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Is the Bond franchise a zombie?

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  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I'd rather look directly into the sun that watch Potter or anything such, for me, Bond is the longest and best loved film series no matter what nobody says

    If we can go back to the authors original point and I can appreciate he may have a beef with Craig's Bond or the last two movies, but I actually enjoyed Royale, so much in fact I went back another two times to see it again, it finally put some vigor and life into Bond after Brosnan's last appearance when it all got a bit dour

    Speaking for myself, the franchise went downhill in the early to mid 1980s and once Dalton took over, it was a significant improvement and we got back to something as it should be and 007 was serious again and it was a pleasure to watch. Once Brosnan took the part in the mid 1990s we again saw elements or traces of the Fleming character, but that didn't last long and 1997's Tomorrow seemed to be a throwback to some of the dismal lower reaches we saw before, but Brosnan redeemed himself with a quite excellent performance in TWINE, before once again hitting a sour note in the best forgotten Die Another Day

    I actually just had to edit a large part out as while I thought what I wrote was a fair and accurate assumption, maybe I would either be incorrect or misled or some issues could arise, it was about the attraction and pulling power of Bond today for global audiences, but I'll let it lie


  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    I wouldn't go as far as calll the movies "Zombie" but they are formuliac pictures. I have to agree that since LTK the movies (Brosnan age) were on "life support". However that being said I agree that the idea to reboot with Craig was a smart move and have injected a new life into the series. I like the fact that Craig's movies does not seem to follow the "formula" that you saw in post GE Brosnan films.
    I think Babs and Michael Wilson are honestly trying to improve on the 50 year old franchise and I have to commend them for it.
    IMHO...
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,356
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Really? Thats even better! Is that inflation adjusted though? I only remembered that because it was on the news when it was confirmed that Bond 23 was back on the cards again.

    No. If you adjust for inflation Bond is number one by about double Potter's adjusted takings. Bond is only ever first or second, depending on the list you choice.
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    Bond is indeed the top dog when adjusted and in terms of actual attendance. When people talk about the series being re-energised etc, maybe artisically, but when you look at the attendance / adjusted figures the Daniel Craig films haven't really made any more money than the Brosnan films. Die Another Day made a lot of money and seemed to get pretty good reviews at the time of release.
  • PanchitoPistolesPanchitoPistoles 2.0
    Posts: 4,619
    identigraph wrote:
    but when you look at the attendance / adjusted figures the Daniel Craig films haven't really made any more money than the Brosnan films.

    Not true. Inflation adjusted total Box Office results:

    GE $499,954,330
    TND $465,588,535
    TWINE $504,705,882
    DAD $546,490,272
    CR $640,803,677
    QOS $586,090,727
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    fair enough, haven't checked those figures for a while!
  • licensetoforumlicensetoforum
    Posts: 371
    It is about the money but has the Bond series really changed over the years? Sure there have been more comical films, more serious ones, even a Bond in space, but the plot usually follows the same pattern. There has even been countless times when EON decided to go back to basics because the series was getting too outlandish.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    i think thats why they are sticking with this time line if you like? Perhaps in the future they may return to what we have seen from previous incarnations of the role. i say lets just enjoy what we got as i think its a refreshing change on the franchise which i welcome. Some of the films are a little outlandish but i have great fondness for all of them. If they go too outlandish though i fear we could end up outparodying Austin Powers! =))
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,999
    James Bond is still dead in


    Dead Every Day

    resident-evil-zombie-small.jpg

    "A Bloody Mary, please. Shaken, not stirred. M... my leg has fallen off again"
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    lol! like it! blimey? If Bond looks like that now? i may have a shot at the role! lol!
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    A zombie-Bond mash-up. Excellent idea. May be George Romero can be brought in to direct!
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    How long before Bond reels in Potter? Cant take much considering the speccy little twat only has about 7 films. If SF takes $500 and the next DC bond another $500 that must be close?

  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    not sure but i love the respect! :))
  • BritishChap007BritishChap007
    Posts: 555
    fanbond123 wrote:
    And when you think about it, Daniel Craig does look a bit like a zombie. :P

    Classic Bond_Fan. But at least the first half of your post was coherent, which was an improvement.

  • SAMSAM
    Posts: 107
    Had you asked this question during Pierce Brosnan's tenure, my answer would have been YES !! (The Bo**ne series put this franchise to shame at time)

    But Casino Royale brought James Bond 007 back to life !! BOND FOREVER
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    Aah, B****e... An exceedingly excellent trilogy. It perfectly demonstrated what Bond could/should have been doing in those lost years. Let's hope they don't ruin it by doing a pointless fourth installment. I always liked to imagine Grosse Pointe Blank as the fourth installment in B****e though - Jason B returning home to the mid-west somewhere to the girl he left on prom night.
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    edited December 2011 Posts: 4,346
    Couldn't help to spot the resemblance...

    resident-evil-zombie-small.jpg

    craigdragontatoo.png

  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    edited December 2011 Posts: 14,662
    zebrafish wrote:
    Couldn't help to spot the resemblance...

    Gee, that's a pretty messy shot of Craig. Who's that in the bottom photo? ;)
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    zebrafish wrote:
    Couldn't help to spot the resemblance...

    resident-evil-zombie-small.jpg

    craigdragontatoo.png



    =)) The thread's question has been answered.
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    QBranch wrote:
    zebrafish wrote:
    Couldn't help to spot the resemblance...

    Gee, that's a pretty messy shot of Craig. Who's that in the bottom photo? ;)

    Simple but brilliant.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,722
    Does anyone know the figures for the Call of Duty franchise ? I know it's a video games series, but still, I'd like to know...
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    Either £1b or $1b I think I read recently.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited December 2011 Posts: 11,189
    Is the series a zombie? Part of me can't help but think it might be nowadays. Aside from hiring the excellent (but zombie-like)Craig the series has been long past it's peak in the 60s. Since then we've had some hits (TSWLM, OP, GE, CR etc) and some misses (Dullmonds are Forever, TND, DAD and Quantum of Souless).

    While there are bits of every Bond film I enjoy the series is "on life support". Hopefully SF will be good but what about after that?
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    I cannot see an end to the franchise as it makes too much money for the studios. If they should severely dip in terms of takings? Maybe? But i just cannot see that happening? Thankfully! :D
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    We all hold out for some miracle to occur and for the magic to return. We will see.
  • BritishChap007BritishChap007
    Posts: 555
    Getafix wrote:
    We all hold out for some miracle to occur and for the magic to return. We will see.

    It did. This neat little film called Casino Royale. Doesn't get much better than that.
  • UsualManUsualMan
    edited January 2012 Posts: 94
    Getafix wrote:
    Obviously I love Bond, but is the franchise not actually the living dead? To be honest, I've hardly enjoyed any of the films since The Living Daylights - they've all been mirthless, charmless, yawn-fests, living off past glories. If I'm perfectly honest, I think the only reason the franchise has lasted as long as it has is Roger's irresistible charm - he kept the show on the road when it probably should have been packed up and sent home, purely through his star charisma. Brosnan was the absolute nadir and although Craig is excellent by comparison, he is dull and utterly lacking in likeability. What is the point in making more of these putrid, product-placement vehicles?

    Is Bond franchise zombie? Surely not, the only zombie is probably Bond, James. See that still living through the 50 years, ~40 years old guy, who moves like 20, fires like sniper/special forces and seduces girls like Casanova. And he should be about 90 now :-), wish You that condition.

    But if You want less bad comedian answer, I think no. Many of XIX/XX century or older books/films get lost in archives and nobody wants to see them now(excluding historians). People still want to see Sherlock Holmes adventures, so why not to make next Bond, if there is enough audience?

    I think that they just made something similar to Verne, or other great artists of they century. Something that is worth seeing, and good nice expression of what people dream of. Every century have it own still worth seeing new cultural referenced things, and just for XX century one of it is Bond. The spies are as old as local tribe politicians rules, but Fleming known how to tell this tale in the most interesting way.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I can't really classify that the series went into zombie mode and any given time, maybe hibernation would be a better term, i.e. when Mr Moore at times was present particularly near his end tenure there was a definite slumber but Timmy came along and gave the franchise a much needed shot in the arm, same as when Pierce did his last release in 2002 and Casino Royale came up next and totally invigorated the series with some much needed hard reality
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    Samuel001 wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    the bond franchise is the third most successful after Star Wars and Harry Potter.

    It's second. After only Harry Potter.

    I hate star wars (even the original ones), and the harry potter films are horrible. Luckily now harry potter has stopped bond has a chance to reclaim his top spot.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited January 2012 Posts: 13,356
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Samuel001 wrote:
    RogueAgent wrote:
    the bond franchise is the third most successful after Star Wars and Harry Potter.

    It's second. After only Harry Potter.

    I hate star wars (even the original ones), and the harry potter films are horrible. Luckily now harry potter has stopped bond has a chance to reclaim his top spot.

    By then, Avatar will be top but only for a while.
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