Two things I'd change about the Climax and Ending (SPOILERS)
Absolutely_Cart
NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
Climax
In the exploding MI6 building, instead of having to rescue Madeline, Blofeld gives Bond a choice. Blofeld tells Bond on the left side of the building Madeline is tied up and on the right side is a mega-computer selling leftover data acquired by the Nine Eyes program to terrorists. Either rescue Madeline (on the left wing of the building) or prevent the mega computer on the right wing of the building
This adds way more suspenses and makes Bond's choice more difficult.
Ending
Instead of Blofeld being captured, 8 (one for each tentacle) black cars full of armed Spectre men, scoop up Blofeld. As Bond tries to chase Blofeld, Hinx arrives, the helicopter fire spreads as it rains in the night, and they fight until Hinx is completely immolated.
Then Bond goes to MI6, they congratulate his success. And Madeline Swann shows up alive because she used a gadget she stole from Bond's car (earlier in the movie to escape the building).
I think my changes establish Hinx/Blofeld as much tougher characters, as well as make the movie a little more cerebral.
In the exploding MI6 building, instead of having to rescue Madeline, Blofeld gives Bond a choice. Blofeld tells Bond on the left side of the building Madeline is tied up and on the right side is a mega-computer selling leftover data acquired by the Nine Eyes program to terrorists. Either rescue Madeline (on the left wing of the building) or prevent the mega computer on the right wing of the building
This adds way more suspenses and makes Bond's choice more difficult.
Ending
Instead of Blofeld being captured, 8 (one for each tentacle) black cars full of armed Spectre men, scoop up Blofeld. As Bond tries to chase Blofeld, Hinx arrives, the helicopter fire spreads as it rains in the night, and they fight until Hinx is completely immolated.
Then Bond goes to MI6, they congratulate his success. And Madeline Swann shows up alive because she used a gadget she stole from Bond's car (earlier in the movie to escape the building).
I think my changes establish Hinx/Blofeld as much tougher characters, as well as make the movie a little more cerebral.
Comments
What I was implying was that even if Q shut down Nine Eyes in its nacency, they still were already able to siphon some data that would put innocent lives in danger.
I think "I said I could handle myself" with a smirky smile would be a great way to end it.
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Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
The second bit sounds rather complicated, and why would they congratulate Bond if Blofeld got away? While the ending right now is rather too much like the ending to, once again, The Dark Knight, it is rather more straightforward. The problem I have with it primarily is that it's just too small. Mendes thinks less is more and just doesn't understand the Bond concept in that.
The 2nd bit with the Bond girl not dying and actually being able to save herself as cleverly as Bond did, is, on the other hand, very refreshing. However, I do agree that M congratulating Bond on a not-fully-complete mission is giving him too much praise.
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Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
He'll be back in #25
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I'LL BUY YOU A DELICATESSEN!!!
A very large part of me wanted the heli pilot to perhaps, I don't know fly upwards or left & right a bit?
I'm no firearms expert but I seem to think firing a PPK at a moving heli would be a tad more difficult.
Or that dealing with Blofeld in general would be more difficult. This is BLOFELD we're talking about. A tyrant, a terrorist, and he's been nothing but dainty and gingerly the whole movie.
First words: He sincerely apologized for interrupting.
He doesn't put any of his men to death for failure.
He doesn't really hurt physically hurt anyone.
His origin story is because of petty daddy issues.
His chief motive in this movie is just to pester Bond.
His laboratory is able to die with one bullet.
His save-the-girl climax wasn't too difficult for Bond.
His helicopter is shot down so easily.
He isn't protected by any guards, despite being a big figure.
He begs Bond to "finish it".
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
First words: He sincerely apologized for interrupting. He's understating his power; the room hushes when he enters.
He doesn't put any of his men to death for failure. Hinx's job application does that for him.
He doesn't really hurt physically hurt anyone. Bond isn't hurt by the torture?
His origin story is because of petty daddy issues. Agreed, thought that could have been better handled.
His chief motive in this movie is just to pester Bond....and gain control of the world's intelligence data.
His laboratory is able to die with one bullet. Like many of its predecessors. Standard trope.
His save-the-girl climax wasn't too difficult for Bond. Would have been for anyone else.
His helicopter is shot down so easily. Agreed.
He isn't protected by any guards, despite being a big figure. Yes he is!
He begs Bond to "finish it". Rather than face ignominious defeat.
("Ignominious" is a word I learned from FRWL
> He's understating his power; the room hushes when he enters.
Granted, but he was overall very polite in general. Not in a nasty passive-aggressive way like Hans Landa (from Inglourious Basterds) either. And Blofeld is essentially James Bond's Adolf Hitler. I'd expect him to act like more of a dictator.
> He doesn't put any of his men to death for failure.
> Hinx's job application does that for him.
Blofeld's just very lackadaisical, like a regular chairman. Hinx steals the show, does what he wants, and Blofeld doesn't assert any authority. There's no fear in the room.
> He doesn't really physically hurt anyone.
> Bond isn't hurt by the torture?
And that's pretty much it. We don't see him attack innocent people and the world at large world.
> His origin story is because of petty daddy issues.
> Agreed, thought that could have been better handled.
My idea was to make him a deceased CEO of a private military corporation which went bankrupt 20 years ago. Would've been better.
> His laboratory is able to die with one bullet.
> Like many of its predecessors. Standard trope.
I'm not so sure. Other bases in Bond history took a bit more work to dismantle.
> His save-the-girl climax wasn't too difficult for Bond.
> Would have been for anyone else.
I meant to say it wasn't a very original, challenging or cerebral climax like Skyfall's or Casino Royale's.
> He isn't protected by any guards, despite being a big figure.
> Yes he is!
I was expecting hundreds of Spectre soldiers to come out and save Blofeld. One does not just detain Blofeld that easily!
> He begs Bond to "finish it".
> Rather than face ignominious defeat.
I guess it's the context. We just met Blofeld, he was never dangerous or scary, he never had strong motives, he was hunted down easily and the last straw was him begging to Bond (instead of having a backup plan).
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
The base being easily blown up is just cinematic shorthand. We could have had a few shots of 007 rigging an explosive or whatever, but Mendes chose not to go into detail: he knows the place will blow, we know it too, and he goes for pace and speed since we're heading for the end chapters. Will watch that bit more closely next time to see if Bond fires at something labelled "Oxygen" or "High Explosive"!
Attacking the world at large: ESB takes responsibility for the events in the last 3 movies.
In one scene with a few blokes hanging from meat hooks, he was giving it 100% all
Shouting and waving his arms etc.
He said after a few rehearsals, one of the extras a real eastend minor villain told him
That Real God fathers, don't even have to raise their voice in an argument. Everyone
Knows what you are capable of, Everyone knows who and what you must have done
To become leader. No one would question any order he gave.
So Bob said he changed how he would play the character. Same with Blofeld, he'd
Never have to raise his voice he would hold absolute power.
If I'd been at that meeting, I'd be needing new underpants after it.
Im not against a subtle character. Hans Landa was subtle but dangerous and scary. Blofeld just wasn't scary.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
A lot of it just seemed like ordinary sibling rivalry.
As with shooting down the chopper with one tiny .32 round, monumentaly stupid , even Scaramangas base exploding made 1000% more sense.
a movie, The horse would explode
Same way a gun can hold 87 bullets before needing a reload.
In stainless steeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel -{
For those of us who grew up in the Brosnan era
Apologies for veering slightly off topic
I actually thought that was a great touch -{
On the other hand, early Blofeld was always been understated. In those Bonds, he was heard but not seen, never raised his voice, spoke in a disturbingly somnambulant but threatening way, and essentially knowingly satirized how a gentleman is supposed to behave. It wasn't until rat-eyed Donald Pleasance played him that he became a kind of histrionic caricature. Waltz essentially brought back the former while also trying to do a little of the latter. To me, the conference room scene was one of the better scenes in the film. The fear and tension from his minions is palpable, which makes Hinx all the more frightening since he doesn't seem afraid of Blofeld. When we can't hear what Blofeld is saying, we're in the same position as the minions, and that makes it all the more tense. Now, because this is a contemporary film, it wants to have its cake and eat it, too. So, while they don't go all out enough to truly make the scene scary, they also try to have some sense of understated menace. It more or less works.
I think Waltz was confined by Mendes' direction to underplay scenes -- this is a problem throughout his movies, as he thinks it is somehow more effective than "flair" -- but also because the script is rather weak.
So far, the only villains in the Craig film I've actually found menacing aside from Blofeld and Hinx were in Casino Royale.