Topic: SP is not a "by the numbers" bond film at all
I hear many people saying that SP is the most "by the numbers" bond film DC has done. To me, this couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, I think it might be the least by the numbers bond film, out of the entire series.
To me, a "by the numbers" bond film is basically:
- The feel of what I like to call an "episodic romp", which is basically how I feel about the first 15 bond films
- Minimum level of personal stuff
- Little character development for the supporting characters like Q, M, Moneypenny
- Bond just sent on missions, getting with the girl at the end
- Little focus on MI6 itself
So let's look at SP...
FULL of personal storylines - bond's parents references, the blofeld foster brother storyline. Bond going rogue. Big role for M, nineyes plot. Returning character commiting suicide and his daughter getting with bond. Bond retiring at the end. There is absolutely bugger all "by the numbers" about SP, a remark that I have never understood.
To me, none of the bond films have been "by the numbers" since LTK. Although LTK still felt episodic like the rest somehow.
The Brosnan era, on a whole, were almost by the numbers, although from this point onwards, M had a big role - her introduction in GE, the admiral in TND telling her she didn't have the balls for the job, her big role in TWINE - from the Brosnan era onwards there seems to have been big character development for M, when prior to this, it was bond only. Having said this though, the Brosnan era still maintained an "episodic romp" format to some extent. But the DC films did not, and magnified the character-driven stuff introduced in the Brosnan era by 10x, and from that point on, the bond films were now psychological, character-driven thrillers, rather than the episodic romp feel that bond had been since 1962.
So yeah, none of the DC bond films were "by the numbers" at all, and that includes SP, and I'd even go as far to say that SP is the least by the numbers bond film of them. Anyone agree?
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby