Controversial opinions about Bond films

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  • marcmarc Universal Exports
    Posts: 2,611
    TLD is one of the very best Bond movies.
    +1
    DAD, whist by no means a great movie, is a much more enjoyable film than TND and TWINE.
    I'd also rank DAD higher (or less low, rather) than TWINE and TND, in spite of Jinx, Zao and the CGI.
    j_w_pepper wrote: »
    Even the final boat chase was filmed in Scotland, and boy, were they lucky that at least the sun seems to have been shining to mimic the Adriatic Sea.
    Thanks for the info about the shooting locations; I'd never have guessed it was meant to be in the Adriatic; thought I had read somewhere it was meant to be on a Hungarian lake, but obviously that was wrong information.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Despite some similarities, I much prefer TSWLM to YOLT.

    I think it's more controversial to prefer YOLT and/or MR to TSWLM(which I do although I love all 3 Lewis Gilbert-directed Bond films)

    I struggle with YOLT and MR personally (it's the only entries featuring Connery and Moore I've never really enjoyed that much), but Lewis Gilbert makes up for that with TSWLM, which has always been in my top ten.

    I saw YOLT and MR prior to seeing TSWLM so I freely admit that factor along with my huge appreciation for John Barry scores may affect my preference in this instance. Plus, I've never had the problem with outer-space themes in Bond cinema that many fans have. They were my 2 favorite Bond films as a kid and I still love them. That stated I do consider TSWLM's Naomi and Commander Carter amongst my favorite secondary characters in the series.

    It's such a gem of a film, and this little moment alone is almost enough to place TSWLM in my top ten* :))

    vzuvlr.gif

    (*which it is, by the way)

    Love that moment too. In fact I love all of Caroline's moments as Naomi in TSWLM and wish her role was larger.

    It's one of few niggles I have with TSWLM; I wish Caroline Munro could have had a bigger role. A 70's Xenia Onatopp or something like that.

    I consider Naomi a 70's Fiona Volpe(and Xenia a 90's Volpe) myself.

  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited August 2020 Posts: 7,198
    I just rewatched TSWLM and I was wondering how we always forget Shane Rimmer's Commander Carter when we are on about the series' best allies. The man doesn't only give a great performance, but he's one hell of a likeable fellow.

    Also, I've always found the Liparus finale a bit long, but seeing it for the first time on a bigger screen in all its Blu-ray glory I must say I really enjoyed it this time. Spy will definitely go up in my ranking.

  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,201
    Can't say I ever thought Shane Rimmer's character was all that memorable, in fact I didn't even remember his character's name. Certainly wouldn't make the cut on the series' best allies on my list.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.
  • Posts: 7,532
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    Not the best, but certainly top 5!
    Cant picture original choice David Bowie!
  • DraxCucumberSandwichDraxCucumberSandwich United Kingdom
    Posts: 208
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    I’d certainly have Zorin / May Day as the most fun villain/henchman team since Goldfinger / Oddjob.
    Zorin is maybe a little underwritten to rank at the very top but I can’t fault what Walken did in the role in anyway, he’s fantastic.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    Not the best, but certainly top 5!
    Cant picture original choice David Bowie!

    Good lord, that would have been terrible.
  • DraxCucumberSandwichDraxCucumberSandwich United Kingdom
    Posts: 208
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I've always found the Liparus finale a bit long

    Not helped by the triumphant shot of Bond slowly riding the disco ball bomb across the set...
  • Posts: 1,926
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.
    The Christmas the UE DVDs came out, I pulled out AVTAK and only watched the scenes Walken was in. My father in law couldn't understand why I wasn't watching the whole movie. I just needed a Walken fix as he's the best thing, and for me about the only the movie has going for it.
  • Posts: 1,394
    Sexism is fun. Got it.

    It sure is!

    youtu.be/yiWeqVYYI1c
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,201
    Too bad that clip omits the best part: “Your powers of observation do you credit, Mr. Bond.”
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I've always found the Liparus finale a bit long

    Not helped by the triumphant shot of Bond slowly riding the disco ball bomb across the set...

    That was one big ball, would have made Hitler jealous.
  • Posts: 16,204
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    That said, here's another controversial opinion:

    My vote for BEST main villain performance is Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo.
    He's a fairly three dimensional character with a variety of traits: jealousy, arrogance, dashing, charming, threatening and fun. I find Brandauer to be completely believable.

  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,198
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    That said, here's another controversial opinion:

    My vote for BEST main villain performance is Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo.
    He's a fairly three dimensional character with a variety of traits: jealousy, arrogance, dashing, charming, threatening and fun. I find Brandauer to be completely believable.

    Not my absolute favourite, but definitely a great performance. Unsurprisingly so, since Brandauer is a brilliant actor. If you like him, I'd suggest giving István Szabó Mephisto a go :) .
  • Posts: 16,204
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    That said, here's another controversial opinion:

    My vote for BEST main villain performance is Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo.
    He's a fairly three dimensional character with a variety of traits: jealousy, arrogance, dashing, charming, threatening and fun. I find Brandauer to be completely believable.

    Not my absolute favourite, but definitely a great performance. Unsurprisingly so, since Brandauer is a brilliant actor. If you like him, I'd suggest giving István Szabó Mephisto a go :) .

    I'll have to watch that one sometime. Heard he was great.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,198
    I actually have a rather amusing Brandauer story. I was working in Budapest last autumn and I went to a local restaurant. The food was great, but little did I know I was walking in the footsteps of a former Bond villain. Upon leaving the place I noticed the owner had decorated a wall with photos of famous visitors. My companions were more impressed by the likes of Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons, but for me Klaus Maria Brandauer was the most impressive of them all.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    That said, here's another controversial opinion:

    My vote for BEST main villain performance is Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo.
    He's a fairly three dimensional character with a variety of traits: jealousy, arrogance, dashing, charming, threatening and fun. I find Brandauer to be completely believable.

    @ToTheRight Klaus is superb in NSNA, the best thing about the film. He's actually a far more interesting Largo than Adolfo Celi
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    I think another mark of Zorin being so good, is that, unusually for a Moore villain, Bond really seems to detest him. Although Roger is creaking a bit in AVTAK, I like the absolute contempt he speaks to Zorin with. As opposed to the more genial banter he has with say, Kamal or Dead.
  • Posts: 1,394
    Roadphill wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    I think another mark of Zorin being so good, is that, unusually for a Moore villain, Bond really seems to detest him. Although Roger is creaking a bit in AVTAK, I like the absolute contempt he speaks to Zorin with. As opposed to the more genial banter he has with say, Kamal or Dead.

    Thats interesting.Bond usually withholds his contempt for his enemies,preferring to insult them by making deadpan jokes but yeah he really,REALLY detests Zorin.

    Id say Scaramanga is next on the list of baddies he hates the most.Even if it only really manifests during the dinner scene.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,298
    Roadphill wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Maybe controversial, maybe not. I think Zorin is the best villain in the whole series. I know AVTAK isn't to everyone's taste, but every time Walken is on screen he really owns it. Charismatic, psychotic and actually quite funny, in places.

    That's a GREAT controversial opinion. Zorin is incredible. I think as far as Eon created Bond villains go, I might agree there. Vastly underrated. My all time fave villain is probably Goldfinger, though.

    That said, here's another controversial opinion:

    My vote for BEST main villain performance is Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo.
    He's a fairly three dimensional character with a variety of traits: jealousy, arrogance, dashing, charming, threatening and fun. I find Brandauer to be completely believable.

    @ToTheRight Klaus is superb in NSNA, the best thing about the film. He's actually a far more interesting Largo than Adolfo Celi

    I disagree wholeheartedly. He's a completely different Largo. I find Adolfo more understated and more in control. Klaus's is more like Zorin: psychopath material. Adolfo's isn't, he's just a ruthless man (this for heat, this for cold) who gets what he wants no matter what. But he doesn't find pleasure in playing with his opposition like Klaus'does. Personally I prefer Adolfo's version, as it's closer to the novel version to me. That doesn't take anything away from Klaus'performance, though.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    edited August 2020 Posts: 8,201
    NSNA never really seemed to want to be like the novel or the 1965 film, rather it just wanted to be a Bond film, but was legally bound to stick within the parameters the original screenplay set out. Having Largo and the femme fatale be performed as utterly insane people was just some of the things the filmmakers were able to do to make it slightly different from what came before.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,198
    I rewatched TLD last night, I still don't really get why people dislike John Terry so much. I see that he's not the best Leiter ever, but does he really do that much wrong? He has like about four lines and I'd say he delivers them reasonably fine.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,077
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I rewatched TLD last night, I still don't really get why people dislike John Terry so much. I see that he's not the best Leiter ever, but does he really do that much wrong? He has like about four lines and I'd say he delivers them reasonably fine.

    Would have been interesting to see him as Leiter in LTK with the larger part.

    He's actually a good actor overall and has made some good films and TV. He had a memorable small role in Full Metal Jacket, and if he's good enough for Kubrick....
  • Posts: 1,926
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    I rewatched TLD last night, I still don't really get why people dislike John Terry so much. I see that he's not the best Leiter ever, but does he really do that much wrong? He has like about four lines and I'd say he delivers them reasonably fine.

    Agree. He functioned fine for that small amount of time he was in it. I said so in a debate on another poll thread where he was getting slammed as always. I will always nominate Cec Linder as the absolute worst Leiter. Much more screen time, not interesting at all and not my concept of the character at all.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,201
    I do think Terry should have been given a shot in LTK. Bringing back Hedison in his 60s always just felt like Cubby just gave it to him because they were pals IRL. Same thing happened with that block of wood Rik Van Nutter playing Leiter because he was friends with Cubby.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,662
    I don't think anyone here dislikes John Terry, I certainly don't, it's just that he gives what many consider the least convincing acting performance in the entire series with his few lines. Someone has to come last, it's not about 'bashing' anyone like it's the trendy thing to do.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,357
    I like John Terry as an actor. He's fantastic in LOST but his Felix was a damp squid. Though that's not his fault. His scenes appeared very rushed and last minute additions to the film.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,692
    I feel like Felix Leiter deserves a movie like Skyfall did with M. Get him more into the action and the plot. Taking influence and (possibly story) from Dynamite Comics’ Felix Leiter run perhaps? Even as a subplot, it does have some potential to go far.
  • Posts: 7,507
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    I feel like Felix Leiter deserves a movie like Skyfall did with M. Get him more into the action and the plot. Taking influence and (possibly story) from Dynamite Comics’ Felix Leiter run perhaps? Even as a subplot, it does have some potential to go far.

    I'm onboard with that idea! Wright would have been perfect for that...
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