2. Have Bond be a real spy again doing spy things.
3. Standalone adventures (I'm fine with references and callbacks) but a continuation? No, if a film ends on a cliffhanger (like in OHMSS), then fine do it, it deserves a sequel right away.
4. Chemistry between Bond and Bond Girl
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
7. A Bond Girl with a personality (well a Bond Girl far from Madeleine, I don't want to see another Madeleine Swann again).
8. No Bond falling in love, Bond for me only fell in love once, and that's Tracy, no need to copy or imitate it, I want Tracy to be Bond's only love.
9. A tough, competent Bond Girl
10. A complex, realistic villain (if they'd humanized Bond, then why not the villain, make him a little sympathetic, also I want a Main Bond Villain who can physically fight Bond and get bloodied, I'm tired of henchmen doing it then the villain was just sitting only to be effortlessly killed by Bond in the last minute).
11. Colorful, and bright cinematography
12. Great story
13. Using some unused Fleming scenes
14. I'm fine for a bit fun, but not parody, one liners or jokes is alright with me.
15. Stop with CGIs
16. Stop following the trends, have Bond be the trendsetter again
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
18. I have no problem with Bond going rogue, as long as it's handled properly, and not occuring on every film, have him do it rarely on few occasions and reasonable, like Bond in OHMSS, LTK, GE and DAD, Craig's Bond went rogue but the majority of them aren't reasonable.
I don't think quitting CGI completely is an option these days. In my opinion CGI should support the scene (hide safety ropes and cranes etc.), but not BE the scene.
I don't think too many will disagree with you on those points. In response, I would add;
1. Realistic Action scenes
I think there needs to be a mixture of both. I wouldn't want Bond to be too gritty and realistic, but again, not too fanciful (Gondola - MR, Motorbike to Plane - GE, Tsunami Surfing - DAD, for example).
2. Have Bond be a real spy again doing spy things.
Agree. I prefer Bond being a Spy than an Assassin.
3. Standalone adventures (I'm fine with references and callbacks) but a continuation? No, if a film ends on a cliffhanger (like in OHMSS), then fine do it, it deserves a sequel right away.
Agree. Would much prefer standalone adventures.
4. Chemistry between Bond and Bond Girl
Very important. When it's lacking it takes one out of the movie somewhat.
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
Definitely. Bond with a younger woman is fine but when they could be his daughter, it's pushing it.
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
Agree. Although only Eva Green and Lea Seydoux were French.
7. A Bond Girl with a personality (well a Bond Girl far from Madeleine, I don't want to see another Madeleine Swann again).
Agree. I'm not a fan of Lea Seydoux/Madeleine Swann, I think she had personality, albeit a bit flat and moody, but given her upbringing it's hardly surprising!
8. No Bond falling in love, Bond for me only fell in love once, and that's Tracy, no need to copy or imitate it, I want Tracy to be Bond's only love.
Agree. I don't want Bond falling in love again. Vesper and Tracey were both loves of his life. The producers/DC imitating and even trying to surpass those relationships, wasn't necessary and the chemistry between JB/MS wasn't anywhere near, IMO.
9. A tough, competent Bond Girl
Not sure on this one. Wai Lin and Camille were great but Jinx. No. Somewhere in between works for me. Could be old fashioned but I'm not keen on Bond and Bond Girl being equal.
10. A complex, realistic villain (if they'd humanized Bond, then why not the villain, make him a little sympathetic, also I want a Main Bond Villain who can physically fight Bond and get bloodied, I'm tired of henchmen doing it then the villain was just sitting only to be effortlessly killed by Bond in the last minute).
Interesting thought. Give the villain more depth, but again not too heavy a back story. Bond Villains that can physically hold their own in a fight have been decent in the past e.g. AT in GE, FS in LTK.
11. Colorful, and bright cinematography
Yes.
12. Great story
Yes.
13. Using some unused Fleming scenes
Yes.
14. I'm fine for a bit fun, but not parody, one liners or jokes is alright with me.
Yes.
15. Stop with CGIs
Difficult to avoid in this day and age, I'm afraid. Just needs to be done as well as possible. One thing I'm not keen on is digitising an actor's face over the stunt person.
16. Stop following the trends, have Bond be the trendsetter again
Yes.
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
Goes without saying. Beautiful locations are a must. I've loved every one of the Italy locations, but agree, probably time to go elsewhere.
18. I have no problem with Bond going rogue, as long as it's handled properly, and not occurring on every film, have him do it rarely on few occasions and reasonable, like Bond in OHMSS, LTK, GE and DAD, Craig's Bond went rogue but the majority of them aren't reasonable.
Need to give Rogue Bond a rest for some time now IMO.
19. Bring back the sophistication and class
Yes. DC was great, I liked him, but for me never had quite the same sophistication and class of the other Bond's. But to be fair, that probably aided things. He brought something a bit different and hard edged and dark to the role, more in-line with modern times and it was these aspects and his interpretation which were incredibly popular to many Bond fans and the average movie goer. Again, there needs to be a happy medium. Just as Fleming wrote the character.
I don't think too many will disagree with you on those points. In response, I would add;
1. Realistic Action scenes
I think there needs to be a mixture of both. I wouldn't want Bond to be too gritty and realistic, but again, not too fanciful (Gondola - MR, Motorbike to Plane - GE, Tsunami Surfing - DAD, for example).
2. Have Bond be a real spy again doing spy things.
Agree. I prefer Bond being more Spy than Assassin.
3. Standalone adventures (I'm fine with references and callbacks) but a continuation? No, if a film ends on a cliffhanger (like in OHMSS), then fine do it, it deserves a sequel right away.
Agree. Would much prefer standalone adventures.
4. Chemistry between Bond and Bond Girl
Very important. When it's lacking it takes one out of the movie somewhat.
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
Definitely. Bond with a younger woman is fine but when they could be his daughter, it's pushing it!
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
Agree. Although only Eva Green and Lea Seydoux were French.
7. A Bond Girl with a personality (well a Bond Girl far from Madeleine, I don't want to see another Madeleine Swann again).
Agree. I'm not a fan of Lea Seydoux/Madeleine Swann, I think she had personality, albeit a bit flat and moody, but given her upbringing it's hardly surprising!
8. No Bond falling in love, Bond for me only fell in love once, and that's Tracy, no need to copy or imitate it, I want Tracy to be Bond's only love.
Agree. I don't want Bond falling in love again. Vesper and Tracey were both loves of his life. The producers/DC imitating and even trying to surpass those relationships, wasn't necessary and the chemistry between JB/MS wasn't anywhere near, IMO.
9. A tough, competent Bond Girl
Not sure on this one. Wai Lin and Camille were great but Jinx, no. Somewhere in between works for me. Could be old fashioned but I'm not keen on Bond and Bond Girl being equal.
10. A complex, realistic villain (if they'd humanized Bond, then why not the villain, make him a little sympathetic, also I want a Main Bond Villain who can physically fight Bond and get bloodied, I'm tired of henchmen doing it then the villain was just sitting only to be effortlessly killed by Bond in the last minute).
Interesting thought. Give the villain more depth, but again not too heavy a back story. Bond Villains that can physically hold their own in a fight have been decent in the past e.g. AT in GE, FS in LTK.
11. Colorful, and bright cinematography
Yes.
12. Great story
Yes.
13. Using some unused Fleming scenes
Yes.
14. I'm fine for a bit fun, but not parody, one liners or jokes is alright with me.
Yes.
15. Stop with CGIs
Difficult to avoid in this day and age, I'm afraid. Just needs to be done as well as possible. One thing I'm not keen on is digitising an actor's face over the stunt person.
16. Stop following the trends, have Bond be the trendsetter again
Yes.
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
Goes without saying. Beautiful locations are a must. I've loved every one of the Italy locations, but agree, probably time to go elsewhere.
18. I have no problem with Bond going rogue, as long as it's handled properly, and not occurring on every film, have him do it rarely on few occasions and reasonable, like Bond in OHMSS, LTK, GE and DAD, Craig's Bond went rogue but the majority of them aren't reasonable.
Need to give Rogue Bond a rest for some time now IMO.
19. Bring back the sophistication and class
Yes. DC was great, I liked him, but for me never had quite the class and sophistication of the other Bond's. But to be fair, he brought something a bit different and hard edged and darker to the role, more in-line with modern times and it was these aspects and his interpretation which were incredibly popular to many Bond fans and the average movie goer. Again, there needs to be a happy medium. Just as Fleming wrote the character.
Very good points. Some more commentary on both your assessments:
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
Definitely. Bond with a younger woman is fine but when they could be his daughter, it's pushing it!
Not sure I agree tbh, it's not like relationships like this don't exist in real life. 48 year old Bond (not in his first movie hopefully!) with a 30 year old Bond girl would technically be "could be his daughter" territorry but I wouldn't see a problem with that. Usually these are short term affairs too, it's not like Bond would ever get married or have children........ 🤭
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
Agree. Although only Eva Green and Lea Seydoux were French.
And Bérénice Marlohe. Also, I used to think Eva Green was English due to her name and the character she portrays. Does she have a noticeable accent for English native speakers?
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
This is an oxymoron if I have ever seen one!
"I'm afraid I'm a complicated woman. "
"- That is something to be afraid of."
"And Bérénice Marlohe. Also, I used to think Eva Green was English due to her name and the character she portrays. Does she have a noticeable accent for English native speakers?"
Of course, yes. Bérénice Marlohe is French.
Eva Green has a slight French accent and she was playing it English. Personally, I love the way she speaks in that mixed accent of hers.
One of many aspects I disliked A View To A Kill was the age gap, Tanya Roberts looked young enough to be Moore's daughter and seeing them having sex in the shower was a bit uncomfortable to watch.
Similar to Seydoux and Craig when they also have sex in the train in SPECTRE, and also when they make love again in NTTD in the Matera Hotel, the age gap was really obvious.
That's why I'm happy when Moore's Bond rejected Bibi Dahl, because it would looked uncomfortable.
That's why I really liked Monica Bellucci to be Craig's main bond girl instead of Lea, because she's more age appropriate for him, similar to how Octopussy (Maud Adams) fits Moore's Bond, when they make love it's not uncomfortable to watch.
All of Craig Bond Girl actresses have been French:
Oh yes, I wouldn't argue in favor of a huge age cap of course. What I'm saying is the way their roles are written and the quality of the acting (both were terrible for Madeleine Swann!) should be more important than being the same age.
At least there were some non-french secondary Bond girls (Caterina Murino, Gemma Arterton) and wasn't Judy Dench actually the main one in Skyfall? 😅
"I'm afraid I'm a complicated woman. "
"- That is something to be afraid of."
I don't get very worked up about age differences. There are limits obviously, both legal and cultural, but people often take it too seriously. Women in their early twenties have relationships with partners in their forties in real life. I don't think it was really problematic in Craig's tenure.
I agree with so many points on here that it's almost scary!
Every Bond film could be set/filmed in Italy and I'd be happy, but yes, I'd like to see some new locations. And I do mean "new", and preferably not driven by tax breaks.
I don't really mind what nationality female Bond characters/actors are just so long as they are age-appropriate (if in a relationship), exciting, and good characters. More Paloma and less Madelaine.
Definitely return to sophistication and class for Bond: less blunt instrument and more gentleman spy...with enough physical presence to be able to tackle any challenge (and I'm quite happy for him to be able to fly a helicopter, pilot a submarine, or disarm a nuclear weapon...and still be able to correctly order wine and use cutlery).
Finally, and this may just be burnout from the last few, I don't want any more films over two hours. Make them shorter and sharper. Make me leave the cinema with a spring in my step and eager for the next one...which will hopefully only be two years away.
This us on You Tube. It's a blend of all kinds of movies but I like the ideas it suggests of an internal breakdown of the UK espionage systems and a reintroduction if OO7 without reference to previous Craig-Bond exploits. The overarching terror plot is one we've seen before, but if it is handled with originality I'd be happy with a return. Best if all, while the clip suggests a "back from exile" thread, this looks like a mission from the top and Bond just going for it. A fun 3 minutes regardless.
I don’t think it matters since as long as Barbara is at the helm we are subject to whatever she dreams up but assuming our opinions mattered or Barbara and Michael stepped down or were asked to, I am fine with most any traditional male casting of the right age. No stunt casting needed.
While many dislike him, getting started soon with Henry Cavill would be nice. He looks the part, is a 180 from sour Daniel and wants to be Bond. He has shown me enough, particularly in The Man from Uncle and MI (not to mention his recent commercial) that I would be very pleased with the choice. Bond getting back to suave, pleased to be Bond, ability to make a quip without appearing uncomfortable, etc. are the jolt of life (following the last 5 films) the series much needs.
I would prefer getting back to stand alone missions and to whatever they could to be more like the traditional timeline (pre Daniel) as possible. No stunts, no gimmicks, no gender changing, no sexual identity switches… just whatever Fleming envisioned for his creation, or the cinematic equivalent works for me.
Oh, and the idea of waiting years to even start filming tells me Barbara and Michael do not prioritize Bond or aren’t capable of being more nimble. They should have screenplays (with third acts!) at the ready by the time the current film is released. Shame on them for taking it so cavalierly.
It doesn’t have to be Cavill but imo he is pretty plug and play and would avoid bad decisions and prolonged delay.
Just reading the thread, regarding the 'realistic action scenes' point, I do think they need to step up their game a bit with those. Bond films used to famous for their stuntwork and they feel like they've lost their way a bit with that. They don't need to try and challenge Tom Cruise and put their lead in danger or anything: that's his thing. But NTTD felt seriously uninspired on the action set piece front: they weren't really coming up with anything unique or cool we hadn't seen before: the action scenes mostly just boil down to two car chases, a gunfight and jumping a bike. Very average ideas really: at least Spectre had Bond skiing a plane down a snowy mountain - it didn't quite come off but it was at least an eye-catching idea.
I second that. NTTD‘s only cool action sequence was the Aston Martin in Italy.
Never understood the motorcycle one: A bike is going up a ramp, so?
The Cuba scene per se was cool but the action wasn’t. Just wild shooting and the fact that you could sooo easily tell that was a built set ruined it. (You never had the feeling they were actually in a metropole, but rather only in one built steet).
The car chase in Norway was boring, the reasons for that should be all too clear…
The Safin-lair scene was the second best, but it had too much plain shooting going on. I compare that to the caviar factory scene of TWINE where Bond slided down a cable across the docks, took out a helicopter using a flare gun and a gas terminal, etc…
So, don‘t focus on stunts just to have them every 30mins but rather on their originality.
I agree. Bond movies should contain stunts people talk about when they leave the cinema.
Thunderbird 2East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,798MI6 Agent
I may get shot for this...
Bond batting for both teams does not stop him playing with the ladies. Itndoean't take aeay from him... it adds something!
Bring back the big badass baddies.
Quantum had potential, but it was squandered in a corporately flat Spectre. We need villians with big scope like Goldfinger, Stromberg or Drax. Or present a challenge to Bond in skill and ability, like Scaramanga, Kristatos or Electra King. The era of woe is me and Bond's life is a trail of misery is over. It has to be for the franchise to go on.
I would say keep the Office staff, but put them back in their box. The actors are solid, they just need better more solid material to work with. Even if that decrees less screen time for Q and especially M.
This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
No, we don't belive in capital punishment in Norway. 😂
But making Bond bisexual doesn't add to the character. One of the defining traits of James Bond is that he's a hetrosexual male. Ethan Hunt could be asexual or homosexual, it wouldn't change the movies or the character significantly. That's not the case with Bond. If you ask the general population very many would mention that Bond sleeps with a lot of women. It's part of his character and style of the movies.
Keeping the office staff is an even worse idea. Remember that the office staff were at James Bond's wake! They all worked with a James Bond who died. How can this be explained other than using the code name theory? In other words: bringing back the same staff members could best be explained by saying James Bond doesn't really exist, it's just different people using the same code name. Do you see the problem?
I hope Barbara 🥦 and her brother decides on the actor soon, and not waiting 3 years to announce the actor. When do you guys think the next bond actor is anounced?
Comments
Makes the Disco Volante look like a dinghy. 😃
What I want for the next era:
1. Realistic Action scenes
2. Have Bond be a real spy again doing spy things.
3. Standalone adventures (I'm fine with references and callbacks) but a continuation? No, if a film ends on a cliffhanger (like in OHMSS), then fine do it, it deserves a sequel right away.
4. Chemistry between Bond and Bond Girl
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
7. A Bond Girl with a personality (well a Bond Girl far from Madeleine, I don't want to see another Madeleine Swann again).
8. No Bond falling in love, Bond for me only fell in love once, and that's Tracy, no need to copy or imitate it, I want Tracy to be Bond's only love.
9. A tough, competent Bond Girl
10. A complex, realistic villain (if they'd humanized Bond, then why not the villain, make him a little sympathetic, also I want a Main Bond Villain who can physically fight Bond and get bloodied, I'm tired of henchmen doing it then the villain was just sitting only to be effortlessly killed by Bond in the last minute).
11. Colorful, and bright cinematography
12. Great story
13. Using some unused Fleming scenes
14. I'm fine for a bit fun, but not parody, one liners or jokes is alright with me.
15. Stop with CGIs
16. Stop following the trends, have Bond be the trendsetter again
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
18. I have no problem with Bond going rogue, as long as it's handled properly, and not occuring on every film, have him do it rarely on few occasions and reasonable, like Bond in OHMSS, LTK, GE and DAD, Craig's Bond went rogue but the majority of them aren't reasonable.
19. Bring back the sophistication and class
I don't think quitting CGI completely is an option these days. In my opinion CGI should support the scene (hide safety ropes and cranes etc.), but not BE the scene.
I don't think too many will disagree with you on those points. In response, I would add;
1. Realistic Action scenes
I think there needs to be a mixture of both. I wouldn't want Bond to be too gritty and realistic, but again, not too fanciful (Gondola - MR, Motorbike to Plane - GE, Tsunami Surfing - DAD, for example).
2. Have Bond be a real spy again doing spy things.
Agree. I prefer Bond being a Spy than an Assassin.
3. Standalone adventures (I'm fine with references and callbacks) but a continuation? No, if a film ends on a cliffhanger (like in OHMSS), then fine do it, it deserves a sequel right away.
Agree. Would much prefer standalone adventures.
4. Chemistry between Bond and Bond Girl
Very important. When it's lacking it takes one out of the movie somewhat.
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
Definitely. Bond with a younger woman is fine but when they could be his daughter, it's pushing it.
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
Agree. Although only Eva Green and Lea Seydoux were French.
7. A Bond Girl with a personality (well a Bond Girl far from Madeleine, I don't want to see another Madeleine Swann again).
Agree. I'm not a fan of Lea Seydoux/Madeleine Swann, I think she had personality, albeit a bit flat and moody, but given her upbringing it's hardly surprising!
8. No Bond falling in love, Bond for me only fell in love once, and that's Tracy, no need to copy or imitate it, I want Tracy to be Bond's only love.
Agree. I don't want Bond falling in love again. Vesper and Tracey were both loves of his life. The producers/DC imitating and even trying to surpass those relationships, wasn't necessary and the chemistry between JB/MS wasn't anywhere near, IMO.
9. A tough, competent Bond Girl
Not sure on this one. Wai Lin and Camille were great but Jinx. No. Somewhere in between works for me. Could be old fashioned but I'm not keen on Bond and Bond Girl being equal.
10. A complex, realistic villain (if they'd humanized Bond, then why not the villain, make him a little sympathetic, also I want a Main Bond Villain who can physically fight Bond and get bloodied, I'm tired of henchmen doing it then the villain was just sitting only to be effortlessly killed by Bond in the last minute).
Interesting thought. Give the villain more depth, but again not too heavy a back story. Bond Villains that can physically hold their own in a fight have been decent in the past e.g. AT in GE, FS in LTK.
11. Colorful, and bright cinematography
Yes.
12. Great story
Yes.
13. Using some unused Fleming scenes
Yes.
14. I'm fine for a bit fun, but not parody, one liners or jokes is alright with me.
Yes.
15. Stop with CGIs
Difficult to avoid in this day and age, I'm afraid. Just needs to be done as well as possible. One thing I'm not keen on is digitising an actor's face over the stunt person.
16. Stop following the trends, have Bond be the trendsetter again
Yes.
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
Goes without saying. Beautiful locations are a must. I've loved every one of the Italy locations, but agree, probably time to go elsewhere.
18. I have no problem with Bond going rogue, as long as it's handled properly, and not occurring on every film, have him do it rarely on few occasions and reasonable, like Bond in OHMSS, LTK, GE and DAD, Craig's Bond went rogue but the majority of them aren't reasonable.
Need to give Rogue Bond a rest for some time now IMO.
19. Bring back the sophistication and class
Yes. DC was great, I liked him, but for me never had quite the same sophistication and class of the other Bond's. But to be fair, that probably aided things. He brought something a bit different and hard edged and dark to the role, more in-line with modern times and it was these aspects and his interpretation which were incredibly popular to many Bond fans and the average movie goer. Again, there needs to be a happy medium. Just as Fleming wrote the character.
I don't think too many will disagree with you on those points. In response, I would add;
1. Realistic Action scenes
I think there needs to be a mixture of both. I wouldn't want Bond to be too gritty and realistic, but again, not too fanciful (Gondola - MR, Motorbike to Plane - GE, Tsunami Surfing - DAD, for example).
2. Have Bond be a real spy again doing spy things.
Agree. I prefer Bond being more Spy than Assassin.
3. Standalone adventures (I'm fine with references and callbacks) but a continuation? No, if a film ends on a cliffhanger (like in OHMSS), then fine do it, it deserves a sequel right away.
Agree. Would much prefer standalone adventures.
4. Chemistry between Bond and Bond Girl
Very important. When it's lacking it takes one out of the movie somewhat.
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
Definitely. Bond with a younger woman is fine but when they could be his daughter, it's pushing it!
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
Agree. Although only Eva Green and Lea Seydoux were French.
7. A Bond Girl with a personality (well a Bond Girl far from Madeleine, I don't want to see another Madeleine Swann again).
Agree. I'm not a fan of Lea Seydoux/Madeleine Swann, I think she had personality, albeit a bit flat and moody, but given her upbringing it's hardly surprising!
8. No Bond falling in love, Bond for me only fell in love once, and that's Tracy, no need to copy or imitate it, I want Tracy to be Bond's only love.
Agree. I don't want Bond falling in love again. Vesper and Tracey were both loves of his life. The producers/DC imitating and even trying to surpass those relationships, wasn't necessary and the chemistry between JB/MS wasn't anywhere near, IMO.
9. A tough, competent Bond Girl
Not sure on this one. Wai Lin and Camille were great but Jinx, no. Somewhere in between works for me. Could be old fashioned but I'm not keen on Bond and Bond Girl being equal.
10. A complex, realistic villain (if they'd humanized Bond, then why not the villain, make him a little sympathetic, also I want a Main Bond Villain who can physically fight Bond and get bloodied, I'm tired of henchmen doing it then the villain was just sitting only to be effortlessly killed by Bond in the last minute).
Interesting thought. Give the villain more depth, but again not too heavy a back story. Bond Villains that can physically hold their own in a fight have been decent in the past e.g. AT in GE, FS in LTK.
11. Colorful, and bright cinematography
Yes.
12. Great story
Yes.
13. Using some unused Fleming scenes
Yes.
14. I'm fine for a bit fun, but not parody, one liners or jokes is alright with me.
Yes.
15. Stop with CGIs
Difficult to avoid in this day and age, I'm afraid. Just needs to be done as well as possible. One thing I'm not keen on is digitising an actor's face over the stunt person.
16. Stop following the trends, have Bond be the trendsetter again
Yes.
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
Goes without saying. Beautiful locations are a must. I've loved every one of the Italy locations, but agree, probably time to go elsewhere.
18. I have no problem with Bond going rogue, as long as it's handled properly, and not occurring on every film, have him do it rarely on few occasions and reasonable, like Bond in OHMSS, LTK, GE and DAD, Craig's Bond went rogue but the majority of them aren't reasonable.
Need to give Rogue Bond a rest for some time now IMO.
19. Bring back the sophistication and class
Yes. DC was great, I liked him, but for me never had quite the class and sophistication of the other Bond's. But to be fair, he brought something a bit different and hard edged and darker to the role, more in-line with modern times and it was these aspects and his interpretation which were incredibly popular to many Bond fans and the average movie goer. Again, there needs to be a happy medium. Just as Fleming wrote the character.
Very good points. Some more commentary on both your assessments:
5. Age appropriate Bond Girl as the Bond actor ages.
Definitely. Bond with a younger woman is fine but when they could be his daughter, it's pushing it!
Not sure I agree tbh, it's not like relationships like this don't exist in real life. 48 year old Bond (not in his first movie hopefully!) with a 30 year old Bond girl would technically be "could be his daughter" territorry but I wouldn't see a problem with that. Usually these are short term affairs too, it's not like Bond would ever get married or have children........ 🤭
6. Let's take a rest from French actresses, all of the Bond Girls in the Craig Era have been French actresses. It's time for a different nationality for a change.
Agree. Although only Eva Green and Lea Seydoux were French.
And Bérénice Marlohe. Also, I used to think Eva Green was English due to her name and the character she portrays. Does she have a noticeable accent for English native speakers?
17. Beautiful locations (No Italy)
This is an oxymoron if I have ever seen one!
"- That is something to be afraid of."
"And Bérénice Marlohe. Also, I used to think Eva Green was English due to her name and the character she portrays. Does she have a noticeable accent for English native speakers?"
Of course, yes. Bérénice Marlohe is French.
Eva Green has a slight French accent and she was playing it English. Personally, I love the way she speaks in that mixed accent of hers.
Lea Seydoux has a French accent.
One of many aspects I disliked A View To A Kill was the age gap, Tanya Roberts looked young enough to be Moore's daughter and seeing them having sex in the shower was a bit uncomfortable to watch.
Similar to Seydoux and Craig when they also have sex in the train in SPECTRE, and also when they make love again in NTTD in the Matera Hotel, the age gap was really obvious.
That's why I'm happy when Moore's Bond rejected Bibi Dahl, because it would looked uncomfortable.
That's why I really liked Monica Bellucci to be Craig's main bond girl instead of Lea, because she's more age appropriate for him, similar to how Octopussy (Maud Adams) fits Moore's Bond, when they make love it's not uncomfortable to watch.
All of Craig Bond Girl actresses have been French:
1. Eva Green
2. Olga Kurylenko (Half French)
3. Bérénice Marlohe
4. Lea Seydoux
Oh yes, I wouldn't argue in favor of a huge age cap of course. What I'm saying is the way their roles are written and the quality of the acting (both were terrible for Madeleine Swann!) should be more important than being the same age.
At least there were some non-french secondary Bond girls (Caterina Murino, Gemma Arterton) and wasn't Judy Dench actually the main one in Skyfall? 😅
"- That is something to be afraid of."
I don't get very worked up about age differences. There are limits obviously, both legal and cultural, but people often take it too seriously. Women in their early twenties have relationships with partners in their forties in real life. I don't think it was really problematic in Craig's tenure.
I agree with so many points on here that it's almost scary!
Every Bond film could be set/filmed in Italy and I'd be happy, but yes, I'd like to see some new locations. And I do mean "new", and preferably not driven by tax breaks.
I don't really mind what nationality female Bond characters/actors are just so long as they are age-appropriate (if in a relationship), exciting, and good characters. More Paloma and less Madelaine.
Definitely return to sophistication and class for Bond: less blunt instrument and more gentleman spy...with enough physical presence to be able to tackle any challenge (and I'm quite happy for him to be able to fly a helicopter, pilot a submarine, or disarm a nuclear weapon...and still be able to correctly order wine and use cutlery).
Finally, and this may just be burnout from the last few, I don't want any more films over two hours. Make them shorter and sharper. Make me leave the cinema with a spring in my step and eager for the next one...which will hopefully only be two years away.
Did a brief Top10-wishlist for Bond26 (and shamelessly promoting my IG-account ;) )
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfFAwjgDSPl/
IG: @thebondarchives
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This us on You Tube. It's a blend of all kinds of movies but I like the ideas it suggests of an internal breakdown of the UK espionage systems and a reintroduction if OO7 without reference to previous Craig-Bond exploits. The overarching terror plot is one we've seen before, but if it is handled with originality I'd be happy with a return. Best if all, while the clip suggests a "back from exile" thread, this looks like a mission from the top and Bond just going for it. A fun 3 minutes regardless.
It's an above-average fan trailer. I liked it.
Not bad at all. I'd watch that.
I don’t think it matters since as long as Barbara is at the helm we are subject to whatever she dreams up but assuming our opinions mattered or Barbara and Michael stepped down or were asked to, I am fine with most any traditional male casting of the right age. No stunt casting needed.
While many dislike him, getting started soon with Henry Cavill would be nice. He looks the part, is a 180 from sour Daniel and wants to be Bond. He has shown me enough, particularly in The Man from Uncle and MI (not to mention his recent commercial) that I would be very pleased with the choice. Bond getting back to suave, pleased to be Bond, ability to make a quip without appearing uncomfortable, etc. are the jolt of life (following the last 5 films) the series much needs.
I would prefer getting back to stand alone missions and to whatever they could to be more like the traditional timeline (pre Daniel) as possible. No stunts, no gimmicks, no gender changing, no sexual identity switches… just whatever Fleming envisioned for his creation, or the cinematic equivalent works for me.
Oh, and the idea of waiting years to even start filming tells me Barbara and Michael do not prioritize Bond or aren’t capable of being more nimble. They should have screenplays (with third acts!) at the ready by the time the current film is released. Shame on them for taking it so cavalierly.
It doesn’t have to be Cavill but imo he is pretty plug and play and would avoid bad decisions and prolonged delay.
Thank you for letting me vent.
Welcome to AJB!
But ....... no stunts?
He means publicity stunts, i.e, any outside-the-box casting decision the Cavillettes disagree with 🤣
I suspected that, but to quote Archer: "Phrasing!" 😁
I noted male. Prefer not a woman, trans Bond, gay Bond, etc., etc. Sorry, Archer. :)
Barbara ought to go do her vanity projects. Her heart isn’t in it anymore. Cubby would be fine with it as would we.
PS hardly a Cavillite. Just think he would be an easy and obvious option if the plan was to make Bond movies. Silly notion I know.
Just reading the thread, regarding the 'realistic action scenes' point, I do think they need to step up their game a bit with those. Bond films used to famous for their stuntwork and they feel like they've lost their way a bit with that. They don't need to try and challenge Tom Cruise and put their lead in danger or anything: that's his thing. But NTTD felt seriously uninspired on the action set piece front: they weren't really coming up with anything unique or cool we hadn't seen before: the action scenes mostly just boil down to two car chases, a gunfight and jumping a bike. Very average ideas really: at least Spectre had Bond skiing a plane down a snowy mountain - it didn't quite come off but it was at least an eye-catching idea.
I second that. NTTD‘s only cool action sequence was the Aston Martin in Italy.
Never understood the motorcycle one: A bike is going up a ramp, so?
The Cuba scene per se was cool but the action wasn’t. Just wild shooting and the fact that you could sooo easily tell that was a built set ruined it. (You never had the feeling they were actually in a metropole, but rather only in one built steet).
The car chase in Norway was boring, the reasons for that should be all too clear…
The Safin-lair scene was the second best, but it had too much plain shooting going on. I compare that to the caviar factory scene of TWINE where Bond slided down a cable across the docks, took out a helicopter using a flare gun and a gas terminal, etc…
So, don‘t focus on stunts just to have them every 30mins but rather on their originality.
IG: @thebondarchives
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I agree. Bond movies should contain stunts people talk about when they leave the cinema.
I may get shot for this...
Bond batting for both teams does not stop him playing with the ladies. Itndoean't take aeay from him... it adds something!
Bring back the big badass baddies.
Quantum had potential, but it was squandered in a corporately flat Spectre. We need villians with big scope like Goldfinger, Stromberg or Drax. Or present a challenge to Bond in skill and ability, like Scaramanga, Kristatos or Electra King. The era of woe is me and Bond's life is a trail of misery is over. It has to be for the franchise to go on.
I would say keep the Office staff, but put them back in their box. The actors are solid, they just need better more solid material to work with. Even if that decrees less screen time for Q and especially M.
Of course you won't get shot for this.
BURN THE WITCH! 😂
No, we don't belive in capital punishment in Norway. 😂
But making Bond bisexual doesn't add to the character. One of the defining traits of James Bond is that he's a hetrosexual male. Ethan Hunt could be asexual or homosexual, it wouldn't change the movies or the character significantly. That's not the case with Bond. If you ask the general population very many would mention that Bond sleeps with a lot of women. It's part of his character and style of the movies.
Keeping the office staff is an even worse idea. Remember that the office staff were at James Bond's wake! They all worked with a James Bond who died. How can this be explained other than using the code name theory? In other words: bringing back the same staff members could best be explained by saying James Bond doesn't really exist, it's just different people using the same code name. Do you see the problem?
I don‘t think the fear of having a bisexual let alone a transgender Bond holds any relevance to it…
IG: @thebondarchives
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I hope Barbara 🥦 and her brother decides on the actor soon, and not waiting 3 years to announce the actor. When do you guys think the next bond actor is anounced?
At a guess, 6th October this year. The 60th anniversary of the release of "Dr No".
There's mindless optimism and depressing realism with just a tiny grey zone in between .....