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Rate the Bond directors!

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  • SkyfailSkyfail
    Posts: 498
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    Skyfail wrote:

    I see you don't mind emotional context substituted for jaw droping action . That's perfectly understandable ;)

    Ideally there should be both and apart from the PTS SF didn't have the latter.

    And that's why Peter Hunts still the guvnor.

    Even the PTS was not great .If Campbell had a run at doing the fight seen on top of the train @-) , That would be a moment deserving only of a standing ovation !!

    I agree with the Peter Hunt comment .
  • Skyfall007silvaSkyfall007silva
    Posts: 121
    Terrence Young- 5/5
    Peter Hunt- 4.5/5
    Guy Hamilton- 4/5
    Lewis Gilbert- 3/5
    John Glenn- 3.5/5
    Martin Campbell- 5/5
    Roger Spotiswoode- 2.5/5
    Michael Apted- 2.5/5
    Lee Tamahori- 1.5/5
    Marc Forster- 2.5/5
    Sam Mendes- 4.5/5
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited November 2015 Posts: 8,079
    John Glen
    Sam Mendes
    Lewis Gilbert
    Peter Hunt
    Terrence Young
    Roger Spotiswoode
    Guy Hamilton
    Martin Campbell
    Marc Forster
    Micheal Apted
    Lee Tamahori
  • mepal1mepal1
    Posts: 1,098
    Terence Young 5/5
    Guy Hamilton 4/5
    Peter Hunt 5/5
    Lewis Gilbert 3.5/5
    John Glen 3.5/5
    Martin Campbell 5/5
    Roger Spottiswoode 3/5
    Michael Apted 2.5/5
    Lee Tamahori 2/5
    Marc Forster 1/5 (believe me this is a generous score)
    Sam Mendes 4/5
  • JNOJNO Finland
    Posts: 135
    I don´t even rank Tamahori.

    My list is on its way.
  • M16_CartM16_Cart Craig fanboy?
    Posts: 538
    1. Martin Campbell
    2. Terrence Young
    3. Peter Hunt
    4. Cary Fukunaga
    5. Sam Mendes
    6. Lewis Gilbert
    7. Guy Hamilton
    8. Marc Foster
    9. John Glen
    10. Roger Spotiswoode
    11. Michael Apted
    12. Lee Tamahori
  • M16_CartM16_Cart Craig fanboy?
    Posts: 538
    Marc Foster is the hardest on this list to rank.

    Because when it comes to the filming portion (setting the stage, lighting, camera angles, guiding the actors, etc), he's easily in the upper half.

    But the editing is the worst in the whole series. Even if it was editors under him editing the scenes and not him himself, it still happened under his watch and he allowed it.
  • M16_CartM16_Cart Craig fanboy?
    Posts: 538
    I rate Spotiswoode over Apted. Spotiswoode was restricted somewhat by the script; it was bound to be an average generic action movie.

    But TWINE actually had an interesting and somewhat unique plot; Apted had more opportunities and did less with it; If you gave that script to 10 different directors, you'd get 10 aesthetically very different movies.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Kicking: Impossible
    Posts: 6,718
    M16_Cart wrote: »
    Marc Foster is the hardest on this list to rank.

    Depends on the criteria. If it's looks, he wins easily. Rawr! Not even Lee Tamahori's intense eyes and dark eyebrows are a match. :))

    Let's do a thread. Rank the Bond crew members in terms of sexiness.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,484
    This is tough…
    1/Terence Young/Peter Hunt/ Cary Fukunaga
    2/Sam Mendes/John Glen
    3/Martin Campbell
    4/ Guy Hamilton

    And then…. 🤷‍♂️
  • sworddevil1sworddevil1 USA
    Posts: 526
    FromCanadaWithLove wrote: »
    Terrance Young - 5/5

    Young clearly understood Bond. He brought a lot of class to the films, and really set the right tone for the franchise.

    Guy Hamilton - 3/5

    Hamilton had a good understanding of Bond, but I feel like he brought too much of an American perspective. Goldfinger was a resounding success at the box office, but it doesn't hold up in 2013. Furthermore, he delivered some of the lowest points in the franchise (Diamonds Are Forever, Live And Let Die)

    Peter Hunt - 5/5

    We only had one film from Hunt, but it was a brilliant one. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was skillfully done. It holds up in 2013, and it did a lot to correct the franchise in 1969 (Diana Rigg with such an important role? Thank You). Fleming would be truly proud.

    Lewis Gilbert - 4/5

    Gilbert had a great understanding of time. He brought Bond up to speed with the year it was filmed - something that previous directors didn't do nearly as well. Although the films may feel a bit dated, they're good capsules of their generation. You Only Live Twice may not have been a hit, but I don't feel that Gilbert is to blame for that.

    John Glen - 4.5/5

    I really like what Glen did with the franchise. He definitely had a strong understanding of Bond, and a great love for Fleming's work. For Your Eyes Only didn't push the boundaries as much as I would have liked, and A View To A Kill was completely lacklustre. Despite this, The Living Daylights is (for me) the quintessential Bond film, and Licence To Kill took Bond in an innovative direction.

    Martin Campbell - 5/5

    Martin Campbell knows how to tell a good story, and then turn it into a good Bond story. GoldenEye and Casino Royale were both successes in every way. They brought new life in to the franchise, along with new fans, while still pleasing the vast majority of Bond fans. Once Craig's tenure is up, you know who to call.

    Roger Spottiswoode - 2.5/5

    Tomorrow Never Dies was my first Bond film. Spottiswoode is from my hometown, Ottawa, Canada. There's a lot that makes the film special to me, but ultimately, it wasn't a great Bond film. There's some great sequences, but it doesn't all tie together. Take Brosnan out, put Bruce Willis in, add a "yippee-kay-yay motherlover", and you've got yourself a replacement for Die Hard 4.

    Michael Apted - 2/5

    Apted, like Spottiswoode, didn't have a good grasp of what makes a Bond movie special. He probably wasn't the right choice as a director, and it shows. The World Is Not Enough is a passable entry, at best. It's cool seeing Brosnan acting all cool, but it failed to tell an interesting story. Bond even wears a beige blazer.

    Lee Tamahori - 0.5/5

    Lee Tamahori lacks any knowledge of what makes Bond entertaining, and shows complete disrespect for Ian Fleming's work. Die Another Day's direction was abysmal, and it showed Tamahori's deficiency of understanding of the franchise.

    Marc Foster - 3.5/5

    Quantum of Solace gets a lot of abuse for making no sense and not living up to Casino Royale. I don't feel that this is down to Foster's direction. He was trying something new with the franchise. The idea of adding drama/art house elements into Bond is really innovative. Provided there isn't a writers' strike or related issues, I would give Foster another chance.

    Sam Mendes - 5/5

    Skyfall was a brilliant film. Although it is still very fresh, I feel like it is going to age very well. It's a memorable entry in the franchise, and I think that a big part of that is due to Mendes. Mendes showed a complete understanding of Bond, and what makes him interesting. The quality he demands in his films translated to Skyfall.

    I was hoping Foster would get to direct NTTD.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    12: Lee Tamahori
    11: Marc Forster
    10: Michael Apted
    9: Guy Hamilton
    8: Roger Spottiswoode
    7: Sam Mendes
    6: Lewis Gilbert
    5: Terence Young
    4: Peter Hunt
    3: John Glen
    2: Martin Campbell
    1: Cary Joji Fukunaga
  • M16_CartM16_Cart Craig fanboy?
    Posts: 538
    mattjoes wrote: »
    Let's do a thread. Rank in terms of sexiness.

    Cary Joji Fukunaga
    Marc Forster
    Martin Campbell
    Terrence Young
    Guy Hamilton
    Roger Spotiswoode
    John Glen
    Lewis Gilbert
    Sam Mendes
    Lee Tamahori
    Peter Hunt
    Michael Apted

    Cary is a hottie. <3 If he can't be the next director, maybe he can be the next James Bond :)
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,104
    Relating the authors to movie people, history seems to repeat itself. Here’s my consensus, based on others on these boards. Enjoy!

    Ian Fleming-Richard Maibaum, Terence Young, Sean Connery. They defined James Bond forever, and the role models for all of the people who make James Bond materials.

    Kingsley Amis-Peter Hunt, George Lazenby. They learned from the best, and it showed. It’s a bit sad that they didn’t get a second Bond adventure.

    John Gardener-Lewis Gilbert, Guy Hamilton, Roger Moore, John Glen, Michael G. Wilson. They may have stayed on the series too long. They also made the series too silly. However, they deserve credit for helping keeping the series alive.

    Raymond Benson-Judi Dench, Roger Spottiswoode, Pierce Brosnan, Barbara Broccoli, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Sam Mendes. They helped modernize Bond, but their styles and themes could be a bit cringe-worthy at times.

    Sebastian Faulks-Lee Tamahori, Marc Forster. They didn’t get or even like James Bond. What were the higher level people thinking of hiring these overdramatic art-house hacks? Thankfully, we got a better follow up because of them.

    Jeffery Deaver-Michael Apted, Bruce Feirstein. They gave a more humanized Bond, with feelings and emotion about others. They also gave us some great female villains. I’m personally biased towards them as TWINE was the first Bond movie I watched, and CB was the first Bond novel I read.

    William Boyd-Timothy Dalton. Solo could have been TD’s final film. Their portrayals of Bond are very similar. Flawed, but could be seen as aging well for everyone to look at in more ways than one.

    Anthony Horowitz-Martin Campbell, Daniel Craig. The true successors to their original people who started the series: Novelists, directors, and actors. They get Ian Fleming and James Bond more than anyone working (and alive). As of now, they have ended on a high note in their time with James Bond.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Kicking: Impossible
    Posts: 6,718
    M16_Cart wrote: »
    mattjoes wrote: »
    Let's do a thread. Rank in terms of sexiness.

    Cary Joji Fukunaga
    Marc Forster
    Martin Campbell
    Terrence Young
    Guy Hamilton
    Roger Spotiswoode
    John Glen
    Lewis Gilbert
    Sam Mendes
    Lee Tamahori
    Peter Hunt
    Michael Apted

    Cary is a hottie. <3 If he can't be the next director, maybe he can be the next James Bond :)

    I'd forgotten about Fukunaga. He actually has Bondian looks. How the hell did I get on this sidetrack :))
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    edited November 2021 Posts: 2,161
    By averaging my rankings. I'm not including the one offs. It takes at least two to show a little bit of legs.

    Director followed by Average Film Ranking.

    1. Terence Young 5
    2. Martin Campbell 7.5
    3. Guy Hamilton 9.75
    4. Lewis Gilbert 14
    5. John Glen 17
    6. Sam Mendes 17.5


    One offs.

    1. Peter Hunt 3
    2. Marc Foster 9
    3. Cary joji Fukunaga
    4. Roger Spottiswoode 21
    5. Lee Tamahori 22
    6. Mike Apted 24
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