James Bond Canceled / MGM in Financial Mess

[Darth Fetty]

Sorry they were just too Bourne.

Even if this was true for Casino Royale, it's leagues better than the previous Bond films filled with action scenes involving either an invisible car, a flying car, or even a gondola car or any other ridiculous over-the-top concept with the occasional added bonus of a cheesy cringe-inducing wisecrack (I thought Christmas only came once a year!). Casino Royale actually had character development so you could actually CARE about the characters involved rather than sitting back watching scenes through the eyes of Sheriff JW Pepper.

 

[thegreatgalling]

I tend to disagree micdavis, although I respect your points.

I thought QOS was awesome. I am the guy who has seen every Bond film at least 2 or 300 times and like each one equally. I was VERY skeptical about this new incarnation until the first three minutes of CR left me at ease.

I have said this before here, but If you watch QOS with an eye for the emotion, you get a sense of Bond you really never saw before. The KEY to Craig's portrayal is how lightening fast Bond can detach emotionally from any situation, no matter how devistating. Its NOT that he can't feel. It's that he does feel, extraordinarily so, but with a snap, can file it away and get the job done.

In my mind, THAT was Fleming's entire point to the CR story.

-SPOILIER-

The "The ***** is dead" quote is the EPITOMY of who the literary Bond is.

-SPOILER-
In QOS, rewatch the moment Bond's trusted friend dies. He actually CRIES. Then...He throws the body in the dumpster and walks on, without a tear in his eye.

Sorry, they nailed it.

 

[terryr]

No more James Blonde?

To be precise, men are blonds, women are blonde.

I can't believe they'd kick him loose. But producers do odd things.

No more James Borne. Yeah!!!!

I never noticed that until now. But it's true.

 

[foxbatkllr]

I liked Casino Royale, but I would've liked it much much more had it not been a half-assed reboot. It still bothers me that they made it a sort of James Bond origin story yet Daniel Craig is too old for that and Judi Dench is still M. Plus he starts out using the P99. If they were going to do a reboot they should've ditched Judi Dench (who I like) and the P99. They also should've gotten a younger actor.

 

[Solo4114]

I tend to disagree micdavis, although I respect your points.

I thought QOS was awesome. I am the guy who has seen every Bond film at least 2 or 300 times and like each one equally. I was VERY skeptical about this new incarnation until the first three minutes of CR left me at ease.

I have said this before here, but If you watch QOS with an eye for the emotion, you get a sense of Bond you really never saw before. The KEY to Craig's portrayal is how lightening fast Bond can detach emotionally from any situation, no matter how devistating. Its NOT that he can't feel. It's that he does feel, extraordinarily so, but with a snap, can file it away and get the job done.

In my mind, THAT was Fleming's entire point to the CR story.

-SPOILIER-

The "The ***** is dead" quote is the EPITOMY of who the literary Bond is.

-SPOILER-
In QOS, rewatch the moment Bond's trusted friend dies. He actually CRIES. Then...He throws the body in the dumpster and walks on, without a tear in his eye.

Sorry, they nailed it.

I got that aspect from QOS, but what I didn't get was what the hell was going on in the action sequences. And for me, that killed the film. There was some good stuff with the character himself, but the rest of the movie (and there's quite a bit of it) was really lacking. Thus, ultimately, I really didn't enjoy QOS. I blame the editing, mostly. It's like an ADHD 6 year old hopped up on sugary cereals and 6 straight hours of Speedy Gonzalez cartoons edited that thing.

 

[micdavis]

I thought the title was the beginning of the end. What a pretentious ridiculous title.

 

[Wakeem]

Quantum of Solace is easily one of the worst Bond films. Also, Bond tossing his friend in the garbage had no point. None of the other Bonds or the book Bond (that I can remember) ever treated their allies in this fashion.

 

[darthgordon]

Both of the movies did, no real substance. Damn shame they yanked Pierce Bronson from the bond movies....

They didn't yank anyone. Brosnan felt he was getting to old to play Bond anymore. He bowed out and out of many actors, Craig was selected.

You know, when I first saw him, I thought he looked like a big dumb animal and thought he'd never work as Bond. Probably the same way Flemming felt when he saw Connery. Like with Connery, I was pleasantly surprised with Craig.

 

[kalkamel]

The thing I liked about Casino Royale is that it is a very faithful adaptation (aside from the present day setting) of Fleming's novel. Craig perfectly portrayed the Bond of the novel; cold and ruthless, much like the way Dalton portrayed Bond in The Living Daylights and License to Kill, but Dalton's Bond was more refined, which is understandable since Royale was an origin story.

Quantum of Solace on the other hand was a mess. Heck, Bond didn't even get in the sack with the Bond girl (incidentally, neither did Max Payne or The Hitman which Olga starred in)! :lol

 

[Solo4114]

I thought the title was the beginning of the end. What a pretentious ridiculous title.

Blame Ian Fleming then. It came from one of his short stories about Bond (which had nothing to do with the film, by the way).

The thing I liked about Casino Royale is that it is a very faithful adaptation (aside from the present day setting) of Fleming's novel. Craig perfectly portrayed the Bond of the novel; cold and ruthless, much like the way Dalton portrayed Bond in The Living Daylights and License to Kill, but Dalton's Bond was more refined, which is understandable since Royale was an origin story.

Quantum of Solace on the other hand was a mess. Heck, Bond didn't even get in the sack with the Bond girl (incidentally, neither did Max Payne or The Hitman which Olga starred in)! :lol

Agreed on all counts.

They didn't yank anyone. Brosnan felt he was getting to old to play Bond anymore. He bowed out and out of many actors, Craig was selected.

You know, when I first saw him, I thought he looked like a big dumb animal and thought he'd never work as Bond. Probably the same way Flemming felt when he saw Connery. Like with Connery, I was pleasantly surprised with Craig.

Yeah, the thing that Craig had was that edge and air of ruthlessness and brutality. Bond in the novels has that a-plenty. He's also got the love of things refined, but that's more to act as a salve for his conscience and distract him from the things he does. I forget which novel it's in, but there's a passage in the beginning of one of the books, where Bond's sitting and thinking about having just knifed a guy on his last mission and is hating himself for having to do so. All the finer things in life that he indulges in? That's basically to keep him from having to think about the smell of a man's last breath after he's pushed a blade between his ribs.

 

[thegreatgalling]

They didn't yank anyone. Brosnan felt he was getting to old to play Bond anymore. He bowed out and out of many actors, Craig was selected.

You know, when I first saw him, I thought he looked like a big dumb animal and thought he'd never work as Bond. Probably the same way Flemming felt when he saw Connery. Like with Connery, I was pleasantly surprised with Craig.

Hmm, didn't Brosnan give some playboy interview where he expressed he was really disapointed they didn't let him do another one? I distinctly remember hearing in the news that he claimed he would have done one more in a heart beat...

 

[Solo4114]

There've been conflicting stories about Brosnan's last days.

On the one hand, aside from the obligatory pre-release press junkets, I gather he was unsatisfied with Die Another Day (and rightly so -- that film SUCKED. Easily down there with Moonraker as far as low points in the franchise), and was sick of that version of the character. On the other hand, he may also have been disappointed that he didn't get to go out on a high note...although in fairness, NONE of the guys who've played Bond have, actually.

Connery -- Diamonds Are Forever. (The beginning of the super-cheesy slapsticky era.)

Lazenby -- On Her Majesty's Secret Service. (I actually really like this film, but many hate it. I think they just hate Lazenby, and mostly then because he wasn't Connery and seemed a poor replacement.)

Moore -- A View to a Kill. (Geriatric bond. Brought to you by Centrum Silver.)

Dalton -- Licence to Kill. (A bit dark and slimy as Bond movies go. Not a bad film, but not well received by the public.)

Brosnan -- Die Another Day. (Crap. Almost entirely crap. With the possible exception of Bond when he's been sold out and having to be resourceful on his own. Which ends quickly and then he gets AN INVISIBLE FREAKING CAR.)

Craig -- Quantum of Solace. (Potentially decent story obscured by GODAWFUL editing. Plus, it's a middle chapter of sorts, so it doesn't provide real resolution.)


I can understand Brosnan wanting at least one last outing to "correct" the crap that was Die Another Day, while still hating the film and the direction the franchise had gone.

 

[Dave Ward]

I really hope that one day they'll release a re-edited Quantum. I'd love to see that car chase cut together properly instead of like a car advert.

 

[terryr]

In the first movie they all played it like a government worker. Then they become 'the Famous James Bond' that even bad guys love. I'm surprised the henchmen don't ask for his autograph.

And the producers just can't resist the cheesiness for very long. Then they say the heck with the script, just put stunts in there. Then the public gets turned off. Then they reboot.

But, Bond Will Return.

 

[Solo4114]

I really hope that one day they'll release a re-edited Quantum. I'd love to see that car chase cut together properly instead of like a car advert.

I'd DEFINITELY pay to see a re-edited Quantum where shots are held longer than a frickin' nanosecond. It's not just the car chase (although that was by far the most egregiously bad example -- doubly so because it happened in the first few seconds of the film). There were other fight sequences that were just an incomprehensible mess.

The Bourne films were tough to follow the fights, but you kind of got the gist of them, and they did that on purpose. The second rebooted Bond film, on the other hand, tried to make it even more frenetic, and only succeeded in making me at least say "Wait, WHAT the hell just happened?!" It'd be like someone just shoving their hands right in front of your face and wiggling their fingers and saying "Booogetyboogety!" to create a sense of "action."

 

[Wakeem]

I love the opening car chase of Quantum. It's the best part of the film to me. Anyway, I thought Pierce Brosnan was pretty clear in a few interviews that he was surprised at being let go. He wanted to do another Bond but the producers wanted to go in a younger direction.

 

[blewis17]

As for Connery, I would submit Never Say Never Again, the Bond film about the Centipede video game, that wasn't really a Bond film at all.

There've been conflicting stories about Brosnan's last days.

On the one hand, aside from the obligatory pre-release press junkets, I gather he was unsatisfied with Die Another Day (and rightly so -- that film SUCKED. Easily down there with Moonraker as far as low points in the franchise), and was sick of that version of the character. On the other hand, he may also have been disappointed that he didn't get to go out on a high note...although in fairness, NONE of the guys who've played Bond have, actually.

Connery -- Diamonds Are Forever. (The beginning of the super-cheesy slapsticky era.)

Lazenby -- On Her Majesty's Secret Service. (I actually really like this film, but many hate it. I think they just hate Lazenby, and mostly then because he wasn't Connery and seemed a poor replacement.)

Moore -- A View to a Kill. (Geriatric bond. Brought to you by Centrum Silver.)

Dalton -- Licence to Kill. (A bit dark and slimy as Bond movies go. Not a bad film, but not well received by the public.)

Brosnan -- Die Another Day. (Crap. Almost entirely crap. With the possible exception of Bond when he's been sold out and having to be resourceful on his own. Which ends quickly and then he gets AN INVISIBLE FREAKING CAR.)

Craig -- Quantum of Solace. (Potentially decent story obscured by GODAWFUL editing. Plus, it's a middle chapter of sorts, so it doesn't provide real resolution.)


I can understand Brosnan wanting at least one last outing to "correct" the crap that was Die Another Day, while still hating the film and the direction the franchise had gone.

 

[Solo4114]

As for Connery, I would submit Never Say Never Again, the Bond film about the Centipede video game, that wasn't really a Bond film at all.

Never Say Never Again is really just a rehash of Thunderball. It's literally the same plot (which makes sense, considering it's a McClory production, and he only had the rights to Thunderball, I believe). But either way, Connery's last outing -- either with EON or the McClory film -- was pretty weak.

 

[terryr]

I once read that someone did a fan edit of Never Say Never Again that was better.

 

[DavidS]

I tend to disagree micdavis, although I respect your points.

I thought QOS was awesome. I am the guy who has seen every Bond film at least 2 or 300 times and like each one equally. I was VERY skeptical about this new incarnation until the first three minutes of CR left me at ease.

I have said this before here, but If you watch QOS with an eye for the emotion, you get a sense of Bond you really never saw before. The KEY to Craig's portrayal is how lightening fast Bond can detach emotionally from any situation, no matter how devistating. Its NOT that he can't feel. It's that he does feel, extraordinarily so, but with a snap, can file it away and get the job done.

In my mind, THAT was Fleming's entire point to the CR story.

-SPOILIER-

The "The ***** is dead" quote is the EPITOMY of who the literary Bond is.

-SPOILER-
In QOS, rewatch the moment Bond's trusted friend dies. He actually CRIES. Then...He throws the body in the dumpster and walks on, without a tear in his eye.

Sorry, they nailed it.

Well said!

I think out of everyone in this thread YOU truely GET Bond.

There are no BAD Bond films, just DIFFERENT Bond films.
In my mind at least, I have always sorta seen the name "James Bond" as an allias that is assigned to different "00" agents.
Kinda like a Mantel that is passed down. I know this doesnt tie with the litterary Bond, but it sorta helps me justify the disjointedness of the films