12 replies to this topic

[SPECTRE]

Whenever I hear someone talk about the Bond films as mindless action or boring or formulaic or anything else like that, I just can't believe how ignorant they are. Maybe its just me, but I think that no action film can compare to a Bond film.

For one, James Bond films are smart. I believe they exist on 2 levels. They are action films, but there is also great dialog and plot. They all have plots that require you to think a little. For example, GoldenEye is based on Russian and British history. You can love the film for the terrific action pieces, but you are still missing something until you can completely understand and comprehend the whole plot, something I don't think a lot of people do. It makes me happy to know that I enjoy a film series that is as smart as this one is. Also, the Bond films show us so much culture and geography and history its amazing. We've seen so many places and so many kinds of people. I can honestly say that there are many things about the world that I have learned by watching the James Bond series.

Another thing I love about the series is that it completely fulfills my need for comedy. I'm not even talking about any over the top comedy that may have appeared later in Roger Moore's turn as Bond. Moments like when Bond cut his enemy's car in half with a laser in The Living Daylights and then explained it as "salt corrosion" are hilarious! I love this kind of humor and its done wonderfully throughout the Bond films. I don't think people fully appreciate it. Like in TWINE, Bond says something like "I suppose everone plays the piper at one time." and Q says "Oh pipe down 007." A lot of my friends would probably call this kind of thing lame, but I love it! I guess I can't really explain it, it just makes me laugh, and not a lot of action films do that.

Style. Bond films are more stylish than anything else. The titles sequences are all just amazing. While other films just flash the title, Bond films have a whole sequence. And it really adds something to the films in my opinion. Of course, during this time, there is a theme song played. Every theme song made so far has been terrific in my opinion. There is so much history in them, and you can feel the different time periods they were written.

Timeless. I am 17 years old and it just amazes me sometimes when I sit and think that I'm watching a film that was made 40 years ago. (Dr. No). Right now I like rock and rap music, but Underneath the Mango Tree is a song I could listen to all day. It totally makes me want to live in the 60s, even if I didn't have a computer or CDs or any of that. I'd love to be at the Fountainebleu Hotel sitting by the pool. Or in the club at Jamaica. Or at Phuket. I think that for the 2 hours I'm watching a Bond film I can forget about my high school life in Indiana and see the world at its greatest, and thats something I can't get from any other movie or series.

Bond.. James Bond is not like any other action hero. I think that I admire him so much because he is essentially what I want to be. He is amazingly smart and well cultured. He's also very resourceful. He knows what to do in any situation. I do realize that he was created that way, but I think that there are very few times when what he does could be considered impossible. He is confident and daring. I love when Bond drives off the side of the cliff in GoldenEye and manages to make it inside the falling plane and get away. Some people say this is impossible or looks fake, but I love it! Also, Bond is human. He can get hurt and can make mistakes. For example, he was injured badly in TWINE, and before Dr No his gun jammed on him and he had to go to the hospital. I suppose people probably don't like Bond because he kills people and his sex life. But Bond kills to save the world. I don't believe it makes him happy to kill, but he does enjoy protecting the world. His sexuality is immoral, but I think its handled as well as possible. He is a gentleman..

As for whether the Bond films follow a formula, I suppose they do. James Bond saves the world while meeting beautiful women, using amazing gadgets, and encountering evil plots and crazed villians. But every single movie has a unique plot, and different women, gadgets and villians. None of the films disappoint me. I love all the stories, and I wouldn't want them to be done any other way.

I really don't know why the Bond films don't win more awards than they have. 2 so far?! There should be so many more. I think that because it is an action film is it written off of having anything worthy of a serious award. And thats a shame. But I wouldn't want the producers to change a thing. The series is at a great point right now, and I think its longevity, not an award, shows how great a series it is.

I suppose most of the people at this board are fans of the Bond series. But I would like to know reasons you get from people why they think the Bond series is boring or mindless or any other negative comments. Its kinda hard for me to just take an answer from my friends like "they're boring" or "they're stupid" because I love the series so much.

Even if you're a fan, I'd like to hear any good arguments for why the Bond series isn't as good as I think it is. I look forward to your comments!

[JimmyBond]

Mourning Becomes Electra (10 Mar, 2002 08:02 p.m.):

JimmyBond (10 Mar, 2002 07:38 a.m.):
On his sexuality. I think one has to look no further than the TWINE bed scene. Where Elektra asks Bond what he does to survive. And I love this line:

I take pleasure, in great beauty

That may not be exact, but I love that line. The way Pierce delivers it is spot on as well, he takes a moment to think over the question, then replys. One of the reasons I love TWINE.

Jimmy, ICAM, it's a marvelous line wonderfully delivered. One of my favorite lines of the entire series, and it says quite a lot about the man.

MBE

I think I'd go so far as to say this is probably my favorite scene of the series. Starting with the ice, its really erotic without being dirty, and then as Elektra tells her story, Bond listens closely and you can tell he cares for Elektra at this point. Its scenes like this that make me hopeful for Bon20.

[Friedrich Baxter]

Q: "Listen here, talk here!"
007: "Ooh, that's what I'm doing wrong all these years :-)"

[Lonely Gunman]

JimmyBond (13 Mar, 2002 06:01 a.m.):
I laugh when I read that people think True Lies is much more thrilling then most of the Bond films. True Lies is just another Arnie action film as far as I'm concerned, there is no style to it. Look at the mountain chase at the beginning, its edited together like a music video, you'd never see editing like that in a Bond film.

Honestly, I think, True Lies has great moments and gags. James Cameron made it! I remember the audience laughing for about 5 minutes, when Arnie beated the heads of the two dogs at each other with his hands. Then the nuclear explosion in the background of Arnie kissing his wife. Or the showdown with the Harrier Jet. For me, it

[White Knight]

Bond is better because of the formula. People recognize it, and no movie franchise can top it.

[General Koskov]

'He had lots of guts!' ^_^

[JimmyBond]

On his sexuality. I think one has to look no further than the TWINE bed scene. Where Elektra asks Bond what he does to survive. And I love this line:

I take pleasure, in great beauty

That may not be exact, but I love that line. The way Pierce delivers it is spot on as well, he takes a moment to think over the question, then replys. One of the reasons I love TWINE.

[OO7Qbranch]

Agreed. The movies have a freakin magnetism
and how many movie series have 20 movies and 40 years of history?

[Dmitri Mishkin]

Well-said, BK. Excellent points there.

[Tedley King]

I enjoy all the jokes/one liners/whatver you want to call them, from all the Bond films, including "Would you like to check my figures?" (short pause) "Oh I'm sure they're perfectly rounded" - TWINE
Or even "My name is Pussy Galore"
"I must be dreaming" - Goldfinger
And "What happened"
"They were on their way to a funeral" - Dr No
As well as "I solve problems" (Bond)
"A problem solver?" (Sanchez)
"More of a problem elliminator" (Bond)

[Turn]

I will always like action films, but Bond movies stand apart for many reasons. The Bonds began the action genre as we know it today and are still going strong. They started the demand for the Indiana Jones stunt industry and the gritty Die Hard adventures. But what will always set Bond apart is the style.

Who comes out of a Die Hard or Lethal Weapon movie wanting to be Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson? You put on a tux, the first person most of us think we resemble is Bond. Does anybody throw on a t-shirt and say, "Hey, I'm Bruce Willis" or a flannel shirt and say "I'm Mel Gibson from Lethal Weapon." It may look ridiculous on the outside for a guy to go running around after bad guys in a tux, but could you see Gibson or Willis pulling it off? And I wonder where they got their sense of humor from?

And can anybody really say Schwarzenegger really looked convincing in a tux in True Lies? A lot of fans on other sites say this was better than the recent Bonds, but I couldn't agree less. Sure it had a bigger budget, but could you see Bond using Tom Arnold as a sidekick (although the Wade character doesn't help this arguement much). It was overblown, too jokey for its own good and way to meandering.

So, at the end of the movie, I think I'd rather be Bond on a raft with the lady on my arms rather than any of these other guys hobbling away from a shootout.

[JimmyBond]

I laugh when I read that people think True Lies is much more thrilling then most of the Bond films. True Lies is just another Arnie action film as far as I'm concerned, there is no style to it. Look at the mountain chase at the beginning, its edited together like a music video, you'd never see editing like that in a Bond film.

[Mourning Becomes Electra]

JimmyBond (10 Mar, 2002 07:38 a.m.):
On his sexuality. I think one has to look no further than the TWINE bed scene. Where Elektra asks Bond what he does to survive. And I love this line:

I take pleasure, in great beauty

That may not be exact, but I love that line. The way Pierce delivers it is spot on as well, he takes a moment to think over the question, then replys. One of the reasons I love TWINE.

Jimmy, ICAM, it's a marvelous line wonderfully delivered. One of my favorite lines of the entire series, and it says quite a lot about the man.

MBE