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The Most Contrived Action Sequences in the James Bond Film Series?

DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
edited June 2015 in Bond Movies Posts: 18,264
What are the most contrived action sequences in the James Bond film series and why?

My personal choices would be:


-the Little Nellie Aerial Battle in YOLT
-the Helga Brandt "defection" sub-plot leading to Bond trapped in a plane without a pilot in YOLT
-the padding of the extended boat chase in bayou country in LALD
-the padding of the car chase in TMWTGG
-the Lotus Road and Underwater Battle in TSWLM
-the ski chase in TWINE

Which would you suggest?

I'd love to hear your suggestions.

If you wish you can read my article on this subject here:

http://www.thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/kingsley-amis-draxs-gambit-and-reform.html
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Comments

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Hands down for me, without a shadow of a doubt, is the ridiculous, contrived, spectacle that was fabricated in TWINE to showcase the BMW's gadgets, Brosnan Bond's running skills, and the Helicopter saw blades. I cringe just to think of it.

    twine99b.jpg

    I also agree on the ski scene from this same porker of a film.
    ----

    The 2nd worst has to be this, from MR. Terrible imho and felt like it was just inserted for a laugh:
    gondola.jpg
    ----
    This also has to be one of the worst, complete with bad projection screen. Moore almost looks embarrassed to be involved in it:
    primary_movies_50_years_of_bond_gallery_14.jpg
    ----However, I think the TSWLM Lotus scene is one of the series best.
    au005-lotus-esprit-submarine.jpg?itok=Dp4rSqxF
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    The sinking house sequence from Casino Royale.
  • andmcitandmcit
    Posts: 1,068
    Broz on the Thames in PTS of TWINE
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,264
    Good choices so far - thanks!
  • andmcitandmcit
    Posts: 1,068
    Another boat - amazon glider in MR
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    I was never really that happy with this scene from SF either. Although beautifully framed and filmed, it seemed quite contrived and inappropriate for a DC Bond film. The CGI didn't help and the 'circle of life' joke fell flat with me.

    skyfall6.jpg
  • andmcitandmcit
    Posts: 1,068
    You could say the use of any gadget that was specifically explained earlier by Q?
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    andmcit wrote: »
    Broz on the Thames in PTS of TWINE
    I didn’t find this contrived at all.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    jake24 wrote: »
    andmcit wrote: »
    Broz on the Thames in PTS of TWINE
    I didn’t find this contrived at all.

    Maybe it's this that's contrived :)
    twineboatdive.jpg
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    bondjames wrote: »
    jake24 wrote: »
    andmcit wrote: »
    Broz on the Thames in PTS of TWINE
    I didn’t find this contrived at all.

    Maybe it's this that's contrived :)
    twineboatdive.jpg
    Ok, that I'll give you.
  • ThomasCrown76ThomasCrown76 Augusta, ks
    Posts: 757
    Anything where roger Moore was supposed to be physical followed by the attack of the Death Star in die another day
  • dinovelvetdinovelvet
    Posts: 709
    Most scenes in TWINE really stick out, as in "Oh, we haven't had any action in about 20 minutes, guess we'd better write something in"

    -The skiing scene/chase
    -The aforementioned buzzsaw/BMW bit
    -Bond and Christmas traveling in that pipeline to defuse a moving bomb(!)
    -Final fight with ridiculously convoluted setup just so Bond and Renard can get together and punch each other


  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    The entire end of MR.
  • fire_and_icefire_and_ice
    Posts: 6,432
    SF The tube train scene and chase, now that whole segment is incredibly contrived. In fact the majority of the movie is contrived.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    fire_and_ice wrote: »
    SF The tube train scene and chase, now that whole segment is incredibly contrived. In fact the majority of the movie is contrived.

    I agree. This has to be up there as one of the most contrived scenarios in a Bond movie. Note that the train is aimed directly at Bond, like a gun:
    Cinefex_Skyfall1.jpg
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    Two words: Space Marines. ;))
  • komododragonBkomododragonB
    Posts: 48
    It's perhaps my favorite fight from the Craig era but the sequence with Obanno in the stairwell is incredibly contrived. It just happens out of no where and just because Obanno's henchmen sees the earpiece that Bond has, also why did Bond bring his silenced Walther when he had no idea Obanno would be there? It all just happens a little too conveniently.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,157
    Q: The Most Contrived Action Sequences in the James Bond Film Series?
    A: Bond getting in bed with May-Day. Enough said. :D
  • dinovelvetdinovelvet
    Posts: 709
    bondjames wrote: »
    fire_and_ice wrote: »
    SF The tube train scene and chase, now that whole segment is incredibly contrived. In fact the majority of the movie is contrived.

    I agree. This has to be up there as one of the most contrived scenarios in a Bond movie:

    If you want to put it like that, the majority of every Bond movie is contrived! That's not what we're here for.

    I don't think this particular scene was contrived in that it was necessary for the villain's plot to move forward. Silva causes a train crash to distract the police and emergency services so he can walk into the courtroom, kill M and get away. But of course Bond survives and messes it up for him, because that's Bond, innit.

    A good test for this thread is - if you remove this scene, does it have any effect on the film at all? The TWINE ski chase that comes out of nowhere and just ends when the filmmakers have decided it's long enough, does that change or add anything to the film? No. TMWTGG car chase? It's just there so they can have a car chase. They could easily just have Bond losing Scaramanga and Goodnight at the boxing arena and the film could continue on the same.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    I disagree @dinovelvet. What is contrived about that SF scene is Silva knowing the exact location where Bond is going to arrive (even though he expresses surprise when he sees him....it certainly did not appear as though it was planned because he was rushing to kill M and was surprised by Bond's appearance), and have a train conveniently stationed at this spot or nearby. That takes clairvoyance/ESP to a whole new level, even for Bond film.....

    I think a good test is whether the scene feels contrived or not. Nearly every action sequence in TWINE felt contrived to me. They did indeed seem tacked on and came out of nowhere - in addition they were poorly conceived, contributing to disbelief..

    The gondola sequence in MR felt that way too, but mainly because of poor editing and the gadgetry. The same applies to the speedboat chase in MR (the glider gadget just popped out of nowhere and blew a potentially great scene) and the Jaws falls drop.

    I personally did not find the TMWTGG chase contrived at all. It seemed perfectly legit given the sequence of events. JW's convenient appearance was the contrived bit for me....but that was to add humour.
  • dinovelvetdinovelvet
    Posts: 709
    I see what you mean. I don't agree, but I see what you mean!

    Anyway, can't believe this one hasn't been mentioned yet - a certain scene where Bond is in an invisible Aston Martin which is racing around an ice castle that's being melted by a space laser, while being chased by a villain with diamonds in his face who's been turned into an albino through DNA replacement. Cough. Just think of all the individual bizarre elements that have to come together for this scene to happen.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    bondjames wrote: »
    What is contrived about that SF scene is Silva knowing the exact location where Bond is going to arrive (even though he expresses surprise when he sees him....it certainly did not appear as though it was planned because he was rushing to kill M and was surprised by Bond's appearance), and have a train conveniently stationed at this spot or nearby. That takes clairvoyance/ESP to a whole new level, even for Bond film.....
    Yeah, okay, I guess that may be the most contrived then.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    dinovelvet wrote: »
    I see what you mean. I don't agree, but I see what you mean!

    Anyway, can't believe this one hasn't been mentioned yet - a certain scene where Bond is in an invisible Aston Martin which is racing around an ice castle that's being melted by a space laser, while being chased by a villain with diamonds in his face who's been turned into an albino through DNA replacement. Cough. Just think of all the individual bizarre elements that have to come together for this scene to happen.

    That was a stretch, for sure...
  • andmcitandmcit
    Posts: 1,068
    You forgot the sucker punch with the freezing trapped heroine in distress amongst that! It's not so much contrived as off the scale of far fetched
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,582
    fire_and_ice wrote: »
    SF The tube train scene and chase, now that whole segment is incredibly contrived. In fact the majority of the movie is contrived.

    Gee whiz. The incessant whining about SF on these boards is unbelievable.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    chrisisall wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    What is contrived about that SF scene is Silva knowing the exact location where Bond is going to arrive (even though he expresses surprise when he sees him....it certainly did not appear as though it was planned because he was rushing to kill M and was surprised by Bond's appearance), and have a train conveniently stationed at this spot or nearby. That takes clairvoyance/ESP to a whole new level, even for Bond film.....
    Yeah, okay, I guess that may be the most contrived then.
    It's more that particular convenient scenario that I'm referring to, in the context of what is supposed to be a serious Bond film, rather than the whole scene, which I know many here criticize.

    MR was full-on contrived from the get-go, so I always thought that the squeeky clean good guy space cadets were par for the course (you can't send Bond to space and not have a lazer battle with the baddies surely........). I was always surprised about how fast they got there though.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Posts: 4,509
    I think the Penguin dive
    of the airplane
    in teaser of Spectre is already worth nomination on this moment.
  • fire_and_icefire_and_ice
    Posts: 6,432
    TripAces wrote: »
    fire_and_ice wrote: »
    SF The tube train scene and chase, now that whole segment is incredibly contrived. In fact the majority of the movie is contrived.

    Gee whiz. The incessant whining about SF on these boards is unbelievable.
    I would not qualify that as incessant whining, merely an opinion. I feel SF is very contrived, its hard to argue against that surely?

  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    For me it has to be the fire engine chase in AVTAK.

    It adds little, if anything, to the film and could have been dropped altogether.

    Also I'd add the dogfight in QOS. Again, that seems to come from nowhere.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I know it's not strictly an action scene but what about the end of TLD PTS? Calvin Dyson makes a good point in his latest review: would Bond really delay reporting to Mi6 after his colleagues were murdered?
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