What James Bond movie captures the spirit of the books the best?

edited October 2012 in Bond Movies Posts: 10
which James Bond movie captures the spirit of the character the best.
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Comments

  • I think Living daylights captures the character of james bond the best or Casino Royale.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 70
    Timothy Dalton probably has the edge over Craig, because with a background in theatre, he studied Fleming's books and tried to stay true to the character. So I would say The Living Daylights as well.
  • I agree with those of you who have said The Living Daylights - that was one which I had actually not considered - but the one that really came to mind for me was From Russia With Love.. Aside from the SMERSH/SPECTRE swapping, the plot is pretty consistent, and the overall "feel" is of a real Cold War James Bond novel.
  • Posts: 774
    Thunderball captures the spirit of its novel quite well. Though The Living Daylights gets my vote, Dalton's Bond is so similar to the literary Bond.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    From Russia with Love for me.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    i think if you strip away all the tacked on stuff to Casino Royale, and just focused on the poker game (baccarat in the novel) and Vesper's suicide.. i think it did a very good job of capturing the emotional core to the story, and setting up Bond for who he is to eventually become..
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Yes, I agree about Casino Royale if we allow the liberties in the film; and actually I am glad they changed Vesper's death in the movie to be different from the book. CR is very good and does capture the early Bond and what he went thru that does match the tone of the book, I think.
  • what about OHMSS its close to the book end captures the spirit well.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 12,837
    CR doesn't even really see like it's based on the book at all until the 2nd half (I actually prefer the film anyway and I think the 1st half is better than the 2nd).

    I think either OHMSS or Daltons films.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    CR doesn't even really see like it's based on the book at all until the 2nd half (I actually prefer the film anyway and I think the 1st half is better than the 2nd).

    well yeah, that was the point i was trying to make - if you took the film, and simply broke it down to just what was in the book, i think it does a good job of capturing the emotion and feel.

  • I'm not so sure. It does at the end, but Bond and Vespers relationship felt a bit rushed to me. They argue and flirt a bit, he gets tortured, they have sex and suddenly he's in love with her and spends the next film trying to get over her.
  • Dalton end Craig captures the spirit of Bond the best i think.
  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    Die Another Day.

    A spirit is invisible and it had an unseen car so...
  • End what about Lazenby in OHMSS i think he also captures Bond from the books quit well.
  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    But in all seriousness:

    TLD, CR, OHMSS, FRWL & DRN for me. LTK, which I like, comes a bit short imho. Maybe it's because it's TOO personal?
  • JamesCraig wrote:
    Die Another Day.

    A spirit is invisible and it had an unseen car so...
    That movie isnt even close to capture the spirit form the book.
  • JamesCraigJamesCraig Ancient Rome
    Posts: 3,497
    007bond762 wrote:
    JamesCraig wrote:
    Die Another Day.

    A spirit is invisible and it had an unseen car so...
    That movie isnt even close to capture the spirit form the book.

    Read it again, and come back to me sir

    :-$

    It's a joke... *ashamed*
  • DiscoVolanteDiscoVolante Stockholm, Sweden
    Posts: 1,347
    How is this News?

    -> Bond Movies.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    FRWL
  • Posts: 97
    Dr. No, From Russia With Love, OHMSS. Goldfinger (the movie) is high pop-art and transcends the novel; tonally it's quite different.

    Dalton and Craig both have moments that come close to the Bond of the novels. In many way I feel Dalton's Bond is a different animal from Flemings (despite what a lot of people say), but his scene in the car with Saunders when he says, "Stuff my orders, if [M] fires me, I'll thank him for it" comes pretty darn close to the man in the books.
  • Posts: 61
    DN, FRWL, OHMSS, TLD and parts of CR as discussed above and, as it was a earlier re-booting of Bond after the excesses of Moonraker, I think FYEO captures some of the books well - particularly the attack on the warehouse and the killing of Loque.
  • FYEO is also good end has some of the best Bond moments.
  • Posts: 267
    arrow762 wrote:
    which James Bond movie captures the spirit of the character the best.

    Fellow Agents,
    I fear many in the '00 section have actually not read the brief. This can be very dangerous when working undercover.
    The actual question as posed by Agent arrow 762 is; "which James Bond movie captures the spirit of the character best?".
    This is a different question to; "which James Bond actor captures the spirit of the character best?".
    Could those of you who have answered the incorrect answer please try harder! Otherwise you will be dismissed from the '00 section and confined to desk duties.
    As one who has actually read the books, I'll give you a tip. The answer could be either FRWL or OHMSS.
    For my part, I'll go for FRWL. Simply because it's a better movie.
    Regards,
    Bentley

  • Posts: 7,653
    DN, FRWL, GF, TB & OHMSS.
  • Posts: 1,817
    DN, FRWL and OHMSS absolutely.
    GF and TB very close.
    TLD and CR partially.
  • edited October 2012 Posts: 1,548
    OHMSS and CR echo their respective novels the best. Dalton and Craig convey the character as Fleming envisaged the most accurately (IMHO of course!)
  • Posts: 3,327
    LTK is the one which encapsulates Fleming best for me in terms of characters and mood.

    Dr. No and FRWL best capture the period Fleming based the books around, mainly because of when they were filmed, and the settings seem fairly accurate to the books.

    CR captures the more violent essence of Fleming's Bond (closely followed by LTK).
  • GoldenballGoldenball United States
    edited October 2012 Posts: 74
    007bond762 wrote:
    Dalton end Craig captures the spirit of Bond the best i think.

    And Connery. Especially in FRWL.

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Dr. No, From Russia With Love. Many of the early Bonds get the spirit right.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    edited October 2012 Posts: 3,262
    Brendoge wrote:
    Timothy Dalton probably has the edge over Craig, because with a background in theatre, he studied Fleming's books and tried to stay true to the character. So I would say The Living Daylights as well.

    I would agree with this. I think OHMSS, TB, DN and FRWL do so as well. DN and FRWL benefit from being made when Fleming himself was still alive and could give input. TB benefits from Terence Young's style being held over from DN and FRWL and OHMSS benefits from Peter Hunt's enthusiasm for the source novel.
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