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Gadgets in skyfall

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  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,598
    Cleese's Q never came off natural to me. His performance felt forced.

    I'm not really happy about a young Q either. I especially hope they don't give him the lame nickname "B".

    "...the whole Bond/Q interaction in the last 20 years has been in large part forced, campy and to be perfectly honest, boring! He became this staple that had to placed in every movie no matter how unnecessary or inappropriate it was. They (Q and Moneypenny) should be characters like Felix Leiter, if it fits the story then include them, otherwise leave them out! We are 23 movies in and likely not ending any time soon so for me the "need" to include them is not there. I cringe at some of the Brosnan/Llewelyn interactions to be honest."

    I agree.
  • SharkBaitSharkBait
    Posts: 2,107
    Especially in LTK, when just after being knocked off of the chair by rogue Bond, it's almost immediately back to business as usual ; "Everything for a man on holiday. Explosive alarm clock - guaranteed never to wake up anyone who uses it. Dentonite toothpaste - to be used sparingly, the latest in plastic explosive." Always feels forced when I watch that scene in the movie. Although Q did get a more meaty part in that particular movie.
  • BounineBounine
    edited June 2012 Posts: 2,598
    It wasn't as bad in LTK as it was in the Brosnan era though.

    Part of the reason I disliked the Brosnan era is that they insisted on having every single Bond ingredient in each film. It's too much. It doesn't work. I hope SF doesn't suffer the same hindrance.
  • forgotmyusernameforgotmyusername
    Posts: 2,782
    With Q in - there must be some more contemporary less fantastic gadgets.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    I really don't see why people don't like the Brosnan/Q relationship. It seemed natural, the actors worked well together and in TWINE, when Q talks about retiring, Bond really looks sad. Then in DAD, with Cleese promoted, Brosnan refuses to call him Q at first because of the old Q, at first he calls him Quartermaster until after he's given out the gadgets, when Bond thinks "this guy might be alright after all" and calls him Q.
    SharkBait wrote:
    Especially in LTK, when just after being knocked off of the chair by rogue Bond, it's almost immediately back to business as usual ; "Everything for a man on holiday. Explosive alarm clock - guaranteed never to wake up anyone who uses it. Dentonite toothpaste - to be used sparingly, the latest in plastic explosive." Always feels forced when I watch that scene in the movie. Although Q did get a more meaty part in that particular movie.

    I love Q in LTK.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,990
    I love Q in LTK.

    Me too, even if he acts way out of character in one scene.
  • TouchMyButtonsTouchMyButtons Banned
    Posts: 228
    I guarantee you guys that bond will have his own signature Q-iPhone or some type of high-tech smart phone with apps specially designed by Q for Bond.

    What those apps may be? here's some of my ideas, possibly an app called SprayNow, bond uses it to set off the sprinklers of whatever building or place he is infiltrating for a distraction.

    EyeCatcher- an app that causes brief interference too all nearby surveillance camera's , enemy spy drones and body heat sensors.

    LastResort- an app where bond can use his phone as a bomb if absolutley necessary in a last attempt escape.

    Brainstorm- bond can use this app to disable all communications between enemy radio and listen in on enemy radio.

    there are plenty more ideas, those are just a few . im sure eon has many better ideas than the ones I mentioned though.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    edited June 2012 Posts: 3,494
    First off, no one can replace Desmond Llewellyn. Cleese didn't cover any new ground, and Llewellyn's Q would have never been in that inflatable suit doing gags.

    Second, no one has yet to suitably replace Lois Maxwell either. Of the two who tried, Caroline Bliss was much better.

    Third, I prefer a male "M" and thought Robert Brown did a good job replacing Bernard Lee. Of course he had four movies to show he could do it. I don't hate Dench or a female "M" as much as others, I thought she was excellent in GE and had some good moments in the other films. But being old school, her being out of the office should be not be the "norm" in every film. In the new one, according to the storyline she is basically going to be forced out of HQ so I'll wait to see the film before thinking about anything else.

    I actually like the idea of a younger "Q", who I hope they refer to as Major Boothroyd. "B" is OK with me, because I feel any replacement should earn that title.




  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited June 2012 Posts: 12,837
    @SirHenryLeeChaChing That's why I like Cleese. He was R in TWINE when Desmond was still there, then Brosnan calls him Quartermaster at first in DAD, but at the end of the DAD sequence he calls him Q, because he thinks he's earned the title.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Sure do hope so! A series trademark like gadgets needn't go unexplored for more than two movies.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I sometimes feel Bond gadgets as we remember them may become obselete in years to come as Bond may become dependant on his cell phone (all kinds of weird and wonderful modifications) to deal with problems, it could be a bit like what we saw in Tomorrow Never Dies but with a lot more add ons and far advanced technologies, I'm a bit fearful of that actually

    I'm even struggling to think of the last standout Bond gadget we saw of all things, we can't include the Invisible Car in this, even if that was standout stupid, things have been a bit lame in recent years, the X-RAY specs, the trick ring that shatters glass, a defibrillator ?!, etc, I can't quite remember, maybe I'm tired etc
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @Baltimore_007: The last stand-out gadget to my knowledge is the sonic agitator ring from Die Another Day, and if I must say so myself, I thought that was a really nifty gadget! I always love the gadgets that Bond uses as his last resort to get him away from death, so the sonic ring is certainly no exception.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    That was the trick ring I had in mind, the 'sonic agitator' to give it it's true name

    and what was that needed for, for Bond to crash through a glass floor when held at gunpoint by Miranda Frost and make an escape. I don't remember it used at all other than that (I don't watch Die another day much)

    Just seemed like a bit of a wasted bit of equipment that's all
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @Baltimore_007: Well he also used it to shatter the front windshield of the Vanquish so he could rescue Jinx from the sinking Ice Palace.
  • BounineBounine
    edited June 2012 Posts: 2,598
    I don' want any gadgets in the Craig era or atleast just subtle, realistic ones (this doesn't include the DAD ring) like the signature gun in LTK and the attache case in FRWL. I'm hoping the Craig era will be more Flemingsque where Bond relies on his wits and stamina to escape a situation.

    Didn't Craig say something in an interview mid way last year where there is only so far you can go with all these gadgets and that SF wouldn't be following down the path of out of this world gadgets or something like that?
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    @00Beast I have been present this night longer than I should of done, this is doing me no favors etc, but I did forget about that scene at the Ice palace, and it's easy to forget in such an awful film with an awful character, and why oh why did James Bond have to go back and save her, just let her perish damn it, I try not to watch that sequence if i can help it, just gets me agitated, and Bond is such a perfect shot he can fire at a hanging ornament or whatever it was hanging above Zao from maybe 40 feet above in difficult conditions and speeding past in his silly stupid invisible car, if you watch it again, it does seem almost impossible, but anything goes in the world of movies etc :-<

    Goodnight I-)
  • BounineBounine
    edited June 2012 Posts: 2,598
    I've read rumours about the DB5 firing a missile. If this is the case then this is just stupid. It's an old car and shouldn't be used in combat. It's Bond's personal vehicle not a company car and shouldn't be tampered with. Little things like GPS etc is fine but not missiles and oil slicks bla, bla, bla...

    I fear I will grimace through these junior Q/Bond scenes.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,713
    Do you have a sense of humour, @Bounine ? 'humour' in Bond movies doesn't always mean 'I thought Christmas only came once a year' or 'now there's a name to die for'... why people always associate humour in Bond with DAD and MR is beyond me. FRWL, TB, GF had plenty of humour, and I don't see anyone complaining that they were cringing during the whole film.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    DaltonCraig007 wrote:
    Do you have a sense of humour, @Bounine ? 'humour' in Bond movies doesn't always mean 'I thought Christmas only came once a year' or 'now there's a name to die for'... why people always associate humour in Bond with DAD and MR is beyond me. FRWL, TB, GF had plenty of humour, and I don't see anyone complaining that they were cringing during the whole film.

    Well, that might be because the humor in FRWL, GF, and TB wasn't in the cringeworthy category, where as MR and DAD inspire involuntary cringing :D
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited June 2012 Posts: 15,713
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    DaltonCraig007 wrote:
    Do you have a sense of humour, @Bounine ? 'humour' in Bond movies doesn't always mean 'I thought Christmas only came once a year' or 'now there's a name to die for'... why people always associate humour in Bond with DAD and MR is beyond me. FRWL, TB, GF had plenty of humour, and I don't see anyone complaining that they were cringing during the whole film.

    Well, that might be because the humor in FRWL, GF, and TB wasn't in the cringeworthy category, where as MR and DAD inspire involuntary cringing :D

    What I meant is that humour' in Bond films doesn't always mean 'MR' or 'DAD'. There was plenty of humour in FRWL and TB, and I don't think you can say they were as campy as MR or DAD. It's as if whenever people talk 'humour' in Bond films, some go 'OMG MR was so campy so cringeworthy !!!'. Humour in Bond films =/= MR style humour. It seems some people think the only humour the films can have is MR-esque humour... sorry but that is quite untrue. Some people just don't have any sense of humour when it comes to Bond films. There are lots of different styles of humour that are different to the humour in MR.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Just having a little fun DC, I definitely know the differences.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    @00Beast I have been present this night longer than I should of done, this is doing me no favors etc, but I did forget about that scene at the Ice palace, and it's easy to forget in such an awful film with an awful character, and why oh why did James Bond have to go back and save her, just let her perish damn it, I try not to watch that sequence if i can help it, just gets me agitated, and Bond is such a perfect shot he can fire at a hanging ornament or whatever it was hanging above Zao from maybe 40 feet above in difficult conditions and speeding past in his silly stupid invisible car, if you watch it again, it does seem almost impossible, but anything goes in the world of movies etc :-<

    Goodnight I-)

    Hahahaha, yes indeed, James Bond is that good of a shot! No confidence in our hero, Baltimore? Hahaha.
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,598
    I don't care about how Bond makes that shot seeing pretty much the whole film revolves around stupidity anyway. If it happens in the Craig era then I'll be annoyed.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Bounine wrote:
    I don't care about how Bond makes that shot seeing pretty much the whole film revolves around stupidity anyway. If it happens in the Craig era then I'll be annoyed.

    Ehh...not the entire movie. Die Another Day isn't the worst of the worst. It has some terrific shining moments like Bond's mission being compromised, anything with Miranda Frost, the car chase with Zao, Bond finding out Graves is Colonel Moon, the sword fight, the hovercraft chase, the fight with Mr. Kil, M interrogating 007 in the ship hospital, quite a lot actually!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,959
    00Beast wrote:
    Bounine wrote:
    I don't care about how Bond makes that shot seeing pretty much the whole film revolves around stupidity anyway. If it happens in the Craig era then I'll be annoyed.

    Ehh...not the entire movie. Die Another Day isn't the worst of the worst. It has some terrific shining moments like Bond's mission being compromised, anything with Miranda Frost, the car chase with Zao, Bond finding out Graves is Colonel Moon, the sword fight, the hovercraft chase, the fight with Mr. Kil, M interrogating 007 in the ship hospital, quite a lot actually!

    I agree with all of these, excluding the fight with Mr. Kil, and including the scenes in Cuba - here, excluding Jinx's jump into the ocean - and Bond's diamond-detonation escape in the PTS.
  • BounineBounine
    edited June 2012 Posts: 2,598
    I should have said that the last half of the film revolves around stupidity.
  • BounineBounine
    edited June 2012 Posts: 2,598
    DaltonCraig007 wrote:
    Do you have a sense of humour, @Bounine ? 'humour' in Bond movies doesn't always mean 'I thought Christmas only came once a year' or 'now there's a name to die for'... why people always associate humour in Bond with DAD and MR is beyond me. FRWL, TB, GF had plenty of humour, and I don't see anyone complaining that they were cringing during the whole film.

    I have a sense of humour and I like humour in Bond films. I just don't like cheesy one liners which have always been a downside of the films for me except in the later Connery and Moore flicks as these movies are pretty lighthearted and largely revolve around comedy. I'm not suggesting the humour in SF will be in the same vein as MR and DAD but who knows. Whatever the style of humour, I hope there isn't too much of it.

    If the new Q/Bond scene is a complete rehash of the scenes in every other film I might cringe as I will if Q puts missiles into Bond's old DB5.

  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    If there's one thing I like about Craig it's a minimum on humor, or foolish escapades, he plays Bond with a straight face but also shows emotions, so similar to Connery and Dalton sometimes but still has a way to go to compete with either, but he's making good progress

    Said it before, expect nothing this time round in way of wonderful gadgets, I think it'll just be as before i.e dependant on cell phone modifications and latest technologies, the days of explosive alarm clocks (never used btw) and wolf whistle keyrings are definitely a thing of the past. They'll most likely keep things to a minimum as it has been for the last two releases

    Goodnight I-)
  • BounineBounine
    Posts: 2,598
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    First off, no one can replace Desmond Llewellyn. Cleese didn't cover any new ground, and Llewellyn's Q would have never been in that inflatable suit doing gags.

    Second, no one has yet to suitably replace Lois Maxwell either. Of the two who tried, Caroline Bliss was much better.

    Third, I prefer a male "M" and thought Robert Brown did a good job replacing Bernard Lee. Of course he had four movies to show he could do it. I don't hate Dench or a female "M" as much as others, I thought she was excellent in GE and had some good moments in the other films. But being old school, her being out of the office should be not be the "norm" in every film. In the new one, according to the storyline she is basically going to be forced out of HQ so I'll wait to see the film before thinking about anything else.

    I agree with all of this.

    In terms of the new Q, I guess it makes sense, a young techno wizz providing Bond with gadgets in this modern world and atleast it is fresh. What I won't really like however, is if this lad is an expert in guns aswell. I think we need a veteran army man working down in the firing range. I don't think the new Q should be called B either as this is taking abbreviations too far.

    In terms of Dench, she is a great actor, but I still prefer Robert Brown as M. Bernard Lee is the best.

  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Prefer Robert Brown over Dench as M ? what the Fk- ?!

    Bernard Lee was best though, we cannot argue over that

    As for Q, I'd rather have no Q at all if they won't bring Cleese back or find someone more appropriate than a kid for the part, it just seems all a bit inappropriate, but I realize we have to move with the times. Llewelyn was an ever present for as long as anyone can remember, they found a replacement to take over, unfortunately needed sooner rather than later, but after the character omission in 2006 and 2008, they bring it back for 2012 and find some youngster for the part. All I'm saying is they could of found someone more suitable. Too young would seem to be the bottom line on this issue
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