Where's the whimsy? Where are the 'Bond moments'?
jamesbondagent007
Divided States of TrumpPosts: 236MI6 Agent
Now, don't get me wrong. I'll be the first to admit that I'm incredibly excited for Skyfall. I've watched all the TV spots and teasers and listened to the preview of Adele's song over and over. The cast is stellar, the crew is top-of-the-industry, and the film itself looks bold, fresh and contemporary, as well as classic, sophisticated, and traditional in the best sense of the word.
I get a distinct Connery-esque vibe from the promotional material (and the song) that this is not just going to be a terrific action movie, but a quintessential, instant-classic Bond film at that. At least I hope. I love Craig as Bond, and I even enjoyed Quantum of Solace more than most.
Having said all that, this Bond looks even angrier, meaner, and more intense than he did in the last film, which is one of the things that ruined it for so many people. There's maybe one or two shots when he's talking to Q where he has a slight smirk on his face. Other than that, he looks so hell bent on killing as many people as he possibly can that he might burst a blood vessel.
Where's the nonchalance? The wry humor? The tongue-in-cheek stunts?
Now, I woke up this morning to the pleasant surprise of Octopussy being on TV, and I watched a bit of it. Bond gets his tires shot off and drives onto a train track, then disguises himself as a gorilla while looking for the nuclear bomb. Octopussy and Khan talk non-chalantly about their plans for world domination, and the henchmen attack Bond with circus weapons.
Obviously this is an extreme example, but it reminded me of something that the series is at risk of losing if it becomes too self-absorbed and overly-serious. The fun, laugh-out-loud implausibility of a true 'Bond' moment worthy of the accompanying theme song.
It's a fine line to tow to make the audience accept these moments, I'll admit.
Ejector seat, cello case = great. Heck, I even like the moon buggy in DAF.
Moonraker gondola, Parasailing a tidal wave = awful. It's hard to predict what will work and what won't.
In my opinion, the last good moment like that was either Goldeneye tank scene or maybe Q's fishing boat.
Casino Royale had like a 6-second sequence with a bulldozer. That was it, as far as true Bond moments, IMO. Not that Casino Royale wasn't great, it just didn't always feel like Bond. Quantum had next to none. It might as well have been a Bourne film.
Having said all that, I'll probably enjoy the crap out of Skyfall and it'll end up as one of my favorites. But I really hope it lightens up a bit throughout much of the film and has some fun with itself. Maybe he should commandeer an ice cream truck or something. That's what Bond is all about.
I get a distinct Connery-esque vibe from the promotional material (and the song) that this is not just going to be a terrific action movie, but a quintessential, instant-classic Bond film at that. At least I hope. I love Craig as Bond, and I even enjoyed Quantum of Solace more than most.
Having said all that, this Bond looks even angrier, meaner, and more intense than he did in the last film, which is one of the things that ruined it for so many people. There's maybe one or two shots when he's talking to Q where he has a slight smirk on his face. Other than that, he looks so hell bent on killing as many people as he possibly can that he might burst a blood vessel.
Where's the nonchalance? The wry humor? The tongue-in-cheek stunts?
Now, I woke up this morning to the pleasant surprise of Octopussy being on TV, and I watched a bit of it. Bond gets his tires shot off and drives onto a train track, then disguises himself as a gorilla while looking for the nuclear bomb. Octopussy and Khan talk non-chalantly about their plans for world domination, and the henchmen attack Bond with circus weapons.
Obviously this is an extreme example, but it reminded me of something that the series is at risk of losing if it becomes too self-absorbed and overly-serious. The fun, laugh-out-loud implausibility of a true 'Bond' moment worthy of the accompanying theme song.
It's a fine line to tow to make the audience accept these moments, I'll admit.
Ejector seat, cello case = great. Heck, I even like the moon buggy in DAF.
Moonraker gondola, Parasailing a tidal wave = awful. It's hard to predict what will work and what won't.
In my opinion, the last good moment like that was either Goldeneye tank scene or maybe Q's fishing boat.
Casino Royale had like a 6-second sequence with a bulldozer. That was it, as far as true Bond moments, IMO. Not that Casino Royale wasn't great, it just didn't always feel like Bond. Quantum had next to none. It might as well have been a Bourne film.
Having said all that, I'll probably enjoy the crap out of Skyfall and it'll end up as one of my favorites. But I really hope it lightens up a bit throughout much of the film and has some fun with itself. Maybe he should commandeer an ice cream truck or something. That's what Bond is all about.
Comments
I think we will just have to see the film to find out. My guess there may be some black humor. Bond does fall 300ft off a bridge which may not be a chucklefest but pretty wild none the less.
Actually one return to classic Bond is based upon what I've seen in the trailers, stills, etc it looks like Bond beds three different women in the film, which is probably the most in a single film since the Moore era.
Brosnan had three in TWINE.
For example, in CR when he takes the rich guys Rover and crash parks it and throws away the keys (great stuff!), or in QOS when he offers his two cents at the opera scene...
...maybe there are some surprises in Skyfall yet...
Although there'll be no slide whistle, I think it's a safe bet that SF will contain quite a few classic bond one liners.
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I agree with Ian Fleming, who believed the Bond films should be done with a "straight face" and a "desperate sense of urgency."
And I much prefer the subtle humor of Craig's Bond to the overt, often crude puns Pierce Brosnan was saddled with.
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Sure, I'll agree that the times when Bond switches off his charm and becomes the killer he's paid to be are some of the most effective. The death of Stromberg, Trevelyan and Electra King. Even Dominic Greene.
But that's not all that makes a film Bondian. As I said, it's a fine line to tow between cringeworthy and so-awesome-it-makes-you-laugh, but those moments, when done right, are key. The car on rails isn't a prime example of that, but it's what made the idea come to mind.
The Goldeneye tank chase or the bulldozer in CR didn't make me groan, that was pure Bond. I'd just like to see more of those rare scenes where the 007 guitar riff comes in and you're reminded why you fell in love with Bond films years ago.
Or a 60 year old Craig shagging a scary looking bond chick
I just don't want James Bond to be so unrelentingly ruthless is all.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Aside from whimsy, I'd would like to see a bit more departure in terms of production design...the 'look' of Skyfall seems a bit to similar to CR and QOS to me for some reason.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
8-)
My point is obviously that there is room for surprise and whimsy. This is a hard thing to really assess without having full scenes in memory for reference.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Actually its TREEEEE BLIND MYCEE according to the singer lol
I couldn't disagree with you more. What you mentioned isn't what makes a film 'Bondian'. The darker, ruthless Bond is the true version that has been lifted up straight from the novels. That Bond is someone which, to quote Fleming himself, "the top gangsters, the top FBI operatives, the top spies and the top counter-spies are cold-hearted, cold-blooded, ruthless, tough killers" (in The Spy Who Loved Me - although in that same novel, Fleming described Bond as someone who has never been able to kill in cold blood). Another quote from the novel Goldfinger: "it was his duty to be as cool about death as a surgeon. If it happened, it happened."
James Bond is a ruthless, cold killing machine. The "angrier, meaner" Bond that you described is the Bond I want to see from here on in. The whimsical moments that you described are not Bond moments. They're polar opposites.
I agree entirely.
I do really get what you mean. I also like my Bonds hard edged, but there needs to be a blend of light and shade. I also agree that it's hard to quantify. For me at the heart of it is that our boys life should not be unremittingly grim. He must get to do cool stuff (bedding three Women is a good start) and have 'cool stuff' we must want to aspire to him. So far I would not want The life we have seen with DC. This is not a dig at Daniel, as he is more than capable of delivering it. I like my Bond with a hint of swagger (not too much) and a lot of cool.
The tide's now turned towards more realism & less make-believe. This can be still jarring for a series of films that is still essentially considered a fantasy franchise. Though I applaud the more realistic approach even I gulped at Mr. Slate's death in QUANTUM OF SOLACE.
A more realistic approach to killing in a Bond film thus making violence less palatable? That opens a whole other moral debate.
I think you hit the mark with enjoyment. One of the things I liked about TND was the scenes with Bond smiling and even laughing with a child like glee in the car park scene.