehicle rather trusting to luck he doesn't end up in a fireball (not to mention lack of control of his vehicle unless you're claiming he deliberately intended to turn his vehicle into an out of control toboggan by knocking the wings off on purpose?)
4. The Bond theme playing automatically makes an action sequence better than some Thomas Newman lift music in the background.
5. The stuntwork is infinitely better.
6. The SP sequence (and this is an important point to note) is (edit).
+1! SP really bothered me, and still does.
Wasn't impressed with it either. It's just a tank with obstacles placed in front of it! It's not particularly well constructed chase scene. I probably it would prefer the plane sequence from SP. I like the fact it was bonkers what Bond was trying to do and Bond playing chicken with a convoy was more exciting than a tank simply crashing through one object after another ad nausem. Certainly not the greatest chase set piece, but I do enjoy it. Perhaps a second unit director like Dan Bradley would have done more with it!
Other controversial opinion: Spottiswoode was betrayed by poor material otherwise he might have been praised as much as Campbell.
Can't disagree here since I like TND more than GE. Sure it's a YOLT/TSWLM derivative, but there's so much less personal baggage involved. Bond on a mission to save the world without being scolded for being out of place or facing an old friend turned enemy. Best action of the Brosnan era far as I'm concerned.