Is Pierce Brosnan really all that bad ??

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  • 00Agent00Agent Any man who drinks Dom Perignon '52 can't be all bad.
    Posts: 5,185
    I take back what I said before. Brosnan really isn t all that bad, except for in TWINE.
    hell3.jpg

    Pierce is my favorite Bond. Though the older i get, the more i notice the flaws in his films especially when viewed in the context of a Bondathon.
    But that only concerns his movies, not his portrayal. For me he is my ideal Bond, basically what Connery was to a previous Generation. And Goldeneye remains pitch perfect to me.
  • edited August 2019 Posts: 17,293
    I think Pierce was at his best in TWINE.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    Posts: 8,025
    Is Pierce Brosnan really all that bad ??
    No, but he wasn’t that great
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,087
    I appreciate Brosnan and his films more and more all the time, considering it has been so long since we got a Bond film in that style. Especially SPECTRE showed that it is hard to incorporate the elements well, and the Brosnan films actuallly did a pretty solid job. I wouldn't consider them classics, but they are all enjoyable, very rewatchable romps which is all I ask a Bond film to be.
  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    Posts: 3,000
    I take back what I said before. Brosnan really isn t all that bad, except for in TWINE.

    tumblr_pqbvc5FbTD1wg78ifo7_500.gif
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,331
    I take back what I said before. Brosnan really isn t all that bad, except for in TWINE.

    Wow! :O

    What sorcery is this?
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,416
    Pierce was perfect for the late 90s era. GE will always be my favorite and the other entries, while not the best are still fun films. I'll rank him after Sean, Dan and Rog however.
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,533
    He could overact at times but Brosnan was a phenomenal Bond overall.
  • Posts: 6,677
    That scene with Kaufman, the one with Raoul, the Alec confrontation at the statue graveyard, the escape from the banker's office...all pure Bond as far as I'm concerned. And I miss that sense of style he had. He moved rather well, like a dancer. Not like a panther, as Connery or Dan do, but as a dancer. And whenever he talked less, he was more Bondian.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 23,376
    Brosnan has improved over time though I always thought he was good in GE a great Bond, his other films let him down IMO
  • Posts: 1,680
    Brosnan has moments that match Craig. I would even argue brosnans first two are better than Craig’s last two. It took nearly 5 years but skyfall isnt as beloved as it used to be.
  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    edited August 2019 Posts: 3,000
    Univex wrote: »
    That scene with Kaufman, the one with Raoul, the Alec confrontation at the statue graveyard, the escape from the banker's office...all pure Bond as far as I'm concerned. And I miss that sense of style he had. He moved rather well, like a dancer. Not like a panther, as Connery or Dan do, but as a dancer. And whenever he talked less, he was more Bondian.

    That, for me at least, is the essence of Bond. That debonair attitude. A slightly, but not excessively, cocky demeanor. Confidence that just oozes cool. It’s something that Brosnan delivered well. It was an era when the franchise had the audacity to do that over the top escapism, that if done by any other film series would be seen as parody, but they did it with a straight face. It was brilliant and I miss it.
  • MakeshiftPythonMakeshiftPython “Baja?!”
    edited August 2019 Posts: 8,025
    I agree that TWINE was his worst performance, but to be fair all the actors were not so good under Apted’s soap opera approach to directing actors.

    DAD was easily his best performance. I wish we had gotten THAT Bond from him from the get go. I thought he was too stiff in GE.
  • edited August 2019 Posts: 11,425
    As Bond Pierce was sadly truly awful. But outside of Bond I rather like him.

    Agree that Craig has lost something post QOS. Hope he rediscovers first gear for B25.
  • Posts: 3,279
    Brosnan was unfortunate in that he starred in some of the worst films of the franchise, not to mention appearing in the rock bottom 100% solid worst film of the franchise (DAD).

    Had the directors taken a different approach with his movies, or Brosnan himself taken a different approach to the character (he plays tough far better in movies outside of Bond), then he may have been a great Bond.

    As it is, for me it will always feel like a sadly missed opportunity. He looked the part, exactly how Fleming wrote him, yet never really acted how Fleming wrote him. Hammy, animated, over-emotional, trying that little bit too hard to look cool when the camera was on him. That was never Fleming Bond.

    We caught occasional glimpses of what his Bond could look like throughout the 4 films, but it never really came to the surface, hidden away behind a slightly feminine velvety voice, rapid machine gun fire, ridiculous animated running, smarmy smiles and squints, theatrical yells and silly grimaces, badly done CGI effects, OTT villains that lacked any menace, and implausible storylines that strayed way too far from the Fleming books.

    Yet this was a great pity, because watching Brosnan in Tailor of Panoma, or The Ghost Writer, and he could easily play characters with an inner menace, danger lurking within, someone to be feared. It's just that we never saw this when he played Bond - yet that is exactly how Brozza should have played him.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I think Brosnan did the best he could with what he was given.
  • Posts: 19,339
    I will add more to this tomorrow x but NO he bloody isn’t !!
  • Posts: 6,819
    barryt007 wrote: »
    I will add more to this tomorrow x but NO he bloody isn’t !!

    And just for balance Bazza, I'll add YES, he bloody well is!! Hehe
  • mattjoesmattjoes Kicking: Impossible
    Posts: 6,733
    Of course he's not that bad. He's very good. Personally, I wouldn't have wanted him playing a darker Bond, in the style of The Tailor of Panama (though even Brosnan himself might disagree!). I love his films, too. I think three of them are comparable in quality to the Moore era, and the other one is DAD, which has a good first half and a slightly boring second half.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,416
    I wonder what he could have done with a QOS sort of Bond film
  • mattjoesmattjoes Kicking: Impossible
    Posts: 6,733
    Is Pierce Brosnan really all that bad ??

    He's the worst. I once ran into him and asked him what was his favorite film. He punched me in the face, knocked me down, and proceeded to kick me on the ground.

    Of course, the fact I kicked him in the groin when I asked that question might've upset him.
  • edited August 2019 Posts: 3,564
    Pierce Brosnan, whatever else you may think of him, is a professional actor. He gave the producers the Bond they wanted at that time. When they decided they wanted a different sort of Bond, they didn't ask him if he could bring a different interpretation to the role -- they just hired a different actor. I don't think Pierce is likely to get a fan reassessment until after the next guy has had a few films under his belt, but I suspect that at that point Craig will be the one taking all the stick unfairly...
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,977
    There is a ton of revisionist history going on here with Brosnan. Not sure if it's the Dalton gang or the Craig gang but he gets vilified on here and I don't think it's deserved. We tend to forget that Bond was on life support when GE was released. The character had been forgotten somewhat. The franchise was lost and the last movie didn't set the world on fire. GE changed all of it. People give credit to Martin Campbell and rightfully so, however most directors don't generate box office. GE was Pierce driven in terms of box office.

    Then for his second film it comes out against Titanic. Bloody hell you might say? Nope it holds it's own and does extremely well against huge competition over the holiday season. This time he's saddled with a director of less pedigree then Campbell and a script that was revised on the fly. Public still loves him and clamors for him.

    Third film and the producers try something different. A true main villainess for Bond. They play with the formula and go back to a more humanistic approach. Fans still clamour for it and it's another success.

    Fourth film, the producers decide to go big and outlandish. As an actor you can get lost in such a production. However Pierce holds his own and delivers a great performance. The box office is smashed!

    Okay all that is in terms of box office which is how, rightly or wrongly, success gets defined in Bond films. Pierce consistently delivered in all types of films he was starring in. Looking more creatively and into his performance as Bond. I'd say it was slightly uneven. GE was a great first film in terms of the Bond touches being back. Yet the whole thing was updated for the new generation. Pierce manages to do the role justice. He doesn't look totally comfortable but he rocks some of the scenes. Especially against Dench as a new M.

    TND I think the script revisions hurt the whole film. By the stealth boat climax it's a shoot'em up movie and lacks what a Bond picture should be. However he shows depth at the passing of Paris. He and Hatcher have some great chemistry. The producers have an OTT villain and Pierce holds his own.

    I appreciate what they were trying to do with TWINE. It was a direct reaction to TND and I think a sensible return to a more human portrayal of the character. This time his performance suffers as he has little chemistry with Richards. But the chemistry with Marceau is quite hot. I love the scene of him on the computer watching her video and he caresses the screen and you can see he's moved by her vulnerability. Wonderful stuff.

    Finally the big production and hoopla for DAD! They advertised Jinx and Bond equally as Berry was coming off an Oscar win. Yet again he shines and delivers a wonderful performance. The walk through the Chinese hotel with PJ bottoms and scruffy beard. I don't think Craig could pull it off but Pierce owns it!

    I like what Brosnan has left as his Bond legacy. I think he was admirable in the role and seemed to enjoy being Bond. I never heard any "slash my wrists" comments. To me he was very much like Moore in that he didn't fight what Bond did to him or his career he embraced it.

    My respect and admiration has grown and I think he has a lot to be fondly remembered for.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,331
    Excellent post @thedove, Well said! :-bd
  • 00Agent00Agent Any man who drinks Dom Perignon '52 can't be all bad.
    edited August 2019 Posts: 5,185
    thedove wrote: »
    There is a ton of revisionist history going on here with Brosnan. Not sure if it's the Dalton gang or the Craig gang but he gets vilified on here and I don't think it's deserved. We tend to forget that Bond was on life support when GE was released. The character had been forgotten somewhat. The franchise was lost and the last movie didn't set the world on fire. GE changed all of it. People give credit to Martin Campbell and rightfully so, however most directors don't generate box office. GE was Pierce driven in terms of box office.

    Then for his second film it comes out against Titanic. Bloody hell you might say? Nope it holds it's own and does extremely well against huge competition over the holiday season. This time he's saddled with a director of less pedigree then Campbell and a script that was revised on the fly. Public still loves him and clamors for him.

    Third film and the producers try something different. A true main villainess for Bond. They play with the formula and go back to a more humanistic approach. Fans still clamour for it and it's another success.

    Fourth film, the producers decide to go big and outlandish. As an actor you can get lost in such a production. However Pierce holds his own and delivers a great performance. The box office is smashed!

    Okay all that is in terms of box office which is how, rightly or wrongly, success gets defined in Bond films. Pierce consistently delivered in all types of films he was starring in. Looking more creatively and into his performance as Bond. I'd say it was slightly uneven. GE was a great first film in terms of the Bond touches being back. Yet the whole thing was updated for the new generation. Pierce manages to do the role justice. He doesn't look totally comfortable but he rocks some of the scenes. Especially against Dench as a new M.

    TND I think the script revisions hurt the whole film. By the stealth boat climax it's a shoot'em up movie and lacks what a Bond picture should be. However he shows depth at the passing of Paris. He and Hatcher have some great chemistry. The producers have an OTT villain and Pierce holds his own.

    I appreciate what they were trying to do with TWINE. It was a direct reaction to TND and I think a sensible return to a more human portrayal of the character. This time his performance suffers as he has little chemistry with Richards. But the chemistry with Marceau is quite hot. I love the scene of him on the computer watching her video and he caresses the screen and you can see he's moved by her vulnerability. Wonderful stuff.

    Finally the big production and hoopla for DAD! They advertised Jinx and Bond equally as Berry was coming off an Oscar win. Yet again he shines and delivers a wonderful performance. The walk through the Chinese hotel with PJ bottoms and scruffy beard. I don't think Craig could pull it off but Pierce owns it!

    I like what Brosnan has left as his Bond legacy. I think he was admirable in the role and seemed to enjoy being Bond. I never heard any "slash my wrists" comments. To me he was very much like Moore in that he didn't fight what Bond did to him or his career he embraced it.

    My respect and admiration has grown and I think he has a lot to be fondly remembered for.

    =D> well said.

    I never ever had the feeling that Brosnan was badly received or unsuccessful until i joined this forum after 2010.
    But since it's always the usual suspects with Dalton avatars bashing him, i stopped caring.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Kicking: Impossible
    Posts: 6,733
    Well said, indeed! The Brosnan era was a success. They were/are good films that adhere to the classic Bond template while still trying some new things, and Pierce was good in them.

    Univex wrote: »
    And I miss that sense of style he had. He moved rather well, like a dancer. Not like a panther, as Connery or Dan do, but as a dancer.
    It was an era when the franchise had the audacity to do that over the top escapism, that if done by any other film series would be seen as parody, but they did it with a straight face. It was brilliant and I miss it.
    I also very much agree with this.
  • Posts: 3,279
    I don't think anyone doubts the success of the Brosnan films. It's whether his films were any good, and for me they are way down at the bottom of my list, along with the likes of AVTAK.

    They are generic in every way possible - even the titles. It's a part of the Bond history that I don't look back fondly on, like I do with the Dalton era, early Moore or the 60's Bonds.
  • RemingtonRemington I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
    Posts: 1,533
    @thedove outstanding post.
  • edited August 2019 Posts: 11,425
    Brosnan was unfortunate in that he starred in some of the worst films of the franchise, not to mention appearing in the rock bottom 100% solid worst film of the franchise (DAD).

    Had the directors taken a different approach with his movies, or Brosnan himself taken a different approach to the character (he plays tough far better in movies outside of Bond), then he may have been a great Bond.

    As it is, for me it will always feel like a sadly missed opportunity. He looked the part, exactly how Fleming wrote him, yet never really acted how Fleming wrote him. Hammy, animated, over-emotional, trying that little bit too hard to look cool when the camera was on him. That was never Fleming Bond.

    We caught occasional glimpses of what his Bond could look like throughout the 4 films, but it never really came to the surface, hidden away behind a slightly feminine velvety voice, rapid machine gun fire, ridiculous animated running, smarmy smiles and squints, theatrical yells and silly grimaces, badly done CGI effects, OTT villains that lacked any menace, and implausible storylines that strayed way too far from the Fleming books.

    Yet this was a great pity, because watching Brosnan in Tailor of Panoma, or The Ghost Writer, and he could easily play characters with an inner menace, danger lurking within, someone to be feared. It's just that we never saw this when he played Bond - yet that is exactly how Brozza should have played him.

    110% agree. Its not that he wasn't capable but rather that as an actor he and his directors never hit the right note. Not sure what EON were playing at either. He's said as much himself in interviews.

    Totally agree about TTOP and the Ghost Writer too. Love his performance in both films.

    Only thing I'd question - like all the actors (apart from Craig?) wasn't he much better looking than Fleming described?
  • Posts: 19,339
    Can all the Dalton fans bog off ? ;)
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