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Are the days of the memorable Bond henchmen over?

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,528
    I think Greene's "trademark" was his big bug eyes. I read that in Entertainment Weekly, I believe, when QoS was a week or two from release in the States.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117

    MrBond wrote:

    But appearently there were some scenes that were cut out from the film with him. One scene at the party in Bolivia where he dances.

    Dear oh dear Elvis old chap.

    'Dont make it tougher on yourself'!
  • SlyFox007SlyFox007
    Posts: 414
    Oddjob, Jaws, and even Nick Nack were the misfit minions that made a real impression. Besides them, most henchmen have fit the "hired muscle" mold, like Mr. Stamper.

    Mr. Stamper and even Zao in DAD were adequate. Elvis was obviously an attempt. But maybe, since Skyfall proved EON could still come up with a great, scene stealing villain like Silva, hopefully another great villain's right-hand man is just around the corner.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 14,855
    I often wonder why we haven't had a physically threatening henchman since CR. I mean, yes we had, but like someone said our money was on Bond. I think the lack of classic "physical" henchmen are due to two factors:

    1)The difficulty to come up with something new: we had Red Grant clones WAY too often.

    2)The focus on other characters: Bond, main villain, Bond girls, M, etc.

    3)The difficulty to find someone who can be physically convincing as a brute AND a decent actor.

    Personally, I could see Idris Elba playing a good henchman. He has the physique and the acting skills and from his role of Stringer Bell in The Wire we know he can play ruthless criminals.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    Benicio del Toro made a great henchman, not a Read Grant clone, not too campy but menacing and interesting. That's all because he is a good actor. Maybe that's the secret...
  • LudovicoLudovico
    edited January 2013 Posts: 14,855
    0013 wrote:
    Benicio del Toro made a great henchman, not a Read Grant clone, not too campy but menacing and interesting. That's all because he is a good actor. Maybe that's the secret...

    There were henchmen that were not Grant clones, obviously. However, too many physical threats were too much like Grant. It started with YOLT. Henchmen should be divined in more than one category anyway: the physical threat/right hand man (Grant, Oddjob, Tee Hee) and the skilled lackey (Vargas, Dr Kaufmann, Lippe) which is not a match for Bond but can outsmart him or kill him through treachery. Both can be menacing, if well done. I'd like to have a henchman that is a field commander to the main villain.
  • LicenceRevokedLicenceRevoked
    edited January 2013 Posts: 204
    @SlyFox007 used a great word which is 'minion'. I think the best henchmen have a slight sprinkle of minion-esque qualities to them. Also whilst I like the idea of someone like Benicio Del Toro playing a henchman, I think up until the point they become famous, it shouldn't be a particularly well known actor. For example if you had someone like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson playing as a henchman (god forbid), you won't be watching the performance, you'd be like "That's The Rock!!". Idris would be a great henchman but I think he would make a better villain OR another 00 agent that teams up with Bond. I could see that working.

    We should also totally start a thread called ' Can Elvis Get A Break? ' :D
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,608
    Samuel001 wrote:
    Two threads on the subject here:

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/922/return-of-the-henchmen

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/1790/craig-needs-a-giant-henchman-to-fight-in-skyfall-maybe-jaws

    All I did was type 'henchman' into the search bar.

    Thank you, @Samuel001. Sorry, folks!

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