I would agree with pretty much all of that. Although I'm not a fan of Moneypenny becoming head of 00 section, or promoted to M.
Also, I think I'm scarred for life from the Parahawks in TWINE to relish a return to snowmobile types. Having said that the snowmobile chase in JG's Icebreaker worked.
Bond most definitely needs to dive and ski again! The former could have featured most recently when accessing Safin's base, instead of the disappointing Q Glider approach. I guess he literally had No Time To Dive (sorry..)
On snowmobiles: The Parahawk sequence in TWINE didn't really work for me. But that doesn't mean snowmobile chases and stunts couldn't work very well in the future! it would also break new ground. Die Hard 2 and DAD had a litte bit of snowmobile action, but I found those scenes unimpressive too. The Bond movies has the opportunity to be leaders in stunts again! Look at this for a taste of what can be done:
Some people would complain even if you hang them with a new rope
Thunderbird 2East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,816MI6 Agent
edited November 17
Right then....
I want to see some narrative backbone!
Give some Political tension....
DAD was the last Bond film that pointed the finger at a nation state for its storyline. That was a key point of a lot of ealier stories. Not Beijing or Moscow persae, but figures under their flag. Now is an excellent time for that to resurface.
A Female 00.
Have a recurring 00 (they have had them before) who helps Bond. A woman who is just as capable and potentially fun too. I do NOT want Jemima Bond, I want a female 00 that shuts up the equality brigade beside Bond as a colleague.
Keep the office staff - and in the Office.
There is no reason why Ralph Finnes, Ben Wishaw, Rory Kinnear, and the amazing Naomi Harris should be dropped, all are brilliant and still relevant in those roles. Keep them. But give them solid material to work with in the traditional sense.
M-Messery had a few interesting naval themed offices. M-Mallory could have a few army based ones.
Bankable Bond? - Bear out Bond.
The actor behind 007 needs to have staying power. Not just in the role on screen, but long term to give a decent run of films. Sir Sean and Sir Roger did this. Mr Brosnan wasn't given the chance. (Look at him today, he could be a Bond as M even now!) We need an actor who can hold the role over a series of films.
If not Fleming, at least Fleminesque.
There is, as far as I know, no original Fleming material left to use. Its all been mined out.
(What a waste the poison garden was in NTTD.) As a result, new material will be needed, but it needs to have the correct feel and tone. CR-06 did a good job of using classic Fleming material and adding to it with the first third of the film and in a (then) contemorary setting of post nine - eleven, 2006. It was classic and also very much of the moment. We need that back, esp in the knife edge world we have now in 2024.
Go back to the Toolsbox!
Bring back miniatures. Bond never needed CGI and its a less is more. It dates films in a way miniatures have not. I like my 'and the plot went BOOM!' to be outside a computer database.
Bring back GOOD composers, such as Dave Arnold. Thomad Newman's plinky plonk muck is generic, and crap. It often doesn't fit the scenes its used in.
Bring back UnPC narratives. This is a tricky one and standards have to adhered too. But just because sexism, facisim, racisim etc are (correctly) unacceptable in the real world, they are still present. This should not exclude the idea of Bond fighting these elements in new stories.
Modern British politics shows elitisim is still very much alive and well unfortunately too.
There ARE options, good ones, if The House of EON and MGM have the bottle to pursue them. Once these things are fixed, then thry can 'experiment' with other bits and pieces.
Please excuse me now, I have glasses to wash in the pub, and to feed the cat!
This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
Concerning Fleming, don't forget the continuation novels also exist. They used Colonel Sun in the past, and it could be a good opportunity to give credit to another author than Kingsley Amis. Someone like Anthony Horowitz clearly deserves it considering the quality of his work.
I agree on much of what you write, but not everything. I too want a female 00 poping up now and then. But not to "shut up the equality brigade", but because it would be both fun and realistic.
All big-budget movies use CGI these days, and more than we'd like to know. Bond absolutely needs it. But the tradition of doing the stunts as real as possible must continue. The CGI should help the scene and never BE the scene. CGI in Bond movies must be top notch and used only where it’s needed. I'd love to see more use of miniatures!
I see every reason to get a new MI6 staff, and I mean every one of them. They did a good job, but they belong in a differnt timeline. It just about worked with Dame Judi with Craig's Bond because Bond didn't die in DAD. When NTTD ended as it did it won’t work to bring back any of the actors. It will only cause confusion and encourage the Code Name Theory brigade, and that's never a good thing. A simple rule of thumb is that any actor who was at Bond's wake in NTTD can't be in any more Bond movies.
I'm not sure precisely you mean by "pointing the finger at a nation state". The tradition is to have Bond working in the real international situation. There was never any real doubt that the pre-Brosnan saw the USSR a an opponent and often worked against it. But the main villain should never be a real one in my opinion, and especially not a country.
But more importantly, what do you feed Holly? 🤔
Thunderbird 2East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,816MI6 Agent
As is oftrn the case, we are agreeing eithout realising it 24!
Female 00. Yrs I referenced Equality brigade, as their double standards annoy me. Realistically, a well rounded, properly written female character not unlike Holly Goodhead, but British and an experienced double oh in her own right. Its something that should have been done years ago. MPenny in Skyfall is the closest we have ever got and Naomi Harris was marvelous. Then they dumped her behind a desk again!
CGI. I am not saying it should be stamped out. There IS CGI in CR-06, but its subtle and effective as a result. I fully agree on miniatures being 'real' as are the amazing stuntmen and women who never get the credit they deserve.
Find the balance Please H.O.E!
Pointing the finger - Going back to the era where baddies have silent partners as political states, and or as financual backing on the quiet.... I agree directly accusing nations is out, but Bond never did that anyway. 😉
Re the office staff... its tricky.
Lois Maxwell was with the series until AVTAK... Desmond Llewellyn was Q until TWINE...
May they both rest in peace. The fact they did such sterling work with several Bond actors speaks volumes.
Dame Judi? (bows) is in a class by herself. As an actress she is almost unstopable!
In the end these characters don't change and that is part of their appeal. Familiar faces, familiar elements... and these actors deliver.
Plus I cannot accept that James Bond 007 is dead.
(Even if the Craig version unquestionably IS. Blown up by the Royal Navy. Its right out of a Looney Toones cartoon. Who wrote such upter Crap?!)
Huge amounts of Chicken, Turkey, Tuna or on special occasions Steak. Oh and she loves fresh Strawberries, ever since she was a cub! 😉
This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
The former MI6 staff did great, and many stayed for a long time. But keeping any of them will be a disservice to Bond. CraigBond is dead - Long live James Bond!
Thunderbird 2East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,816MI6 Agent
I nearly forgot.
Bring back affordable product placement!
Tom Ford stuff is insane and unreachable.
(I'm a poor Scotsman, its tough to keep up!)
This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
Comments
I wish they would make any decision just to show some momentum going forward.
I agree @Number24
I wouldn’t go that far. I'd rather wait six months than learn that Bond26 is written by George Lucas and the director is Uwe Boll.
Some of my hopes and wishes for future Bond movies:
I would agree with pretty much all of that. Although I'm not a fan of Moneypenny becoming head of 00 section, or promoted to M.
Also, I think I'm scarred for life from the Parahawks in TWINE to relish a return to snowmobile types. Having said that the snowmobile chase in JG's Icebreaker worked.
Bond most definitely needs to dive and ski again! The former could have featured most recently when accessing Safin's base, instead of the disappointing Q Glider approach. I guess he literally had No Time To Dive (sorry..)
I would be against making Moneypenny M.
On snowmobiles: The Parahawk sequence in TWINE didn't really work for me. But that doesn't mean snowmobile chases and stunts couldn't work very well in the future! it would also break new ground. Die Hard 2 and DAD had a litte bit of snowmobile action, but I found those scenes unimpressive too. The Bond movies has the opportunity to be leaders in stunts again! Look at this for a taste of what can be done:
Like a HALO jump?
Right then....
I want to see some narrative backbone!
Give some Political tension....
DAD was the last Bond film that pointed the finger at a nation state for its storyline. That was a key point of a lot of ealier stories. Not Beijing or Moscow persae, but figures under their flag. Now is an excellent time for that to resurface.
A Female 00.
Have a recurring 00 (they have had them before) who helps Bond. A woman who is just as capable and potentially fun too. I do NOT want Jemima Bond, I want a female 00 that shuts up the equality brigade beside Bond as a colleague.
Keep the office staff - and in the Office.
There is no reason why Ralph Finnes, Ben Wishaw, Rory Kinnear, and the amazing Naomi Harris should be dropped, all are brilliant and still relevant in those roles. Keep them. But give them solid material to work with in the traditional sense.
M-Messery had a few interesting naval themed offices. M-Mallory could have a few army based ones.
Bankable Bond? - Bear out Bond.
The actor behind 007 needs to have staying power. Not just in the role on screen, but long term to give a decent run of films. Sir Sean and Sir Roger did this. Mr Brosnan wasn't given the chance. (Look at him today, he could be a Bond as M even now!) We need an actor who can hold the role over a series of films.
If not Fleming, at least Fleminesque.
There is, as far as I know, no original Fleming material left to use. Its all been mined out.
(What a waste the poison garden was in NTTD.) As a result, new material will be needed, but it needs to have the correct feel and tone. CR-06 did a good job of using classic Fleming material and adding to it with the first third of the film and in a (then) contemorary setting of post nine - eleven, 2006. It was classic and also very much of the moment. We need that back, esp in the knife edge world we have now in 2024.
Go back to the Toolsbox!
Bring back miniatures. Bond never needed CGI and its a less is more. It dates films in a way miniatures have not. I like my 'and the plot went BOOM!' to be outside a computer database.
Bring back GOOD composers, such as Dave Arnold. Thomad Newman's plinky plonk muck is generic, and crap. It often doesn't fit the scenes its used in.
Bring back UnPC narratives. This is a tricky one and standards have to adhered too. But just because sexism, facisim, racisim etc are (correctly) unacceptable in the real world, they are still present. This should not exclude the idea of Bond fighting these elements in new stories.
Modern British politics shows elitisim is still very much alive and well unfortunately too.
There ARE options, good ones, if The House of EON and MGM have the bottle to pursue them. Once these things are fixed, then thry can 'experiment' with other bits and pieces.
Please excuse me now, I have glasses to wash in the pub, and to feed the cat!
Concerning Fleming, don't forget the continuation novels also exist. They used Colonel Sun in the past, and it could be a good opportunity to give credit to another author than Kingsley Amis. Someone like Anthony Horowitz clearly deserves it considering the quality of his work.
I agree on much of what you write, but not everything. I too want a female 00 poping up now and then. But not to "shut up the equality brigade", but because it would be both fun and realistic.
All big-budget movies use CGI these days, and more than we'd like to know. Bond absolutely needs it. But the tradition of doing the stunts as real as possible must continue. The CGI should help the scene and never BE the scene. CGI in Bond movies must be top notch and used only where it’s needed. I'd love to see more use of miniatures!
I see every reason to get a new MI6 staff, and I mean every one of them. They did a good job, but they belong in a differnt timeline. It just about worked with Dame Judi with Craig's Bond because Bond didn't die in DAD. When NTTD ended as it did it won’t work to bring back any of the actors. It will only cause confusion and encourage the Code Name Theory brigade, and that's never a good thing. A simple rule of thumb is that any actor who was at Bond's wake in NTTD can't be in any more Bond movies.
I'm not sure precisely you mean by "pointing the finger at a nation state". The tradition is to have Bond working in the real international situation. There was never any real doubt that the pre-Brosnan saw the USSR a an opponent and often worked against it. But the main villain should never be a real one in my opinion, and especially not a country.
But more importantly, what do you feed Holly? 🤔
As is oftrn the case, we are agreeing eithout realising it 24!
Female 00. Yrs I referenced Equality brigade, as their double standards annoy me. Realistically, a well rounded, properly written female character not unlike Holly Goodhead, but British and an experienced double oh in her own right. Its something that should have been done years ago. MPenny in Skyfall is the closest we have ever got and Naomi Harris was marvelous. Then they dumped her behind a desk again!
CGI. I am not saying it should be stamped out. There IS CGI in CR-06, but its subtle and effective as a result. I fully agree on miniatures being 'real' as are the amazing stuntmen and women who never get the credit they deserve.
Find the balance Please H.O.E!
Pointing the finger - Going back to the era where baddies have silent partners as political states, and or as financual backing on the quiet.... I agree directly accusing nations is out, but Bond never did that anyway. 😉
Re the office staff... its tricky.
Lois Maxwell was with the series until AVTAK... Desmond Llewellyn was Q until TWINE...
May they both rest in peace. The fact they did such sterling work with several Bond actors speaks volumes.
Dame Judi? (bows) is in a class by herself. As an actress she is almost unstopable!
In the end these characters don't change and that is part of their appeal. Familiar faces, familiar elements... and these actors deliver.
Plus I cannot accept that James Bond 007 is dead.
(Even if the Craig version unquestionably IS. Blown up by the Royal Navy. Its right out of a Looney Toones cartoon. Who wrote such upter Crap?!)
Huge amounts of Chicken, Turkey, Tuna or on special occasions Steak. Oh and she loves fresh Strawberries, ever since she was a cub! 😉
The former MI6 staff did great, and many stayed for a long time. But keeping any of them will be a disservice to Bond. CraigBond is dead - Long live James Bond!
I nearly forgot.
Bring back affordable product placement!
Tom Ford stuff is insane and unreachable.
(I'm a poor Scotsman, its tough to keep up!)