Well I think the jump onto the lift in Skyfall is one of the coolest little stunts Bond has ever done, although perhaps not the most eye-catching; and the crane/train transfer likewise to be honest. The bike jump in NTTD is pretty amazing, although perhaps could have been filmed better I wonder.
The crane/train transfer in SF is really good. The bike jump in NTTD is good, but hardly spectacular. Other than the crane jumps in CR I don't think the Craig movies really have spectacular stunts like the dam bungee jump in GE or the ski jump in TSWLM. I think a return to that type of stunts could be another way to set the future Bond movies apart from CraigBond.
Yeah, I'd agree that the crane jumps and car flip in CR are proper 'oh wow' moments when you see them onscreen. The crane jump is just a pure bit of spectacle; the car flip is that but also has a lot of dramatic shock in it as well. I think key to them both is that they're held in one shot- you really get the impression of how big and real these stunts are.
Stuff like the jump onto the bottom of the lift or the motorbikes on the Grand Bazaar roof I absolutely love, but I'd agree they don't have the impact of those.
I wish they'd kept the seaplane flying through the docks stuff from NTTD. It needed a bit of Bondy hotdogging like that.
I agree that the crane scene in CR is really outstanding. Not just for the action but through the action it does so much to establish the visceral nature of Craig's Bond. We see that this Bond is a tenacious hunter/killer who stops at nothing to catch and dispatch his prey; the quintessential "blunt weapon". The showdown Bond has with the soldiers after the crane also establishes that this Bond might also be a little bit "off" or at best an unpredictable "loose cannon" who is capable of just about any kind of mayhem. Think about it this way, this was one guy, undercover in a Hawaiian shirt with a Browning Hi Power, no fancy gadgets who basically creates a mini Armageddon and then albeit a bit battered slinks off. Brilliantly done IMO.
And also, importantly: he doesn't kill any of them. Well, intentionally. Okay, that poor guy on the building site definitely falls to a fiery death, but James didn't mean it.
The first chase in CR is pretty much perfect. But in spite of this the Craig movies moved more away from memorable, standout stunts and more towards drama and personal relations. Why did this happen? Did EON conclude they couldn't compete against Tom Cruise anyway, so it was better to focus on drama and fine acting where they could better Cruise? If that's the case I hope they go back to the spectacular stunts, because most likely Tom Cruise will have to scale back on his stuntwork during the tenure of the next Bond actor. Bond can re-take the stunt crown.
Is the car chase in QoS really a spectacular stunt? Do you think many people left the cinema saying: did you see the car chase in the beginning? That's an unbelievable stunt!
As long as Tom Cruise is performing his own, increasingly death-defying stunts, I’m not sure I see the point of trying to top hIm by subbing in obvious stunt men. It’s not to say that stunt work can’t be used deftly to provide some thrills, but I feel like moviegoers expect more physicality out of lead actors now and wouldn’t tolerate the modern equivalent of Moore “skiing” against a backdrop.
It would be nice if EON can find a fitting actor with Tom Cruise's ability and willingness to do the wildest stunt himself, but it's unlikely. It's more likely even Cruise gets too old to do those stunts. You're right in saying the audience today expect actors to do more stunts and physical acting themselves, much because of Mr. Cruise. But while audiences will expect the next Bond actor to really ski, I don't think we can expect him to perform stunts comparable to the cliff jump from TSWLM himself. People bare still capable of appriciating a daring stunt by a stunt man. As far as I know the leads of Fast and Furious or John Wick don't do all the stunts themselves.
I agree. Bond fans should not get sucked into the Tom Cruise does all his death defying stunts rabbit hole. While many actors do some of their own stunt work, Cruise is very much unique in that he does stunts himself in his films of a level that insurance would strictly forbid much less any other actor wanting to do what Cruise insists on doing. I believe that Cruise, an adrenalin junky, truly enjoys doing those stunts and it is also part of his "brand". With regards to Bond, I think going back to Dalton in TLD, the Bond actors have done a good bit of there own stunt work, especially Craig who has paid the price physically. Given the next Bond looks physically convincing and has the movement and athletism, the most important thing, IMO, is that the stunt coordinators, 2nd Unit Team and editors continue to do a masterful job of creating the illusion that there is no stunt double. For me personally, it goes beyond just big crazy stunts. While I love a great stunt or great action set piece, I want some real suspense in a Bond film like Connery laying on that table in GF with the laser inching along threatening to make him into the first female 007 or Bond attempting to disarm the bomb in Fort Knox. So, in that respect, the writers really need to step up as the stunt coordinators, etc always do their part.
While I think the future Bond movies should have more spectacular stunts, I also think they should have more elements. The MI movies' main focus is the great stunts. Bond has so much more, most of all James Bond.
I’m not sure it’s that simple though. Something like the opera sequence in Rogue Nation is a tension set piece (not a full on action scene) which is arguably superior to anything comparable Bond has done in years.
Number24
NorwayPosts: 22,437MI6 Agent
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That is pretty great. Adam Kirley's Aston Martin roll also from CR is the one that popped into my head immediately.
Do the other Craig Binds have really impressive stunts? Right now I can't think of any ...
Well I think the jump onto the lift in Skyfall is one of the coolest little stunts Bond has ever done, although perhaps not the most eye-catching; and the crane/train transfer likewise to be honest. The bike jump in NTTD is pretty amazing, although perhaps could have been filmed better I wonder.
The crane/train transfer in SF is really good. The bike jump in NTTD is good, but hardly spectacular. Other than the crane jumps in CR I don't think the Craig movies really have spectacular stunts like the dam bungee jump in GE or the ski jump in TSWLM. I think a return to that type of stunts could be another way to set the future Bond movies apart from CraigBond.
Yeah, I'd agree that the crane jumps and car flip in CR are proper 'oh wow' moments when you see them onscreen. The crane jump is just a pure bit of spectacle; the car flip is that but also has a lot of dramatic shock in it as well. I think key to them both is that they're held in one shot- you really get the impression of how big and real these stunts are.
Stuff like the jump onto the bottom of the lift or the motorbikes on the Grand Bazaar roof I absolutely love, but I'd agree they don't have the impact of those.
I wish they'd kept the seaplane flying through the docks stuff from NTTD. It needed a bit of Bondy hotdogging like that.
I agree that the crane scene in CR is really outstanding. Not just for the action but through the action it does so much to establish the visceral nature of Craig's Bond. We see that this Bond is a tenacious hunter/killer who stops at nothing to catch and dispatch his prey; the quintessential "blunt weapon". The showdown Bond has with the soldiers after the crane also establishes that this Bond might also be a little bit "off" or at best an unpredictable "loose cannon" who is capable of just about any kind of mayhem. Think about it this way, this was one guy, undercover in a Hawaiian shirt with a Browning Hi Power, no fancy gadgets who basically creates a mini Armageddon and then albeit a bit battered slinks off. Brilliantly done IMO.
And also, importantly: he doesn't kill any of them. Well, intentionally. Okay, that poor guy on the building site definitely falls to a fiery death, but James didn't mean it.
The first chase in CR is pretty much perfect. But in spite of this the Craig movies moved more away from memorable, standout stunts and more towards drama and personal relations. Why did this happen? Did EON conclude they couldn't compete against Tom Cruise anyway, so it was better to focus on drama and fine acting where they could better Cruise? If that's the case I hope they go back to the spectacular stunts, because most likely Tom Cruise will have to scale back on his stuntwork during the tenure of the next Bond actor. Bond can re-take the stunt crown.
Crane scene in CR and Car chase in QoS PTS for me.
Is the car chase in QoS really a spectacular stunt? Do you think many people left the cinema saying: did you see the car chase in the beginning? That's an unbelievable stunt!
As long as Tom Cruise is performing his own, increasingly death-defying stunts, I’m not sure I see the point of trying to top hIm by subbing in obvious stunt men. It’s not to say that stunt work can’t be used deftly to provide some thrills, but I feel like moviegoers expect more physicality out of lead actors now and wouldn’t tolerate the modern equivalent of Moore “skiing” against a backdrop.
It would be nice if EON can find a fitting actor with Tom Cruise's ability and willingness to do the wildest stunt himself, but it's unlikely. It's more likely even Cruise gets too old to do those stunts. You're right in saying the audience today expect actors to do more stunts and physical acting themselves, much because of Mr. Cruise. But while audiences will expect the next Bond actor to really ski, I don't think we can expect him to perform stunts comparable to the cliff jump from TSWLM himself. People bare still capable of appriciating a daring stunt by a stunt man. As far as I know the leads of Fast and Furious or John Wick don't do all the stunts themselves.
I am pretty sure that Keanu does a lot of his own stunts—the judo and gunplay at least. Also more of the motorcycle stuff than you might expect.
Yes, I think they do many of their stunts themselves. But both the actors and the audience accepts that some stunts are done by stuntmen.
I agree. Bond fans should not get sucked into the Tom Cruise does all his death defying stunts rabbit hole. While many actors do some of their own stunt work, Cruise is very much unique in that he does stunts himself in his films of a level that insurance would strictly forbid much less any other actor wanting to do what Cruise insists on doing. I believe that Cruise, an adrenalin junky, truly enjoys doing those stunts and it is also part of his "brand". With regards to Bond, I think going back to Dalton in TLD, the Bond actors have done a good bit of there own stunt work, especially Craig who has paid the price physically. Given the next Bond looks physically convincing and has the movement and athletism, the most important thing, IMO, is that the stunt coordinators, 2nd Unit Team and editors continue to do a masterful job of creating the illusion that there is no stunt double. For me personally, it goes beyond just big crazy stunts. While I love a great stunt or great action set piece, I want some real suspense in a Bond film like Connery laying on that table in GF with the laser inching along threatening to make him into the first female 007 or Bond attempting to disarm the bomb in Fort Knox. So, in that respect, the writers really need to step up as the stunt coordinators, etc always do their part.
While I think the future Bond movies should have more spectacular stunts, I also think they should have more elements. The MI movies' main focus is the great stunts. Bond has so much more, most of all James Bond.
I’m not sure it’s that simple though. Something like the opera sequence in Rogue Nation is a tension set piece (not a full on action scene) which is arguably superior to anything comparable Bond has done in years.
Yes, the MI movies sometimes has great tension. But I don't think it's the main focus in the series.