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

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  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    suavejmf wrote: »
    ForYourEyesOnly wrote: »
    I think the big difference is that Brosnan's portrayal in GE is taut, well-trimmed and classic Bond. It's something I could envision actually ranking alongside some of the better portrayals of Bond that we've ever seen. Whereas with DAD, Brosnan's portrayal is mostly just "not a letdown" for the film, and it's not something that particularly comes to mind when I think of good Bond performances. It's good that his acting isn't as forced as in the last two but he's still only "good" in the role. In GE he's genuinely fantastic, and I really wouldn't use that kind of praise on his DAD performance.

    TND is up-and-down and I agree with most people that his performance in TWINE feels forced in quite a few areas. Definitely one of the weakest portrayals of Bond to date, though Brosnan still managed a few killer moments (like his disposal of Elektra).

    Great post. I will also add that it was a good job Brosnan missed out on the role in 1987. In 95 he looked great as Bond, but in 87 he was too young, or rather looked too young.

    I thought that when I saw his screen tests in '86.
    Way too baby-faced.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2017 Posts: 23,883
    I thought he looked great in 1986 (as he proved in 1987's Fourth Protocol and 1988's Noble House). So I disagree. I also thought that Brosnan had a lot more confidence on screen in the late 80's. He was peaking at that point. By the 90's he had changed as an actor and had become far more theatrical.
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited November 2017 Posts: 19,339
    bondjames wrote: »
    I thought he looked great in 1986 (as he proved in 1987's Fourth Protocol and 1988's Noble House). So I disagree. I also thought that Brosnan had a lot more confidence on screen in the late 80's. He was peaking at that point. By the 90's he had changed as an actor and had become far more theatrical.

    Granted,he was very good in The Fourth Protocol (a very underrated film to me ) ,but i'm not sure he was 'ready' at that time,or filled out and matured enough ,when you compare him to Dalton in '87 and Pierce himself in '95.

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    barryt007 wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    I thought he looked great in 1986 (as he proved in 1987's Fourth Protocol and 1988's Noble House). So I disagree. I also thought that Brosnan had a lot more confidence on screen in the late 80's. He was peaking at that point. By the 90's he had changed as an actor and had become far more theatrical.

    Granted,he was very good in The Fourth Protocol (a very underrated film to me ) ,but i'm not sure he was 'ready' at that time,or filled out and matured enough ,when you compare him to Dalton in '87 and Pierce himself in '95.
    Again, when I watch something like The Noble House, I realize it was one of the big missed opportunities not to have Brosnan as Bond in the late 80's. I think his stylish, suave demeanour in those years (which I really think he lost a lot of as he aged - it's still there in GE which is why it's my favourite Bond of his) would have provided excellent counter programming to the McClane's and Rigg's of the world. Nobody was asking for a darker Bond at that point in the cycle.
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited November 2017 Posts: 19,339
    bondjames wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    I thought he looked great in 1986 (as he proved in 1987's Fourth Protocol and 1988's Noble House). So I disagree. I also thought that Brosnan had a lot more confidence on screen in the late 80's. He was peaking at that point. By the 90's he had changed as an actor and had become far more theatrical.

    Granted,he was very good in The Fourth Protocol (a very underrated film to me ) ,but i'm not sure he was 'ready' at that time,or filled out and matured enough ,when you compare him to Dalton in '87 and Pierce himself in '95.
    Again, when I watch something like The Noble House, I realize it was one of the big missed opportunities not to have Brosnan as Bond in the late 80's. I think his stylish, suave demeanour in those years (which I really think he lost a lot of as he aged - it's still there in GE which is why it's my favourite Bond of his) would have provided excellent counter programming to the McClane's and Rigg's of the world. Nobody was asking for a darker Bond at that point in the cycle.

    Oh there's no doubt he would have been a great success had they plonked him into ,say,a GE in 1987,due to his popularity as Remington Steele and his popularity with the American public.

    It would have been interesting to see how well he would have done vs Die Hard,Lethal Weapon 2 etc in 1987,and Batman,Indiana Jones etc in 1989.



    Bond had no chance with Dalton in the role against those total blockbusters.
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited November 2017 Posts: 19,339
    DUPE.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    Well, finally, The Foreigner has a release date in my country. For a while, I was worried I was going to have to watch it on my TV!
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,206
    Having not watched DAD in some time, the scene above with Dench shows just how good the film could have been; there is a weariness to his performance that fits the character at that point.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    talos7 wrote: »
    Having not watched DAD in some time, the scene above with Dench shows just how good the film could have been; there is a weariness to his performance that fits the character at that point.
    There's absolutely nothing wrong with Brosnan's performance in DAD in my book (save for the usual overacting during the Jinx water rescue). He finally found his voice as Bond, but unfortunately for him his producer decided to go in a different direction (Ironically it was MGM that reportedly made her aware of Craig. I read somewhere recently that they asked her to check out Layer Cake in order to get her thoughts on Vaughn as future director, but instead her attention focused on Craig).
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I also kind of find that Jinx water rescue bit strange. He's acting like she means something to him, whereas they hardly know one another.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    It compares unfavourably with the cool, efficient, yet caring way he rescues Wai Lin in similar circumstances.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Agreed. The Wai Lin rescue was done better. Then again, it didn't have writers like P&W. I long for the TND film crew to come back for one more.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2017 Posts: 23,883
    ClarkDevlin wrote: »
    I also kind of find that Jinx water rescue bit strange. He's acting like she means something to him, whereas they hardly know one another.
    Precisely. It's this emotionality which arises in his later 3 films which I find somewhat offputting. Dalton had it too. In GE he had it under control and that's why I still find that to be his best performance, despite a lack of assuredness.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    bondjames wrote: »
    ClarkDevlin wrote: »
    I also kind of find that Jinx water rescue bit strange. He's acting like she means something to him, whereas they hardly know one another.
    Precisely. It's this emotionality which arises in his later 3 films which I find somewhat offputting. Dalton had it too. In GE he had it under control and that's why I still find that to be his best performance, despite a lack of assuredness.
    +1. I feel quite the same, @bondjames. If I could inject it to the matter, Brosnan's physicality was also light years better in GoldenEye than the rest of his three. Makes you wonder whatever happened to the man who beat up Alec Trevelyan on the satellite dish when now he's struggling with a mere henchman over a crane in a publishing house?
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2017 Posts: 23,883
    ClarkDevlin wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    ClarkDevlin wrote: »
    I also kind of find that Jinx water rescue bit strange. He's acting like she means something to him, whereas they hardly know one another.
    Precisely. It's this emotionality which arises in his later 3 films which I find somewhat offputting. Dalton had it too. In GE he had it under control and that's why I still find that to be his best performance, despite a lack of assuredness.
    +1. I feel quite the same, @bondjames. If I could inject it to the matter, Brosnan's physicality was also light years better in GoldenEye than the rest of his three. Makes you wonder whatever happened to the man who beat up Alec Trevelyan on the satellite dish when now he's struggling with a mere henchman over a crane in a publishing house?
    I personally found him a bit 'light' in GE @ClarkDevlin, but the direction and choreography more than compensated. As an example, when he's on the Manticore in that double breasted blue blazer, he comes across a bit 'slight', but the fight with the thug who approaches him from behind is very well handled. Same goes for the Trevalyn fight which is my second favourite of the series.

    Unfortunately, whoever handled choreography for TND made a mess of it. I remember one punch in particular at the publishing factory which was as effeminate as can be. He definitely didn't "put his back into it" with that one. Even the Carver media HQ soundroom fight was useless, save for the ashtray whack at the end.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Definitely. By "physicality", I was referring more to his agility and combatant skills in GoldenEye. Otherwise, I prefer his TWINE appearance the greatest in all the four outings. The fight choreography in GE and the rest of the films seem like they're done by two different people. I checked the stunt choreography credit and it seems it was still Vic Armstrong in all four, which begs the question... Why the sudden change?

    That effeminate single punch you refer to is exactly the problem that I have with the scene. Brosnan moved like he was carrying the world's weight on his shoulders and couldn't move freely as he'd like. Or in TWINE, under the grounds of that Kirghistan nuclear base when he's supposed to subdue and disarm a Russian guard... My grandmother moves faster than that.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2017 Posts: 23,883
    ClarkDevlin wrote: »
    Or in TWINE, under the grounds of that Kirghistan nuclear base when he's supposed to subdue and disarm a Russian guard... My grandmother moves faster than that.
    Sadly I think that entire base sequence is one of the most shameful episodes in a Bond film in more ways than one imho, starting with "glimmer" girl Christmas's introduction and ending with "The name's Baaand, James Baaaand". In-between we have the infamous lightbulb "huh!". Thereafter we have the even more horrendous emotional nervous breakdown. The action was horribly sequenced as well as you note (Bond running and somersaulting around like an idiot twirling the machine gun). I'm sorry, but just thinking of these scenes hurts me deeply. Apted was out of control.

    Having said that, I do think he looks very good in TWINE as well.
    ClarkDevlin wrote: »
    The fight choreography in GE and the rest of the films seem like they're done by two different people.
    So true, and I remember thinking that at the time too. The same can be said for the choreography in CR vs. SF. The Komodo fight is a complete embarrassment imho. Why even have a fight if you're going to pull something like that.
  • RasputinRasputin
    Posts: 44
    Just watched Foreigner and it was god-awful, brosnan does a great job as usual but his movies are disappointing recently sadly.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Rasputin wrote: »
    Just watched Foreigner and it was god-awful, brosnan does a great job as usual but his movies are disappointing recently sadly.

    Shame to hear. Were you expecting something the trailers didn't market properly? I feel like the movie they sold is the one I paid to see.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    I had a Bond fan friend to stay for the weekend and we enjoyed our now-traditional Get Drunk & Shout At Pierce Brosnan Movie Night, this time featuring TWINE, I.T. (2016) and more Vespers than was entirely sensible.

    It was great fun but I am pretty tired and grumpy today for some reason.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Agent_99 wrote: »
    I had a Bond fan friend to stay for the weekend and we enjoyed our now-traditional Get Drunk & Shout At Pierce Brosnan Movie Night, this time featuring TWINE, I.T. (2016) and more Vespers than was entirely sensible.

    It was great fun but I am pretty tired and grumpy today for some reason.

    That's the hangover,gal !
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,206
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Rasputin wrote: »
    Just watched Foreigner and it was god-awful, brosnan does a great job as usual but his movies are disappointing recently sadly.

    Shame to hear. Were you expecting something the trailers didn't market properly? I feel like the movie they sold is the one I paid to see.

    I agree and really enjoyed it. There is a certain old-school quality that I found refreshing in this age of hyper-kinetic filmmaking; it takes its time to tell a story. I can see where some would find that slow.

  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    It's a bit of a Brosfest round mine at the moment as the 5USA channel is showing Remington Steele, which I've never seen before (I was a little young for it first time round).
  • barryt007barryt007
    edited November 2017 Posts: 19,339
    What time is it on ? I've always wanted to watch it !!

    EDIT : I've found it ,4-5pm.

    Thanks for the heads-up @Agent_99 ...i'm recording it from tomorrow.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    I have no recording devices, so I've been coming up with increasingly implausible reasons to leave work early (it's also on 5USA+1 at 5, so that's not quite as awful as it sounds).
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Thanks gal !
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    Enjoy! I certainly am!
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    Agent_99 wrote: »
    I had a Bond fan friend to stay for the weekend and we enjoyed our now-traditional Get Drunk & Shout At Pierce Brosnan Movie Night, this time featuring TWINE, I.T. (2016) and more Vespers than was entirely sensible.

    It was great fun but I am pretty tired and grumpy today for some reason.

    So what do you shout at him? :D
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    mattjoes wrote: »
    So what do you shout at him? :D

    According to our ancient and noble tradition, at any point where Pierce takes his top off I have to shout "OH! YOU ARE HAIRY, LIKE ANIMAL!!" in my best Ivana Humpalot voice.
  • 00Agent00Agent Any man who drinks Dom Perignon '52 can't be all bad.
    edited December 2017 Posts: 5,185
    https://www.facebook.com/piercebrosnan/photos/a.111693692090.109346.106293582090/10155028421067091/?type=3

    wow i never knew that Pierce was half Scottish, makes me look at his Bond in a new way

    UPDATE:
    Bill Charmichael was actually his stepfather. My mistake.
    Brosnans mother remarried when he was 11 and Pierce alsways considered Bill to be his father from then on. His real father left when he was 4.
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