Questions About Bond Films that You Have been Afraid to Ask SPOILERS

[Michael Bergeron]

NSNA isn't bad, I do enjoy it. However it REALLY needed some real Bond music and I'm not a huge fan of old Connery in the role.

Still though, good enough for the odd viewing.

 

[Solo4114]

Oh, she did alright in The Getaway.

 

[Sundowner]

Oh, she did alright in The Getaway.

With Alec Baldwin lol ya she performed well in that

I enjoyed NSNA

 

[Zuiun]

I like NSNA too. Although Basinger is horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE in it. It took all the way to LA Confidential for her to live it down for me.

Oh! You thought I was talking about her acting! :lol

 

[laserpistol76]

Ok, so here's a Bond question I'm almost afraid to ask...

Am I the only Bond fan here that actually kind of dug Never Say Never Again?

Yeah, yeah, I *know* about why it was made. I *know* it's not really canon. I *know* it was a contractual remake of Thunderball.

Still...

For one thing, I liked the older Connery in the role. And it was nice to see him looking like he was actually enjoying it (as opposed to his final "official" Bond appearance).

I liked Irvin Kershner's direction. He did a decent job given the copyright constraints of the story and the relatively limited budget.

Kim Basinger.

I get a kick out of the ridiculous, over-the-top foley work on the sound.

I want to play that video game. I don't care how cheesy it looks.

So there. I said it. I liked Never Say Never Again.

Why on Earth did they remake Thunderball?! It's a great film, and it won the Oscar for best effects. but otherwise, NSNA was OK. The only part I remember is the rocket pen or whatever that was.

 

[Solo4114]

Why on Earth did they remake Thunderball?! It's a great film, and it won the Oscar for best effects. but otherwise, NSNA was OK. The only part I remember is the rocket pen or whatever that was.

Because it was the only thing Kevin McClory could begin to legitimately claim was his.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Because it was the only thing Kevin McClory could begin to legitimately claim was his.

Because it bears repeating...

That d-bag is why we lost SPECTRE. :angry

 

[Treadwell]

Well, he created SPECTRE to begin with. He may have been a PITA, but he can't be faulted for seeing his rights were honored. (Trying to stretch them to include him making his own Bond series...well....)

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Well, he created SPECTRE to begin with. He may have been a PITA, but he can't be faulted for seeing his rights were honored. (Trying to stretch them to include him making his own Bond series...well....)

I know... But man. Give us SPECTRE. He should have just taken a nice large cheque for the rights and gone away.

 

[thegreatgalling]

I also really enjoy NSNA. The line "from here?" Is probably in my top ten Bond quips. As been said, seeing old Bond kicking ass and taking numbers is great. The video game sequence is horribly dated I'm afraid, but I thought the film's execution was mostly successful.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

I also really enjoy NSNA. The line "from here?" Is probably in my top ten Bond quips.

Best one ever:

"I'm Plenty"

"I'm sure you are"

"Plenty O'Toole"

"Named after your father perhaps"

:lol

 

[thegreatgalling]

I actually laughed out loud at Craig's "that last hand...nearly killed me." That really never happened to me much in the last dozen or so Bond movies. I also liked that the joke had a purpose, to rub LeChiffre's nose in the whole thing, rather than Bond uttering a funny line to himself. But you gotta love the quips.

 

[Solo4114]

Not I. They're actually one of my least favorite aspects of the Bond series. What started as a means to defuse tension at having brutally murdered someone (e.g. "That's a Smith and Wesson. And you've had your six.") turned into tongue-in-cheek mugging for the camera that destroyed the seriousness of the films. (e.g. didn't Brosnan have some godawful quip akin to "not a good time to lose one's HEAD" in DAD? It was almost lifted out of Austin Powers for chrissakes)

Quips are ok once in a blue moon, if it's Bond engaging in repartee with someone. Quips are NOT ok just to stuff in as a crappy pun when he kills someone.

that "His Name is James Bond" youtube video encapsulates it perfectly for me:

I need heaps of gadgets 'cause I carry a s*** gun./When I kill my enemies I like to make s*** puns./Like the time I asked this guy who was crushed by a milk truck "Got milk?" as he died.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Not I. They're actually one of my least favorite aspects of the Bond series. What started as a means to defuse tension at having brutally murdered someone (e.g. "That's a Smith and Wesson. And you've had your six.") turned into tongue-in-cheek mugging for the camera that destroyed the seriousness of the films. (e.g. didn't Brosnan have some godawful quip akin to "not a good time to lose one's HEAD" in DAD? It was almost lifted out of Austin Powers for chrissakes)

Quips are ok once in a blue moon, if it's Bond engaging in repartee with someone. Quips are NOT ok just to stuff in as a crappy pun when he kills someone.

Agreed. I really like some examples while I hate others. The example TGG gave was a great one. Lines like "He had a lot of guts" when a guy falls into an industrial snowblower are bad.

They started off a lot more subtle and clever. Still love the pre-credits of Goldfinger "Shocking... Positively shocking". Also when they're used as a response to a legitimate question ie: "What happened to him?" "He blew a fuse" and "Where's Goldfinger?" "Playing his golden harp."

When the quip is unprompted it's generally pretty bad.

 

[OldKen]

Haven't seen it in over a decade. But loved NSNA.

Here is a question I have...

Kim Bassinger...

In the 89 Batman, when the joker is unleashing gas on the croud of pedestrians... Right after she realizes they are being gassed, she says something there in a deep new York Italian mobster kinda voice.. Not DEEP... But for her...

Anyone know what I'm talking about? It struck me odd when I saw it on opening night.

When the VHS came out I rewinded it... Yeah, there and odd. She's from Georgia. So it can't be her accent slipping in...

I may be crazy, but it's one actual thing I had a "question about a film that I was always afraid to ask".

Just without the spoilers...

 

[Michael Bergeron]

I always thought that it had something to do with the gas? Like she had inhaled a little of it?

Never bugged me enough to think about it I guess.

 

[The Rock-a-who]

Agree with everything except Moore. As a big fan of the literary character I can assure you that Moore's version of Bond's "wit" is so far removed from the character it's not even recognizable. Moore is just a series of punchlines, Bond isn't AT ALL.

Easily the closest to the true character was Dalton. That said Connery is my favorite Bond.

Which is odd because according to rumor, Moore was Fleming's first choice for Bond, but couldn't get him because of Moore's contractual obligations with The Saint.

 

[Michael Bergeron]

Which is odd because according to rumor, Moore was Fleming's first choice for Bond, but couldn't get him because of Moore's contractual obligations with The Saint.

Flemming did want Moore but if he had seen what the films became he's be rolling in his grave. Moore was much closer to the look that is described in the books. The comparison just about ends there.

 

[Barryjoe]

...What started as a means to defuse tension at having brutally murdered someone (e.g. "That's a Smith and Wesson. And you've had your six.") turned into tongue-in-cheek mugging for the camera that destroyed the seriousness of the films....

The one you mentioned from, DR. NO, takes place before the kill. For me, it adds to the tension and highlights Bond's skills (Gosh, I guess Bond was paying attention THE WHOLE TIME!). This is one of my favorite scenes from the movies, because, without question, it shows that Bond is a killer. He has the advantage; he could just arrest the professor; yet, he kills him. A quip would ruin it. I prefer the tension.

The modern version of this scene, from CR, also works really well: "Yes. Considerably." It's not a quip and demonstrates a distinct coldness to Bond's character. After all, Bond was waiting in that office, looking at a photo of Dryden's family and it made no difference. Dryden is killed without hesitation. It's an amazing scene.

 

[Solo4114]

Exactamundo. Particularly when done in contrast to the previous kill.