Craig: stay or go? has SPECTRE changed any opinions?

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  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited December 2015 Posts: 9,117
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Maybe (maybe) it wouldn't have been so quite so bad if we hadn't already run through that set of faces/names three times in the film already (beginning with the Tittle Sequence). It came off as forced an unnecessary. The point had been more than made already.

    Although naturally no photo of Greene because we all want to pretend QOS never existed.

    Can someone remind me if there is Le Chiffre photo in that end sequence?
    I seem to remember there was but why is he any more relevant to Bond's pain than Greene?

    Photos of Silva for killing M and White, because we presume (due to the interrogation tape) he was instrumental in getting Vesper involved, are fair enough I suppose but Le Chiffre was only interested in his own financial dealings.

    Yusef is more deserving of being there than Le Chiffre. And anyway Gettler was Vesper's handler so White's involvement was fairly minimal so does he really deserve his place there?

    The more you think about it the more the whole final act in London comes across as an utter shambles.

    Did Blofeld bring these photos with him on the off chance his men manage to bring Bond to him? And then cobbled together this little mise en scene at a moments notice? How do they know how to find Bond? Q has deleted all the smart blood on the instructions of M and all Blofeld's surveillance equipment has been blown up.

    Perhaps C is keeping tabs on the MI6 team so when they hook up with Bond he tells Blofeld. Except if this the case why does he seem so surprised when they show up at the CNS building?

    And then after already blowing Blofeld up only to discover he has survived they blow him up again rather than let him escape?

    Not to mention the whole Madeline-walking-away scene which I'm assuming was meant to be like when Gala leaves Bond (didn't Gala wear the same trench coat?) which is one of Fleming's most powerful scenes but here is just tossed away in an instant. Bond doesn't even reflect on it for one single second! Watch!! I just want to see a little flicker of some regret on Bond's face before he gets on with the job but she might as well have just said she's changing her phone operator from O2 to TalkTalk from the total indifference Bond shows.

    Horrible scene and completely pointless because 5 minutes later she's forgotten how much she hates this life and is in Bond's arms again.
  • SuperintendentSuperintendent A separate pool. For sharks, no less.
    Posts: 871
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Maybe (maybe) it wouldn't have been so quite so bad if we hadn't already run through that set of faces/names three times in the film already (beginning with the Tittle Sequence). It came off as forced an unnecessary. The point had been more than made already.

    If you ask me, it was wrong in the first place.
    Although naturally no photo of Greene because we all want to pretend QOS never existed.

    Can someone remind me if there is Le Chiffre photo in that end sequence?
    I seem to remember there was but why is he any more relevant to Bond's pain than Greene?

    Photos of Silva for killing M and White, because we presume (due to the interrogation tape) he was instrumental in getting Vesper involved, are fair enough I suppose but Le Chiffre was only interested in his own financial dealings.

    Yusef is more deserving of being there than Le Chiffre. And anyway Gettler was Vesper's handler so White's involvement was fairly minimal so does he really deserve his place there?

    The more you think about it the more the whole final act in London comes across as an utter shambles.

    Did Blofeld bring these photos with him on the off chance his men manage to bring Bond to him? And then cobbled together this little mise en scene at a moments notice? How do they know how to find Bond? Q has deleted all the smart blood on the instructions of M and all Blofeld's surveillance equipment has been blown up.

    There's no use in analyzing this. It's a mess, and I doubt even the script writers would be able to explain it.

  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,304
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Maybe (maybe) it wouldn't have been so quite so bad if we hadn't already run through that set of faces/names three times in the film already (beginning with the Tittle Sequence). It came off as forced an unnecessary. The point had been more than made already.

    Yes. This is what bothered me the most.

    And the lack of socks, now that it has been pointed out. Ad infinitum.

    Perhaps Blofeld could have tortured Bond with his stinky feet, like they used to do as children?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I wonder if Blofeld has any underwear?

    Maybe we shall know in B25,
  • RC7RC7
    edited December 2015 Posts: 10,512
    I don't see how printing some pictures of peoples faces is any more ludicrous than the fake gassing of a town, the hollowing out of a volcano, the building of a tanker that swallows submarines etc...
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    RC7 wrote: »
    I don't see how printing some pictures of peoples faces is any more ludicrous than the fake gassing of a town, the hollowing out of a volcano, the building of a tanker that swallows submarines etc...
    I thought it demonstrated an bizarre arrested adolescent mentality at work.
  • Posts: 6,601
    RC7 wrote: »
    I don't see how printing some pictures of peoples faces is any more ludicrous than the fake gassing of a town, the hollowing out of a volcano, the building of a tanker that swallows submarines etc...

    We call it overanalysing, which never was a smart move regarding Bond films.

    Imo, in all of the films you find those elements, whovdont make sense and are just there to make a certain impression.
    So, the question shouldnt be whether or not all makes sense, but whether or not you like whats up there. SF was the perfect example. Nothing really made sense, but people loved the way it involded.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    chrisisall wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    I don't see how printing some pictures of peoples faces is any more ludicrous than the fake gassing of a town, the hollowing out of a volcano, the building of a tanker that swallows submarines etc...
    I thought it demonstrated an bizarre arrested adolescent mentality at work.

    Yeah, I just thought it was bizarre, yet completely memorable. Part of the reason I liked SP was that it seemed to do what it wanted with two fingers up to those that balked at its peculiar vibe.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Germanlady wrote: »
    So, the question shouldnt be whether or not all makes sense, but whether or not you like whats up there. SF was the perfect example. Nothing really made sense, but people loved the way it involded.
    Exactly right. It's called suspension of disbelief & is a skill and an art.

    Mendes and the scriptwriters were able to pull it off for most people (obviously not all) with SF, but do not seem to have been able to achieve the same trick as well with SP (although some are not bothered by it).
  • Posts: 486
    bondjames wrote: »
    Germanlady wrote: »
    So, the question shouldnt be whether or not all makes sense, but whether or not you like whats up there. SF was the perfect example. Nothing really made sense, but people loved the way it involded.
    Exactly right. It's called suspension of disbelief & is a skill and an art.

    Mendes and the scriptwriters were able to pull it off for most people (obviously not all) with SF, but do not seem to have been able to achieve the same trick as well with SP (although some are not bothered by it).

    I can't really recall what we needed to suspend our disbelief in with regards to SPECTRE.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 2,341
    I like Craig as Bond but I feel pretty sure that SP is his swansong. I just think it time he moved on. Given the length of time and years between Bonds these days, he will be past the half century mark by the time the next film comes out. He has been Bond for about one decade and that is as long as any actor should do it.

    He has been so embraced by the public that I fear that his replacement will face the same uphill battle that Lazenby faced (and Craig too. Easy to forget how he was trashed ten years ago when he was announced as the new 007).
  • Posts: 486
    OHMSS69 wrote: »
    Easy to forget how he was trashed ten years ago when he was announced as the new 007.

    I don't think that is forgotten. Certainly not here in the UK when most articles - and the recent BBC4 documentary - like to make a point of just how much he proved the nay sayers wrong. It was a vicious, prejudicial and undeserved reaction to his casting and I'm glad that it hasn't been swept under the carpet.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Cowley wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Germanlady wrote: »
    So, the question shouldnt be whether or not all makes sense, but whether or not you like whats up there. SF was the perfect example. Nothing really made sense, but people loved the way it involded.
    Exactly right. It's called suspension of disbelief & is a skill and an art.

    Mendes and the scriptwriters were able to pull it off for most people (obviously not all) with SF, but do not seem to have been able to achieve the same trick as well with SP (although some are not bothered by it).

    I can't really recall what we needed to suspend our disbelief in with regards to SPECTRE.
    As I said, some don't mind elements such as brother, retcon, photo displays in the ruins of MI6, Bond's reaction to Madeline leaving etc. all discussed above. You're probably one of those for whom these elements don't matter.

    For others (including myself), these things stick out like a sore thumb due to the manner in which they were executed / presented & cause one to question the plausibility of the narrative being told. That's why there are so many pages here discussing these items for SP. This is not a question of liking formula carefree Bond or not (which some of have put forward as a defense). I like formula Bond as much as the next fella. It's a question of how such formula is implemented. I think it was done in a ham-fisted manner here and I hope they do much better with B25, no matter what direction they choose to go in (continuation of this story or something new).
  • Posts: 486
    bondjames wrote: »
    As I said, some don't mind elements such as brother, retcon, photo displays in the ruins of MI6, Bond's reaction to Madeline leaving etc. all discussed above. You're probably one of those for whom these elements don't matter.

    Well I'd like to think you didn't mean for that to be so offensively presumptuous, dismissive and patronising towards me but I'm not so sure.

  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Cowley wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    As I said, some don't mind elements such as brother, retcon, photo displays in the ruins of MI6, Bond's reaction to Madeline leaving etc. all discussed above. You're probably one of those for whom these elements don't matter.

    Well I'd like to think you didn't mean for that to be so offensively presumptuous, dismissive and patronising towards me but I'm not so sure.

    How dare you just enjoy something @Cowley. Who do you think you are?
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Cowley wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    As I said, some don't mind elements such as brother, retcon, photo displays in the ruins of MI6, Bond's reaction to Madeline leaving etc. all discussed above. You're probably one of those for whom these elements don't matter.

    Well I'd like to think you didn't mean for that to be so offensively presumptuous, dismissive and patronising towards me but I'm not so sure.
    Not at all. You indicated you didn't see why a suspension of disbelief was difficult and I respect that. We've had several pages discussing why it's been a problem however, and I respect that too. I don't have an issue with people not caring about it. Some of those same people whined for years about SF, and still do, interestingly. I enjoyed that film tremendously, still do in fact, but I understand where they're coming from.

    To each their own. I have no problems with criticisms by anyone on here about SF or SP. I find them illuminating and learn something every time. I do take issue with some who have a go at those who do have legitimate criticisms however.

    To clarify again, no offense intended at all.
  • Posts: 486
    RC7 wrote: »
    Cowley wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    As I said, some don't mind elements such as brother, retcon, photo displays in the ruins of MI6, Bond's reaction to Madeline leaving etc. all discussed above. You're probably one of those for whom these elements don't matter.

    Well I'd like to think you didn't mean for that to be so offensively presumptuous, dismissive and patronising towards me but I'm not so sure.

    How dare you just enjoy something @Cowley. Who do you think you are?

    Ha ha. I know! 30+yrs of Bond fandom in which I have developed a firm idea of what I like and don't like but because I find the artistic decisions in SP less offensive to my personal tastes than the moronic 'I'm invincible' moments of the GE I'm an undiscerning numpty!

    This evening I've even just finished my re-watch of The Sandbaggers series 3 (70s UK series about an SIS division similar to the 00 section) so my spy fiction tastes can even be quite po faced at times...but I just don't see what gets people so joylessly frustrated over SP.

    I think in time all fans (of anything) begin to lose perspective and feel a sense of entitlement and if a film doesn't tick all their own personal boxes then the hissy fits start.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited December 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Cowley wrote: »
    Ha ha. I know! 30+yrs of Bond fandom in which I have developed a firm idea of what I like and don't like but because I find the artistic decisions in SP less offensive to my personal tastes than the moronic 'I'm invincible' moments of the GE I'm an undiscerning numpty!
    I think you're being a little harsh there. You're certainly not undiscerning nor are you numpty.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Cowley wrote: »
    I think in time all fans (of anything) begin to lose perspective and feel a sense of entitlement and if a film doesn't tick all their own personal boxes then the hissy fits start.
    Yeah, y'know, I try to remember that now when I freak over not being totally thrilled by a Bond movie (coughSkyfallcough) I still have a whole shelf of favourites I can rely on. Some new ones I will like, others not so much. It's the circle of film life.

    :D
  • brinkeguthriebrinkeguthrie Piz Gloria
    Posts: 1,400
    I hope he does as many as he wants. he's redefined the role.
  • Posts: 2,599
    As far fetched as SF was, at least the character movement in this film made up for it. There was barely any characterisation in Spectre. The grand plan in Skyfall was for Sil
  • Posts: 2,599
    As far fetched as SF was, at least the character movement in this film made up for it. There was barely any characterisation in Spectre. The grand plan in Skyfall was for Silva to kill M but there just seemed like there was no real grand plan in Spectre. Going back to London in the end was a waste of time and led to nothing. Spectre should have had some grand plan. Even if it was something as ridiculous as hijacking nuclear weapons, this would have been fine. The Denby character, the whole story regarding closing down the 00 program and the final London scenes should have been omitted. From doing this we could have had more characterisation and a tighter more solid plot regarding Spectre's latest money making goal. Honestly, what is going on with these Bond films? We've had shoddy plots since CR. Why don't they get the writers of the Mission Impossible films on these Bond films... At least there was more explanation in the older films and the books as to how the villains planned to achieve their goal. I like a lot of what Mendes has done with the Bond films but he needs to go if he's going to continue to give these Swiss cheese scripts the go ahead. I hope Craig stays on though.
  • Posts: 6,601
    Just a thought on the Madeleine farewell and the non reaction of Bond.

    We know, DC can do emotion very well. In this case, there was none. IMO that was deliberate. If we see Bond from CR to Sp, they might have wanted to show him progress from being able to convey emotion, to give his heart away to moan his love in the next, having more emotional "garbage" in SF and now, when they wanted to give him the full round, he doesn't do emotion any more. Certainly not on display. He finally hardened himself.
    Giving up his professional life isn't necessarely based on his undying love for Madeleine but more about jumping (pun intended) on a good reason to finally do it.
  • edited December 2015 Posts: 4,622
    I wonder if Blofeld has any underwear?

    Maybe we shall know in B25,

    Mendes needs to offer up a full explanation of the no socks matter on dvd commentary

    ....and he probs doesn't wear undwewear

    I wonder does Mendes wear socks and underwear?
    This madness come from some.somewhere.

  • Posts: 6,601
    timmer wrote: »
    I wonder if Blofeld has any underwear?

    Maybe we shall know in B25,

    Mendes needs to offer up a full explanation of the no socks matter on dvd commentary

    ....and he probs doesn't wear undwewear

    I wonder does Mendes wear socks and underwear?
    This madness come from some.somewhere.

    Well, Waltz explained it by saying, its really hot there. True... ;)
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Cowley wrote: »
    RC7 wrote: »
    Cowley wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    As I said, some don't mind elements such as brother, retcon, photo displays in the ruins of MI6, Bond's reaction to Madeline leaving etc. all discussed above. You're probably one of those for whom these elements don't matter.

    Well I'd like to think you didn't mean for that to be so offensively presumptuous, dismissive and patronising towards me but I'm not so sure.

    How dare you just enjoy something @Cowley. Who do you think you are?

    Ha ha. I know! 30+yrs of Bond fandom in which I have developed a firm idea of what I like and don't like but because I find the artistic decisions in SP less offensive to my personal tastes than the moronic 'I'm invincible' moments of the GE I'm an undiscerning numpty!

    This evening I've even just finished my re-watch of The Sandbaggers series 3 (70s UK series about an SIS division similar to the 00 section) so my spy fiction tastes can even be quite po faced at times...but I just don't see what gets people so joylessly frustrated over SP.

    I think in time all fans (of anything) begin to lose perspective and feel a sense of entitlement and if a film doesn't tick all their own personal boxes then the hissy fits start.

    If you both thoroughly enjoyed SP I'm glad for you.

    I also enjoyed it (I found myself grinning like a schoolboy when Bond ejected from the DB10) and let's put it into perspective a little - it's way better than dross like DAF, TMWTGG and DAD. It's probably bordering on top10.

    But that doesn't mean it's not horribly flawed.

    If you are happy to just eagerly lap up whatever EON serve for you then good for you but there's no need to start criticising those of us who strive for something to rival FRWL and OHMSS.

    SP had enough elements in place to have the potential to take its place alongside CR as a bona fide classic of the Craig era but the script in the last third is just not up to scratch.

    It's nothing to do with being a fan with a sense of entitlement. It's just asking people to do a competent job that they have been paid handsomely for. And some of the writing on this film is horrible.

    If we're all whining fanboys for having the temerity to criticise SP then you pair are just the cinema going equivalent of North Korean peasants, happy to agree with whatever propaganda EON throw your way and dance in big choreographed celebrations in stadiums proclaiming the glory of the leader.
  • Posts: 1,296
    No one is a whininy fanboy no one is a dancing peasant....... lets all make love. :)
  • Posts: 4,325
    IGUANNA wrote: »
    No one is a whininy fanboy no one is a dancing peasant....... lets all make love. :)

    'This guy cracks me up'
  • Posts: 1,296
    Sometimes I see a members posts where it looks like maybe they are trying to light each other's toes on fire and watch friends dance like crazy ravens spinning toards the grave but I see no necessary evil in doing such a thing and so, we are all allowed to have an opinion on the newest James Bond film without making each other feel bad or uintelligent for loving it or hating it or feeling lukewarm as long as you have an opinion and you can share it and state why without being mean then every opionin is welcome.
  • Posts: 4,325
    IGUANNA wrote: »
    Sometimes I see a members posts where it looks like maybe they are trying to light each other's toes on fire and watch friends dance like crazy ravens spinning toards the grave but I see no necessary evil in doing such a thing and so, we are all allowed to have an opinion on the newest James Bond film without making each other feel bad or uintelligent for loving it or hating it or feeling lukewarm as long as you have an opinion and you can share it and state why without being mean then every opionin is welcome.

    :)
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