179 replies to this topic

[danielcraigisjamesbond007]

A question popped into my head over the weekend. What if Martin Campbell had come back to direct Quantum of Solace? Would it have been better? Worse?
He did such a great job with Casino Royale, that, I think, he should have come in to finish the "story arch" with QoS.

Edited by danielcraigisjamesbond007, 14 January 2009 - 02:44 PM.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Better.

[Loomis]

Better.

(And before anyone points this out, no, of course we don't know it would have been better - the only guarantee is that it would have been.... different. But, yes, I wish he'd directed QUANTUM OF SOLACE.)

[Judo chop]

I wouldn't have minded if he had sat in as the voice of Forster's conscience while Forster oversaw the action scenes.

Otherwise, no way. I don't think QOS would have been anything but more of the same, and I love what I've got.

[Zorin Industries]

Well as Marc Forster is a better director and made a better Bond film, I could not agree.

[Loomis]

I'd agree that Forster is the better director (at least insofar as he seems to have made more flicks that are worth watching than Campbell has.... that may, however, simply mean that Campbell has been the less lucky director), but I cannot agree that QUANTUM OF SOLACE is superior to CASINO ROYALE.

QUANTUM is a very good film, mind you, and I certainly wouldn't mind if Forster returned for BOND 23 (although it seems unlikely that he will), but I don't think it touches CASINO.

[ImTheMoneypenny]

I'm with Judo and Zorin, I'm pretty happy with QOS as is. I don't believe Campbell could have given us this excellent movie.

[HildebrandRarity]

Campbell is TOTALLY OVER-RATED on these forums. What's he done outside of James Bond? Anyone remember Zorro 2? Anyone remember these forums post-Zorro 2 and pre-CR?

Short memories. Short memories that he gave us the only Fairy Bond moment when he had Brosnan flying like Tinkerbell towards the plane in GoldenEye pretitles. For those of us who grew up with Connery, it was sickening to watch. I still have trouble watching that moment in Bond Histroy.

Look, with Ian Fleming provinding the book, anyone would have gotten CR right.

So, I say Quantum would be worse with Campbell. Q0S is visually stunnning and is without a shadow of a doubt the best paced James Bond film ever.

[Judo chop]

I don't think it touches CASINO.

It doesn't. Because they are on different planes of existence. Both are terrific, but they aren't made of the same thing.

Almost silly to discuss which is 'better', except for the fact that if we didn't, the mods would have 30-some ranking threads to close down.

For me, (again), variety is the real winner here.

[Loomis]

Look, with Ian Fleming provinding the book, anyone would have gotten CR right.

Nonsense. There are plenty of utterly rubbish directors out there who'd have done an immeasurably worse job than Campbell.

[HildebrandRarity]

Look, with Ian Fleming provinding the book, anyone would have gotten CR right.

Nonsense. There are plenty of utterly rubbish directors out there who'd have done an immeasurably worse job than Campbell.

But not Forster. If Forster had done Casino Royale it would have been better, including better paced.

If you think Forster would have done a worse job on Casino Royale than Campbell, then i'll have to strongly disagree.

[Mister Asterix]

Look, with Ian Fleming provinding the book, anyone would have gotten CR right.

Nonsense. There are plenty of utterly rubbish directors out there who'd have done an immeasurably worse job than Campbell.

And if anyone could get Casino Royale right, please explain what happened in 1967.

[HildebrandRarity]

Look, with Ian Fleming provinding the book, anyone would have gotten CR right.

Nonsense. There are plenty of utterly rubbish directors out there who'd have done an immeasurably worse job than Campbell.

And if anyone could get Casino Royale right, please explain what happened in 1967.

The 'anyone' was a throwaway.

I'm talking Forster v Campbell. Straight up. Mano-a-mano.

No contest that Forster crushes Campbell...on any movie, any genre, any time.

Forster doing GoldenEye would have been fantastic...no Fairy Bond moment!

[Judo chop]

If you think Forster would have done a worse job on Casino Royale than Campbell, then i'll have to strongly disagree.

Would you vote in Forster for the rest of the Craig era then, Hilde?

[plankattack]

Better.

(And before anyone points this out, no, of course we don't know it would have been better - the only guarantee is that it would have been.... different. But, yes, I wish he'd directed QUANTUM OF SOLACE.)

I sort of agree. And I've been reticent to really take a position on QoS. I'm with what seems to be the minority in that it's not an instant classic and not cobblers, but a good entry in the upper echelon of the franchise.

Loomis is right - no-one knowsd if it would have been better but it would have been different to what we got. But that said, I'm not sure Campbell-QoS would have been much different to CR, which is one of the strengths of Forster's film - it doesn't attempt to replicate CR.

I've not seen much of Campbell's other work (not a Zorro-fan) so I don't know how he would have handled QoS's pared-down, high-speed story. But the similarities do exist between GE and CR, in terms of pace and style, so I'd have to guess that with that Bond track-record, a Campbell QoS would have been in the same vein. In which I case would not have like it too much. I prefer different entries, and EON have got into trouble before regurgitating. And to me, bringing back Campbell would have run that risk.

[HildebrandRarity]

If you think Forster would have done a worse job on Casino Royale than Campbell, then i'll have to strongly disagree.

Would you vote in Forster for the rest of the Craig era then, Hilde?

No because I think the richness and longevity of James Bond on Screen lies in Eon's desire for Variety and Diversification. Keeping it interesting is key.

I say go for someone else on Bond 23. Someone not on anyone's radar screen. But not Roger Mitchell...he's gutless.

[danielcraigisjamesbond007]

Forster doing GoldenEye would have been fantastic...no Fairy Bond moment!

I respectfully disagree. I like GE the way it is. I think that Campbell did a great job with the film. Realistic acting and great action.

[plankattack]

If you think Forster would have done a worse job on Casino Royale than Campbell, then i'll have to strongly disagree.

Would you vote in Forster for the rest of the Craig era then, Hilde?

But not Roger Mitchell...he's gutless.

I'm venomous opponent of Hilde's position on SC make-up and toupee, but on this I am in total agreement. Read some of Michel's statements on his "Bond-experience" and he does come across as someone who just didn't have the bottle.

[HildebrandRarity]

Forster doing GoldenEye would have been fantastic...no Fairy Bond moment!

I respectfully disagree. I like GE the way it is. I think that Campbell did a great job with the film. Realistic acting and great action.

So you like Pierce looking like Peter Pan as he flies into the decending airplane?

I wonder what Connery and Dalton thought when they first saw that scene...

[Judo chop]

So you like Pierce looking like Peter Pan as he flies into the decending airplane?

I wonder what Connery and Dalton thought when they first saw that scene...

"They ashked me to do that, but the shilly toupee wouldn't shtay on..."

[danielcraigisjamesbond007]

Forster doing GoldenEye would have been fantastic...no Fairy Bond moment!

I respectfully disagree. I like GE the way it is. I think that Campbell did a great job with the film. Realistic acting and great action.

So you like Pierce looking like Peter Pan as he flies into the decending airplane?

I wonder what Connery and Dalton thought when they first saw that scene...

That didn't really bother me, as much as it should have. Sure, that scene is "ridiculous," but I was able to suspend my disbelief, knowing that it was CGIesque, and accept it.

[plankattack]

Campbell definitely seems to get a free pass on the scene, whereas old Tamahori gets crucified for the para-gliding-ice surfing scene. But maybe that's because the rest of GE is decent (honest - how many of us walked out of the cinema in '95 and didn't say "That was great!").

Edited by plankattack, 14 January 2009 - 03:30 PM.

[Judo chop]

Campbell definitely seems to get a free pass on the scene, whereas old Tamahori gets crucified for the para-gliding-ice surfing scene. But maybe that's because the rest of GE is decent (honest - how many of us walked out of the cinema in '95 and didn't say "That was great!").

A big difference for me is my estimate of its plausibility.

GE - slim

DAD - what universe do you live in?

[HildebrandRarity]

This thread shouldn't be about CR v Q0S. You can't compare the two scripts given one had the spine of a Fleming book and the other was a fresh story but based in Fleming. In addition, Eon had different intentions for each movie, hence slightly different approaches.

This thread, imo, ought to be about Forster v Campbell, straight-up.

[plankattack]

Campbell definitely seems to get a free pass on the scene, whereas old Tamahori gets crucified for the para-gliding-ice surfing scene. But maybe that's because the rest of GE is decent (honest - how many of us walked out of the cinema in '95 and didn't say "That was great!").

A big difference for me is my estimate of its plausibility.

GE - slim

DAD - what universe do you live in?

Judo - that is the WEAKEST defence of the GE scene I've ever heard!!!!! Don't tell me - slim just left town!!!

[Judo chop]

Plank, I don't want to upset Hilde and knock this further off track.

Meet me in somewhere in the Pierce Brosnan forum, when the sun - or some shiny satellite - is at high noon, and we'll finish this...

[Mister Asterix]

So you like Pierce looking like Peter Pan as he flies into the decending airplane?

I wonder what Connery and Dalton thought when they first saw that scene...

To be fair, that was filmed by the second unit and then poorly done in post and editing. And actually the second unit stuff is fine; it’s not until the post production people botched it up that there is a problem, though a tighter edit could’ve bettered the scene.

Not sure how much control Soup had of that scene.

[HildebrandRarity]

Plank, I don't want to upset Hilde and knock this further off track.

Meet me in somewhere in the Pierce Brosnan forum, when the sun - or some shiny satellite - is at high noon, and we'll finish this...

Nooooo.

Keep it here. It's more fun!

Not sure how much control Soup had of that scene.

Ha ha!

Soup holds ultimate responsibility...just like the 5 or 6 CBn-ers around here who hate Quantum hold Forster responsible for things like 'the boat chase' and the 'editing'.

[Mister Asterix]

Not sure how much control Soup had of that scene.

Ha ha!

Soup holds ultimate responsibility...just like the 5 or 6 CBn-ers around here who hate Quantum hold Forster responsible for things like 'the boat chase' and the 'editing'.

Fair play then. ’Cept I don’t recall any problem’s with Quantum of Solace’s editing or boat chase.

[CaptainPower]

Forster doing GoldenEye would have been fantastic...no Fairy Bond moment!

I respectfully disagree. I like GE the way it is. I think that Campbell did a great job with the film. Realistic acting and great action.

So you like Pierce looking like Peter Pan as he flies into the decending airplane?

I wonder what Connery and Dalton thought when they first saw that scene...

If you have a problem with that scene then I point you in the direction of the aerial dogfight sequence in Quantum of Solace, followed by the classic moment of Bond and female companion jumping out of a plane with one parachute between them, landing in a cave and being completely fine.

Neither are particularly grittily realistic, are they? And the visual effects aren't exactly groundbreaking either.