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Comments
Compared to
NO
:))
No, but it DOES make him a bimbo.
Er, cancel that. Take 2:
No, but it DOES make him a less-than-efficient sidekick. Goodnight was supposed to be an MI6 agent. There's no room for that kind of carelessness in the deadly serious game Bond is playing.
Agreed about the deleted last line. It would have been too portentuous. Question: since, apparently, in early drafts of the scripts Blofeld was to be killed, do you think Madeleine might ultimately survive as well?
I assume that Blofeld will be broken out in B25. (not another hoary scenario in which the villain controls everything from his prison cell, or Blofeld is giving MI6 false information, then he escapes? See Alias Season 2 for how to do it right. Several years before Nolan and his Joker mind!)
Then Blofeld can set up a most humiliating demise for Bond a'la From Russia With Love? I'm thinking it would be nice to see SPECTRE in a similar vein to Fleming's From Russia With Love, i.e. the agent, the boardroom, the planning, the execution.
If she comes back & lives, fine.
If they kill her for another angst ridden 'personal' revenge story then I'm done with Bond until the next reboot.
So let me make a few comments ...
@royale65, thanks for your good, detailed wrap up of Craig's Bond films. I think you liked QOS a bit more than I did, but I do find real merit in it. I just didn't care for the style or pace (or camerawork for the most part, though here are exceptions) in this one.
@BeatlesSansEarmuffs, I am a bit surprised myself that there seems to be little 'middle ground' for SPECTRE as far as fans' reactions go. I love it, though I would change a few things. Nothing about it bothers me a whole lot. I have not read a lot of opinions on this forum yet, just some - but I will be getting caught up over the next week or two. I am surprised that several fans really were quite disappointed in it. The film was mostly what I was hoping for; and it was well executed, lovely to look at, fine acting. So there are two disparate sets of opinion, yes; not many middle of the road feelings n seems.
As for the "plotted by committee" I can honestly say I am so glad it was in this case! I have finally read some ideas that were part of the first script by Logan and I cringed through all of what I read (not actual dialog - the plot! the main ideas!). It would have been a major mistake, not small, if some of those ideas had actually made it into the final script. So I don't mind - and have never minded - more than one writer working on a Bond script. As far as producers and other "execs" input go, however- too many fingers in the pie is, ultimately, usually not helpful, I feel. But some is warranted, I do think so. I hope that the director and writer(s) can focus enough on the whole picture and not get weighed down by the numerous emails and notes they receive with suggestions and questions. That could be a killer. But in SPECTRE's case I'm frankly amazed they came up with such a good film after some horrible ideas that were in place, really in place, in the earlier script.
More later ... do carry on!
:>
If I told you any more bad words about her would result in a proper spanking by her you'd be using as much deragatory words as possible just to get her all riled up..
Couldn't agree less though, I think their chemistry works very well and slowly builds. No spark? Look at her after they disposed Hinx on the train...
I hope that, if Dr. Swnn isn't forgotten, she's only mentioned later as in the love between them cooled and she left. Couldn't handle Bond's lifestyle. Anything like that (thinking of Fleming's YOLT now).
I don't know how you ladies and gents feel about that but I will "run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it" (Quick trivia: what classic film is that line from?)
Best Gun Barrell SP
Best PTS SF
Best Theme song CR ( I loved SF but CR wins out by a nose, that song has balls!)
Best Girl Vesper from CR (I would lean toward Swann after seeing her in that green dress, but I'm partial to brunettes)
Best Villain Silva from SF
Best Ally Leiter CR he was given so little to do in QoS
Best sacrificial lamb Solange from CR
Best Set Piece SF the shootout in Scotland
Best Titles CR hands down (with SF a distant second)
Best Climax SP or SF pick em
Best Bad Henchman Hinx from SP
Best gadget DB5 despite not really being utilized much still love the car. I'm not a big fan of the gadgetry and never was)
Love to hear your "bests"
Best PTS CR
Best Theme song CR
Best Girl Vesper from CR (although I'm a fan of all Craig's girls)
Best Villain Le Chiffre CR
Best Ally Kincade SF
Best sacrificial lamb Solange from CR
Best Set Piece African Rundown CR
Best Titles CR exquisite
Best Climax CR tough one this, as I'm not a fan of Craig's climaxes.
Best Bad Henchman Hinx from SP
Best gadget "It's called a radio" SF
There you go. Alas I'm drawing a blank on that line @OHMSS69...
As for Madeleine Swann -
I think Lea and Daniel's chemistry was fine. There was a definite spark, and I very much like her in the role.
For what happens to her in Bond 25, my personal wish would be for her to NOT be killed. I very much do not want a rehash of OHMSS in any major way. The story also does not need it. And I would personally find it so 'in your face' and unnecessary, it would bother me.
I would like for her either to be forgotten, not really mentioned, or at least info passed on that she had moved on with her life in some way without Bond. My first choice would be a nice mention - but that's it. The meat of the next story is surely Blofeld and Bond's next (presumably final) clash. I really do not want this to have so strongly a "Tracy" element, and have Madeleine killed at the beginning. It is actually totally unnecessary to the story arc and the enjoyment of both SPECTRE and the next Bond film.
So I hope the writer(s) find a good way to move on with Bond 25. Having Madeleine killed is an obvious choice, easy; but I would frankly hate that. As others have pointed out, there are Bond films that simply move on (regarding main Bond girl from previous film), and I do prefer that to be Madeleine's fate.
Best Gun Barrell SP
Best PTS SP
Best Theme song CR
Best Girl QOS
Best Villain SP
Best Ally CR
Best sacrificial CR
Best Set Piece CR
Best Titles CR
Best Climax QOS
Best Bad Henchman SP
Best gadget SP
http://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/james-bond-50-years-of-main-title-design/
In part, here is something Daniel Kleinman said:
“I’m very aware of and keen to preserve the best of the heritage of Bond imagery, a universally understood visual language that is a shortcut to sexiness, excitement, mystery, humour, sophistication, and glamour, a language entirely invented by my predecessors,” says Kleinman. “It would be more than foolish to throw away the instant familiarity and kudos the iconic visual style brings with it. Not to build on the history of what makes Bond Bond and not just another action film would be a disservice to the franchise and the audience. However, with the heritage must come innovation — it’s not good enough just to rehash the same imagery; I want to elaborate, experiment, freshen up, and generally play with the key elements that come with the territory of Bond.”
Okay, that last bullet was the lucky one through the vent & now the copter will explode in a blaze of glory in front of Big Ben. No?
Okay, so it crashed on the bridge, this is where Bond kills the bastid. No?
Okay, he's gonna show that he's evolved but now Blowfeld will pull the gun from out of nowhere thing & MAKE Bond kill him! No?
Okay, well at least Bond can 'arrest' him now with a funny put down. No??
Wait, he's tossing the PPK?!?!?!?!?!
WAIT!!! He gets the girl AND the DB5?!?!?!?!?!?!
Glorious.
Best Gun Barrell SP
Best PTS CR
Best Theme song CR
Best Girl CR
Best Villain SF
Best Ally QoS (kinda...I liked the death...which maybe doesn't really count but..ho well)
Best sacrificial CR
Best Set Piece SP
Best Titles CR
Best Climax SF
Best Bad Henchman SP
Best gadget SP
From the PTS when we see Bond take out Dryden and his cronie in the rest room...to the wild chase in Africa, Daniel Craig shows that he could play Bond and keep on playing Bond. He is tough, tender at times and heart broken and Craig nails it down to a tee.
Those opening titles were so different, the colors, the cardboard cutouts reminded me of the old movie posters from Vertigo, and other 60's and 50's classics. It was such a super cool approach and a real deviation from the nudes we had been treated with since TB...
Then that kick ass song.
Bond had good sidekicks in Mathias and we are introduced to Felix Leiter. The villains are up to the task as well. The mysterious Mr. White and LeChiffe with his hot mistress and his thug henchmen.
No wonder that CR was voted "The Best Bond film" in the nationwide Mi6 magazine survey in 2012. It remains in my personal top three. I have no complaints about this movie.
QoS to follow as I do not want the post to be too long...
Also, answer to my trivia: That line was from Twelve Angry Men
QOS was even better IMHO.
I do get what you saying, @chrisisall. The only thing that kept me from thinking Blofeld would be killed in this one is that I was sure that EON would want at least 2 films using him. They only recently got the rights to the character, so why kill him off in only one film?
I also was very happy Craig finally ended one of his films with the girl alive and by his side - hell yes to that. Overdue. I left the theater quite happy indeed.
Just had to extract that from @4EverBonded passage about the main titles. Kleinman really knows his Bond.
Probably my favourite titles - just awesome.
Here's the link again, for this page.
http://www.artofthetitle.com/feature/james-bond-50-years-of-main-title-design/
There is only one gauge of Bond greatness for me: after you watch it, do you anticipate another viewing with glee? Most Bonds are like that for me, especially SP.