I have just read a book on how geography impacts nations, power and war. There was a chapter on the Arctic and it got me thinking about Bond. Some now call the future of the Arctic "the new Great Game".
This game will be about petrolium, prescious minerals and new trade routes because of climate change. Sailing from east Asia to the north Atlantic via the Arctic is 40% shorter than using the Panama Canal. Only Russia seems to have understood how important this region will become.
I see at least one way this could be a Bond plot:
- The villan is a Japanese or Norwegian billionaire shipping magnate who has invested heavily in infrastructure along the North-east Passage north of Russia (who unlike Canada and the US are ready to defend it) He now wants to close the Nortwest Passage route north of Canada for good so the Siberian rute is the only one left in the north. The route north of Canada and Alaska is much narrower and easier to block. Perhaps the villan blows up a Russian atomic Icebreaker or occupy an oil rig and blame it on eco-terrorists? An SBS raid on an oil platform during a storm would be great. The real goal of the hijack of the oil platform is to lure US Navy vessels to the area to protect it. Some of the vessels will cary nuclear weapons. If the villans managed to blown up the atom bombs the Nortwest Passage is closed pretty much for good. The North-east Passage is now the fastet trade sea rute from the Far East to Europe and the east coast of America.
The obvious title would be "Icebreaker" even though it's been used before.
The plot is close to TWINE, but more than different enough to work. In fact it would be different from just about anything we've seen in the cinema.
The first three Craigs gave us plenty of serious Bond.
SP gave us fun/action Bond.
For Bond 25, I think a slow adventure approach would be appropriate. One in which we can just sit back and enjoy the scenery, while Bond takes his time to investigate stuff.
"Hostile takeovers. Shall we?"
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
The first three Craigs gave us plenty of serious Bond.
SP gave us fun/action Bond.
For Bond 25, I think a slow adventure approach would be appropriate. One in which we can just sit back and enjoy the scenery, while Bond takes his time to investigate stuff.
.....and shoots and beats up lots of bad guys and sleeps with more than one woman
"Hostile takeovers. Shall we?"
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
I have just read a book on how geography impacts nations, power and war. There was a chapter on the Arctic and it got me thinking about Bond. Some now call the future of the Arctic "the new Great Game".
This game will be about petrolium, prescious minerals and new trade routes because of climate change. Sailing from east Asia to the north Atlantic via the Arctic is 40% shorter than using the Panama Canal. Only Russia seems to have understood how important this region will become.
I see at least one way this could be a Bond plot:
- The villan is a Japanese or Norwegian billionaire shipping magnate who has invested heavily in infrastructure along the North-east Passage north of Russia (who unlike Canada and the US are ready to defend it) He now wants to close the Nortwest Passage route north of Canada for good so the Siberian rute is the only one left in the north. The route north of Canada and Alaska is much narrower and easier to block. Perhaps the villan blows up a Russian atomic Icebreaker or occupy an oil rig and blame it on eco-terrorists? An SBS raid on an oil platform during a storm would be great. The real goal of the hijack of the oil platform is to lure US Navy vessels to the area to protect it. Some of the vessels will cary nuclear weapons. If the villans managed to blown up the atom bombs the Nortwest Passage is closed pretty much for good. The North-east Passage is now the fastet trade sea rute from the Far East to Europe and the east coast of America.
The obvious title would be "Icebreaker" even though it's been used before.
The plot is close to TWINE, but more than different enough to work. In fact it would be different from just about anything we've seen in the cinema.
Perhaps the villan can try blocking the Panama Canal by sinking an oil tanker in the middle of the canal? And/Or the Suez canal? It won't work for more than a couple of months tops, but it would force many ships to use the Siberian route. The villan would make lots of money, and he needs money fast because he has loaned a lot of money to pay for investments and payoffs to Russia.
That sounds more likely for a book than film, but I like it.
Wishlist
+ A step back from Terminator Bond. Get closer to Casino Royale's Kill count (12) than Spectre's (32). I want to see him struggle just to kill one regular guy, like in the bathroom scene. As opposed to mowing down a whole evil lair of enemies that were more qualified and better armed than that one guy in the bathroom.
+ If you want Bond to kill a bunch, use John Wick as a template. He makes it look easy while at the same time challenging like he's overcoming the odds. Casino and Quantum had great fight choreography, both physical and vehicular and it was often Bond against one other guy. Skyfall had a good opening fight (against one guy) and ending. The fights in the middle all last less than 20 seconds and are overshadowed by the story. . Spectre had one good fight, the train fight. The opening had good stunt work and cinematography but not good fighting. The car chase was again just stunt work with nice cinematography, there needs to be wrecking into each other or shooting. and Bond doesn't need to be fiddling with the radio and talking to moneypenny during. the Plane chase was just a super expensive stunt, overarching with Q getting on and off a ski lift and doing boring Movie hacking. the volcano shootout was just point and shoot terminator fashion. Making bond excel without trying isn't fun, it just makes the audience not care for his safety because he's a god. From all the problem with the contrived plot of Spectre, it could've been reconciled with solid action, and that is what they need to do here. Stop trying to retell the Dark Knight and just make a good action movie. At the very least, Quantum of Solace had really good action and a descent (not contrived) plot.
+ Barbara Broccoli said that she would like Camille Montes to return eventually. I think Bond 25 would be the perfect and last possible time for this to occur. It is obvious to me that they deliberately didn't let her have sex with bond because her story with him wasn't over. The entire Quantum saga wasn't over and needed to be resolved but was scrapped after Skyfall. This would've been great for Spectre, instead of Madeleine Swann, because she had ties to Quantum. I think Madeleine Swann could die, or be ignored altogether, and Bond would reunite with her. She is a better bond girl anyway.
+ The girl needs to be introduced earlier than 70 minutes in if there is to be any chemistry between her and bond. the only exception was vesper lynd, who was given a bunch of chemistry really fast by being in close quarters with bond.
+ Mi6 is completely compromised - 'How the hell do they know so much about us and we know nothing about them'? - The Quantum double agent that Bond kills in Sienna. This is never brought up again until C/Denbigh. They couldn't possibly be the only infiltrators. they were simply the ones who were found out. Blofeld would own Mi6, and his maximum security prison. He could escape like Franchez did, or like in Mission Impossible: Fallout.
+ They should bring Felix back, and connect bond to Camille through him.
That sounds more likely for a book than film, but I like it.
I know. A commando raid on an oil platform in the Arctic and sinking an oil tanker in the Panama Canal isn't really cinematic, is it? :v
Well it is very cinematic which is why i don't think its likely to happen, given we are in the one-man-army Bond era. I have been campaigning that they should bring back war zone setpieces like that. It feels very Moore-era .
I agree it feels more Roger Moore than Daniel Craig, but I think this is a direction Bond movies can go. Away from the childhood traumas and secret foster brothers and in with The Great Game.
I like the scenes where Bond sweeps a hotel room using some inocent-looking device. I usually don't like it when Bond uses smartphones, but here it can be used. Imagine Bond arriving in his new hotel suite. He tips the valet, then starts an app on his smartphone. 007 wait a few seconds and the screen says for example: "3 devices found", much like when a computer checks for printers, the mouse and other devices hooked up to it. The mobile screen changes and shows the outline of the room with red dots showing where the bugs are. The smartphone gives him three options: Scramble, Locate and Play Audio. On Scramble he bugs are left where they are, but the phone scrambles their signal. Locate lets Bond bring his phone to the places indicated on the map. A sound or graph shows him exactly where the bugs are and he can remove them. Play Audio just plays something pre-recorded, perhaps a conversation that gives the impression Bond and one or more other persons (Bond girl) are still in the room while they sneak outside to investigated something.
What do you think?
I think DN could be a very good source of inspiration for Bond 25. Nice and simple.
It's something that suits Craig's Bond well.
"Hostile takeovers. Shall we?"
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
I have just read a book on how geography impacts nations, power and war. There was a chapter on the Arctic and it got me thinking about Bond. Some now call the future of the Arctic "the new Great Game".
This game will be about petrolium, prescious minerals and new trade routes because of climate change. Sailing from east Asia to the north Atlantic via the Arctic is 40% shorter than using the Panama Canal. Only Russia seems to have understood how important this region will become.
I see at least one way this could be a Bond plot:
- The villan is a Japanese or Norwegian billionaire shipping magnate who has invested heavily in infrastructure along the North-east Passage north of Russia (who unlike Canada and the US are ready to defend it) He now wants to close the Nortwest Passage route north of Canada for good so the Siberian rute is the only one left in the north. The route north of Canada and Alaska is much narrower and easier to block. Perhaps the villan blows up a Russian atomic Icebreaker or occupy an oil rig and blame it on eco-terrorists? An SBS raid on an oil platform during a storm would be great. The real goal of the hijack of the oil platform is to lure US Navy vessels to the area to protect it. Some of the vessels will cary nuclear weapons. If the villans managed to blown up the atom bombs the Nortwest Passage is closed pretty much for good. The North-east Passage is now the fastet trade sea rute from the Far East to Europe and the east coast of America.
The obvious title would be "Icebreaker" even though it's been used before.
The plot is close to TWINE, but more than different enough to work. In fact it would be different from just about anything we've seen in the cinema.
Perhaps the villan can try blocking the Panama Canal by sinking an oil tanker in the middle of the canal? And/Or the Suez canal? It won't work for more than a couple of months tops, but it would force many ships to use the Siberian route. The villan would make lots of money, and he needs money fast because he has loaned a lot of money to pay for investments and payoffs to Russia.
"Polar Night" is also a good title for this plot. Polar night is when the sun stays below the horizont for at least 24 hours. In other words the dark and dusk that lasts for weeks in the north during the winter.
Polar Night sounds cool and fitting for a Bond movie IMO.
My point is that modern Bond movies can and should use more Bondian names, because there are many that are really in use.
The only really Bondian Bond girl names I can think of in Craig's tenure are Vesper and Strawberry Fields, and Vesper was from Fleming.
BGs with sexual pun names prob won't suit the Craig Era well.
They can save that for the next 007.
"Hostile takeovers. Shall we?"
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
Perhaps. That depends on the name, I guess. The most outragous names won't fit Craig's style. But I don't think a name like Honeysuckle or Bang would be a problem in a Craig Bond movie. Regardless, posting a few names won't hurt.
good name, references the old "kiss kiss, bang bang" thig for those of us who remember...
but it'd be like MooreBond meeting a woman called Simone Templar
Strawberry Fields was a silly oldschool name for a CraigGirl, so maybe they'll give us some more like that
In earlier posts I've written that they should use more Bondian names for characters. Case in point:I'm now listening to an interview of a former CIA agent who was station chief in many countries. His name? John Sipher :007)
Comments
I forgot to mention:
- A raid
- A henchman based on Red Grant from the novel (a serial killer psykopath trained and employee by the villan)
This game will be about petrolium, prescious minerals and new trade routes because of climate change. Sailing from east Asia to the north Atlantic via the Arctic is 40% shorter than using the Panama Canal. Only Russia seems to have understood how important this region will become.
I see at least one way this could be a Bond plot:
- The villan is a Japanese or Norwegian billionaire shipping magnate who has invested heavily in infrastructure along the North-east Passage north of Russia (who unlike Canada and the US are ready to defend it) He now wants to close the Nortwest Passage route north of Canada for good so the Siberian rute is the only one left in the north. The route north of Canada and Alaska is much narrower and easier to block. Perhaps the villan blows up a Russian atomic Icebreaker or occupy an oil rig and blame it on eco-terrorists? An SBS raid on an oil platform during a storm would be great. The real goal of the hijack of the oil platform is to lure US Navy vessels to the area to protect it. Some of the vessels will cary nuclear weapons. If the villans managed to blown up the atom bombs the Nortwest Passage is closed pretty much for good. The North-east Passage is now the fastet trade sea rute from the Far East to Europe and the east coast of America.
The obvious title would be "Icebreaker" even though it's been used before.
The plot is close to TWINE, but more than different enough to work. In fact it would be different from just about anything we've seen in the cinema.
SP gave us fun/action Bond.
For Bond 25, I think a slow adventure approach would be appropriate. One in which we can just sit back and enjoy the scenery, while Bond takes his time to investigate stuff.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
.....and shoots and beats up lots of bad guys and sleeps with more than one woman
I'd prefer the sly/scheming type for the villain.
Also, I dunno if it should have a henchperson.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
Perhaps the villan can try blocking the Panama Canal by sinking an oil tanker in the middle of the canal? And/Or the Suez canal? It won't work for more than a couple of months tops, but it would force many ships to use the Siberian route. The villan would make lots of money, and he needs money fast because he has loaned a lot of money to pay for investments and payoffs to Russia.
Wishlist
+ A step back from Terminator Bond. Get closer to Casino Royale's Kill count (12) than Spectre's (32). I want to see him struggle just to kill one regular guy, like in the bathroom scene. As opposed to mowing down a whole evil lair of enemies that were more qualified and better armed than that one guy in the bathroom.
+ If you want Bond to kill a bunch, use John Wick as a template. He makes it look easy while at the same time challenging like he's overcoming the odds. Casino and Quantum had great fight choreography, both physical and vehicular and it was often Bond against one other guy. Skyfall had a good opening fight (against one guy) and ending. The fights in the middle all last less than 20 seconds and are overshadowed by the story. . Spectre had one good fight, the train fight. The opening had good stunt work and cinematography but not good fighting. The car chase was again just stunt work with nice cinematography, there needs to be wrecking into each other or shooting. and Bond doesn't need to be fiddling with the radio and talking to moneypenny during. the Plane chase was just a super expensive stunt, overarching with Q getting on and off a ski lift and doing boring Movie hacking. the volcano shootout was just point and shoot terminator fashion. Making bond excel without trying isn't fun, it just makes the audience not care for his safety because he's a god. From all the problem with the contrived plot of Spectre, it could've been reconciled with solid action, and that is what they need to do here. Stop trying to retell the Dark Knight and just make a good action movie. At the very least, Quantum of Solace had really good action and a descent (not contrived) plot.
+ Barbara Broccoli said that she would like Camille Montes to return eventually. I think Bond 25 would be the perfect and last possible time for this to occur. It is obvious to me that they deliberately didn't let her have sex with bond because her story with him wasn't over. The entire Quantum saga wasn't over and needed to be resolved but was scrapped after Skyfall. This would've been great for Spectre, instead of Madeleine Swann, because she had ties to Quantum. I think Madeleine Swann could die, or be ignored altogether, and Bond would reunite with her. She is a better bond girl anyway.
+ The girl needs to be introduced earlier than 70 minutes in if there is to be any chemistry between her and bond. the only exception was vesper lynd, who was given a bunch of chemistry really fast by being in close quarters with bond.
+ Mi6 is completely compromised - 'How the hell do they know so much about us and we know nothing about them'? - The Quantum double agent that Bond kills in Sienna. This is never brought up again until C/Denbigh. They couldn't possibly be the only infiltrators. they were simply the ones who were found out. Blofeld would own Mi6, and his maximum security prison. He could escape like Franchez did, or like in Mission Impossible: Fallout.
+ They should bring Felix back, and connect bond to Camille through him.
I know. A commando raid on an oil platform in the Arctic and sinking an oil tanker in the Panama Canal isn't really cinematic, is it? :v
Well it is very cinematic which is why i don't think its likely to happen, given we are in the one-man-army Bond era. I have been campaigning that they should bring back war zone setpieces like that. It feels very Moore-era .
What do you think?
Moan is another.
Randi, Gunn and Tone are good first names.
It's something that suits Craig's Bond well.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
"Polar Night" is also a good title for this plot. Polar night is when the sun stays below the horizont for at least 24 hours. In other words the dark and dusk that lasts for weeks in the north during the winter.
Polar Night sounds cool and fitting for a Bond movie IMO.
That is a perfect Bondian name.
Then there is Vilde Lie and her brother Odd...
My point is that modern Bond movies can and should use more Bondian names, because there are many that are really in use.
The only really Bondian Bond girl names I can think of in Craig's tenure are Vesper and Strawberry Fields, and Vesper was from Fleming.
They can save that for the next 007.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
but it'd be like MooreBond meeting a woman called Simone Templar
Strawberry Fields was a silly oldschool name for a CraigGirl, so maybe they'll give us some more like that