Villers or Tanner?

Simple enough - who do you prefer:

Casino's Villers, or Quatum's Tanner?

Comments

  • 72897289 Beau DesertPosts: 1,691MI6 Agent
    Villiers by a long shot, just seemed to be more of a charecter.

    Tanner is supposed to be Bond's closest friend in the Service. The QOS Tanner was just too "neutral".
  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,988Quartermasters
    I'm a fan of Tobias Menzies---he was brilliant, I thought, as Brutus in HBO's Rome. Of the two 'exposition' characters, right now I'd say the edge has to go to Villiers.

    But Tanner is the long-term character; it was an odd choice to portray him as they did in QoS. Perhaps they'll build on it---be nice to see a 'chummy' scene between Bond and Tanner...but this guy doesn't seem the type to be a friend of Bond's. There again, though, conventional isn't the way Eon are trending at the moment.
    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • Gothic ZMGothic ZM VA, USAPosts: 110MI6 Agent
    Well, since I've grown more familiar with the name Tanner over the years, I would go with Tanner....
    "A dry martini, in a deep champagne goblet. Three measures of Gordons, one of Vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until its ice cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?" - Ian Fleming's 'Casino Royale'

    "We're just too different... I mean, you're dead...." - Tim Burton's 'Corpse Bride'
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    I wonder if the name "Villiers" was selected by chance, being the name of one of the actors who played Tanner...? Maybe they thought the name "Kitchen" inappropriate.

    As Loeff says, Tanner is the long-term character though only in GE and TWINE did he come anywhere close to suggesting Fleming's version. Always liked Charles Robinson, though- able to assist M in the office and Bond in the field.
  • Mister WhiteMister White The NetherlandsPosts: 814MI6 Agent
    I always thought they named Villiers after Gerard de Villiers?

    Oh well, never mind.

    I prefer Villiers as I thought the portrayal by Tobias Menzies was excellent. Great contrast to the tough Bond.

    Rory Kinnear I'm not too sure about though. His Tanner was far too distant for the part if you ask me. Still not as bad as the way Tanner was portrayed in FYEO though.

    I much prefer Michael Kitchen's Tanner though. Then again, I also love him in Foyle's War. Such a great tv show!
    "Christ, I miss the Cold War."
  • Mr_IceMr_Ice USPosts: 137MI6 Agent
    Tanner was supposed to be an ex "colonel in the sappers..." (BTW, what are the sappers?) He was supposed to have "avoided a nervous breakdown due to physical toughness and a sense of humor..." (I'm paraphrasing from memory here, so please forgive me...). As previously stated, he was supposed to be Bond's best friend, sort of cut from the same cloth kind of thing. So the QOS Tanner stinks in my opinion; and I loved the movie. He's kind of wishy-washy and out of the loop. M had to explain to him that Bond had killed the guy in the hotel in Haiti. The literary Tanner would not have needed this explanation.
  • Colonel ShatnerColonel Shatner Chavtastic Bristol, BritainPosts: 574MI6 Agent
    Villers by a country mile, Tanner was not awful but just there.
    'Alright guard, begin the unnecessarily slow moving dipping mechanism...'
  • JADE66JADE66 Posts: 238MI6 Agent
    Mr_Ice wrote:
    Tanner was supposed to be an ex "colonel in the sappers..." (BTW, what are the sappers?) He was supposed to have "avoided a nervous breakdown due to physical toughness and a sense of humor..." (I'm paraphrasing from memory here, so please forgive me...). As previously stated, he was supposed to be Bond's best friend, sort of cut from the same cloth kind of thing. So the QOS Tanner stinks in my opinion; and I loved the movie. He's kind of wishy-washy and out of the loop. M had to explain to him that Bond had killed the guy in the hotel in Haiti. The literary Tanner would not have needed this explanation.

    According to Webster's a sapper is a military engineer. If I'm not too mistaken I believe the sappers were the demolition experts. I don't think Tanner has ever been portrayed adequately though Michael KItchen came closest in my opinion. Had Colin Salmon portrayed Tanner throughout the Brosnan era instead of merely replacing Tanner with Robinson, that would have worked best. The Tanner/Villiers characters in CR and QoS are inconsequential. They exist so 'M' can vent at someone.
    It's time to make the background characters stronger and more consistent. Bring back Moneypenny!

    -{
  • Rick RobertsRick Roberts Posts: 536MI6 Agent
    I don't think much of either character but I guess Villers was less bland.
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