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And @Kerim, I like your pairs. Makes me realize that Octopussy didn't really have a first name mentioned (or did she?!). Roger and Maud were quite good together; I almost mentioned them. I simply enjoyed his pairing with Melina (Carole) even more.
And I do think that Pierce and Natalya (Izabella) were perfectly matched and her part was nicely written.
:> 8->
DarthDimi & Solitaire
It's in the cards, you know...
Bond + Buddy/Ally (male) B-)
Here are my favorite Bond pairings of this kind, for today (I think I will add more later). And this is pretty much a three way tie for me:
#1) Pierce's Bond and Valentin Zukovsky - How great are these two together? Witty, amusing, and their personalities just spark each other. How I wish Valentin was in even one more film; I enjoy him that much.
#2) Roger's Bond and Colombo - A special camarderie, and how I enjoy Colombo's charm ... in fact, he reminds me of:
#3) Sean's Bond and Kerim - a strong yet big hearted, warm yet still so dangerous; the perfect Bond ally and one whom Bond had great affection for in the novel (I think the affection between Sean and Pedro comes thru naturally, also).
And adding today, Bond + Charles Robinson, Bond + Tanner. I like them both just fine and I think they are paired with Bond well.
Bond first real ally was Felix Leiter in DN but due to the musical chairs with Leiter, we never got a real sense that Bond and Leiter were"equals". Some of the Leiter actors were downright cringeworthy. If I were to pick a good Leiter pairing it would be
Sean and Rik Van Nutter in TB . Pity the script made him such a cardboard cut out.
Now on to my nominations:
Roger's Bond and Sir Godfrey Tippet they had good chemistry and a great pairing.
Sean's Bond and Kerim Bey @4EverBonded said it all.
Dalton's Bond and Sharkey I liked them together. Worked for me.
Criag's Bond and Mathias great pairing with a tragic end.
Brosnan's Bond and Zukovsky inspite of all the angst I get from Brosnan and three of his four films, they did it right with this Russian gangster.
Mathis is indeed one of my favorites, too. He and Craig's Bond are great together. I wish he had not been killed off. And Sir Godfrey was fun.
I don't think there has been a really great Leiter yet. But I have hopes for the current one, Jeffrey Wright. I do like him and hope he returns. I like the way he is with Craig. It has potential. I am rather fond of David Hedison but not so fond of his Leiter (I think he was just okay).
Jack Wade anyone? No, I didn't think so. ;) (Not in the favorite pairs category, anyway.)
Connery: Jack Lord
Moore: David Hedison (by default)
Dalton: Hedison
Craig: Jeffrey Wright (be default)
Out of all of these, the best is definitely Craig & Wright, although Connery and Lord are close, followed by Dalton and Hedison. Brosnan's best pairing is him and Valentin Zukovsky.
I don't think there is anyone who does not enjoy Valentin. Coltrane was perfectly cast.
Sean - Me
George - Had no friends (unless you count Draco or Campbell)
Roger - Columbo
Timothy - Saunders
Pierce - Zukovsky
Daniel - Mathis
Roger's Bond and Sir Godfrey are probably my favorite pairing from Moore's films. I just love the scenes where the two are masquerading in the chateau room and drop the act on the balcony and when they investigate Pegasus's stable together. Moore also had good chemistry with Vijay and especially with Columbo.
Saunders is an excellent choice for Timothy's Bond, but I will choose to be a little rebellious if I may and nominate Timothy's Bond and Q in Licence to Kill as one of my favorite ally pairings. Despite still being Q, he operates exclusively in the field in this outing and functions very much in the same manner as one of Bond's traditional allies. Bond and Q work great together here.
And building off of this, if Q still qualifies (I'm sure many will say Q is Q and not to be mixed in with Bond's allies), I have to say Pierce's Bond and Q may well be my favorite pairing of any kind in the entire franchise. The two worked so well together and had a real mutual respect, camaraderie, and tit-for-tat humor. Beyond Q, Pierce's Bond and Zukovsky were a wonderful pairing as well. The two of them together in GoldenEye would have been enough, but The World is Not Enough is really where Zukovsky was established as one of Bond's great allies, his final act of "sacrifice," releasing Bond from his restraints rather than exacting his own revenge upon Elektra, sealing the deal for me.
Daniel's Bond and Mathis is another all-time great pairing. As with Zukovsky, Mathis's second appearance in Quantum of Solace is really what won me over: the way he mentors Bond through his mourning over Vesper and how he gives Bond his forgiveness and ultimately dies helping him when he could have simply stayed in his beautiful lakeside home in Italy. The two had wonderful chemistry together: "Gone such a short time and already forgotten" / "You're just saying that to hurt me." One of the series' best pairings for sure.
Honestly, I really haven't been taken by any of the Bond/Felix pairings so far. Hedison's chemistry with Dalton probably works best for me, followed possibly by Craig and Wright. I'm still waiting for Wright to wow me in the role. So far, it has been mostly sullen scowling from him. I would like to see Bond and Felix a) having a good time together, and b) featuring together in an action sequence of some kind. We're definitely due for both of these scenarios.
Good mentions, @chrisiall, @Kerim, and @Some_Kind_Of_Hero.
Kerim, for a the first second or two I forgot your username and thought you just meant Sean and .. you know, you. ;)
And I'm glad you mentioned Tiger Tanaka, Some_Kind_Of_Hero. Tiger and Bond were a formidable pair and they had good rapport; some of the highlights of that film.
I'm happy to mention Q because I love that character. He was fine in all his films and I'm repeating myself (from several threads including this one) but I'll say it again: Pierce and Desmond together had some great scenes and wonderful chemistry. They are my favorite Bond + Q pair. You see them really just enjoying each other. :-bd
Today I'd like to flip it and say:
The worst Bond pairings (Bond + male):
So I will nominate:
Bond and Jack Wade - Wade simply irritates me no end, and although somewhat helpful to Bond, he grates on my nerves and I don't feel any genuine nice chemistry between them.
Oh, yes there are others. Please chime in. :-bd
George: Campbell
Roger: Lt Hip
Timothy: Felix (TLD)
Pierce: Wade (Either film will do)
Daniel: Mr. Moneypenny (M's secretary from CR & QOS)
Good list, @Kerim. :)
What about Bond plus Moneypenny? Bond plus any other characters? Tanner? (I like him.) Robinson? (I like him, too.) Any group of characters you could do without, who interact with Bond? (I have just one example for a group, really). So continue on with Bond + male, but also include anybody he was actually paired with (just not rehashing what has already been mentioned).
Bad or Mismatched Pairs (Bond + anybody) ...
Overall, I'll go with the following pairs; ones I consider either bad or weak or just plain not very enjoyable. And I'll include one group. Bond plus others I could do without (to put it in general terms):
Roger's Bond + group - the martial arts schoolgirls. I just felt that was lame; I did not really laugh.
Timothy's Bond + Moneypenny. A lovely girl written with such a bimbo stereotypical part for her. Not her fault, but I'd rather do without this version of Moneypenny at all.
And well, now I simply have to include SirHenry's mention here (one I feel the opposite about, but just duly noting his opinion, which he expressed many times):
Pierce's Bond + Moneypenny. SirHenry found her take on it too "smutty" or "tarty"and really could not enjoy Samantha's Moneypenny. So do some other members here. (Personally, I like her just fine.)
Pierce's Bond + Cleese's R (Q). Hmmm. I liked Cleese at times, but I never warmed to him. Not horribly bad, and I know he needed to be different from Demond, but basically he was just a grumpy John Cleese (again, I enjoy him at times) but I found that not to be such a great fit with Bond. Not terrible, but rather not my cup of tea.
Timothy's Bond + Felix. Too laid back or something; his take on the character did not gel for me nor match well with Timothy's Bond, in my opinion.
I am hard pressed to come up with any during Sean's tenure, although his Felix's were not that strong. I nearly put Dink, but her character fits the era and the Bond of that era. I very nearly listed the entire group of girls, the Angels of Death, from OHMSS. I do not like them, pretty much not at all. However, they really fit the era of the film (no matter how annoying and stupid I find them), so I am leaving them in.
Do you have any other pairings for Bond that were not very good or downright unenjoyable? We are spending one day, maybe a day and a half on this as we wrap up our topic of Bond Pairs.
Cheers! :-bd
Then I happened to come across this article and video, which is rather interesting (from movie.com). So I thought I'd share it here. And underneath it is part of the article.
Hope you enjoy it. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VuO34MDezzU
Part of the article reads:
Although Desmond Llewellyn made Bond's armorer Q famous, the character was first played by English actor Peter Burton in 007's screen debut Dr. No back in 1962. Q only appeared in one scene, where he swapped the agent's Beretta pistol — a gun that Fleming had carried during the war (the .25ACP) — with Bond's signature Walther PPK handgun. The same exchange happened in Ian Fleming's novel of the same name — the sixth book in the series. It was a move influenced by a friendly and informative correspondance with a British firearms expert, author, and Bond enthusiast named Geoffrey Boothroyd. In 1956, Fleming received a letter from Boothroyd that enthusiastically complimented the author, but pointedly criticized him for arming 007 with an unlikely weapon:
"I have, by now, got rather fond of Mr. James Bond. I like most of the things about him, with the exception of his rather deplorable taste in firearms. In particular, I dislike a man who comes into contact with all sorts of formidable people using a .25 Beretta. This sort of gun is really a lady's gun, and not a really nice lady at that. If Mr. Bond has to use a light gun he would be better off with a .22 rim fire; the lead bullet would cause more shocking effect than the jacketed type of the .25. May I suggest that Mr. Bond be armed with a revolver?"
Fleming was entirely grateful for Boothroyd's advice:
"You have entirely convinced me and I propose, perhaps not in the next volume of James Bond's memoirs but, in the subsequent one, to change his weapons in accordance with your instructions. Since I am not in the habit of stealing another man's expertise, I shall ask you in due course to accept remuneration for your most valuable technical aid."
Part of that repayment involved the creation of a Major Boothroyd, aka Q, in Fleming's novel — a literary homage that eventually became an iconic cinematic character. Bond had mentioned "Q Branch" and "Q" in his earlier written works, but had yet to personify the weapons expert.
In the above video, Sean Connery introduces the real Boothroyd, who shares his story about Fleming and demonstrates the pros and cons of Bond's Beretta and Walther PPK. We already know Bond preferred to carry his weapon concealed in a flat chamois leather holster so it didn't "spoil the line of [his] jacket," which Connery reminds us. A fantastic, custom-fit, blue suede version of the holster appears during the deadly bathroom fight scene in Goldfinger.
Now, let's move on with a new topic. :>
It seems like we are always discussing, on various threads, CGI versus scenes done the "old fashioned" or "real" way, especially in regards to stunts. So I'd like for the next few days to discuss, not CGI as the main topic (but I'm sure it will come up), but rather: Greatest Stunts in Bond films. ^:)^
You can talk about stunts any way you'd like.
Some suggestions are:
~ List the stunts you feel were truly the most awesome, exciting, or most difficult.
~ Look at stunts in one Bond film compared to another Bond film (so it can be good vs. badly done or just meh).
~ Discuss stunts done under different directors.
~ Talk about when you think the big changes in stunts took place in Bond film history: When they became far more dangerous or exciting; when CGI became more frequently used. Etc.
~ Name the greatest stuntmen and women involved with Bond films.
~ Analyze your favorite stunt and explain why it's your favorite.
I'm going to be spending a bit less time on board for the next few days.
I will chime in later, but don't wait for me. Jump in any time with our talk about Bond stunts.
Cheers! :-bd (Oh, and I'll leave you with just a reminder of one of my favorites, and I think greatest, stunts ever in a Bond film) ... https://youtube.com/watch?v=qw77HagbeHM
The PTS of MR is great but as people know in reality it wasnt all one stunt. I think about 17 jumps were made.
It is one of the greatest stunts of all time granted. But I think this one tops it.
The studio work with the actors is poorly matched to the actual footage of BJ Worth and Jake Lombard, who performed this insane stunt 6500feet above the Mojave desert.
It is still impressive to this day, and in my opinion the best stunt of all time.
The John Glen directed movies certainly had the best stunts of the series.
The cliff fall in FYEO
The plane fight from Octopussy, featuring Jake Lombard as Bond, hanging to the top of the airborne plane. Certainly up there with the better stunts of the series.
Hanging onto the mooring rope on the blimp in AVTAK or the skiing behind the seaplane in LTK, or the tanker chase in the same movie.
The Bond films of the 70's and 80's contained the best work of the series I feel. Of course they have all contained great stunts, but I do feel that some the more recent films, although having some great stunt sequences, are not quite the eye popping, jaw dropping spectacle of old. Done for real, without CGI. It's always possible to tell, no matter how much film makers try to hide it. Which is why the ski jump of Spy or the cargo net fight in Living Daylights rank as my top picks.
I think the PTS from MR is THE GREATEST STUNT OF THEM ALL.
I see all the love for TSWLM but I never tire of watching that parachute jump from MR. I enjoy all of this, from when the bad guy is thrown out of the plane, then Bond being pushed out and his freefall.
I always liked the fight atop the plane in OP and the fight with Necros in TLD...
One thing we admire about the stunts was that before CGI real stuntmen performed them and one could really appreciate this. The fight in TLD is probably the last time we see such a daring stunt. The CGI started with GE and has continued thru the series. These days are long gone and I bemoan this.
But of course cars tend to go wild too sometimes. One stunt in particular is exciting to watch: the car loop in TMWTGG. Pre-vis'ed as it were, even before Previsualization became customary, this stunt is amazing. I hate to spoil the fun though, but the whistle - yes, that much debated whistle - bugs me so hard, it almost destroys the effect of the stunt. Too bad, for really, despite TMWTGG being one of my least favourite Bonds, it had a pretty nicely photographed car chase which could have climaxed with this great stunt. Too bad it had to climax with a whistle and Pepper's speech about Kissinger. ;-)
When DAD played in theatres, I never heard people shout or scream when one of those CGI pieces of that CGI plane came loose. When, by contrast, in CR we got that parcours sequence, I could hear people grasp for breath. In truth, stunt work is still very much appreciated and people can feel the difference between real and fake. Therefore I hope they keep going for real, impressive stunts. Those keep the Bonds on the map and make others jealous. After CR, we got several more parcours scenes in other films. You see, these things tend to inspire. So maybe action films will have the good sense to follow the Bonds' lead in trying to go for that ultimate kick-ass stunt work that has been part of the Bond legacy since '62.
The legendary stunt men of the Bond films are some of the greatest artists the Bond films have ever had the pleasure of welcoming aboard their crews.
I think it most certainly is up for debate!! Amazing as the ski jump is I have to go with everything Benny says below:
When you watch the TLD special features and see the outtakes as BJ Worth nearly gets smashed on the tail of the plane then this goes down as a simply staggering feat.
Here's a quick list off the top of my head of stunts worthy of consideration but 1 and 2 certainly the ski jump and the TLD plane fight.
DN - Nothing really. Driving under a rear projected crane?
FRWL - Theres some great blows in the fight with Grant but theres one moment where someone gets viciously kicked in the spine which I'm amazed didnt cripple one of the actors. The stunt that really stands out is at the end when the boats are blazing one guy has an explosion go off right in his face. It seems to me like a misjudged special effect that he got to close to but it looks exceptionally painful )possibly because it was so not sure it counts as an actual stunt).
GF - To be honest theres nothing that really impresses.
TB - I find Bond clinging onto the hydrofoil foil to be one of the most underrated stunts of the series. It is clear that at the speed it is going one slip and the water would rip the stuntman off and quite easily send him into the propellers.
YOLT - Some of the Little Nellie stuff is good and the final attack when all the ninjas rappel down from the crater is impressive but nothing to really blow you away.
OHMSS - The two moments that stand out for me is the stuntman landing a jump on one ski and when Bond's bobsleigh goes over the grenade and his body is flung clear. Theres also the unscripted bit where he falls off but as it wasnt on purpose can it be classed as a stunt rather than an accident?
DAF - The car on two wheels is pretty basic stuff, its the swallow dive from the oil rig that is the only thing that stands out for me.
LALD - The Moore era really started to ramp up the big stunts and LALD features some great ones. The bus decapitation, the crocodile jump (that has to be top 5 when you see from the outtakes just how dangerous it was), the boat jump and I also love when the two boats go across the road.
TMWTGG - Well not much to be said here is there? One of the greatest stunts of all time totally ruined.
TSWLM - Ski jump has already been covered.
MR - The PTS is an impressive sequence but I think because it is comprised of so many jumps edited together it cant really make it onto the top of the list. Dickie Graydon throwing himself over the edge of the cable car without a safety harness deserves a mention - although a bit reckless!
FYEO - Some great driving in the 2CV chase, skiing behind the bobsleigh is very impressive and the cliff drop is spectacular but not particularly difficult to pull off as long as you get your calculations on the rope tension right.
OP - Probably the best train stunts ever filmed (mostly by Martin Grace - at some cost!) and the final work on the outside of the plane by BJ and Jake is as stunning as ever.
AVTAK - Much as the sequence is derided the PTS only deserves to be slated due to the Beach Boys inclusion. Theres some good stuntwork and the bit where the snowboard goes across the river is a really impressive stunt. The Eiffel Tower jump is a little disappointing due to the massive plank clearly sticking out of the top (could this not have been deleted somehow in post?). Taxi chase is very inventive and bad doubling for Roger apart has some fun stuntwork. The finale on the GG bridge even though it is mostly done on a set is pretty good.
TLD - If they had managed to do the PTS parachute out of the back of the Land Rover for real then this could well have been the best of all, sadly it is clearly faked. Some fine work by TD on the roof of the jeep though. Still BJ and Jake hit it out of the park on the cargo net so cant complain. Where the f**k where these guys for the QOS freefall scene?
LTK - Some fine work by the stuntmen, as well as TD, on the PTS and the tanker chase but the standout is the water-skiing into hanging on the outside of a plane.
GE - Bungy jump needs no introduction but is probably not as dangerous as it looks. I also really like the single shot of the bike going over the edge of the cliff which is clearly done for real. The tank chase has some good moments and theres a bit at the end on the antenna where Bond dives head first down a metal stairway that looks really difficult to do without injuring yourself.
TND - We are in the Vic Armostrong era now where a lot of the action feels a bit like the choreographed Universal Studios stunt shows. The only stunt that really feels real in the film is the HALO, and even then the camera angle probably makes it look a lot closer to the sea than it actually was. The bike jump over the helicopter warrants a mention as it was done for real, even if the rotors were added optically which takes the edge off it.
TWINE - The jump over the balcony in the PTS is probably the best stunt in the film with a great camera angle as he goes over the edge. Actually thats incorrect - the best stunt is the barrel roll in the boat. Get that wrong and you will get seriously injured when you get a face full of water. The stuff in the missile silo and the caviar factory is more Vic Armstrong choreography and it shows.
DAD - Three men surfing on one massive wave only feet from each other deserves a lot more respect and I think is ignored because of the crapness of the film it is in. Some of the actual driving on ice is looks pretty good too.
CR - The crane jumps and the Aston roll are the standouts (OK safety harness digitally erased for the crane jump but it was still done for real).
QOS - Some of the Aston work is very good but difficult to see with the shite editing. I find the rope fight to be the most original and well done action scene in the film. Special mention for the moment when DC jumps onto a balcony and nearly smashes his cheekbone on the wall. Thats a pretty fine stunt for someone who isnt a stuntman.
SF - The bike work on the roofs is very good as is the bike jump onto the train. The highlight of course is the JCB stunt. After the PTS the only thing that really strikes is when Bond vaults up to catch the bottom of the lift. We need better stunts in Bond 24 Mendes as just loading up the PTS and thinking that will do isnt up to scratch.
I think my top 5 would be something along the lines of:
1. TLD cargo net
2. TSWLM ski jump
3. LTK waterskiing
4. OP train stunts
5. LALD crocodile run
To be fair - whatever you say about Glen's pedestrian direction you cant complain about the stunts of his era. The 80's was unquestionably the best decade for stuntwork.
=D>