Taken for Granted: MR, TND, and QoS
Firemass
AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
1. fail to properly appreciate (someone or something), especially as a result of overfamiliarity.
These three Bond films are more than underrated gems, they have actually been taken for granted simply because their predecessor exists. Let's try to level the playing field by giving these overlooked films a fair chance by taking the preceding films out of the equation.
Moonraker: After the near failure of the series with TMWTGG, 007 bounces back with a huge blockbuster hit Moonraker. Pretty much everything wrong with GG has been corrected. The big budget is back, the production values and special effects are thru the roof, the Bond girl is now a capable agent rather than an embarrassing ditz, Bond is warmer and more likable, and the plot is easy to follow without too many complicated twists. Jaws is introduced as one of the series most memorable and iconic henchman.
Tomorrow Never Dies: After the post-Dalton hiatus Bond is finally back in the 90's as if he'd never missed a beat. TND delivers a solid throwback to the Lewis Gilbert style Bond film and fans celebrate the return of their hero. The series is saved and back on track. Nintendo makes a best selling 64 game for TND.
Quantum of Solace: Okay, I admit this film can't really exist without CR because it's a direct sequel. Aside from that glaring misstep in the Bond universe, I would like to draw attention to QoS being the fast paced, gritty hard-edged apology for everything wrong with DAD. Disgruntled Bond fans everywhere would rejoice there are no more invisible cars, virtual reality sequences, and CGI surfing. This polar opposite approach and Craig's Flemingesque performance would have certainly raised a few eyebrows and saved QoS from quickly being dismissed as the worst Bond film.
These three Bond films are more than underrated gems, they have actually been taken for granted simply because their predecessor exists. Let's try to level the playing field by giving these overlooked films a fair chance by taking the preceding films out of the equation.
Moonraker: After the near failure of the series with TMWTGG, 007 bounces back with a huge blockbuster hit Moonraker. Pretty much everything wrong with GG has been corrected. The big budget is back, the production values and special effects are thru the roof, the Bond girl is now a capable agent rather than an embarrassing ditz, Bond is warmer and more likable, and the plot is easy to follow without too many complicated twists. Jaws is introduced as one of the series most memorable and iconic henchman.
Tomorrow Never Dies: After the post-Dalton hiatus Bond is finally back in the 90's as if he'd never missed a beat. TND delivers a solid throwback to the Lewis Gilbert style Bond film and fans celebrate the return of their hero. The series is saved and back on track. Nintendo makes a best selling 64 game for TND.
Quantum of Solace: Okay, I admit this film can't really exist without CR because it's a direct sequel. Aside from that glaring misstep in the Bond universe, I would like to draw attention to QoS being the fast paced, gritty hard-edged apology for everything wrong with DAD. Disgruntled Bond fans everywhere would rejoice there are no more invisible cars, virtual reality sequences, and CGI surfing. This polar opposite approach and Craig's Flemingesque performance would have certainly raised a few eyebrows and saved QoS from quickly being dismissed as the worst Bond film.
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Comments
TND is imho one of brozzers best, carver is deliciously over the top and wai lin is a good female character.
Qos is one of my most watched Bonds, another strong female lead ( as with all 3 of these films? ) qos is nothing more than a thrill a minute bitesized bit of flemingesque brilliance, ok the editing is not to everyone's taste but it works for me, and there is little I can find to fault.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I'd be very careful with that term.
Including myself, I know plenty of long-time and very enthusiastic Bond Fans (who have been probably around before you have been even born) who don't like QoS.
Belittling them to be "casual" just because they don't enjoy QoS that much could easily backfire and your "comfort food" remark is exactly in that line, too.
It's all about personal taste and opinion and has not much to do how deep and long someone is a fan.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Instead of finding faults and pulling the films apart.
I just enjoy them for what they are ..... my favourite
Films of all time.
I ( long time Bond fan of over 40 years ) at first hated
QOS but after some discussion and reading the books
Again . Came to appreciate it a lot more.
With Bond, there's a film for every mood. -{
(I'm not quite the oldest or longest-term Bond fan here, but I am the oldest & longest-term regular poster.)
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I don’t think he suggested that just because one dislikes QoS, that person is a necessarily a “casual” Bond fan. I took it to mean that many people who just go to the cinema and watch a Bond film when it’s released and do not give it much additional thought (which immediately disqualifies anyone reading this) saw the film and determinined that it was forgettable. And I agree with this assessment based on numerous people I know who fit this description. The film has some characteristics that make it unapproachable: The editing is difficult to follow, it’s a mostly joyless affair, it’s unexpectedly brutal at times, and it’s directly tied to its immediate predecessor which, as the OP points out, is much beloved and quite different in tone. Yet, while both casual and enthusiastic Bond fans can be equally put off by these things, an enthusiastic Bond fan is more likely than a casual Bond fan to develop an appreciation for the film, based on both an understanding of Fleming’s Bond and repeated viewings of the film.
Excellently put -{
"Better make that two."
Pierce Brosnan is still a bad actor for me, though I did enjoy him in Goldeneye. This movie once again had lousy, campy over the top moments and Carver is just a 'meh' bond villain to me and I hate Stamper. It's a basic bond movie that doesn't really do much for the character, though I did enjoy the BMW car park chase and Bond's emotions towards Paris dying (first time we've seen him do that over a female character since OHMSS). The locations are pretty bland, as is the whole navy esq terrorism aspect, so I cannot really recommend this movie personally. Next is The World Is Not Enough...
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
With green trainers!
-{
Hey, I'm old not colour-blind!
{:)
"Better make that two."