15 replies to this topic

[Luigi Ferrari]

http://www.showbizsp...up-as-bond.html

“Daniel has been involved in looking at some of the classic Bond movies and introducing a hint of that charm into Skyfall,” reveals a Bond insider.
“Daniel’s Bond will remain darker and harder than before but he will lighten up a little. It’s been agreed that there needs to be an injection of humor so there will be one or two quips and visual gags for the Bond fans.”

[Vauxhall]

I'm not too familiar with the website Showbiz Spy, so I don't know how much (if any) credibility can be attached to this story. The phrase "a Bond insider" usually fills me with suspicion. However, if it was true, it would be a welcome development - although perhaps not too unsurprising after the fairly bleak story-matter of QUANTUM OF SOLACE - as long as it's not overdone and riddled with corny puns. Having watched a couple of the Brosnan movies recently, it really struck me how dated the attempts at humour seem already; they're devoid of the charm which Connery and Moore could get away with. If the Craig's comedic delivery doesn't quite hit the mark, I'd rather Mendes dropped the gags entirely.

[PPK_19]

Unfortunately, Craig's comedic delivery is on par with Dalton's: lacking. Dalton always struggled with the puns and one liners (see "He got the boot" or "Salt corrosion").

I'm not too familiar with the website Showbiz Spy, so I don't know how much (if any) credibility can be attached to this story. The phrase "a Bond insider" usually fills me with suspicion. However, if it was true, it would be a welcome development - although perhaps not too unsurprising after the fairly bleak story-matter of QUANTUM OF SOLACE - as long as it's not overdone and riddled with corny puns. Having watched a couple of the Brosnan movies recently, it really struck me how dated the attempts at humour seem already; they're devoid of the charm which Connery and Moore could get away with. If the Craig's comedic delivery doesn't quite hit the mark, I'd rather Mendes dropped the gags entirely.

Quite rightly they have shied away from humour more or less, fitting in more with Craig's style of playing Bond. So yes Vauxhall, i agree that the gags should be dropped entirely, otherwise it's just embarrassing.

Edited by PPK_19, 08 January 2012 - 11:13 AM.

[Captain Tightpants]

I think Craig's humour works best when he deadpans it. I can't see him shooting off a little quip like "Egyptian builders!". But lines like "Oh, I sorry. That last hand ... nearly killed me." and "We are teachers on sabbatical and we have just won the lottery." and "Excuse me. She's sea-sick." work because Craig is perfectly poker-faced when he delivers them. So if SKYFALL has more of this dry wit, I see no reason why it will not be funny. We don't need Craig to deliber his line and then smirk the way Brosnan did.

[The Shark]

The reason why the "sabbatical" like works and the other two you mentioned don't, is because Craig isn't poker-faced there. There's Sean's twinkle in his eye, that sense of irony. Craig should smile more.

[Melack]

I think there was a nice amount of great fun and humor in CR. Just the right amount for this Bond imo. QOS now that one could have used more fun.

Return to the ways of CR and with maybe even a little more fun, that would be enough for me. I have a fear they will overdo it just to compensate.

[Matt_13]

The reason why the "sabbatical" like works and the other two you mentioned don't, is because Craig isn't poker-faced there. There's Sean's twinkle in his eye, that sense of irony. Craig should smile more.

Boom.

"Your name sir?"
"James Bond. You'll find the reservation under Beech."
*Grins at Vesper*

The deliveries made in the second half of Casino Royale were pitch perfect. We need more of that.

[Shrublands]

"Excuse me. She's sea-sick." The reason this line doesn’t work is because it's crap.

[Major Tallon]

Mathis: I think she has handcuffs.
Bond: I do hope so.

Amusing, I'd say.

[The Shark]

Kinda, but Craig's delivery's a bit too flat.

[Guy Haines]

I've read a recent interview with Michael G Wilson for one of the UK cinema periodicals in which he said that Skyfall wouldn't lack humour, but that it would be the subtle, dry wit kind rather than laugh out loud. If so, that sounds like early Connery in style - or Craig in CR, where he did not lack humourous lines, and leavened one of the most harrowing moments in any Bond film with his replies to Le Chiffre during the torture scene.

I think such would work for Craig.

[MattofSteel]

I've always said, and maintain, CR might be the 'funniest' Bond film. To me at least. If they mimic that sort of humour, have at it.

[The Shark]

I always find TB and DAF to be the funniest Bond films. A good combination of farce, satire, irony and black humour, and well paced too. I also disagree with the comment that the early Connery's didn't have "laugh out loud" humour. Several gags in FRWL (such as Tanya and Bond's digression while M and co listen in) crack me up every time.

[thecasinoroyale]

I think Craig could deliver some good one-liners, to the effect of how he did it in 'Casino Royale', with a sublte hint of wit (as in he actually KNEW the reason behind his quip) and his expressions were right for a more serious Bond.

I can even see him quipping some of Moore's lines in the "Craig-style".

Heck, he almost had a ring of Connery/Dalton to him when Vesper said "You're not going back in there are you?"

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Subtle, but he knew he was being funny. I think Craig could pull some of these lines off...if the rumour for more humour is true,

[The Shark]

Yep, that's the sort of stuff.

[Guy Haines]

I always find TB and DAF to be the funniest Bond films. A good combination of farce, satire, irony and black humour, and well paced too. I also disagree with the comment that the early Connery's didn't have "laugh out loud" humour. Several gags in FRWL (such as Tanya and Bond's digression while M and co listen in) crack me up every time.

I had the impression from the producer's remarks that "laugh out loud" meant the sort of cheesy visual gags we used to get. I wouldn't be sorry to see the back of them. On the other hand a return to the dry humour of the 1960s - which actually did include some scenes which were genuinely "LOL" funny without distracting from the film - that I wouldn't mind at all. I've always maintained that the 1970s and 80s Bonds didn't need the sight gags. Roger Moore in particular was more than droll enough to amuse the audience with a well placed one liner - he didn't need a double taking pigeon as backup.