9 replies to this topic

[bondrules]

I am making this thread not as "throw in your nominations topic", but as my idea that Luc Besson & Pierre Morel can do a fantastic job as a writer/director team for B23. If you have seen TAKEN, you'll see where I'm coming from.

For those who haven't seen TAKEN (no, it's not the SS TV show)I'm not gonna spoil it for you. You can Google it otherwise. (BUT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ON NOT READING WIKIPEDIA OR OTHER SITES WHERE BASICALLY THEY TELL YOU EVERY LITTLE DETAIL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE STORY.....IF YOU TAKE OUT THE SURPRISE FACTOR IN THIS PARTICULAR MOVIE, YOU CLEARLY WON'T SEE IT THE SAME WAY AS I).

I read about this movie months ago and didn't think much of it. Neeson is not my favorite actor. And the plot seemed like something I had seen many times over.

But last night a friend set me up with a DVD copy of this movie. As soon as I was done watching it, I knew right then and there, that this is the way I want the next Bond movie to be made. The team of writer Luc Besson (with cowriter Robert Mark Kamen) and director Pierre Morel can use some of the Fleming unused material and do their take on it. I truly feel they can do an absolutely brilliant job.

This movie won't get a US release till Feb.2009. It has been released in Europe though. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and watch it (if you can). Now please!

I'm sure some ppl will say this movie is no good, or not good enough for Bond, etc. Others might agree with me.

I opened this thread to stand on its own b/c the other threads I've read discuss the usual suspects (to helm B23), and I wanted to give a fresher (and fitting) idea by pointing out a movie that not everyone seems to have seen.

Hopefully once it opens wide in the US on 2/2009, more ppl will be able to give out their opinion on my take. For now I suspect that most ppl who may have seen it are from the other side of the Atlantic.

For those who have seen this movie, what's your take on it being used as blueprint formula for B23?

[bondrules]

I can't believe I am saying this, but TAKEN is a far better film than QoS. It's certainly better than any Bourne film. No doubt in my mind.

Maybe it makes for a better thread to talk about widely known names, like Steven Spielberg, Martin Campbell, Paul Greengrass, Sam Mendes, Brian DePalma, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Christopher Nolan, and all the names that are super easy to come up with, since most ppl know who they are.

But this french tandem is just the right mix for B23 IMHO.

[CaptainPower]

I can't believe I am saying this, but TAKEN is a far better film than QoS. It's certainly better than any Bourne film. No doubt in my mind.

Maybe it makes for a better thread to talk about widely known names, like Steven Spielberg, Martin Campbell, Paul Greengrass, Sam Mendes, Brian DePalma, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Christopher Nolan, and all the names that are super easy to come up with, since most ppl know who they are.

But this french tandem is just the right mix for B23 IMHO.

Luc Besson is hardly an unknown either. I have a friend who actually said the same, that TAKEN was far better than QoS. Gutted I missed it in the cinema Interesting idea though!

[Eurospy]

I quite disagree with you.

I also watched Taken and found it to be some of Besson's work to date. I think that Taken was actually, but not close to the quality of QOS (I'm part of the ones who liked it a great deal, in spite of what I consider minor flaws). Taken ended up surprising my by present a solid action thriller.

I think that Besson would be fine as a director perhaps, but never as a writer. His Kiss of the Dragon, Transporter, etc., fun as they may be, end up being sheer "dumb fun" due to its overly simplistic plots, as if they were something like discardable screen pulp. And Bond should not become overly simplistic.

Taken managed to be simple wihout being simplistic, but still I would never trust Besson to write a solid, well-balanced Bond thriller.

[MattofSteel]

Paul Haggis and Martin Campbell. Let P & W break the story if they're so inclined.

[crheath]

Whatever happened to Roger Michell? Didn't he back out of Quantum because a script wasn't ready? Wouldn't he reconsider Bond 23? I might have missed a few things that happened when he quit.

[bondrules]

Actually I was looking for an opinion from those who have seen the movie, to consider the french tandem as a 1-2 punch for B23

[level007]

Hi bond rules.

i'm french and i saw taken this year when it went out, in may or something.
i didn't really wanted too, because i'm not a fan of besson's production. AS one previous poster they are all about action and very bad scenario.

The trailer was ok, and one of my friend convince me to see the movie.

After 5 minutes, i was like "humm.. could be nice", but then when Neeson caracter arrives in Paris, the movie is not anymore fun.
I mean this guy is invincible ! so much that we spent the whole end of the movie laughing, because the hero is so everywhere, i don't know how much people he kills in the movie, maybe 100!

So as you can see, i'm not the deepest fan... The movie is not bad, but it's classic action movie from Besson, maybe a bit better than usual. Still, the fact that Neeson is untouchable the whole movie make me have a good laugh with my friend.

I quite like QOS, it hink people jsut wanted a CR 2, so they were disapointed, but it's a really good, action, visual bond.

let's have Mctiernan or guy like him. he won't be expensive, he needs to make a good movie because he hadn't in years, and he is the guy who invented modern action movie. But he also has all th estyle required, look at thomas crown (1999).

[bondrules]

Thanks for your reply level007

I do however think that the character does get beat up enough during the film. Until DC, the Bond character was hardly hurt. I don't want to get into details in order avoid spoiling it for ppl who haven't seen it, but besides the torture scene in CR, Neeson's character gets as much of a beating in TAKEN than Craig in CR or QoS. Not only that, but Bond in CR and QoS is so much more of a Superman than Neeson is in TAKEN (it's not even close). The suspension of disbelief is pushed much further over those 2 Bond installments, and that's after the fact that they are 2 of the most realistic Bond films to date.

I do agree that some of Besson's past works have not been up to Bond standards, but I do believe that the combination with director Pierre Morel made this particular film into a formula that could work brilliantly for B23. For a spy/action film, TAKEN is as good as anything I've seen. Combine that with the Fleming pen, and you have Bond magic.

BTW, I gave QoS 9/10. I thought it was a wonderful film.

[double o ego]

Eh? Craig is more superman than neeson in taken? I don't think so. Taken is a brilliant action film imo and the action was bloody brilliant, you could see what was going on and there weren't any assinine quick cuts.

Anyway, Neeson is like the terminator in this film. Every situation where he interacts with the bad guys is just insane, unbelievable but ridiculously cool to watch. When Neeson goes to the house with the big red doors, he takes out at least 15 guys all within close proximity and don't get me started on when he gets cuffed to the pipe in the pipe room, surrounded by about 7 guys and kills them all. Ahh, taken is probably the sleeper hit of the year. I urge everyone to go and see it. It makes you wish that Neeson was cast as Bond back in the day, hell he could have been Bond now but I love craig.