James Bond 24 - Part 3

[The Endless]

Who can forget ***** Galore. I mean seriously, what a ****ing name.

The great thing about Skyfall was it's willingness to embrace and reference the history of Bond yet at the same time show that it was a new era. "old dog new tricks" etc.

For people with a keen eye you can notice in the scene where he an M get his old Aston DB5 it is even shot like a 70s movie and it features the original Bond theme. Mendes and co did some fantastic work with Skyfall. There is so many subtle little details that elevate it beyond being a blockbuster. It does have some flaws screenplay wise and is maybe a bit derivative in some ways... but not to sound like a snob; Skyfall is really artistic and clever in other ways.

 

[regwec]

Yeah, Skyfall was like a big handjob for the fans. A real treat.

It's interesting to note that movies like DAD and QoS also attempted to pull off the "ironic self-reference" concept (see Halle Berry as Ursula Andress, Gemma Arterton covered in oil, Olga as Barbara Bach, the laser death trap extrapolated from Goldfinger), but they failed abysmally. It is a fine line to tread.

 

[Dark Raven]

Yeah, Skyfall was like a big handjob for the fans. A real treat.

It's interesting to note that movies like DAD and QoS also attempted to pull off the "ironic self-reference" concept (see Halle Berry as Ursula Andress, Gemma Arterton covered in oil, Olga as Barbara Bach, the laser death trap extrapolated from Goldfinger), but they failed abysmally. It is a fine line to tread.

These were all copied from earlier Bond movies though instead of coming up with something unique and iconic. Covered in oil, covered in gold. It's just too similar.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Good one! I would also add May Day's thong-clad playfight with Christopher Walken. Frankly, a bizarre scene, but hardly forgettable.

Don't give Dave Bautista any ideas.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

It was actually his grandad.

Yep. High Chief Peter Maivia. He picked up Connery after Henderson's assassination in YOLT, and had a good fight with him in Osato's office.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

These were all copied from earlier Bond movies though instead of coming up with something unique and iconic. Covered in oil, covered in gold. It's just too similar.

Yeah. I prefer the more subtle nods, like Bond cleaning out his desk in OHMSS and reminiscing about old missions with those films' themes playing.

 

[Ajendo]

Craig earlier today. He's looking very physically fit but I suppose when Bautista is your nemesis, you gotta look credible.

 

[AnneFan]

Craig from Casino Royale is the fittest a Bond actor has ever looked. The guy still looks good. Skyfall was a treat to the fans, but I think Bond 24 can be more so. Skyfall was intimately scaled, and this could be Mendes truly going all out. World domination, ticking clock style.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I always thought it was odd how quickly they went to Grizzled Vet Bond with Craig. I don't think it harms Skyfall, but it seems like a strange creative decision. In Casino Royale, Bond's a young stallion, just coming into his prime. Then just two films later he's Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again.

More of an observation than a criticism.

 

[Dark Raven]

Craig from Casino Royale is the fittest a Bond actor has ever looked. The guy still looks good. Skyfall was a treat to the fans, but I think Bond 24 can be more so. Skyfall was intimately scaled, and this could be Mendes truly going all out. World domination, ticking clock style.

I agree. We want world domination in Bond 24, along with women with risque names, men with weird appendages, skiing or underwater scenes, iconic and crazy stunts etc.

 

[Loki882]

I don't really want the whole "take over the world thing" again. I'm fine with embracing some of the more classic elements of the franchise, but I'd prefer that they stay away from that particular one. It's just too cliché, Hell even Austin Powers parodied it. Let's look a the Craig films:

-Le Chiffre-Basically a banker for terrorists who was trying to save his own skin.

-Dominic Greene-Wanted to control a huge natural resource supply/exert political power.

-Raoul Silva-Wanted personal revenge on M.

I like that we're doing more practical/grounded goals. Now the next villain can have a bigger-scale goal than we've seen recently, I'm fine with that. But I want it to stay somewhat within the bounds of plausibility. What you have to remember about Skyfall is that it was introducing the more classic themes, while ALSO updating them for more modern times. What worked in the 60's/70's doesn't necessarily work today, hence the recent trend of:

-Trying to make the Bond girls more like actual characters with their own stuff going on, and not just sex objects for Bond.
-Giving Moneypenny an actual backstory, more characterization to give context to her and Bond's flirtatious banter.
-Getting M more involved in the plot.
-Toning down some of the more, let's be honest, misogynistic elements on the franchise. I love the franchise, but I can admit that those problems did exist.
-Etc.

 

[Loki882]

I always thought it was odd how quickly they went to Grizzled Vet Bond with Craig. I don't think it harms Skyfall, but it seems like a strange creative decision. In Casino Royale, Bond's a young stallion, just coming into his prime. Then just two films later he's Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again.

More of an observation than a criticism.

Yeah I noticed that to. We literally went from basically rookie Bond on his first big mission as a 00 in CR/QOS, to "old man" Bond in Skyfall. And it's even more noticeable because Craig didn't visually age much at all in those four years (maybe a little, but not much). With Connery, you could SEE that he was much older, the same with Moore in AVTAK and Brosnan in DAD. It's not really a problem with Skyfall, it worked for that movie, but I did take note of it.

 

[Tacit Ronin]

Yeah I noticed that to. We literally went from basically rookie Bond on his first big mission as a 00 in CR/QOS to "old man" Bond in Skyfall.

Sort of like Nolan's Batman.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The thing about Skyfall, is it was taken out of the world of "direct sequel" and basically became the celebration of all of Bond they tried to make DAD. It doesn't work the best in terms of continuity, but it is good, I honestly don't care.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

The thing about Skyfall, is it was taken out of the world of "direct sequel" and basically became the celebration of all of Bond they tried to make DAD. It doesn't work the best in terms of continuity, but it is good, I honestly don't care.

This is James Bond. People expecting strict continuity will always be disappointed.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

This is James Bond. People expecting strict continuity will always be disappointed.

Except you know, they started anew with CR, and had two films in row based around strict continuity.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

That was an exception, mostly due to them rushing out a script due to the writers strike. Skyfall was proof that QoS was an exception.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

They stated they wanted to follow up CR.

Also, the first 5 had a pretty strict continuity. Heck, arubably the first 6. It wasn't until they wanted to erase Lazenby from existence that it changed.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

The first five wasn't that strict. The only movie that referenced past events was From Russia With Love. Goldfinger had nothing to do with SPECTRE, and you're forgetting Diamonds Are Forever which has continuity with at least the first five (and maybe OHMSS).

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The first five wasn't that strict. The only movie that referenced past events was From Russia With Love. Goldfinger had nothing to do with SPECTRE, and you're forgetting Diamonds Are Forever which has continuity with at least the first five (and maybe OHMSS).

Goldfinger is the one you can take out of continuity, but that was the exception and more importantly, it never breaks continuity. And it works, as it showed Bond doing work outside of SPECTRE. And the picked up the SPECTRE story thread with Thunderball and YOLT.

DAF loses out on the continuity battle if for no other reason, it leaves the biggest part of the story out. Would have been like Bond pursuing Mr. White, and Vesper never coming up.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I don't really want the whole "take over the world thing" again. I'm fine with embracing some of the more classic elements of the franchise, but I'd prefer that they stay away from that particular one. It's just too cliché, Hell even Austin Powers parodied it. Let's look a the Craig films:

-Le Chiffre-Basically a banker for terrorists who was trying to save his own skin.

-Dominic Greene-Wanted to control a huge natural resource supply/exert political power.

-Raoul Silva-Wanted personal revenge on M.

I like that we're doing more practical/grounded goals. Now the next villain can have a bigger-scale goal than we've seen recently, I'm fine with that. But I want it to stay somewhat within the bounds of plausibility. What you have to remember about Skyfall is that it was introducing the more classic themes, while ALSO updating them for more modern times. What worked in the 60's/70's doesn't necessarily work today, hence the recent trend of:

The take over the world plot was really only used a couple of times in the Moore years. The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker mainly, although I suppose you could include Octopussy if you really stretch it.

Strangely Moore also had some of the more grounded plots in the series in Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, and For Your Eyes Only.

The vast majority of Bond villains are just after money.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The only thing grounded in the Moore Bond films was Moore himself. I doubt he was capable of jumping, and he wasn't even capable of jogging at a leisurely pace.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

The only thing grounded in the Moore Bond films was Moore himself. I doubt he was capable of jumping, and he wasn't even capable of jogging at a leisurely pace.

What are you talking about? He even had sex while floating! He was literally not grounded. t:

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Goldfinger is the one you can take out of continuity, but that was the exception and more importantly, it never breaks continuity. And it works, as it showed Bond doing work outside of SPECTRE. And the picked up the SPECTRE story thread with Thunderball and YOLT.

DAF loses out on the continuity battle if for no other reason, it leaves the biggest part of the story out. Would have been like Bond pursuing Mr. White, and Vesper never coming up.

There was little carryover with those movies to the point where the continuity is pretty loose. I mentioned DAF because it follows You Only Live Twice, and you could say it

You think about these movies through present-view lenses way too much. These were the 60s and 70s and some of the interests and ways about doing movies were different. Movies weren't as continuity conscious as they were today. The Bond movies will never be that series that's huge on continuity.

The only thing grounded in the Moore Bond films was Moore himself.

Someone has never seen For Your Eyes Only. I'd say that movie is the most grounded of all Bond movies.

 

[godisawesome]

For Your Eyes Only is one of my favorite Bond Films of all time, and probably the only classic one where if it comes on TV I'm actually hooked. I just love the cliff scene.

I'm all for getting classic moments and cliches in the story, but I'd prefer dropping any of the painfully shallow Bond Girls. I despise when a Bond film introduces a woman and basically pastes "expendable eye candy" on her head and go out of their way to make her just an extraneous part of Bon's characterization. So no Strawberry Fields or whatever the name of the Skyfall sex slave was. Both those characters had engaging backstories, but their only actions in the films were get seduced then horribly murdered.