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[refreshZ]

Having just seen The Bourne Supremacy and the fantastic Collateral - the cold, calculating spy/hitman has been reborn. Visceral, violent and NOT afraid to do their job. Jason Bourne and Vincent are these types.

We've seen these types before - and we're all in love with the shadowy life they lead. Of these Bond is arguably the most famous. So why does he live in ridiculous fantasy operas with scripts written by 15-year old English Literature failures?

Bond is crying out for a realistic story populated with realistic enemies and showing us all what he can *really* do. Just why is killing in cold blood (y'know - like ASSASSINS do) so avoided by screen writers? Particularly Bond screen writers. This, obviously, is only ONE beef with the direction Bond films have gone of late. The over use of gadgets and endorsements by car companies mean that the same freeze-dried formula is rolled out for every new installment. I'm no expert but I'm sure Fleming never meant this to be the lot for his British spy. I can't help but feel that the Bond franchise has been run into the ground by a selection of clueless film school hacks pressured by film studios to keep the action 'clean'. Fools. Long live the spy - but Bond needs to be put out of his celebrity misery by Jason Bourne. Or Vincent.

 

[Jill Sandwich]

This is why Licence to Kill is one of the best Bond movies. They really do need to do a Batman and 'reboot the franchise'

 

[Ripclawe]

It was called license to kill and it failed at the box office, since people wanted the over the top Bond version as Die another day proved making a ton of cash at the box office and DVD sales.

 

[refreshZ]

People suck.

Wasn't Bond on a very low ebb at that point due to the perceived unpopularity of Timothy Dalton?

 

[Jill Sandwich]

http://imdb.com/title/tt0097742/

I never said anything about it being popular, I think people weren't expecting the massive switch from camp comedy Roger Moore to stony face Dalton. Brosnan had the right balance, but after Goldeneye it just got ridiculous.
Anything would be better than Die Another Day!

 

[Error Macro]

It failed because by 1989, people were just completely tired of the Bond films. It's probably one of the best Bonds, along with The Living Daylights. Timothy Dalton is James Bond, when you compare his character to the one in the books.

Actually, now that I think about it, the failure of Licence To Kill was probably due more to the fact that there were so many blockbuster movies to come out in the Summer of '89: Batman, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, Ghostbusters 2, The Karate Kid Part III, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Licence To Kill, etc., so as you can see, it was fairly easy to get lost in the mix.

 

[XS+]

License to Kill wasn't over the top? Bond wasn't avalanche-surfing to escape a giant laser or fighting a Sith lord in a free-falling aircraft, but LtK played out like a typical R-rated testosterone-pumped 80s action flick. What's so realistic about that?

Bond is obsolete imo, that much was proven back in 2002 when Bourne Identity and even xXx were more coherent and entertaining spy flicks than the ridiculous-to-the-Nth-power Die Another Day.

The Bond movies shouldn't stray too far from the brand of 'realism' found in Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies (even though TND kinda sucked it had some good parts to it), and they need more compelling writing and better directors onboard.

 

[Doth Togo]

#1 Most Realistic and, IMO, Best Bond Movie:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064757/

Spoiler

Bond fights Telly Savalas who wants to control the world through experimental drugs and chemicals. Bond gets married to organized crime boss' daughter to pursue the lead. Ownage ensues. Great, great story.

 

[Prospero]

Re: OHMSS: Points for Diana Rigg as the all-time best Bond girl, but

Spoiler

the Olympic-level-skiing Blofeld and the dated '60s sex-comedy aspects pretty much take that movie out of the realm of realism.

Diana Rigg, the John Barry score, and the skiing sequence are the only reasons I'll tolerate that movie--it's certainly not as bad as Moonraker or Octopussy, but I'll never understand why so many Bond fans call that the best in the series while passing over From Russia With Love or For Your Eyes Only (which both have my vote for the most "realistic" Bond films, and are two of my favorites).

It wasn't just Licence to Kill that strayed from the Bond formula and failed financially--For Your Eyes Only did that as well (as great as that movie was), and was followed up by three dumbass Bonds in a row--Moonraker, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill (if I remember the order correctly).

 

[Escape Goat]

We just need more Jaws/Bond hand to hand combat. Thats what Bond movies are all about.

 

[ChumsGum]

Meanwhile, the last Bond, Die another Day, made money than any other Bond movie in the past so don't expect any changes soon.

 

[Phoenix]

We just need more Jaws/Bond hand to hand combat. Thats what Bond movies are all about.

Ding. We have a winner. Bond is what it is, they shouldn't change it. If people don't want to see it anymore then it will die and people can see Bourne or whatever. Don't hijack and bastardize a franchise just because people aren't making what you want to see.

 

[Troidal]

They should remake Dr. No with Dr. No as Sean Connery.

 

[Funky Papa]

and even xXx were more coherent and entertaining spy flicks than the ridiculous-to-the-Nth-power Die Another Day.

Whoa whoa, calm down buddy

 

[calder]

I agree with the first post, but I do have to say you see the old, hardcase Bond peek through now and then. Seeing him execute an unarmed Elektra in the World is Not Enough ("You'd miss me" *blam* "I never miss") was the only cool part of that movie, simply because it was like Bond remembered who the fuck he was for a second.

 

[dskillzhtown]

I was reading a story in the Wall Street Journal and the writer is expressing things do need to go back to the roots of Bond. Less over-the-top action and more about, ya know spying. But seems that these over the top movies are making big money, especially on DVD, so it is going to be hard to tell the studios they need to go in a different direction.

 

[Warm Machine]

I remember watching License to Kill and feeling its tone was completely off. Felix getting chomped up by sharks was really off putting and then entire plot revolving around cocain felt really dated in 1989. The look of the film was also ugly and the music is some of the worst in a Bond film.

I really liked Timothy Dalton as Bond. The Living Daylights is one of the top Bond movies for me because the pace is quick and the locations are great.

For Your Eyes Only is probably the best Bond of all time. That story is genius, there locations change up constantly, the Bond girl is gorgeous, and each action sequence is better than the last. It is probably the most action packed of any of the Bond movies.

I totally agree that Bond should get away from the very unrealistic fantasy that we saw in Die Another Day and others like Moonraker. I love Bourne Identity/Supremacy but that amount of grit and realism doesn't suit the film series. Bond and Indiana Jones have about the same tone to them and any sequel that can strike that kind of a balance would be welcome.

On Her Majestys Secret Service is where the majority of the inspiration for Austin Powers came from. That movie is a total product of its time.

 

[Mustang]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was indeed very good.

There were certainly hit and misses in the series but I have them all on DVD and am a big fan.

I am hoping that Eric Bana (if that is indeed the guy) will inject something new into the series.

The Spy Who Loved Me was probably the best Moore movie.

I think Goldfinger was Connery's best IMO.

The Living Daylights was Daltons best and Golden Eye was Brosnans best.

Guy Hamilton was probably the best director.

Have to go with Connery as my favorite.

He's my boy.

 

[darscot]

The Bourne series is exactly that.

 

[Diablos]

A Realistic Bond movie... isn't a Bond movie.

 

[SpoonyBard]

A Realistic Bond movie... isn't a Bond movie.

IAWTP

 

[The Faceless Master]

realistic bond = teh suck...

but i do agree it's a car commercial-fest nowadays...

my fave bond?

either thunderball, live and let die or diamonds are forever...

 

[Gattsu25]

A Realistic Bond movie... isn't a Bond movie.

Agreed.

 

[Mustang]

Well, a fair number of action movies are a bit over the top these days but yeah, the Bonds are more so than most.

 

[Error Macro]

I hope that someday they go back and remake every single Bond movie that was based on a book, and try to make it like the story in the book as much as possible, down to every last detail. Pierce Brosnan would have been an excellent Bond (and he was, for GoldenEye anyway), but I guess that dream is over.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was good, but George Lazenby was a total dud as Bond, and the movie was very far from the book. I think Ian Fleming's novel of OHMSS was the absolute best of the series, but the movie version was a bastardization of it. Diana Rigg was very nice to look at though.

 

[White Man]

On Her Majestys Secret Service is where the majority of the inspiration for Austin Powers came from.

I was under the impression that Austin Powers was a Casino Royale ripoff. Although immeasurably uneven, that movie contains some of my favorite Bond moments. And it's dying for a similarly-themed reimagining.

 

[Error Macro]

Austin Powers actually ripped off most of it's plot from Thunderball. There are rumors about that Casino Royale is being looked at for a remake. I hope they can actually stick to the book this time...