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John Cleese Suggests that Bond franchise lost its humor with Skyfall...

cmacy007cmacy007
edited June 2014 in News Posts: 20
With all the media about John Cleese lately...
I don't think John was watching the same Skyfall I saw, and if he was, he clearly missed all the humor. There was possibly more humor (at least for long time Bond fans) in Skyfall than in any other Bond film I can think of. Quotes like, "Oh go on, eject me, see if I care." are found throughout the film. I suppose to Mr. Cleese, getting your coat stuck in a car door is funny.
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Comments

  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    Posts: 1,596
    Lol, Skyfall has so much more humor in it than QoS.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Well , Wishaw did not get his coat stuck in a car door, did he? SF was not funny.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    John Cleese is getting senile. SF's humour was far better and relevant than the comedic acts his Q/R played in TWINE and DAD. And when it comes to nonsensical, overlong action scenes, you cannot get any worse than DAD's, even if you try.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    I agree, I never laughed watching a Bond movie like I did with Skyfall.

  • Sammm04Sammm04
    Posts: 479
    In all fairness, the man does know a thing or two about comedy, but I do disagree, if anything, it regained some of the old humour.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    Sammm04 wrote:
    In all fairness, the man does know a thing or two about comedy, but I do disagree, if anything, it regained some of the old humour.
    But he knows zilch about spy fiction in general and Bond in particular.
  • Sammm04Sammm04
    Posts: 479
    Ludovico wrote:
    Sammm04 wrote:
    In all fairness, the man does know a thing or two about comedy, but I do disagree, if anything, it regained some of the old humour.
    But he knows zilch about spy fiction in general and Bond in particular.

    Fair point.

  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    Exactly when did I lose interest in John Cleese?

    Was it him bashing the British on a chat show?

    Yes, I think it was

    And again. And again

    His diatribes on race relations and how the Americans do things better. He's a rentagob. His diatribes are so frequent nowadays I switch off. His backing of Basil Fawtly has been done to death

    His subpar L, Z or whatever wasn't the worse thing about DAD. Only because it contained a cgi tidal wave.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited June 2014 Posts: 12,837
    I read Cleese's comments and I see his point. I thought SF had just the right ammount of humour but he clearly prefers the Brozza/Moore type Bond, the campy fun Bond, to the more grim character driven approach of the Craig flicks. Nothing wrong with that imo. I didn't think his comments about the action scenes made much sense though. They're no longer than they ever were before.

    I'd also like to add that whether you liked him as Q or not (personally I thought it was inspired casting), he's a comedy legend and that he clearly loved playing Q. Look at Everything Or Nothing. Brosnan and Dench sound bored but he really gives it his all, you can tell he's enthusiastic and having fun even though it's a video game. I felt a bit sorry for him actually because on the behind the scenes thing on the main menu, he's going on about how great it is that the game is there to bridge the gap between films and how he's excited to start work on the next one, and then they rebooted it without him.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,229
    John Cleese might be the only one who found himself funny in TWINE and DAD.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Ludovico wrote:
    John Cleese might be the only one who found himself funny in TWINE and DAD.
    Cleese's R/Q is something I've just never cared for, or paid much notice to. I mean, if you're going to take the Q role directly after Desmond, you'll fail before you even get a chance to begin. Not exactly an act you can follow.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited June 2014 Posts: 12,837
    Ludovico wrote:
    John Cleese might be the only one who found himself funny in TWINE and DAD.

    He wasn't very good in TWINE but he's one of the few good things about DAD imo. I do think he was a good Q and he had great chemistry with Brosnan.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    edited June 2014 Posts: 1,492
    Thats why i think Ben Wishaws Q works because it was so obviously not Desmond Llewellyn the contrast worked at once

    John Cleese was like every other one he has played. On and off for forty years.
  • EllisEllis
    Posts: 224
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    I read Cleese's comments and I see his point. I thought SF had just the right ammount of humour but he clearly prefers the Brozza/Moore type Bond, the campy fun Bond, to the more grim character driven approach of the Craig flicks. Nothing wrong with that imo. I didn't think his comments about the action scenes made much sense though. They're no longer than they ever were before.

    I'd also like to add that whether you liked him as Q or not (personally I thought it was inspired casting), he's a comedy legend and that he clearly loved playing Q. Look at Everything Or Nothing. Brosnan and Dench sound bored but he really gives it his all, you can tell he's enthusiastic and having fun even though it's a video game. I felt a bit sorry for him actually because on the behind the scenes thing on the main menu, he's going on about how great it is that the game is there to bridge the gap between films and how he's excited to start work on the next one, and then they rebooted it without him.

    Spot on.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,827
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    He wasn't very good in TWINE but he's one of the few good things about DAD imo.
    I liked him in both. But then, I'm a fan...
  • Agent7FAgent7F
    Posts: 825
    There nothing wrong with Skyfall. It has a some humour. Ben Whishaw was funny as the new Q in Skyfall. I just don't know what John Cleese problem?
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,254
    I think there's good humour in the Craig Bonds but overall more sophisticated and 'hidden' than in some of the older films. Craig is also more stoic in his delivery of funny lines. IMO he has great comic timing and his facial expressions are spot-on, but he doesn't add the extra "HA-HA!" layers on a joke himself. That's for us to do. Even when he laughs during the ball scratching line, the message has mixed feelings: it's part comedy part tragedy.

    Either way, I prefer no comedy at all to unfunny jokes like "I'm so bad..." (you know the rest) or J.W. Pepper slapstick.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    I thought it gained some of its humour with Skyfall myself but having said that I don't think humour is a necessary element of a Bond film anyway, especially not the overt humour of the Roger Moore years; that is I'm afraid something of a fallacy.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited June 2014 Posts: 15,229
    actonsteve wrote:
    Thats why i think Ben Wishaws Q works because it was so obviously not Desmond Llewellyn the contrast worked at once

    John Cleese was like every other one he has played. On and off for forty years.

    Exactly. Cleese was lazy casting and he played a comedic role in something that should not have been a comedy.
    Agent7F wrote:
    There nothing wrong with Skyfall. It has a some humour. Ben Whishaw was funny as the new Q in Skyfall. I just don't know what John Cleese problem?

    I will say it again: he is getting senile.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    I, for one, liked Cleese as R/Q. He wasn't a carbon copy of Llewellyn's Q, Cleese had a sarcastic tone, and was more capable at firing verbal jabs back at Bond.

    As for the humour, I would have to agree with Cleese. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses, but I don't recall any humour in the last 3 films.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,343
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    I, for one, liked Cleese as R/Q. He wasn't a carbon copy of Llewellyn's Q, Cleese had a sarcastic tone, and was more capable at firing verbal jabs back at Bond.

    As for the humour, I would have to agree with Cleese. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses, but I don't recall any humour in the last 3 films.

    Not even the Tube train gag in SF?
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited June 2014 Posts: 13,999
    Dragonpol wrote:
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    I, for one, liked Cleese as R/Q. He wasn't a carbon copy of Llewellyn's Q, Cleese had a sarcastic tone, and was more capable at firing verbal jabs back at Bond.

    As for the humour, I would have to agree with Cleese. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses, but I don't recall any humour in the last 3 films.

    Not even the Tube train gag in SF?

    The health and safety line? Was that supposed to be humorous, if so, then it was misjudged.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    I, for one, liked Cleese as R/Q. He wasn't a carbon copy of Llewellyn's Q, Cleese had a sarcastic tone, and was more capable at firing verbal jabs back at Bond.

    As for the humour, I would have to agree with Cleese. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses, but I don't recall any humour in the last 3 films.

    i don't think Cleese was all that bad at all personally. He's the weakest Q of the three but he handled what the script gave to him as well as he could.

  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2014 Posts: 18,343
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    I, for one, liked Cleese as R/Q. He wasn't a carbon copy of Llewellyn's Q, Cleese had a sarcastic tone, and was more capable at firing verbal jabs back at Bond.

    As for the humour, I would have to agree with Cleese. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses, but I don't recall any humour in the last 3 films.

    Not even the Tube train gag in SF?

    The health and safety line? Was that supposed to be humorous, if so, then it was misjudged.

    No, "He's in a hurry to get home!" or whatever it was.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I've always heard humour is subjective but it's not until joining MI6 that I've realised how utterly true that seems to be.

    Personally the "health and safety" line worked for me.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    I like Cleese and when it comes to humor I find his opinion superior to most internet fans, however a lack of humor was SF's least problem in my opinion.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2014 Posts: 18,343
    BAIN123 wrote:
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    I, for one, liked Cleese as R/Q. He wasn't a carbon copy of Llewellyn's Q, Cleese had a sarcastic tone, and was more capable at firing verbal jabs back at Bond.

    As for the humour, I would have to agree with Cleese. At the end of the day, it's horses for courses, but I don't recall any humour in the last 3 films.

    i don't think Cleese was all that bad at all personally. He's the weakest Q of the three but he handled what the script gave to him as well as he could.


    Regarding that clip, Brosnan's voice is very funny in that scene (and others): "Helps if you open the door."
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2014 Posts: 18,343
    SaintMark wrote:
    I like Cleese and when it comes to humor I find his opinion superior to most internet fans, however a lack of humor was SF's least problem in my opinion.

    Well don't let us mere plebs detain any longer, sir! :D
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    Regarding that clip, Brosnan's voice is very funny in that scene (and others): "Helps if you open the door."

    The "If you're Q does that make him R?" line makes me smile.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    In SF the funniest moment of the tube scene is Dan's delivery of 'Open the door', for me.

    Regards Cleese, I found him borderline preposterous in TWINE and I regard Fawlty Towers as almost perfect. I just don't get it.
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