32 replies to this topic

[Lazenby]

Should there even be a pre-title sequence? Personally, I feel that the best pre-titles were the ones that were correlated in some way to the film

[Ace Roberts]

Potential Spoiler:

There has been some speculation, mind you from tid bits of info shared from various sources, that an early sequenece in the film may have Bond particpating in a Royal Naval underwater demolition exercise. This could be pre-007 days or not. This is pure speculation, and as far as I know no one of authority has said this. This would fit with the plot and is in line with what Lazenby suggests.

[Flash1087]

I too would like to see something leading into Bond getting his 00-number. The demolition scene could work, or they could actually film the assassination of the Japanese clerk and use that. Something brief, and at the very end Bond will be on a radio or something and you'll hear "Good work, Commander. Report back to MI-6 immediately, we have another assignment for you..." or words to that effect.

[Qwerty]

Should there even be a pre-title sequence? 

In a word, yes. Whatever they do or do not feature in it will be up to them.

[Leon]

There absolutely should, even Dr No had one in a slightly more naff and unusual way.

It should be moody like Goldeneye's a little retro and have plenty of casino references...other than that I don't know.

[Mr Malcolm]

Hadn't heard that about a possible underwater sequence before. I'm listening!

In terms of tone, I'd have Bond do something a little bit reckless in the course of the pretitle sequence (to show his lack of experience), which almost leads to disaster. However, he manages to save the day in the end, either through skill, or perhaps even sheer luck. At the very end, his commanding officer (maybe M) acknowledges his performance, but criticises his actions too, warning him that he could get into real trouble one day. Just to get a little foreshadowing in.

[Johnboy007]

Following the "he's just earned his Double-0 stripes" (I really hate that term) line of Campbell's, I would say the sequence is going to be Bond's final trainee mission. I'm hoping it's an assassination attempt on someone.

[tdalton]

Following the "he's just earned his Double-0 stripes" (I really hate that term) line of Campbell's, I would say the sequence is going to be Bond's final trainee mission.  I'm hoping it's an assassination attempt on someone.

I agree. Also, isn't there a sequence like that that is mentioned in the CR novel? Something about a Japenese agent that Bond is assigned to eliminate? It's been a while since I've read the novel, so I can't remember if that's where I got that from or not. If it's in the novel, then I think that they should use that as the PTS.

But, whatever they do for the PTS, the tone of that sequence should be very, very dark.

[Mr Malcolm]

I agree.  Also, isn't there a sequence like that that is mentioned in the CR novel?  Something about a Japenese agent that Bond is assigned to eliminate?  It's been a while since I've read the novel, so I can't remember if that's where I got that from or not.  If it's in the novel, then I think that they should use that as the PTS.

But, whatever they do for the PTS, the tone of that sequence should be very, very dark.

I would disagree there. I think the tone of the PTS should be ominous, but not, as you say, very very dark. For a start, it wouldn't be true to the book, the first act of which certainly isn't all doom and gloom. Besides, if you have the film relentlessly dark right off the bat, it'll detract from events later in the story.

When I first read the novel, I knew there was a torture scene of some sort, but that was it. And I was quite horrified reading that for the first time! I'd read other Bond novels before and the early part of the book wasn't significantly darker than other books, IMO. Thus, it made the torture scene much more shocking, and effective, and really gets across Le Chiffre's point about Bond having previously been 'playing red indians.' If the first part of the film was really dark, I would worry that it would just make the torture scene feel a bit forced, or at the least, diminish its impact somewhat (I'm talking relatively here!).

So yes, I say make the PTS and the first part of the film darker than normal, but not too much. They're not making a horror film, after all!

[Publius]

I too would like to see something leading into Bond getting his 00-number. The demolition scene could work, or they could actually film the assassination of the Japanese clerk and use that. Something brief, and at the very end Bond will be on a radio or something and you'll hear "Good work, Commander. Report back to MI-6 immediately, we have another assignment for you..." or words to that effect.

Great idea. Maybe we can even be finally given a train fight sequence once again, and what more fantastic (and novel) a place than in the pre-titles? Possibly have Bond on a routine mission which goes horribly haywire, whereupon he is forced to resort to his wits and natural resources to right the wrong, ultimately making preemptive use of his licence to kill.

[Judo chop]

The PTS is a staple of the Bond films, and thus based on Craig's comment "It's going to be a Bond film, first and foremost", I'd say we should fully expect to see one. I'd also expect it to be an "earning his stripes" scene, based on Campbell's claims that it's the story of Bond becoming the spy we know and love.

Although, something just occured to me... what if they try to go even further back for the PTS? What if they try to incorporate Bond's youth... like, his parents' death, for example. Or maybe they'll try to interlace the entire film with character building flashbacks?

[trumanlodge89]

The PTS is a staple of the Bond films, and thus based on Craig's comment "It's going to be a Bond film, first and foremost", I'd say we should fully expect to see one.  I'd also expect it to be an "earning his stripes" scene, based on Campbell's claims that it's the story of Bond becoming the spy we know and love.

Although, something just occured to me...    what if they try to go even further back for the PTS?  What if they try to incorporate Bond's youth...  like, his parents' death, for example.  Or maybe they'll try to interlace the entire film with character building flashbacks?

i think seeing bond as a boy would be interesting, but i also think they should hold off on that untill bond 22 or 23. theyre already calling it "bond begins" so any scenes that remind viewers of the newest batman film should be avoided. a clip of bond's parents dying in the climbing accident would do just that.

[Judo chop]

[quote name='trumanlodge89' date='9 January 2006 - 16:38'][quote name='Judo chop' date='9 January 2006 - 20:23']The PTS is a staple of the Bond films, and thus based on Craig's comment "It's going to be a Bond film, first and foremost", I'd say we should fully expect to see one.

[tdalton]

I think that Bond's assignment to eliminate the Japanese clerk would be the best thing that they could use for the PTS. Maybe, in order to give it the obligatory action sequence, they could have the mission go wrong somewhere and have Bond have to make a daring escape or something.

[Bondesque]

No flashbacks of Bond as a boy! Its way to much like Batman Begins.

The PTS should be one of the assasinations that earned Bond his double 00.

[Judo chop]

No flashbacks of Bond as a boy!  Its way to much like Batman Begins.

The PTS should be one of the assasinations that earned Bond his double 00.

Or the original Burton Batman, for that matter. After giving it some thought, I don't really care whether it draws comparisons to Batman Begins or any other contemporary movie; I'm saying it's a bad idea on its own merit. I don't want to see young Bond be done now, or ever.

[tdalton]

No flashbacks of Bond as a boy!  Its way to much like Batman Begins.

The PTS should be one of the assasinations that earned Bond his double 00.

I don't want to see Bond as a boy either. Honestly, I don't think that they should go any further into the past than Bond's missions in which he earns his 00 number.

[Agent 76]

The idea of Bond getting his Double O "licence" is very interesting, with that coming from the assassination of the Japanese fella. If they use something from the book for the pre-title sequence, they only will win more points for doing that. The best homage they can do to Mr Fleming is to use his material "for real".

[Bondesque]

Agreed 100%

[Double-Oh Agent]

[quote name='tdalton' date='9 January 2006 - 13:56'][quote name='Bondesque' date='9 January 2006 - 16:45']No flashbacks of Bond as a boy!

[Hitchcock Bond]

If they are 'rebooting' Bond so this is is first mission as a 00 agent perhaps they could do the PTS with Craig as a naval intelligence officer assigned to handle a defection or hostage trade. He could be assigned with an MI6 agent, possibly an original 007 who is there if there is trouble. This could include dialogue with the 00 trying to persuade Bond to join the 00 section, saying something like he has drawn attention to himself, luxurious lifestyle, gambling etc. They could allude to his killing of the Japanese cipher clerk on a previous mission as an intel officer. Bond could be hesitant about becoming a professional killer and he was not comfortable with the killing but it had to be done. Something could go wrong with the defection or hostage trade. Enemy agents could kill the 00 agent and capture the defector. Bond pursues the enemy agents (a chase sequence) and kill the agents and recaptures the defector. It could then turn out that the defector has information that would lead Bond to Le Chiffre. As Bond would already be familiar with the case, known for gambling skills, and shown a capacity for killing enemy agents, he could be drafted into the 00 section, being given the 007 number of the agent he avenged. Of course this would only work if they were doing a reboot of the series.

Edited by Hitchcock Bond, 12 January 2006 - 08:55 AM.

[TheBritishEnd]

I'd like to see the assassination, but for it to be treated as Bond on a routine mission. To explicitly come out and say, "Look, Bond is earning his rank!" just seems too gimmicky to me.

[spynovelfan]

The idea of Bond getting his Double O "licence" is very interesting, with that coming from the assassination of the Japanese fella. If they use something from the book for the pre-title sequence, they only will win more points for doing that. The best homage they can do to Mr Fleming is to use his material "for real".

I think we all tend to get a bit overly precious of Fleming's work. Not only does the double-O thing make no sense at all - only once you have killed someone in cold blood do you get permission to kill someone in cold blood - but Fleming forgot all about the two killings Bond mentions to Vesper in CR. In FRWL, we are specifically told that Bond has 'never killed in cold blood'.

Perhaps Bond was just trying to impress Vesper by pretending he had killed people in cold blood - much as Fleming hinted he once had to friends (though the story changed)?

Neenah neenah...

[Bon-san]

I think we all tend to get a bit overly precious of Fleming's work. Not only does the double-O thing make no sense at all - only once you have killed someone in cold blood do you get permission to kill someone in cold blood - but Fleming forgot all about the two killings Bond mentions to Vesper in CR. In FRWL, we are specifically told that Bond has 'never killed in cold blood'.

Perhaps Bond was just trying to impress Vesper by pretending he had killed people in cold blood - much as Fleming hinted he once had to friends (though the story changed)?

Neenah neenah...

Cue Vick Flick's guitar and the distant sound of sirens.

[David Schofield]

If they are 'rebooting' Bond so this is is first mission as a 00 agent perhaps they could do the PTS with Craig as a naval intelligence officer assigned to handle a defection or hostage trade.  He could be assigned with an MI6 agent, possibly an original 007 who is there if there is trouble.  This could include dialogue with the 00 trying to persuade Bond to join the 00 section, saying something like he has drawn attention to himself, luxurious lifestyle, gambling etc.  They could allude to his killing of the Japanese cipher clerk on a previous mission as an intel officer.  Bond could be hesitant about becoming a professional killer and he was not comfortable with the killing but it had to be done.  Something could go wrong with the defection or hostage trade.  Enemy agents could kill the 00 agent and capture the defector.  Bond pursues the enemy agents (a chase sequence) and kill the agents and recaptures the defector.  It could then turn out that the defector has information that would lead Bond to Le Chiffre.  As Bond would already be familiar with the case, known for gambling skills, and shown a capacity for killing enemy agents, he could be drafted into the 00 section, being given the 007 number of the agent he avenged.  Of course this would only work if they were doing a reboot of the series.

I think something along those lines would fit with Campbell's idea of him not being the Bond we know and love until the end: he isn't 007 until he defeats Le Chiffre because either 1) MI6 give him the number because he has passed a test by defeating Le Chiffre or 2) the death of Vesper makes Bond want tow ork for MI6 after all to avenge her death by taking on nutcases intent on world domination.

[Rolex]

Seeing as this will be Bond Begins I would like to see the gun barrel sequence at the end of the PTS which is part of the PTS storyline . I hope that make sense!

[Hitchcock Bond]

I think having the gun barrel shot as part of the PTS could work. No matter how the PTS is made. It could have Bond confront an enemy agent who then tries to pull his gun on Bond and is killed. There could be a shot of the enemy agent's gun still in his hand. As he falls dead some blood spills over the barrel. The could be a cut to the inside of the barrel, or possibly a some form of tracking shot that moves to inside the barrel, which is focussed on Bond. Then the opening credits.

[spynovelfan]

How about this:

ROCKEFELLER PLAZA, NEW YORK.

A tall, dark-haired man is methodically and rapidly photographing papers with a miniature camera in a small, sparse office - a light shines on the papers, but he stands in darkness. A variation of the James Bond theme pulses menacingly in the background.

Suddenly the man looks up. He can hear footsteps. Someone is running down the corridor immediately outside the office. He immediately places the papers back in their dossier and straightens a couple of things on the desk, then removes a pistol from his pocket and screws on a silencer. As he does, the music starts to crescendo, and we see several close-ups: a bead of sweat on the man's forehead; him chewing his lip; a shoulder of his jacket - he is in evening clothes. Finally, we see his eyes: they are Oriental. The camera leaps inside the man and we travel, in less than a second, through an abstract landscape of bone and gristle and matter, until we burst, with the music, through his hand and into the familiar shot of JAMES BOND at the end of a gun-barrel. Bond shoots back, and blood starts to ooze down the 'screen'.

The titles begin...

[Rolex]

Yes something like that would be great , gives gravitas to bond begains

[Agent 76]

just for fun of course...