The James Bond Franchise

[BizBuzz]

I thought about running a poll ... who is your fave Bond?  But decided that just a general topic would be good.

 

Is anyone as addicted to Bond as I am?

 

Let's start by naming our favorite Bond film, then maybe we can talk about our favorite Bond actor, favorite Bond villian, and so on.

 

My fave?  Probably going to be in the minority, but so far, my fave was On Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby.

 

How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ohwell]

I need to think about this.  I'll come back later. :)

[Athena]

I've seen all the movies. My dad is trying to complete his collection since he's a big fan.

 

I basically like all the Bonds except Roger Moore! I really can't stand the quippyness. He had some decent villains in his era, but I just wasn't into Moore. I didn't like Sean Connery 2.0 either.

 

I also really like OHMS, Casino Royale, From Russia With Love, License to Kill (Dalton is underrated) and probably a few more.

 

I've read two of the novels and will eventually read most of them I think. They have a fair amount of colonial sexism, racism, and over the topness, but I don't hate them yet. Flemming has good pacing.

[AimingforYoko]

favorite Bond villain

Sub-question: How do you like your Blofeld: Donald Pleasence, Telly Savalas, or Charles Gray?

[Ohwell]

If I'm rating the Bonds, I'd have to say Sean Connery is first, followed by Daniel Craig.  Then Roger Moore (I used to call him creaky-knees because it always looked like his knees were probably creaking when he ran).  I've seen all the movies with those three, and I loved them all--hard to pick a favorite.  Goldfinger and From Russia With Love come to mind, along with Craig's Casino Royale.

 

I've only seen one with Timothy Dalton (don't know how many he made) but I didn't like him because I thought he looked like the Devil.  Haven't seen the one with Lazenby.

[ribboninthesky1]

I'm familiar with the Roger Moore movies and forward. Never been interested in the older films.

 

Favorite Bond actor: I like Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig equally.  Never cared for Roger Moore, or Pierce Brosnan, who I really like in other films, just meh about his Bond.

 

Favorite Bond villain: I never really cared about the villains, but I'd say the most memorable for me was Rick Yune/Toby Stephens as Rao/Graves.  For totally shallow reasons, I admit: they're both incredibly attractive and sexy.  I just wish they could have been better utilized.  The "plot" was...lackluster, to say the least.

 

Favorite Bond film: The Living Daylights edges out Casino Royale because Eva Green annoys me. The whole shark thing in Licence to Kill puts it in third place.

 

Favorite Bond theme song: Licence to Kill, hands down.  Goldeneye comes in second.  I feel like Skyfall could have been great, but the chorus is awful. It made me kind of hate the song. 

Edited June 20, 2014 by ribboninthesky1

[AimingforYoko]

As far as favorite themes go, I have to split up into two categories: Pop and Traditional

Traditional: Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey

Pop: Live and Let Die by Wings

[tinaw]

Sean Connery was my parents Bond. Goldfinger was the first. My favorite though is Casino Royale. Still a place in my heart for Goldfinger

Sean Connery was my parents Bond. Goldfinger was the first. My favorite though is Casino Royale. Still a place in my heart for Goldfinger

Forgot to add. My favorite villain is jaws. Those teeth qere scary

[xaxat]

Goldfinger is easily my favorite in every category. Best Bond, best Bond girl, best villain, best line by a villain and best theme song. 

[Ohwell]

I'm familiar with the Roger Moore movies and forward. Never been interested in the older films

That's really funny to me (I'm old) because I couldn't wait until Sean Connery did another Bond movie;  I always saw it the first weekend it came out.  For a lot of oldies like myself, Sean Connery's Bond is the standard by which all subsequent Bonds are judged, lol.  So, for me Daniel Craig fits the bill the best after Connery (I just wish he had better leading ladies.  I couldn't stand Eva Green.)   

 

I forgot all about Pierce Brosnan as Bond.  He was OK, but he just wasn't virile enough for my taste.

 

My favorite villain was the Russian spy with the blade in her shoe, in From Russia With Love.  I also liked Jaws.

 

Favorite themes were Goldfinger, Live and Let Die, and Skyfall.

[ribboninthesky1]

Oh, no doubt - I've always known Connery was the gold standard. But as I came of age, I wasn't much of a Connery fan, and after reading about his...controversial comments, it pretty much confirmed I would never want to see his version of Bond. I'm 36, so Roger Moore's films were my introduction to Bond. That said, quite a few of my contemporaries also prefer Connery's films.

 

Live and Let Die is a great theme song, too.  Forgot about that one! 

Edited June 21, 2014 by ribboninthesky1

[Joe]

What did Connery say?

 

Me, I think they all have good movies. Except for Lazenby. That one was terrible. Also, the only Craig movie I like is Casino Royale. The other two are terrible.

[AimingforYoko]

Quote

What did Connery say? 

Edited June 21, 2014 by AimingforYoko

[Joe]

Lovely. Entertaining actor, a bit lacking in real life.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

For me, the open of the movie, transitioning into the gorgeous title sequences is the best part of Bond.  My favorite of these is You Only Live Twice.  The other title song I most love is From Russia With Love.  

 

Not sure which movie it was (my guess is Live and let Die) but the funniest moment in the series was when Bond gets into a taxi in New orleans and tells the black cabbie there's an extra $20 in it for him if he gets him to the destination with alacrity.  The cabbie says happily and excitedly, "For $20 I'd take you straight to a Ku Klux Klan convention!"

 

A villain I thought was magnificent, but is not often mentioned is Baron Samedi - the voodoo guy in LALD who ends up getting killed by the snakes he usually killed his prey with.  Geoffrey Holder was a piece of work!  Do y'all remember how he went on to voice over 7-UP commercials for years?  Awesome.

 

Two other things, each from Diamonds are Forever, I've really enjoyed:  "I'm Bambi.  I'm Thumper."  "But, of course you are."  And just the fact that they had Jimmy Dean playing a conglomerate honcho.  He was the real sausage king, y'all.  Abe Froman had nothing on him.  

[Snowprince]

For me it begins and ends with Connery, Goldfinger and Shirley Bassey's theme. Do like Graig, though. 

[Ohwell]

I loved how Sean Connery pronounced "Pussy Galore" in Goldfinger.

[Crs97]

I grew up with Roger Moore so have a soft spot for him.  I have never seen a Sean Connery Bond.  Started to watch one once, but I didn't think it held up well and gave up.  I never saw Timothy's Bond.  I loved Pierce when he played Bond, but Daniel Craig blows them all out of the water.

 

My favorite moment?  When the Bond girl was having a breakdown after killing a villain, and he went into the shower fully dressed and licked her fingers to help her clean them.  Swoon; did it just get a little hot in here?

 

My favorite quip?  When the bartender asks if he wants his martini shaken or stirred, and he asks, "Do I look like I give a damn?"

 

My favorite song?  I really don't have one, but I can tell you that "For Your Eyes Only" is now running through my head.  I don't think I am happy about it either.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

I've only seen one with Timothy Dalton (don't know how many he made) but I didn't like him because I thought he looked like the Devil.  

 

         Dalton appeared in The Living Daylights and License to Kill.

         If memory serves me, he was originally supposed to return

         for Goldeneye.

 

         .

Edited June 24, 2014 by MrsRafaelBarba

[ribboninthesky1]

Yes, I think he dropped out of Goldeneye because of some issues, maybe pre-production?
 
I recently watched Licence to Kill and The Living Daylights again (Amazon Prime has several Bond movies available for streaming through June 30), and I forgot how completely useless and silly Maryam D'Abo's character was in the latter.  I'll have to retract my earlier statement about it being my favorite.  I didn't mind the naïveté so much, as everyone can't be a hardened, world-weary agent or criminal, but lordy, she was particularly childlike and silly in the latter half.
 

I've only seen one with Timothy Dalton (don't know how many he made) but I didn't like him because I thought he looked like the Devil.

 
This makes me giggle every time I read it. Dalton did have a harsh look about him, but I thought it worked for Bond.  And I still found him incredibly attractive.  Also, I thought he was in his 30s as Bond, I only recently discovered he was in his 40s.

[Athena]

 This makes me giggle every time I read it. Dalton did have a harsh look about him, but I thought it worked for Bond.  And I still found him incredibly attractive.  Also, I thought he was in his 30s as Bond, I only recently discovered he was in his 40s.

 

I actually think Dalton is really conventionally attractive albeit in a brooding, dark way. He was a wonderful Mr Rochester in a BBC mini series from the early 80s. I actually thought he was too good looking to be Rochester, but he acted really well in that role.

 

Dalton's Bond, similar to Craig's Bond, is dangerous. Yes, this is a ludicrous movie franchise, but I always felt like Bond could actually look dangerous when called for. I also felt he brought grittiness to the role especially in the 80s.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

My first time seeing Timothy Dalton, was in the 1970 adaption of Wuthering Heights.

[Ohwell]

I recently watched Licence to Kill and The Living Daylights again (Amazon Prime has several Bond movies available for streaming through June 30), and I forgot how completely useless and silly Maryam D'Abo's character was in the latter.  I'll have to retract my earlier statement about it being my favorite.  I didn't mind the naïveté so much, as everyone can't be a hardened, world-weary agent or criminal, but lordy, she was particularly childlike and silly in the latter half.

I thought the most useless Bond girl was Denise Richards in The World Is Not Enough--in which she played a ...  nuclear physicist. *snicker*

[ribboninthesky1]

I actually think Dalton is really conventionally attractive albeit in a brooding, dark way. (snip)

 

Dalton's Bond, similar to Craig's Bond, is dangerous. Yes, this is a ludicrous movie franchise, but I always felt like Bond could actually look dangerous when called for. I also felt he brought grittiness to the role especially in the 80s.

 

Agreed.  Poor wording on my part - I meant that Dalton doesn't have that affable or accessible handsome look that all of other Bonds had before Craig.  He was handsome, but still had a "I'm not one to be trifled with" gaze.

 

I thought the most useless Bond girl was Denise Richards in The World Is Not Enough--in which she played a ... nuclear physicist. *snicker*

Is that the "Christmas came early" character? I don't remember much from Brosnan's films.

Edited June 24, 2014 by ribboninthesky1

[Joe]

 

Is that the "Christmas came early" character? I don't remember much from Brosnan's films.

No, it's "I thought Christmas only comes once a year." Fucking terrible.

[ribboninthesky1]

Ha! Thank you for the correction - that's even worse.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

In my mind, Denise never set foot into the Bond franchise. LOL!

[VCRTracking]

 

I recently watched Licence to Kill and The Living Daylights again (Amazon Prime has several Bond movies available for streaming through June 30), and I forgot how completely useless and silly Maryam D'Abo's character was in the latter.  I'll have to retract my earlier statement about it being my favorite.  I didn't mind the naïveté so much, as everyone can't be a hardened, world-weary agent or criminal, but lordy, she was particularly childlike and silly in the latter half.

 

I really wish it had been her sister Olivia cast in the part. Not only is she a better actress(I had no idea she was British after years of watching her as Kevin's sister on The Wonder Years) but if you've ever seen Conan the Destroyer she can be sexy AND naive.

[Raja]

I really wish it had been her sister Olivia cast in the part. Not only is she a better actress(I had no idea she was British after years of watching her as Kevin's sister on The Wonder Years) but if you've ever seen Conan the Destroyer she can be sexy AND naive.

only Roger Moore had recently done the underage Bond Girl in For Your Eyes Only.

Because they wanted Bronson. Tim Dalton comes off as an interim Bond like George Lazenby was. Today with The Taliban around the very British Deputy Commander of the Mujahadeen seems like a cruel joke.

[Athena]

Bronson turned down the role so they gave it to Dalton; he thought he was too young. Dalton does feel like Lazenby. I quite like Lazenby in OHMS. I thought he did well. He and Rigg had chemistry, but I think it was hate-chemistry from reading those behind the scenes stuff.

[Crs97]

Brosnan was under contract for Remington Steele, which was getting cancelled. When he started getting all the press for Bond, NBC wanted to ride the wave. The show was renewed and they wouldn't let him out to shoot the Bond movie.

[ribboninthesky1]

I really wish it had been her sister Olivia cast in the part. Not only is she a better actress(I had no idea she was British after years of watching her as Kevin's sister on The Wonder Years) but if you've ever seen Conan the Destroyer she can be sexy AND naive.

 

Perhaps, though I was okay with D'Abo not being sexy. The character as written (unless she improvised the entire last third of her part in the film) was just awful.  From pouting and demanding that the Mujahadeen rescue James, to galloping off to "rescue" him, to standing around instead of taking cover during that final battle, to going after James via the Jeep while he's trying to take off in a plane...among other things I don't feel like typing.  Naïveté doesn't have to equal stupid, yet she was stupid beyond all belief towards the end.  I get it, it's not like Bond girls have much to do besides fawn over Bond anyway, but Carey Lowell's character in Licence to Kill was an improvement (even though she wasn't much of an actress).  Heck, even Talisa Soto's character was, despite being a typical femme fatale.    

 

I also decided to watch Goldfinger, and...I'll just say I was unimpressed.  Honor Blackman was the best thing about it, beyond the scenery.  It was beautifully shot.   

 

Today with The Taliban around the very British Deputy Commander of the Mujahadeen seems like a cruel joke.

 

Indeed.  But the Bond films commonly seem to have a bigoted gaze towards any country beyond England or the United States. Maybe Western Europe, too.

[AimingforYoko]

Christoph Waltz to play Blofeld in new Bond flick.

[magicdog]

I thought the most useless Bond girl was Denise Richards in The World Is Not Enough--in which she played a ...  nuclear physicist. *snicker*

 

 

 

I can top that - Tanya Roberts, who was in "A View To A Kill" (1985).  Darn it if that woman did nothing but utter "James!" in Every. Single. Scene.  When first watching it, I began to think the woman had no other lines in the script!!

 

As far as fave Bonds go, I used to favor Roger Moore since those were the first movies running on TV and theatres at the time.  But once I got to see Sean Connery's films, I was sold!  He truly is the standard to whom all other Bonds are measured.  I remember watching the first Bond film, "Dr. No" and feeling a bit underwhelmed.  I learned it was because the subsequent films were played up with the cool gadgets and outrageous stunts.  "Dr. No" is almost pedestrian in compaison.

 

When it became known that Pierce Brosnan was up for the role, we all thought he was a good choice but were seriously peeved his debut was delayed just so NBC could make Remington Steele limp for one more unnecessary season.  By the time he finally got to play Bond, he was fast aging out of the role. 

 

I wasn't sure about Daniel Craig when he was first announced to be the new Bond, but I grew to like him and he does have that "rough around the edges" quality he and Connery have.

 

I remember reading somewhere that suggested there should be a Bond film which has all the Bond actors on screen.  The theory was "James Bond - 007" was a moniker given to protect the actual identities of certain British agents.   When a Bond retires, the new agent takes on the mantle and name of James Bond, 007 until he dies/retires.  It'd be a hoot to see all the actors together sipping martinis together at a British Home for Retired Spies (or island for you "Prisoner" fans!).

 

 

 

Dalton's Bond, similar to Craig's Bond, is dangerous. Yes, this is a ludicrous movie franchise, but I always felt like Bond could actually look dangerous when called for

 

 

 

Connery belongs here too.  IRL, he's a pretty tough customer.  There's the famous story of his beating up mobster Johnny Stompanato (then the boyfriend of his co-star, Lana Turner).  Connery and Turner were working on a film in England, and Stompanato didn't approve of him.  He threatened Connery on set and Connery gave him a thrashing and had him thrown off the set.

Edited November 26, 2014 by magicdog

[Constantinople]

I think I generally prefer Connery to Moore, but it's not an article of faith.  By the end, Moore was just too old, but I also tend to doubt Connery would have done much better in the Roger Moore Bond films.

 

Diamonds Are Forever is the answer to the question, What would a 70s Bond film starring Sean Connery be like.

 

And it was fucking terrible.

[benteen]

The next James Bond movie is called Spectre.  Here is information on the cast, including who Waltz is playing...

 

https://www.theverge.com/2014/12/4/7327013/james-bond-24-full-cast-title-car-release-date

[Joe]

Well, it probably can't be much worse than Skyfall.

[VCRTracking]

Ouch!

 

I liked Skyfall, even though I admit it has it's flaws and I liked that it ultimately brought the franchise full circle.

 

Monica Belluci has been one of the hottest women on the international scene for the past 20 years(she had a bit part as one of the vampire wives in Bram Stoker's Dracula, through starring in that hard to watch Irreversable to her appearance in the Matrix sequels) it's surprising she hasn't been a Bond girl already, like in one of the Brosnan movies.

 

I'm so happy that SPECTRE is back. I love all that "evil organizations with acronyms" stuff.

Edited December 4, 2014 by VCRTracking

[KatWay]

Christoph Waltz as a Bond villain is a no-brainer, really. It's right in his wheelhouse.

[thuganomics85]

So, Bond is going to have to contend with Hans Landa, Drax the Destroyer, AND Moriarty?!  Damn...

 

Oh, and Monica Bellucci as a Bond Girl?  If they managed to somehow screw that up, then they don't deserve to continue the franchise.  Great casting, right there.

[benteen]

I love this casting.  Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott, Monica Bellucci, and Dave Bautista.  Great job!

 

Having been a wrestling fan for so long, it's hard to believe that Bautista is the next wrestler who hit it big acting.  First Guardians of the Galaxy (where he was a funny, legitimate scene-stealer in a cast full of them) and now James Bond.  You don't get much bigger than that.

[AimingforYoko]

Christoph Waltz as a Bond villain is a no-brainer, really.

It's kind of a stretch, really. I mean how many evil Austrians have there been?

 

[Joe]

Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a Republican. That counts, doesn't it?

[Vixenstud]

 

A villain I thought was magnificent, but is not often mentioned is Baron Samedi - the voodoo guy in Live and Let Die who ends up getting killed by the snakes he usually killed his prey with.

Baron Samedi is the man who can..not..die!

 

I saw LALD when I was nine....Geoffrey Holder scared the bluedilly shit out of me and I damn near cheered when he was bitten by the snakes and 'died'.  However, when his ass was sitting on the train tipping his hat and laughing menacingly at the end of the movie?  Chiiiiile I was toast, it took years for me to get over that ending and to even look at GH without running into another room.

 

Back to favorites, mine are:

 

Goldfinger

Live and Let Die

A View to a Kill

 

I liked Connery's films and Timothy Dalton in License to Kill was pretty decent but to me, Roger Moore was James Bond.

[Sharpie66]

Since I was born in 1966 and my dad was a huuuuge Bond fan, I started to see these films in the theater at a pretty young age. I think that Live and Let Die might have been my first Bond movie on the big screen, or maybe I saw it on tv when it was first broadcast. I remember seeing both The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonracker in the theater, though.

 

Given that timing, you would think that Roger Moore would be "My" James Bond, but as of right now, I would have to say that my favorite is Daniel Craig. I love Sean Connery's performance in the role, especially since he was the one setting the standard, but the films are just too out of date to be really interesting to re-watch. I never saw any of the Dalton films, but was really excited to see Brosnan finally get the part (I was really into Remington Steele) and loved Goldeneye, but the rest of his films just lacked in quality. Moore is just too lighthearted as Bond to appeal.

 

Craig, however, well, he's got it all. Excellent scripts (I say this without having seen Quantum of Solace), fantastic stunt work, great supporting cast, and a really solid characterization that appeals to me to no end. I love the fact that he is the destructive weapon of MI6 (the image that nails this is during the parkour chase in Casino Royale, when the guy he's chasing dives through the window and he just blasts through the wall like Kool Aid!!). I love that he is also smart (also in Casino, he's actually doing some truly investigative work instead of just seducing the info from whatever bimbo he happens to encounter). And, even though he doesn't have the classic Bond Look, he is damn sexy!!

[Joimiaroxeu]

SPECTRE trailer released today:

 

 

I need to see this movie right now.

Edited March 28, 2015 by Joimiaroxeu

[ribboninthesky1]

One of the things I really appreciate about (most) of the Bond films is location eye candy.  Not sure what role handles that sort of thing (cinematography?), but they do a great job of making them characters in and of themselves.     

[Kromm]

Hmm.  Has there even been a Bond trailer without a single weapon being fired or explosion?  There's the one that's part of the actual title card, but in the candid footage, not a single thing that goes "boom".

[MrsRafaelBarba]

So ummm, Roger Moore thinks Idris Elba isn't English enough to be Bond?

[Joe]

He says he didn't, they say he did. I don't know either way, but I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. On to more pressing matters. The trailer for Spectre looks terrible. I don't care about Bond's past. Not every character needs a backstory. Also the Union Jack parachute makes me groan. Yeah, let's fill it with fanservice. Not even the 25th movie, officially. How about concentrating on making the best movie you can? Also, the only Craig Bond movie I like is Casino Royale. The others have their moments, but overall don't move me.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Joe