143 replies to this topic

[sharpshooter]

Indeed. Where Bond is outmatched and cannot win in pure physical terms. With improvisation and some luck getting him across the line.

[tdalton]

Indeed. Where Bond is outmatched and cannot win in pure physical terms. With improvisation and some luck getting him across the line.

 

That's exactly the kind of henchman/woman that Bond needs to face in Bond 24.  Bond needs to be afraid of this person, unlike what we've seen so far from the Craig Era henchmen.  

[sharpshooter]

If they're going the 'classic' route with Bond 24, then I wouldn't mind a 'Bond leads the troops against the enemy' sequence. Could be a good contrast against Skyfall's finale, which inverted the concept. Going up against the enemy with many men, but it all ultimately ending up as a last ditch Bond v henchman/henchwoman scrap.

[Call Billy Bob]

If they're going the 'classic' route with Bond 24, then I wouldn't mind a 'Bond leads the troops against the enemy' sequence. Could be a good contrast against Skyfall's finale, which inverted the concept. Going up against the enemy with many men, but it all ultimately ending up as a last ditch Bond v henchman/henchwoman scrap.

I like this idea. Sort of a YOLT scenario where the main fight is Bond + Ninjas vs. SPECTRE and Bond ends up fighting Hans in order to get to Blofeld.

[sharpshooter]

 

If they're going the 'classic' route with Bond 24, then I wouldn't mind a 'Bond leads the troops against the enemy' sequence. Could be a good contrast against Skyfall's finale, which inverted the concept. Going up against the enemy with many men, but it all ultimately ending up as a last ditch Bond v henchman/henchwoman scrap.

I like this idea. Sort of a YOLT scenario where the main fight is Bond + Ninjas vs. SPECTRE and Bond ends up fighting Hans in order to get to Blofeld.

 

Exactly what I had in mind.

[rubixcub]

Been in favor of a commando battle for years.

 

Dave

[DaveBond21]

 

 

Yeah, it's hard to be original after all these films, but why bother like the last few films, with having a super henchman if you have a strong enough main villain. Just please don't let it be a turncoat Mi6 agent.

 

Whether or not the henchman ends up being a turncoat, there's every likelihood that there will be one somewhere in the film.  EON just can't seem to help themselves in that department, with there being one in every film since 1987 with the exception of Tomorrow Never Dies (LTK- Killifer, GE - 006, TWINE - Elektra, DAD - Frost, CR - Vesper, QOS - MItchell, SF - Silva).  

 

Yes, we can't have M saying "Sometimes we are so focused on our enemies we don't notice those closer to home" again, unless of course Bond replies with "Why not? They're the only kind of bad guy these days!"

 

:-)

 

 

[Trip_Aces]

Personally I'd like for them to stay away from turncoats and betrayals; it's such a played out theme and indicative of lazy storytelling: "They used to be one of us, but NOW they're evil and must be stopped..." Really?

I think It'd be great to see Bond fight a mercenary of some sort but makes an even more brutal impact on Bond. I'm kind of envisioning Gary Busey's "Mr. Joshua" character in Lethal Weapon (totally insane but efficient).

[Turn]

Yeah, that could work. How about a henchman who isn't totally loyal to his employer, sadistic and crooked just because he can be.

[Call Billy Bob]

A henchman who overthrows the "main villain" halfway through the film... throw the audience for a loop!

[DLibrasnow]

A henchman who overthrows the "main villain" halfway through the film... throw the audience for a loop!

 

Shades of MayDay

[Call Billy Bob]

I was thinking more along the lines of a mutiny, and the henchman stays evil instead of assisting Bond.

[DaveBond21]

The other thing is that you can't create an iconic Bond villain. You kind of become one after the fact.

 

With Oddjob and Jaws, their creators didn't know they were creating icons, they just thought they'd come up with an innovative villain. Jaws only returned in Moonraker because of his popularity in TSWLM.

 

I think trying to make an iconic character may make them try too hard. And what if they think they've done it, but we, the audience, disagree?

 

-

[Messervy]

Been in favor of a commando battle for years.

 

Dave

We haven't had that for years indeed. Recently it's been mainly Bond alone face to face with the villain.I think it would be refreshing to go back to the sort of TB/YOLT/TSWLM kind of grand finale where Bond leads the charge and eventually ends up being the real ace nailing the villain.

[Turn]

I think in the case of Jaws they did know they were coming up with an iconic henchman and probably had a notion Oddjob would be popular, which I think is why they've created so many variations of them over the years.

 

As for May Day, I never really bought into her. The whole conversion to good seemed so fabricated and false. Not to mention her squaring off with a past-it Roger Moore. I've seen debates on the whole younger villain vs. older Mi6 team. Against an in their-prime Brosnan or Craig, yeah that would've been cool.

[Messervy]

 

 

As for May Day, I never really bought into her. The whole conversion to good seemed so fabricated and false.

Absolutely! She turns from "evil" to good in minutes, and even goes as far as sacrificing herself. Utter nonsense.

[Call Billy Bob]

I never really liked May Day - just saw her as an excuse to get Grace Jones into a Bond film. I wouldn't mind a henchman switching allegiances in the midst of the film, but the motivation behind it should be sound (not a pretty girl like Jaws or the death of a friend like May Day).

[Trip_Aces]

Yeah, that could work. How about a henchman who isn't totally loyal to his employer, sadistic and crooked just because he can be.

That would be pretty epic to see in a Bond film; kind of plant the the seeds throughout the storyline to show there's a rift between the main villain and his underling...then we understand the secondary villain's motivations for turning on his employer. It would be an interesting dynamic, as well as providing a complex henchman character.

[Matt_13]

I like that idea a lot, actually.

[Call Billy Bob]

Me too. Sort of like when Scaramanga killed Hai Fat... only if we had thought Hai Fat was the main villain up to that point.

[Trip_Aces]

Me too. Sort of like when Scaramanga killed Hai Fat... only if we had thought Hai Fat was the main villain up to that point.

That actually would have made more sense. After all, Scaramanga was just an assassin in league with a Chinese industrialist; why on Earth would Scaramanga need the Solex Agitator?

[Call Billy Bob]

 

why on Earth would Scaramanga need the Solex Agitator?

 

 How else does one power a super-destructive heat gun that can blow up sea-planes?!?

[Monsieur Scaramanga]

NO! stop rehasing old stuff. How about we cast a new actor for 007 since craig is absolutely terrible.

Edited by Monsieur Scaramanga, 10 September 2014 - 09:14 PM.

[Turn]

How about that's an incredibly pointless and inane post in this thread, Monsieur Scaramanga. One you had to take the time to edit, for whatever reason.

[Call Billy Bob]

How about I get us back to what we were discussing earlier?

 

What really defines a "classic" henchman? Memorable scenes? Defining trait? Dialogue?

My personal definition would have to be - a challenge to Bond, either physically or intellectually (or both!), who audiences either want to see more of or can't wait to see get his/her just desserts!

[Trip_Aces]

why on Earth would Scaramanga need the Solex Agitator?

 How else does one power a super-destructive heat gun that can blow up sea-planes?!?

Oh my gosh, was that really the plot of the movie? So ridiculous, lol!

[Call Billy Bob]

Hahaha! Not really. Scaramanga had a prototype power plant on his island that used the solex to convert sunlight to energy. He was going to auction off his design and plans to the highest bidder (or big oil, to keep the design off the market). I was just being snarky, Trip 

[Monsieur Scaramanga]

How about that's an incredibly pointless and inane post in this thread, Monsieur Scaramanga. One you had to take the time to edit, for whatever reason.

Don't get sassy with me mister. I do believe that my post was relevant to the thread.

[Trip_Aces]

Oh boy... Let's get back on track, guys!

I'm reading From Russia With Love for the first time and one thing that I found very interesting was the whole backstory of Red Grant, and how over the course of a few chapters, his entire background is fleshed out; didn't translate to the film version, but I'd love to see - for the next film - a henchman of that caliber... Maybe we could see (in the PTS) the henchman being built up to be this incredibly ruthless and cunning killing machine.

[Call Billy Bob]

Big Red Grant fan here, especially his literary incarnation. Always seemed the most psychotic character Fleming ever came up with. (Trip, I'd love to hear your thoughts on FRWL, as it's my second favorite of the original novels!) I'd be all for a PTS focusing on a baddie, hopefully one so out of sync that even his employer can't handle him!