James Bond: 007 - Spectre - - Part 11

[Schlosser85]

I couldn't see Hardy, even if he was younger and not as well known, taking on the sort of public persona required to be James Bond. At the best of times he's very skittish with interviews and that aspect of filmmaking.

Hardy seems to loathe media spotlight, and Bond would plunge him straight into it.

I don't see him accepting even if it was offered.

Also he's too quirky for Bond anyway. He plays almost every character in an off kilter way. Bond is too conventional for him.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Pretty much. I mean, I love him as an actor, but I'd imagine if he was to do Bond he'd perhaps try to give the character an odd voice or some other quirk that could potentially be jarring. In that sense he's more suited to his Mad Max who is an strange and troubled character in an even stranger world.

 

[Dark Raven]

I watched this the other day. It had the potential to be a good Bond film, but failed to live up to its potential.

The opening song was weak. Even weaker in the title sequence. People said that it might work better there than just hearing the audio single, but in fact the whole sequence felt dead and lifeless and really dragged. I think Sam Smith didn't work at all and wasn't fitting for this kind of film. Although, on the other hand, the song was indicative of the laborious nature of the film, so in another sense it was fitting. I would'v preferred a more aggressive rock track along the lines of "You Know My Name." They had the perfect title in "Spectre", which lends itself to an aggressive track, and it really would just write itself.

As for the film, there were lots of missed opportunities. The car chase in Rome lacked tension and felt like a drive in the city. There didn't really seem much suspense. That has to be the most boring Bond car chase of all, and maybe one of the most boring car chases on film.

I was hoping for some skiing. The snow scenes were also a bit dull too.

Blofeld was rather underwhelming. Also, those silent scenes in that conference room really dragged. And they could've had subtitles for all those bits in other languages.

Blofeld looked ridiculous without socks. Not very threatening at all. I think in the earlier scenes they should've shown what a threat Blofeld was. Also, I didn't like the angle that he was Bond's foster brother.

Also, Blofeld's base was destroyed too easily. That action scene was over way too quickly.

I have other complaints but I'll come to them later as I think of them.

 

[spidey-dude]

my main complaint was the London part at the end, if it had taken more effort to escape and destroy Blofelds base it would have had the perfect ending with a question over whether Blofeld escaped or not

 

[Dark Raven]

In the end, Blofeld didn't seem to be much more threatening or dangerous than Dominic Greene.

I also hoped Dave Bautista would pop up at the end and show that he hadn't perished in that train fight. It didn't seem conclusive he was dead. Was he ever called Mr Hinx in the film? He ended up a bit generic as well.

 

[Roose Bolton]

He was no Jaws or Oddjob, but he was better than quite a few of the typical Bond Villain henchmen.

 

[Dark Raven]

Well the Bond villain henchman have been so bland and unmemorable in the past 20 years since the Brosnan era that it's not really saying much.

 

[Roose Bolton]

They've been bland much longer than that, pretty much since Moonraker.

 

[Dark Raven]

I wouldn't have said Grace Jones was bland. She was certainly memorable. The milkman in the Living Daylights wasn't so bland either, although I don't know if he would qualify as a henchman.

 

[Marvolo]

In the end, Blofeld didn't seem to be much more threatening or dangerous than Dominic Greene.

I also hoped Dave Bautista would pop up at the end and show that he hadn't perished in that train fight. It didn't seem conclusive he was dead. Was he ever called Mr Hinx in the film? He ended up a bit generic as well.

He was jerked out of a train at high speed. That was pretty conclusive.

 

[Schlosser85]

Pretty much. I mean, I love him as an actor, but I'd imagine if he was to do Bond he'd perhaps try to give the character an odd voice or some other quirk that could potentially be jarring. In that sense he's more suited to his Mad Max who is an strange and troubled character in an even stranger world.

Yea, like on paper "in theory", Hardy could probably play a Craig-esque Bond, but I don't think that's what you'd actually get onscreen from him.

Hardy isn't happy without some eccentric quirk. The only really straight roles I've seen him do without any of that were Tinker Tailor (where he had a smallish role), This Means War (his one and only foray into romantic comedy, which he hated apparently), and maybe as Reggie in Legend (and he only played the straight man Reggie after Helgeland agreed to let him also play his paranoid schizophrenic twin Ronnie, the one Hardy was really interested in).

Hardy is in ham heaven in stuff like The Dark Knight Rises, Bronson, Ronnie in Legend, or Peaky Blinders, where he's devouring scenery like he hasn't eaten in months.

He could maaaaybe be a Bond villain, though.

 

[Schlosser85]

Speaking of, I'd rather see Idris Elba as a Bond villain than as Bond himself.

Or some kind of Bond supporting character.

 

[Schlosser85]

Idris Elba would be a cool Bond villain, and Tom Hardy could be cool as some Red Grant type character. Imagine Craig and Hardy having a throwdown.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Yea, like on paper "in theory", Hardy could probably play a Craig-esque Bond, but I don't think that's what you'd actually get onscreen from him.

Hardy isn't happy without some eccentric quirk. The only really straight roles I've seen him do without any of that were Tinker Tailor (where he had a smallish role), This Means War (his one and only foray into romantic comedy, which he hated apparently), and maybe as Reggie in Legend (and he only played the straight man Reggie after Helgeland agreed to let him also play his paranoid schizophrenic twin Ronnie, the one Hardy was really interested in).

Hardy is in ham heaven in stuff like The Dark Knight Rises, Bronson, Ronnie in Legend, or Peaky Blinders, where he's devouring scenery like he hasn't eaten in months.

He could maaaaybe be a Bond villain, though.

Yeah I just saw Legend a few days ago and I definitely got the impression that he was more into Ronnie than Reggie, despite the latter having more of an arc. He could definitely play a villain, and I think you're correct in suggesting a Red Grant type role. That sort of role, which is really unique in terms of half being the main threat and half the physical henchman role to the weaker Rosa Klebb/cerebral characters. That seems like something that would be more catered to a full on deranged Bronson/Ronnie Kray type performance that Hardy could have fun with.

 

[Golgo-13]

Watching it on dvd now….

 

[rashad]

I loved this movie just as much as Skyfall and Casino Royale honestly. Léa Seydoux is so damn sexy like a french Scarlett Johansson.

 

[Dark Raven]

Writing's on the Wall has to be the most unexciting Bond theme ever. It's not even improved by the title sequence but in fact highlights just how dull it is.

 

[Golgo-13]

The song sounds even worse against the credits.

 

[Vaibow]

Hardy would make a great Scaramanga

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I wouldn't have said Grace Jones was bland. She was certainly memorable. The milkman in the Living Daylights wasn't so bland either, although I don't know if he would qualify as a henchman.

Xenia Onatopp from Goldeneye was one of the more memorable henchmen in the series as well.

 

[Dark Raven]

Xenia Onatopp from Goldeneye was one of the more memorable henchmen in the series as well.

Was she a henchman or just a bad Bond girl? Henchmen usually seem extra strong.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Was she a henchman or just a bad Bond girl? Henchmen usually seem extra strong.

I would definitely count her as a henchman. She's Trevelyan's muscle in the film and poses the greatest physical threat to Bond (other than Trevelyan himself).

 

[Dark Raven]

I would definitely count her as a henchman. She's Trevelyan's muscle in the film and poses the greatest physical threat to Bond (other than Trevelyan himself).

Everyone posed a physical threat to Brosnan's Bond though. Even Boris.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

This one probably won't have a lot of people agreeing with me, but I have a soft spot for Gobinda in Octopussy as well. As far as the giant, super strong guys that Bond fights go, I thought he was one of the more entertaining ones. I love his reaction when Khan orders him to go out and fight Bond on top of the airplane.

 

[Dark Raven]

This one probably won't have a lot of people agreeing with me, but I have a soft spot for Gobinda in Octopussy as well. As far as the giant, super strong guys that Bond fights go, I thought he was one of the more entertaining ones. I love his reaction when Khan orders him to go out and fight Bond on top of the airplane.

I thought he was a good henchman, so I agree.

I think Max Von Sydow could've been a good Blofeld in an official movie. He certainly had presence as him in NSNA.

Waltz's Blofeld seemed a bit lightweight. Instead of talking about all the evil things he's supposedly done to ruin Bond's life, they should've shown us some real ruthlessness in this movie and made him very threatening. It was more tell rather than show in the end.

And I hope Sam Smith never writes another Bond theme. I'm not sure I can think of anything worse. Sure, Jack White and Alicia Keys wasn't pleasant to listen to, but at least the instrumental version had more of an edge. Smith's song belongs in a musical as a female ballad.