The James Bond Franchise

[VCRTracking]

Probably one of the top Bond pre-credit sequences ever:

[ribboninthesky1]

3 hours ago, starri said:

Not my favorite Bond, but by all accounts a really good dude. 

And knighted for his humanitarian work, not his acting career. 

I read a little bit about this earlier today, quite interesting.  

[voiceover]

Awaiting my favorite moment in Casino Royale -- Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter offering to stake Bond in the next hand of the poker game.  

Favorite because, when James is surprised the American doesn't want a refund, he gets the best line in the film: "Does it look like we need the money?"

(also a fan of his: "Much appreciated, brotha!" after the villain is vanquished.)

[VCRTracking]

Why am I only now learning the guy who played Gustav Graves in Die Another Day is Dame Maggie Smith's son?

[Athena]

4 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Why am I only now learning the guy who played Gustav Graves in Die Another Day is Dame Maggie Smith's son?

Toby Stephens! He's a great actor too. I like that that even nepotism by British actors are not as in your face as compared with Hollywood.

[Joimiaroxeu]

No official announcement yet but numerous media sources--which all seem to be citing the notorious British tabloid, the Daily Mirror--are reporting that Daniel Craig is a go for the next James Bond movie. Even the LA Times reported  it, so...maybe?

[Ohwell]

I'm cool with that.

[benteen]

I just hope that Craig doesn't sleepwalk through another Bond film.  Hopefully to this proves to be another great odd-number Craig Bond film and they jettison the stupid ending that nobody wanted from Spectre.

[Silver Raven]

Craig should make more movies like Lucky Logan.  :)

[tinaw]

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

Craig should make more movies like Lucky Logan.  :)

Can't wait to see this movie

[Joimiaroxeu]

He's back, baby! Per the New York Times:

Daniel Craig Is Coming Back as James Bond in 2019

Still no official announcement though specifically regarding Craig from MGM or the producers.

[AimingforYoko]

3 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

He's back, baby! Per the New York Times:

Daniel Craig Is Coming Back as James Bond in 2019

Still no official announcement though specifically regarding Craig from MGM or the producers.

Rachel Weisz: "Honey, I love you and I don't want you to do anything you don't want to. But if you turn down $100 million to do one movie, I'm effing divorcing you."

[Kel Varnsen]

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Rachel Weisz: "Honey, I love you and I don't want you to do anything you don't want to. But if you turn down $100 million to do one movie, I'm effing divorcing you."

On the other hand he made something like 80 million for the last one, plus all the other money they have both made in their successful careers.  What could an extra 100 million get them that they can't already afford? Especially when it means a year or more away from your family.

[SimoneS]

I knew that he would do one more film. No way would he turn down all that money. Now they have more time to find the new Bond.

 

4 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

On the other hand he made something like 80 million for the last one, plus all the other money they have both made in their successful careers.  What could an extra 100 million get them that they can't already afford? Especially when it means a year or more away from your family.

For rich people, there is no such thing as enough money. This is how they become and stay the 1%.

Edited July 26, 2017 by SimoneS

[methodwriter85]

They should title this one "Everything Is Never Enough."

[benteen]

I wouldn't turn down $100 million either.  I just hope Craig shows some integrity and doesn't sleepwalk through another Bond film.

[Athena]

It would be crazy to turn down nine figures, but I really hope that Craig doesn't have any health issues in the longer term from all the physical training and dieting the last dozen years. He probably doesn't but that's one of the biggest reasons he should stop with Bond.

Craig is from a working class background and spent the first 20 years of his acting career doing bit parts and not making a lot of money so I can see why he would keep at this. Laurence Olivier had a similar sort of mindet when he got paid to do that Moonie movie.

[VCRTracking]

Get Rachel Weisz as the new Bond girl.

[Kel Varnsen]

22 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Get Rachel Weisz as the new Bond girl.

Or the villain. 

[Kel Varnsen]

On 7/26/2017 at 10:30 AM, Athena said:

It would be crazy to turn down nine figures, but I really hope that Craig doesn't have any health issues in the longer term from all the physical training and dieting the last dozen years. He probably doesn't but that's one of the biggest reasons he should stop with Bond.

Craig is from a working class background and spent the first 20 years of his acting career doing bit parts and not making a lot of money so I can see why he would keep at this. Laurence Olivier had a similar sort of mindet when he got paid to do that Moonie movie.

I get that. But at the same time he is getting pretty close to 50. At that age he probably has some sort of idea of how many movies he has left in him. So I could also see him turning it down because he doesn't want to spend a year to two years of his life training for this then shooting it then promoting, when he could be doing other more interesting projects (it is not like Bond is going to win him an oscar) or just spending time with his family. Plus like you said the training alone sounds brutal. I read a great comment on another site where someone said these movies basically take a 50 year old guy and expect him to get into the shape of a 22 year old professional athlete. 

Plus it is not like it is an all or nothing deal for the money. I am sure if Craig turned down Bond, he could probably just as easily get cast in another movie and make millions (ok not 100 million) doing that movie too.

[katha]

I hope Craig goes out with a great movie, Casino Royale and Skyfall were such strong offerings. Perhaps a new director and set-up will work out well. He's really helped out the franchise when it was in a rut and IMO made it workable in a modern setting, when for me it hadn't been for a long time. He's getting rave reviews now for Logan Lucky, giving him material where he can stretch his acting muscles might be good... IMO about the only things worthwhile in Solace were his and Kurylenko's performances.  And I'd agree that there were stretches where he was clearly phoning it in in Spectre, but he was surprisingly funny in a deadpan sort of way in bits there. There's a moment right at the beginning where he's just destroyed half a city....again...and he's sitting on a sofa amidst the ruins and has such a resigned look on his face....it's hilarious and all made so with his perfect timing.

And yeah, getting in shape for that stuff at his age must be hell. Sure, he gets tons of money. But then, he's also made the franchise tons of money. And now they have more time to find the next one, since they don't seem quite sure where they want to take it after Craig.

One aspect that's running through the Craig movies and IMO has become an interesting bit of characterization is that joke where the Ms, Q, Moneypenny, Vesper, you name it call him a brute and dumb muscle and Bond kinda sorta agrees all "yes, yes, you're right, nothing to see here". Then he goes off on his own, disregards all orders he doesn't like, temporarily gets chased as a traitor, then saves the day with all his rule breaking and insubordination. But somehow keeps the fiction in everyone's heads going that he's a "blunt instrument" who likes to follow orders. It's a neat commentary on which kind of intelligence is acknowledged and which isn't IMO. Bond's brilliant. But he's mostly brilliant in practical ways and in making quick decisions in high pressure situations, all tied to physical activity. So everyone around him forgets that he could kick their ass with his mental capabilities as well and he's having fun playing to their prejudices. That's one of many neat touches Craig has brought to the character IMO.

[BetterButter]

Daniel Craig confirms he'll play James Bond again

[ennui]

Quote

In 2015 he caused controversy for saying he'd "rather slash [his] wrists" than make a fifth Bond film,

Is he under suicide watch?  :)

[xaxat]

One of the reviews I read about Logan Lucky mentioned that it was great to see Craig in a role that he seemed to enjoy playing. Which seems like a shot at his recent Bond performances.

As for post-Craig, I think the franchise should think about going back in time. In a world with increasingly pervasive surveillance (facial recognition, public security cameras, cell phone tracking etc.) it becomes harder to suspend disbelief  over the world wide exploits of a "famous" spy. It also has the benefit of freeing the franchise from feeling obligated to have cyber-something as the McGuffin (Skyfall and Spectre). Skyfall worked for me because it chucked technology in the second half. 

[ChelseaNH]

On his Late Show appearance, Craig said he was asked about doing another movie right after he finished his latest, and he was just exhausted.  So they got a more visceral reaction than he would normally give.

[Constantinople]

Time's up for James Bond: is 007 too toxic for the #MeToo era?

Should we watch old movies with one eye on the time and place in which they were made, or view them through a more modern mindset? That is the question the Twittersphere has been pondering after a video depicting some of James Bond’s most misogynist moments went viral on social media.

...even missed most of 007’s nastiest behaviour. For starters, how about when Sean Connery’s Bond tries to beat a confession out of Daniela Bianchi’s Tatiana Romanova in 1963’s From Russia With Love?

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/jan/30/times-up-for-james-bond-is-007-too-brutish-for-the-me-too-era

It may be time is up for James Bond, but the scene involving Tatiana Romanova is a poor example of misogyny.

Tatiana Romanova is a Soviet agent working, unbeknown to her, for SPECTRE.  James Bond routinely beats up and kills male agents, both in From Russia With Love and in other Bond films.

Is the writer suggesting it's acceptable to beat confessions out of male agents, but not female agents?

[revbfc]

I know for a fact that I can enjoy a Bond movie while simultaneously acknowledging the routinely problematic content.  I know this because that’s what I’ve done for years.  And before I get angry responses, let’s remember that these movies tell the story of a man who is paid to KILL PEOPLE.  Oh, an assassin employed by the British government isn’t a nice guy?!  Say it isn’t so!

[afterbite]

The early ones are far too rapey for me to revisit. I didn't pick up on it as a kid watching marathons, but as an adult, I can't watch them.

[HunterHunted]

3 hours ago, Constantinople said:

Is the writer suggesting it's acceptable to beat confessions out of male agents, but not female agents?

 

3 hours ago, revbfc said:

I know for a fact that I can enjoy a Bond movie while simultaneously acknowledging the routinely problematic content.  I know this because that’s what I’ve done for years.  And before I get angry responses, let’s remember that these movies tell the story of a man who is paid to KILL PEOPLE.  Oh, an assassin employed by the British government isn’t a nice guy?!  Say it isn’t so!

It's technically not ok for him to beat information out of anyone. It's why it's banned under the Geneva Convention. The violence is part of the character; however, Craig's Bond has been a particularly thuggish version. I did appreciate Dench's M acknowledging that. It has been repeatedly stressed that Craig's Bond isn't really a spy because he's the loudest most conspicuous foreign operative in existence. He may as well be walking around with a sandwich board and a bell around his neck.

The sexism has always been a problem. I don't know if there has been a ton of sexualized violence in the movies. I'd have to go back and revisit them. 

[Constantinople]

6 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

It's technically not ok for him to beat information out of anyone.

But that wasn't the writer's point, only that it's not OK for Bond to beat information out of a woman

[HunterHunted]

4 minutes ago, Constantinople said:

But that wasn't the writer's point, only that it's not OK for Bond to beat information out of a woman

And my point is that it's not ok for Bond to beat information out of anyone (male or female). It's acceptable use of force if it's used in defense of self or others, but unacceptable any other time. If a bad guy is reaching for a gun or to activate a bomb it's ok. If the threat isn't imminent, I don't believe Bond should be using force. Male. Female. Whatever. This is my opinion.

[SeanC]

As to the original video, the Bond books (as I understand, anyway; I've never actually read them) are said to be a lot more aggressively sexist/racist.  Censorship, etc., of course watered that down from the beginning, but the older films are definitely of their time, and (like all older cinema) should be critically assessed in those areas.  The more recent films have a scattershot track record as far as modernizing the character/stories go.  The core concept (secret agent who has lots of casual and/or mission-related sex) isn't intrinsically a problem, I don't think, but it's not always executed well.

Edited January 31, 2018 by SeanC

[katha]

I actually think the Craig movies have for the most part done a good job of acknowledging and deconstructing the misogynist, racist, imperialist nonsense that's at the root of the series. Skyfall in particular seemed to just say "Well, MI6 is slightly less evil than those other evil guys...so make of that what you will...". Judi Dench's M and with that the whole spy myth was totally debunked IMO and the organization shown as a breeding ground for immoral sociopaths...a world where you can only have a career if you leave your conscience at the door. Craig's Bond is the first one where it's really acknowledged that...he's an assassin. That's his job. And his personality structure feels vaguely in tune with such a job. His treatment of women is sketchy, at best.

Though, personally, I find him less creepy than some previous versions because he doesn't sugarcoat the sociopathic tendencies with oily "charm" (the Moore films are the worst offender here IMO). Craig's version of the character also doesn't suffer from self-delusion and seems pretty clear-eyed about himself and who he works for. An interesting aspect of that is that he sometimes seems way more honest about himself than the Ms, Qs and Moneypenneys who can pretend they don't have blood on their hands since they didn't pull the trigger. I always think it's a nice touch when Craig shows Bond's scorn at their "moral lectures": As if they had any kind of moral high ground on anything, they just conveniently distanced themselves from the fallout.

Edited January 31, 2018 by katha

[starri]

I also think it was to the Craig films' credit that women have more involvement in the plots than merely as sex objects.  You could make the argument that M was as much of a lead in Skyfall as Bond, and for its faults, SPECTRE had Moneypenny (and Q and M) out of the office doing stuff.

[ChelseaNH]

Brosnan's movies also had to navigate changing attitudes, and went so far as to call Bond a dinosaur.  Judi Dench started her tenure as M, his female partners were more than eye candy -- I think Michelle Yeoh was the first "Bond girl" to have a standalone action scene.  So the progress started before the Craig era.

[VCRTracking]

On 1/30/2018 at 12:29 PM, afterbite said:

The early ones are far too rapey for me to revisit. I didn't pick up on it as a kid watching marathons, but as an adult, I can't watch them.

What perplexes me is Connery's Bond is that he really doesn't have to force himself on women. Women want him too. Women are checking him out in hotels and most women he meets are like "Yeah I want some of that". Sometimes I see a character in a movie and a TV show who's irresistable to women and I think "Really?" but with young Sean Connery you believe it. I love the moments with like Sylvia Trench in Dr. No and From Russia With Love or Jill Masterson in Goldfinger or Domino in Thunderball, who flirt right back. They're not prim and proper stereotype 50s ladies. They have sexual agency are DTF. It's great to see women in the early 60s who are "thirsty" as the kids say. And Bond is charming and likable with those women. That's what makes the scenes where he does force sex like Pussy Galore or the nurse in Thunderball gross.

 

1 hour ago, ChelseaNH said:

Brosnan's movies also had to navigate changing attitudes, and went so far as to call Bond a dinosaur.  Judi Dench started her tenure as M, his female partners were more than eye candy -- I think Michelle Yeoh was the first "Bond girl" to have a standalone action scene.  So the progress started before the Craig era.

Even before that with Dalton. In The Living Daylights, I don't think even sleeps with Miryam D'Abo's character, he's a gentleman with her throughout the movie. In Roger Moore's movies you had a female Soviet agent in The Spy Who Loved Me, an American one in Moonraker, a woman wanting to avenge her parents death in For Your Eyes Only, a woman running her own organization in Octopussy. Yeah Tanya Roberts in A View To A Kill was pretty much a damsel, but Grace Jones' May Day was badass!

I think the one constant is the big difference between Bond and a Bond villain is that the Bond villain treats women way worse than him!

Edited February 1, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Athena]

43 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

Even before that with Dalton. In The Living Daylights, I don't think even sleeps with Miryam D'Abo's character, he's a gentleman with her throughout the movie.

A lot of people praised Craig's Bond or being an edgier, but Dalton was the first Bond to really do that and really played up the sociopathic and violent tendencies. Connery's is more true to the book Bond (but without all the censorship stuff they removed from the books) in some ways of being of that era. I couldn't ever stand the oleaginous nature of Moore's Bond. Dalton played it much more darkly which represented the era of 1980s too. Brosnan was smoother; he had a lot of charisma and having Judi Dench as M really changed the dynamics too. The era of each Bond is really interesting to look when compared with the historical and cultural events and mood of the time they were developed.

I am trying to read the books slowly and there are some fun moments mostly in how luxurious it seems, but there is also a lot of sexism, racism, homophobia, dubious consent issues. They don't really hold up well to modern eyes.

[supposebly]

7 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

but with young Sean Connery you believe it.

Different opinions but I always found his Bond skeevy. That's probably why I never got into watching them until later. Although I do find Roger Moore's amusing. They were just so over the top. And introduced me to Grace Jones.

[VCRTracking]

16 hours ago, supposebly said:

Different opinions but I always found his Bond skeevy. That's probably why I never got into watching them until later. Although I do find Roger Moore's amusing. They were just so over the top. And introduced me to Grace Jones.

I meant when he was just walking around, not even talking, you can believe he can turn heads.

Anyway I agree Moore They said in one of the DVD featurettes that the problem with Moore's first two movies is they were trying to make him too much like Connery, very brutal and strongarming women. In The Spy Who Loved Me, they wrote the character to fit more Roger's personality(sophisticated, quippy, bemused).

[Dejana]

 

Creative differences is a long-time Hollywood euphemism and I've seen reports range from Boyle being fed up with Daniel Craig's divo antics to alleged tension over Bond 25's focus on Russia. Will a new director be called in to save the day or is this a good time for a recast/reboot? If so, a popular candidate for the next 007 has taken his name out of the running:

 

 

I've seen a lot of Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians) suggestions recently, though I am doubtful of Broccoli/Wilson being that progressive.

[methodwriter85]

Isn't Idris Elba already 45? I don't think he'd be willing to commit a decade of his life to the grueling filming process like Craig did. There's a reason why you won't see older Bonds now like you did with Roger Moore or Sean Connery. Craig just turned 50 and he seems to be at his absolute max ability to do this role anymore.

[Dr.OO7]

On 8/17/2017 at 12:56 PM, ChelseaNH said:

On his Late Show appearance, Craig said he was asked about doing another movie right after he finished his latest, and he was just exhausted.  So they got a more visceral reaction than he would normally give.

On the Today Show, the analogy he used was to imagine that you've just finished running a marathon and someone asks you if/when you're going to do another one.

"You've got two words for that person and I can't say them on TV"

I just about died laughing and was nodding in agreement because that was precisely MY response after I finished the NY Marathon and some idiot asked if I was going to run it the next year.

Am I only person who loved Spectre? I don't deny that it isn't as good as it's predecessor and that it has its flaws, but I thought it was great. 

I hope they find a decent way to explain Madeline's presumed absence that doesn't involve killing her. She deserves  more than to just disappear between films like the other Bond Girls.

[BetterButter]

Cary Fukunaga Given Licence to Kill, Will Direct BOND 25

[HunterHunted]

I like Cary as a writer, but think his real skill is as a director who produces. He has such a solid editorial eye for narrative flow.

And I'm going to say this, which always embarrasses me cause it's really shallow, but he is such a fucking slice. Has there ever been a director this hot who didn't start off as an actor first? End of shallow.

[Dr.OO7]

It's going to be a very odd release date for a Bond movie. For the first time ever, it won't be out in the summer or holiday season, but in the dead zone of February 

[dusang]

On 9/20/2018 at 5:22 PM, HunterHunted said:

I like Cary as a writer, but think his real skill is as a director who produces. He has such a solid editorial eye for narrative flow.

And I'm going to say this, which always embarrasses me cause it's really shallow, but he is such a fucking slice. Has there ever been a director this hot who didn't start off as an actor first? End of shallow.

I've only seen his Jane Eyre and don't remember it well but thanks for the Google image search. ;)

[Dr.OO7]

The release date for Bond 25 has been pushed back AGAIN, to April 8, 2020 (UK).

Additionally, Léa Seydoux has been confirmed to return. I'd be happy if I didn't fear that it's to kill off Madeline (unlike everyone here, I actually liked Spectre).

[starri]

11 hours ago, Camille said:

Additionally, Léa Seydoux has been confirmed to return. I'd be happy if I didn't fear that it's to kill off Madeline (unlike everyone here, I actually liked Spectre).

SPECTRE was fine, but for me, it suffered by coming immediately after Skyfall.

[Dr.OO7]

6 hours ago, starri said:

SPECTRE was fine, but for me, it suffered by coming immediately after Skyfall.

That would be the "Tough Act To Follow" trope.

I don't deny that Spectre had its flaws and wasn't as good as its predecessor, but the "this is godawful" reviews really surprised me.

[SimoneS]

On 9/20/2018 at 5:22 PM, HunterHunted said:

And I'm going to say this, which always embarrasses me cause it's really shallow, but he is such a fucking slice. Has there ever been a director this hot who didn't start off as an actor first? End of shallow.

Ha. He is pretty hot.