Time for a Commando Raid

Barry Nelson

It has been a long time since a Bond film ended with a nice commando raid, and I think it is time for the writers to put one in the script. IMO the best endings to Bond films, have been the ones with Bond joining forces with some elite group and attacking the villain's stronghold, or disrupting the villain’s master plan just as it is underway. GF, had the attack at Fort Knox’s, TB had the underwater battle, YOLT, had the fight in Blofeld’s volcano complete with rappelling ninjas, OHMSS had the attack on Piz Gloria, DAF attack on the oil platform, TSWLM, the battle at the end in the submarine base, MR, the outer space fight (OK, so that wasn’t so great). Although it wasn’t the ending of the film, FRWL gave us the cool fight in the gypsy camp. All of these scenes had action that filled the screen, lots of extras, big explosions, good guys and bad guys dying, and great stunts. Bond films should be BIG, the action scenes should bigger and bolder then what you see in a run-of-the-mill action film. The vast majority of action films end with the hero and villain in a struggle to the death, with the hero overcoming some obstacle to win. That is what the Bond films have given us recently, a one on one battle, with Bond saving the day and winning the fight.

I realize that big action scenes entail big spending. Getting the extras, getting everyone in costume, rehearsing the scene, planning and rehearsing the stunts, arranging the pyrotechnics, many cameras for the shoot, is all expensive I know, but this is Bond and Bond should give us spectacle. I for one, am hoping we see a commando raid in the next Bond film.

TonyDP

Funny you mentioning the commando raid Barry; as my brother and I were watching the Moonraker BluRay the other night I was again musing to myself why this former staple of the classic formula had been abandoned.

I'd like to see a high-end setpiece as well though quite honestly I doubt we'll see something like that again. Since Moore's exit it seems the producers have preferred to have Bond singlehandedly taking on a small army of foes (especially during some of Brosnan's movies) or go for smaller confrontations with at most a handful of men (as has been the case with Craig).

Trying to create a latter day TSWLM or TB is probably just too expensive a proposition in today's economy. If QoS, which to me looks like a more modest production compared to prior entries, had a budget of $200 million (according to boxofficemojo.com) then adding in a suitably epic climax, and the expansive set(s) that would be required, would probably raise the cost to be more than the gross national product of some smaller nations.

Bond isn't alone here; even a box office juggernaut like Indiana Jones had to settle for more modest action setpieces and CGI-extended sets in his last outing. Just a sign of the times I guess.

Mister White

In a way one could argue that the attack on Perla de las Dunas in QOS by Bond and Camile was sort of a two man 'commando' raid.

They went in, killed all the bad guys, and blew the place up.

Works for me.

sniperUK

SAS/SBS raid launched from HMS Ocean using 7Sqn Chinooks ,FAA Commando Sea King HC.4s and support from AAC Apache gunships take down the bad guys HQ properly.At least the MoD might make some cash from the rental of the equipment 8-)

Alec 006

I agree in some aspect a Commando raid would be great. After all Bond is not actually alone fighting Terror is he?
He's part of the machine, MI6, MI5, Special Forces etc. He can't take credit alone, so it would be good to see a bit more "teamwork".

BUT what I think the DC Bond gives us now is way better than "spectacle". It is discreet, it is covert (MI6 - after all) and it is beginning to border on realistic. EXCELLENT.

So a discreet, covert Commando raid - BRING IT ON.

Loeffelholz

I'm certainly ready to see one---and such a thing need not be cost-prohibitive, not by a long shot. Someone here has previously proposed a reunion of Bond with his former SBS mates; I think that would be aces B-)

BRIXMIS

Alec 006 wrote:

I agree in some aspect a Commando raid would be great. After all Bond is not actually alone fighting Terror is he?
He's part of the machine, MI6, MI5, Special Forces etc. He can't take credit alone, so it would be good to see a bit more "teamwork".

BUT what I think the DC Bond gives us now is way better than "spectacle". It is discreet, it is covert (MI6 - after all) and it is beginning to border on realistic. EXCELLENT.

So a discreet, covert Commando raid - BRING IT ON.

I agree with you Alec, if done properly, a covert action with military assistance would be good. But as ex-military, my entusiasm wanes on a Bond film, at exactly the point where actors in ill fitting berets, no tactical appreciation and bad weapon-handling start swarming all over the set!

Thunderpussy

Great idea, I'd love to see Bond leading a small SBS crew in a finnal battle, with no cutting to a secondary figh with the leading lady fighting the head villaness or such.

zaphod

I would love to see one. It would also set Bond in a context as we have had enough 'lone Wolf/renegade' recently. Who knows they could even refer to him as 007 which would also be most welcome. Here's hoping {[]

TripleXXX

I agree...the climactic battles are some of the best scenes in the entire series! There hasn't been a good climactic battle since TSWLM (well MR was pretty entertaining but just too far-fetched)I'm sure with today's special effects they could pull it off (hopefully without too much CGI)

Alex

Bond did go"commando" during the CR torture sequence. Of course, it was not of his choosing ...

OOPS!

Number24

Bond is trusted by M now. It is also time his recent past in the navy is adressed. And don't forget that MI6 knows a bit about Quantum now, after questioning Greene and Vespers ex in Russia. It's time they went on the offensive!
they should do something a bit unusual (perhaps a amphibious raid or a winter raid) just commandos in black running about in a building shooting their MP5s is a bit tired today.

Cynjin Smyth

While writing my fan fiction, I came upon this thread. The funny part is that my first chapter is a SBS team with Bond conducting a raid in the middle east. I agree that it's time for this to happen in a Bond movie.

Napoleon Plural

Yeah, agreed. Would make Craig's Bond a bit more different to Bourne too, as Bourne is very much a lone guy. Or to team up with a renegade team like in OHMSS to pull off a job, maybe tipping M the wink.

Suave Agent

I would love Vesper Boyfriend to expose secrets of the organisation to MI6, and Bond and SAS (or special forces) infiltrate an enemy safe house that is believed to be where Mr White is staying.

It could show Bond training at Hereford SAS school or something I know most people have been interested in seeing Bond workout i.e. 5km run or press ups etc ready for the mission.

Suave Agent

Suave Agent wrote:

I would love Vesper Boyfriend to expose secrets of the organisation to MI6, and Bond and SAS (or special forces) infiltrate an enemy safe house that is believed to be where Mr White is staying.

It could show Bond training at Hertfordshire SAS school or something I know most people have been interested in seeing Bond workout i.e. 5km run or press ups etc ready for the mission.

Maybe you could have some 00' operative before they become 00 agents e.g. Alec Trevelyan?

bigzilcho

Barry Nelson...you are 100% right...and then some.

100 ninjas sliding down the volcano is the kind of glorious Bond image that seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird.

Ken Adam built sets that DEMANDED that kind of mayhem! You can't have enough ninjas, as far as I'm concerned. ("Impregnable?")

(A die-hard YOLT fan...and proud of it)

QOS cost who-knows-what and ends with two fights and a fire. Is it too much to ask for a little jaw-dropping spectacle now and then?

As much as I like a gritty Bond, I long for the days of where being over-the-top was expected. A little spectacle is what Bond is all about.

Cubby understood that and, in a way, maybe Saltzman understood it even more.

Its called showmanship.



"Welcome to Japan, Mr.Bond."

Danjaq

Mister White wrote:

In a way one could argue that the attack on Perla de las Dunas in QOS by Bond and Camile was sort of a two man 'commando' raid.

They went in, killed all the bad guys, and blew the place up.

Works for me.

Hey, it worked in TND with Bond carrying an MP5K in one hand, his P99 in the other; and Wai Lin toting twin MP5s ala Goldeneye 64 style on Carver's stealth ship. A two-person raid can be just as action-packed as a one-person raid.

TripleXXX wrote:

I agree...the climactic battles are some of the best scenes in the entire series! There hasn't been a good climactic battle since TSWLM (well MR was pretty entertaining but just too far-fetched)I'm sure with today's special effects they could pull it off (hopefully without too much CGI)

What about the Mujahideen gun battle in TLD? That one is the most recent that I remember.

Cynjin Smyth wrote:

While writing my fan fiction, I came upon this thread. The funny part is that my first chapter is a SBS team with Bond conducting a raid in the middle east. I agree that it's time for this to happen in a Bond movie.

Sounds like it would make a good pre-title sequence for the next movie. I can picture Bond in BDUs, carrying an issue SA80 rifle, with the Royal Marines behind him.

Cynjin Smyth

Sounds like it would make a good pre-title sequence for the next movie. I can picture Bond in BDUs, carrying an issue SA80 rifle, with the Royal Marines behind him.[/quote]

Well not to give to much away. Bond, a six man SBS team, CRRC into Qatar to capture a high level terrorist with ties to Iraq.

thesecretagent

Suave Agent wrote:

I would love Vesper Boyfriend to expose secrets of the organisation to MI6, and Bond and SAS (or special forces) infiltrate an enemy safe house that is believed to be where Mr White is staying.

It could show Bond training at Hertfordshire SAS school or something I know most people have been interested in seeing Bond workout i.e. 5km run or press ups etc ready for the mission.

I'd like to see what sort of training is involved in Hertfordshire SAS school. Shopping And Socialising maybe. I think Bond better get his SAS training in Hereford though...

thesecretagent

I do like the commando style attacks, but they are a thing of the old films. They are fun to watch with the musical score and explosions, but wouldn't work in the same way with the modern films. They were technically inacurate, followed little in military tactics and were simply an action climax to keep audiances intersted. If installations were attacked in the flamboyant way the old films were the body count would have been reversed and the bad guys would have won.

Thunderpussy

Perhaps the next PTS could have Bond lead a small SBS team against a ship held by modern pirates,finding a clue to Mr White and Quantum.

Mister White

It's a shame we only got to see a 00 training mission in TLD. Maybe it's about time for something like that again in the teaser?

Loeffelholz

Thunderpussy wrote:

Perhaps the next PTS could have Bond lead a small SBS team against a ship held by modern pirates,finding a clue to Mr White and Quantum.

That's a very good idea... B-) Right out of the headlines :007)

Colonel Shatner

I like a Craig Bond "battle" to be medium scale and comparatively realistic, with a Delta/SEAL team scaling the side of a modern skyscraper instead of a volcano crater, with Quantum guards in offices being silently taken down by snipers with the rest of the team rumbling down stairwells or rapling down elevator shafts to the basement facility used by Quantum as their secret headquarters.

Make it an urban version of the commando raids often in Iraq and Afghanistan, only it is against Quantum agents wearing grey business suits and tactical BDUs instead of goat herders in brown tunics.