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In Which Movie was Bond the Most Inept

HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
edited July 2011 in Bond Movies Posts: 4,399
In which Bond movie, do you think 007 was the most useless, or to put it a better way, the most ineffective?

For me, it's Goldfinger

he manages to only do 4 things correctly in the whole film.. 1) Stop Goldfinger from cheating at cards.. 2) Beat Goldfinger at golf (and even then he cheated, but only after Goldfinger did, so it evens out)... 3) Turn Pussy Galore, and she goes and warns the CIA... and 4) he kills Oddjob... the rest of the movie seems like one failure after another.... he beds Goldfinger's girlfriend, gets her killed.. he follows Goldfinger to his factory in Geneva, gets another girl killed, and is captured in the process.. he is nearly sliced in 2 by a laser, and is only saved because Goldfinger had second thoughts of killing him... He escapes his prison cell, learns of operation Grand Slam, gets recaptured... puts a homing beacon and details of operation Grand Slam into Mr. Solo's jacket pocket, Solo is eventually killed, and crushed - yet another failure... Bond is handcuffed to an atomic bomb, and is only saved by a man running in and flipping a switch at the last minute...

i'm interested in hearing what you guys feel is Bond at his worst...
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Comments

  • Lazenby.Lazenby.
    Posts: 50
    TWINE
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    TLD and LTK. Dalts never had it going on.
    First off he should have bought giddy-girl Kara a big cotton candy and put her on the extended Merry Go Round ride while he snuck off for a pint with Saunders. That way he could have avoided the whole cringe inducing ferris wheel scene, and ideally the whole puppy love romance, and later hooked up with one of Felix's Party girls, or just as likely both, after the whole adventure was over. This also probably keeps Saunders around, for at least another day anyway.
    Rog at least had the sense to offer Bibi an ice-cream in a similar situation.
    Then there is LTK where Bond got himself so caught up with Pam that he let Lupe get away. Nothing against Pam, but Lupe was the hot tamali of the adventure and Dalts just let her go, even though he met her before Pam, and when she clearly needed rescuing. It boggles. Sean or Rog would have somehow finessed things to manage a friendly dalliance with Pam, but ultimately be there for Lupe in the end, to help her get back on her feet after being Sanchez's concubine for so long.
    No wonder Dalts only lasted 2 films and wound up putting the series on hiatus.

  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Agreed - Goldfinger - all those soldiers at Fort Knox were going to be killed by the Delta nerve gas,Bond knew this,and did nothing.
    Like he did for most of the rest of the film.
  • timmertimmer
    edited March 2011 Posts: 4,622
    Quoting barryt007: Agreed - Goldfinger - all those soldiers at Fort Knox were going to be killed by
    the Delta nerve gas,Bond knew this,and did nothing.
    Yes but by seducing Pussy and winning her over, didn't he arrange with her to render the gas harmless, thus saving the soldier's lives.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited March 2011 Posts: 4,399
    Quoting timmer: Yes but by seducing Pussy and winning her over, didn't he arrange with her to render the gas harmless, thus saving the soldier's lives.
    True.. but unless Bond and Pussy switched those canisters themselves, how could he be so certain that she wouldn't double cross him at the last minute??.. Again, it was out of Bond's hands - not that that even mattered, because he and the Fort were nearly blown to bits... Bond was completely useless through the entire movie..
  • timmertimmer
    Posts: 4,622
    I think Bond is a competent enough agent to know whether he'd brought Pussy over to the side of the Angels. After all, Auric had duped her. That was Bond's ace in the hole. IIRC I don't believe she knew that the plan was to use lethal gas. Bond apprised her of that grisly detail, which clearly changed her take on the whole mad scheme. Also we do see that the military were fully aware of what was to happen, so we can imagine that they would have taken pains to ensure that the right gas was being sprayed. So even though things were out of Bond's hands, things were in the military's hands via their communication with Pussy. Pussy let the authorities know what was going on.
    Bond was hardly useless. He did what spies do. He got inside the organization and got vital info out that helped prevent a disaster and then he played hero and took care of Oddjob and later dispatched with GF after Auric had ambushed the army guys and hi-jacked their plane. Bond cleaned up their mess.
  • CommanderStrangwaysCommanderStrangways
    Posts: 16
    I have to say Live and Let Die, I don't think there is another film where Bond gets captured so many times.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    @timmer..

    I can see your point - but that is a lot of ifs and maybes that had to go right - which they eventually did... i think we were left to assume that Bond had told Pussy that the Delta 9 nerve gas was fatal - or maybe did she already know? - we were never made clear as to whether or not Pussy was divulged to this little bit of info or not... if Goldfinger's ground crew had known about it (as they were equipped with gas masks), i am fairly certain that Pussy and her pilots had to have known as well - the only ones being lied to were the mobsters that Goldfinger used to get parts through customs - which obviously, he later killed with the gas.... Besides that is a big chunk of character changing info to just simply leave the audience hanging on - had she not known, I'm sure they would've had Bond tell her on screen, and not leave it to the audience's imagination..... i think we were just left to assume, that Bond had pounded her so good, that he eventually bent her to his wishes..
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    TMWTGG.
    First Bond has two schoolgirls save his ass, then they drive off and simply forget him.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited March 2011 Posts: 11,189
    Quoting boldfinger: TMWTGG.
    First Bond has two schoolgirls save his ass, then they drive off and
    simply forget him.
    Ha, yeah that is pretty low. Part of me may also say CR. He fails to show any hint of subtlety by storming an embassy and killing an un-armed man who needed to be kept alive (right infront of a camera). He gets himself arrested by the Miami State police, and remains such a liability that M needs to keep an eye on him by installing a tracker. Also, he ultimately fails in his mission to obtain the money. Although he does do a few good things (expose the bomb at the airport and track down Mr White, although that was short-lived and largely down to Vesper).
  • orlandobondorlandobond
    Posts: 3
    You might research a series on MI6 prior to Casino Royale that reviewed many of the Bond gaffes..
    http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/opinion_spectre_3.php3
  • timmertimmer
    edited March 2011 Posts: 4,622
    blockquote>Quoting haserot: i think we were just left to assume, that Bond had pounded her so good, that he
    eventually bent her to his wishes
    ==
    I don't think so. That's a real stretch. Not even Bond is that good. Basically she and her crew would have to be homicidal maniacs on a GF scale if they knew the gas was lethal. If she was that evil, then a roll in the hay with Bond isn't going to make her suddenly care that thousands of people might die.
    Bond brought her around when he enligtened her as to what a truly evil scheme she'd been duped into participating in. Her motives and those of her crew were originally larcenous not mass murderous.

    GF the film though is a triumph of style over substance. I can see why you would nominate it in this category. Its got just enough meat IMO to allow the sizzle to shine, but agreed Bond does benefit from much good luck in this film. The whole film is quite outlandish but thats part of its charm. GF helped to establish the Bond style.
  • BartlebyBartleby
    Posts: 110
    Thank you all. Threads like this make this board a joy to be on.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    let's bump up this old chestnut shall we... :-)
  • DoubleOhhSevenDoubleOhhSeven
    Posts: 1,778
    TWINE. Bond is made to look pretty stupid in that film. Electra pretty much plays him like a fiddle.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited July 2011 Posts: 4,399
    i'm still standing by Goldfinger... the only thing he manages to accomplish purely on his own is bedding women - anything else he either failed at, executed with blind luck, or someone else saving him..... this was a film where he was definitely not the master of his own destiny.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    TWINE. Bond is made to look pretty stupid in that film. Electra pretty much plays him like a fiddle.
    Ditto. Is TWINE's Bond supposed to be the same character who survived encounters with the likes of Fiona Volpe and Helga Brandt? He acts like a sentimental doofus who in no way resembles the superspy we've come to know and love.

  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited July 2011 Posts: 13,894
    It's got to be GF, Bond was a total dunce the entire mission. With Bond locked up for so much of the film, I thought I was watching Porridge. I was thinking that Porridge was never this tedious to watch.
  • j7wildj7wild Suspended
    Posts: 823
    for me it's DAF.... Connery should not had even made this film
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    I actually appreciate that things go wrong for Bond in GF...it's an interesting situation to be in considering how authoritative he usually is. And it's not like it's because of his stupidity...
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    Everyone has made valid points.

    1. TWINE: Elektra has Bond's little brain do the thinking for him.
    2. TMWTGG: Swallow golden bullet, grab sumo's cheeks, have school girls defend him.
    3. GF: Good thing Bond rap...er, seduced Pussy.
    4. LALD: Didn't learn the first time to not sit down at a Filet O' Soul franchise.
    5. TSWLM: Bond, would you mind giving Anya the damn keys.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    Giving this thread the ol' bump
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    No wonder Dalts only lasted 2 films and wound up putting the series on hiatus.

    he could've carried on. he should've carried on. If dalton had done goldeneye it would've been just as successful.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    goldfinger

    i bet when bond was cuffed to the bomb bond was just thinking, ah crap. ah crap, crap crap crap. how can this day get any worse....... yup, here comes oddjob, boy did i bring that one on myself.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited November 2011 Posts: 12,459
    Goldfinger (all good points mentioned above) and TMWTGG. I still remember being so annoyed that Bond dropped his gun in TMWGG. Stupid.
  • karatemanchan37karatemanchan37
    Posts: 584
    Quantum of Solace

    -Kills Mitchell and only link to Quantum; saved by Mi6 info on Slate
    -Kills Slate, poses as him, but NEVER checks the briefcase before hand (I mean really...)
    -Reveals himself to Quantum at the opera too soon (there was only 4-5 mins of recording that Bond noted when he could've gotten at least 2-3 hours of info)
    -Doesn't get a answer from the special branch agent, and still drops him down 5-6 floors
    -Leaving Fields behind without any sort of plan or contact

    Yeesh...
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited November 2011 Posts: 13,350
    How about GoldenEye? All the "strong" female characters really made Bond look good...
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    QoS where he died because he dodn't open his parachute in time. But what is death stopping a succesfull franchise. ;-)

    I suspect that in QoS a lot failed hence theeditting hiding the ineptness of the character or the director.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    The editing hid nothing - it was exactly the way Forster wanted it.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Goldfinger, absolutelly.
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