James Bond

[Fellfrosch]

I saw Die Another Day this week, and I was very impressed--one of the best of the modern Bonds, and better than a lot of the old ones. The villains had some silly attributes but the movie didn't dwell on them (like it did in The World is Not Enough), and it did a good job of combining ridiculous excess (the killer satellite) with real-world factors (North Korea and conflict diamonds). It was nice to see a megalomaniac finally present a workable plan and a plausible motive.

So what are your opinions? Have you seen it? Do you agree? Do you (like myself) think that Brosnan is the best Bond since Connery? What's your favorite Bond movie? Do you feel that Bond movies are inherently flawed because they have to stick to a formula rather than try more interesting approaches (like The Bourne Identity)?

[Entsuropi]

i think that the bad woman was cuter than halle berry, which was kinda wierd.

they are also bringing back halle berry for the next one or two bond films. which is wierd.

the film could have done without the car going invisible - that was pretty stupid even for bond films.  i loved the car chase though.

[Fellfrosch]

I'd heard that Berry was getting a spinoff movie as Jinx, but I didn't know they were bringing her back in the next Bond. It's too bad they're using Jinx instead of Michelle Yeoh's character from Tomorrow Never Dies--she was way cooler.

[Nicadymus]

I had also heard of Berry's spinoff.  As far as the movie goes, I thought that it was one of the best late edition Bond moives as well.  I do have to agree with Entropy's disappearing car comment, though. That was just a little too far out there for me.

[Fellfrosch]

Yeah, I'll grant you that. The invisible car was weird.

[Slant]

I  have also heard about a possible Jinx spinoff.  But then we have been hearing about the Catwoman spinoff for nearly ten years now....

My favorite Bond film was Never Say Never Again, which really isn't considered canon by most Bond devotees.  I just really liked the idea that Bond was, well... old.  He's been around since the 1960's (where he must have been in his early 40's) and the idea of him actually looking it was a good one.

[Entsuropi]

"considered canon"
how the fisk can you consider a bond film to be "canon"? its the idiot fanboys gettign worked up again, aint it?

[House of Mustard]

Brosnan is great, but I still prefer Connery simply because his movies were better, Goldfinger being my favorite.

TNT has been running a Bond movie a night for about a month, and I've come to the conclusion that Roger Moore was not the suave and sophisticated guy the Bond should be - he was just a dirty old man.

Incidently, Ian Fleming always felt that Timothy Dalton was the best Bond (truest to the books).

[Fellfrosch]

Entropy, is there any franchise of entertainment anywhere in the world that does not have a body of work considered to be canon? I can't think of one.

[Mr_Pleasington]

I haven't really enjoyed any of the James Bond films since Goldeneye.  They're alright to watch, but they just don't have the soul of the classics. I think Die Another Day is possibly the worst Bond movie I've seen. It's as if the writer had not ever watched Bond, but had heard about Bond movies from a friend.  

[Slant]

I don't know about that; some of the Roger Moore films were far worse than Die Another Day.  Octopussy?  Moonraker?  They should have just closed down the franchise once Sean Connery decided to call it a day.

[Fellfrosch]

I've heard that comment from a few other people online, Pleasington, and I'm curious. I'm not nearly the Bond aficionado as some (possibly you), so I didn't pick up on anything untrue to the series. What were some of the Bond heresies committed by the film?

[Mr_Pleasington]

Though I do enjoy the majority of the Bond movies, I'm nowhere near an aficionado.  The writing just felt so trite.  I mean we all expect the typical Bond cliches (trademarks, some would say), but this movie really overused them.  The whole movie just felt like one big cliche to me. Then again, I've not been really pleased with the Bond films since he went  from super sleek spy with a little action to super action hero with a little spy.

[Nicadymus]

I will agree with you on the "super sleek spy with a little action to super action hero with a little spy" comment.

[Fellfrosch]

As will I. Bond does seem to be more of a commando than a spy these days.