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Comments
Well, if the man himself makes the choice, who am I to see it differently?
Right, you'd better listen to the sheriff, or I'd haul your ass through my parish!
Once is kind of funny, a second appearance is cringeworthy.
That, tbh, would've made more sense.
Tube station couple? Don't you mean Vesper's parents? ;)
Whah? Yeah, okay. Okay.
Would you rather watch Jaws in Spy OR in MR?
One of the more memorable things about TSWLM is Jaws! 7'2" henchman of Stromberg. He was full of menace and yet there were some comedic elements present. Dropping the block on his foot, brushing himself off when the car crashes through a house. Jaws also had a killer side as we see him end the life of men on screen. Though the gore is low, the killing is played straight. No words are spoken but his actions speak louder.
OR
Brought back for MR. Jaws shows up in the PTS, is that the first time we see the henchman in the PTS? Jaws has a character arc in this film and we hear him utter words. The comedy is played up in this film. From breaking steering wheels on boats, to having cable car mishaps our Jaws seems to be more of a bungler. He does however fall in love and turn to the side of right and virtue!
Which Jaws performance would you rather watch?
BTW I have reflected and now remember that Grant also appeared in the PTS in FRWL. So I guess this was the second time that a Henchman appeared in the PTS...wait I think we also see the hook of Tee Hee in the LALD PTS, so it's the third time. Oh and Nick Nack appears in the PTS of Golden Gun. Okay it's not as rare as we think. LOL!
Yeah @thedove I think Blofeld is the only villian that has the ultimate right to keep returning :)
+1
Another vote for Jaws in MR. I tend to have a slight preference for MR over TSWLM of the two late 1970s Gilbert/Moore/Wood sci-fi Bond epics. And while I wouldn't want this story device in every Bond film there is something refreshing about a henchman acting in his own self-interest and switching to Bond's side when he realizes his villainous boss is either going to throw him under the bus or has already done so(unlike say Oddjob in GF or Gobinda in OP for example.)
But MR for me, aside from it being my favorite Moore Bond film, Jaws had been given more focus, he was often a bit sidelined in TSWLM whereas in MR he had more exposure and it's more fun.
I agree, I would have much preferred him to have died in TSWLM.
However, as his return was already foreshadowed at the end of TSWLM, when he swam away from the wreckage of Atlantis, it would have been more tolerable if only he had remained evil and then been killed off in MR.
There are few things I dislike more than turning a true villain into a figure of sympathy. In MR, James Bond himself says "His name is Jaws, he kills people"
Also, despite what some internet sources try to claim, I personally have no doubt that he kills Aziz Fekkesh when he bites him on the neck, in the Egyptian tomb during TSWLM.
Every great henchmen needs to be allowed demonstrate their threat level, and to suggest that this scene is designed to be in any way "ambiguous" is just nonsense
The scene strongly implies that Aziz Fekkesh doesn't survive Jaws' attack. The dramatic buildup, the ominous bite, and the fact that we never see Fekkesh again all reinforce the idea that Jaws successfully eliminates him. The audience is clearly meant to understand that Jaws' bite is fatal.
So Jaws does not deserve any pity from the audience and giving him a girlfriend with braces is typical corny, roll your eyes, Moore-Bond era humour, which might be suitable for Maxwell Smart, but not for James Bond IMHO.
In what way was he ever tragic in TSWLM?
But I do agree, his moments of menace were continually undermined by moments of silly Moore-Bond humour, which I found extremely frustrating at the time.
He should have been portrayed like Odd Job - all business
Exactly. He should have been Odd Job-like.
Well the humor is what sets him apart from just being Oddjob with teeth. Why do you want them to repeat themselves?
The thing is, Jaws just turned out to be a goofy villian in MR. He mustn't have Oddjob's features or traits...he should have just remained focused. Imagine if Mr. Hinx later smiled and teamed up with Bond to face Spectre. I also have the same problem with May Day, suddenly becoming good and reasonable. Villains later becoming good, affects a film's tension.
I also love the May Day turn. It gives the characters a bit more life and control, imo, and makes them seem realistic. If I got screwed and left for dead by my boss, I wouldn't be so bloodthirsty for his enemies anymore. And I think your point about Villains becoming good later undermining tension only spoils the film on a subsequent viewing, because you didn't see it coming the first time. Which I like.
Yes. True. We really don't see it coming. Well, but fair enough.
We saw a new M, a Moneypenny that seems styled after Naomi, a Q that looks like a new take. We got a new character called Greenway in the Mi6 team. The villain was hinted at being a former 00 agent. We see an Aston Martin but not in the normal silver grey of the DB-5. Some say the chess player was wearing a SPECTRE ring. Not confirmed.
All that to say...
Would you rather returning villains OR a new villains to battle our Bond?
I was reminded that Jaws popped up in Everything or Nothing. We had the villains of Connery and Moore films pop up and return in Legends and GE Rogue Agent. FRWL videogame had Octopus instead of SPECTRE due to the rights issue.
Would you rather the game feature these characters from the James Bond canon? Or should Bond face unique enemies in this new world?
Of course you would, but that event occuring is just part of the same issue, which is the direction in which the scriptwriter (and or director) chose to go with the story and the way the character was written.
IMO a lead henchperson, of the type that Jaws is, should never be betrayed by his boss
Jaws, as written, is a killer, a one dimentional menace, with no back story or character development that provides any reason for the audience to have an emotional connection or understanding of his personality or motivations.
MR's handling of the character is shallow and simplistic
At least with May Day it is foreshadowed early on, in the gym scene, that there is an underlying element of tension and resentment between May Day and Zorin, although I didn't like the way they chose to resolve it in the story, which was artless and lacking any finesse.
No, for me it spoiled it right then and there, in the moment, both in MR and in AVTAK.
It's a thing I often dislike about many modern movies - the need to insert an unexpected twist for it's own sake, as a trick or gimmick, rather than to serve the overall story being told.
It often undermines everything that has gone before in the film, and spoils the whole experience for me. Instead of a feeling of satisfaction I am left frustrated with the makers for having ruined my enjoyment.
However, as with so many aspects of the James Bond franchise, it's a case of different strokes for different folks I guess.
I would prefer to face iconic villains rather than new ones, just as I would prefer to select my avatar from among the previous James Bonds.
However I can understand that where a game is released over many iterations, new villains will eventually need to be created.
I mean, I don't like most of the creative decisions in Skyfall, Spectre, and NTTD, but imo they are much deeper than... the final actions of a henchman. It's inevitable you have to mix the formula up, especially back when these were popping off every year or two. I just think it's a realistic human decision in those dramatic moments, and equally fun to explore as a creative decision. And I think MR pulls off the henchman turnaround better than AVTAK, which feels more rushed. At least Jaws has love.
Sure, and I still rewatch MR and AVTAK, even though I know I'm going to roll my eyes and groan during certain scenes, because overall there are still far more good bits to enjoy than bad bits to dislike.
But does he deserve it...?