268 replies to this topic

[cvheady007]

I watched the trailer for Layer Cake yesterday and I will say that he looks much better in action than he does in a lot of the still photos that I've had to judge him on so far.

I'll have to check that out, then. Then again, he couldn't help but look anymore like James Bond in action, since he certainly doesn't look it in the stills.

[Martin Mystery]

I don't know, but he's rapidly becoming my number two candidate after Owen. Count me among those saying "YES!" to Craig.

I'm in the same boat as Loomis on this one. Clive's my number 1 guy for the role, but Craig has easily established himself as my number 2 candidate. I watched the trailer for Layer Cake yesterday and I will say that he looks much better in action than he does in a lot of the still photos that I've had to judge him on so far.

I'll third that.

MM

[Skudor]

I guess I can see how people make the leap from Clive Owen to Daniel Craig - hard-ish edge actors in, genearally speaking, the right category for the Bond job. But I really can't see this guy as Bond - I mean, where is the guy's chin? And at 183cm he's a bit short (even Roger Moore is 185cm, and he's the shortest Bond ever).

I'm sure DC would make a fine spy in a spy thriller, but in my opinion he's no James Bond.

[cvheady007]

I'm sure DC would make a fine spy in a spy thriller, but in my opinion he's no James Bond.

Amen.

The day that Craig is announced as James Bond is the day that Bond becomes just another spy...and, in essence, is irrelevant. It would pain me to no end to see that happen.

[Daltonfan]

I wasn't impressed with the still photos, but I changed my mind whilst watching Layer Cake. I'd pick him over Clive Owen. He has a better voice and looks very fit and elegant.

[Loomis]

I'm sure DC would make a fine spy in a spy thriller

Funny you should say that, because it looks highly likely that Craig will have a role in Spielberg's upcoming (as the IMDb refers to it) "Untitled 1972 Munich Olympics Project", in which a Mossad agent (Eric Bana) hunts terrorists behind the murder of Israeli athletes. Don't know whether the shooting schedule would rule Craig out for Bond, but I guess it might do. Anyway, it seems Craig has become very much an actor to watch - heck, he could very well be the next Clive Owen (and therefore too big for Bond) before too long.

[Pal]

I just watched the Layer Cake trailer and nothing impressed me. I understand how people can accept Craig as Bond, but I belong to the school of thought that says Bond should be tall, thin, *good looking*, and he should have the trademark dark hair. While I have no doubt that Craig could act the role of James Bond very well, I still need to believe that I'm looking at what the image of James Bond should be. I"d love to hear what the ladies of CBn think of Craig's looks.

[Bondesque]

Craig is a very fine actor but he is a character actor. Layer cake was a good performance in a very stylized movie. He would make a good spy but not Bond. Bond has to be tall, dark and handsome (not pretty). I like Craigs intensity but Bond shouldn't look UP into the eyes of his leading lady.

[Bon-san]

Craig is a very fine actor but he is a character actor.  Layer cake was a good performance in a very stylized movie.  He would make a good spy but not Bond.  Bond has to be tall, dark and handsome (not pretty).  I like Craigs intensity but Bond shouldn't look UP into the eyes of his leading lady.

Just watched the Layer Cake trailer. It appears Craig is good in it, and he does possess a certain charisma (his completely colorless, charmless, and witless performance in Tomb Raider notwithstanding). He looks to be great for anti-hero roles, hero roles in smaller movies, villain roles. But as to Bond, he's just not it. I might just prefer him to McMahon, though.

Please God, let it be Jackman, Bale, Butler, Owen or Gruffudd.

[mdileo]

If Craig says Sony said the part was his and then there was only silence from EON, well perhaps all of those reports that it was down to Craig and McMahon (as AICN reported and McMahon confirmed when he said "it was down to him and another actor") were true. And I guess EON chose McMahon and Sony chose Craig and that is the impasse

[Pussfeller]

I've yet to see one Bondian picture of this guy. Not one. In every shot, he's just a puckering little blond git (no offense intended, of course).

Personally, I think he looks a bit like Stephen Baldwin, minus the dark good looks:


Stephen Baldwin, distinguished actor of stage and screen


Daniel Craig, Putin impersonator

[cvheady007]

YIKES! That picture would keep me up at night!

Honestly, I just watched the Behind the Scenes on The Living Daylights - Cubby himself said that he wanted to stay away from "Young Bond" on film, and that there was no reason to delve into his youth. I agree - I couldn't care less about visiting his "first mission" - if Casino Royale was going to be done as a first mission, it should have been done in 1967 with Sean Connery. They say that "everything happens for a reason" - and, since it has yet to be made correctly, CASINO ROYALE SHOULD COME OUT IN 2006 WITH PIERCE BROSNAN ON HIS FAREWELL MISSION IN CASINO ROYALE (unless he wants to return for Bond 22).

I can't believe that anyone out there thinks Pierce did a lousy job, but, even still, you'll have your chance to see "Bond #6" after Pierce does one or two more. We owe him that - he is the third best Bond behind Connery and Dalton, and I don't see either of them coming back.

[tdalton]

I can't believe that anyone out there thinks Pierce did a lousy job, but, even still, you'll have your chance to see "Bond #6" after Pierce does one or two more.  We owe him that - he is the third best Bond behind Connery and Dalton, and I don't see either of them coming back.

I thought he did a lousy job. He only had one good movie, TWINE, the rest of them were either average (GE) or downright terrible (TND & DAD). His portrayal of Bond was a terrible combination of Sean Connery and Roger Moore, two styles that should never be mixed.

[cvheady007]

All I can say to that is SHOCKING, POSITIVELY SHOCKING...

Actually, I have a lot to say to that, because Pierce was ushered into the role after it was clear he would be 007. tdalton- you site TWINE as the best Brosnan Bond - I think it's the worst. Tomorrow Never Dies was his best - a great overall picture that showcased his Bond wit and had a good henchman and Bond girls to boot. Goldeneye was great (bad music, but I can overlook that), Die Another Day was fantastic (save the last 20 minutes, but I'm sure you could pull 20 minutes out of many films over history and make them better), and that's all there was...4 films. I think Brosnan deserves another one before he disappears into James Bond lore.

And, since we are in a Daniel Craig thread, I will simply say that Craig is NOT James Bond - he couldn't be James Bond in his own dreams.

[Mr. Somerset]

After having seen a trailer for Layer Cake, I must say I am starting to warm to the possibilty of Craig as Bond. I would like to see PB do one more for the road, though.

[tdalton]

I don't see how anyone could want Pierce back. He's clearly too old for the role now and would embarass himself just the way Roger Moore did in AVTAK. His Bond wasn't even that good, so why would anyone want him in the quintessential Bond story, Casino Royale?

I wouldn't mind seeing Daniel Craig in the role. He's got the right type of attitude for the part from what I could see in the Layer Cake trailer, and his voice is better than Clive Owen's. There were a couple of moments in the trailer where I thought that he looked especially Bondian, and he could bring back an edge to Bond that we haven't seen since Timothy Dalton or even as far back as the Sean Connery Era.

[cvheady007]

tdalton - I LOOK BONDIAN - so I guess I should have as good a chance as Craig, huh?

Look - Pierce WILL be too old in 5-10 years. Give him Casino.

[tdalton]

[quote name='cvheady007' date='3 May 2005 - 23:16']tdalton - I LOOK BONDIAN - so I guess I should have as good a chance as Craig, huh?

Look - Pierce WILL be too old in 5-10 years.

Edited by tdalton, 04 May 2005 - 04:29 AM.

[Mr. Somerset]

I don't see how anyone could want Pierce back.  He's clearly too old for the role now and would embarass himself just the way Roger Moore did in AVTAK.  His Bond wasn't even that good, so why would anyone want him in the quintessential Bond story, Casino Royale?

I wouldn't mind seeing Daniel Craig in the role.  He's got the right type of attitude for the part from what I could see in the Layer Cake trailer, and his voice is better than Clive Owen's.  There were a couple of moments in the trailer where I thought that he looked especially Bondian, and he could bring back an edge to Bond that we haven't seen since Timothy Dalton or even as far back as the Sean Connery Era.

PB is getting up there, but could probably pull off one more before turning into Roger Moore in AVTAK (providing they don't suddenly delay the film yet another year or two!).
I agree about Craig's voice. He sounds great in the trailer for Layer Cake, and definitely has a few Bondian moments. I think if he did get cast he could bring back the harder edge Dalton started, yet fizzled out during the PB era.

[cvheady007]

tdalton - I always respect your posts - you sound knowledgeable, and I agree with you when you say we will have to agree to disagree...

I saw After the Sunset - Brosnan had silver in his hair...but I could still see him as James Bond. What do we judge that against? If we judge it against Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever, then anyone who has some grey can play the role. My point is that Brosnan embodies what I think James Bond is - a relatively cocky guy with good looks and the power to pull off the Bond wit and lines.

I have a hard time understanding how anyone can dismiss his portrayal...HOWEVER, if that is the case, I still pray to you - give him one or two more movies. In ten years, YOU WILL STILL BE WATCHING JAMES BOND MOVIES, BUT HE WILL NEVER BE BACK - and there will be a lot of fans that will miss him (myself included).

[tdalton]

If I could see something from Pierce that would indicate to me that he would be able to handle the complexity that Bond needs to have to be in Casino Royale, then I wouldn't be opposed to giving him another chance, especially since the crop of "candidates" this time around is pathetic to say the least (only Clive Owen and Daniel Craig look like they could handle the role), but, he hasn't shown that to me in anything. Pierce has always had some kind of mental or emotional battle that he's always had to overcome in his Bond films. He's never played the character as the hardened killer that he is supposed to be. If I could be assured that he could play the character that way, then I would be willing to give him another chance.

[cvheady007]

Tomorrow Never Dies:

The scene:

DR. KAUFFMAN: I'm just a professional doing a job.

JAMES BOND (Pierce Brosnan): So am I.

Give Brosnan the script, and HE WILL DELIVER.

It all goes back to giving him the chance - he will be back if there are no good contenders to take over his job (which, right now, there are not) so it is time to think he may be in Casino - and he can deliver it with the right script. Pierce has the look and the ability to deliver the lines - give him the right supporting cast and script and he will do it right.

[Triton]

[quote name='zencat' date='3 May 2005 - 11:29']Okay, a theory:

Eon and MGM have a massive falling out over the Jinx movie. Eon says don't expect us to give you Bond 21 anytime soon (they did the same thing when MGM pissed them off in 89). The studio says, fine, we'll start to develop the project without you, we DO own 50% after all (at least we think we do?).

MGM meets with their Layer Cake director Matt Vaughn who says he'd love to do Bond with his bud Daniel Craig. MGM says "great", we're on. (Remember when the MGM president said Bond 21 was "on schedule" -- which seemed a totally insane thing to say at the time). Eon says nothing because they know MGM is on the block and they'll wait it out. Privately, they contact Martin Cambell and ask if he'd come back. He says 'yes", for a price. They say just wait and you will have it.

Sony buys MGM and the MGM execs march in and say they have Bond 21 all ready to go with Vaughn and Craig. The Sony execs call Eon who say MGM are a bunch of nitwits; they have Martin Campbell all lined up (if Sony will pay his price) and would like to work with Sony on casting the new Bond.

Sony tells MGM to pack their bags and take all their "good ideas" with them. Sony agrees to a year delay, pay Campbell his price, and get to work with Eon on casting.

Vaughn sees the writing on the wall and takes another job quick, saving face by saying "the Bond people" wanted him but he decided to take a "passion" project instead,  and all poor Daniel Craig knows is the studio said he had the part and Eon said nothing (and well-known Bond website CBn is told Craig was never a contender

[cvheady007]

Perhaps ten or twenty years from now there will be an "Inside Casino Royale" that will tell the true story of what has actually been happening.

Now THAT is something for those DVD extras that I would revel in!

[tdalton]

If what Craig said about MGM offering him the role but not EON, then I think that we have a problem on our hands. Why can't there just be one governing body that runs the Bond movies so that we avoid having one side wanting one guy and the other side wanting the other. Only bad things can come of this. However, if Craig is in fact the choice of Sony/MGM, then he will be the next Bond if he accepts the role because Sony/MGM will be the organization(s) bankrolling and greenlighting the production of the film. EON cannot fund the production, marketing, and distribution of Casino Royale on their own, so they may end up having to swallow their pride and go with whoever Sony says they're going to go with, or we're not going to have a Bond film (not that this would surprise me, seeing as how EON is run by some very stubborn people).

[XXX]

OH Mr. Salzmann, why have you ever sold thoes rights?

On the other hand, though, creative differences can be a chance to create something unique out of both ideas.

Very interesting theories floating around, they certainly make a lot more sence then what many newspapers spit out these days.

[Lady Rose]

I"d love to hear what the ladies of CBn think of Craig's looks.

What can I say about Craigs looks other than he has a face thats worn out 4 bodies and generally looks like he needs a good bath.

No,he's not the man for me or Bond.He is a good actor and I can see the argument for the harder edge and all that but his appeal is very limited.He looks a bit like Rutger Hauer in some photos,must be the scary eyes,but Craig is not as cool and not as tall.

[Skudor]

If Craig says Sony said the part was his and then there was only silence from EON, well perhaps all of those reports that it was down to Craig and McMahon (as AICN reported and McMahon confirmed when he said "it was down to him and another actor") were true.  And I guess EON chose McMahon and Sony chose Craig and that is the impasse

I like your theory. I would hope that they have dug up some total unknowns to test, though.

[Forever007]

I very much like Daniel Craig as an actor, but not as James Bond. He does not look anything like James Bond and I fear would alienate a huge fan base.

[kevrichardson]

I guess I can see how people make the leap from Clive Owen to Daniel Craig - hard-ish edge actors in, genearally speaking, the right category for the Bond job.  But I really can't see this guy as Bond - I mean, where is the guy's chin?  And at 183cm he's a bit short (even Roger Moore is 185cm, and he's the shortest Bond ever).

I'm sure DC would make a fine spy in a spy thriller, but in my opinion he's no James Bond.

Perhaps the time has come for James Bond to be in a Spy Thiller like FRWL .