Imagine Ron Howard as the next James Bond director...
JimmyBond0129
United States Posts: 263MI6 Agent
This is the same guy who made the Jim Carrey version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas. But for the most part Ron Howard's work is pretty good. I like a lot of Howard's movies. Apollo 13, Ransom, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderall Man and Frost/Nixion are all great movies in my opinion. I haven't seen The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons and Ed TV yet but I'm not sure I want to. Ed TV is a blatant rip-off
of The Truman Show. (Which came out first.)
And I haven't been hearing good things about The Da Vinci Code or Angels & Demons. Most of the complaints are derived from the exposition. I guess it all comes down to the first rule of film-making 101; "Show don't tell." Anyway if Ron Howard did become the next Bond director I'm sure there would probably be a lot of concern over whether or not he could direct a decent action scene.
And my response to that is go watch the ending of Ransom. Mel Gibson and Gary Sinse had this great fist fight scene in the middle of the street in downtown New York. (Or was it Los Angeles I never could remember.) Of course that was a long time ago but you never know Ron Howard could still be a decent action director.
of The Truman Show. (Which came out first.)
And I haven't been hearing good things about The Da Vinci Code or Angels & Demons. Most of the complaints are derived from the exposition. I guess it all comes down to the first rule of film-making 101; "Show don't tell." Anyway if Ron Howard did become the next Bond director I'm sure there would probably be a lot of concern over whether or not he could direct a decent action scene.
And my response to that is go watch the ending of Ransom. Mel Gibson and Gary Sinse had this great fist fight scene in the middle of the street in downtown New York. (Or was it Los Angeles I never could remember.) Of course that was a long time ago but you never know Ron Howard could still be a decent action director.
"I admire your courage, Miss?..." "Trench, Sylvia Trench."
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
Comments
I was actually very impressed with Angels and Demons. Much more interesting than The Da Vinci code. If a Bond movie was done in that vein, with some really good writing and lines like Frost/Nixon I welcome Ronny.
Well let's forget about Bond 23 for a moment. Let's talk about Bond 24 and beyond. Eon productions can't avoid american directors forever eventually they will hire one and I think Ron Howard might be the most qualified.
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
Fully welcomed, but this is the Bond 23 forum :007)
JimmyBond...you must be joking.
Ron Howard is competent director and has made some competent movies (Apollo 13, Ransom, Frost/Nixon) but, to put it as kindly as possible, Ron Howard is a world-class HACK.
World-class in the sense that he is the EPITOME of bland, homogenized American film-making that some American critics confuse with craftmanship. Granted he's no bum like Michael Bay but guys like Walter Hill and John McTiernan can mop up the floor with him... with one eye closed.
Richie Cunningham directing Bond?
Sorry...I shudder at the thought.
"Hello, Moneypenny, what gives?"
"Me, given an ounce of encouragement."
Well who would you rather have besides Walter Hill and John McTiernan? James Cameron? Ridley Scott?
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
James Cameron and Ridley Scott are solid choices.
And while we're speculating on American directors: Kathryn Bigelow would be a dream choice.
How about Tony Scott? And would the master Michael Mann be interested?
Does Steven Spielberg still haver an itch to make a Bond movie?
David Fincher, anyone?
Or Jonathan Demme? And how about giving Brad Bird a shot since The Incredibles is a love-letter to Bond movies.
Alex Proyas is an interesting choice and so is Len Wiseman.
And lets not forget Doug Liman.
And...while we're at it...John Carpenter.
And how about a left-field choice? Mel Gibson who is a master at directing action.
Everyone of these directors has proven that they have made good films with well-done action sequences.
Ron Howard has NEVER, to my satisfaction, been able to convince me that he has a mastery of action.
There are any numbers of directors that are second-stringers to this group.
John Badham, Barry Sonnenfield, Stephen Sommers, Andrew Davis, Peter Hyams, Renny Harlin and, yes, Ron Howard, are average genre film-makers, as harsh as that seems.
The respect that Ron Howard recieves is so out of proprtion to the qualities of his films that he is like a Rorschach test for film-fans.
By that I mean that if a film fan cannot make the distinction between a Walter Hill and a Ron Howard then a more careful study of film history is required.
Too many mediocre talents like Ron Howard have flourished in a system that has treated guys like Orson Welles and Francis Ford Coppola like dirt.
For, you see, what is American film-making but a celebration of mediocre talents like Ron Howard while guys like John Milius, Paul Schrader, David Lynch, Monte Hellman and Terry Gilliam (to name a few), have to walk hat-in-hand into an office in which the person behind the desk is either too young or too ignorant to realize that they are talking to major talents.
The sooner that Hollywood stops catering to mediocrities like Ron Howard and begins to support and understand the Sam Peckinpahs of the world is the day Hollywood truly grows up.
Until then?
I guess we're stuck with Ron Howard, while Walter Hill stays silent for ten years.
Shocking. Positively shocking.
"I"m beginning to like you, Mr. Bond."
"mmm...call me James."
I acknowledge that Ridley Scott is a talented director but just recently Scott directed Robin Hood and well...let's just say that it didn't get interesting until the very end of the movie.
James Cameron directed a cheesy love story but that didn't make me respect him any less. No. The thing that made me lose respect in Cameron was the fact that he left The Terminator franchise in Jonathan Mostow and McG's hands. I didn't expect Cameron to keep making Terminator films for the rest of his life but he could've appointed a competent director to take over the Terminator series at the very least. I mean Terminator was supposed to be his baby and he let the studio give the reins to a couple of no talent hacks? Blasphemous!
That aside I wouldn't be upset if EON actually hired James Cameron and/or Ridley Scott. But what would upset me is the off-chance that EON is truly dumb enough to hire ex-Batman director Joel Schumacher someday. It could happen. I never thought that Rush Hour director Brett Ratner would direct an X-Men film one day but he did.
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
Terrence Young did a fine job directing Connery in Dr. No, FRWL and Thunderball. John Glen acquitted himself nicely in
For Your Eyes Only and Living Daylights. (His other efforts in the series were a bit disappointing.) Lewis Gilbert and Guy Hamilton both made more than one contribution to the Bond series with varying degrees of success. Goldfinger was certainly the high point for Hamilton, for Gilbert, The Spy Who Loved Me was the high water mark of his Bond career.
(Forgive the less than oblique water reference).
The point to all this is that, instead of hiring someone new for the next film, the producers should go with an established Bond director and Martin Campbell certainly has the chops for it.
Ron Howard is a fine director of fantasy and comedy films. His more family oriented efforts, Splash, Grinch, Coccoon, etc.,
have all been entertaining, fun films.
As for James Cameron, I liked Aliens and T2 and nothing else he's done.
Ridley Scott could be an excellent choice but only once things settle down again. For Bond 23 we need someone familiar with Bond. That someone, in my opinion, is Martin Campbell. -{
And what if Martin Campbell doesn't want to direct it? What if he wants to make a sequel to Green Lantern?
"I admire your luck, Mister?..." "Bond, James Bond."
Personally I would like to see another British born director helm a Bond film, as the last time that happened was over ten years ago. Thought if Ron Howard was hired I would be okay with that as I have enjoyed his movies in the past.
Just a little reminder for all you John McTiernan cannot make any movies at the moment as he is currently serving time in prison for being mixed up in that illegal wire tapping scandal from 2008. As for Ron Howard or any American director doing a Bond film we will have to wait and see.
If Campbell or another Bond familiar director deshould decline I would have to go with Ridley Scott. I have been a fan of his work since 'Alien.' He handles action well and he always gets great performances from his cast.
I hope though that Martin Campbell woulddecide to return. He remains, I think, the best choice.