86 replies to this topic

[DaveBond21]

We saw Major Boothroyd in Casino Royale.

He put a microchip in Bond's arm.



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[007jamesbond]

I hope Major Booothroyod instead of Q, and I think some gadget is possible like listening device. Pretty much standard field agent issue that could be really usefull.

[DaveBond21]

Yeah. Presumably someone provides the 00s with their equipment, or do they just help themselves to the gadget shed?


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[Miles Miservy]

Instead of Q, I'd prefer Geoffrey Boothroyd.

I thought Boothroyd's 1st name was Algernon?

I think someone told me that once.

[Captain Tightpants]

I think the character of Q was named "Algernon" in NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, since Kevin McClory obviously didn't own the rights to Q.

[Loomis]

Eh, there are better choices than Pegg. I'd prefer someone with more maturity.

I have a feeling that the new Q (assuming there is one) will be a young guy, probably quite a bit younger than Bond, if only because people nowadays tend to view techies as young whizkids as opposed to middle-aged or elderly boffins. I can imagine that, instead of an old fogey who groans "Oh, grow up, Double-O Seven!", we'll have a chap in his early twenties who mocks Bond for being an old man and complains that instead of working for MI6 he should have accepted the job offer from Facebook or Google or Apple or whatever which would probably have made him rich.

I really can't stand Pegg, though, so thank goodness he's already "Q" in the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films.

I suspect that part of the film's agenda is to get the Bond trademarks back in place.

I suspect you're right. I also suspect that, once the Bond trademarks are back in place, us fans will be complaining that the films have become too traditional. Eon really can't win! (Except at the box office.)

[PotterBond007]

I really hope they bring back Q and John Cleese. For me, one of my favorite parts of any Bond film was the visit to Q's lab, and his constant annoyance with Bond. "Pay attention, 007." LOL

[SecretAgentFan]

I really hope they bring back Q and John Cleese. For me, one of my favorite parts of any Bond film was the visit to Q's lab, and his constant annoyance with Bond. "Pay attention, 007." LOL

Well, that´s extremely unlikely.

The idea of a young Q making fun of the old man Bond is a logical step away from the cliché but somehow I would not like that either. Making fun of our man, naw.

The longer I think about it... how about combining Moneypenny and Q? Q could be a woman that Bond flirts with and who is better at the technostuff she supplies him with?

[Captain Tightpants]

The idea of a young Q making fun of the old man Bond is a logical step away from the cliché but somehow I would not like that either.

How about a Q who is Bond's age, but socially-awkward? Or completely inattentive despite his genius? Or a hipster and open to ridicule? (What? NCIS has a gothic forensic technician, so Bond could have a genuis inventor who happens to be a hipster - "He's over-compensating for ... um, something" says Bond; naturally, hipster-Q would abandon his subculture after one or two films.)

But I still like the idea of 'headmaster Q', an ex-Amry quartermaster who is very ordered and very efficient who is brought in by M to organise Q-Branch, which is populated by geniuses who are all on the Autism spectrum disorder and do not like social interaction and desperately need order.

PS - I was just kidding about the hipster thing. Mostly. Perhaps Q could have a hipster assistant who he frequently abuses.

[univex]

But I still like the idea of 'headmaster Q', an ex-Amry quartermaster who is very ordered and very efficient who is brought in by M to organise Q-Branch, which is populated by geniuses who are all on the Autism spectrum disorder and do not like social interaction and desperately need order.

People in the autism spectrum that need order? What they do "need" is to be able to cope with disorder, given that the world is full of it, literally. Not an easy task btw, but very much possible. The Q branch staff would probably be on the far side of that spectrum But pay no attention to me, I work in the mental health field, just nitpicks on my part.

But I do like what you´re saying, the ex-Army fellow with knowledge in arms, brought in by M to organise the tech devision into something more useful is a fun ideia. I like it

Edited by univex, 20 October 2011 - 01:22 PM.

[Captain Tightpants]

People in the autism spectrum that need order? What they do "need" is to be able to cope with disorder, given that the world is full of it, literally. Not an easy task btw, but very much possible. The Q branch staff would probably be on the far side of that spectrum But pay no attention to me, I work in the mental health field, just nitpicks on my part.

Well, I'm just going off my experiences as a high school teacher. Even in the university subjects on dealing with special needs students, we're always taught that when it comes to students on the ASD, one of the best strategies is to have a highly-organised routine for them to follow. That way, they don't get bothered by uncertainty or something unexpected. But as someone working in the medical heath profession, I'll defer to your judgement.

I'm not seeing Q-Branch being filled with people on the extreme end of the spectrum, but rather people who are mildly autistic or have Asperger's. They like an ordered working day, and are not happy with meeting new people all the time. So M employs an ex-Army Quartermaster to run Q-Branch, who runs the division like a school. Members of Q-Branch bring their creations to him and he issues them to agents; they call him 'Q' - short for 'Quartermaster' - as a mark of respect and a sign that they accept him. Bond never actually interacts with the people who develop the equpiment because they are most comfortable with Q rather than the agents. To the people in Q-Branch, he's one part quartermaster, one part school teacher, and one part favourite uncle.

[SecretAgentFan]

Difficult because it would easily appear as making fun of people with this affliction.

But I know what you are getting at - and I also would like the "headmaster-type" Q, in a return to the traditional depiction of the character. It probably boils down to the casting. If that is right and surprising...

A pity that Michael Caine is already Batman-attached. He could have been brilliant in this.

Hey, what about... SAM NEILL?

He could bring the extra dose of "I would have loved to be a field agent" to the part, some sardonic edge, slightly creepy...

[Chief of SIS]

I think the biggest obstacle with reinventing Q is doing in the logical fashion in consideration that MI6 is a first class intelligence agency. A young gun might be a hard pill for me to swallow. He's Q-master, not Q-protege. If they do do a Q I would like some exposure to the tech side of MI6. Don't give me a guy that merely calls Bond in. Reintroduce me to the tech workings of British Intelligence.

[univex]

Well, I'm just going off my experiences as a high school teacher. Even in the university subjects on dealing with special needs students, we're always taught that when it comes to students on the ASD, one of the best strategies is to have a highly-organised routine for them to follow. That way, they don't get bothered by uncertainty or something unexpected. But as someone working in the medical heath profession, I'll defer to your judgement.

I know. That is the general educational policy regarding ASD students. My only judgment on the matter would be that it is your prerogative to teach - and as a teacher you do need foundations for learning, organisation is, therefore, essencial to that purpose. On my side of the street, my goal is to extract them from that spectrum by removing the fears of being in a very caotic world - which is a gargantuan enterprise, just as much as teaching. So for both of us Captain Still, another matter for another time and topic.

Edited by univex, 20 October 2011 - 07:14 PM.

[col_007]

How about normal guy no funny quips or jokes just gives bond the gadgets that are called no need for any sort of "angle"

[Pussfeller]

The recent pop-cultural tendency, whenever depicting "technical" people, seems to be to present them either as high-functioning quasi-aspies or as the polar opposite of that. It would be a bit trendy for my taste, but it must be said that such a character would be an interesting foil to Bond.

In recent years Bond has become something of a savant himself where technology is concerned, particularly during the Moore and Brosnan years. (Moore's "Encyclopedia Bond" was particularly egregious IMO.) I'd like to see Bond's technological aptitude dialed back to the level of Goldfinger, where he can't defuse a bomb all by himself, but he's cool enough that it doesn't matter. Of course he should be competent and effective, but in a rough-hewn, intuitive, improvisational way.

[00 Brosnan]

I don't think there's any reason the cars can't have some reasonable weaponry built in.

They don't have to go stinger missiles behind the headlights or tire-laser beam crazy, but think things like a bullet guard, smoke screens, etc...practical, but at the same time fantastical gadgets.

[SecretAgentFan]

How about normal guy no funny quips or jokes just gives bond the gadgets that are called no need for any sort of "angle"

That would be... boring, wouldn´t it?

[Pussfeller]

Yes, it is boring. It's what they've been doing for the last two films. MI6 is a big shiny place crawling with boring, forgettable stuffed shirts with names like "Villiers". It would be better to have no MI6 scenes at all. Dench is given way too much screen time, and everyone else at MI6 is an out-of-focus nobody.

[Murcaldy]

I really hope they bring back Q and John Cleese. For me, one of my favorite parts of any Bond film was the visit to Q's lab, and his constant annoyance with Bond. "Pay attention, 007." LOL

Well, that´s extremely unlikely.

The idea of a young Q making fun of the old man Bond is a logical step away from the cliché but somehow I would not like that either. Making fun of our man, naw.

The longer I think about it... how about combining Moneypenny and Q? Q could be a woman that Bond flirts with and who is better at the technostuff she supplies him with?

Do you mean, Q'ute? HAHA

[PPK_19]

Yes, it is boring. It's what they've been doing for the last two films. MI6 is a big shiny place crawling with boring, forgettable stuffed shirts with names like "Villiers". It would be better to have no MI6 scenes at all. Dench is given way too much screen time, and everyone else at MI6 is an out-of-focus nobody.

No MI6 scenes? There might as well be no James Bond films then. Dench IS Bond.

[Captain Tightpants]

How about normal guy no funny quips or jokes just gives bond the gadgets that are called no need for any sort of "angle"

Uh, because if they're reintroducing the character, then Q actually needs to be a character.

When Desmond Llewellyn was in the role, there was an "angle", as you put it. Despite Bond's utter disdain for his equipment and Q's frequent admonishment that Bond needed to grow up, they were obviously friends. Kind of like House and Wilson in HOUSE, though more subtle.

When John Cleese was in the role, there was once again an "angle". He was a younger version of Desmond Llewellyn's Q, someone who clearly had no respect for Bond and his antics. He was very proper and very fussy, but as Q excelled himself (even Bond was astonished at the invisible car), they began to form a grudging respect for one another.

So whoever becomes the next Q, there will obviously be characterisation at hand.

[SecretAgentFan]

So... before we had Q as the anti-Bond, the lab guy invested in his creations and angry at Bond for destroying them.

Where can EON go from that?

I guess the bickering between Bond and Q is so classic EON will not want to disappoint the audience by going a completely other way.

Personally, I would hope for Q not to be younger than Bond because that would be rather obvious (the young tech nerd). I would love to see someone in Bond´s age, maybe someone who was a field agent before but had to retire due to an accident. So now, this Q would envy Bond for going on a mission but at the same time wants to equip agents with stuff that could prevent them from getting hurt. How´s that for motivation?

[Captain Tightpants]

I think a lot of Q's character would hinge on the gadgets he gives Bond. On the one hand, I think a Q who knows exactly what Bond will need for his assignment will dilute the film (ie, in order to infiltrate Carver's office in TND, Bond needs a skeleton key, a security charger and a fingerprint scanner, all of which are contained in his phone), but audiences will want to see the gadgets getting used (unlike most of what Q supplier in LTK, like the x-ray/laser camera and exploding alarm clock). So it's going to be a fine line between gadgets that are useful without doing Bond's job for him.

[univex]

Personally, I would hope for Q not to be younger than Bond because that would be rather obvious (the young tech nerd). I would love to see someone in Bond´s age, maybe someone who was a field agent before but had to retire due to an accident. So now, this Q would envy Bond for going on a mission but at the same time wants to equip agents with stuff that could prevent them from getting hurt. How´s that for motivation?

Doc House comes to mind But yeah, I can definately see it that way.

[JimmyBond]

Dench IS Bond.

She is? But I thought Daniel Craig was Bond

[marktmurphy]

How about normal guy no funny quips or jokes just gives bond the gadgets that are called no need for any sort of "angle"

Yes, that'd be good. Just a professional person doing their job would be fine.

[TCK]

Dench IS Bond.

She is? But I thought Daniel Craig was Bond

PPK_19 surely just watched Casino Royale 67 before this post, and as you know, it's too much for one James Bond... !

[slider17]

surely Stephen Fry would make the best 'Q' ?

[Captain Tightpants]

surely Stephen Fry would make the best 'Q' ?

He would. But he's in the same category as Simon Pegg;



He's already been a Q-like character in a spy film.