Martin Campbell should get credit for saving the franchise twice!

Roger Mo'

After the debacle that was QoS, before it was announced that Sam Mendes was announced as the director for Skyfall, I felt that Martin Campbell deserved another go at directing another Bond film. His style is modern yet retains the trademarks of past Bond films. He is capable of directing great action scenes and excellent visual humour too (e.g. the foot chase with Mollaka when he leaps through the small hole in the wall, but DC just crashes through it created a huge laugh in the cinema when we watched it).
Does anyone agree that he has been the most underrated directors in the franchise and should be widely credited fo saving Bond twice?

Dutchfinger

Well, both of his movies are ranked in my personal top 5.

But then again, I don't always know to what degree you can credit the director on his skill in the Bond movies. Goldeneye was pretty much the pioneer of the 'modern-age' Bond movies, and it worked really well. And Casino Royale of course had a solid script... I'm not sure if Quantum of Solace would have been much better if Campbell had directed that one as well, as (in my opinion) the script was pretty lacking...

Take Guy hamilton for instance, he directed a movie that is often ranked as the very best one, and also one that is often ranked as one of the worst entries in the series...

But yeah, the two movies that Campbell did in the 007 series were great in my opinion!

BIG TAM

It depends on how much clout you believe a director has within the franchise. I've always felt the films were producer-led with directors hired to just steer the ship rather than plot its course. I actually think earlier chaps like Terence Young, Guy Hamilton & Peter Hunt had more input in shaping their films but as the idea of a rock-solid formula became more apparent the notion of committee film-making kicked into play from '71 onwards.

Martin Campbell can certainly be credited for adding style to the imagery, sorely needed after John Glen's more basic direction. Both GOLDENEYE & CASINO ROYALE feature slick cinematography & editing. Odd moments aside, neither of these facets were in much abundance during the '80s era.

It'll be interesting to see what Sam Mendes brings to the table. He's a director with a small yet prolific body of work that sets him aside from previous helmers. I still believe the producers call the shots but Barbara Broccoli in particular seems happier for director & actor to have more of a say in things these days.

Thunderpussy

It depends whith what a Director has to work with, if he has a crappy script
some not very good actors and bad CGI. I'd say he'd have a tough job getting
a half decent movie made. )
Luckily M Campbell got two brilliant scripts, good cast etc. I'm not taking anything
away from Him ( I do think he's a very good action director -{ ) so Yes I think he
should get some credit for producing two great films for the series.

BIG TAM

We've had a couple of New Zealanders & a Swiss director calling the shots but I wonder what an American director might do with a Bond film? Sometimes an outsider can bring out untapped aspects of a foreign culture. In this regard I'm thinking John Boorman with DELIVERANCE, Sam Peckinpah with STRAW DOGS & Roman Polanski with CHINATOWN.

Peppermill

I still don't understand why people consider CR to be "true to the Fleming novel". It does lack some very important scenes from the book, the relationship with Vesper is totally different etc. etc. But I do think Cambell made the best of the script he was given.

chrisisall

BIG TAM wrote:

We've had a couple of New Zealanders & a Swiss director calling the shots but I wonder what an American director might do with a Bond film?

Roger Spottiswood is Canadian... that's like, almost American, right? )

Campbell is a brilliant director IMO. In watching Green Lantern I'm struck by the possibility that it would have been totally unwatchable without his direction.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmmakersonfilm/8566515/The-Green-Lantern-interview-with-director-Martin-Campbell.html

“I did it because I’d never done a superhero movie before,” he says frankly, “and they’re complicated. I had no idea. You accept these jobs and then you realise you’re in the quicksand. It was an extraordinary learning curve, conceptualising the characters, going to another planet, deciding what the planet looks like and keeping a sort of reality, if you can call it that. The most difficult thing, apart from the damned effects, which are so time-consuming, is finding a tone and keeping the reality of it.”

I would ask him to do as many more Bond movies as he could....

BIG TAM

I didn't know Roger Spottiswoode was Canadian. Now there's an interesting situation. If reports are to believed, TOMORROW NEVER DIES was a production in complete chaos & yet somehow an entertaining movie came out of it.

Thunderpussy

Well that's Canadians for you. )

zaphod

BIG TAM wrote:

I didn't know Roger Spottiswoode was Canadian. Now there's an interesting situation. If reports are to believed, TOMORROW NEVER DIES was a production in complete chaos & yet somehow an entertaining movie came out of it.

Watched it on TV a couple of days ago...found it stodgy & derivative. A couple of nice moments, in particular the Bond-Kaufman scene, but I turned it off before the over blown pay off. A middling effort for me I'm afraid. Like most Bond movies, it 'over promised & under delivered'

chrisisall

zaphod wrote:

A middling effort for me I'm afraid. Like most Bond movies, it 'over promised & under delivered'

For me, there aren't very many Bond movies I enjoy more, but that's the good thing about the diversity- something for everyone. -{

James Suzuki

chrisisall wrote:

BIG TAM wrote:

We've had a couple of New Zealanders & a Swiss director calling the shots but I wonder what an American director might do with a Bond film?

Roger Spottiswood is Canadian... that's like, almost American, right? )

Campbell is a brilliant director IMO. In watching Green Lantern I'm struck by the possibility that it would have been totally unwatchable without his direction.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmmakersonfilm/8566515/The-Green-Lantern-interview-with-director-Martin-Campbell.html

“I did it because I’d never done a superhero movie before,” he says frankly, “and they’re complicated. I had no idea. You accept these jobs and then you realise you’re in the quicksand. It was an extraordinary learning curve, conceptualising the characters, going to another planet, deciding what the planet looks like and keeping a sort of reality, if you can call it that. The most difficult thing, apart from the damned effects, which are so time-consuming, is finding a tone and keeping the reality of it.”

2 NZ directors? I can only think of one, Lee Tamahori who pretty much drove Bond to the grave in DAD, who was the second?

I would ask him to do as many more Bond movies as he could....

BIG TAM

Dear old Martin Campbell is the other New Zealander, though his directing career proliferated in this country.

James Suzuki

Cheers Big tam (i'm a Nz'er myself, and one of those people who wanted Sam Neill as Bond)

BIG TAM

Ah, Sam Neill. I'm a big fan of his too & was also keen on his being Bond. I'm going to start yet another (!) new topic on that one.

Blood_Stone

They should keep the tradition going. When the next Bond actor takes over, they should get Martin Campbell to direct his first movie. )

Blackleiter

They could do worse! )

Blood_Stone wrote:

They should keep the tradition going. When the next Bond actor takes over, they should get Martin Campbell to direct his first movie. )