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From what I remember the General wanted his son to get a Western education in order to become a 'bridge' between North Korea and the rest of the world. So by North Korean accounts he seems to be a moderate. He became disillusioned due to his son being 'corrupted', at least as he sees it. He's in denial of course, if anything it's the younger Moon's hatred of the West that he's been indoctrinated into - and his madness - which drives him. The General is simply disturbed by his son's methods and even seems to have an admiration towards Bond for not breaking in the prison.
It's actually quite a layered dynamic, and there's lots they could have played with. Obviously the General sees his son as a disappointment at best, and knows he's a lunatic at worst. He's clearly quite jaded with the North Korean regime. It's interesting that he views Bond - a spy who is by all accounts his enemy - as being brave and even honourable. Like a son he never had you could say.
They could have strengthened that I guess. I don't remember the film fully, but perhaps it could have been made clear that General Moon was the one who got Bond out of the prison, or at least kept him alive? Something like that.
Admittedly it's a funny concept to sell when you have Toby Stephens pretending to be a Korean man (I always think they should have leaned into Graves looking quite uncanny/ weird due to the gene therapy, preferably with Moon being played by the same actor at both stages. So in this case neither Stephens or Lee. I love the idea of a Graves who just doesn't look right and has had loads of cosmetic surgery. They try to give that sense by giving Stephens pale make-up at points, but it's not quite right).
I don't think a plot about AI has to be 'timely', and there are number of concepts using the basic idea of technology that could be quite impactful for a Bond film. As long as the human element is retained and the writers are genuinely interested in what they're exploring, not just chasing a trend.
I did a write up for a Bond film in the build your own Bond story thread that involved AI (in this case about the villain capturing a 00 agent, subjecting them to experiments, torture, brainwashing, and then killing them. Their 'data' was then uploaded into a stolen AI program. The idea was the villain would send the 00 'algorithm' on a mission to hack into British naval systems and the outcome could range from a shut down to a full blown doomsday scenario. A bit out there, but I like the concept of a villain using AI to have a 00 agent effectively betray their country even when dead. Bond was also put into an AI operated 'death maze' like the one in the DN novel). There's probably a number of different things they could do with it though.
I think the only thing that matters is how the film tells its story. I've heard Mission Impossible's AI threat fell short for many people, and that was when AI was at its most relevant.
Some ideas are pretty universal anyway. It doesn't matter, for example, whether the villain wants to destroy the world from a submarine or from space. Or if the briefcase Bond needs to get has a decoding machine inside it or some sort of memory stick containing AI tech. Obviously those are highly simplified examples though. It could even be a part of the story if the villain somehow benefits from the AI bubble bursting.
What?
The success of a film isn't reliant on exactly hitting the zeitgeist with it's MacGuffin. That's not how that works, IMO. And I would even argue that a script that's just "AI is coming and will rule over us" is just not that interesting to begin with.
A good script about AI can be about new vs. old. A bit overplayed in Bond recently, but that would still work even in an AI winter. It could be about billionaires using anything they can create smoke and mirrors around in order to further enrich themselves. A bit on the nose maybe and who knows if Amazon like that one, but arguably more pertinent if the financial AI bubble has burst. It could be about the physical costs of digital AI - the space and energy needed to run data centres, the way it can break societies - that would potentially be even more cutting when we are in a big crash.
To say it the third time: If it's just Holmes v Moriarty, but Moriarty is an AI, that wouldn't have been good if it came out this May (*cough*). If it's Blade Runner, that arguably works whenever.
That's cool, I like it. I always think there's something interesting about when Bond makes a quip to Moon before the handover on the bridge and then immediately makes a little nod of deference to Moon, as if apologising for his flippancy. As you say, just a little hint of something else there, as if he had been slightly broken and actually is mildly deferential to Moon.
I remember seeing it for the first time and thinking that it was slightly shocking that it seemed like Bond had broken under interrogation and given secrets away, obviously it turned out it was Frost framing him but I don't know how I'd feel if it had actually been Bond unknowingly failing. I guess it's sort of close to the brainwashing plot of Fleming's TMWTGG (without being quite as silly); maybe they could have done it.
Grain of salt and all...although I'd bet money the next film references AI in some way.
Just to add, I seem to recall another article or interview where it was suggested AI is part of the plot for the upcoming 007 First Light game. I don't suppose it's impossible both the game and new film would address the topic given its timeliness, but I do find it a bit unlikely as well.
Then again -- Die Another Day was about a space laser and Nightfire was about a space weapons platform and they were released in the same year, so...
Anyway, I guess it depends on what they do. AI doesn't have to be too sci fi, but I really don't mind a big scale Bond adventure this time round (I mean, GE goes relatively big with its EMP satellites and villain's lair). My only hope is they try and craft a villain's scheme that's compelling. If they find inspiration in AI to create their story, I'm all for it. I can't see them avoiding it necessarily either (for better or worse it's part of our world).