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This one might be like shooting fish in a barrel, but lets see what you think.
Charles Feldman ended up with the rights for CR and shopped around the project. At one point he looked to make a serious Bond movie and even courted Sean Connery to star. Feldman balked at the $1,000,000 fee and took a different tack.
Feldman decided to make a James Bond spoof. He cast some notable names including Peter Sellers for the $1,000,000 that Sean would have taken. We have David Niven, Woody Allen and Orson Welles rounding out the male leads. We have a young Jacqueline Bisset and Ursula Andress returns to a Bond film. The movie was directed by a number of directors, which made for a confusing narrative. Strong soundtrack with The Look Of Love being a stand out.
But what were the missed opportunities of this film? Was a spoof a good way to go? Or should they have stuck with a more serious adaptation of the film? Did they cast the movie wisely?
What are the missed opportunities of Casino Royale '67
Please keep in mind this isn't a critique of the film per se, but rather a creative direction that wasn't followed through on, a mis-cast actor, a plot line that wasn't fully explored.
I think there were opportunities to iron out Niven's Bond. The idea of SMERSH trying to ruin his celibate image is a bit random, but if it were a case where his Bond had once been a womaniser and he were purposely trying to refrain from sex/be more virtuous, that could have been quite funny.
Taking it further they could have had a story about an older James Bond who was looking to redeem himself for his previous actions as a heavy drinking, lady chasing killer. It could have been about Niven's Bond trying live up to a higher ideal of heroism that he doesn't feel the fictionalised version of himself embodies. Just adds a bit more depth to the character even with it being a comedy. I don't think the Peter Sellers Evelyn Tremble character was needed and they could have just run with Terrence Cooper's Bond in his place (it's a bit of a weird casting choice anyway - Sellers usually played wacky characters, and yet here the idea is he's meant to be the 'straight man'. That and the guy was a nightmare at this point to work with. Wonderful comic actor, but truly a disgusting human being from what I've read).
I'm sure there's more examples but it's not a film I've watched recently. Just a bit more ironing out of the script would have helped ultimately I think.
I think the missed opportunity was to find one single director and let them do their work. From what I can tell Houston looked at this as a lark. I have seen interviews with Guest and he seemed to know more about the book. McCrath was there due to the relationship with Sellers but I think was over his head. Ken Hughes is an interesting one, as he had a relationship to Broccoli and went on to direct "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" for EON.
Having one director likely would have provided a more even tone to the film.
The first half is fine IMO.
And the Scottish section is the worst. I don't know what Deborah Kerr is doing. I don't think she did, either.
The air was full of excitement, Sean Connery was back as Bond after leaving the role in 1971. Two Bond pictures in one year and both due out in the summer of 1983. Soon delays and may be a sense that going head to head was not a great idea pushed Sean's return to the role to the fall.
Kevin McClory was finally able to do his remake of Thunderball. This film was in the works for years. Unable to use any of the EON team or the James Bond theme, McClory relied on his own creative team to bring the film to the big screen. Underwater action was lessened over the original. Domino would be blonde, gone was Fiona Volpe and introduced was Fatima Blush. The basic plot was the same. Largo and Blofeld were both in this version. Blofeld had hair! LOL!
Some love this return, others loathe it. No matter where you sit I am sure you can share your missed opportunities within this film.
A missed opportunity might be the music, the casting choices, the story and plotlines and places they teased at going but never really did.
What are the missed opportunities of Never Say Never Again?
I don't know why they didn't hire Jerry Goldsmith.
The climax needs more music to make it flow better.
But the movie is fine.
He should have shot the cat, that would be a good two fingers to Eon :D
The cast are fine, but I think the action needed a bit more oomph, and it was a mistake to have the final confrontation underwater!
But...It cuoud be better.The lack of music hurts some scenes.
Maybe it’s a NSNA effect. On paper you’d think a director like Kershner would give us a more interesting film, or actors like Von Sydow and Fox would put in more memorable performances but something about what they’re working on just doesn’t allow it. Honestly, I think even Connery in that film isn’t quite as electric as some make him out to be, and it’s more his presence in what should be a cheap Bond knock off alone that adds legitimacy just by virtue of him playing the part again.
That said NSNA does have some good performances within it so perhaps it’s not entirely fair.
Have to say I love Edward Fox in NSNA, I think he's a hoot!
Another missed opportunity was not fixing a problem of the energy sagging after the female antagonist dies. Say what you will about Fatima Blush, but once she is killed off, the film seems to sag a bit. Same thing happened in the original when Fiona dies.
I would have liked her demise to be later in the film.
Never say never...
I have nothing against Bond in shorts, incidentally! He pulled it off pretty well in NTTD!
Bond in dungarees on the other hand… I’ll say never again to that.