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The New Q


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#61 Gabriel

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Posted 13 June 2006 - 03:06 PM

I've said before that I reckon the only reason the MI-6 soap opera became so much a part of the films was in order to 'blend in' a new actor as Bond. The first major expansion of the supporting cast, for me, came in OHMSS, to add Lazenby. Of course they botched this by going on about 'same old James, only more so'. The 'family's' appearance DAF allowed them to bring Connery back moderately comfortably.

On the other hand, Roger Moore didn't get surrounded by the gang so much in LALD (the other 'no Q' film) and worked better, as he could establish himself as the character without the baggage of the past films.

Dalton suffered in TLD by having the majority of Roger's supporting team around him. M's appearance was fair enough (Robert Brown doing what Judi Dench is doing in CR and changing his performance to suit the new Bond), but a new Moneypenny's appearance was pointless, as was that of the old 'Minister' and Gogol.

GoldenEye is a film I'm not particularly keen on (I'll be interested to see the amped-up cut on DVD) but the film felt less like a Brosnan Bond film and more of a 'not Dalton' film. The MI-6 team was in there far too much again, shown in that smug, 90s 'post-modern, ironic' style and continued in that vein through all the Brosnan films.

The lack of MI-6 baggage is great IMHO, because Daniel Craig can establish himself as Bond properly.

The important thing to remember with Q is that he is a soldier, not just some batty old man. Look at Q in the 60s and you'll see an aspect of that. It's only because Desmond Llewellyn was kept in the role for too long that it evolved into a character the filmmakers never originally intended.

Edited by Gabriel, 13 June 2006 - 03:10 PM.


#62 Santa

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Posted 14 June 2006 - 06:36 AM

HELLOOOOO????

Eddie Izzard does a whole sketch on Q.

Q outfits BOND with trousers made of JAM!!!!

Izzard would KILL the franchise..how much self parody can one series take....????

Izzard is a terrible suggestion.

He also takes the piss out of BOND in just about every stand up showhe has ever done, albeit with affection AND he did it in OCEANS 12, where he played the equivalent of Q.

Terrible suggestion.

Leave Q and MOneyPenny in people's imagination....and for nostalgia freaks, they are walking a fine line betweeen redemption and parody



I don't really care what the actors from Bond do when they're not in a Bond film. Zardoz, anyone?!! Yes, he was a bit Qish in O12 and to me it just showed how well he could do something like that, so I'd still like to see him as Q.

#63 Loomis

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Posted 14 June 2006 - 10:51 PM

So how would someone younger than Bond rise to head of his department?


Why would someone need to be older than Bond in order to head a different department to the one Bond's in? :tup:

#64 tdalton

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Posted 14 June 2006 - 11:25 PM

The important thing to remember with Q is that he is a soldier, not just some batty old man. Look at Q in the 60s and you'll see an aspect of that. It's only because Desmond Llewellyn was kept in the role for too long that it evolved into a character the filmmakers never originally intended.



Agreed. What I would like to see them do with the character is make him a former field agent (perhaps even a former 00 Agent) who was forced out of the active service because of an injury. This would allow Q to have a working knowledge of what agents like Bond encounter out in the field, as well as have a knowledge of what kinds of gadgets will and will not work in the field. I would also like to see them get a former Bond "candidate" for the role, perhaps someone like Jason Isaacs or Sam Neill.

#65 Bondian

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Posted 14 June 2006 - 11:32 PM

Having an older 'Q' than Bond made his scenes funnier. It wouldn't be so entertaining or comical to have a 17 year old 'Q' dictating to a 40 year old Bond about not treating his 'equipment' with respect.

I'm sure the term 'equipment' was 'hammed up' even more behind the scenes to Desmond, by Roger, when he was starring in the role. Just look at that line in Octopussy; "having problems keeping it up, Q?". :tup:

#66 Gabriel

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Posted 15 June 2006 - 10:03 AM

Agreed. What I would like to see them do with the character is make him a former field agent (perhaps even a former 00 Agent) who was forced out of the active service because of an injury. This would allow Q to have a working knowledge of what agents like Bond encounter out in the field, as well as have a knowledge of what kinds of gadgets will and will not work in the field. I would also like to see them get a former Bond "candidate" for the role, perhaps someone like Jason Isaacs or Sam Neill.

I think pretty much the same thing. Good choice of actors too.

I also had a mad idea for the new Moneypenny that purists would probably kill me for suggesting: that Moneypenny is a 00-agent in Bond 22 and is the Bond girl for the film.

She and Bond have a relationship, but she is terribly injured later in the film. Then, in Bond 23, she becomes M's Head of Operations, selecting agents for their missions. She and Bond try to keep their relationship going through the film, but ultimately accept that it's impossible, given the job. The saddest part is that Moneypenny understands because of her past as a 00. I'm sort of basing the idea on the backstory Lois Maxwell worked out for Moneypenny in the early days of the films!

#67 pieffra

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Posted 15 June 2006 - 10:30 AM

John Gardner showed us in some Bond novels a female Q nicknamed Qute.
Why not?

#68 Gabriel

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Posted 15 June 2006 - 11:40 AM

Ideally, one of M or Q needs to be a man. M's a woman while Dame Judi is playing the role, so Q has to be a little more 'Father-ish'!

#69 Mr Malcolm

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Posted 15 June 2006 - 02:12 PM

I also had a mad idea for the new Moneypenny that purists would probably kill me for suggesting: that Moneypenny is a 00-agent in Bond 22 and is the Bond girl for the film.

She and Bond have a relationship, but she is terribly injured later in the film. Then, in Bond 23, she becomes M's Head of Operations, selecting agents for their missions. She and Bond try to keep their relationship going through the film, but ultimately accept that it's impossible, given the job. The saddest part is that Moneypenny understands because of her past as a 00. I'm sort of basing the idea on the backstory Lois Maxwell worked out for Moneypenny in the early days of the films!


Actually, part of me kind of likes that idea quite a bit! I'm not sure how I'd feel actually seeing it acted out though, since it may well affect the Moneypenny scenes in the other films. But still...

I agree that you probably need either M or Q to be male, just to have a different relationship between them - a young female Q could end up too much like Moneypenny, and an older female Q could end up too much like M.

#70 JimmyBond

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Posted 15 June 2006 - 09:51 PM

Hopefully, Q comes back to Bond in the next film after Casino Royale. I just found the excuse that Q and Moneypenny aren't in the film b/c they weren't in the source novel a funny excuse. Did I miss Solange in the novel? I must have skipped the chapter where he went to Madagascar.


To be fair though Q wasnt in the novel period, and Moneyepenny didnt even have any lines (if I recall, only one sentence was spent on her period). They add nothing to the story. On the other hand an extra Bond girl (Solange) adds greatly to the film story of Casino Royale, her scenes are a great motivator for Bond.

#71 burnman7700

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Posted 16 June 2006 - 06:30 AM

Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead. Although, he kind of already played a Tech guy in Mission Impossible: 3.

#72 Jericho_One

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 08:33 PM

WARNING!!! MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD


Hopefully, Q comes back to Bond in the next film after Casino Royale. I just found the excuse that Q and Moneypenny aren't in the film b/c they weren't in the source novel a funny excuse. Did I miss Solange in the novel? I must have skipped the chapter where he went to Madagascar.


To be fair though Q wasnt in the novel period, and Moneyepenny didnt even have any lines (if I recall, only one sentence was spent on her period). They add nothing to the story. On the other hand an extra Bond girl (Solange) adds greatly to the film story of Casino Royale, her scenes are a great motivator for Bond.


Regarding Solange, she plays Imo an important part in a way. But I will dwelve more into this in the SPOILER section for CR.

...And sorry to drift off topic.

Edited by Jericho_One, 20 June 2006 - 09:24 PM.


#73 Von Hammerstein

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 09:14 PM

Samuel L Jackson

"'bout god---- time you got your tuxedo wearin' a-- down here. I been working my butt off making these things for you. Now this mother------, I am extremely f-----g proud of. Guaranteed to kill every mother------ in the f-----g room! Hey. Bring this s--t back in perfect condition or it's your mother------g a--!"

Q don't play.

#74 Jericho_One

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Posted 20 June 2006 - 09:25 PM

Samuel L Jackson

"'bout god---- time you got your tuxedo wearin' a-- down here. I been working my butt off making these things for you. Now this mother------, I am extremely f-----g proud of. Guaranteed to kill every mother------ in the f-----g room! Hey. Bring this s--t back in perfect condition or it's your mother------g a--!"

Q don't play.


ROTFL! :tup: Too cool!

#75 darkpath

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Posted 21 June 2006 - 01:31 AM

Agreed. What I would like to see them do with the character is make him a former field agent (perhaps even a former 00 Agent) who was forced out of the active service because of an injury. This would allow Q to have a working knowledge of what agents like Bond encounter out in the field, as well as have a knowledge of what kinds of gadgets will and will not work in the field. I would also like to see them get a former Bond "candidate" for the role, perhaps someone like Jason Isaacs or Sam Neill.


I'd like them to stress the armorer role more so than merely the gadget man. I'd like to see some practical looking emphasis on weapons and ammunition, perhaps even different actually extant loads, or at least some plausible modifcations. I'd like to see someone with a grim edge; because he ultimately knows that many of the tools he provides are to do either of two things, defend or attack. I'd like a sense of someone who has worked extensively with military snipers, with a very one shot one kill sort of outlook. If that means no more machine guns in the Aston, I can live with that. :tup:

Personally, I particularly like the previously mentioned idea of Anthony Stewart Head.

#76 Gobi-1

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Posted 25 June 2006 - 04:22 AM



The important thing to remember with Q is that he is a soldier, not just some batty old man. Look at Q in the 60s and you'll see an aspect of that. It's only because Desmond Llewellyn was kept in the role for too long that it evolved into a character the filmmakers never originally intended.



Agreed. What I would like to see them do with the character is make him a former field agent (perhaps even a former 00 Agent) who was forced out of the active service because of an injury. This would allow Q to have a working knowledge of what agents like Bond encounter out in the field, as well as have a knowledge of what kinds of gadgets will and will not work in the field. I would also like to see them get a former Bond "candidate" for the role, perhaps someone like Jason Isaacs or Sam Neill.


Best suggestion I've read thus far. A Q who's a former "00" is a great idea. I would still like to see some humor and wit in the Q scenes. Neill's a talented enough actor to blend seriousness with humor. I've been champion Neill as a future M canidate as well. Would love to see him involved in the Bond series.

#77 tdalton

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Posted 25 June 2006 - 04:34 AM




The important thing to remember with Q is that he is a soldier, not just some batty old man. Look at Q in the 60s and you'll see an aspect of that. It's only because Desmond Llewellyn was kept in the role for too long that it evolved into a character the filmmakers never originally intended.



Agreed. What I would like to see them do with the character is make him a former field agent (perhaps even a former 00 Agent) who was forced out of the active service because of an injury. This would allow Q to have a working knowledge of what agents like Bond encounter out in the field, as well as have a knowledge of what kinds of gadgets will and will not work in the field. I would also like to see them get a former Bond "candidate" for the role, perhaps someone like Jason Isaacs or Sam Neill.


Best suggestion I've read thus far. A Q who's a former "00" is a great idea. I would still like to see some humor and wit in the Q scenes. Neill's a talented enough actor to blend seriousness with humor. I've been champion Neill as a future M canidate as well. Would love to see him involved in the Bond series.


I'd love to see Neill involved with the Bond series at some point as well. Obviously, I'm glad that Dalton got the role in 1987, but I've always felt as though Neill should have gotten a try as Bond at some point. Sadly, he'll end up like Sean Bean, as both are two actors who would have made excellent Bonds, but the circumstances at the time prevented them from doing so.

#78 Gobi-1

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Posted 25 June 2006 - 05:02 AM

Well Sean Bean did go on to be imortalized as a Bond villian and one of the most popular to boot. I also understand he did a little art house flick called Lord of the Rings or something.

#79 ErnstStavroBlofeld

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Posted 29 June 2006 - 07:29 AM

The character of Q should return and land somewhere between FRWL and Goldfinger.
This placement gives us a chance to see what Boothroyd is like before the sniping between him and 007 begins; it allows us to see how it starts and watch where it goes. Much more interesting than the interpetation that has been the norm for all these years.

If EON wants to cast anyone, they should consider someone who isn't 15 years Craigs senior, but can bring a maturity to the role. And it should not be a "star." Q should be played by an actor who wants to bring something to the table and do so for more than three films, without the shadow of their next big project coming along.

#80 Simon Beavis

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Posted 29 June 2006 - 05:41 PM

I'll dust off an old suggestion:

Tom Baker (of Doctor Who).

Another Doctor Who actor, Christopher Eccleston, could also pull it off.

Edited by Simon Beavis, 29 June 2006 - 05:42 PM.


#81 darkpath

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Posted 29 June 2006 - 07:03 PM

I'll dust off an old suggestion:

Tom Baker (of Doctor Who).

Another Doctor Who actor, Christopher Eccleston, could also pull it off.



I definitely second Christopher Eccleston's nomination!!! :tup:

#82 Stephen Spotswood

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Posted 30 June 2006 - 01:43 PM

I definitely want Q back, but not as a comic foil. I want to see him more like a military quartermaster or armorer, not a maker of odd gadgets with Keystone Kops assistants.

#83 ErnstStavroBlofeld

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Posted 30 June 2006 - 03:53 PM

I definitely want Q back, but not as a comic foil. I want to see him more like a military quartermaster or armorer, not a maker of odd gadgets with Keystone Kops assistants.


I totally agree. And to effectively portray that will require an actor who can be thoughtful and tough.

Somehowhow, I don't think that and actor like Mr. Crook entirely fits the bill. While he is very talented, I don't think for a moment that he would be believable.

Edited by ErnstStavroBlofeld, 30 June 2006 - 03:55 PM.


#84 Stephen Spotswood

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Posted 30 June 2006 - 04:38 PM

How about Clive Mantle as the new Q? He

Edited by Stephen Spotswood, 30 June 2006 - 04:46 PM.


#85 Red Barchetta

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Posted 30 June 2006 - 04:39 PM

Q should be older, man or woman not withstanding. Q didn't get to be Q by being 20 something. It takes years of gadget making to make it to the top!

Q should be at least in his/her mid-fourties, or early fifties- that alone will make Q much smarter than 007!

And, Q should be a miltary quartermaster, and/or armorer- on loan to MI6 from SIS, or somewhere. A military bearing for Q would contrast nicely with 007.

Edited by Red Barchetta, 30 June 2006 - 04:40 PM.


#86 Stephen Spotswood

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Posted 30 June 2006 - 05:00 PM

As an afterthought, how about Alan Rickman for Q?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000614/

He could even be the next M, although he'd be essentially playing supporting roles.

Edited by Stephen Spotswood, 30 June 2006 - 05:01 PM.


#87 ErnstStavroBlofeld

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Posted 01 July 2006 - 09:20 AM

As an afterthought, how about Alan Rickman for Q?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000614/

He could even be the next M, although he'd be essentially playing supporting roles.


Agreed. Alan Rickman would make superb M. The dripping sacasm of his 'Harry Potter' role, however, may fall a little too close to the old concept of Q for him to be considered for the part.

#88 I Like Sharks

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Posted 01 July 2006 - 09:23 AM

Samuel L Jackson

"'bout god---- time you got your tuxedo wearin' a-- down here. I been working my butt off making these things for you. Now this mother------, I am extremely f-----g proud of. Guaranteed to kill every mother------ in the f-----g room! Hey. Bring this s--t back in perfect condition or it's your mother------g a--!"

Q don't play.


That would be a wonderful idea for a comedy film Von Hammerstein! Bout time somone made a film about a Q type character but not your usual type Q. I'd definatly want to go see that.

#89 ErnstStavroBlofeld

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Posted 01 July 2006 - 09:35 AM

Q should be older, man or woman not withstanding. Q didn't get to be Q by being 20 something. It takes years of gadget making to make it to the top!

Q should be at least in his/her mid-fourties, or early fifties- that alone will make Q much smarter than 007!

And, Q should be a miltary quartermaster, and/or armorer- on loan to MI6 from SIS, or somewhere. A military bearing for Q would contrast nicely with 007.


An educated killer who develops and builds dangerous things, then trains his students/men how do use them. A Cambridge don giving a lecture on the various thread counts of Kevlar vest, followed by a dissertation on the uses of nano-technology in modern eavesdropping, and finishes with a frank discussion of the cell-phone with taser option ("Now pay close attention. Press star 69 and that will enable the phone to engage and fire a 2000 volt dart. Effective up to 30 yards").

I think the idea of a firm 'authority figure' for a younger 007 to tilt at is a good one, too. That creates a logical tension between the structured and logical mind of Q against the brilliant, but more "lateral" thinking of 007.