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The Most Hated Bond Endings

Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
edited January 2014 in Bond Movies Posts: 2,483
It seems to me there are four Bond endings that are almost unanimously hated around here. They are FRWL (back projection and Bond waving goodbye to the videotape), FYEO (the Thatchers coda), LTK (the winking fish), and TWINE (Christmas coming more than once per year). Personally, I love all of those except for TWINE, which is tawdry and vulgar without being witty and humorous. I think Bond films (with the exception of OHMSS) should send one out of the theater with a song in your heart, and that's what the vast majority of the endings do.
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Comments

  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited January 2014 Posts: 12,837
    FYEO and DAD have the worst endings by a mile imo. Although I'm basing DAD off the Moneypenny bit and that wasn't the very last scene, so maybe I'm being unfair.
  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    Posts: 3,236
    Licence to Kill, The World is Not Enough, and Die Another Day are probably the worst. The others have redeeming features, but even though Licence to Kill's ending is somewhat sweet, the winking fish is just too jarring, which is exacerbated by Felix's cheerfulness, and the forced love triangle with Lupe and Pam that somehow leaves Pam in tears. There is nothing good about the endings to The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day, save maybe that the movie is over, in the latter case.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2014 Posts: 17,797
    I hate the ending of FRWL. At least the winking fish in LTK is a part of the fountain that periodically winks due to internal water flow, so the timing is possible. TWINE is fine from a juvenile POV. FYEO's Thatcher coda is kind of insulting IMO. MR's is dopey, but that's in keeping with most of the movie.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited January 2014 Posts: 12,837
    I don't mind TWINE's ending. It's generic (Bond bangs a girl by a body of water and says a pun), but it's not awful imo. I thought the "Christmas comes once a year" gag was funny :-/

    LTK, the winking fish is a bit dodgy but it's nice to see a happy ending after all that Bond went through in that film. Hated FYEO's ending because I didn't find it funny at all and I don't think that Thatcher deserved to even be mentioned in a Bond film.

    FRWL's I don't really mind but it is weird because I don't see why they couldn't have filmed it for real.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    From Russia With Love. They were in Venice, they could of shot it for real. Hell Doctor No's ending took place on a boat at sea and filmed it for real.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day would be my top two picks.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    edited January 2014 Posts: 6,396
    Murdock wrote:
    From Russia With Love. They were in Venice, they could of shot it for real. Hell Doctor No's ending took place on a boat at sea and filmed it for real.

    I think to have sent the First Unit to Venice to shoot just that one scene, for footage that appears as less than thirty seconds of screen time, would probably have seen production costs soar.

    Neither financially nor logistically viable.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    WillyGalore wrote:
    Murdock wrote:
    From Russia With Love. They were in Venice, they could of shot it for real. Hell Doctor No's ending took place on a boat at sea and filmed it for real.

    I think to have sent the First Unit to Venice to shoot just that one scene, for footage that appears as less than thirty seconds of screen time, would probably have seen production costs soar.

    Neither financially nor logistically viable.

    They could have shot it at the place where they did the boat chase. Grab a gondola and film. better than that crappy rear projection shot. Heck the SPECTRE helicopter rear projection was better than that.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Murdock wrote:
    WillyGalore wrote:
    Murdock wrote:
    From Russia With Love. They were in Venice, they could of shot it for real. Hell Doctor No's ending took place on a boat at sea and filmed it for real.

    I think to have sent the First Unit to Venice to shoot just that one scene, for footage that appears as less than thirty seconds of screen time, would probably have seen production costs soar.

    Neither financially nor logistically viable.

    They could have shot it at the place where they did the boat chase. Grab a gondola and film. better than that crappy rear projection shot. Heck the SPECTRE helicopter rear projection was better than that.

    I think rear projection is TOTALLY realistic ;-)

  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    I'm going to say From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

    But OHMSS unanimously has to be the best.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited January 2014 Posts: 15,117
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    It seems to me there are four Bond endings that are almost unanimously hated around here. They are FRWL (back projection and Bond waving goodbye to the videotape), FYEO (the Thatchers coda), LTK (the winking fish), and TWINE (Christmas coming more than once per year). Personally, I love all of those except for TWINE, which is tawdry and vulgar without being witty and humorous. I think Bond films (with the exception of OHMSS) should send one out of the theater with a song in your heart, and that's what the vast majority of the endings do.

    Ironic, since many of the ones you mention are considered great Bond movies. I do not hate FRWL's ending, I enjoy it actually, although it may have prevented the movie for being truly and completely Hitckcockian. I also think OHMSS's ending although considered great now was probably hated at the time.

    But the one I hate the most is the ending of DAD: vulgar inuendos between Bond and Jinx and that stupid, unforgivable virtual reality scene between Bond and Moneypenny. I am not the biggest admirer of LTK on these forums, but give me the winking fish every day instead of such endings.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,797
    Ludovico wrote:
    that stupid, unforgivable virtual reality scene between Bond and Moneypenny.
    I guess that was done so we'd look back more fondly on the Thatcher coda. :))
    Yeah, that was the extreme bottom of the barrel.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,117
    Oh, and something else: not that I exactly hate them, but I do find them extremely frustrating as they are unimaginative: the GF ending variations. Everybody is looking for Bond, but he is making out or about to make love to the Bond girl. I am all for Bond ending up with the Bond girl in Bond 24, but please have a more original ending than this one.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    edited January 2014 Posts: 2,483
    MayDayDiVicenzo wrote:
    I'm going to say From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

    But OHMSS unanimously has to be the best.

    I rate OHMSS as the greatest Bond film ever made, and I sincerely doubt I will see its equal in my lifetime. Having said that, I consider the almost immediate insertion of the jaunty Bond theme following Tracy's death to be the only misstep in the whole film.

    PS--I don't even remember how DAD ends. Or OP, for the matter of it.

    PPS--One great thing about the DC era is that all three of his films have crackerjack endings. Even QOS, whose conclusion is classy and pitch perfect.

    PPPS--It is amazing how many Bond films conclude on water. I count DN, FRWL, TB, YOLT, DAF, Gun, Spy, AVTAK, LTK, and TND.

  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    MayDayDiVicenzo wrote:
    I'm going to say From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

    But OHMSS unanimously has to be the best.

    I rate OHMSS as the greatest Bond film ever made, and I sincerely doubt I will see its equal in my lifetime. Having said that, I consider the almost immediate insertion of the jaunty Bond theme following Tracy's death to be the only misstep in the whole film.

    PS--I don't even remember how DAD ends. Or OP, for the matter of it.

    PPS--One great thing about the DC era is that all three of his films have crackerjack endings. Even QOS, whose conclusion is classy and pitch perfect.

    PPPS--It is amazing how many Bond films conclude on water. I count DN, FRWL, TB, YOLT, DAF, Gun, Spy, AVTAK, LTK, and TND.

    I don't find the Bond theme jaunty at all. I love Barry's arrangement. Almost melancholy.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Perhaps brassy is the better word. Either way, it's jarring and totally inappropriate given the tragedy the viewer has just witnessed.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,797
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Perhaps brassy is the better word. Either way, it's jarring and totally inappropriate given the tragedy the viewer has just witnessed.
    Send 'em out crying, is that it? We needed the theme to stem the tears.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Perhaps brassy is the better word. Either way, it's jarring and totally inappropriate given the tragedy the viewer has just witnessed.

    But you get the sorrow and quite haunting piece of "WHATTITW" before it kicks into the Bond theme. I think it works really well.

    Strangely I hated the ending (and the film in general) as a kid because I didn't like the idea of sad endings to films.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I always considered the Bond theme at the end of OHMSS to be a promise that Bond was going to return with revenge. Sadly that never happened.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,797
    Murdock wrote:
    I always considered the Bond theme at the end of OHMSS to be a promise that Bond was going to return with revenge. Sadly that never happened.
    FYEO PTS.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,993
    DAD, without a doubt. All right, the winking fish, the Christmas joke and Maggie were cringe-inducing (as was "Goodnight Sir"). But nothing compares to the outrageous insult done to Miss Moneypenny, who, after forty years and twenty movies, was reduced to this... This... This... Travesty ! X(
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,797
    Gerard wrote:
    the winking fish, the Christmas joke and Maggie were cringe-inducing
    I still don't get the 'cringe-worthy' part of it. The fish winks at regular intervals whilst spitting water, and they caught a wink at a propitious moment. Silly maybe, but cringe-worthy??
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    I think LTK, overall, had the best ending in the series. Cheerful Felix is a misstep but the scene in the pool with Bond and Pam is wonderful. If You Asked Me To is excellent as well.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited January 2014 Posts: 12,837
    Licence To Kill is my favourite Bond film, but the best ending in the series is by far OHMSS imo. Runners up being Casino Royale and Skyfall.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    chrisisall wrote:
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    Perhaps brassy is the better word. Either way, it's jarring and totally inappropriate given the tragedy the viewer has just witnessed.
    Send 'em out crying, is that it? We needed the theme to stem the tears.

    No. If you feel like crying then by all means weep.

  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    chrisisall wrote:
    Gerard wrote:
    the winking fish, the Christmas joke and Maggie were cringe-inducing
    I still don't get the 'cringe-worthy' part of it. The fish winks at regular intervals whilst spitting water, and they caught a wink at a propitious moment. Silly maybe, but cringe-worthy??

    I don't even find it silly. I mean, really? Romantic whimsy is not allowed in Bond films? Please.

  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    The best thing about the ending of LTK is that it is actually the last of TD as 007, pretty good ending for a poor copy of the superiour Miami Vice series that did everything better than LTK ever did.
  • SuperheroSithSuperheroSith SE London
    Posts: 578
    SaintMark wrote:
    The best thing about the ending of LTK is that it is actually the last of TD as 007, pretty good ending for a poor copy of the superiour Miami Vice series that did everything better than LTK ever did.
    OK, first off, James Crockett is nothing compared to James Bond. Secondly, Timothy Dalton was trying to be Fleming Bond. He read all of Ian Fleming's books before playing him. Finally, let's compare a winking fish and 007...
  • hildebrand_rarityhildebrand_rarity
    Posts: 316
    the ending for TND always bugged me. They're drifting on debris IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN and they just let the navy not find them. Also, I felt the final scenes were rushed and they should have had some time to let the action settle, even, like, 30 seconds more of the scene with M and Moneypenny and Admiral Roebuck
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,117
    hildebrand_rarity wrote:
    the ending for TND always bugged me. They're drifting on debris IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN and they just let the navy not find them. Also, I felt the final scenes were rushed and they should have had some time to let the action settle, even, like, 30 seconds more of the scene with M and Moneypenny and Admiral Roebuck

    They just remade the ending of GF. And others. "Oh, let's stay hidden." "But where is 007?" I hope for Bond 24 they do something more original. Something taken from the novels, maybe? The ending of LALD, TB, among others, would fit the Craig era perfectly.
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