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John Cleese better playing R or Q?

frankiewilliamsfrankiewilliams
edited October 2012 in Actors Posts: 10
Its been ages since I have watched The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day and I have been watching all the Bond films in order starting with Dr No. Tonight finished watching Live and Let Die and since I am becoming a Bond fan and taking in knowledge, I didn't know that Desmond L was not in the film as Q.

Anyway why I started this thread is, is that from your point a view, do you think John Cleese was better playing the character of R in TWINE or Q in DAD? Its a shame that Cleese is not going to be in Skyfall as Q, as I am rather fond of Cleese's work and thought he was pretty good at playing Q.
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Comments

  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    They are the same person, so I am a tad confused? I'd say R just because Q is Desmond's role, and should be left untouched.
  • frankiewilliamsfrankiewilliams
    Posts: 10
    I didn't know that R became Q. Sorry am a newbie when it comes to knowing about James Bond knowledge and am starting to learn.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    frankiewilliams wrote:
    I didn't know that R became Q. Sorry am a newbie when it comes to knowing about James Bond knowledge and am starting to learn.

    Have you even seen TWINE and DAD?!
  • UlyssesGamma_HoseUlyssesGamma_Hose
    Posts: 73
    I love Cleese, and he manages to be amusing in a poorly written role, but he's miscast as R/Q. Desmond Llewellyn always helped provide comic relief (he was the straight man to Bond's antics), but he was never a comedy character himself.
  • frankiewilliamsfrankiewilliams
    Posts: 10
    Agent007391 wrote:
    frankiewilliams wrote:
    I didn't know that R became Q. Sorry am a newbie when it comes to knowing about James Bond knowledge and am starting to learn.

    Have you even seen TWINE and DAD?!

    I have yes, but only once and that was some years ago now.:)


  • DRush76DRush76
    Posts: 533



    He was better as Q in "DAD". I found his R rather silly in "TWINE". However, his sarcastic wit in "DAD" was absolutely delicious.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    He was ok in TWINE, but he was really just Qs stupid assistant.

    In DAD his sarcasm and his quick comebacks were really funny and he worked well with Brosnan (one thing I really like is how Bond waits for him to finish before calling him Q, so he's sort of proving himself, that was nice).

    So I'd say he was better after the promotion.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 121
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    He was ok in TWINE, but he was really just Qs stupid assistant.

    In DAD his sarcasm and his quick comebacks were really funny and he worked well with Brosnan
    I was watching a documentary on Sky the other day about Q and apparently he was brought in to lower the workload of techie things that Llewellyn had to say, as he said he was never great with this.

    I agree with your second point, shame they rebooted the series and we only got one film with him after Llewellyn.

  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,272
    Cleese's character didn't change that much, right?
    I'm having a bit more fun with him in DAD to be fair (better dialogue, funnier moments) but the fact he's named Q in said film is purely circumstantial in my decision making.
  • lewisblakelewisblake
    Posts: 188
    At the time I was a young lad - and thought 'wow John Cleese is taking over as Q'. In hindsight; Cleese shouldn't have been cast - it seemed a shameful sort of replacement of Lewellyn with another older man - when they should have reinvented the role slightly as they have done with Whitshaw. Having said that Cleese is inherently funny in the role in his mercifully short tenure - and I liked the concept used of the Q branch having labs in abandoned tube lines (unless my memory is faulty).
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    DarthDimi wrote:
    Cleese's character didn't change that much, right?

    I think he changed. In TWINE he trapped his coat in car doors, set of Bonds gadgets by accident, he was sort of a Mr Bean character.

    In DAD he was much better I think. His funny moments come from his sarcasm and comebacks and he was really confident. He wasn't as good as Desmond but I reckon he fit the part like a glove.

    I think it's a shame they didn't bring him back.
  • DRush76DRush76
    Posts: 533
    In DAD he was much better I think. His funny moments come from his sarcasm and comebacks and he was really confident. He wasn't as good as Desmond but I reckon he fit the part like a glove.


    I thought Cleese was much better than Desmond Llewellyn . . . and I liked the latter very much.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    DRush76 wrote:
    In DAD he was much better I think. His funny moments come from his sarcasm and comebacks and he was really confident. He wasn't as good as Desmond but I reckon he fit the part like a glove.


    I thought Cleese was much better than Desmond Llewellyn . . . and I liked the latter very much.

    =)) Blasphemy.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    edited October 2012 Posts: 7,854
    DRush76 wrote:
    I thought Cleese was much better than Desmond Llewellyn

    Edited by mod heretic. You should be expelled from the First Church of Llewellyn! No one played Q better than Desmond Llewellyn.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    edited October 2012 Posts: 3,494
    Agent007391 wrote:
    DRush76 wrote:
    I thought Cleese was much better than Desmond Llewellyn

    Edited by mod heretic. You should be expelled from the First Church of Llewellyn! No one played Q better than Desmond Llewellyn.

    He also thinks DAD is better than DN, strangest thing I've heard since Ozzy blasting out from the speakers during a Notre Dame home football game. Personal opinion entitlement aside, Cleese is a great physical comedian and all, but no one can replace DL.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Neither he was rubbish as both, I can't believe anyone would have thought it was a good idea to have him in either role, he was basically playing Basil Fawlty, it was an absolute travesty and along with DAD one of the lowest points of the series.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    edited October 2012 Posts: 7,854
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    Agent007391 wrote:
    DRush76 wrote:
    I thought Cleese was much better than Desmond Llewellyn

    Motherf*cking heretic. You should be expelled from the First Church of Llewellyn! No one played Q better than Desmond Llewellyn.

    He also thinks DAD is better than DN

    I can't censor enough swears to tell everyone how I feel about this. I'll go with my first choice: Edited by mod heretic.
  • FromCanadaWithLoveFromCanadaWithLove Canada
    Posts: 612
    I thought Cleese was abysmal. Couldn't stand his time on screen.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    edited October 2012 Posts: 3,494
    Agent007391 wrote:
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    Agent007391 wrote:
    DRush76 wrote:
    I thought Cleese was much better than Desmond Llewellyn

    Motherf*cking heretic. You should be expelled from the First Church of Llewellyn! No one played Q better than Desmond Llewellyn.

    He also thinks DAD is better than DN

    I can't censor enough swears to tell everyone how I feel about this. I'll go with my first choice: Edited by mod heretic.

    I would have gone with blind Brosnan butt licker, but your response works just fine as well :D
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    edited October 2012 Posts: 7,854
    This is actually the first time the mods have censored me.

    Mod edit: trying to bypass the rules by dropping one letter from an insulting word unfortunately requires such action, my good man. Please pay more caution next time.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    What insulting word was that..

    The thing is though, Llewelyn was more than happy to play Q so long as he was able, and sadly due to that motor accident, was cut short prematurely from a possible future appearance or two, I would of liked to have seen him work with Craig. I think Cleese was R is TWINE as he was being lined up as Llewelyn's replacement, but it all came about a bit earlier than anyone anticipated. I wish Cleese was still around for Skyfall. Once again, just seems absurd having a Q younger than Bond himself. Why the character was omitted from Royale and Solace only they know. The character is a pivotal part of James Bond and they really shouldn't be chopping and changing like they have been recently

    Goodnight :-<
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    edited October 2012 Posts: 7,854
    themods wrote:
    Mod edit: trying to bypass the rules by dropping one letter from an insulting word unfortunately requires such action, my good man. Please pay more caution next time.

    Understandable, though I do have to ask why now? I've used the word more than once across many threads.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    Although it is the same person. I thought he played R as a complete idiot! Where he played Q as Q. So he played the Q role far better i think.
  • Goldeneye95Goldeneye95
    Posts: 546
    John Cleese was really good as Q in Die Another Day. (Even though Desmond Llwellyn is my favorite Q) Jon Cleese was able to get more screen time.
  • 002002
    Posts: 581
    Cleese is much better than Wilshaw's Q because he isnt as
    smug and arrogant as that little drip
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    And why does Craig say to Wishaw, "you still have spots" when the kid has one of the clearest complexions one could ask for ?

    I would of wanted Cleese to be R going into this before the appointment of the new Q, as someone of a similar age would of been acceptable, but once Wishaw got the part, then I would of wanted Cleese to be Q again, if only for it to be plausible. The 'shit, shit, shit' bit with Wishaw cursing as they hacked into the mainframe just seemed a bit out of place, something that Cleese or Llewelyn, you just couldn't envisage hearing

    Even after three viewings, I still couldn't get used to the idea of having someone so young play the part. But it was a decent introduction, I'll give them that

    Q - 'What do you see'

    Bond - 'A Bloody Big Boat'

    Goodnight I-)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    @Baltimore_007, I believe the "Because you still have spots." line was in regard to how Whishaw is, and how some young animals have spots while full grown versions of said animal - cougar, lion, etc. - are unicolor.
  • SharkySharky
    Posts: 266
    I might get blasted for this but i actually like the Q scene in DAD and think it is one of the better moments in the film, i think that scene and Cleese's version of Q might be looked upon a bit more kindly if it weren't for the Invisible car because i quite liked the ring as a gagdet and i thought Cleese and Brosnan were both pretty good and played off each other quite well. I liked the old gagdets in the abandend tube station too.
  • ElliotCarverElliotCarver
    Posts: 249
    I always saw Cleese's R and Q to be the same person, so I like them both equally. He was probably the best thing about DAD, so yeah. He was a great replacement for Desmond.
  • wildboonjivewildboonjive
    Posts: 299
    Sharky wrote:
    I might get blasted for this but i actually like the Q scene in DAD and think it is one of the better moments in the film, i think that scene and Cleese's version of Q might be looked upon a bit more kindly if it weren't for the Invisible car because i quite liked the ring as a gagdet and i thought Cleese and Brosnan were both pretty good and played off each other quite well. I liked the old gagdets in the abandend tube station too.

    You're not going to get blasted from me @Sharky. I happen to agree with you that Cleese's scene in DAD is arguably the best thing about it. He plays it great, as does Brosnan, and the humor pays off at every turn.

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