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Was the final scene with Janet Brown portraying Margaret Thatcher, appropriate, in FYEO?

EllisEllis
edited May 2013 in Bond Movies Posts: 224
Was it out of place for a more grounded Bond movie? I think it was in line with how Roger's "Bond " movies ended (with the possible exception of LALD) in that you left the theater with a smile. Consequently, I have no problem with it.
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Comments

  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,125
    I am not sure if I loved it or hated it. I guess it depends of my mood, sometimes I laugh pleasantly, sometimes I just think it is silly. It does date the movie.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited May 2013 Posts: 16,351
    In my opinion it was inappropriate . It always makes me cringe. I turn it off at that scene.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    I don't think that the scene is quite as funny as they had intended but I definitely don't think that it's inappropriate. I've never understood why it's so maligned amongst certain fans. It's not that bad.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Murdock wrote:
    In my opinion it was inappropriate . It always makes me cringe. I turn it off at that scene.
    Murdock speaks for me as well.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    pachazo wrote:
    I don't think that the scene is quite as funny as they had intended but I definitely don't think that it's inappropriate. I've never understood why it's so maligned amongst certain fans. It's not that bad.

    After Moonraker, we had a film that for the most part took away the baggage that was holding back the Moore era and tried to cut off some loose ends. Blofeld's death was silly but the disco Bond theme makes up for it. Then after a reasonably good espionage thriller, it get's thrown into double taking pigeon territory with this stupid anti-climatic ending.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited May 2013 Posts: 17,804
    Murdock wrote:
    After Moonraker, we had a film that for the most part took away the baggage that was holding back the Moore era and tried to cut off some loose ends. Blofeld's death was silly but the disco Bond theme makes up for it.
    Well, I for one could have done without the 'delicatessen in stainless steel' plea, but...
    Murdock wrote:
    Then after a reasonably good espionage thriller, it gets thrown into double taking pigeon territory with this stupid anti-climatic ending.
    *squak squak*

    :))
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    To tie-in with the recent passing of Margaret Thatcher no doubt..

    Thatcher became the new UK leader about a year before the release of For Your Eyes Only, so they obviously went with that, she was a bit of a colorful character, don't think she was country leader when Moonraker was released, as they would of included her in that, and above all else, I thought it was a neat touch, and Brown did a great job (as with the Denis Thatcher actor) in her representation, and never had a problem with it. Only thing is, For Your Eyes Only was a serious and straight faced Bond adventure, with Moore (for once) taking it seriously, and it would of been better included in more humor releases such as Octopussy or A View to a Kill, but as before, she was only recently introduced. Can appreciate why some may find the distaste in it (with Max the parrott having his finest hour), but it doesn't spoil anything, and always found it quite amusing above all else
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    As a great admirer of the Iron Lady, I thought it was terrific. Frankly hilarious, and, as Bond films should, the Thatcher Coda sends you from the theater with a spring in your step. It was also a nice piece of comedy in a film that sorely needed it.

    Now the PTS, on the other hand...rather cringe-worthy.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited May 2013 Posts: 12,837
    Cringe worthy and the woman isn't worthy of a mention by Bond.

    Another cringe worthy moment in FYEO is of course Blofeld's death in the PTS. These moments are just as bad as anything in Moonraker.

    I think FYEO is extremely overrated on here. I think lots of people rank it highly for the sake of it just because it's more serious than Moore's other films but I think the cringe worthy moments disqualify it from being one of the darker Bonds.

    And unlike OP, it doesn't have the fun, excitement and spectacle to make you forgive those moments (although it does have the tension and cold war vibe).

    I'll never understand why people rank FYEO as Moore's best when brilliant top 10 worthy movies like TSWLM and OP exist.
  • PerdoggPerdogg
    Posts: 686
    L
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Cringe worthy and the woman isn't worthy of a mention by Bond.

    Another cringe worthy moment in FYEO is of course Blofeld's death in the PTS. These moments are just as bad as anything in Moonraker.

    I think FYEO is extremely overrated on here. I think lots of people rank it highly for the sake of it just because it's more serious than Moore's other films but I think the cringe worthy moments disqualify it from being one of the darker Bonds.

    And unlike OP, it doesn't have the fun, excitement and spectacle to make you forgive those moments (although it does have the tension and cold war vibe).

    I'll never understand why people rank FYEO as Moore's best when brilliant top 10 worthy movies like TSWLM and OP exist.

    Let's separate Moore's performance with the direction of John Glen.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited May 2013 Posts: 12,837
    I'm talking about the film as a whole. Moore himself was fanastic as always but I don't think this is his best performance. He was always uncomfortable doing the Dalton type Bond and I think it shows in FYEO.

    His best performance is OP imo. He does the one liners, the villain confrontations and the flirting as brilliantly as ever but in the finale he also does a great job playing a desperate, panicky secret agent.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    I'm talking about the film as a whole. Moore himself was fanastic as always but I don't think this is his best performance. He was always uncomfortable doing the Dalton type Bond and I think it shows in FYEO.

    His best performance is OP imo. He does the one liners, the villain confrontations and the flirting as brilliantly as ever but in the finale he also does a great job playing a desperate, panicky secret agent.

    You are spot on. In regards to FYEO, I have no problem with the ending.
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    Posts: 3,566
    I quite liked FYEO when it was first released but it hasn't aged as well as I would have hoped...

    After the silliness of MR I was glad to see something a bit more seriously inclined...but it doesn't surprise me that the humor of the "Thatcher" appearance was mixed in. It was still a Roger Moore Bond after all, one can't expect (or even WANT) the humor to be totally absent. And the "delicatessen in stainless steel" never made a bit of sense to me, so I just kind of glossed over it mentally. It was good to see Blofeld disposed of, period.

    "Give us a kiss!"
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    Yes, it was very silly and detracted from the rest of the film. It should have remained on the cutting room floor.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I enjoyed the movie; only didn't like the Blofeld bit in the PTS. Otherwise, I find it to be a very good Bond film and I liked the ending. It was funny, ended the film on an upbeat, fun ending (which was in keeping with Moore). So, I have no problem with the Thatcher ending at all.
  • LeChiffreLeChiffre
    Posts: 1,548
    Could have been worse. It could have been Tony Blair or George Dubya at the end!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    I think FYEO is extremely overrated on here.

    I'll never understand why people rank FYEO as Moore's best when brilliant top 10 worthy movies like TSWLM and OP exist.
    I tend to agree...
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I'd rather have Tony Blair show up with a Jetpack like in the Simpsons. :))
  • MrBondMrBond Station S
    Posts: 2,044
    chrisisall wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    I think FYEO is extremely overrated on here.

    I'll never understand why people rank FYEO as Moore's best when brilliant top 10 worthy movies like TSWLM and OP exist.
    I tend to agree...

    Me too. FYEO is bottom five material for me.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    MrBond wrote:
    Me too. FYEO is bottom five material for me.
    ??? Now we're going too far the other way IMO.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Loved the Thatcher ending.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    chrisisall wrote:
    MrBond wrote:
    Me too. FYEO is bottom five material for me.
    ??? Now we're going too far the other way IMO.

    Yeah, I wouldn't say it's bad, just overrated. I'd rank it somewhere in the middle.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited May 2013 Posts: 9,117
    Ashamed to say I love the Thatcher moment in FYEO.

    I know I really shouldn't but its a Rog film so no matter how gritty you've got to have a bit of fun somewhere along the line. It's not Thatcher its the parrot talking to her that makes it cringeworthy.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited May 2013 Posts: 11,189
    I think the Thatcher moment would be great in a comedy sketch (ala, the opening of the Olympic ceremony or Children in Need) but given that its at the end of what is meant to be a more grounded flick it does feel a little...cringy IMO.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    I love it, it's very funny but maybe on the end of another film would have been better.
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    It probably is a bit out of place but not sure it matters too much, the film already reached it's climax with the destruction of the ATAC, it's just a throwaway scene at the end. Rog himself did pose this question in his Bond on Bond book.

    My two cents worth - FYEO, still one of my all time favrouites.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    I admit, I chuckled when I saw the scene, and to be honest, it is right at home in the Moore era. FYEO really wasn't as gritty as some make it out to be, because there are plenty of moments akin to the Moore films of old that camp the film up or just a line here or there that just ruins any kind of seriousness or depth the film was gaining. Overall, I have no problem with the scene, and Max is always entertaining.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    edited May 2013 Posts: 1,492
    As someone who watched it on release in the summer of 1981 I have always enjoteyed this coda. Thatchers policies were beginning to bite and we had terrible riots in Brixton down to mass unemployment and 'stop and search'. The audience howled with laughter as it was taking the piss out of Thatch.

    After the tension of the race for the atac it was right to have abit of light relief. The final scene of the moonlight swim amongst the underwater temple has a classy sheen enhanced b beautiful music.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I wonder if Thatch herself ever saw it?
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    actonsteve wrote:
    As someone who watched it on release in the summer of 1981 I have always enjoteyed this coda. Thatchers policies were beginning to bite and we had terrible riots in Brixton down to mass unemployment and 'stop and search'. The audience howled with laughter as it was taking the piss out of Thatch.

    After the tension of the race for the atac it was right to have abit of light relief. The final scene of the moonlight swim amongst the underwater temple has a classy sheen enhanced b beautiful music.

    I suspect the audience laughed because the scene was damned funny, not because it shared your anti-Thatcher views.
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