3 reasons why X film is better than Y
Firemass
AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
I'm only going to compare films that were released within 2 years of each other and I'm also rooting for the underdog in case.
Why Tomorrow Never Dies is better than Goldeneye
1. Better score and soundtrack overall. The end credits song "Surrender" is light years ahead of the shockingly boring "Experience of Love" I also dig the Propellerheads contributions to TND and fits perfectly with the hi-tec electronic vibe of the film.
2. Goldeneye could have had an excellent pre-title sequence except they sabotaged it with a goofy "beg your pardon forgot to knock" and a laughable free-fall sequence. Meanwhile, TND delivers a solid and highly entertaining PTS that ranks among the best in the series.
3. Bond is allowed to be Bond without receiving a politically correct lecture from virtually every character he encounters.
Why Moonraker is better than The Spy Who Loved Me
1. John Barry's score is an absolute masterpiece, whereas Hamlisch's score is badly dated in parts with its disco elements.
2. Drax is a much more fun main villain than Stromberg. Drax has many great lines and excellent screen presence, whereas Stromberg seemed more like a frail old man.
3. Unlike Agent XXX, Holly Goodhead actually contributes to the success of the mission. She knocks out a few baddies and pilots a space shuttle among other things. After joining forces Anya basically sat in the passenger seat of the Lotus, got knocked around by Jaws and then was held captive for the remainder of the film. (She did have a classic shower scene though)
Why The Man with the Golden Gun is better than Live and Let Die
1. John Barry again saves the day with a classic score. George Martin did a decent job with LALD but there's simply no comparing to the classic Bond sound that Barry delivers.
2. The cinematography of TMWTGG is drop-dead gorgeous, whereas LALD is more muted and bland.
3. The car chase scene with JW Pepper is aggravating, but at least it doesn't go on for what seems like an eternity. The boring boat chase in LALD is like what 15-20 minutes? Ouch.
4. Re-instates the traditional scenes in M's office, Moneypenny's office and Q's lab. Heck, LALD didn't even have Q period.
5. Roger Moore is at his most mean-spirited and ruthless in this film.
Okay I added a couple extra reasons there, and I could add a few more but I'll end it there. :007)
Why Tomorrow Never Dies is better than Goldeneye
1. Better score and soundtrack overall. The end credits song "Surrender" is light years ahead of the shockingly boring "Experience of Love" I also dig the Propellerheads contributions to TND and fits perfectly with the hi-tec electronic vibe of the film.
2. Goldeneye could have had an excellent pre-title sequence except they sabotaged it with a goofy "beg your pardon forgot to knock" and a laughable free-fall sequence. Meanwhile, TND delivers a solid and highly entertaining PTS that ranks among the best in the series.
3. Bond is allowed to be Bond without receiving a politically correct lecture from virtually every character he encounters.
Why Moonraker is better than The Spy Who Loved Me
1. John Barry's score is an absolute masterpiece, whereas Hamlisch's score is badly dated in parts with its disco elements.
2. Drax is a much more fun main villain than Stromberg. Drax has many great lines and excellent screen presence, whereas Stromberg seemed more like a frail old man.
3. Unlike Agent XXX, Holly Goodhead actually contributes to the success of the mission. She knocks out a few baddies and pilots a space shuttle among other things. After joining forces Anya basically sat in the passenger seat of the Lotus, got knocked around by Jaws and then was held captive for the remainder of the film. (She did have a classic shower scene though)
Why The Man with the Golden Gun is better than Live and Let Die
1. John Barry again saves the day with a classic score. George Martin did a decent job with LALD but there's simply no comparing to the classic Bond sound that Barry delivers.
2. The cinematography of TMWTGG is drop-dead gorgeous, whereas LALD is more muted and bland.
3. The car chase scene with JW Pepper is aggravating, but at least it doesn't go on for what seems like an eternity. The boring boat chase in LALD is like what 15-20 minutes? Ouch.
4. Re-instates the traditional scenes in M's office, Moneypenny's office and Q's lab. Heck, LALD didn't even have Q period.
5. Roger Moore is at his most mean-spirited and ruthless in this film.
Okay I added a couple extra reasons there, and I could add a few more but I'll end it there. :007)
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
And as much as I'd like to agree, it's a far weaker score than LALD. It feels generic compared to one of the most distinctive scores of Bond in general, right up there with The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only.
I loved it when I was encapsulated in Bond but in retrospect it's pretty weak. Especially considering most of the best pieces were unreleased...and even then not a match for LALD.
In the first case, the score is definitely a massive plus in TND's favour, and I would award a draw in the case of the pre-title sequences. I like the cheekiness of Pierce Brosnan's entrance as Bond, and although the sequence ends with some very artificial looking effects I still love the wide shot of the suntman riding his bike off the side of the mountain and free-falling towards the plane. As far as I know the only fake thing in that shot is the snow spray as the plane goes over the edge of the cliff. Despite TND's exceptional soundtrack and a couple of other strong points, comparing the total sum of each film's parts I would call GE the clear winner for me.
MR vs TSWLM is a closer fought thing for me. Barry's score is definitely superior and Draw is a fine villain whereas I've never been as keen on Stromberg. I also prefer Lois Chiles's acting to Barbara Bach's. On a personal note, MR was also the first Bond film I saw, and for many years it was my favourite. I think the biggest thing that lets MR down is that a lot of the humour is really silly, and distracts a lot from the strong points of the film - Jaws flapping his arms, double take pigeon, Bondola going across St Marks Square, Jaws and Dolly meeting and instantly falling in love - in fact almost every scene with Jaws is a disappointment in MR, whereas he was the standout feature of TSWLM. If it wasn't for the rampant silliness and the ruining of the Jaws character, I think MR would probably beat TSWLM in my opinion.
Okay...TMWTGG vs LALD: In this case I didn't agree with the points put forward by Firemass. I much prefer Martin's work to Barry's TMWTGG contribution. Regarding the cinematrography, TMWTGG may be slightly better but it doesn't make a huge difference to me. In fact, with LALD I quite like the muted, French Connection-like tones of the New York stuff. I enjoy the boat/car chase and JW Pepper actually works well in LALD, unlike in TMWTGG. M may be back in his office, but he is unpleasantly grumpy and irritable throughout and is not much fun to watch. And finally, I don't like mean-spirited Roger Moore in this film. It feels uncomfortable, especially in the scene where Bond confronts Anders, and when he shoves Goodnight into the cupboard so that he can 'entertain' Anders later in the film. The script is quite uneven in TMWTGG, probably because Mankiewicz started off writing it, and then was replaced by Maibaum, and then I think Mankiewicz might have come back for some more writing later on. No contest for me...LALD wipes the floor with TMWTGG.