23 replies to this topic

[M_Balje]

When it's time that Mr Bond die,how must he die.

[The Admiral]

Die? Why die?

He could perhaps...retire

[1q2w3e4r]

No. I don't think so. i'd prefure it that was the case they just stopped making the films like the gap between LTK and GE and didn't come back.

Bond couldn't live in retirement. He's a man of action and war and any periods of routine and normal life generally in the books send him into a state of depression. It wouldn't be convincing I dont think to the audience to have Bond "retire". A good death would be nice, but it'd probably be easier to just stop making them without any reference.

[The Admiral]

Very true, 1q2w3e4r.

[Pierce Bond 007]

I dont think Bond shoud die. He is too good to die.

[zencat]

Just like Sherlock Holmes and Tarzan I don't think Bond will, or should, ever die.

[Double-0 Six]

If they had to stop making the Bond movies for some reason, I'd rather the last one finish with Bond on leave with the perfect girl by his side and a vodka martini in his hand.

Don't kill him, don't officially finish the films, just stop and leave the future open.

[HUNTER C.]

The films have come this far and they're still going strong so I think by the time they reach the finale of the series that creating a plausible death that wouldn't totally defy most of whats happened in the previous films and all his "close calls" would be extremely hard. And, people like happy endings. I'd like to see Bond retire/go on leave. Or, like what was mentioned above, just stop the films and leave it open to the future. Of course, though, I think it should be the BIGGEST Bond film ever and perhaps a lot of twists within the repeating characters themselves (no not the "love triangle" soap opera garbage, just something that makes you go "oh.... wow..." and really reflect on the rest of the series).

[Tanger]

I don't think Bond should ever die. And for me, it's hard to imagine the series coming to an end. But one day it will happen, the newer spy films will take over and the public in general will be fed up with Bond.

When the decision is made to end the series, I say they find the most graceful way for Bond to leave. Or perhaps he could be promoted to the role of M and then since he'd never gon on missions, there'd be no point in the series continuing.

Just don't kill him off though.

[General Koskov]

They ought to just end like everyone thought they did after Licence to Kill (I think everyone thought this). Bond's escaped so many deaths that nearly any death would seem goofy; however, I always wondered if he got cancer from all that reactor-room action in The World is not Enough...

Or perhaps they could borrow a chapter from 'The Authorised Biography of 007' and have him go in to, and come out of, retirement to save the world.

[Turn]

I also don't see the demise of Bond anytime soon, so this isn't a real tough thing to deal with.

If he had to go into a hiatus or whatever, though, they could get inspiration from YOLT the novel. Bond loses his memory and is living out his time with a beautiful woman in some remote area. That way you always know in your heart he will return someday -- the message at the end of the credits said so.

[Xenobia]

I don't think Bond should die either...but if the end should come, he's certainly earned the right to a happy ending...perhaps he will be the new M...so he is still a man of action...and yet he will have more time to do other things in his life.

-- Xenobia

[ChandlerBing]

They should plan ahead and do a definitive last one, call it Nobody Lives Forever, but don't kill Bond. They were idiots and killed Captain Kirk and they're still pissed about that. Don't mess with Bond.

[Tim007]

Bond will die another day

[Spectre001]

Personally I think the only way to kill Bond (if he had to die) would be for the villain to learn from those before him and just shoot Bond rather than dream up an elaborate death for which our hero would escape.

[Carver]

If, and this is a big if, he dies, it should be a valient death, like saving the Queen or something. That would be a very fitting end to the Bond series, rather than MGm just bringing it down:rolleyes:. But, I think that Bond should retire, and prehaps, gt married to Moneypenny;)

[Peter]

Bond will definately retire to Jamaica with his last flame, beachcombing and swimming through the coral reefs. He might even play occasional ally to any new 00 agents who have missions in the region (a la Kerim Bey, Colombo).

I thought the final scene in NSNA suggested this pretty well.

[WarBird]

Bond can't die. It's Bond. Bond doesn't die.

[Colonel Mooney]

If the Bond series did come to an end, the question is not how, but when. It's all very well saying that people saying that audiences will get bored with Bond, but think how much the character has changed since Connery's films and Fleming's books - I doubt anyone would be able to imagine Pierce Brosnan playing James Bond in Doctor No - if the films were still written like that, the production company would have been out of business long ago. If it wasn't for the classic lines, introduction and Gun Barrel sequence, an audience of 40 years ago would not have recognized Bond as he is today.

Another point is, who would really be stupid enough to give up on the franchise? Even if it bored the producers out of their brains, surely the pay-cheques would be just about enough compensation?

Till Next Time,

Colonel Mooney

[Xenobia]

I think Bond will live as long as MGM needs the franchise and trust me....007 has a looooooooooong life ahead of him.

The people of this planet will always have world leaders creating bad guys (like Bush picking on Hussein) to take the focus off of domestic problems. And there will always be James Bond to save us from the bad guys.

We need that good guy / bad guy tension to give us hope that us good guys will triumph over the little evil ones in our lives.

That being said, let me ask this:

Could we the fans live with it, if the series ends with Bond married and living happily ever after with the new love of his life?

-- Xenobia

[WC]

If the series did come to an end, then maybe Bond should marry Sylvia Trench, who turns up once again. Or perhaps he'll discover that Tracy didn't really die but that it was all a nefarious plot by Spectre (or possibly MI6 to keep him from retiring). In any event, there should be a sense of closure bringing many of the characters full circle.

However, I don't think the series is likely to end, just evolve and adapt to new audiences. It has gone 20 films so far and has more or less become a British institution. You might talk about a film series ending after say 6 films, or even 10, as with Star Trek, but 20 seems to have transcended the notion of an eventual end.

[Xenobia]

I like the idea of there being a nefarious plot to keep Bond on the job, because that would be the cause of Bond retiring....being betrayed by the MI6. It would be nice for him to get rid of those who betrayed him, and then retiring somewhere with the love of his life.

-- Xenobia

[Pierce Bond 007]

I like the idea Xenobia. Bond should retire. But I read int the CBN
website and found a James Bond Memoriam. It said that 007 aka James Bond died at 65 years old. same age as Fleming.

[1q2w3e4r]

Ian Fleming died August 12th, 1964. He was 56 years old. And coincidently for a bit of trivia for you, it was his son's 12th birthday.

That said.

I'd personally hate the idea of Bond retiring and living "happily ever after" because he couldn't do it. He's a man of action, the soft life would be too much for him. Even in the films (and increadibly more so in Fleming's novels when we can read Bond's thoughts) his spirit is always in decline when he isn't on assignment. Something that only happens roughly 3 times a year or so.

I don't think it would even tie in with the cinematic Bond who's lived life on edge constantly for years. Retiring or becoming M wouldn't in my opinion be consistant with the character, M is a paper pusher, an ex-admiral. Bond in MR the novel admits that he's got 8 years left in the Double-O section and after that he'll be retired or more likely dead, and with hopefully little left in his bank account.

I'd really be annoyed if the producers did that. I'd like the "last" movie to end somewhat like Fleming's novel TMWTGG. WIth a shootout, Bond gets the bad guy, but he's hit as well and we see him fall to the ground and fade to black. Doesn't mean he's been killed. But he's definantly injuired, and the series is still open to future installments.