40 replies to this topic

[Leon]

I think it's a bit early to be getting worried.

Skiing, as with anything in a Bond film, has of course been done before. It's going to be very rare that we see something totally new in a Bond film. What is important is the way it is done and it's place in the plot.

I think Daniel Craig's 007 could have some really cool ski or other action scenes similar. It could be done with the actual skill of skiing used to generate suspense, maybe darker. Make it so that any bullet fired is important and dangerous, rather than firing off a thousand rounds and making it like a computer game which always ruins it.

What was not really used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film) was the brilliant suspense from the novel where Bond carefully goes about his escape from Piz Gloria and is skiing down the piste for a good while in the dark trying to make ground before they realise he is gone.

In the film they spot him immediately.

Just because it was awful in TWINE (a generally awful film and Bond film anyway IMHO) doesn't at all mean it can't be done again in a really cool and possibly eerie way. If they have this in the plot then this is what they need to look at. Daniel Craig's Bond would be utterly wasted on a flat action piece, it needs some reality and depth to it. Same goes for any scene. They need to use Craig's acting skill and general style as a darker, more human character.

[Gobi-1]

They could used the abandon concept from the opening of Tomorrow Never Dies where Bond climbs up a frozen waterfall that is beginning to melt.

Just thinking about a sequence that combines several elements. Bond undertakes a mission up in the mountains. First Bond has to climb up a frozen waterfall which is beginning to melt. Bond sets up his skis and equipment for a quick escape. He secretly infiltrate a villain's lair/base/camp wearing snow camouflage to blend in. Once he has completed his main objective he must return to his skis and ski away undetected.

Unfortunately his cover is blown when his skis and equipment is found and he has to improvise a quick escape with all the bad guys behind him.

For a big climatic stunt I could see MI6 sending in a rescue chopper and Bond stealing a snowmobile and driving it off a cliff and grabbing onto a rope ladder hanging beneath the helicopter.

[Leon]

James Bond is not only a special operations British agent with a licence to kill, but also an avid climber anyway...

He would NEVER climb a frozen waterfall...that's a daft idea which was good to have been abandoned. Anyone who knows anything about climbing would be on the floor laughing in cinemas at such a thing. Why climb a melting waterfall which is dangerous enough being only ice alone let alone melting, when you could climb the rock next to it...

[Harry Fawkes]

James Bond is not only a special operations British agent with a licence to kill, but also an avid climber anyway...

He would NEVER climb a frozen waterfall...that's a daft idea which was good to have been abandoned. Anyone who knows anything about climbing would be on the floor laughing in cinemas at such a thing. Why climb a melting waterfall which is dangerous enough being only ice alone let alone melting, when you could climb the rock next to it...

I am a fully qualified Rescue climber and have been for the past ten years. Did my course with the Italian Alpine Rescue Section. Very intensive course. Love climbing myself and have done in various places. And yes, one would be absolutely crazy to do something like that. After 18 years Air Search and Rescue believe me when I say I've seen it all where saving lives are concerned! Climbing a frozen waterfall? I'd probably kill him myself if he needed help, for putting my life and the helicopter crew at risk whilst doing something crazy in the first place.

[One-Ten]

I'm not worry about skiing...I'm worry about a return of Blofeld...So, you're not alone.

[HH007]

I'm not worried about ski chases, although I think they have been overused in Bond films.

[Barman]

Erm,.....have I missed something? When was it said that there's going to be a ski sequence in 22 at all? As far as I can tell the only partially confirmed action sequences are some sort of chase during a horse race (maybe) and some speedboat action (Craig was photographed having a practice) this "ski sequence" just seems to have been assumed to be happening 'cos one of the locations has snow.

[Jericho_One]

I'm actually not all that excited about skiing, I've seen it a few too many times before in Bond. I like mountains though and, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I'd like to see them used for an excellent, suspenseful climbing sequence. Still, if it's done well (and that's a big 'if'), then I'll be happy to see it. I think it's a bit too early to be concerned as there don't appear to be any concrete statements, more off the cuff remarks so don't start chewing your nails yet, Jimmy In any case, there have been more good than bad skiing episodes in Bond all told, so don't let the dark side strike you yet.

Same here for a nice climbing sequence.

[Vauxhall]

Erm,.....have I missed something? When was it said that there's going to be a ski sequence in 22 at all? As far as I can tell the only partially confirmed action sequences are some sort of chase during a horse race (maybe) and some speedboat action (Craig was photographed having a practice) this "ski sequence" just seems to have been assumed to be happening 'cos one of the locations has snow.

I'm no longer expecting a ski sequence. There is no filming scheduled for Switzerland, and, as far as we know, Austria is only being used for shooting at Bregenz and Feldkirch.

[MattofSteel]

Yes the TWINE ski chase was dull, but I don't think its a cause for concern this time round, as its (almost) a completely different creative team across the board. I don't know what it is about the TWINE scene that doesn't work, specifically. Its an interesting, innovative idea - Bond chased by swooping parahawks and he's got no weapons to help him, he can only outfox them with his skiing skills, and there are things in it that should be exciting - a huge explosion going off as Bond sails through the air, two parahawks smashing into each other, Bond and Elektra being buried in the snow, yet none of it really amounts to anything.
Hopefully the new gritty Bond era will get back to what its all about - pure skiing, with that unique Bond X factor that makes it interesting!

Can't disagree at all.

The second unit work on TWINE is disappointing, and I assume Apted had some control over their work - at least two sequences use zooms rather than camera moves, which NEVER works, and shows a filmmaker unsure of how to construct an action sequence.

In fact the alternate cut of the Thames boat sequence - a highlight, thanks to Arnold's score - shows just how...hap-hazard the direction was. Loads of coverage, and a million ways to cat up. GE and CR show the difference, with Campbell picking every shot carefully, designing them to be joined in a specific way.

Which is to say - we've not had a solid Bond ski sequence since FYEO. I'd say we're due another. Now it's all up to the new (and interesting) team.

This issue was my singular trepidation with Forster's hiring. Hopefully he relies heavily on Dan Bradley.

[JimmyBond]

Erm,.....have I missed something? When was it said that there's going to be a ski sequence in 22 at all? As far as I can tell the only partially confirmed action sequences are some sort of chase during a horse race (maybe) and some speedboat action (Craig was photographed having a practice) this "ski sequence" just seems to have been assumed to be happening 'cos one of the locations has snow.

When I originally posted this thread there were several rumors that there would be a ski chase in the next film.