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It also brought some closure to the Blofeld/SPECTRE aspect of the story and we could move on with Saffin's story. Kind of makes up for the horrible way the previous film ended up.
I fully agree. It goes to show Bond IS human, which I love about this film and especially Craig's portrayal. As unfitting as this Blofeld incarnation is in SP, as fitting it was in NTTD. Cary did an amazing job. I wasn't sold on the BOnd- Madeleine relationship in SP, in NTTD it just worked, it was there, everywhere. I don't know how they did it but they did it. I can't wait for the DVD to come out over here so I can see it again (and again, and again). About Blofeld's death, it almost felt like the death of the torturer (uncle Rudi?). Funny, subtle, fitting the story.
Very accurate observations about the ignominious death of Blofeld. And apart from setting up the danger of the nanobots, the scene plays up Safin as a threat. This guy that nobody saw coming manages to get Blofeld killed.
1) Blofeld. This does continue on from Spectre, so how much should he be in it and how does he finish up? Dead? Jail? Escaped to wreak villany another day?
2) Madeleine: driving off into their Happy Bond Fans Dream Ending Sort Of in Spectre ... and now what? Now what indeed. Keep him saddled with her happily throughout the film? How is that giving us conflict, action, intrigue? Oh, maybe make HER in charge of Spectre aftr all and she's the villain! Have her betray him, just like Vesper did? Ugh. How to do something more original with her ... tie up ends and make their relationship believable and for us to actually care about their relationship? Oh maybe she dies in Bond's arms, something about OHMSS now seems to be lurking as a possibility. But then, the main focus cannot be escaped, which is:
3) Bond dies at the end. Oh yeah. How to get there ... Blofeld kills him? How? Madeleine the traitor kills him? A la TWINE sort of and ... oh never mind. Is this film's focus going to be Bond vs. Blofeld? Well, is it? Or Bond with Madeleine? This movie has to deal with both characters. Just so sick of Blofeld at this point - let's get rid of him halfway through and intro a new villain early on who then tries to take over the world! (or some such). Maybe.
4) On top of all that: The humor needs to be there, throughout, in bits that are not too jarring or stupid. Balance needed. But this film is already crammed with things we have to include. Oh and the nods, tropes, hidden gems for longtime Bond fans - what can we do that isn't too much or distracting from the story. Bring in double-taking pigeons, Jaws, or a Persian cat? Ugh. When was the first intriguing villain in Bond movies anyway? Dr. No. Hmmm. Not flamboyant, odd, menacing. We'll have to think this through.
Fortunately they had a script to start with (for Danny Boyle's film). That must have helped. But it seems they wanted more changes. The boundaries and expectations for this final film of Daniel Craig's must have been very challenging. Under time pressure, too, lest we forget that. Nobody knew the pandemic would hit. Cary came in to direct and rewrite/polish and get a beautiful, fun, well crafted Bond movie into theaters on time. After ... how many delays was he brought in? Just one, I think.
As audiences and major Bond fans, we sit in judgment of every film and pick things apart, cheer our favorite bits, and we always root for Bond. James Bond. I think it is worthwhile when examining NTTD how very well Cary, Linus, EON, all the actors, writers, editors, Hans Zimmer, etc. came together to make such a solid, good Bond movie. Whether you accept the ending or not. They certainly rose to the occasion. B-)
For NTTD, the emphasis definitely was on Bond's personal life, all of those close to him who mattered (including Felix) - and wrapping all of that up in a way that really fit (and had to end with his demise). Craig's final film, this Bond's final story to tell.
Therefore, I do not think the focus in this movie should have been on the villain. That would have made two strong points of focus in an already chock-full film. I think getting Blofeld out of the way quickly, without huge fanfare or acclaim, and bringing in a quieter, deadly menace as the villain and NOT naming him from any previous Fleming character was actually a smart move. I think removing Blofeld from the movie actually served NTTD very well. And I appreciate the offhanded way he was killed.
- lab break-in
- Valdo!!
- Cuba shoot-out; Ash
- boat interrogation
- computer investigation, esp. the score in these scenes!
- Norway! (esp. the score, Mathilde, Bond realizes Ash approaches, Atlantic Road, car chase)
- use of airplane/folding glider (+score)
- Bond/Safin dialogue would be great with another villain than Safin
- international incident, MiGs, Buyers approaching!!
- opening the blast doors; missiles fired!
- Final Ascent score, death scene
For a longer film, this one moved so seamlessly and packed a lot of excitement into each locale. B-)
- Matera action is quite good
- much of Jamaica/Cuba
- plane escape/boat fight
- the two dialogues with M are quite impressive
- "Cuba was quite the party, and happy birthday, by the way"/"there we were - or here you were"
- breakfast for Mathilde (and Bond's reaction)
- helicopter shots
- suspense in the forest
- Valdo's lab
- Bond/family goodbye (I'll be right back)
Yes, I'd say only few Bond films (in my controversial opinion that would be TSWLM/MR/AVTAK/TLD/TND, I think) are better paced.
I'd have to disagree completely about the pacing of AVTAK. That film is reduced to a crawl once Bond reaches San Francisco. The stretch from Bond's arrival to the fire truck is the most boring stretch in any Bond film, IMO (not that the fire truck chase is much of a solution, but an opportunity to cringe at how bad it is).
I like the gradual build-up to the plot reveal - my favourite villain's plot - a lot. Learning about some Silicon Valley plot in the great blimp scene, then spywork at the oil pumping station, the fight at Stacey's, Barry's score, earthquakes, the elevator in the fire..., a lot of great stuff in there (and I like the fire truck chase a lot). I always wonder how quite some people can find this stretch boring but not FRWL or TB (those are in my top 10, but definitely not because of their pacing).
I'm always fascinated by fans different opinions on the Bond films. They are always so personal and neither right or wrong, they just are. As much as Marc enjoys AVTAK, yours truly finds much of it an abomination, the fire truck chase being a major low point in the entire series. The scene with the Cop responding "and I'm Dick Tracy" is right up there with the cringe worthy "you just killed James Bond" from Tiffany. Neither of these people could have ever heard of one of the many secret agents working for British Intelligence yet it works for Marc but not for me. A fascinating phenomena.
Oh, but I never took the line as if he'd know who Bond is, he just says he works for the Secret Service and that's what the man doesn't buy into. I think I'll stick to my reading because yours would definately devaluate the scene for me.
Other than that I agree with @marc on the investigating part. At least a Bond-film where some true spying goes on. That doesn't happen too often after all.
Since FRWL and TB are set in more exotic locations with a peak-form Sean Connery and Terence Young directing, those films just work better than a way-past peak Roger Moore, who spends much of this time with arguably the worst main Bond woman with a lot of cheap comedy thrown in. That's what mars a lot of the spying aspects in San Francisco.
I know TB gets a lot of flack for supposedly being boring, but the Bahamas remains vibrant for me and the water becomes practically a supporting character. We get dialogue like the sparring between Bond and Largo with lines like "I know a little about women" -- opposed to "it tickles my...Tchaikovsky!" and I find Fiona a much more interesting henchman/woman than May Day. And Bond doesn't escape from Largo's attack underwater to find a drunk staring at his bottle as he emerges, taking away from the moment. Touches like that bring AVTAK down a lot. In fact, a drunk actually aids in Bond's escape from SPECTRE in TB.
Again, it's just down to different things that reach us as a fans and that's always enjoyable to discuss. Beats the people on the Facebook pages who just say "sucks" or "worse Bond ever." Yes, they said worse meaning worst.
I agree about the difference in dialogue between TB and AVTAK and about MayDay (I like her sacrifice a lot, though) - after all, AVTAK as a whole is in the lower half of my ranking.
But for me, Frisco, the silver mine, Golden Gate Bridge aren't less exotic than Turkey or the Bahamas. As I've said somewhere before, yes, those are very exotic in theory, but we don't see much of the beauty of the Bahamas because almost everything occurs at night or underwater. And Istanbul isn't represented in an exotic way either, imo.
I live in the San Francisco Bay area, and for me one of the minor joys of AVTAK is seeing my own stomping grounds as the locale for a Bond film. Stacy's family home reminds me of a few gold rush-era mansions I've had the pleasure of visiting... and the fire truck chase through the streets of SF (one of the lesser sequences in this film to many fans if I'm reading the reactions correctly) never fails to bring a smile to this aging face.
BTW, I have just taken ownership of the NTTD DVD, so I have finally been able to see the latest/last Craig 007 film a second time. I'll be making a more detailed report soonish. Bottom line, for me: this Bond release is soooooo packed with great moments that it's tough for me to give it a dispassionate judgment!
LALD was in New York. That was my turf! B-)
Absolutely. It's one thing to see the scenes which take place at SF City Hall -- nice but entirely familiar, so it's not particularly thrilling to recognize that location -- but the scenes where you can puzzle out the location solely by sight are a very special experience. One of the out-takes for AVTAK shows Bond viewing the Chevron refinery at Point Richmond, where Zorin is pumping water to test the strength of the oil lines... and Richmond was my childhood hometown. Needless to say, I recognized THAT scenery right away!
I thought that was Mr. Big's turf. But I guess that was before your heyday.
I don't think anyone here would mind to read your passionate review @BeatlesSansEarmuffs
You've already seen variations on it all over the internet. "This movie is great!" "No it isn't, it sucks!" "Ah, what do you know? Go watch another episode of SpongeBob Squarepants!" "Hey, SpongeBob is great!" "No it isn't!" Etc. We don't play that way here at SirHenry's... :)>-
There are a lot of little moments like that in NTTD. I liked the quarantine suits a couple of workers wore in the Garden of Death -- looked an awful lot like Dr. No's radiation suit in the closing scenes of DN!
Hey, take the plastic mask off Mr. Big these days and you just might find yourself confronting @chrisisall.
Or to put it another way, check the intro to The Prisoner: "Who is Number One?" "YOU are...Number Six!"