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I agree. I think this was Moore's best 007 outing. While there are a lot of things I appreciate about FYEO, its tone is inconsistent and there are some embarrassing elements, especially Lynn-Holly Johnson, that hurt FYEO overall. Jaws is a wonderful character in TSWLM with the sinister aspects outweighing the humorous depictions of his indestructibility, safely clear of the buffoonery that spoiled Jaws's next appearance. I must say I still dislike the disco-ized music score in TSWLM but that's a relative quibble.
1. Fiennes is amazing I really missed how good he was and one of the reasons I wish Bond 24 is coming out in 2014 instead of 201? (yes I know 2014 isn't out of the question but considering how Mendes will be the director and will take his time 2015 is my guess
2. Severine Is AMAZING I love her the conversations between her and Bond are great
3. about 30 minutes between the PTS and the Shanghai Action sequence. Before I get accused of being a Bond fan with ADHD Usual Suspects and Jaws are in my top 10 films (jaws is my favorite film of all time) and both of those have talky bits (I would pay for a one man show version of the Usual Suspects with Kevin Spacey giving us the whole story) I just feel its a bit excessive. I dunno watching a Bond Film and dealing with British politics meh not my idea of popcorn fodder. Don't get me wrong it's well acted and brilliantly directed just a bit I hate to say boring but it does feel odd
4. I would like the Villain for Bond 24 to be IRA I dunno Mallory's past might be kind of cool and Bond has never been to Ireland.
5. the whole Silva integration scene is AMAZING
About half way though Overall it's an ok Bond Film but honestly Mendes did a good job but I would prefer another Director over Mendes
would prefer Nicolas Winding Refn but that is my opinion.
Mallorys past will come back to haunt him too imo ie Ira etc.
Yesterday I watched QoS for the sixth time, and it keeps getting better:
I like the bleak ambience of the film; it makes it unique. Forster delivers a very slick film, where the drawbacks are the much maligned hyper-editing, and that's only prevalent in the first third-ish. I particularly like Forster's shot selection, in regards to the transitional scenes; think when Bond is entering Slate's hotel, and the scene in at the desert hotel, when Greene etc. are meeting. He uses quick, short shots, in order to get to the next action scene/dialogue exchange, very quickly. It reminds me of Fleming's writing; short, sharp sentences – both Fleming and Forster use speed. Other than that, this is a very effective thriller. The cast is especially good, the cinematography is uniformly excellent and the production design is top notch as well.
I used to think that Craig's performance was a regression of his Casino Royale performance; in fact I have been know to describe his performance in QoS, as monotone and robotic. I think that I was disappointed when I first saw the film; I was expecting Craig's performance to be Casino Royale Mk II. It took me a while to acclimatise; Craig's performance was quiet, as is befitting for a man who's love died in such tragic circumstances. Which brings me onto the scene when Craig and Camille are sat in a car, at the end of the film. They both have a deep understanding, both have lost someone (I thought Bond gives up on vengeance in that moment, seeing how Camille felt after killing Medrano*, how empty she seemed). Then Bond kisses Camille – that the only way that he's able to connect with a beautiful woman – and I found that heartbreaking, and I did not want to Bond, in that moment; Fleming's creation laid bare. That's changed over the years – now I find it subtly nuanced, and is a highlight of the film.
A quick comment on the political overtones; I like ‘em. Helps make the film seem more plausible and credible. The speech from the Foreign Minister is a great little scene which explains the stance of the British and Americans. “Right and wrong doesn’t even come into it.” The world is not as black and white as Bond would like it. As for Greg Beam, he an oily, slippery little bugger, isn’t he? David Beam excels as Beam. I wouldn't call Beam a proper villain, per se; he's just doing what's right for his country, which places him in the "grey" world; I find that QoS is a film, that is made more diverting because of it. People exist in this "grey" world, as Mathis (or Fleming said), "when one grow older the villains and hero get harder to tell apart".
* Ah yes General Medrano; typical South American dictators there. Complete with nasal voice! The one misstep with casting.
@Perilagu_Khan - I quite agree! Although when I first saw Skyfall it the cinema, I was blinded by rage, for the first minute or so anyway, that I was distracted from the PTS.
There are some aspects of QoS I like. This is not among them. To my mind, it is Forster and the Haggfish (and possibly Zetumer) spitting in Ian Fleming's face.
Barbara Bach still can't act, but at least the "BOND'S EQUAL!!!!" shtick was kind of new at the time and having a Russian agent Bond girl was a cool idea.
Also I think Kalba looks like Alan Rickman.
I've never noticed that before but now that you've pointed it out I do see a resemblance. Interesting how we can still see new things in movies that we've seen countless times!
Similar, but Rickman's quite a bit better looking.
@Creasy47 - yes, I watch the Bond film every two years-ish. (Although I watched QoS twice in the cinema, and then once when it came out on DVD!)
I love it too. I don't see why every line/passage inspired by Fleming has to appear in the same context as it is written in the source material. I thought it was a great spin on the passage and worked well in its own way in the film itself.
Second of all, the theme song has two interpretations, and both of them are soul-crushing, especially in light of future & past Bond movies. The first is that it's M speaking to Bond about his short life expectancy, in which case the line about "I've seen angels fall from blinding heights/but you yourself are nothing so divine/just next in line" has a whole new relevance come Skyfall.
The other interpretation is that it's Bond singing to all the future Bond girls about how they'll never compare to Vesper. In that case, the whole song becomes worse if you imagine that Casino Royale-Skyfall takes place before the 1962-2002 Bond series. By that logic, all the Bond girls fail to overcome Vesper's memory...until Tracy. And that manages to end even worse than his relationship with Vesper. I can't imagine that Bond has any way of healthily relating to women following the deaths of his mother, Vesper, M, and Tracy, and his comparatively normal relationships with Melina, Pam, and Natalya come off as nearly inhuman triumphs. In a similar vein, I noticed that Bond's pose while holding Vesper's body is quite similar to his pose when holding M's body.
Fourth, I'm mildly confused by the whole "Vesper's boyfriend is a Quantum agent" business. The initial assumption, in the novel and movie, is that he was kidnapped, and they promised not to kill him in exchange for the money won in the game. But then in Quantum of Solace they'd been planning to have him kidnapped all along. So then were they going to just have her slowly siphon money to Quantum from her position in the treasury? And if he were actually kidnapped, would it have worked the same way?
Last but not least, I contend that this movie is essentially two stories cobbled together. The first is the story of Bond preventing the bombing of the Skyfleet Jet, in which he must contend against Dimitrios and we get our big fight with the henchman. Then it all resets when M comes down to the Bahamas and we're introduced to Vesper and Mathis and it becomes about the poker game and Bond fights Le Chiffre directly. Of course, this is hardly a criticism, as without the opening 45 minutes it wouldn't have been nearly as well received, and the movie pulls it off as well as anything.
Overall it slides in at #3, below only Goldfinger and From Russia With Love. Great entry into the series, and not likely to be bettered any time soon.
Seems to be one of my usual fall-back Bond movies when I am not sure of which one to pop in the ol' DVD player, which probably means that it's worth something! OP is really too tempting a Bond movie NOT to watch- Roger's typical performance is hammed up with more jovial one liners, and his "darker side" is played to good use, especially during the scene where he confronts General Orlov on the train. India and Germany provide very scenic spots for us, and ironically, display the shifting of the mood from the first half of the movie to the second half. I like the characters a great deal too- Kamal Khan is one of my favorite 007 villains, and General Orlov basically steals every scene he's in with such a fanatic performance! Gobinda is not as original as he could be, but when the series had gone on for over twenty years by the time of OP, of course he was going to pick up from some other "big guy henchmen" like Oddjob, Tee Hee, Jaws, etc. Still, I've always enjoyed his fight with 007 atop the circus train! A nice foreshadowing to the fight on the train in the SF PTS, when you think about it! As for Octopussy herself, she's one of the best Bond girls out there, because she's not annoying, helpless, needy, screaming for James, and on the contrary, not much of a feminist either. Awesome performance by Maud Adams! Props to the scene where she confronts Kamal at the Monsoon Palace! The only aspect of this movie that I've never quite enjoyed is the soundtrack. It's not exactly Barry's finest moment- way too bland, and hardly anything sticks out to me, except maybe the track when Bond arrives in India via helicopter or when 009 is trying to outrun Mishka and Grishka, which I believe, is the same one when Bond is trying to outrun Grishka after the fight on the train. Only those two really hold any ground with my memory! Not a terribly pleasing soundtrack, sadly. Overall though, OP is a top ten worthy entry with me!
Current Ranking in my Random Bondathon
1. GoldenEye
2. License to Kill
3. SkyFall
4. A View to a Kill
5. Live and Let Die
6. Octopussy
7. The Spy Who Loved Me
8. From Russia with Love
9. Thunderball
10. Casino Royale
11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
12. Quantum of Solace
13. You Only Live Twice
14. Moonraker
Current Ranking in my Random Bondathon
1. GoldenEye
2. License to Kill
3. SkyFall
4. A View to a Kill
5. Tomorrow Never Dies
6. Live and Let Die
7. Octopussy
8. The Spy Who Loved Me
9. From Russia with Love
10. Thunderball
11. Casino Royale
12. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
13. Quantum of Solace
14. You Only Live Twice
15. Moonraker
It had been a little while since my last viewing of TWINE, but ironically enough, not much changed in regards to my opinion of it! As far as Brosnan is concerned, he carries the movie with another stellar performance; in fact, he and Robert Carlyle really steal the show, and Sophie Marceau isn't half bad either, especially in her final scene while torturing 007 in the chair. And as always, Judi Dench's M is spectacular! Everyone else, however, falls pretty short of any kind of mark. There are lots of small-time, small-scene henchmen (Davidov, Gabor, Mr. Bullion, Lachaise, Cigar Girl, etc.) that barely contribute anything to the movie. Thusly, TWINE hits well in its major characters department, but falls short in its minor character department. Its defined plus points? I'd say the soundtrack, the action sequences, and well, that's about it. The locations are somewhat varied, but still don't whisk me away like, say, those in TB, TSWLM, FYEO, or TLD. The plot is a nice recycling of the same deal from GF and AVTAK, but I had troubles this time with Elektra's "sudden turn" to the "bad side". Quite frankly, even if I hadn't already seen it a thousand times, I still would have expected it, truthfully. A turn like Vesper's was a lot more surprising than Elektra's! Still though, even with its flaws, it is a Brosnan 007, and I am a devoted fan!
Current Ranking in my Random Bondathon
1. GoldenEye
2. License to Kill
3. SkyFall
4. A View to a Kill
5. Tomorrow Never Dies
6. Live and Let Die
7. Octopussy
8. The Spy Who Loved Me
9. From Russia with Love
10. Thunderball
11. The World is not Enough
12. Casino Royale
13. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
14. Quantum of Solace
15. You Only Live Twice
16. Moonraker
Continuing on with my Bond-a-thon, we reach Casino Royale, and what a treat it is. No matter how many times I've seen it (6), it grips me, with it's fantastic performances, brutal action and relevant plot. (I like that Bond is the reason that Le Chiffre has to set up the Texas Hold 'Em at Montenegro, and opposed to the book version)
I think it was a good idea to have the first half of the film, so action orientated – it lets Craig really shine, and I still love the Madagascar sequence. Really one of the best set pieces ever to be captured on film. Moreover, the action in the film, is brutal, bleeding and visceral, and is a counterpoint to the stylised action, that has been the bread and butter of the Bond series since Goldfinger (With the exception of TB, OHMSS and LTK), and harks back to the earliest Bond films.
What else is there to enjoy about CR? Well, an excellent cast, sophisticated and mature humour, and a very good script, superb main titles, and the accompanying main title theme, sumptuous cinematography, first-class set design (Peter Lamont's swansong perhaps?) and great music. I just love the way that Arnold's incorporates the main title theme; top notch. In fact the main titles, and Arnold's subsequent using of it, is really like a proto Bond theme.
Plus Martin Campbell's direction is brisk, bruising and very effective, and belies the film marathon running time. Campbell's shot selection is really good; think of the PTS in grainy black and white, the "dirty Martini" sequence, and when Le Chiffre's goons are picking Bond out of the wreaked Aston Martin. Most unusual for a Bond film, but most effective. (By picking Craig, the innovative way in which the film was shot, it's accent on bruising action, the producers really gambled on Casino Royale, and won, after the safe "by the numbers" films that preceded it...)
I wonder what the other actors would make of playing Bond, in this adventure, with so much "meat on the bone", as it were? As it was, Craig's performance was the most visceral ever to be seen in a James Bond movie, Craig makes the role of 007 dangerous, sexy and charismatic, and breaths new life into the character, which has been in the public consciousness for 50-ish years. I love seeing him evolve from a proto Bond into the fully formed agent that we know and love, going to cocky and arrogant, to a man with a real sense of purpose, not unlike Connery's Bond. From here, Casino Royale to Skyfall, I was pleased with Craig's evolution of Bond; all we need from Craig's Bond is a little more, joie de vivre, and gentlemanly conduct and I'll be golden.
However, the only thing I can reproach this film with, is the scene where Bond breaks into M's apartment. Fleming's 007 would never have been so disrespectful, and as Bond is a military man, he wouldn't have lasted long in the military. I can almost overlook the scene, I suppose that Bond is allowing M to follow him, through her laptop, but it's a tenuous link at that.
So, to the romantic angle of Casino Royale, both played superbly by Craig and Green. Previously, I felt it was a little too rushed, perhaps, but on reflection, I think the filmmakers got it just right; there is time enough for Bond and Vesper to fall in love, and for Bond's wounds to heal up, and you can see the passage of time. As Fleming said, "hard men have a tendency to tip over into sentimentally" (or words to that effect...), as so it is with Craig's Bond; I can believe that Bond loves Vesper.
The romantic angle of The World Is Not Enough pales into comparison with Casino Royale, and massive Pierce Brosnan fan that I am, it upsets me, to think that CR outdoes TWINE in almost every aspect. I suddenly realised when I was watching CR for the first time in the cinema, that this how to do a love story, and not TWINE. (I only pull up the comparison to TWINE because of its sub-plot love story). I think that CR woke up Bond fans, to the idea that a Bond movie could be superior, and that it could be relevant, and it could deal with real, emotional stuff.
Casino Royale is almost on a par, with the two bastions of the sixties, namely From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
It's hard to know how to take TMWTGG sometimes! There are times when it can be incredibly goofy and silly, and still times where it can be dark and serious in tone. Roger Moore gives us one of his finest performances with his second Bond outing; I think his darker, more hard-edged performance here goes unrecognized to all too many fans. Some fans don't want to see this side of Moore- they'd rather that be left to Dalton or Craig. I, however, think it works wonderfully for him here. Whether he is admitting to wanting to kill Scaramanga, slapping Miss Anders around, or stuffing Nick Nack in a suitcase and telling him to "shaddahp", he gets it done here, point in case. As for the other points of the movie, the good things include the location work (quite scenic), the main villain in Scaramanga, the action scenes (the Beirut fight, the ninja school fight, the car chase, the showdown at Scaramanga's island), and I actually really like the title song, hahaha, contrary to most opinions, I'm sure! The soundtrack was a little bit annoying, I thought, with the exception of the track played during the car chase, called "Let's Go Get 'Em", if I recall correctly. I know Barry had limited time to piece this one together, so it's understandable that it'd be slightly floppy. Most of the cast is lackluster, with the exceptions of Roger, Maud Adams, and Christopher Lee. Everyone else was kind of, well, stupid. And why was M so grumpy in this movie? He was overly harsh, especially to Q, telling him to shut up, twice! I've never understood this- it's not like this mission was overly stressful anyways- it had hardly any relevance at all to Britain! Oh well, maybe M was just having one of those days at the office, hahaha. Overall, TMWTGG strives to be a great Bond movie, and I do enjoy it, so given these aspects, it probably will fall somewhere in the middle, and perhaps closer to the "top" of the middle.
Current Ranking in my Random Bondathon
1. GoldenEye
2. License to Kill
3. SkyFall
4. A View to a Kill
5. Tomorrow Never Dies
6. Live and Let Die
7. Octopussy
8. The Spy Who Loved Me
9. From Russia with Love
10. Thunderball
11. The World is not Enough
12. The Man with the Golden Gun
13. Casino Royale
14. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
15. Quantum of Solace
16. You Only Live Twice
17. Moonraker