There isn't an iota of real suspense in the TSWLM. The best example is the scene where Jaws tears the van apart. Here's this seven-foot tall monster with metal teeth and the strength to tear a van apart and Bond is making jokes about women drivers. Bond comes off as a moron. Contrast this with the laser-beam scene in GF, which is sort of ludicrous but generates real suspense.
With a lack of any suspense, I find TSWLM boring.
I think it's the movie where EON realized they would never have an adult version of Bond with Moore playing the character so they might as well go all-in on the comic route.
I think it's the movie where EON realized they would never have an adult version of Bond with Moore playing the character so they might as well go the comic route.
Yes, but they managed a bit of suspense in FYEO & OP later.
TSWLM was more of a family film though.
I think it's the movie where EON realized they would never have an adult version of Bond with Moore playing the character so they might as well go the comic route.
Yes, but they managed a bit of suspense in FYEO & OP later.
TSWLM was more of a family film though.
Yeah, but the box office totals for FYEO and OP are much lower than for TSWLM and MR. Audiences never accepted Moore as a serious Bond. He was more a Bond to be laughed at.
There isn't an iota of real suspense in the TSWLM. The best example is the scene where Jaws tears the van apart. Here's this seven-foot tall monster with metal teeth and the strength to tear a van apart and Bond is making jokes about women drivers. Bond comes off as a moron. Contrast this with the laser-beam scene in GF, which is sort of ludicrous but generates real suspense.
With a lack of any suspense, I find TSWLM boring.
I think it's the movie where EON realized they would never have an adult version of Bond with Moore playing the character so they might as well go all-in on the comic route.
I seem to remember suspense as Bond is dangling from a bomb high above the supertanker floor - and when he is trying to get away the thing jams with him and the bomb is still ticking..
Also later trying to defuse a nuclear bomb.
I do agree that after Jaws drops that slab on his foot the whole thing because absurd - until they enter the Felucca..
1. For Your Eyes Only 2. The Living Daylights 3 From Russia with Love 4. Casino Royale 5. OHMSS 6. Skyfall
Maybe ?
Although I've never laughed at Sir Roger but I have laughed right along
With him in his many movies and interviews. -{ in fact my whole persona
The puns, Double entendre and innuendos. All learnt at the Masters Knee.
I do like to think of myself as down market / pound shop Roger Moore.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Maybe ?
Although I've never laughed at Sir Roger but I have laughed right along
With him in his many movies and interviews. -{ in fact my whole persona
The puns, Double entendre and innuendos. All learnt at the Masters Knee.
I do like to think of myself as down market / pound shop Roger Moore.
I like Sir Rog. I liked The Saint. I even liked The Persuaders. He seems like a wonderful human being. I just don't feel like he was a good James Bond, although he did have the persona for the 70s early 80s Bond.
The strange thing is that the Bond films became comedies at a time when films in general were becoming darker and grittier. Then when movies became more upbeat and fantastical (first with Rocky and then with Star Wars) Bond had nowhere to go but to become even more childish until by MR most of the audience were children.
We all have different opinions and views, and I'm not trying to change
Yours or even argue with you. Your opinions are as sound as any of us.
I just can't help myself defend Sir Roger, he's a boyhood hero and role
Model. ) I can only speak for myself but at the time his films hit all
The right buttons for me. -{ I agree they wouldn't work today but I'm
Lucky enough that the Modern films also hit my buttons too -{
Maybe I've too many buttons and they're easily pleased.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
We all have different opinions and views, and I'm not trying to change
Yours or even argue with you. Your opinions are as sound as any of us.
I just can't help myself defend Sir Roger, he's a boyhood hero and role
Model. ) I can only speak for myself but at the time his films hit all
The right buttons for me. -{ I agree they wouldn't work today but I'm
Lucky enough that the Modern films also hit my buttons too -{
Maybe I've too many buttons and they're easily pleased.
I know. Moore is my wife's favorite Bond by a mile (the "Bond she grew up with") but I get the feeling she isn't too crazy about Daniel Craig but keeps quiet for fear of hurting my feelings. )
I wasn't too happy with QOS but I've grown to respect what
They were trying to do. -{ as for everything else I'm happy.
Roll on Spectre. -{
My wife can't stand poor old Pierce. ) and let's me Know about it.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
We all have different opinions and views, and I'm not trying to change
Yours or even argue with you. Your opinions are as sound as any of us.
I just can't help myself defend Sir Roger, he's a boyhood hero and role
Model. ) I can only speak for myself but at the time his films hit all
The right buttons for me. -{ I agree they wouldn't work today but I'm
Lucky enough that the Modern films also hit my buttons too -{
Maybe I've too many buttons and they're easily pleased.
We all have different opinions and views, and I'm not trying to change
Yours or even argue with you. Your opinions are as sound as any of us.
I just can't help myself defend Sir Roger, he's a boyhood hero and role
Model. ) I can only speak for myself but at the time his films hit all
The right buttons for me. -{ I agree they wouldn't work today but I'm
Lucky enough that the Modern films also hit my buttons too -{
Maybe I've too many buttons and they're easily pleased.
I know. Moore is my wife's favorite Bond by a mile (the "Bond she grew up with") but I get the feeling she isn't too crazy about Daniel Craig but keeps quiet for fear of hurting my feelings. )
My wife feels exactly the same! Loves Moore as she grew up with him as Bond. Loves his charm and sophistication. For her he is the British suave gentleman James Bond should be. She's not overly keen on Daniel Craig as she feels he lacks the aforementioned qualities.
My wife loves Daniel Craig always mentions his " lovely blue eyes"
Loves Connery and Dalton likes Moore and Lazenby and thinks
" Brosnan is a bit smug and full of himself " her words.
( I like them All !) -{
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
There isn't an iota of real suspense in the TSWLM. The best example is the scene where Jaws tears the van apart. Here's this seven-foot tall monster with metal teeth and the strength to tear a van apart and Bond is making jokes about women drivers. Bond comes off as a moron. Contrast this with the laser-beam scene in GF, which is sort of ludicrous but generates real suspense.
With a lack of any suspense, I find TSWLM boring.
I think it's the movie where EON realized they would never have an adult version of Bond with Moore playing the character so they might as well go all-in on the comic route.
I seem to remember suspense as Bond is dangling from a bomb high above the supertanker floor - and when he is trying to get away the thing jams with him and the bomb is still ticking..
Also later trying to defuse a nuclear bomb.
I do agree that after Jaws drops that slab on his foot the whole thing because absurd - until they enter the Felucca..
This was one of the problems EON had with the Moore Bond entries. By the time they made this film, they kept cranking up the humor and the "sillies" which diluted the scenes where they tried to instill suspense. Notice in the Connery films that the dark humor usually came after a suspenseful scene ("I think they were on their way to a funeral" -DN/"I think he got the point" -TB)- not during the scene. When the suspense in these type of films is played with humor while it is trying to be built and maintained, it weakens the whole point of the scene. Also, in ref to the ticking bomb scenario, EON again repeated this after GF, but by the time we got to TSWLM it had been done how many times in other films? Now, defusing ANY bomb can make great suspense and a nuclear one really ratchets the whole thing up, but if you already know the character is going to do it successfully, what's the point? Notice in GF, Bond DOESN'T diffuse it - in fact, had it not been for his allies, he would have failed and boom - that would have been it. That's suspense. But....it was the first time he ever did it. If you have the character repeat the same scene in subsequent films and it's not even the climax of the third act, again, we have weakened the mystery and uncertainty.
This is why EON put out a series of very uneven scripts with Moore, Dalton and Brosnan. The scripts for Connery/Lazenby and now Dan always focused on the mystery, suspense and danger of Bond's missions. A lot of that was due to the fact they were using Fleming's material (and in the case of Craig they tried to maintain this Fleming touch sans his material after CR). The dark humor was only injected to relax the audience after a tense scene. Once they started creeping down the "sillies" path in Connery's last outing - Jill St. John shooting the gun on the oil rig and falling off in the middle of the battle scene - they had perfectly set up the way to write the scripts for Moore to step in. In fact, DAF could have been Moore's first film.
Maybe ?
Although I've never laughed at Sir Roger but I have laughed right along
With him in his many movies and interviews. -{ in fact my whole persona
The puns, Double entendre and innuendos. All learnt at the Masters Knee.
I do like to think of myself as down market / pound shop Roger Moore.
I like Sir Rog. I liked The Saint. I even liked The Persuaders. He seems like a wonderful human being. I just don't feel like he was a good James Bond, although he did have the persona for the 70s early 80s Bond.
The strange thing is that the Bond films became comedies at a time when films in general were becoming darker and grittier. Then when movies became more upbeat and fantastical (first with Rocky and then with Star Wars) Bond had nowhere to go but to become even more childish until by MR most of the audience were children.
The scripts for Connery/Lazenby and now Dan always focused on the mystery, suspense and danger of Bond's missions. A lot of that was due to the fact they were using Fleming's material (and in the case of Craig they tried to maintain this Fleming touch sans his material after CR). The dark humor was only injected to relax the audience after a tense scene.
Perhaps guys, the producers make the films for a world wide audience, and
Not for a handful of Fleming purists. , hence they follow trends and give
The public what they want. Roger's films made loads of money, put plenty of
bums on seats, and sold oddles of merchandise.
A harder edged Bond could have kept the half dozen fans happy but the series
could have folded ?
DAF is the start of the " Bond light" years,it had already been decided before
Moore signed up, who knows perhaps he got the gig Precisely because he
Was so good at light comedy ?
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Perhaps guys, the producers make the films for a world wide audience, and
Not for a handful of Fleming purists. , hence they follow trends and give
The public what they want. Roger's films made loads of money, put plenty of
bums on seats, and sold oddles of merchandise.
A harder edged Bond could have kept the half dozen fans happy but the series
could have folded ?
DAF is the start of the " Bond light" years,it had already been decided before
Moore signed up, who knows perhaps he got the gig Precisely because he
Was so good at light comedy ?
I am by no means a "Fleming purist", and I certainly appreciate some light-hearted and humorous moments every now and then. Connery has several such moments in his films, particularly the later ones, and even Craig has a few. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I think the humor works better in Bond films when it's used as a stress reliever rather than being a significant focus of the film. Who knows if the series would have folded had it not started going down the more overtly humorous route that started with DAF? I don't think it's necessarily a foregone conclusion that if the films had continued in the vein of, say Goldfinger, that they would not have appealed to a worldwide audience. Still, I have no doubt that Moore being brought on as Bond had a lot to do with his talent for light comedy. I wasn't particularly fond of the decision to move the series in that direction, but my beef is with the producers, not Moore.
Perhaps I had a bad choice of words with " Fleming purist " my point is mainly
That no matter who took over from Connery, or even if he'd been persuaded to
Return. I don't think there would have been a huge change in the films from
What we ended up getting. because that was the direction they were heading.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Humor works in dark stories, in moderation. Even Shakespeare's MacBeth had a piss-drunk guard who helped ease the reader's tension from the grim things that were going on.
I think after OHMSS, the producers didn't know where to go with Bond. The "spy craze" had died out, Connery was a question mark, the Bond mindset seemed dated. Lazenby foolishly opted out because he'd been convinced there was no future to the Bond franchise.
Instead of tackling the problems of Bond in the era of 70s political correctness, the producers decided to make comedies that nobody could take seriously.
They could've made harder edged Bond films with Bond as a fish out of water in the new era like Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry and Popeye Doyle in The French Connection. A hard-edged version of Moonraker with an in-shape Connery as Bond and hewing closely to the book (hey, another part as an aging Nazi for Laurence Olivier!) could've been really interesting.
Comments
With a lack of any suspense, I find TSWLM boring.
I think it's the movie where EON realized they would never have an adult version of Bond with Moore playing the character so they might as well go all-in on the comic route.
TSWLM was more of a family film though.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Yeah, but the box office totals for FYEO and OP are much lower than for TSWLM and MR. Audiences never accepted Moore as a serious Bond. He was more a Bond to be laughed at.
http://www.007james.com/articles/box_office.php
I seem to remember suspense as Bond is dangling from a bomb high above the supertanker floor - and when he is trying to get away the thing jams with him and the bomb is still ticking..
Also later trying to defuse a nuclear bomb.
I do agree that after Jaws drops that slab on his foot the whole thing because absurd - until they enter the Felucca..
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
With is more appropriate
Maybe EON was shooting for that.
Although I've never laughed at Sir Roger but I have laughed right along
With him in his many movies and interviews. -{ in fact my whole persona
The puns, Double entendre and innuendos. All learnt at the Masters Knee.
I do like to think of myself as down market / pound shop Roger Moore.
I like Sir Rog. I liked The Saint. I even liked The Persuaders. He seems like a wonderful human being. I just don't feel like he was a good James Bond, although he did have the persona for the 70s early 80s Bond.
The strange thing is that the Bond films became comedies at a time when films in general were becoming darker and grittier. Then when movies became more upbeat and fantastical (first with Rocky and then with Star Wars) Bond had nowhere to go but to become even more childish until by MR most of the audience were children.
Yours or even argue with you. Your opinions are as sound as any of us.
I just can't help myself defend Sir Roger, he's a boyhood hero and role
Model.
The right buttons for me. -{ I agree they wouldn't work today but I'm
Lucky enough that the Modern films also hit my buttons too -{
Maybe I've too many buttons and they're easily pleased.
I know. Moore is my wife's favorite Bond by a mile (the "Bond she grew up with") but I get the feeling she isn't too crazy about Daniel Craig but keeps quiet for fear of hurting my feelings.
They were trying to do. -{ as for everything else I'm happy.
Roll on Spectre. -{
My wife can't stand poor old Pierce.
+1 {[]
My wife feels exactly the same! Loves Moore as she grew up with him as Bond. Loves his charm and sophistication. For her he is the British suave gentleman James Bond should be. She's not overly keen on Daniel Craig as she feels he lacks the aforementioned qualities.
Loves Connery and Dalton likes Moore and Lazenby and thinks
" Brosnan is a bit smug and full of himself " her words.
( I like them All !) -{
This was one of the problems EON had with the Moore Bond entries. By the time they made this film, they kept cranking up the humor and the "sillies" which diluted the scenes where they tried to instill suspense. Notice in the Connery films that the dark humor usually came after a suspenseful scene ("I think they were on their way to a funeral" -DN/"I think he got the point" -TB)- not during the scene. When the suspense in these type of films is played with humor while it is trying to be built and maintained, it weakens the whole point of the scene. Also, in ref to the ticking bomb scenario, EON again repeated this after GF, but by the time we got to TSWLM it had been done how many times in other films? Now, defusing ANY bomb can make great suspense and a nuclear one really ratchets the whole thing up, but if you already know the character is going to do it successfully, what's the point? Notice in GF, Bond DOESN'T diffuse it - in fact, had it not been for his allies, he would have failed and boom - that would have been it. That's suspense. But....it was the first time he ever did it. If you have the character repeat the same scene in subsequent films and it's not even the climax of the third act, again, we have weakened the mystery and uncertainty.
This is why EON put out a series of very uneven scripts with Moore, Dalton and Brosnan. The scripts for Connery/Lazenby and now Dan always focused on the mystery, suspense and danger of Bond's missions. A lot of that was due to the fact they were using Fleming's material (and in the case of Craig they tried to maintain this Fleming touch sans his material after CR). The dark humor was only injected to relax the audience after a tense scene. Once they started creeping down the "sillies" path in Connery's last outing - Jill St. John shooting the gun on the oil rig and falling off in the middle of the battle scene - they had perfectly set up the way to write the scripts for Moore to step in. In fact, DAF could have been Moore's first film.
Nailed it! {[]
Precisely! {[]
Not for a handful of Fleming purists.
The public what they want. Roger's films made loads of money, put plenty of
bums on seats, and sold oddles of merchandise.
A harder edged Bond could have kept the half dozen fans happy but the series
could have folded ?
DAF is the start of the " Bond light" years,it had already been decided before
Moore signed up, who knows perhaps he got the gig Precisely because he
Was so good at light comedy ?
I am by no means a "Fleming purist", and I certainly appreciate some light-hearted and humorous moments every now and then. Connery has several such moments in his films, particularly the later ones, and even Craig has a few. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I think the humor works better in Bond films when it's used as a stress reliever rather than being a significant focus of the film. Who knows if the series would have folded had it not started going down the more overtly humorous route that started with DAF? I don't think it's necessarily a foregone conclusion that if the films had continued in the vein of, say Goldfinger, that they would not have appealed to a worldwide audience. Still, I have no doubt that Moore being brought on as Bond had a lot to do with his talent for light comedy. I wasn't particularly fond of the decision to move the series in that direction, but my beef is with the producers, not Moore.
That no matter who took over from Connery, or even if he'd been persuaded to
Return. I don't think there would have been a huge change in the films from
What we ended up getting.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Instead of tackling the problems of Bond in the era of 70s political correctness, the producers decided to make comedies that nobody could take seriously.
They could've made harder edged Bond films with Bond as a fish out of water in the new era like Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry and Popeye Doyle in The French Connection. A hard-edged version of Moonraker with an in-shape Connery as Bond and hewing closely to the book (hey, another part as an aging Nazi for Laurence Olivier!) could've been really interesting.