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First up, TWINE, a film that some here may know I have very little time for. I wanted to get this one out of the way first, so that it won't spoil my viewing experience and motivation later.
Overall Experience:
Oh dear....difficult to get through, but here goes.
Positives (imho):
-movie length is reasonably short at 2hrs and 8 mins so it's not too much to endure
-Brosnan was good when in the pipeline trying to disarm the nuclear device and at the end in the submarine, after he kills Electra, but before he does his funny face routine when killing Renard
-Denise Richards was ok in some parts of the film when she didn't say anything but just reacted, like when she observed Renard going straight for Bond's shoulder, and when she noted some sexual tension between Bond and Electra
-Arnold's score during the early part of the 'ski' sequence is as good as he's done for Bond and up there with Night at the Opera for me as his most Barry'esque work
General observations (imho):
-Song (inferior pastiche)
-Score (terrible, including the techno infused gunbarrel)
-Brosnan's acting in general (horrid - his most affected performance as Bond - I don't know what he was trying to do here because I've never seen him worse)
-Dench's acting (also terrible, which for her is saying something. She comes across as weak & emotional)
-Villains (the worst in the series - yes, worse than QoS imho. As boring & forgettable as they come)
-Casting (Whoever was responsible, change your day job)
-Script and lines (Again, change your day job)
-Cinematography ( " " )
-Action sequences (boredom defined)
Line of the film:
Dr. Jones....
It really was painful to get through this one for me. I'm not being facetious. It's the only Bond film that I really can't stand on almost all levels. I put this one just one level above NSNA, and that is only because it is an EON production and I'm doing it out of respect for Cubby.
Well, I'm glad it's over and done with, at least for another 3 years or so. Next up (and it will definitely be a much more positive experience): DAD
Hmm...I'd still say he's a lot worse in Taffin.
Honourable mentions - fencing/sword fight, title sequence
OMG! How could anyone shout at Jenny Flex like that?
Seriously though, I think he really blew it in TWINE. He was much better in TND (which I'm looking forward to since I've not seen that one in ages) and in DAD imho.
He does get to do something Roger never did though! Shag her.
Yes, I always felt Rog (despite getting a record number of conquests in AVTAK) missed out on Jenny. I would have taken her over MayDay, but then he was in a bit of a pickle when he chose that unfortunate route to save his cover (but they were already on to him by then so it was all for naught).
TWINE is by far the least good Brosnan movie, and I'm certain it is because of Apted. He more or less failed completely in directing. That's why some performances seem off in TWINE, there are some great moments but that's just not enough.
I have it on No 16 and almost degraded it to No 19 (after TB and YOLT) but it was saved by the second best PTS ever (best is TND) the Caviar factory sequence and other cool stuff like Sophie Marceau who's Elektra is one of the best villains.
Do you prefer smoked salmon? :P
Yes, please do! :)
Darn tootin. It's too bad she was cast in such a minor role. She would have made a great Bond girl later on.
I agree. She sort of showed us how good she could have been in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade a few years later. Shame.
It's still very divisive today, but I for one very much enjoy George Lazenby's Bond performance. He gave us the human side of Bond we had never seen before, and it was very unique to finally see him fall in love. I admit I still prefer Connery (in the first four films anyway), but I believe Lazenby did a good job. Big points come from the leading lady, Tracy di Vicenzo, for being my favorite Bond girl, and for Telly Savalas's Blofeld being my favorite Bond villain. I really like that Blofeld got more screen time and was more hands-on, even finally getting a fist-fight with 007. The rest of the supporting cast was also stellar with the likes of Marc-Ange Draco and Irma Bundt.
The PTS isn't necessarily one of my all-time favorites, but it's still very intriguing and pulls you in. The score by Barry is my absolute favorite in the entire series; the main theme is just awesome, as are many of the other tracks (We Have All The Time In The World, Journey to Blofeld's Hideaway, Gumbold's Safe). I also really just love the snowy environment; there's something about snowy environments in movies that really does it for me, especially at nighttime. The scenes with the ski chase at night, the village, and the proposal are all heavy hitters for me, as well as the ending of course.
In summary, I love almost everything about the movie; it brought new emotional depth to the series, and it went with the unconventional yet effective ending. People often say if Connery had been in it, it would have been better. Personally, as much as I enjoy Connery's Bond, I wouldn't change it if I could - I believe Lazenby was the right choice for a more human and sensitive Bond. To me, this was the crowning achievement of the classic Bond films. A perfect way to conclude the golden age.
FoxRox's 2015 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. Goldfinger
3. Dr. No
4. Thunderball
5. From Russia with Love
6. You Only Live Twice
I agree. Its terrible. In fact apart from the PTS all the action sequences in TWINE are terrible. Its the worst Bond film in terms of well directed action sequences in my opinion.
After the disappointing (not unexpectedly) experience of TWINE, next comes the equally or perhaps more denigrated DAD.
Overall Experience:
Very enjoyable, for what it is. I had a lot of fun (as expected) and was engaged throughout, unlike with the previous film.
Positives (imho):
-the pacing is absolutely superb. The film doesn't let up from the get-go. Moves very well from beginning to end (probably the best paced since OP)
-Brosnan finally nails Bond in his 4th outing. It's a tragic shame that he waited until this film to do it. He's convincingly confident (especially with the ladies, which for him as Bond is saying something), finally nails the Bond swagger, and finally learns how to project his voice in a manner that conveys Bond's confidence. Very good performance from him here
-Rosamund Pike - what a revelation in every scene she's in. Tremendous work.
-Halle Berry - she does look stunning throughout most of this film. I especially loved her in the Versace dress in the Ice Palace. I actually did not find her all that bad on this viewing (bad lines excepted). She has an endearing smile anyway.
-dialogue - in comparison to TWINE, I found this much better. Yes, it was extremely childish bordering on vulgar (particularly the sexual innuendo), but at least they were trying to provoke here, unlike the previous film, which bordered on day time soap melodrama.
-the opening surfing scene was quite impressive, but the pretitles in general were spoiled by being a little drab (couldn't they have picked a better day to film) and there was obvious CGI during that hovercraft sequence
-the start of Madonna's understandably lambasted title track is as good as it gets in Bondom.......I'm referring to the bit before she opens her mouth (sadly only about 5 seconds or so) when Bond's face is immersed in the water and the tune kicks in with the spiders on screen.....very chilling and ominous....only to be ruined by the techno of the track itself. Having said that, I still prefer it to that Dustbin (no pun intended) of a track that the real Garbage came up with for TWINE.
-I liked everything in Cuba, including the opening Jinx/Bond intro (it reminded me a lot of Fatima Blush/Bond in NSNA) and the 'sleeper' conversation with Raoul.
General observations (imho):
-Score (once again, terrible techno infused work by Arnold imho)
-Dench is pretty good in this one (brings back some of her GE style/personality here) and her interactions/interplay with Brosnan are excellent (you feel like these two are really comfortable with each other)
-Stephens - I've never seen sneering in a major motion picture like what he does here. In the 'cock fight' in particular, Brosnan and he give each other looks that almost (and I hope unintentionally) suggest strong sexual tension between them. I thought they were going to jump each other during it (and not to fight). Overall, he really hams it up here, and as I've said elsewhere, I think (hope......) that this was intentional, to compete with Dr. Evil in Austin Powers.
-other villains - like TWINE, quite boring and forgettable. Zao is dull and Mr. Kil......oh dear, enough said.
-Madonna - why, oh why was she allowed in this film? One of the worst cameos ever.
-Casting (much better than TWINE in general). Loved Raoul and Chang. Michael Madsen was awful however, imho
-Script and lines (as I said, childish, but they are at least trying here)
-Action sequences (a bit drawn out, like the long, gadget laden car chase on ice and the plane bit at the end, but at least it's not boring)
-Other comments - they should have laid off the obvious CGI. It's all over the place in the film. The worst offender is of course the infamous surf, but the disintegrating plane is so bad that it just takes one out of the entire finale, and couldn't they have at least filmed in Hong Kong harbour?
-What's with the Return of the Jedi Emperor shock treatment moment at the end, complete with diabolical smile from Stephens?
-I'm quite certain Christoph Waltz has an uncredited cameo in this film as a baddie. I can't confirm it anywhere (It's possible that he wanted his name removed from the credits after seeing the final product)
Line of the film:
Yo mama....
Overall, I rate this film much higher than TWINE, but lower than all the rest in the canon. It's too over the top and stretches the bounds of credibility too much to be taken seriously, but there are parts of it that are very good (nearly everything until the Ice Palace, including Halle, if she had just toned it down a little). Having said that, I didn't like the pretitles in Korea at all though (drab with too much CGI.......TND did the same thing so much better just a few years earlier).
The highlight for me - Pierce Brosnan finally getting Bond right after all this time.
Current Bondathon Ranking:
DAD
TWINE
Next up: TND
"see...it's a perfect fit" :-w
Like I said, they were trying, but it's vulgar and somewhat childish, like the film. Enjoyable enough though, imho.
The worst offender was Jinx looking down (rather obviously) and surveying Bond's package before saying "Now that's a mouthful"
You came across me so many times, yet you never saw me. Who knew?
I agree, the one thing that hinders TWINE to be as great as GE or even better is clearly the bad directing. I have nothing against Apted but he was just wrong for Bond.
I was quite disappointed in 1999 after leaving the cinema and TWINE is one of the mediocre Bond movies imo.
My first reaction upon watching this film back in 2012 is that, no, it isn't the best Bond film. It isn't even the best Bond film of the last decade. And I still maintain that belief, and its position as a middling Bond film is, I don't think, ever likely to change. With all that said, there is still plenty to enjoy in SKYFALL.
Craig is good, as always, but I definitely prefer his performance in CR. I think that may be because for a large portion of the film, I think he is treated almost as a side character.
Dench puts in a strong performance as this films focus, even if the character becomes incompetent during the courtroom hearing. I wasn't as sad as I ought to be when she died. Dench was undoubtedly an asset for the Bond series ever since GOLDENEYE, even if I'm not too fond of the direction the character took post-Brosnan era.
Raoul Silva makes for an excellent villain, the first Bond villain of the Craig era bordering on OTT, but in a good way. However, I don't like the scene where he reveals his disfigurement as I feel that this goes too far in terms of believability, and the CGI isn't very effective. It always struck me as an odd scene, especially for the Craig era.
Granted, I would have liked to have seen more of Marlohe as Severine, but what I did see of her, I liked very much. Her death is particularly impactful.
Harris as Eve just seems to be there, but I'm looking forward to see how Moneypenny is handled in SPECTRE. Preferably behind a desk.
Elsewhere, the cinematography is exquisite (not quite the best, though. OHMSS and perhaps a few other 60s Bonds and CR just tip it), some of the set pieces are impressive (I'm perhaps one of the few who really digs the tube crash scene) and there are plenty very, very good scenes (Bond vs Patrice springs to mind).
The sore points come in the form of CGI animals (the Komodo dragon scene is silly, and pretty insulting to the LALD scene it's supposed to be a homage to), some of the plot points are a little too convenient, Bond getting shot and falling 100ft into a river and then falling a further 50ft over a waterfall and surviving is really pushing it, the film turning Home Alone in the third act and overall, a preference to style over substance (yes, I agree with this).
Not surprising that SKYFALL hasn't moved position.
And that concludes my Bondathon in the run up to SPECTRE.
I don't think I'll be able to put off watching any Bond for the remainder of the run up to SPECTRE, so I think I'll just choose a handful of my favourite films to watch during this time- FRWL, OHMSS, FYEO, GF, TSWLM.
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
2. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
4. From Russia with Love (1963)
5. Goldfinger (1964)
6. Octopussy (1983)
7. Casino Royale (2006)
8. The Living Daylights (1987)
9. Licence to Kill (1989)
10. A View to a Kill (1985)
11. Live and Let Die (1973)
12. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
13. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
14. Skyfall (2012)
15. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
16. Goldeneye (1995)
17. Thunderball (1965)
18. You Only Live Twice (1967)
19. Dr. No (1962)
20. Quantum of Solace (2008)
21. The World is not Enough (1999)
22. Moonraker (1979)
23. Die Another Day (2002)
After the enjoyment of DAD & disappointment of TWINE comes TND, a somewhat forgotten film in my mind. I remember enjoying it, but have never dwelled on it. I hope to answer why with this, my first viewing in years.
Overall Experience:
Much better than I remember. Action packed and very well paced with superior stunt work and engaging production values throughtout.
Notable Positives (imho):
-the opening pretitles is easily one of the series' best. Thrilling, suspenseful, with great acting by everyone concerned. Great work with the fighter jets and suitable mature humour thrown in, I really had a blast watching this part again.
-Brosnan is much better in this film than I remember him. Suitably Bondian in demeanour and acting, he does a pretty good job. I still much prefer him in DAD (because I think he is much more evidently confident in that film) but he really isn't all that bad here either. Arguably the first half of the film (up to the end of Hamburg) is his finest hour as Bond. The Paris sendoff is particularly good (apart for Brosnan's traditional dead woman smooch.....what is it with him and that move anyway?)
-Dench - brilliant here. I think it's her best turn as M by far. rivals Bernard Lee with her authority and understated humour, particularly when berating Admiral Roebuck
-Overall production quality - Easily the best of the Brosnan era. I can't believe this is a film by the same production house that gave us the disgraceful TWINE & CGI-infested DAD. This one feels like a true Bond film and has a vintage Roger Moore Bond epicness to it (more on that later though)
General observations (imho):
-Pryce - he's really not bad. An old school, over the top villain with grandiose ambitions. Unlike the more modern Trevelyan and Sanchez (from the previous two entries) he is more of a throwback to the Blofeld/Drax/Stromberg types, who have henchman to do their dirty work. He is a little whiny at times, but does the job. The only thing is he's not original (see below for more) and has been done better elsewhere before
-Wai Lin/Michelle Yeoh - I've never quite been a fan of her character, who certainly is well played, believable and effective as an agent. However, she is too much of an action woman for me, without any of the other physical assets that Anya and Halle (two other Bond ally collaborators) brought to the table. I also thought Brosnan played better off Halle’s Jinx in DAD (perhaps due to his increased confidence) but in TND he seems somewhat unsure next to Wai Lin and at times even too reverent, which to me was somewhat unBondian then and now. Also, there is really no sexual tension between the two of them, which is unfortunate.
-Paris/Teri Hatcher - a weak link in the film imho. Her role was meant to be pivotal in telling us more about Brosnan Bond's character, and she totally blew it. They don't have any chemistry whatsoever on screen, and it's completely unbelievable to conceive that the great James Bond, who has bedded so many charismatic beauties in his life (including the incredible Natalya in the previous film) has any feelings for this woman. Hatcher's acting is very wooden and she isn't convincing at all.
-Stunts – excellent, especially the pretitles as mentioned before and the great bike chase, which is as good as it gets in the Bond world. Not a fan of the BMW car chase though, but it's serviceable.
-Title Song - much better than the Garbage of TWINE & Madonna's DAD imho. Crowe's voice is screechy but I really like the tune. It's low key, non-derivative, and suitably Bondian......and it starts off really well with the glass breaking from the jet's propulsion. There is no pastiche here
-Score - Easily Arnold's best work during the Brosnan era, and arguably as good as his stellar turns for CR & QoS. There is too much Bond theme for me (use it sparingly please...) but the score is good overall
Cinematography – very good. The best of the Brosnan era by far. My only criticism is that some of the visuals are too derivative of some of the previous entries, including TMWTGG & YOLT
Casting – not bad at all, but nowhere up to the benchmark levels of GE
Funniest moment – Carver making fun of Wai Lin’s kung fu, replete with Bruce Lee sound effects
Script and lines - pretty good for this era. The interactions at MI6 during the pretitles in particular, as well as during the first half of the film, including some with Bond/Carver in Hamburg are excellent.
-other villains - Stamper is adequate, if a bit of a cliche (the tall, blond villain has been done better before with Grant and and Hans). Kaufman is an incredibly charismatic (and original) villain however, and it's a damn shame that he has such a limited screen time.
-Other comments -Kung fu - it's nice to see this make a comeback but it's been done better in TMWTGG imho, including the 'flying in the air, twisting screaming Chinese villain'. Overall, the supporting cast is nowhere near as strong as in GE.
Line of the film:
"The distance between insanity and genius, is measured only by success". Brilliant, and so true.
"What do you mean, you don't know what's going on? You're fired! Get out of my sight!" , So Trump, that one.
So obviously I enjoyed it. Why has it never been memorable then? Well, its major problem for me is that it’s way too derivative of previous better Bond films (and particularly the legendary TSWLM) without being superior in any way. Even the Danish student tryst at Oxford is a copy of Moore’s mountain hangout in the earlier film’s pretitles, Carver is a poor imitation of Stromberg/Drax, right down to outfit, there is a GPS tracking subplot, and Bond is again in navy uniform (first time since Moore in TSWLM).
I prefer nearly everything about the earlier film including villains, women, stunts, car, score and especially Bond actor (no one beats Moore for these OTT type films), so obviously this didn’t work in its favour for me.
However, it’s not something to be ashamed of….TSWLM is one of the series’ best. Without the inevitable comparisons to that film, TND is actually quite good and very financially ambitious (probably the most ambitious Bond film since MR, and certainly up to SP, potentially)
It's in a different league from the almost pitiful TWINE & the comical DAD imho, & has definitely suffered in terms of how it’s remembered and perceived due to those two films being so substandard......which have sadly cast a long stain on Brosnan’s legacy.
Final impression – absence definitely made the heart grow fonder with this one. Much better than I remembered, but unfortunately way too derivative to be really one of the greats.
Current Bondathon Ranking:
TND
DAD
TWINE
Next up: GE[/quote]