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How important are foreign locations and travel for you in a Bond movie?

hoppimikehoppimike Kent, UK
edited February 2013 in Bond Movies Posts: 290
Hm, no poll option?

Ah well, let's just make it a discussion!

So, what do you think?

Dominic.

Oh wait, I mean, Mike. ahaha ^^

Comments

  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited February 2013 Posts: 12,837
    Pretty impotant for me.

    Although I thought it was fitting using the UK more in Skyfall (it's our character and it's been 50 years, about time we got lots of screentime), I wouldn't want that every film.

    I come to Bond for escapism and the exotic locations are a big part of that. I don't want Bond chasing up leads in London again for Bond 24 because I could drive up there if I wanted.

    So to sum up, it was fine for Skyfall being set mainly in the UK but from now on let's stick to the foreign locations.
  • bondbat007bondbat007
    Posts: 1,407
    People forget that for Bond fans not in the UK like myself, Skyfall WAS exotic. I loved seeing the London Tube system at work especially since I take my similar system in Chicago. So yes their pretty important but if the film is good, the film is good
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    bondbat007 wrote:
    People forget that for Bond fans not in the UK like myself, Skyfall WAS exotic.

    I didn't forget that. The question said how important are foreign locations for you in a Bond movie, so I answered from my POV, and I lived in London for all my life until fairly recently.
  • jka12002jka12002 Banned
    Posts: 188
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Pretty impotant for me.

    Although I thought it was fitting using the UK more in Skyfall (it's our character and it's been 50 years, about time we got lots of screentime), I wouldn't want that every film.

    I come to Bond for escapism and the exotic locations are a big part of that. I don't want Bond chasing up leads in London again for Bond 24 because I could drive up there if I wanted.

    So to sum up, it was fine for Skyfall being set mainly in the UK but from now on let's stick to the foreign locations.

    Ive read someplace that the scotland location was sort of a nod to Sean Connery in Skyfall.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited February 2013 Posts: 12,837
    jka12002 wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Pretty impotant for me.

    Although I thought it was fitting using the UK more in Skyfall (it's our character and it's been 50 years, about time we got lots of screentime), I wouldn't want that every film.

    I come to Bond for escapism and the exotic locations are a big part of that. I don't want Bond chasing up leads in London again for Bond 24 because I could drive up there if I wanted.

    So to sum up, it was fine for Skyfall being set mainly in the UK but from now on let's stick to the foreign locations.

    Ive read someplace that the scotland location was sort of a nod to Sean Connery in Skyfall.

    Well Bond was half Scottish in the books so I think it was more to do with that.

    Kincade I think they said was written for Connery in mind but they scratched that idea pretty early on.
  • jka12002jka12002 Banned
    Posts: 188
    Yeah actually thats true they wanted Connery for the role also to celebrate the 50 year anniversary. But knowing Connery he would probably ask for a big sum of cash for a small role, i think he still has a grudge with Eon
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    Very very important

    Seeing the sugarloaf in mr as a kid inspired me to visit rio as an adult

    Seeing udaipur in op as a teen inspired to go to go to india as an adult.

    Done correctly the location can be the highlight of the film.
  • hoppimikehoppimike Kent, UK
    Posts: 290
    Yeah to me... I love them. I think that's one reason I got bored with Skyfall. I'd rather fewer explosions and more exotic eye-candy! :)

    However, I felt Casino Royale and such had adequate locations despite QoS apparently having the most in any Bond film. I loved the way in QoS the font matched the location - I thought that was a wonderful touch and fleshed out the atmosphere and cultural representation within the film ^^
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I don't like it when Bond is restricted to just one or two locations such as License to Kill or You Only Live Twice for example. I generally feel it better that Bond has more scope to travel, and we get to take in some more sights. We've talked at length about where else in the world Bond should go to, hitherto yet to be visited, such as Canada, South Africa or Australia etc, and I hope they can make it soon as there's real opportunity to film, but point being, I think it's important for the viewer, that there's a bit of variety during a Bond release by way of location for the viewer to take in. I remember watching the aforementioned YOLT a few weeks back, and to be truthful, as it all takes place in one location (Japan) for virtually the entire duration - got a little bored by the end, by way of that
  • RogertheclownRogertheclown
    Posts: 183
    actonsteve wrote:
    Very very important

    Seeing the sugarloaf in mr as a kid inspired me to visit rio as an adult

    Same here. I was in Rio last September for the very first time and I had Bond on the brain as I was going up Sugarloaf mountain. Then once at the top, I used the telescope to spy on the airport. Didn't see any Drax Air Freight planes taking off though! Breathtaking city.

    The landscape and setting in a Bond film is vitally important and you have to feel that you're taking this incredible journey around the world along with Bond. I agree with Baltimore - YOLT is a bit of a bore-fest as it solely located in Japan.

  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    They are important as you wanna be whisked away to far flung places! Again as long as it works within the story?
  • QuarrelQuarrel
    Posts: 96
    The exotic locations are hugely important to me. The globe-trotting is a big part of what makes a Bond film, a Bond film. As much as I loved Skyfall, I will say the lack of locations was bit of a letdown. I understand the budget (or lack thereof) played into that. Let's hope they remedy that in Bond 24 - one billion dollars should pay for a ton of location shooting!!
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    edited February 2013 Posts: 1,497
    I think as long as a Bond film looks spectacular, then it doesn't matter how many locations they cram into one film. The great Ken Adam sets in Dr. No, GF, and YOLT all looked spectacular, and they were all filmed at Pinewood. While the impressive shots of the Alps in OHMSS or Rio in MR looked incredible and were real locations.

    I don't see the argument that SF suffered because it lacked real locations. A good film-maker can intersplice real and stand-in locations to make the viewer feel like they are really there. (I would have never thought for a minute while watching FRWL, that the trainride on the Orient Express was actually all taking place on set). I thought the Shanghai hotel interiors and the Macau boat/lantern scene represented Dennis Gassner's best work to date. Meanwhile, the Varda Viaduct in the PTS was an excellent location choice. Both worked well in their context. QOS featured a lot of locations, but most of them looked grimey, desolate and third world - not very exotic.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    It's not always about locations though. It takes more than just some nice scenery to make a movie, and James Bond is no exception

    Take Tomorrow Never Dies as one example. I can't watch the second half (we switch from Europe to Asia), in that it's so dull, and I just lose interest fast. Saigon is a vibrant and exotic place of the world, but I just got damn bored quick that year, as all the action takes place in the first half, and it just seems anything that occurs thereafter is a non event. Bond and accomplice on a bike and then sneaking around a stealth ship - It really didn't generate much excitement at all

    Diamonds are Forver is another one that takes in the Nevada desert, the Netherlands and California, and while they're good locations to use, the action was also very lacklustre that year and I found I lost interest fast. Having a former great Bond, seen back as he was then, also did the release no favors. But as before, it's not always about where Bond travels to in the world

    I don't care if Craig is having some Superman III type battle with a villain in a junkyard in Rhode Island for the next release - so long as it holds the attention and is exciting, and captivates the audience, it will be good enough

    Action and enjoyment first - locations second, above all else
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,962
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    I don't care if Craig is having some Superman III type battle with a villain in a junkyard in Rhode Island for the next release - so long as it holds the attention and is exciting, and captivates the audience, it will be good enough

    Call it '007 in Rhode Island.'
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