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Is enthusiasm for Daniel Craig as Bond waning?
M16_Cart
Craig fanboy?
I must preface by saying I think Craig has been a great Bond actor: he offered 3 great performances and a decent one. It's because his tenure has been 12 years long and he hasn't put out a significant Bond film in the past 5-6 years. We're past the novelty stage, but at the same time, MGM hasn't done anything to keep people's excitement. The social media era is different; with how fast everything is happening, being gone for 4 years is like being gone for 8. Craig was exactly the kind of Bond millennials wanted to be introduced to, but now there's a crop of Generation Z filmgoers that are getting the leftovers.
It seems like Craig is only holding the mantle because there is no clear successor. Craig is holding the mantle because there is no clear successor. Moore's type of Bond worked fine at age 50, but Craig's shirtless, edgy, lustbomb, dangerous persona is hard to do at 50. I'm not as excited as I once was because I don't expect Craig to do anything new in the role.
It seems like Craig is only holding the mantle because there is no clear successor. Craig is holding the mantle because there is no clear successor. Moore's type of Bond worked fine at age 50, but Craig's shirtless, edgy, lustbomb, dangerous persona is hard to do at 50. I'm not as excited as I once was because I don't expect Craig to do anything new in the role.
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Comments
You're also correct in pointing out that his style of edgy Bond doesn't really work with a 50 year old actor.
I look forward to something new with the next actor, and I hope we actually do get something new when that time comes.
Craig's performance in Spectre, to me, was neither a point for the movie nor a mark against it and that's my point. My opinions on Spectre are more based on the movie itself than the lead role. Most filmgoers, I think, are going to watch Bond25 based on whether they like the trailer and concept. Not because they are excited as to what Craig could do next.
My issue with Craig isn't that his performance in Spectre was bad. Moore's in TMWTGG was worse, but I was still eager to watch his next few entries because I felt like Moore had a lot of untapped potential at that point. I don't feel the same about Craig, 12 years in.
eon seems to just release a bond film whenever they feel like it.
James Bond (Earth-616)
James Bond (Earth TRN388)
And this one from a Jim Steranko comic dating back to the 1960s...
Same with Daniel Craig: I recently re-watched CR, QoS and SF back-to-back and same here: my enthusiasm will never wane for his James Bond.
SP was an extreme letdown for me - but I know B25 will be better. I can‘t demand anything - but I would expect from Craig to put in his physical and acting strenghts CR-like ... and turn around the opinions against him like he did back in 2006.
Basically the strategy and the plan come first, and not the fact that one particular film was successful. Feige doesn't run that place off the cuff, but rather on a long run game plan geared to success. No one man is larger than the show itself. Everyone is dispensable. No time for sentiment.
Great news, and just in time for Hemsworth to step into the role of Bond for some big, traditional, stylish stand alone 007 films ;)
I think it mostly stems from Craig failing to live up to his potential career-wise after getting the Bond job. there is little excitement in him returning, because there is little excitement in him as an actor currently.
After CR and QOS he did some buzz-worthy films that got sufficient attention, however, since 2012, he's disappeared a little and only reemerges during Bond film season.
He'd have more "buzz" as an actor if he actually worked at a faster clip and kept the momentum that got directors like Spielberg, Fincher, Zwick and Soderburgh interested in hiring him in the first place.
He's lost his A-list shine, therefore our enthusiasm has waned because we hardly ever see him. We don't know what he's doing. The only time we see him is at corporate events for Omega or the such like. He's never had any Oscar attention. Despite being an actor that is deserving and capable. It's a bit of a shame.
Daniel Craig desperately needs a career resurgence. I think he's hoping Danny Boyle will provide it.
I think he should turn his back on Hollywood and big name auteurs and stick to making small British indies, much like his wife Rachel Weisz. There's great work to be done at home and his brand will mean a myriad of young filmmakers can get their movies off the ground. I think of names like Idris Elba and Tom Hardy, both contemporaries of Craig's, who flit between small British indies, TV and studio movies. Either that, or he can sell out and become a Marvel or DC villain in their generic tripe.
I think Dan's career will be a very vivid and colorful one when all is said and done, or rather, it will continue to be. He can play all sorts of characters and like all great character actors, I'm sure he'll slip in and out of a great range of parts that fit all kinds of personality traits. He can do high drama, quiet character studies, full blown comedy, and I think he'll find a lot of great work because his work speaks for itself. From how Villeneuve talked about him when he was negotiating for Bond 25 I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Dan was cast in Dune or a future film by the director. Because it's clear that his love for the work, his passion and enthusiasm as well as his heavy commitment (he has a reputation for knowing his lines and those of everyone else) will make sure he's never starving for work. And that's why he has attracted such big talents, has directors interested in collaborating with him and can motivate people like Bardem or Mendes to work on the Bond films simply because he's involved and excited to have them.
+1
With his career in general, I think it's just that with the Bond money he doesn't need to work very often, so he genuinely just picks stuff that interests him. Just a shame that with his films not a lot of those have turned out too well. I did picture him as having a big film career after Bond but now I'm not so sure. Think his leading man days might be numbered after the next one when it comes to Hollywood but I'm sure he'll still do well as a character/supporting actor in big films every now and again.
Going back to TV would be interesting (is anything happening with that show he had lined up?). I think he could easily sell a mini series. I'd like to see him play a villain, I could easily picture him as a bad guy in Peaky Blinders. It'd be cool to see him do more comedy as well. Haven't seen Logan Lucky yet but he's meant to be funny in that isn't he. Someone on here once said they could picture him doing British comedy well, like in something by Armando Ianucinni, and I love that idea.
I hope to see Dan in more of those types of shows that will give him time to build a character through a series of episodes, as I think that is his strength. Movies are great but more and more TV proves much more satisfying as a storytelling vehicle for the pacing it allows to tell narratives and develop the characters. I could see Dan working inside that vehicle very well, and I'd love to see him tackle parts in big name shows in the future that would give him some meat to chew on. I genuinely think the sky could be the limit, as I haven't encountered anything in his performances that I think he doesn't excel at to an impressive degree. I agree with you that it would be great to see him do more comedy, as he can do both dry humor and more wacky stuff (like Logan Lucky) quite effectively.
The person who only did a Bond movie for the paycheck was Mendes with SP in my opinion - I did not get the impression from the movie, from interviews or videos that Craig did not put in all he could. The writing was poor because they let Logan waste time and money and when Mendes (and EoN) realized, it was too late already. And the direction of the picture was not on par with Skyfall. Simply put: They (EoN) let people work in crucial positions who did not really want to do the job and did not care enough (any more). Mendes did a teriffic job with Skyfall - it may not be everybody's favourite but it was well made in all areas. Spectre was a spectacular mess - just throwing money "onto the screen" does not make a good movie.
Therefore I am sure Daniel and a new director will put all in for Craig's last Bond movie and he will leave on a high note. He shook things up and renewed the "franchise" (I hate that word in terms of Bond) but I am looking forward to the last scene in style of CR's or SF's final moment. I am looking forward leaving the cinema with feeling like this ... Bond. James Bond.