Fleming and the obvious !!!!

GaddGeneGadd · August 2011

As I go down most peoples list's of their Favorite Bond movies one thing always seems to stand out. They are the movies that most closely follow Fleming's source material. Think about, FRWL, OHMSS, GF, THUNDERBALL, DR and even CR all closely followed Flemings novels. While I really like Brosnan as Bond, he did not have the chance to do a Bond film based on one of Flemings books. In fact look at CR, most people said it was a fantastic movie and most people think QOS fell off dramatically. Well CR followed Flemings source material and QOS was just like all the Brosnan movies. Screenwriters trying to make a Bond movie, but not quite getting the job done. I know alot of people think it's a sin to do remakes of the original, and I can understand that point of view, but DR will be 50 years old next year AND as much as I love FRWL it does indeed look very dated when I watch it now. Think about it, if they did remakes they could do the SPECTRE trilogy in it's proper order. Plus it would introduce a whole new group of movie goers to the joys of Flemings work. Plus they would indeed get a proper Bond movie, which is what they got wit CR. I for one could very easily see Alan Rickman camping up Auric Goldfinger going " No Mr Bond, I expect you to die " I am sure I am going to get blasted about NO remakes, but if you really think about it, It really could lead to some new great Bond films. -{ -{ -{

pyrat · August 2011

I agree with your analysis and that it's a shame Brosnan did not get to do a Connery or CR style film, but I'm not a great fan of trying to update classic films. They are like time capsules from their period and the early films are much more in the world of Fleming, i.e. height of the Cold War. If you want an updated Fleming-esque Bond you would need to start with a script, say Deaver's Carte Blanche, which was specifically written to be Fleming-like but moved Bond into the current time period.

Thunderpussy · August 2011

Much as I hate the idea of remakes, This is supposed to be a reboot of the franchise, meaning Craigs Bond has nothing to do with, Goldfinger,From Russia etc. So they could be re done ( I don't think they'd be done any better, I'll add) and at the moment the writers seem Bereft of any ideas, ( upping the water charges in Bolivia? How much would that of made Quqntum an extra £50 ) So it's something for them to think about, after all with Batman we've had two very different but excellent potrails of The Joker, so why not Goldfinger. They should be using every last piece of Fleming they can get,He had Imagination and was very inventive, as Proved by the Novels success.
And yes it's sad That Brosnan never got to do a proper Fleming storyline, I know he has Many detractors, But I think his Movies may of had their faults, many of them Nothing to do with his Portrail of Bond.
I'm not going to do any spoilers here, In Carte Blanche Deaver gave us a great Villian ( very Fleming) I read with relish his desire and obsession with Boidies etc. I'd love to see him On screen. -{

ke02eww · August 2011

Thunderpussy wrote:

Much as I hate the idea of remakes, This is supposed to be a reboot of the franchise, meaning Craigs Bond has nothing to do with, Goldfinger,From Russia etc. So they could be re done ( I don't think they'd be done any better, I'll add) and at the moment the writers seem Bereft of any ideas, ( upping the water charges in Bolivia? How much would that of made Quqntum an extra £50 ) So it's something for them to think about, after all with Batman we've had two very different but excellent potrails of The Joker, so why not Goldfinger. They should be using every last piece of Fleming they can get,He had Imagination and was very inventive, as Proved by the Novels success.
And yes it's sad That Brosnan never got to do a proper Fleming storyline, I know he has Many detractors, But I think his Movies may of had their faults, many of them Nothing to do with his Portrail of Bond.
I'm not going to do any spoilers here, In Carte Blanche Deaver gave us a great Villian ( very Fleming) I read with relish his desire and obsession with Boidies etc. I'd love to see him On screen. -{

Good points TP....though I'm on record here defending the QoS plot line - especially the water angle - I hope ur as relaxed when your paying through the nose for your water in a few years...

I plan to read carte Blanche on my oncoming holiday.... So thx for avoiding the spoilers ....

And uv got me intrigued now....not heard anything good about it so far.

Thunderpussy · August 2011

I've no problem with water being in short supply, Mad Max was doing that kind of story line years ago. As for paying for it, I have plans to have a supply concentrated, I'll just have to add water to it and I'll be fine.Also by then My plans for world Domination should of succeeded

)
If they had done the water story on a bigger scale, I'd of been happier, It is supposed to be Bond
As for Catre Blance it'd Good but not Great, I loved it at first but on a second read through It wasn't as Good as my first Impression, Still well worth reading and I do hope he gets a second shot. -{

00-Agent · August 2011

I think the problem with remaking old Bond films, especially the great ones like FRWL and GF, is that they are still very popular movies. IMO it would be hard to remake them different enough to make them fresh, and just as good as the originals. These movies are just to well known.

Napoleon Plural · August 2011

Yeah, but water wasn't even much of a theme in QoS - where are the fountains, the Perrier, the ice cubes, water in the credits and so on. The water coolers. They could have signposted it better.

Yeah, CR threw a curveball because they had to adhere to Fleming, inc Vesper's betrayal. The team would not have done that otherwise. TBH I'm not sure the superhero franchise really works that well however, they do have to keep rebooting don't they. Three movies is top wack then they have to start again. Bond avoids all that, though I agree there are plenty of books out there.

Thunderpussy · August 2011

I've just thought of something, Which I'm sure some of the more Tec-knowledgable can answer,

The fuel of the future is Hydrogen,( Top Gear, has shown a few cars that run on it and they seem pretty sure it's the future for cars ) NO, Polution and the only By product of it is,................................................ water, H2O :v
So is our future not the Bleak waterless, zombie filled world But a Utopia of endless water, a few mermaids perhaps.

)
Did the writes of QOS not read up on the subject, after all even the hotel in QOS was run with Hydrogen cells.
Or Have I as always Got my Technology Mixed up, Again.

)

SilentSpy · August 2011

In defense of Pierce Brosnan, I'm pretty sure the producers wanted him to be a best of both worlds Bond. Funny and a bit light like Moore with some of Connery's harshness. If I recall, the Dalton Bond films were not well liked at the time and still aren't that much. I think it was the Art of Bond book that only included a page or two on Dalton. I fully believe Brosnan could do the complete harsh Bond but the producers didn't want it at the time. I still love that opening Banker scene in TWINE as Brosnan's harsh Bond scene. Even the director comments that Bond is back in that one moment Brosnan has after dispatching all the bodyguards.

Remakes are a really bad idea with Bond movies. The producers have completely ignored NSNA. How would it look for them to do remakes now?

Blackleiter · August 2011

I absoultely agree with your take on Brosnan's Bond films. I think Brosnan had the ability to take on the hard-edged, although not completely humorless Bond that would have been a fitting replacement for both Moore and Dalton (although in my opinion he could never approach the greatness of Connery). The opening sequence of TWINE is a great example (that look he gave the Swiss banker's henchman after he dispatched him was priceless). In fact, most of Brosnan's performance in TWINE showcased some of his best work as Bond, but ultimately the script and the director let him down (as was the case with all of Brosnan's Bond films with the exception of Goldeneye).

As for remaking the Connery classics, please don't. Really, what would be the point if they can't be made BETTER than the originals? Does anyone really believe that will be the case? Hell, even Connery himself couldn't top Thunderball with NSNA, so why bother?

SilentSpy wrote:

In defense of Pierce Brosnan, I'm pretty sure the producers wanted him to be a best of both worlds Bond. Funny and a bit light like Moore with some of Connery's harshness. If I recall, the Dalton Bond films were not well liked at the time and still aren't that much. I think it was the Art of Bond book that only included a page or two on Dalton. I fully believe Brosnan could do the complete harsh Bond but the producers didn't want it at the time. I still love that opening Banker scene in TWINE as Brosnan's harsh Bond scene. Even the director comments that Bond is back in that one moment Brosnan has after dispatching all the bodyguards.

Remakes are a really bad idea with Bond movies. The producers have completely ignored NSNA. How would it look for them to do remakes now?

Fleming and the obvious !!!!

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