It's difficult to rely these scenes effectively as they're just that - scenes written by screenwriters (albeit Christopher Wood in both cases) and they don't relate to how Moore portrays Bond - so his portrayal has to be adjusted according to the material he has to go with in each scene.
Each actor has lighter and darker moments in their films, especially dealing with death. From Connery's "she's just dead" after Fiona is killed in Thunderball, to Brosnan's "she always was a good squeeze" with Onatopp. Though I think we're still waiting for DC's lighter moments...
Then I would counter with the scene from the following film, "Moonraker", where Moore, after shooting Drax in the chest with a slow acting cyanide dart (Heartbroken, Mr. Drax!) , jocularly leads him to the airlock chamber, tells him to take one small step for mankind, shoves him in, locks it, then shoots his arse out into space while Drax is unable to lift a finger to stop Bond.
I'm NOT a Moore-basher, but I would counter with the fact that he 1) was in a situation where he didn't have much choice in the matter (contrast that to Brosnan and Carver; Bond has a loaded gun to his head and could surely just execute him) and 2) Drax just groaning and making weird faces would have made his death scene even hammier that it already was. It was basically a cartoon. Jonathan Pryce looked genuinely terrified (perhaps the only time he WASN'T acting hammy) as the drill was coming toward him. Also note the almost-sadistically-gleeful/axe-crazy expression on Brosnan's face. Moore does the eyebrow-raise.
Each actor has lighter and darker moments in their films, especially dealing with death. From Connery's "she's just dead" after Fiona is killed in Thunderball, to Brosnan's "she always was a good squeeze" with Onatopp. Though I think we're still waiting for DC's lighter moments...
I've been trying to convey pretty much everything you said, but you did a better job, especially here.
I guess my last statement on the matter would be when Moore kicks Loque's car over the edge of the cliff in "For Your Eyes Only". He drops a bit of a one-liner "You left this with Ferraro, I believe." Then gives the car a boost over the edge. It's definitely a scene where Roger Moore isn't Roger Moore, and it's much more a sadistic action than Moore has given us in the past. Frankly, it's his best moment in the franchise, to me. It makes me wish he'd taken that approach from the start. He showed in that scene that he could throw in a one-liner, but also be ruthless.
I DO agree with this, though. It was the one time Moore genuinely seemed cold, calculating, and ruthless to the level of Connery, Lazenby, Dalton, or Craig. We should've had more scenes like that one.
Carver getting killed by the drill was embarrassing.
A. He had a generous window of time to shoot Bond
B. He also had ample time to dodge the slow moving drill. Deer in the headlights?
A is true, but remember, we're focusing on Brosnan, not Pryce. As for B, however, Bond had a loaded gun pointed directly at him, which he was in no position to turn around and grab. Considering he's dead either way and seems to personally be a coward, I'm going with "froze up".
Also note the almost-sadistically-gleeful/axe-crazy expression on Brosnan's face.
Throwing a man into the deep end requires a moment of insanity. Brosnan gave us that. That's a kind of war.
Remember also all the people Carver had murdered.
Moore's kicking the car off the cliff is a highly overrated scene. I couldn't care less if he kicked it or just tossed the dove pin. Either way it doesn't make my top 20 favorite Roger Moore moments.
I suppose it depends on your view of Bond, but if I want to see a lonely assassin I'll watch Le Samurai . For this fan, Bond is a suave, sophisticated secret agent with cool cars, neat gadgets, dry wit and impeccable taste. Brosnan fulfills these criteria with considerable ease, I might add.
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
For this fan, Bond is a suave, sophisticated secret agent with cool cars, neat gadgets, dry wit and impeccable taste. Brosnan fulfills these criteria with considerable ease, I might add.
He does at that! If I want cinema (as opposed to 'literary') Bond, Brosnan is my go-to guy. TB & YOLT will also serve, but Broz is my top 'cool' Bond.
"Jonathan Pryce looked genuinely terrified (perhaps the only time he WASN'T acting hammy) as the drill was coming toward him. Also note the almost-sadistically-gleeful/axe-crazy expression on Brosnan's face. Moore does the eyebrow-raise."
Um, I think I need to come to Roger Moore's defense here. I believe he actually frowned in this scene, and did not raise his eyebrow. And it is slightly sadistic as he looks over the cliff at the guy's corpse and says, "He had no head for heights". But you're right. Brosnan is a bit more sadistic, to be sure.
"I suppose it depends on your view of Bond, but if I want to see a lonely assassin I'll watch Le Samurai . For this fan, Bond is a suave, sophisticated secret agent with cool cars, neat gadgets, dry wit and impeccable taste. Brosnan fulfills these criteria with considerable ease, I might add."
Honestly, I think Connery fits the bill for that statement more than Brosnan did. As I've said before, the other actors became Bond. While I think Brosnan was fine as 007 (Even though he's next to last on my favorite list) I never fully felt like Brosnan was Bond. He seemed more like he was playing the idea of Bond. I think that was EON's choice, rather than Brosnan's own. I really liked him in "Goldeneye", but the other films (PERSONAL OPINION, don't get mad) made me feel like he used to be 00-something and was promoted, was given a dossier of how Bond dressed and acted, and then was sent out to be "James Bond".
Brosnan himself has said he didn't feel he got the character right. Maybe it's his indecision that I notice in his performance. At least two of the other actors went into it knowing what they were going to do with the role (Moore knew he wouldn't be a believable ruthless assassin so played up the laughs, and Dalton wanted to take out the humor and make him Fleming's soiled badass) Maybe if Eon had backed off of Brosnan and let him play it using his own method, it would have worked for me.
And let me be perfectly clear, while I'm a Dalton fan, I'm not trying to criticize Brosnan because he came after Dalton, or because I think Goldeneye should have been Dalton's film. I'd have loved a third or fourth outing from Dalton, but I'm happy with the two I got. But I've watched all the Bonds multiple times, and there's something about Brosnan's last three films that just doesn't grab me the way most of the others do. I'll watch Brosnan's if they're on the Bondathon on tv, but I rarely, if ever, willingly choose the dvds myself.
Moore's kicking the car off the cliff is a highly overrated scene. I couldn't care less if he kicked it or just tossed the dove pin. Either way it doesn't make my top 20 favorite Roger Moore moments.
I suppose it depends on your view of Bond, but if I want to see a lonely assassin I'll watch Le Samurai . For this fan, Bond is a suave, sophisticated secret agent with cool cars, neat gadgets, dry wit and impeccable taste. Brosnan fulfills these criteria with considerable ease, I might add.
Comments
Each actor has lighter and darker moments in their films, especially dealing with death. From Connery's "she's just dead" after Fiona is killed in Thunderball, to Brosnan's "she always was a good squeeze" with Onatopp. Though I think we're still waiting for DC's lighter moments...
I'm NOT a Moore-basher, but I would counter with the fact that he 1) was in a situation where he didn't have much choice in the matter (contrast that to Brosnan and Carver; Bond has a loaded gun to his head and could surely just execute him) and 2) Drax just groaning and making weird faces would have made his death scene even hammier that it already was. It was basically a cartoon. Jonathan Pryce looked genuinely terrified (perhaps the only time he WASN'T acting hammy) as the drill was coming toward him. Also note the almost-sadistically-gleeful/axe-crazy expression on Brosnan's face. Moore does the eyebrow-raise.
I've been trying to convey pretty much everything you said, but you did a better job, especially here.
I DO agree with this, though. It was the one time Moore genuinely seemed cold, calculating, and ruthless to the level of Connery, Lazenby, Dalton, or Craig. We should've had more scenes like that one.
A is true, but remember, we're focusing on Brosnan, not Pryce. As for B, however, Bond had a loaded gun pointed directly at him, which he was in no position to turn around and grab. Considering he's dead either way and seems to personally be a coward, I'm going with "froze up".
Remember also all the people Carver had murdered.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I suppose it depends on your view of Bond, but if I want to see a lonely assassin I'll watch Le Samurai . For this fan, Bond is a suave, sophisticated secret agent with cool cars, neat gadgets, dry wit and impeccable taste. Brosnan fulfills these criteria with considerable ease, I might add.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Exactly. Moore only illustrated this emotion once: the car-kicking scene, no matter how many people or who was murdered.
Um, I think I need to come to Roger Moore's defense here. I believe he actually frowned in this scene, and did not raise his eyebrow. And it is slightly sadistic as he looks over the cliff at the guy's corpse and says, "He had no head for heights". But you're right. Brosnan is a bit more sadistic, to be sure.
"I suppose it depends on your view of Bond, but if I want to see a lonely assassin I'll watch Le Samurai . For this fan, Bond is a suave, sophisticated secret agent with cool cars, neat gadgets, dry wit and impeccable taste. Brosnan fulfills these criteria with considerable ease, I might add."
Honestly, I think Connery fits the bill for that statement more than Brosnan did. As I've said before, the other actors became Bond. While I think Brosnan was fine as 007 (Even though he's next to last on my favorite list) I never fully felt like Brosnan was Bond. He seemed more like he was playing the idea of Bond. I think that was EON's choice, rather than Brosnan's own. I really liked him in "Goldeneye", but the other films (PERSONAL OPINION, don't get mad) made me feel like he used to be 00-something and was promoted, was given a dossier of how Bond dressed and acted, and then was sent out to be "James Bond".
Brosnan himself has said he didn't feel he got the character right. Maybe it's his indecision that I notice in his performance. At least two of the other actors went into it knowing what they were going to do with the role (Moore knew he wouldn't be a believable ruthless assassin so played up the laughs, and Dalton wanted to take out the humor and make him Fleming's soiled badass) Maybe if Eon had backed off of Brosnan and let him play it using his own method, it would have worked for me.
And let me be perfectly clear, while I'm a Dalton fan, I'm not trying to criticize Brosnan because he came after Dalton, or because I think Goldeneye should have been Dalton's film. I'd have loved a third or fourth outing from Dalton, but I'm happy with the two I got. But I've watched all the Bonds multiple times, and there's something about Brosnan's last three films that just doesn't grab me the way most of the others do. I'll watch Brosnan's if they're on the Bondathon on tv, but I rarely, if ever, willingly choose the dvds myself.
Yes he did! -{
Are you in an Agent XXX mood today then, Firemass?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
yeah.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK