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The influence of James Bond on similar action/spy franchises like Batman
I read so many discussions about 'Skyfall' being too much of a 'The Dark Knight' copy: Very good, but not matching Christopher Nolan's work on Batman.
Well frankly, I disagree. First of all, I think James Bond needed a worthy villain. One that is perhaps the leading character of the film, not Bond. Someone who has true screen presence and who has the charming unforgettable looks of a psychotic Bond villain.
I think this is what all Bond films ever since 'A View To A Kill' (Christopher Walken played a wunderful psychotic villain) where suffering from: Bland Bond villains. I was always a bit disappointed in the villain. Either he was too comical, too much of a Blofeld rip-off (Elliot Carver in 'Tomorrow Never Dies') or he was too much of a Bond clone (Le Chiffre in 'Casino Royale' or Alec Trevelyan in 'GoldenEye').
Then there was Christopher Nolan. A guy from who I said he should have been a Bond director back in 2002. But at that time the Bond producers preferred the comical approach on Bond. But then he got the job to rejuvinate the Batman-franchise. I was pleasantly surprised after seeing 'Batman Begins'. But I also thought, the Batman franchise could be dangerous for the Bond franchise. That franchise will create a whole number of new Batman-fans.
Also, after seeing Bruce Wayne in 'Batman Begins' I thought....Nolan looked big time to the original suave character that Ian Fleming created. That movie was way more about Bruce 'Bond' and less about Batman.
The Bond legacy gave Chris Nolan even more inspiration for worthy villains that are realistically enough to be actually among us in real. When I saw Nolan's take on 'The Joker' I was stunned...but also begutted. Again I felt.....Batman is being Ian Fleming-ized. I really thought.....BOND needs that damn Joker played by Heath Ledger, NOT Batman.
And let's face it....The James Bond franchise started off excellently with villains. Those were the 1960's and early 1970's. A man called Goldfinger, obsessed by the color of gold, a man with a bald head, a scarred face and a white pussy, called Blofeld, a butch red-haired bitch with poisonous shoes, called Rosa Klebb, an assasin with three nipples, called Scaramanga, a man with no hands, called Dr. No, and indeed....Nolan's version of The Joker.
The Bond producers should have seen this a bit more early. But luckily, they still did so in time. Batman is finished. Dead (to quote 'M' ;-)). Christopher Nolan did his famous Bruce 'Bond' trilogy. But Oscar winner Javier Bardem came on board on the cast of 'Skyfall'. EVER since that moment, I started smiling. They knew that problem with Bond; that issue regarding lacklustre villains. That's why Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wanted to take over Nolan's Batman legacy. And frankly, they HAVE every right to do so! Because it is really Nolan who Ian Fleming-ized Bruce Wayne, who got away with the Bond legacy.
I am glad the psychotic, charming villains are back where they belong: In Bond films. Welcome back James Bond and congratulations with your 50th anniversary :-).
Well frankly, I disagree. First of all, I think James Bond needed a worthy villain. One that is perhaps the leading character of the film, not Bond. Someone who has true screen presence and who has the charming unforgettable looks of a psychotic Bond villain.
I think this is what all Bond films ever since 'A View To A Kill' (Christopher Walken played a wunderful psychotic villain) where suffering from: Bland Bond villains. I was always a bit disappointed in the villain. Either he was too comical, too much of a Blofeld rip-off (Elliot Carver in 'Tomorrow Never Dies') or he was too much of a Bond clone (Le Chiffre in 'Casino Royale' or Alec Trevelyan in 'GoldenEye').
Then there was Christopher Nolan. A guy from who I said he should have been a Bond director back in 2002. But at that time the Bond producers preferred the comical approach on Bond. But then he got the job to rejuvinate the Batman-franchise. I was pleasantly surprised after seeing 'Batman Begins'. But I also thought, the Batman franchise could be dangerous for the Bond franchise. That franchise will create a whole number of new Batman-fans.
Also, after seeing Bruce Wayne in 'Batman Begins' I thought....Nolan looked big time to the original suave character that Ian Fleming created. That movie was way more about Bruce 'Bond' and less about Batman.
The Bond legacy gave Chris Nolan even more inspiration for worthy villains that are realistically enough to be actually among us in real. When I saw Nolan's take on 'The Joker' I was stunned...but also begutted. Again I felt.....Batman is being Ian Fleming-ized. I really thought.....BOND needs that damn Joker played by Heath Ledger, NOT Batman.
And let's face it....The James Bond franchise started off excellently with villains. Those were the 1960's and early 1970's. A man called Goldfinger, obsessed by the color of gold, a man with a bald head, a scarred face and a white pussy, called Blofeld, a butch red-haired bitch with poisonous shoes, called Rosa Klebb, an assasin with three nipples, called Scaramanga, a man with no hands, called Dr. No, and indeed....Nolan's version of The Joker.
The Bond producers should have seen this a bit more early. But luckily, they still did so in time. Batman is finished. Dead (to quote 'M' ;-)). Christopher Nolan did his famous Bruce 'Bond' trilogy. But Oscar winner Javier Bardem came on board on the cast of 'Skyfall'. EVER since that moment, I started smiling. They knew that problem with Bond; that issue regarding lacklustre villains. That's why Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson wanted to take over Nolan's Batman legacy. And frankly, they HAVE every right to do so! Because it is really Nolan who Ian Fleming-ized Bruce Wayne, who got away with the Bond legacy.
I am glad the psychotic, charming villains are back where they belong: In Bond films. Welcome back James Bond and congratulations with your 50th anniversary :-).
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Comments
Bond has been here for 50 years, here's to 50 more.
Make no mistake, me too JamesCraig!! I love Christopher Nolan. I have never been a fan the pre-Nolan Batman films. Too comical for me. But Nolan's Batman-trilogy. It made my heart beat faster.
But I always said afterwards, when I left the cinema, that Bond needs this approach too. I always felt both extremely happy and fullfilled after watching those three Batman films, but also a tad bit disappointed. Because it made the Bond films look less necessary too. Just a tiny bit, but still.
I always said Bond needs some of Nolan's ideas on Batman, not Batman himself. And that worked perfectly in 'Skyfall'. Villains are back where they belong: In Bond films.
Bond has inspired things before, they were pretty much the original action films and helped start the whole Bond mania thing in the 60s.
But Bond also follows trends. Space in MR, the Bourne influence in QOS, the 1st two Craig films followed the "gritty reboot trend, LTK the whole miami drugs craze, etc. But then you still have people being influenced by Bond, like Nolan was.
I really don't mind if Bond is influenced by something as long as it's not too obvious, like in MR and QOS.
But in SF, I honestly don't get the Batman comparisons. Silva is mental, he's a great villian, but I don't think he's anything like Joker.
To be honest? Franch Sanchez was a bit like Kananga: One hell of a crazy drug lord who has a finger in everything, including politics. Very much an Ian Fleming villain too :-).
Concerning Silva. No, Silva is no Heath Ledger's joker, but he IS a memorable Bond villain. The best one since Max Zorin in 'AVTAK' and among the villains like Rosa Klebb, Blofeld (FRWL, TB, YOLT), Donald Grant and Emilio Largo.
Silva is a camp, brilliantly OTT evil hacker, Joker is just an insane genius.
http://www.shadowsanctum.net/interactive/tidbits_archive/shadow_batman-movie_comparisons.html
I think I made my point clear in the initial post ;-). And yes, I do think what Christopher Nolan did will be true cinematic history. Just like Bond. Just Bond will always be the leading franchise.
Is Silva camp in a 'Die Another Day' kind of way? Or in another way?