21 replies to this topic

[medrecess]

I dont understand the hype surrounding Craig's Bond portrayal.I dont understand what is the need for so much hype ? I know he is a good actor but
Bond is a different ball game.Being a good actor in not enough, you have to
be James Bond- The Character.I think people are expecting too much from him.
Many therefore are going to be dissapointed simply because they expect too
much.

I feel the whole media drive against Craig's unconventional looks (though good) has caused an army of loyal James Bond fans to rise and revolt with the thing that this guy will do miracles as Bond.

Common , you are expecting too much and frankly even Craig is feeling too
much pressure to perform

Give the guy time to get the feel of Bond and at least give him 2 films to
show what he can bring to the role.

[JimmyBond]

Of course I disagree. I shouldnt have to wait three films to know if I like him or not. I like him as an actor, therefore I think he'll make a great Bond. I believe he has that cool that Bond needs, something that's been lacking for a long while.

How quickly you change your tune eh medrecess?

Today i saw Elizabeth after a long time.I was surprised when i saw Craig as i had not expected him in that film.

But,what a performance by the man.

He is really outstanding in that small part.

Check out his screen presence in that scene when he emerges from the boat and they close in on his face.

The scene where he beats the guy to death with a stone shows how he can handle hand to hand combat.

Height is a trivial issue for me and for you too hopefully

Explain that

[medrecess]

I still stand by what i said.He is a fabulous actor for me.

I am simply saying that the guy has just got the job,of course he is an
amazing actor.Just give him time.

but still i feel that Bond is different and any actor needs time to adjust to
the requirements of the character.
Of course it is not a certain thing that he will excel as Bond.

[The Richmond Spy]

My reason to support the hype around Craig is quite simple. I am 20 years old and can't recall the Dalton-Brosnan transition, so this is completely new to not only me but a large chunk of the audience as well. I understand the concern, but hype is better than no hype when theres been 4 years between films, IMO.

[DaveBond21]

Ah, Richmond Spy, yes, I bet it is very exciting for you.

I was 20, when Pierce Brosnan starred in Goldeneye, so I know the feeling well. I remember the other candidates but the worst suggestions were Denzel Washington, Sharon Stone and Hugh Grant!!!

Yes, we will give Craig time, I am sure. If he is not too good in CR, I will wait to see him in Bond 22. I won't call for his head.

[The Richmond Spy]

Ah so we have something in common DaveBond21. I can only imagine what some on this site would have said about the Sharon Stone rumors (and I thought Ewan Stewart was bad). I know it was an interesting yet somewhat nerve-wrecking experience when they were looking for the new Bond this time around and CBn covered it nicely.

As for Craig's performance in CR, theres no way I'll be able to grasp it in it's entirety for at least a month or so after seeing it. I'm optimistic and who my age shouldn't be?

[DaveBond21]

Well, in 1994, the usual topic of a black Bond or a female Bond came up. It had me worried for a while. At the time, there hadn't been a Bond movie for five years, so I was worried about them getting it right.

At the time, I had no idea who Pierce Brosnan was, but I remember thinking that he looked the part.

The worst time was 1990-93. I honestly thought that the Bond franchise was over.

[K1Bond007]

I think Craig brings a certain amount of "cool" to the film, "cool" that we haven't seen in a long time (perhaps since Connery). I'm talking the Steve McQueen cool that Craig is so often compared to. I think he has that.

I disagree about Craig having to "be" the character. I think I much prefer an actor who can act like the character because at least then he's always trying to be Bond rather than just phoning-in the performance, which has been an issue in previous films.

Also, I don't really see the hype. Craig needs all the hype and support he can get. He really is an underdog here.

[DaveBond21]

There appears to be a lot of hype in the UK (as always) and here in Australia.

Lots of people in my office and amongst my friends are talking about CR and the new Bond, Daniel Craig, and there is certainly some excitement here.

[Jim]

It's a Bond film. Hype is largely all it lives on. I mean, is anyone really going to this for the challenging acting?

[medrecess]

Think of it guys.At a recent newspaper conference Sir Moore was there
and the anchor asked him about Daniel Craig.
The hype has reached India (unbelievable for some).

So Bond is truly global and has fan following all over.
But he has very few fans here.As such he is a low profile actor.

[Jericho_One]

When it comes to this type of movie franchises, you just can't avoid the hype, I suppose.
And being a new actor in the role, just adds more.

[JimmyBond]

but still i feel that Bond is different and any actor needs time to adjust to
the requirements of the character.

I disagree. Michael G. Wilson once said in an interview that they don't hire "character" actors. They arent trying to force these guys to play Bond a certain way, they allow the actors there own take on the character. If anything Craig's Bond will be a reflection of Craig the person (to an extent). Just like I feel Brosnan's Bond was an extension of Brosnan.

[jake speed]

To even mention Craig in the same breath as Steve Mcqueen is absolutely ridiculous.Someone will be watching The Great Escape on a tv somewhere until the end of time.Which Craig classic will have that same honour? Sylvia? A film in which Craig may as well have been embalmed.His mad Frankie Fraser impression in Love Is The Devil? Archangel? The most tedious piece of television I have ever seen.I don't think Craig could be cool if his life depended on it and I don't think a lot of people who have pitched their tent in the 'Craig is one of the great actors of our time' section have actually seen half of the lottery funded rubbish that he has graced with his gloomy presence over the years.

Edited by jake speed, 22 June 2006 - 10:24 PM.

[Quartermaster007]

To even mention Craig in the same breath as Steve Mcqueen is absolutely ridiculous.Someone will be watching The Great Escape on a tv somewhere until the end of time.Which Craig classic will have that same honour? Sylvia? A film in which Craig may as well have been embalmed.His mad Frankie Fraser impression in Love Is The Devil? Archangel? The most tedious piece of television I have ever seen.I don't think Craig could be cool if his life depended on it and I don't think a lot of people who have pitched their tent in the 'Craig is one of the great actors of our time' section have actually seen half of the lottery funded rubbish that he has graced with his gloomy presence over the years.

........

Have you even seen any of his work?

[Johnboy007]

He has a point, sort of. Daniel Craig is indeed cool, very very cool. Still, he's got a long way to go to be on the pinnacle Steve McQueen level of coolness (the one where everyone puts him). I'd have to wait until after Casino Royale to make an entirely realistic comparison, however.

[medrecess]

No matter how good an actor Craig is, it is wrong to compare him with Steve
who is a legend.

Please dont try to insult the intelligence of a fan by claiming he is the new
Steve.Its meaningless and ridiculous.

[Andrew]

To even mention Craig in the same breath as Steve Mcqueen is absolutely ridiculous.Someone will be watching The Great Escape on a tv somewhere until the end of time.Which Craig classic will have that same honour? Sylvia? A film in which Craig may as well have been embalmed.His mad Frankie Fraser impression in Love Is The Devil? Archangel? The most tedious piece of television I have ever seen.I don't think Craig could be cool if his life depended on it and I don't think a lot of people who have pitched their tent in the 'Craig is one of the great actors of our time' section have actually seen half of the lottery funded rubbish that he has graced with his gloomy presence over the years.

Munich

[Jericho_One]

I think Craig brings a certain amount of "cool" to the film, "cool" that we haven't seen in a long time (perhaps since Connery). I'm talking the Steve McQueen cool that Craig is so often compared to. I think he has that.

I disagree about Craig having to "be" the character. I think I much prefer an actor who can act like the character because at least then he's always trying to be Bond rather than just phoning-in the performance, which has been an issue in previous films.

Also, I don't really see the hype. Craig needs all the hype and support he can get. He really is an underdog here.

Well, oozing coolness like Steve McQueen is something you don't see everyday and Craig, as the overwhelming majority of his generation of actors, is quite a few steps from it.
It's another era altogether. It's pointless to make such comparisons.
But these things also come with a certain degree of production. I'm sure Steve Mcqueen didn't look that cool when he woke up in the morning...
But I trust Craig will bring some "coolness" with him.
There was a picture taken in Italy of him wearing a suit and sporting a machine gun (not the one sideways with the Ipod)that expresses, imo, that coolness. He seemed reaaly self-confident in it, and the machine gun and the suit gave him quite a frame...

Edited by Jericho_One, 24 June 2006 - 01:27 AM.

[Mr Malcolm]

Too much hype? This is Bond fan-site! What are we supposed to talk about, whether Japan should get a permanent seat on the UN Security Council?

[Publius]

Wait, I thought public opinion was staunchly against Craig? Good to hear expectations are actually too high for him.

In any case, it's justified. Those of us who've seen his work can rightly predict roughly how good he'll be as Bond. It shouldn't take three movies, as you suggest, otherwise we'd never be able to judge Lazenby and Dalton. Yes, Casino Royale will be the first definitive evidence, but just as it won't be the last, it isn't the first tool we'll have in assessing his talent as an actor, and specifically the kind of actor required for this particular role.

And Steve McQueen comparisons are fair game regardless of notoriety. Since when was McQueen's "cool" a factor of his box office take or volume of cinematic work? Never, and thankfully so, as it was his performance that counted, and that's where we can easily see similarities between him and Craig. Besides which, Craig may have yet to make the movie(s) that makes him a legend, but the talent is still there.

[Jericho_One]

Well, the man sure has talent, one have to give him that.

All I tried to say is that its not fair, or unfair - just pointless to compare him to Steve McQueen. Not because McQueen is "untouchable" or something of that kind, but because they have almost nothing alike to compare them in the first place.
Besides, McQueen was a good actor all right, but his legend status is not all due to his acting skills...