16 replies to this topic

[MissDalton99]

Here's a question...

If you could create an alternate ending to either TLD or LTK, how would it go?

[Mr_Wint]

TLD: I would end the film in Afghanistan somehow. Let Koskov die in the crash. Create a scene after the Necros-fight were Pushkin and his men arrest Whitaker. Then let Bond bomb the bridge and do the emergency landing and finish the film with Bond and Kara in Karachi.

LTK: Not sure. I would like to change everything after the gunbarrel...

[PPK/s]

I'm a big fan of TLD, so I wouldn't change a thing.

IMO, LTK needs an alternate beginning, middle and ending.

[onlyone007]

TLD: This film is quite a mess regardless of it's ending but obviously Bond should finish facing off and killing Koskov instead of Whitaker, I mean the Koskov character sets the whole plot for the film, I can't comprehend what EON was thinking.

LTK: I thought the ending was fine but could do without the groan inducing "why don't you ask" lines. I'm not sure if those were put in the script because of the song or the lyrics were just copied from the script but it's pretty bad. Other than the production values, it's one of the Best Bond films.

[byline]

Not sure about alternate endings, but in "The Living Daylights" I would've made Kara a deeper character; still innocent, but not quite so silly.

As for "Licence to Kill," I thought the phone conversation between Leiter and Bond was way too light, given what had transpired. I would've made it more about two men commiserating over the deaths of their respective wives. Not necessarily openly, but loss that was shared and understood between the two men.

Also, I would've developed the character of Leiter more, with more interaction between him and Bond, so that we really cared about what happened to him. I felt like it was a bit of a rush job, and we were expected to care about him simply because of his past history with Bond. We needed that shown more in the story, not just assumed and/or told to us. Felt too much like an episode of "Charlie's Angel's" or some such '70s TV show, where we had all the past history told to us, but there never was much reason to really care.

[Judo chop]

TLD: I

[00Twelve]

I know I've described what I'd like to see in an alternate LTK ending, but it's like byline said above.

I'd want the film on a considerably more downtrodden (appropriately so) note. I'd want to see James, with Pam waiting outside and Q back in London, actually in Felix' room. Felix would still be rather bad off, but mostly conscious. And I'd want to see James say something like, "It's done, Felix...I got the bastards...all of them...I watched Sanchez burn all the way to hell," or something to that effect. And I'd want to see Felix just slowly break down into tears, whispering to himself, "I'm sorry, Della...I'm sorry..." and the two just end there, with each other, both knowing the horrible pain of being a widower on their wedding day. Oh, and Bond's job is still uncertain.

Just me!

[Judo chop]

LTK: I'd want the film on a considerably more downtrodden (appropriately so) note. I'd want to see James, with Pam waiting outside and Q back in London, actually in Felix' room. Felix would still be rather bad off, but mostly conscious. And I'd want to see James say something like, "It's done, Felix...I got the bastards...all of them...I watched Sanchez burn all the way to hell," or something to that effect. And I'd want to see Felix just slowly break down into tears, whispering to himself, "I'm sorry, Della...I'm sorry..." and the two just end there, with each other, both knowing the horrible pain of being a widower on their wedding day. Oh, and Bond's job is still uncertain.

For the record, I think what the filmmakers actually made Dalton do is, in a sense, more sadistic than this hypothetical ending.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Here's a question...

If you could create an alternate ending to either TLD or LTK, how would it go?

I wouldn't change a thing to The Living Daylights.

As for Licence to Kill, I know a few who would consider the ending to be too long (about 2 hrs) and therefore would want to consider an alternative. But for me, the winking fish. Just get rid of the winking fish.

[Mr_Wint]

I have nothing against TLD. But I do think that the climax in Afghanistan and the following airscenes are so tense and exciting that everything after that just fades in comparison. For this reason it would be better to end the film a little faster and without any additional actionscenes.

[MissDalton99]

As for "Licence to Kill," I thought the phone conversation between Leiter and Bond was way too light, given what had transpired. I would've made it more about two men commiserating over the deaths of their respective wives. Not necessarily openly, but loss that was shared and understood between the two men.

I agree with you one hundred percent. Doesn't Felix seem a bit too cheerful for someone who lost his wife? That really bothers me.

Edited by MissDalton99, 25 October 2007 - 09:36 PM.

[byline]

As for "Licence to Kill," I thought the phone conversation between Leiter and Bond was way too light, given what had transpired. I would've made it more about two men commiserating over the deaths of their respective wives. Not necessarily openly, but loss that was shared and understood between the two men.

I agree with you one hundred percent. Doesn't Felix seem a bit too cheerful for someone who lost his wife? That really bothers me.

Yup. I like 00Twelve's scenario and think that would've worked better. The only thing I disagree with is that I liked Bond choosing Pam at the end. It makes sense to me that he'd find solace with the only Bond woman I can think of who didn't hinder him in any way, but actually helped him at every turn. Like others, I could've done without that last shot of the winking fish, though. Seemed like just another ruse to make the film's ending more lighthearted. That was needless, IMO.

[MissDalton99]

Oh, and just for the record...

TLD: After sitting through the entire thing and getting caught up in the complex plot, we find that the fate of Koskov is to be...arrested?!?!?!

I would get rid of both Koskov AND Whittaker. I kind of like the last scene okay, but I would add a few more shots of Bond passionately kissing Kara Milovy before the credits roll.

LTK: Call me insane, but I'd kill off Felix Leiter. Instead of Bond finding him badly injured, he'd find Felix dead. Why? Well, I simply hate the last scene in which the two of them are talking over the phone. There's a lot to be said, but they just don't say it. Besides, this is the last film to feature Leiter anyway (aside from the CR "reboot.")

Oh, and I'd get rid of the fish too. I highly dislike that fish.

Edited by MissDalton99, 25 October 2007 - 11:38 PM.

[byline]

TLD: After sitting through the entire thing and getting caught up in the complex plot, we find that the fate of Koskov is to be...arrested?!?!?!

Ain't that the truth. That scene got played for comic relief, too. A little too Moore-ish, IMO, and not a good fit for Dalton. Koskov should've been killed when his jeep exploded. How he just walked away from that is beyond me.

LTK: Call me insane, but I'd kill off Felix Leiter. Instead of Bond finding him badly injured, he'd Felix dead. Why? Well, I simply hate the last scene in which the two of them are talking over the phone. There's a lot to be said, but they just don't say it. Besides, this is the last film to feature Leiter anyway (aside from the CR "reboot.")

I have to wonder if the original intention was to bring Leiter back in a later Bond film . . . which, because of the legal wrangling delays caused by the lawsuit, didn't happen. We don't see Leiter again until "Casino Royale" (interestingly enough). So my feeling is that they were trying to create a shared history between Bond and Leiter which was supposed to be carried forward. That would've worked perfectly well had they actually stuck with that idea, rather than having everyone all smiles at the end, and then . . . nothing.

[HH007]

I agree with everyone who said that the phone conversation between Bond and Leiter should have been a lot better than it was. I can't remember the exact quotes but it plays something like this.

BOND: So Felix, how are you doing?

LEITER: Oh, fine, fine. Ya know, aside from the fact that I'm sitting here with one leg eaten off, everything is just hunky-dory.

BOND: That's good. Anyway, I gotta run, bye.

There definitely should more to this conversation (since it was the attack on Felix that set the plot into motion, after all). In fact, like someone else said, the conversation shouldn't have been over the phone at all, it should have been in person. Oh, and yes, get rid of that ing fish ! Aside from that, I wouldn't change a thing about LTK. I rather liked it, I don't know why so many people are down on it.

[G.I Jord]

The ending to TLD's is fine (apart from Koskov surviving the mini - inferno!).

However I would tighten up the ending to LTK, by making Felix not so sound so cheery (he's just lost his wife and a leg!), and make Bond's future uncertain.

[Mr. Blofeld]

In LTK, I would have M issue some sort of apology to Bond; he seems like a real bastard to've not.