Would you rather be a sidekick OR the main villain of the next Bond adventure?

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,492
    I'd prefer it be in HQ and that be the main sequence with Q. If you want to take the traditional approach and have him pop up in the final conversation with Bond, go for it, but one of my biggest wishes for the new era is keeping the MI6 crew where they are and not overusing them. That was one of my biggest complaints from the latter half of the Craig years.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,526
    HQ
  • Posts: 14,840
    In HQ AND have gadgets fail sometimes or some gadgets not be used at all. Make things less predictable.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,991
    I don't have any preference at all. I guess I prefer things not to be mechanical and repetitive, so I suppose that should make me lean towards 'out of HQ', but there's plenty of ways to keep things fresh. Even the Q scene SP is technically in HQ, but it still feels vaguely new. Nope, don't mind: it's all in the execution.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    Posts: 2,934
    Whichever fits the storyline best. I thought all the Q scenes worked well in Dan's era, so no reason for a vast change, tbh.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,121
    Venutius wrote: »
    Whichever fits the storyline best. I thought all the Q scenes worked well in Dan's era, so no reason for a vast change, tbh.

    I agree, I like the mixture of both types of briefings in the Ben Whishaw era. Keep it like that for the next era.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,989
    I really loved the gadgets that weren't used by Bond. The umbrella that came down on the throat when water was added. The door knocker that smashed who was knocking, etc. Good fun!

    I agree with those who said the Mi6 crew always coming out to the field needs to be tempered. The joke of Q in SF was that he could do more damage in his PJs than Bond out in the field, yet after that movie he was seen out in the field in SP. To me Q is always better not in the action, or at least not used too much out in the field.

    If we are going to see someone out in the field, give me Tanner.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,392
    I actually liked Q's role in No Time To Die, at least something like that, it doesn't need to be the one in Licence To Kill where he went outside with Bond.

    Maybe shown him in a Naval Ship like in The Spy Who Loved Me, or in that plane in NTTD, or at his house.

    Maybe give him a different environment, but doesn't need to be literally on the field.

    But still doing his work of being an technician, without staying too much inside the HQ and given a limited time.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    edited October 2023 Posts: 4,989
    Good stuff some were passionate one way and the other side got some love too!

    Since it's still James Bond Day here in Canada, where the dove is based, why not throw this up for discussion.

    Would you rather Bond Day be an organic thing of the fans OR that EON and IFP joined forces to make it a "corporate affair"?

    James Bond Day is a fun day, usually very low key with some brief announcements and make a clip reel. Generated more by the fandom and not corporately. YouTubers put out some content, some social media posts. By and large nothing of huge import or an large event by any of the Corporate partners.
    .

    Would you rather that Bond Day be bigger! That EON or IFP host a festival, conference, have a virtual event where people who are part of the series share their stories. Maybe interviews, panels etc. Similar to what Disney does for Star Wars on May the 4th, or what a comic con event is.

    I guess what I am asking, status quo or do something big with the James Bond Day!
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,121
    A bit more corporate cooperation would actually be a nice change. They could announce more things from each other. The fans will truly celebrate either way.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,392
    Corporate, it would be great to have some new things coming out from the James Bond makers themselves.

    Well, fans are fans, but what fans could do is limited, it's that they could not develop a new game, bring new merchandises, publish a new book, or heck make a new film to surprise the fans.

    I think there would be more excitement if it's corporate driven, James Bond celebration nowadays are usually boring because you couldn't hear everything from EON themselves, more from fans which are just podcasts, montages, pictures, and etc. It's good as an effort, but those were not as exciting as what could come from the Producers themselves.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,989
    Lets visit the Connery era. Two performances of Connery's are highlighted more often than any other of his Bond films. FRWL and GF.

    Would you rather watch Connery in FRWL OR GF

    FRWL has the serious tone, Bond is often a step behind the villains and is played for a fool even though he thinks he's outsmarting everyone. Connery shows some range with some slight fear as Grant has him on his knees. He has much style in the movie, wearing some great suits and looking the part with hat and attaché case.

    GF has a lighter feel in tone. Bond spends most of the film in the clutches of the villain and yet never feels like he's in any real danger. Connery handles the lighter tone with aplomb. Very different in style than the previous film and yet Connery manages to exude the confidence and sexiness of the character.

    Which performance would you rather watch?
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,886
    I love them both, but going head-to-head like this, I would have to choose.
    From Russia With Love.
  • edited October 2023 Posts: 12,274
    For the entirety of my youth it would have been GF. Ever since my last 3 or so marathons now, though, FRWL - both the performance and overall movie. A lot of that might come from having since read the original Fleming novels and gravitating toward that style the most.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,392
    From Russia With Love.

    A grounded espionage thriller, and Bond in his most spy mode, it's a great Bond plot, with competent and fully fleshed out characters.

    Goldfinger, on the other hand is a solid Bond film, but Bond there did nothing for most of the time other than be a slug head (thanks for the word, Boris), I mean what had he done? Forced himself to Pussy Galore in the barn to change sides? Slap Dink on her rear end? Make quips? Drink a Mint Julep? He'd never done anything useful, failed to save the Masterson sisters (he's responsible for having the both of them killed), failed to detonate a bomb (there's a man who had detonated it for him, spent long time in Prison, always being held captive, Bond was at his worst here, if anything the real hero here must be Felix Leiter, as he's the one who did the job.

    So, From Russia With Love by far.
  • Posts: 1,453
    From Russia With Love because I think it's Connery at his very best, but I also love Goldfinger.
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,020
    Tough one.
    If it’s overall performance in the whole film, then GF.
    If it’s about a standout moment, then it’s the confrontation with Grant.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,121
    FRWL, Connery gets to act with different emotions throughout the whole movie.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,548
    Have to be FRWL, but by a whisker....
  • Posts: 1,007
    People always say Dalton was the closest to Fleming's Bond, (and I love TD's Bond), but for me, Connery in From Russia With Love has the balance spot on. Connery is magnificent in Goldfinger, but he's a bit lighter, a bit more flippant, less gritty and real.
    Connery in From Russia With Love please.

  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,392
    People always say Dalton was the closest to Fleming's Bond, (and I love TD's Bond), but for me, Connery in From Russia With Love has the balance spot on. Connery is magnificent in Goldfinger, but he's a bit lighter, a bit more flippant, less gritty and real.
    Connery in From Russia With Love please.
    I don't know where did they've got that notion, just because Dalton himself revealed that he had read the books? For me, he's still far from how the character was played on page.
    Sure, he had some aspects from the literary Bond, but then so the other Bond actors.
    For me, Dalton was just too calculated and too serious to be the closest to the Bond of the books (I've read the books many times and he's not what I envision all the time).

    Yes, I agree with Connery in FRWL, it's balanced, there's an air of sophistication, professionalism, and seriousness, but at the same time comes off as a man who's confused at what's happening (thus, showing his bit of naivety), but still, it's not the closest to Fleming's version (remember, Connery admitted that he'd deviated his version of Bond from Fleming's Bond, and also it's because Terrence Young created his own version of Bond into Connery, so there's the suave and cool; something that the Book Bond lacked).

  • Posts: 1,007
    SIS_HQ wrote: »
    . . but still, it's not the closest to Fleming's version

    Which movie do you think is the closest?
  • TheSkyfallen06TheSkyfallen06 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    Posts: 991
    From Russia With Love, no doubt.
  • From Russia With Love for me.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,392
    SIS_HQ wrote: »
    . . but still, it's not the closest to Fleming's version

    Which movie do you think is the closest?

    What I meant was the Bond iteration, but not the film, FRWL is one of the closest to Fleming, but Connery's Bond was still different from Fleming's Bond (mainly because of what I've mentioned, he added cool and suaveness).

    None of the actors for me have ever comes close to Fleming's Bond, just entirely different, although they've shared some bits of aspects from the Fleming Bond, but closest? None.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,986
    I'll go against the grain and say GF. It's just effortless and he and Barry's score are in sync the entire film.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,520
    Tough one, FRWL only just, because it's one of my favourite films
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,983
    So tough; FRWL is the stronger film and almost perfect but Goldfinger is just as iconic and a touch more fun. I'll go with Goldfinger.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,630
    If this were a Beatles fan forum, this would be the REVOLVER vs. SGT. PEPPER question. And like that comparison, both FRWL and GF are utterly brilliant at what they do. The “do” being slightly different in both cases.

    That said, I like FRWL just a tad more.

    The “individual” components of a stereotypical Bond film shine brighter in GF (theme song, humor, gadgets, etc..), but the whole of FRWL works better for me, and I like its' lean understatement. Very little of FRWL is individually flashy, but the characters and each scene seem to build on each other in such a manner that it adds up to (perhaps) a more satisfying experience.

    That said, when I first joined this forum several years ago, I stated that there is a Bond film for every mood (just like there is a Beatles album). And when I feel the need for “over the top” goodness, GF does the trick nicely.

    * While there is no contesting the brilliance of how SGT. PEPPER presents itself, for me the individual songs on REVOLVER are somewhat better - even when played out of the context of the LP. ABBEY ROAD is still my favorite though.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    thedove wrote: »
    Would you rather watch Connery in FRWL OR GF

    Connery as Fleming's Cold War agent Bond or Connery as Superspy(inspiration for Derek Flint and Matt Helm) Bond?

    Both terrific but in this matchup I pick FRWL.

    However if the option was between Connery in FRWL and Connery in TB I'd pick Connery in TB where I think Connery was at his apex as Superspy Bond before he began to tire of the role.



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