98 replies to this topic

[Harmsway]

* Bond getting caught and tortured while credit roll over. Even Madonna's song starts quite well

Danny Kleinman's title sequence is absolutely fantastic and one of the best in the franchise.

* Bond's line " Vodka martini, plenty of ice... if you can spare it. "

That was rather nice for a change of pace. I also liked, "My friends call me Jinx." "My friends call me James Bond." Nice nod to FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.

And you know what other moment I love? Frost's briefing, and then the subsequent "And certainly not James Bond" with the cut to Iceland and the epic statement of the Bond theme. That's pretty darn cool.

The moment with Frost and Bond by the car is also pretty classic. "Oh, they left ages ago."

[JimmyBond]

I just had a quick thought and a brief question - when Colonel Moon says "I have special plans for this consignment," do we ever find out what those "special plans" are? If so, I've never been able to figure it out.

Well, I was about to say he uses them to power Icarus. But they never mention that do they? And I probably just picked that up from DAF, since DAD picked up the rest

[Judo chop]

[The moment with Frost and Bond by the car is also pretty classic. "Oh, they left ages ago."

This one always bothered me. I like the idea and the line, but I don't get how that is any kind of cover. Didn't Bond just escape from the lair, rough up a henchman, and explode some pressure lines at that point? The guards are after him, I always got the feeling that they knew exactly who they were looking for as well. Why would making out next to a car in an arctic climate offer exemption from being detained? It doesn't make any sense!

[Daddy Bond]

Well, there are several things I don't like. I don't like Jinx (like some female Bond - if I wanted that I'd watch Tomb Raider). I don't like the invisible car (don't get me wrong - I like the Aston Martin - just NOT being invisible). I don't like the plane going down in flames bit and plumetting out in a helicopter - yeah, right, whatever!. I don't like the way the film was filmed - too harsh and bland visually IMO. I didn't like the plastic surgery junk.

What a missed opportunity! They should have kept the Koren bad guy, well Korean. Bond should have been on a mission of retaliation like never before. Time to kick some heads in! Time for some REAL old-fashioned spy work - tracking down his betrayers. He should have told off M for daring to think he'd sell out England. He should have shot Frost between the eyes. In fact, it would've been cool if he'd been a renegade Bond for most of the movie - hunting down those who betrayed him. The central theme should NOT have been so much about this Icharus device, but about Bond setting things straight. In the sword fight, he should have gotten the upper hand and almost killed the bad guy, only to say, "I'd gladly kill you now, but instead I'm going to make you suffer - slowly take away everything you have - and then I'm going to kill you", then slugged the bad guy knocking out a couple of teeth and knocking him out.

Sounds brutal, but it could have been one of the most unique Bond movies since LTK.

What did I like?

What I did like was Bond getting caught and beat up and betrayed. I liked his escape and that walking into the hotel (beard and PJ's) has got to be one of the all time super cool Bond moments - and Brosnan, frankly, did a fantastic job with it. I liked Bond's time with Q (minus the invisible car bit). Like LTK, Bond should've approached Q secretly (maybe broken into the Q lab late at night) to get a few items and weapons (Including the old DB5) and MI HQ to check the data bases - maybe this is where he could have found out that Frost may have been the one who betrayed him - and then breaking into M's office to leave his calling card. Ah, what could've been.

Well, I guess I've talked more about what I didn't like. This could've been a great send-off for Brosnan.

Regards

[Harmsway]

I just had a quick thought and a brief question - when Colonel Moon says "I have special plans for this consignment," do we ever find out what those "special plans" are? If so, I've never been able to figure it out.

Well, I was about to say he uses them to power Icarus. But they never mention that do they? And I probably just picked that up from DAF, since DAD picked up the rest

Yeah. Part of me figured that in some point in earlier drafts, it was revealed that the diamonds would have been used to power the satellite ala DAF, but we have no mention of that anywhere in the film. Overall, the African conflict diamonds seem to have been given little purpose in the finished film - they're just kind of there to paint a trail.

[The moment with Frost and Bond by the car is also pretty classic. "Oh, they left ages ago."

This one always bothered me. I like the idea and the line, but I don't get how that is any kind of cover. Didn't Bond just escape from the lair, rough up a henchman, and explode some pressure lines at that point? The guards are after him, I always got the feeling that they knew exactly who they were looking for as well.

Actually, I never thought they had any idea who it really was they were looking for (they never had a clear look at Bond, anyway), and I think that once they saw Bond making out with Graves' trusted aide, they thought it wouldn't be him even if the guy looked something like him.

Why would making out next to a car in an arctic climate offer exemption from being detained? It doesn't make any sense!

It's not the making out that's the cover, it's *who* he's making out with. Miranda Frost, Gustav Graves' aide, who the guards most certainly think they can trust.

Curiously, though, an alternate version of this scene was filmed but cut for being too risque (this is from MI6, and I've seen photos of the scene):

A raunchier version of this idea was shot with Bond and Frost taking to the hot tub. Cut for censors (to ensure a 12A rating and maximise the box-office), the sequence saw Bond and Frost skinny dip in the hot tub to give Graves the illusion they were lovers.

"Take your clothes off!" Miranda demands of Bond as she stands with her gun aimed squarely at his head.

Most of the dialogue is the same to that of the final car kissing sequence, although Graves does offer 007 one parting shot as he walks off from seeing the couple in the water:

"Excitement seems to follow you around, Mr Bond."

[David_M]

I rather like the "saved by the bell" quip, unlike almost every other "witticism" Brosnan utters in his four films. For once, it actually has something to do with what's going on...the bell really did save him! So many of the other one-liners are total non sequiturs; far from amusing me, they usually leave me scratching my head.

I also liked the idea of using the credit sequence to drive the plot forward and suggest the passage of time in prison, rather than being a sort of break from the film as these things usually are.

Also good is Bond's interrogation, where it's apparent he's been through quite an ordeal but still, to the last, keeps up the facade of the flippant, unflappable superspy with his remark about the "concierge." Brosnan does a good job of suggesting Bond's misery and growing sense of dread without being overt about it. Like Roger, he's much better at subtle stuff than out-and-out emotional displays, where he usually comes off as awkward and silly. This whole sequence comes to a neat ending as Bond is lined up for the firing squad and glances around desperately for that last-minute distraction, gadget, colleague or stroke of luck that always saves his bacon, only to realize that this time, it's really the end. Or is it? Again a lot of fascinating stuff seems to be going on behind Bond's eyes (about all we can see at this point!) and Brosnan handles it very well.

After that, I liked the appearance of the "Birds of the West Indies" book and indeed the cinematography of the entire sequence with the Cuban contact. Brosnan looks terrific here. And sending Bond off on a "mission" with no more than a vintage Thunderbird and an equally dusty revolver was a cool twist.

After that, things go downhill fast, sadly. I think it's rather telling that on the few occasions I pull out the DVD, it's only to watch that nifty "making of the pre-title sequence" feature on the extras disc.

[DaveBond21]

This whole sequence comes to a neat ending as Bond is lined up for the firing squad and glances around desperately for that last-minute distraction, gadget, colleague or stroke of luck that always saves his bacon, only to realize that this time, it's really the end. Or is it? Again a lot of fascinating stuff seems to be going on behind Bond's eyes (about all we can see at this point!) and Brosnan handles it very well.

I agree, some great acting there by Brosnan. He is timing his use of the gadget to perfection.

[bond_girl_double07]

The Vanquish!!! IMHO, the hottest Bond car since the DB5

[JimmyBond]

This whole sequence comes to a neat ending as Bond is lined up for the firing squad and glances around desperately for that last-minute distraction, gadget, colleague or stroke of luck that always saves his bacon, only to realize that this time, it's really the end. Or is it? Again a lot of fascinating stuff seems to be going on behind Bond's eyes (about all we can see at this point!) and Brosnan handles it very well.

I agree, some great acting there by Brosnan. He is timing his use of the gadget to perfection.

Same, I love this sequence! I've always felt it was one of Brosnan's best, even though I enjoy the film, I wish the it kept up the tone of this scene. DaddyBond paints a picture of a really great Bond film, and it's a shame Brosnan couldnt finish on that one instead of DAD. Oh well, I still like it