Fix A Bond Film

13

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    I would fix the casino fight in SF, as well - it just felt too comical and out of place for me. If they had a brutal fight down in the pit, sans komodo dragons, I would have been much happier.
  • Posts: 414
    Favorite movie: Thunderball
    Fixes:
    - Tie-in the PTS with the main plot a little better. Perhaps Col. Bouvar was more closely tied to Largo's plot rather than just another SPECTRE member.
    - Rick Van Nutter's OK, but use Jack Lord as Felix Leiter instead.
    - Make Bond's underwater liason with Domino more suggestive.
    - Intercut the underwater sequences with something happening above the surface to give the audience a break from the epic but also long and dialogue-less underwater battles.
    - Find a better way to stage the final fight between Bond and Largo than the shaky blue-screen battle on the Disco Volante's bridge.
  • edited January 2013 Posts: 2,341
    I would replace Brosnan with Dalton in GE...

  • edited January 2013 Posts: 2,782
    OHMSS69 wrote:
    I would replace Brosnan with Dalton in GE...

    That is a true saying. Dalton in GE=awesome. Almost had Three classic bond films in a row.

  • MrBondMrBond Station S
    Posts: 2,044
    Fix the movie, A View To A Kill. My least favourite Bondfilm

    - Replace Moore with Dalton. God how much better it would have been
    - Beef up the script, and try to make it a bit more darker and sadistic. It could also followed the short story more
    - Remove Stacey Sutton
    - Remove MayDay
    - Make Zorin a more of an equal to Bond ( this would have been easier with Dalton as Bond )
    - Tighten up the film with less of the worthless scenes.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    It's really weird to think how some of our lesser-loved Bond films would be totally different if even the main actor was switched, or just one gadget or scene was different.

    Take DAD: I had no qualms with Brosnan's role in it, but just to think if the whole speeding bullet vehicle/CGI parasailing was cut and switched for something much more realistic and enjoyable, or if they just had a normal Aston Martin instead of an invisible one. I've rarely heard complaint of Zao vs. Bond on the ice in the film, but I think taking away the invisibility and whatnot would have made it much better. Switching out Jinx's lines would be nice, too...

    "Your mama."

    Or "your mother," or whatever she says. Cringe-worthy line, and I rarely say that.
  • Posts: 908
    When i mentioned in another thread my believe,that With very slight changes ( i wrote about 3 Lines added, 3 changed and 2 minutes extra filmed to be exact) and a tad easier Approach to the editing, QoS would be an absolute gem in the Series,completly blowing the Fans away, some other member asked,what these changes would be. I kindly obliged and wrote down, what i always found changeworthy when watching QoS.
    Sunday the thought crossed my mind, that Since i had already done the work, it might be Fun to create an entire thread dedicated towards, what other members would do to make some specific Bond Movies better. (I have been "redirected" to this thread, Since some felt Mine was to ???)

    But Again,my emphasis is on rather slight changes or additions, Since one can always create something entirely New (i think we all would agree,that DAF would only Profit from being made COMPLETLY from the scratch), but that exercise would be called the " Dream your Own Bond thread".
    Also - no "Improving" just for the sake of it (for example i can't think of anything to improve TSWLM, which does what it wants to do exceedingly well in my mind). No just Little Things,that always boggled your mind when watching some Bond Flics (the Bikini Girl from TLD PTS,which destroys a completly serious scene, is a Prime example)
    By the Way , feel Free to criticize my thoughts about QoS and as Long your comments resemble only slightly a civil and/or constructive response, you can be Sure of a civilized and polite answer.

    So here i go



    Since i happen to enjoy the PTS (which like all the action scenes in QoS is much better on a large tv screen,than in the cinema) a lot i won't ask, how it is possible,that this 20000 € Alfa can keep up so easily with Bonds Car. If i was Mr. Aston or Martin i'd be very annoyed!

    1. But Fun aside the First Thing i would change is the Yussef angle. When M mentions,that they found a Lock of his Hair to confirm (!)he is dead (after all it doesn't really makes Sense,that Quantum goes to such lenghts to convince the MI6 Yussef is dead, just to spoil it with such a stupid mistake!), my Bond would have insisted,that Vesper wasn't sentimental and this was all too Easy. Then M ,not believing him something along the "that's it,007.Period!" Routine. That Knowledge would really give Bond some Motivation to ignore Orders and lets the audience follow more emotional attached.
    Then i would (against my firm Love of Logic in Storylines) keep the "We're looking over our shoulders" monolog of White Since it Works so well. Of course it makes no Sense,because if they have people everywhere (which apparently they have) they know,that british and American Intelligence have no idea of their existence.
    I would skip the Foot Chase right after the horse Race (or even better have them Run in the middle of the Race ). There is Way too much Running around in The Craig Bonds ! Let me add,that the following Hangover Fight to me is a one of a Kind. Wow!

    2. Haiti : After killing Slate Bond would Screen the room, just to give the Breaking in a reason and for remembering us he is on a Hunt.

    3.Have him questioning Camille after the boat Fight. One could use their Airplane and Cave Dialog for it so i wouldn't have to spare one of my precious 3 Lines.
    It just makes no Sense he just leaves her back in the Harbour,when she obviously knows a Lot about the Things going on.

    4. Now to Austria. While Bond is listening Quantums Top brass and it comes to the canadians i would have Greene saying something like "I attached Yussef to it. He managed to make contact with a canadian Intelligence Officer,which is already very Fond of him. I don't know how he does it, but the Girls just do anything for him. Even die." Now just picture Craigs Face looking really grim and hateful and imagine how emotionally pushed up the audience now is, thirsting with Bond for Revenge. Remember,emotionally attached is my keyword.

    5. When he phones M after the shootout my Bond would make it a Point to say simply "it wasn't me" when he gets accused of having Shot the Special Branch member. (This is the One Thing that doesn't makes sense at all. Writer Strike or not, just about anybody during filming the scene could have asked why this stupid limey does not tell her how it really is?) I would also like my M to believe him and to give him a hint where to get some Money and helph. Something along the Lines :"don't you dare to go Mathis,just because he is near to your Place in ..."
    Ever wondered how Bond knew where Mathis lived and why he spent so willingly a bundle of Money for Bond to Dress,Travel and sleep First Class? Much more convincing if he knew that he gets refounded by the MI6 after all is over.

    6. At the Party i feel we should See how Things happen to Mathis. All that's needed is that after this "Friend" of him says he wants to Show him something we See him Lead Mathis to a Room and when he enters there are a few thugish looking Soldiers waiting. The Rest our Fantasy would handle quite easily. This Way the Finding of him in the Trunk would not feel that forced. Also Bond and Leiter should have some Short eye contact, so 007 knows he can Talk to at the CIA. This "I asked a Cab driver ..." Line really is overdoing this "how incompetent the CIA is " Buisness!

    7. heightened Plot. When Greene tells Medrano about their New Tarif for Water he could add something like this: "We have - one Way or another (imagine a sinister smile on Greenes Face) - obtained two thirds of the water rights in Central and South America. The only ones we don't Own are those in countries not worth being owned. You all can keep your Oil and whatever your countries provide, but you will Pay dearly for the Most elementary desire. Thirst. "
    This should have emphasized the Real "Weight" of the Plot for all those who constantly Need the World to be in DANGER to feel thrilled and would also feel much more naturally for an Organisation like Quantum, than simply raising some Tarifs in a third World Country.

    8. Questioning Greene for a few seconds,so we know a few more Stories about Yussef, so we can Build up a Little extra hate and also know how Bond Finds him in russia.


    Well, that's it. If i have counted right, i should be within my selfimposed limits (at least i hope so). Sure if i was Matt Helm Almighty i would have one or two Things to alter, but ... You know..Rules.


    So now it's your Turn, Hope i Kind of inspired some of you
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @Matt_Helm, I agree on you with quite a few of those, especially number four. I suppose Bond knew that it was pointless to try and argue his side of what happened, but still, why not at least let M know you aren't going past the point of no return?

    As for six, I don't believe they wanted Mathis' appearance in the trunk to feel 'forced,' but rather a surprise. What keeps me curious is that when Fields leaves the Colonel and Mathis to follow Bond, you see them both together. In that span of time, she makes it halfway up the stairs before Bond and Camille are exiting to the car. How did the Colonel and his men manage to sneak Mathis away, subdue him, and hide him in the car before Bond arrived to it?

    I like your thoughts on the seventh one. When the film came out, people thought "Water. Wow.", but adding in some dialogue on the major importance of the element would show just how serious things are.

    And yes, for number eight, I would have enjoyed hearing Bond and Greene speak on the way into the desert. Would have added more to the story and running time and would have given us a lot more to go off of.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Those are some really great suggestions, @Matt_Helm, and there were a few lines of dialogue you had written there that I could literally hear Greene speaking, and wishing he had. More background on Yusef and how he is found is definitely something I wish we got more of, and more explanation of Mathis and his death. Such a great character and yet it is almost like he dies for nothing, and if not that then only so that Bond and Camille go to Bolivia alone.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, I just loathe that Mathis dies. He was such an amazing character, absolutely wasted on that death. I could have seen him sticking around for a while, and really wish he had.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Creasy47 wrote:
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, I just loathe that Mathis dies. He was such an amazing character, absolutely wasted on that death. I could have seen him sticking around for a while, and really wish he had.

    Yes, such a great character from the Fleming books (I love him in Casino Royale; book and film) and seriously, he only died for that reason and that reason alone; so stupid. If they wanted to ensure that only Bond and Camille went to Bolivia and saw the sink holes, then they could have still had Mathis live and just get him to the hospital (just make it so he only got shot once or something) since he wouldn't be that critically injured and we see him alive at the end (maybe with Bond in Russia when he sees Yusef?). I would have loved to see the look on Mathis's face when Bond tosses Vesper's necklace in the snow. After overhearing Bond's talk with M, we could get a close-up shot of him smiling now because he sees that Bond has learned to forgive Vesper and move on. While we do get a great heart-to-heart moment when Mathis is dying between him and Bond, I feel that if we got him in Skyfall it would have been much more worthwhile. I can't really think where he would fit in, but if he had lived the story of Skyfall may have changed to include him.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, I couldn't agree more, and I, too, love Mathis in both the film(s) and the book. Not that QoS needed more action, but perhaps police backup arrives as Bond races across town to get Mathis to the hospital, and Camille/Bond have to fight them off.

    And I'm also thinking of where Mathis could fit, as well. Perhaps he finds where Bond is hiding out after the PTS and he informs him (instead of the television) of the explosion at MI6. Or, let SF be Mathis' recuperation time (although it's a span of a few months) and bring him back for a larger role in 'Bond 24.' Ahh, if only.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited March 2013 Posts: 28,694
    Creasy47 wrote:
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, I couldn't agree more, and I, too, love Mathis in both the film(s) and the book. Not that QoS needed more action, but perhaps police backup arrives as Bond races across town to get Mathis to the hospital, and Camille/Bond have to fight them off.

    And I'm also thinking of where Mathis could fit, as well. Perhaps he finds where Bond is hiding out after the PTS and he informs him (instead of the television) of the explosion at MI6. Or, let SF be Mathis' recuperation time (although it's a span of a few months) and bring him back for a larger role in 'Bond 24.' Ahh, if only.

    I love that idea! And then we could have Mathis tell Bond about the plot in Bolivia, which he and Camille go to investigate after they kill the Colonel's men and get Mathis to the hospital (maybe get Felix to have CIA men guard him?).

    I also love the idea of Mathis warning Bond of the attack in Skyfall, but I feel QoS and Skyfall have a lot of time between them, so it would seem kind of weird to me to just have him pop in. All these great possibilities gone in a flash. I think his death is first and foremost the thing I hate most about the film.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7, absolutely. I quite love the idea now that I think on it more: didn't need more action, but it would save Mathis and add a bit more to the film. And yes, it's something I truly hate about the movie. I think I would also fix the airplane sequence. I do like that Forster wanted to go with the elements in the movie, but I just don't care for the airplane chase sequence in the slightest, and am usually looking forward to it being finished.
  • Posts: 233
    Skyfall

    A couple of changes I think would make it perfect:

    -Improve the CG on the Komodo dragons

    -Get rid of the whole "it was years in the planning" nonsense. Instead, say something like "he had programs built into his computer in case he was ever captured." Still doesn't make total sense but it's a lot less convenient.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    Skyfall: Eve needed a bit more motivation to quit the field. She was too happy and competent in the Macau sequence.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    The Living Daylights:

    Remove Brad Whitaker. (He brought nothing to the plot but Pushkin's "The Money in three days..." line was pretty awesome.)

    Make Koskov more like General Orlov. His hammy/clownish behavior in this movie really took me out of it.

    Remove Felix and CIA girls completely. (seriously, the weren't important to the plot.)

    Make the plot something on the lines of preventing WWIII instead of a dumb diamond/drug smuggling shtick.

    Have Kara be a dishonored Russian Agent who was tricked by Koskov into being killed by MI6 but Bond helps her clear her name and know Koskov is a triple Agent from the start.

    Remove the cello sled scene completely (terrible Moore era throwback idea..)

    and lastly make Dalton's "Bond...James Bond" a little more iconic and less rushed sounding.

    that would make it as good as Licence to Kill in my book. ;)
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    Murdock wrote:
    The Living Daylights:

    Have Kara be a dishonored Russian Agent who was tricked by Koskov into being killed by MI6 but Bond helps her clear her name and know Koskov is a triple Agent from the start.

    I like that she's an innocent caught up in events but your suggestion makes more sense.

    Koskov: "If you really love me, you'll pretend to be a sniper for me."
  • Posts: 72
    Quantum of Solace:
    Have Daniel Kleinman do the titles.
  • Skyfall

    Fix up Severine's story arc. Make it so Silva ordered her to bring Bond to his island and only got cross with her when he finds out they slept together and she was hoping for Bond to bring him down. Also, throw a line in there to show Bond's remorse. He made a promise to save her and then got her killed, he should feel a little guilt.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Skyfall

    Fix up Severine's story arc. Make it so Silva ordered her to bring Bond to his island and only got cross with her when he finds out they slept together and she was hoping for Bond to bring him down. Also, throw a line in there to show Bond's remorse. He made a promise to save her and then got her killed, he should feel a little guilt.

    He does show signs of it. Though, she is the one who asked Bond for help, therefore she died all on her own.
  • edited March 2013 Posts: 12,837
    Though, she is the one who asked Bond for help, therefore she died all on her own.

    Yeah, it's her own fault. She was the one who wanted to find a way out of an abusive relationship (which she only entered to escape a life of prostitution) with an insane terrorist. What a stupid cow, it was her own fault for taking her only option of escaping Silva, which was trusting a highly skilled secret agent who promised to save her.

    Even though Bond sprung into action and took out Silva's henchmen after she'd been killed, the blame still rests entirely on her own shoulders.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Though, she is the one who asked Bond for help, therefore she died all on her own.

    Yeah, it's her own fault. She was the one who wanted to find a way out of an abusive relationship (which she only entered to escape a life of prostitution) with an insane terrorist. What a stupid cow, it was her own fault for taking her only option of escaping Silva, which was trusting a highly skilled secret agent who promised to save her.

    Even though Bond sprung into action and took out Silva's henchmen after she'd been killed, the blame still rests entirely on her own shoulders.

    I sense some sarcasm; I can't say definitely since it is in text.
  • Posts: 1,970
    Another Bond film I would fix is Skyfall I would not have Bond get shot and fall off a bridge. Because in real life a fall that high would kill a guy.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    fjdinardo wrote:
    Another Bond film I would fix is Skyfall I would not have Bond get shot and fall off a bridge. Because in real life a fall that high would kill a guy.
    Not necessarily. And by the way, after 50 years of over the top "it could only happen in a Bond movie" moments, THAT is the one that irks you?
  • Posts: 4,813
    fjdinardo wrote:
    Another Bond film I would fix is Skyfall I would not have Bond get shot and fall off a bridge. Because in real life a fall that high would kill a guy.
    I only would have changed one part of Skyfall's PTS: When Eve accidentally shoots Bond, she should have (understandably) freaked out but still try to hit Patrice; maybe switch to automatic and fire out of desperation. She'd still miss of course since she's upset-- but she sure would have looked better as a character if she had at least tried to still hit Patrice....

  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    A View To A Kill:

    This one isn't to bad to me but it does need some work.

    Recast Bond/Moneypenny: No offence to Roger. I liked him as Bond, but he was way too old for this one. Same for Lois. This would be a good vehicle for Dalton and Bliss to start out on.

    More menace to Zorin: Not going to lie, I didn't really find Zorin menacing, I just found him hammy. When he wasn't shouting, he had great menace but he didn't feel too menacing to me.

    Remove beach boys music: No need to explain.

    Give Mayday more to do: I liked Grace Jones. She was like a twisted creepy combination of bambi and thumper.

    Give Stacy more to do besides scream: Tanya Roberts isn't a horrible actress but the way here character was written make her look like it. It would have been nice to actually see her do some geology work instead of saying geology related things. Put her in the field, like Christmas Jones, but in more plausible way.

    Kill Tibbet later in the film: I always felt Sir Godfrey's death was too soon. A real twist would be to have him Killed along with Howe, fueling's Bond's dislike of Zorin to a critical level.

    City Hall Escape: More focus on Bond and Stacey, less on the homeless man who drops his alcohol bottle we don't know or care about, nor ever see again.

    Use the Police for something better than comedy!: AVTAK really made American police officers look incompetent and silly. I think it would be nice of they Arrested Bond and he stages an escape that's less silly than the Firetruck Chase.

    Remove Gogol and the KGB's Involvement: They didn't serve a purpose in the story IMO.

    Well I couldn't think of anything else I didn't remotely like about AVTAK so I'll leave it at that.
  • Posts: 4,813
    Murdock wrote:
    Give Mayday more to do: I liked Grace Jones. She was like a twisted creepy combination of bambi and thumper.
    I mentioned in another thread years ago- Bond should have cleverly tricked May Day into blowing up with that detonator-- it would have shown a meaner edge to Bond and certainly would have cemented Dalton as a badass and not one to be crossed.
    I always thought her switch from good guy to bad guy was like a lightswitch... it would have been better and more expected for them to not trust each other.

    What do you think Murdock?
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    fjdinardo wrote:
    Another Bond film I would fix is Skyfall I would not have Bond get shot and fall off a bridge. Because in real life a fall that high would kill a guy.
    I only would have changed one part of Skyfall's PTS: When Eve accidentally shoots Bond, she should have (understandably) freaked out but still try to hit Patrice; maybe switch to automatic and fire out of desperation. She'd still miss of course since she's upset-- but she sure would have looked better as a character if she had at least tried to still hit Patrice....

    But if she hit him he would likely fall off the train too. If Bond was there it would be no big deal because he could get a hold of Patrice or the drive when Eve hit him, but since Bond fell off the train Eve risked losing the drive completely if she took a shot at Patrice.
  • Posts: 1,970
    fjdinardo wrote:
    Another Bond film I would fix is Skyfall I would not have Bond get shot and fall off a bridge. Because in real life a fall that high would kill a guy.
    Not necessarily. And by the way, after 50 years of over the top "it could only happen in a Bond movie" moments, THAT is the one that irks you?

    oh no no i just wanted to get my point across about and see what you guys thought
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