32 replies to this topic

[General Koskov]

Xenobia (20 May, 2002 10:52 p.m.):
The score of that movie is my favorite of the three...it had the most "classical" feel to it, so to speak.
-- Xenobia

'Classical' score in GoldenEye? ??? Are you sure?

Anyway, I liked GoldenEye or The World is not Enough the best. Tomorrow Never Dies could have been much, much, better. Loomis is right about The World is not Enough being a bit of a 'mixed bag' (a phrase I heard used to--wrongly--describe Octopussy) because they didn't need Richards. She could have been given better lines and topped Tanya Roberts, because I usually don't judge a character by who plays them.

The Ice Bandit scene was awful, but overall, the plot was better than Tomorrow Never Dies's 'let's-attack-the-two-most-powerful-countries-on-Earth-and-hope-to-get-away-with-it' plot. I'll be happy to lay out my better plot for Tomorrow Never Dies, in another post.

One question about The World is not Enough: how did Robinson get away when Elektra's men killed M.'s guard? Because it seems as if he pulled a Natalya and came back from tea to find a massacre ('Oh my...the PM's not going to like this.').

[Xenobia]

Yes, I think the soundtrack to Goldeneye had a classical feel to it, but it wasn't classical persay...sort of like modern infused with Classical.

As for Brosnan's performance in TWINE, in the director's commentary, Apted said Pierce asked for "something to do" acting wise, so that may explain the added depth.

I don't think his performance is overraught, in fact I like the subtilties...when he wipes Elektra's tears away on the screen, when he closes his eyes when he hugs her...those are nice touches.

But it appears I am alone in my thoughts.

-- Xenobia

[Xenobia]

First, let me start this off by saying that you don't have to like all the movies to death -- I certainly don't. And there are definately moments in all the movies (not just Pierce Brosnan's) where I cringe and wonder what the director's were smoking in that moment.

That being said, I would like to address something Loomis said, in a perfectly civil tone I might add. I thought one of the strengths of TWINE were those sweet pleasant moments before the danger...that's a technique that comes from Shakespeare and works to soothe the audience so the coming action / drama hits the audience that much harder.

I liked Tomorrow Never Dies -- the action, the plot, the music, the settings -- everything. That being said, there was a lot more that could have been better if they had not started late in the filming and had to rush through certain parts. I would have liked Paris Carver to have been stronger -- those scenes with Bond are the weakest in the film, and the weakest of Brosnan's with his girls. In those scenes I saw no reason why Paris could get through Bond's defenses.

Of the three, I think TWINE is the strongest. We saw Bond starting to fall in love, and then have to pull himself out of it fast, when Elektra's true intentions were revealed. We also saw a lot more of M., which I liked because it confirmed the depth of character that I presumed was there. In Elektra King, we have Brosnan's best girl (so far).

But of course, God forbid any Bond film be perfect, there is a major problem, and her name is Denise Richards. Not for one minute did I buy that that woman could be a nuclear physicist. As a graduate student, I found her performance to be insulting personally, but I grant you, that's just me.

Last, but not least is Goldeneye. GE had two good Bond girls, but they weren't great. (They could have been had we seen more of Xenia and little less whining from Natalya.) The score of that movie is my favorite of the three...it had the most "classical" feel to it, so to speak. And I did enjoy the tension of Bond having to confront an old friend, as often happens in that world. It also had the best party scene (in the casino) and I loved the "pool" set.

So as you can see....I have my good and bad thoughts on all three. I think I will find in DAD (NAT) something that will be my favorite, and will truly combine all those things that I consider important in a Bond film: strong girls, the score, the sets and the action.

-- Xenobia