The PIERCE BROSNAN Appreciation thread - Discuss His Life, His Career, His Bond Films

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  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    edited August 2015 Posts: 4,585
    Why am I getting notifications every time someone posts in this thread? :-O

    Update: Figured it out. Somehow the thread was bookmarked. Don't know how. Damn keyboard.
  • edited August 2015 Posts: 11,425
    bondjames wrote: »
    For me it was thankfully only 3 -5 years of trudgery.

    TND was ok. Not my favourite but it certainly has some class leading action in it (especially the pretitles and bike chase, although I didn't like the BMW remote car all that much) and the first half is first class.

    TWINE is almost unwatchable for me. DAD I can certainly get through, as a comedic parody, but when commenting critically on it, I have to be honest and say it's not something EON should be too proud of.

    Yeah, TND has its moments. The pretitles are very good. And I prefer to watch DaD over GE or TWINE - it has that so bad it's good thing going on. Did they just do that? Etc.
  • edited August 2015 Posts: 11,189
    I don't mind TND, if anything for the Dr Kaulfman sequence, Dench and Palmer verbally squaring off, Jonathan Pryce hamming it up and the HALO jump.

    BUT there's quite a few cringy moments though, my personal pick of worst is when Brosnan holds up the watch:

    "this looks familiar"
    Wai Lin: "We've made some improvements

    Urgh!!

    I saw a fair chunk of TWINE the other day funnily enough. I actually think the first half hour or so is pretty decent. We get some action, humour, a good location (the Scottish castle) and some poignancy (Q's last scene). But the cracks start to appear soon afterwards.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I always felt he struggled to look relaxed. Connery always looked relaxed. He didn't need to look tough, everyone instinctively knew he was.
    It may have been Brosnan's classically handsome pretty/boy features that worked against him (plus a light voice), but it was difficult to feel any threat from him.

    But back in the day he was the only obvious choice for Bond. Probably the only time a new actor has been so clearly destined to be Bond. Bookies stopped taking bets.
  • Posts: 11,189
    He does certainly come from that sort of Cary Grant/Roger Moore mould.

    Not particularly tough but definitely handsome and striking.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited August 2015 Posts: 23,883
    NicNac wrote: »
    I always felt he struggled to look relaxed. Connery always looked relaxed. He didn't need to look tough, everyone instinctively knew he was.
    It may have been Brosnan's classically handsome pretty/boy features that worked against him (plus a light voice), but it was difficult to feel any threat from him.

    But back in the day he was the only obvious choice for Bond. Probably the only time a new actor has been so clearly destined to be Bond. Bookies stopped taking bets.

    An excellent point about the voice and looking a little strained on occassion @NicNac.

    Whenever I watch a Connery or Moore Bond I'm impressed by their line delivery, but I think a lot of it does have to do with their voices....deep and confident naturally.

    Brosnan had it down in the looks dept. however. No question about that, particularly in GE (I'm a fan of the longer hair look that characterized his pre-Bond days). He seems to be posing and a bit strained in the photo below too, while the two lovely ladies by his side appear quite natural.

    bondturns50-29.jpg
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I've always been a fan of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, as well. I don't know about the others, but his films are brilliant pieces of fun escapism if one likes that kind of material, except for The World Is Not Enough, which tried to combine some elements from a dark source and associate the over-the-top action from his first two with them, but failed. Not that I don't like it, don't get me wrong. Elektra King is one of the greatest femme fatales out there, and I wish there was more of her. Renard, on the other hand, seemed like a puppet to me, and this comes from someone who likes Robert Carlyle in general.

    If one looks for fun and don't have to stick into nitpicking and criticizing the computer-generated imagery (such as in Die Another Day, despite being poorly executed I've got to admit), his second and the fourth are his best. However, that is only my opinion. And the way I enjoy my Bond escapades, nothing can change that. Being grown up with Brosnan's films, I can't argue the impact his films have given me. From all those promotional images to the video games (especially when Nightfire came out) I've always been on top of the world. Not saying I have less of a liking of the contemporary take on the films, but my enthusiasm, as it was ten years ago has never been the same. Probably it's an age thing. Brosnan will always remain a great piece of nostalgia to me and I'll always enjoy them.
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    Posts: 1,130
    I've always been a fan of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, as well. I don't know about the others, but his films are brilliant pieces of fun escapism if one likes that kind of material, except for The World Is Not Enough, which tried to combine some elements from a dark source and associate the over-the-top action from his first two with them, but failed. Not that I don't like it, don't get me wrong. Elektra King is one of the greatest femme fatales out there, and I wish there was more of her. Renard, on the other hand, seemed like a puppet to me, and this comes from someone who likes Robert Carlyle in general.

    If one looks for fun and don't have to stick into nitpicking and criticizing the computer-generated imagery (such as in Die Another Day, despite being poorly executed I've got to admit), his second and the fourth are his best. However, that is only my opinion. And the way I enjoy my Bond escapades, nothing can change that. Being grown up with Brosnan's films, I can't argue the impact his films have given me. From all those promotional images to the video games (especially when Nightfire came out) I've always been on top of the world. Not saying I have less of a liking of the contemporary take on the films, but my enthusiasm, as it was ten years ago has never been the same. Probably it's an age thing. Brosnan will always remain a great piece of nostalgia to me and I'll always enjoy them.


    I agree on what you said on the Brosnan era, im not into video games but Pierce's films were pure action fun.
    The only thing i disagree with is The world is not enough, thats my second favorite abond movie and i thought it was a great balance between a good story and Action just like Goldeneye.

    The other two Tomorrow never dies and die another day are more focused in the action but still never boring and always engaging from the very beginning.

    I guess most of us are influenced on the Bond we grew up with and our second favorite Bond will be the one which we find the most similar to the guy we saw first.

    When i saw Sean Connery i saw a classic version of Pierce a little more sexist but these two actors( Sean and Pierce) for me are the whole package of the Perfect James Bond.



  • edited August 2015 Posts: 11,189
    Looking at some of Brosnan's publicity photos for GE (like the one above) I actually think he looks far less "baby faced" in the actual film.

    He looks a bit like a 6th Former in that photograph.
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    edited September 2015 Posts: 1,130
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    Looking at some of Brosnan's publicity photos for GE (like the one above) I actually think he looks far less "baby faced" in the actual film.

    He looks a bit like a 6th Former in that photograph.


    Yes i agree that picture makes him look a bitt more baby faced than the eay he looked in the actual film.
    In the film he looked much better but still his looks improved as the films went by getting at his best in The world is not enough though in Die Another day he still looked great.


  • dominicgreenedominicgreene The Eternal QOS Defender
    Posts: 1,756
    I sort of have mixed feelings about Pierce as Bond, as a kid I loved him but I always thought there was something off about him post-Goldeneye. Can't put my finger on it, I sense a lack of internal confidence. Look at the scene below,

    He looks very uncomfortable. I can almost feel the butterflies in his stomach in that scene.

    Meanwhile, the Dr. No introduction is flawless.
  • Posts: 11,189
    I have a bit of a nostalgic fondness for that scene but, yes, he does look uncomfortable and kind of stiff.

    I think that was one of the first scenes he shot and he later admitted in the EON doc he was on edge.

    Still, I think he sounds ok.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    In the EoN documentary, he notes that at the time of shooting, he was letting everyone else's (mainly Moore and Connery) first introduction with the "Bond, James Bond." line fly through his head and it definitely put him on edge.

    I love his introduction and the use of that classic line, and I've always enjoyed how the music cuts out momentarily while he introduces himself.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I don't know about you, but it never strikes to me as Pierce was uncomfortable in the scene. He was fully ready and prepared in GoldenEye after all the years he's been suggested for the part. From the facility shootout, right from the start, he was already the Bond I liked.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    The "One rises to meet a challenge." Line delivery seemed somewhat forced but Pierce never appeared nervous or uncomfortable to me either. Wasn't the Monte Carlo casino scene first to be filmed in GoldenEye? If so it could explain it. First day jitters.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I think the first scene to be filmed was Zukovsky's nightclub when his thugs throw Bond into the couch and so on... If my memory serves me right.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited September 2015 Posts: 17,798
    Pierce was great. PER-ER-IO-IO-DEE.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Also don't forget that no less than the fate of the franchise lay on Brosnan's shoulders!
    He knew he could be the man who would be known to have laid Bond to the grave had he failed.
    Therefore I will always have the upmost respect for that man.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Well said, sir.
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    edited September 2015 Posts: 1,130
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Pierce was great. PER-ER-IO-IO-DEE.



    Agreed 100%



    :)>- ^:)^
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    In my opinion the weak scripts let Pierce down,not the other way round.
    He's not my favourite Bond, but I do think he did a great job as 007. =D>
  • Posts: 11,189
    I think the first scene to be filmed was Zukovsky's nightclub when his thugs throw Bond into the couch and so on... If my memory serves me right.

    Not surprised to be honest as he looks kind of awkward in that scene too.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited September 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Also don't forget that no less than the fate of the franchise lay on Brosnan's shoulders!
    He knew he could be the man who would be known to have laid Bond to the grave had he failed.

    I think this might be a little excessive in all fairness. Bond will always survive, even if some actors can, for a period of time, cause it to lose its box office lustre, relatively speaking. James Bond will always return.........
  • edited September 2015 Posts: 11,189
    During the 6 year gap between '89 and'95 was there a genuine feeling that Bond "may not return"? I'm too young to remember but it did seem, from what I've read, to be a fairly uncertain time for Bond. When you have to resort to a children's cartoon to keep Bond alive you have a bit of a problem.

    I can kind of understand why Broz was nervous. This was probably the biggest comeback the series had faced up until that point.

    To be frank, Broz was then a B-movie actor and, despite his popularity, had starred in quite a lot of crap. Now he was the face for the most popular film series of all.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited September 2015 Posts: 23,883
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    This was probably the biggest comeback the series had faced up until that point.
    Possibly, but Moore had to follow the poorly received TMWTGG and a 3 yr gap (unheard of at that time) with TSWLM.

    Lazenby in my opinion had the job of the decade trying to follow the star of the decade in 1969. The pressure there must have been absolutely immense.

    While EON/MGM may have not had faith/confidence in their product in 1995, and idiots in the media were spinning the Bond story, there was actually tremendous pent up demand among the fan base for James Bond in 1995. Many (at least those I knew) were longing for the return of James Bond, to show all the pretenders (Harry Tasker, Jack Ryan etc..) who does it best. They actually played that desire up in the teaser "You were expecting someone else"
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    To be frank, Broz was then a B-movie actor and, despite his popularity, had starred in quite a lot of crap. Now he was the face for the most popular film series of all.
    I agree.
  • edited September 2015 Posts: 11,189
    That's insightful.

    I did think of Moore in TSWLM but I suppose the difference with that film along with OHMSS was that a lot of the old guard (i.e. Cubby) were still on active duty. This time (in 1995) you had a very different production team.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    That's insightful.

    I did think of Moore in TSWLM but I suppose the difference with that film along with OHMSS was that a lot of the old guard (i.e. Cubby) were still on active duty. This time (in 1995) you had a very different production team.

    That is a fair point. The pressure as a result must have been quite intense. Moreover, I think an MGM head insisted on Brosnan to replace Dalton (regardless of Dalton leaving on his own accord or not) so that could have added to the pressure on him.
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    Posts: 1,130
    DrGorner wrote: »
    In my opinion the weak scripts let Pierce down,not the other way round.
    He's not my favourite Bond, but I do think he did a great job as 007. =D>

    Well except for Goldeneye the scripts weren't the best but i stay with my thought that at those times scripts were not that important in action flicks. Pierce was a Bond of his times and he did a great job.

    Maybe if those movies were made in 2006 they would have cared more for the scripts, getting important directors, oscar recognised actors for the villains and art house Darling beauties who appear often in film festivals.

    The Brosnan era was all about the action and having fun because that's what the 90s and early 2000s called for.
    So they got good actors and beautiful woman where didn't mind if they were taken seriously asactresess except for Sophie she is the only Craig type of Bond girl in Pierce's era.

    I feel bad for repeating it since what im gonna say was once said by a troll in another Bond but i feel like this series has been taking itself too seriously and aming to win an oscar and be one first action movies to get one.



  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    edited September 2015 Posts: 15,423
    I have to agree with @Szonnana, the Pierce Brosnan films didn't intend to have scripts like From Russia With Love or For Your Eyes Only floating around. The 1990s was an era where action packed films that were all about escapism and fun worked, and their intention was to make it as big and explosive as possible. Wasn't You Only Live Twice aimed at being explosive because of the over-the-top sentimentality of the mid-1960s? or the Moore era fairly as to speak.

    The production people knew what they were doing at the time, or any time might I say. By the time Casino Royale came out, the era of the cinema along with the audience were changed. They were looking for things along the line of Christopher Nolan's Batman and the sense of seriousness, grim, reality and bit of a gory grit.

    And to say, Brosnan was never responsible for helping the franchise revive, being assured as to "James Bond always returned" (as if the six-year gap wasn't enough), then that is highly disrespectful.

    I don't mind if anyone doesn't like him or his Bond or the films because tastes and opinions vary. But, to overlook facts and fire shots at it with the intention of just antagonizing the man is just out of place. And my apologies if my statement goes onto any offense.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    Personally, I don't think Brosnan gets much credit for his performance in GE. He wasn't perfect but he still did an incredible job resurrecting the character and bearing the pressure of expectations from so many people across the globe who collectively elected him as the number one choice when asked.
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