1111 replies to this topic

[Cruiserweight]

DAF

Did you enjoy it?

Read my short review in the what bond film do you feel like watching thread.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

I remember reading somewhere that the producers felt that TLD would have made more money if there had been a second major Bond girl, but I'm glad they only had one. Having another woman to vie for Bond's attention would have affected his relationship with Kara.

Agreed. A huge contribution to the success of Bond & Kara in TLD is the fact that she is introduced almost immediately and is his sole focus of romantic attention, similar to Bond & XXX in TSWLM. The next 5 films all featured a Bond with his attention divided between 2 women and consequently none of the Bond/Bond girl relationships worked as well as Bond/Kara. CR featured the most effective since TLD in this area although Vesper didn't show up till the movie is almost an hour old.

And they explored the triangle aspect in LTK adequately with Pam and Lupe.

I thought it was a little too much in LTK. I don't like the Bond films to turn into soap operas although it(like in OP) was a nice change of pace to allow both main girls to live and have happy endings.

Besides.... let's face it - that stocky Russian lady who helped Bond and Yorgi escape through the pipeline in the beginning was technically a Bond girl, no?

You're forgetting Linda a/k/a "Margot's" friend in the PTS. Also, Felix's 2 assistants who kidnap Bond. Though technically they might be Leiter girls rather than Bond girls.

[Kristian]

[
Agreed. A huge contribution to the success of Bond & Kara in TLD is the fact that she is introduced almost immediately and is his sole focus of romantic attention, similar to Bond & XXX in TSWLM. The next 5 films all featured a Bond with his attention divided between 2 women and consequently none of the Bond/Bond girl relationships worked as well as Bond/Kara. CR featured the most effective since TLD in this area although Vesper didn't show up till the movie is almost an hour old.

I love CASINO ROYALE, but in my opinion, they could've shortened the action sequences in Madagascar and Miami a little (sorry, but in my opinion they went a little too long) and tried to move the action to Montenegro and introduce Vesper a little earlier. As well-made as CASINO ROYALE was, I just didn't really buy into how Bond fell for Vesper so quickly. It's the same issue I have with TWINE - Bond falls too fast. If Vesper had as much screentime as Kara did, I could believe it. The romance in CR was a little rushed for me, and considering the movie hinged on it, I felt a little unsatisfied with this angle. Eva Green was terrific - but she never really thawed for me. I wonder how someone like Rosamund Pike would have fared in the role?

[sharpshooter]

The Living Daylights. As people know, Dalton was magnificent. Shame he didn't do more, but, if good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?

[PrinceKamalKhan]

[
Agreed. A huge contribution to the success of Bond & Kara in TLD is the fact that she is introduced almost immediately and is his sole focus of romantic attention, similar to Bond & XXX in TSWLM. The next 5 films all featured a Bond with his attention divided between 2 women and consequently none of the Bond/Bond girl relationships worked as well as Bond/Kara. CR featured the most effective since TLD in this area although Vesper didn't show up till the movie is almost an hour old.

I love CASINO ROYALE, but in my opinion, they could've shortened the action sequences in Madagascar and Miami a little (sorry, but in my opinion they went a little too long) and tried to move the action to Montenegro and introduce Vesper a little earlier. As well-made as CASINO ROYALE was, I just didn't really buy into how Bond fell for Vesper so quickly. It's the same issue I have with TWINE - Bond falls too fast. If Vesper had as much screentime as Kara did, I could believe it. The romance in CR was a little rushed for me, and considering the movie hinged on it, I felt a little unsatisfied with this angle. Eva Green was terrific - but she never really thawed for me. I wonder how someone like Rosamund Pike would have fared in the role?

I understand why EON felt the need to frontload the film with a lot of action. With the expectations of the average contemporary moviegoer, folks would've complained that the film was "too slow and boring" without them. End result: it's kinda like watching a Bruce Willis flick until Vesper shows up and then Ian Fleming's Casino Royale truly begins. Still, CR's first half helped Craig to distinguish and assert himself as a much tougher and action-oriented Bond than Brosnan. Also, lovely ladies Caterina Murino and Christina Cole help the first make the "first of the the 2 movies that constitute CR" enjoyable.

CR's kinda like OHMSS where Tracy disappears for hour. Interesting that in both CR and OHMSS, these 2 most important females in Bond's life are both non-existent for almost half of their respective films. And while TWINE has an intriguing premise, it is ultimately silly since it makes Bond look so naive and stupid. In a way TWINE is TLD in reverse:

TWINE: Bond is sent to protect a woman, he falls for her, he discovers she's a villainess and ultimately has to execute her.

TLD: Bond is sent to execute a woman, he protects her, he discovers she's not a villainess and ultimately falls for her.

The Bond of TLD is infinitely smarter than the Bond of TWINE.

Rosamund Pike as Vesper? Perhaps. The idea of Miss Pike playing opposite Craig's Bond is intriguing. However, since Fleming wrote Vesper as a brunette, Eva Green comes close to resembling her pretty well IMO. If CR had been made in the 1980s, I think Rachel Ward would've made a very good Vesper, especially opposite Dalton. I think Rosamund Pike would've probably been very good as Gala Brand in a faithful adaptation of Fleming's MR.

The Living Daylights. As people know, Dalton was magnificent. Shame he didn't do more, but, if good things lasted forever, would we appreciate how precious they are?

Indeed. Dalton rocked. Too bad he never got to appear in more films but at least none of his were as weak as say TWINE or AVTAK.

[Cruiserweight]

TSWLM

[DaveBond21]

I just didn't really buy into how Bond fell for Vesper so quickly. It's the same issue I have with TWINE - Bond falls too fast. If Vesper had as much screentime as Kara did, I could believe it.

Bond has a thing for doomed women.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Some of From Russia With Love last night. I need to watch the whole film soon.

[MrMoneypenny]

Just watched TWINE again tonight and was actually pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Since last week, I've started re-watching some of the Bond films I was never really excited about. Well, not excited enough to watch them over and over again, like I tempt to do with the others. I started with LALD and was surprised how good and comfortable Sir Roger Moore was in his first Bond installment. Then I re-watched Goldeneye, a movie I liked when it came out but had always thought to be very dark and depressing looking, and lacking the Bond glamour. Not anymore. The movie was exciting and has one of the best villain Bond-girls in the series: Famke Janssen. But then I tried to watch LTK again. Tried. I was 18 when the movie came out and was shocked back then how American this movie felt. It had no charm, it was super violent and the storyline was boring as hell. Well, after watching about 30 min of it I pulled it out of the DVD player. 19 years later, I still think it is the worse movie in the whole series. While I'm a big Timothy Dalton fan, I think LTK was a complete waste of his talent. There is just nothing Bond about this film. It actually feels like a wanna be Bond.

[DR76]

I just watched DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. The best I can say is that it was funny. And I enjoyed the Las Vegas atmosphere. But . . . I noticed that Bond was the only one wearing a tux (or in his case, white dinner jacket) at that casino. I think that was taking Bond's image just a little too far. Especially for a Las Vegas casino.

[Cruiserweight]

Tommrow Never Dies

[Double-0-Seven]

I watched Casino Royale the other day to start getting ready for Quantum of Solace. It was as enjoyable as always. It seems to get better with each viewing. I'm hoping Quantum of Solace will be the same way, a great film that just keeps getting better.

[Tarl_Cabot]

Dr. No. Love the villian's underground lair...

[eddychaput]

Dr. No. Love the villian's underground lair...

Yeah, I just watched Dr. No as well. That underground lair is amazingly beautiful, if completely ridiculous.

[Agent 76]

Dr. No. Love the villian's underground lair...

Yeah, I just watched Dr. No as well. That underground lair is amazingly beautiful, if completely ridiculous.

Hell, count me in guys lol
I, too, watched Dr. No this afternoon. It's always a great pleasure to see this one. one of the best for sure.

[Vauxhall]

Treated myself to CASINO ROYALE by means of a warm-up for QUANTUM OF SOLACE for the first time in nearly a year probably. It really is a fantastic movie.

[BlackFire]

Goldeneye, I was testing the ipod video feature, and it's awesome.

[DaveBond21]

I think LTK was a complete waste of his talent. There is just nothing Bond about this film. It actually feels like a wanna be Bond.

I think it's a great Bond movie, and features the biggest involvement by Q, of any movie. He spends more time in this movie than he does in Octopussy.

Love the villain, Sanchez, love the plot, the girls and the way that Bond destroys Sanchez's organisation from within. It also features 2 fantastic sequences - the underwater to riding on the seaplane section, and the tanker chase.

I disagree that it is not exotic, because anywhere outside the UK is exotic or different for many of us Brits. But I agree that Americans may not like it because it looks too American. But American-looking movies are popular in Britain, and here in Australia where I now live.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

I

think LTK was a complete waste of his talent. There is just nothing Bond about this film. It actually feels like a wanna be Bond.

I think it's a great Bond movie, and features the biggest involvement by Q, of any movie. He spends more time in this movie than he does in Octopussy.

Love the villain, Sanchez, love the plot, the girls and the way that Bond destroys Sanchez's organisation from within. It also features 2 fantastic sequences - the underwater to riding on the seaplane section, and the tanker chase.

I disagree that it is not exotic, because anywhere outside the UK is exotic or different for many of us Brits. But I agree that Americans may not like it because it looks too American. But American-looking movies are popular in Britain, and here in Australia where I now live.

I think I read that LTK actually outgrossed TLD in Great Britain. Perhaps that's the reason why.

[eddychaput]

LTK is one of my favorite Bond films. To know what Bond is like, sometimes it's important to take Bond out of his elements, which is what they went for here.

Not without some faults, but a strong outing and criminally overlooked.

[Kristian]

LTK is one of my favorite Bond films. To know what Bond is like, sometimes it's important to take Bond out of his elements, which is what they went for here.

Not without some faults, but a strong outing and criminally overlooked.

Love it as well. I think it was a refreshing change for the series. The action is great; the fight in the Barrelhead bar could've been choreographed better but it was decent. The pacing is crisp. The supporting characters are colorful. The Bond women are intriguing and well-utilized. Talisa Soto is not as bad as people say. She's better than Denise RIchards and Tanya Roberts, and is hypnotically beautiful. Look at this way, it could've been far worse - the originally were looking at Maria Conchita Alonso. Carey Lowell may have been a little too elegant and statuesque for hard- Pam Bouvier, but she acquitted the character well. Only complaint here was the writers could have played up the triangle aspect between Lupe, Bond, and Pam without almost making the latter look a pouting 14 year old.

Otherwise, it's near-perfect. Moving this to # 2 on my list....

[Mister E]

LICENCE TO KILL wasn't an awful movie but I consider it a huge opprotunity wasted because it felt like a pale imitation of what was popular in the 80's. Still, it felt like the end of an era after this film. Alot of the old crew retired or passsed on before GOLDENEYE.

[eddychaput]

I mentioned earlier that I do enjoy Licence to Kill, but it isn't without its faults.

I don't think all the Q scenes work very well. I mean, I thought Bond and Q were always annoyed with one another. How come Q has suddenly come to aid Bond in a personal revenge mission?

Secondly, I do not think that Talisa Soto is a very actress in the film. She definitely is a weak link.

[Safari Suit]

I think I read that LTK actually outgrossed TLD in Great Britain.

I doubt it. TLD was the number 2 film for it's year, LTK was number 6. Plus, TLD was PG and LTK was 15. That said, I don't have the actual figures.

[eddychaput]

Last night I watched my favorite Bond adventure: From Russia With Love.

[BlackFire]

Casino Royale yesterday. Love that one!

[Cruiserweight]

TSWLM

[Daddy Bond]

TSWLM

Also, TSWLM.

[DaveBond21]

I thought Bond and Q were always annoyed with one another. How come Q has suddenly come to aid Bond in a personal revenge mission?

Not at all. Q is exasperated about what happens to his equipment but he has the up-most respect for Bond. Look at the way he congratulates him on his wedding in OHMSS. And there is a lot of respect in TWINE too (it'a almost grandfatherly).

[Cruiserweight]

Goldeneye