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The gunbarrel hasn't been there for 10 years. It's not predictable anymore. I'm just going to assume it's at the end from now on, so if it is at the start in the next one it'll be a nice surprise. If not, well I wasn't expecting it.
Like I said, a gunbarrel that says it's the 50th in the white dots with the theme from FRWL/GF playing and the Brosnan or old school design would've said "Bond is back" to me much more more than Bond standing in a corridor. I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this.
I don't think you can beat a gunbarrel opening. Seeing the white dots flash across a cinema screen is brilliant because it lets you know instantly that it is a Bond film. Other films would be desperate for something like this to open a film.
It's the 50th anniversary and they stuck the gunbarrel at the end again. Shame.
It may be 10 years, but it's only been 3 films. A gun barrel that was there for 40 years isn't suddenly going to become unpredictable in barely a decade.
I think it is unpredictable because you can't predict what they're going to do to it next anymore.
And I find that a lot cooler than having it at the beginning all the time.
The gun barrel remixed, re-edited, recut at the end or in the middle is just not the same no matter how clear or arty and is a huge shame that on the 50th Anniversary it wasn't where it should have been.
I understand the arc and change of the gun barrel in Casino and Quantum but Skyfall should have had it back where it belongs.
Its not about it being stale or changing things up, in fact they could modernise it and get Ikea to do the graphics for all I'm concerned The only thing is my mind thats perfectly clear is that this is a proper iconic image that should remain going in one form or the other at the beginning of the film.
The Bond-is-ripping-off-Bourne argument is more tired and uninformed. Sure, there have been moments (QoS in particular), but people forget that Bourne is inspired by Bond too (his initials, the beginning of the second Bourne movie is the end of OHMSS, etc.).
And the Bond films have always followed trends, both cultural (Star Wars/Moonraker et al) and political (monogamy in TLD, drug wars in LTK, 9/11 in CR and 7/7 in SF). It's overly reductive to say that one series (Bourne) has been the sole influence on recent Bonds.
But in the mean time....what would your TOP 5 be?
13 mentionings --> 'Gunbarrel back at the start'
10 mentionings --> 'Simple, plain mission briefing in M's office'
09 mentionings --> 'Return of more psychotic Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz?)'
07 mentionings --> 'Memorable henchman/henchwoman (Tilda Swinton?)'
07 mentionings --> 'Better memorable music score/No Thomas Newman'
05 mentionings --> 'James Bond in the snow/Ski scenes'
=================================================================
05 mentionings --> 'Escapist locations, smarter use of it'
05 mentionings --> 'Larger role for Felix Leiter'
05 mentionings --> 'Better fist fights'
04 mentionings --> 'Bond bedding the Bond girl at the end'
04 mentionings --> 'More clever, less brutal action'
03 mentionings --> 'Return of crime syndicate QUANTUM'
03 mentionings --> 'Lush, escapist production design'
02 mentionings --> 'Return of crime syndicate S.P.E.C.T.R.E.'
02 mentionings --> 'Bring in Formula One racing, new kind of carchase'
02 mentionings --> 'Bring back SKYFALL-crew, including director Sam Mendes'
02 mentionings --> 'Commander James Bond 007 in naval uniform'
02 mentionings --> 'Return of Barry's 007 theme'
02 mentionings --> 'Bring in new/previous crew, including director Martin Campbell'
02 mentionings --> 'A straightforward Bond adventure'
02 mentionings --> 'Less CGI that is too obvious'
02 mentionings --> 'Wodka Martini, shaken......not stirred!'
01 mentionings --> 'A Gala Brandt story arc'
01 mentionings --> 'More funny Q-gadgets'
What is your TOP 5? Keep updating please :-).
2. David Arnold and Phil Meheux.
3. Snow chase with car. Maybe Aston Martin?
4. 007 theme.
5. Bond with girl at the end but NOT IN BED. Something like in TLD, LTK, GE, TND or CR.
Serious.
I think Waltz or Hugh Laurie would make great psychological villains, but I really want a menacing villain that can beat Bond physically; something that will lead to one really intense fist fight at the end of the movie.
Let's re-introduce Bane LOL :-P.
Fair enough, your own opinion and everything.
Personally I think every time they've messed about with it it's been sh*t (apart from CR, it worked there as a one off) and it's never been as good as it was at the beginning.
It's been 13 years and 4 films since we had a normal (as in no CGI bullets or anything) gunbarrel at the start, and 11 years since we had one with a good design. And personally I think that's a real shame.
002) A villian-ally mixup, I loved the scene with the recorder under the table light in FYEO.
003) Dinner with danger. Bond and the villain in a " your spectre against mine" - kind of conversation.
004) Bonding with the girl at the end.
005) Felix and Bond partnering up. Felix being more than just a contact for a minute.
I'm just joking. Really. To be honest? I'd prefer to see a very suave villain. One that's as psychotic as Silva, but that has got better control over his vengeful emotions. Someone like......Blofeld ;-)!
Adele's boobies. Whilst she sings the title tune. And in the gunbarrel.
maybe that's better than seeing your boobies @echo ;-).
Does that make Mario Balotelli cool? No it makes him a tosser.
Can you imagine any other company ditching their brand logo with such alacrity?
You notice how the MGM Lion is always up front - because that's its place!
Why not put the end credits in the middle of the film after say 17 minutes? That would also be unpredictable and 'cool' would it?
At the end of the day you are making a product like a burger that people eat for comfort (no matter Babs arty pretensions. Art films dont take 1 bil at the box office).
Now you can have a McDonald's processed burger like the Brosnan era where every single box was religiously ticked or you can have a fine steak burger with mature cheddar and caramelised red onion chutney but at the end of the day when it says burger on the menu the customer expects (and wants) it to look like a burger. If you just heap all the ingredients on a plate or leave some of them out you might get some trendy people saying how 'unpredictable and cool' you are but there will be a hell of a lot more who will be pissed off as they came in expecting a good honest burger.
2. The return of QUANTUM (sans Blofeld)... it was nice to have Bond on a mission that didn't involve QUANTUM for SF, but i think it's essential that it returns in Bond 24 (or Bond 25).. but they need to return.. the organization wasn't the problem with QOS (other factors were).. but i thought they handled this shady organization well, and gave us just a little insight, but not a lot - to keep that mystery going.... the one thing that annoyed me during the pre-release media storm for SF, was the assumption that this film was somehow ignoring that QOS (and to a degree CR) ever happened - that this was starting things over, yet again, because of the critical response that QOS recieved.. that couldn't be further from the case, as EON had come forth after QOS and said that the next film would be a stand alone mission, not involving QUANTUM - and that they very well could and will return in the future..
the caviot to all of this is NOT having Blofeld turn up as the head of QUANTUM.. for 2 reasons i see his return being a terrible idea...
#1 - EON have gone on record as to saying that they are not going back and remaking any of the previous Bond films, or recycling old villains.. bringing Blofeld back goes completely against this statement.. in essence, bringing him back would be no better than remaking an old Bond film.. whats done is done, let the past be the past, quit living in it and lets move forward...
#2 - it's too damned predictable... the biggest deflating a balloon moment would be to reveal Blofeld as the head of QUANTUM - many would disagree with me, but it's true.. why?.. because it's expected... we get the reemergence of a big shadowy organization with the power to manipulate global events, hmmm i wonder who the head guy could be?? - almost immediately, everyone's first thought runs to the man with the cat... BIG MISTAKE... as i previously said, let's tread new ground with this organization and see where it takes us - i mean, they've already done so already.. where in old days SPECTRE liked to be in the forefront, to let everyone know they were the ones in control.. whereas QUANTUM chooses to do their work behind closed doors and with as little notoriety as possible - like an Illuminati type organization...
3. Bring Arnold Back... While Thomas Newman's score has grown on me the more and more I listen to it, i would be lying to say the i dont miss Arnold's sweeping melodies that he can often create... if John Glenn could go back to Barry after using Conti for FYEO, then Mendes can go back to Arnold.... and speaking of Mendes...
4. Get Mendes and Deakins back - whatever the cost... the Bond franchise has been lacking continuity from the directors chair for a long time, and also a director who so openly loves the character and loved working on the film.. the combination of Mendes and Deakins proved to be a resounding success, and it's obvious that Craig and company loved working for the man.... i find it interesting that Mendes said "I said all I've needed to say with Skyfall." - when earlier reports from onset of the film had Craig and Mendes coming up with several ideas for the future Bond films.. I personally believe EON will do whatever it takes to keep this team together, as it made well over a billion dollars, and became the highest grossing Bond film of all time - as well as the 7th highest grossing film in worldwide history - as well as nabbing them 2 Oscars (something they hadn't done since 1965).
5. Lets hear the Bond theme some more... the Bond theme, or variants of it were used in SF, for what felt like the first time in forever.. but I miss hearing the theme itself over a big action piece, something that hasn't been done since DAD believe it or not..
Just remember that when the chef serves the burger raw, leaves out the cheese and ketchup and chops the bun into little croutons and fries them in butter that he is being 'cool' not annoying.
I agree with you 100% Alan. I would say the same.
Also if they re-add Blofeld into it and SPECTRE then it still rebooting the series. I think that has been completed and time to move on.
Though many may hate to admit it, Fiennes isn't getting paid this much to just appear at the beginning and end. I mean, he's RALPH FIENNES. He is obviously going to appear a lot in the coming films. That would be like paying Daniel Day Lewis $50,000 for only a two minute cameo. EON will get their money's worth with Ralph, meaning he will continue to be like Judi's M and appear largely in the future films.
Not so sure. Certain famous actors do you like to have a small recurring role in a movie franchise. They see it as an honor. Look to Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman in Batman.