Interesting How Rarely Bond Uses Automatic Weapons

Gassy Man · April 2016

I could be wrong, but I don't recall Bond using one until On Her Majesty's Secret Service, when he uses the Sterling. Does that sound right? He may have used a submachinegun in Diamonds are Forever. But at least in the earlier Bonds, and to some degree even in more recent years, he is more likely to use a revolver or semi automatic.

chrisisall · April 2016

He used what was provided by the situation which was provided by the screenplays. I assume he'd generally prefer a one off shot here & there, but lock him in Carver's stealth boat & he'll spray away like Elliot's hired hands.

Gassy Man · April 2016

They really do prefer him to be rather minimalist in his efforts.

Gassy Man · April 2016

Just watched parts of Tomorrow Never Dies again, by the way, and it's still the best of the Brosnan outings.

armenianmovieman · April 2016

He takes one of the rifles off Silva's goons in Skyfall, and he has one in the opening chase (and closing scene of CR) in Quantum of Solace.

Firemass · April 2016

chrisisall wrote:

I assume he'd generally prefer a one off shot here & there, but lock him in Carver's stealth boat & he'll spray away

Seems like an odd time to use a silenced pistol, when you have a machine gun in your other hand.

Chriscoop · April 2016

As de Niro said in Ronin it's just a tool....you pick the tools for the job

Thunderpussy · April 2016

I hope that's not a sly comment about the mods ?

Number24 · April 2016

I think it's a good thing Bond rarely uses fully automatic weapons. It sets him apart from many other action franchises, especially in the 1980's. A suppressed pistol looks more sophisticated, stylish and smart than a spray and pray hero. A suppressed pistol is also more fitting for a government assassin.

Thunderpussy · April 2016

I love how Bond used to quickly aim and take out the villain with one shot.

Chriscoop · April 2016

Thunderpussy wrote:

I love how Bond used to quickly aim and take out the villain with one shot.

And connery managed that trick by holding his ppk at waist level! What a guy.

Chriscoop · April 2016

Thunderpussy wrote:

I hope that's not a sly comment about the mods ?

)

Thunderpussy · April 2016

) Yes, Connery firing from the hip, always looked so cool. -{

CoolHandBond · April 2016

Gassy Man wrote:

Just watched parts of Tomorrow Never Dies again, by the way, and it's still the best of the Brosnan outings.

{[]

MarcAngeDraco · April 2016

Gassy Man wrote:

Just watched parts of Tomorrow Never Dies again, by the way, and it's still the best of the Brosnan outings.

Indeed. -{

chrisisall · April 2016

Gassy Man wrote:

Just watched parts of Tomorrow Never Dies again, by the way, and it's still the best of the Brosnan outings.

More agreement. GE had it's moments, but TND was 100% successful at what it was trying to accomplish.

Thunderpussy · April 2016

I think TND must be my most watched Brosnan Bond film.

superado · April 2016

From the time I started watching Bond as a little kid mostly with Connery on TV and then, Moore in the movies, the thing that alway stood out about 007 compared to action heroes that were either cops or war heroes (way before the high octane action heroes that were still to come, like Rambo or John McClane) was his gentlemanly stamp on action, always wearing a suit as a refined British gent, always dispatching bad guys with effortless, economical and well-applied fist-a-cuffs, and always using his small PPK automatic vs. big honking revolvers or machine guns. That was the appeal of Bond to me back then.

I guess movie Bond needed to evolve to stay relevant with the times. But at least now, even as Bond goes full-bore, with no-holds barred action, sweating and grunting in gripping, desperate high-octane stunts and blasting away like Rambo, he still does it wearing a suit...for the most part! I think this really started with Dalton and progressed through Brosnan (the Bond who most frequently wore full-on military assault clothing) and of course through to Craig, who can be credited to having the grittiest Bond action of all, but at least he still uses the PPK...sometimes.

PPK 7.65mm · April 2016

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is indeed the first time we see Bond use an automatic weapon. As the series has continued their has been a bigger usage of submachine guns and assault rifles being used on camera. Indeed if the scene in question calls for a big commando style attack with multiple people involved it makes logical sense for Bond to use an automatic weapon. As others here have stated, a gun is a tool and you want the right tool for the job at hand. That said I am glad that the Walther PPK is still used as much as is.

chrisisall · May 2016

I like how Bond was on semi during his escape from Blofeld in SPECTRE.

superado · May 2016

The first real opportunity for Bond to use an automatic weapon was in the volcano siege of YOLT, and going along with that logic, the context should have dictated that he use one...but he didn't. There was an obvious use of branding, at least in this instance as well as other similiar situations to set Bond apart from his own comrades-in-arms. Though he used an SMG in OHMSS along with Draco's men, he was still given the spotlight with that cool ice slide in a prone firing position while the Bond theme played!

chrisisall · May 2016

superado wrote:

The first real opportunity for Bond to use an automatic weapon was in the volcano siege of YOLT, and going along with that logic, the context should have dictated that he use one...but he didn't.

So many others had his back distracting the bad guys he had no need in that instance...

(did my fan explanation work there?)

superado · May 2016

chrisisall wrote:

superado wrote:

The first real opportunity for Bond to use an automatic weapon was in the volcano siege of YOLT, and going along with that logic, the context should have dictated that he use one...but he didn't.

So many others had his back distracting the bad guys he had no need in that instance...

(did my fan explanation work there?)

Well, since some have been talking about the tactical aspect of Bond's armed encounters, it would've made sense for Tanaka's men to not give him an SMG, especially considering that he was the/one of the raid leaders. But ultimately, I think whatever decision made re: Bond's weapon selection, it's based on what makes him stand out, with any tactical aspect a secondary consideration.

chrisisall · May 2016

Point taken. -{

Gassy Man · May 2016

If we don't count vehicles -- the DB5 in Goldfinger, for instance, or Little Nellie in YOLT -- Brosnan's Bond seems the most likely to use an automatic weapon while Connery's the least in the official Bond films.

Gassy Man · May 2016

Hmm. Well, that depends. Craig uses an automatic weapon in all four of his movies, but set to semi-automatic in two of them (at the end of Casino Royale and during the escape in Spectre). If simply using an automatic weapon is the issue, he uses one for 100% of his films. If not, only 50%. Did Dalton use an automatic weapon in Licence to Kill? Other than Never Say Never Again, did Connery ever use an automatic weapon in his movies (the only one I can think of where it's possible is Diamonds are Forever.)

superado · May 2016

I think before Brosnan, Bond's use of an automatic weapon merely accentuated the totality of Bond's action repertoire. Because it was the exception, any brief use of SMGs by Bond seemed really cool; I think of Moore in the Liparus and how the Sterling completed the coolness of his Commander outfit and there’s also Dalton in TLD, who looked really formidable with his handling of the AK-47. But as I've said, by the time of the eras of Brosnan and Craig, the high-octane action flicks had finally come full-circle to set the standards for the Bond movies, the original standard-setter for the whole genre. Like what I said in my first post, as a kid, I've always associated machine guns to war movies/TV shows (I think of Combat! and the Guns of Navarone) and gangster movies like the Godfather, but not too much with secret agents and even cop shows on TV. Nowadays, rare is the action movie that can get away with not using machine guns.

superdaddy · May 2016

Lazenby firing the SMG while sliding along to the Bond theme is my all time favorite action scene of the whole franchise.

Thunderpussy · May 2016

I also think that was Lazenby's idea.

superdaddy · May 2016

Really, that's interesting, makes you wonder just what could have been if he continued in the role. Always wish he had done YOLT but a faithful adaption even if he never done another one after that and SC had just done his first four with Jack Lord as Felixstowe in GF and TB. Oops there I go going off topic again

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superdaddy · May 2016

Felix Leiter, bloody auto correct

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Interesting How Rarely Bond Uses Automatic Weapons

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