Big Mi6 James Bond henchperson ranking game - NUMBER 4

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  • Posts: 69
    Well done, Tee Hee. While I had him at number 12, I do enjoy him even though I find all of his colleagues in The Hamilton Three more memorable. Still, I think Tee Hee is one of the highlights of Live and Let Die and I certainly could think of worse picks for the Top 5, one of which is obviously happening.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,586
    Tee Hee is 9th im my ranking. He is somehow gentle and menacing at the same time. That's a successful mixture imo, at least it works splendid with Harris... He is part of some great scenes: almost cutting off Bond's little finger (Bond needs this finger for the women, ask Vesper!!!), final fight in the train (for Moore standard a very good fight and more dynamic than the one against Jaws) and the whole great scene at the crocodile farm. His claw is nicely used in every scene (even destroying the Walther) and he also has some good dialogue.
    I didn't expect him ranked so high but I'm very happy with it.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,617
    We're getting ever closer to our podium places, but first there's our #4:

    JAWS
    by Richard Kiel
    in The Spy Who Loved Me

    29118-movieposter3.jpg

    This iconic steel-toothed giant turns out to be the community's favourite post-1960's villain sidekick.

    He received four medals: one gold, two silvers and one bronze. Additionally there were also two 4th places and seven placements in the lower half of the top 10.

    Everyone rated him in their top 20, although only narrowly since he also obtained one 19th and one 20th spot. The latter is his lowest score as well.

    TSWLM's Jaws ended up with 112 points in total.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,711
    I had him at number 7.

    The TSWLM version of Jaws is mostly scary and a formidable foe to Bond. He added value to this film's modest venture into sci-fi land. I remember being genuinely frightened of him as a kid. Unlike MR, TSWLM put Jaws to very good use.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,297
    I don't see much difference between the TSWLM Jaws and the MR Jaws. He's being played for laughs in both movies, and as I said before, I don't like anyone's real deformities being played for laughs, even if the actor also laughs all the way to his bank. There is nothing more menacing or scary about him in either, except that in MR everyone has realized that he is a cartoon figure, including the screenwriters and the director. That's why I put him at my nos. 20 and 21, respectively. Not my cup of tea. And probably my ranking's greatest difference to that of most others.
  • Posts: 8,309
    I had Jaws at 19. Not fond of this character at all! And though in the early part of TSWLM he has a definite air of threat and violence, when we get to the set piece with the van, he just becomes cartoony, and then dropping cement blocks on his foot etc, I just winced ( like he did 😉)
    And then him surviving at the end was just a misstep! (The late celebrated writer and Bond fan John Brosnan, stated you can't have two indestructible characters, the other being Bond of course, - though it's a good thing he didn't live to see NTTD! 😂)
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    edited June 21 Posts: 2,247
    No. 8 for me and it is almost purely for nostalgic reasons. I think he's the one henchman that gradually looses his appeal the older you get.
    He's got a couple of truly excellent scenes in both films (pyramids, carnival), but these are unfortunately few and far between as he's mainly played for laughs.
    Still has a soft spot for him thanks to Kiel's undeniable presence.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 15,196
    Some great ominous moments there such as lurking in the shadows at Giza and looking half asleep in the train closet. Really like his intro when Stromberg calls him out next to Sandor. "Obeeey him."
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,711
    When Jaws kills Fekkesh and Kalba, the film truly plays it like a horror flick. The music goes dark, the camera intensifies the moment, and Kiel disturbingly shows what may have been an actual pain face. As a kid, I struggled with some of these moments, and that's a compliment for a Bond film, usually a far cry from anything horriifc -- other than the French cab driver of course.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,617
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    When Jaws kills Fekkesh and Kalba, the film truly plays it like a horror flick. The music goes dark, the camera intensifies the moment, and Kiel disturbingly shows what may have been an actual pain face. As a kid, I struggled with some of these moments, and that's a compliment for a Bond film, usually a far cry from anything horriifc -- other than the French cab driver of course.

    Haha idd. "No English." and then "My caaar!" :))
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,711
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    When Jaws kills Fekkesh and Kalba, the film truly plays it like a horror flick. The music goes dark, the camera intensifies the moment, and Kiel disturbingly shows what may have been an actual pain face. As a kid, I struggled with some of these moments, and that's a compliment for a Bond film, usually a far cry from anything horriifc -- other than the French cab driver of course.

    Haha idd. "No English." and then "My caaar!" :))

    That scene always makes me cry.
  • edited June 23 Posts: 69
    Though I wasn’t quite as accommodating myself, Jaws certainly seems iconic enough for the Top 5. I’m still somewhat curious about this huge gap to his Moonraker counterpart though. After The Spy Who Loved Me had its way with him, I think there were little left of Jaws initial menace and (admittedly rather goofy) terrifying aspects to ruin but it’s fun to see different perspectives.

    On to the Top 3. Go, Fiona (in due time, of course).
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,617
    Our contestants still in the running:

    - Red Grant
    - Oddjob
    - Fiona Volpe

    The prototypes of the three major Bond henchpeople categories, you might say:

    - anti-Bond, villainous agent (often also blond), working in the shadows
    - remarkable, iconic, indistructable sidekick for a megalomaniac main villain
    - the femme fatale
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited June 23 Posts: 24,711
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Our contestants still in the running:

    - Red Grant
    - Oddjob
    - Fiona Volpe

    The prototypes of the three major Bond henchpeople categories, you might say:

    - anti-Bond, villainous agent (often also blond), working in the shadows
    - remarkable, iconic, indistructable sidekick for a megalomaniac main villain
    - the femme fatale

    Hard to predict who will win.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,297
    My guess - and not just my choice - would be Red Grant.
  • Posts: 69
    Oddjob would seem like the sensible winner to me. Let’s hope we won’t go there.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,586
    I believe Grant will win.
    Jaws got my gold medal. It was maybe a bit too gentle, especially since I ranked the MR Jaws so low. But Jaws is so iconic and he is really scary for at least the first half in TSWLM. Good introduction, two dark murder with good atmosphere (visually and tonally fitting). Followed by a scene with good tension which then switches to good fun. I understand everyone who doesn't like the tonal shift from scary killer to stupid guy getting hurt like in a cartoon. However, it somehow gives me great pleasure in TSWLM: almost a jump scare on the train and a bit later only there for our amusement in the car chase ("Mamma mia!").
    I love all scenes with Jaws in TSWLM which I can't say for all henchmen remained.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,438
    Jaws finished just where I placed him. Although the character gets cartoonish, rather quicker than I recalled, he’s still an imposing threat in Spy
    From his first appearance with Stromberg and Sandor, the almost haunting scenes in Cairo, the fight on the train with Bond or the fight at Atlantis, the character was a menace and threat to Bond. I think he was well utilised in the film, even though by the time of the escape in the van by Bond and Anya, he’d lost any real sense of danger. But his overall imposing presence made him unpredictable and a possible or probable hindrance to Bond.
    I think it was probably a mistake to bring him back in MR, although when you have an indestructible villain what else would you do?
    Maybe kill him off at the climax of Spy in a better way than feeding him to a shark. Which when I think about it, is a pretty gruesome and sadistic idea of Bonds.
    Richard Kiel is so memorable in the role, that most movie fans will know who he is outside of Bond fandom. As far as Bond villains go, the average moviegoer will know the guy with the hat, or the giant with the metal teeth. A testament to his overall effect on the Bond series.
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