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megladon8
11-12-2007, 02:41 AM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneye_ver1.jpg

The first of the Bond films featuring Pierce Brosnan is many things - it is one of the best films in the series, it is the very best Brosnan Bond film, and, well, it’s arguably the only Brosnan Bond that’s actually worth a damn. It is directed by Martin Campbell - who recently re-proved his talent with Bond films by directing Casino Royale - and features a surprisingly memorable musical score by Eric Serra (known best for scoring the films of Luc Besson).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyebrosnan.jpg

Like Casino Royale, Goldeneye is also a more personal and - dare I say - emotional Bond journey, dealing with betrayal, personal loss, and hot Russian women. The film actually begins several years ago, with Bond and Trevelyan (agent 006 - played by Sean Bean) on a mission in Russia to destroy a chemical weapons facility being run by the corrupt and butt-ugly General Ourumov. To make a long story short, things go wrong, and only Bond makes it out alive. Flash forward to the present, and Bond is back to being the cold-hearted, womanizing, sadistic hero we all know and love. But General Ourumov is back, and is now working with a sinister criminal leader named Janus whose identity is unknown, but may tie into the Betrayal of the Cossacks during World War II. Together, they hope to use the new Goldeneye satellite to blast London, England with an incredibly powerful electromagnetic surge which will erase all banking information, right after they rob England’s banks blind, effectively leaving no traces of their crimes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyeopening.jpg

For a Bond film, it goes above and beyond in many areas. The cinematography is gorgeous - the film has a wonderful visual style, and its all accented really well by the previously mentioned musical score. Brosnan’s performance as Bond in this film is also one of the defining moments for the onscreen representation of the popular character, since - like Daniel Craig did in Casino Royale - he was able to keep Bond as a cold-hearted misogynist asshole, while also giving him a fair bit of depth and reason for being the way he is. Finally, it’s got a great plot, with more twists and turns than most of the Bond films, as well as a good balance between reality and fantasy.


The Babes

Goldeneye has a few different women, but only two of them really play major roles in the plot. Let’s get the minor ones out of the way first. The first girl to appear in the film is Bond’s psychiatrist, Caroline (played by Serena Gordon). Pretty much all we learn of her is...well...actually we don’t learn anything about her. The only reason she’s there is to confirm Bond’s raging libido.

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Next up is the new Moneypenny. She was never really a babe before, but in the new movie she is *apparently* attractive - I personally think she looks a little like a man in drag. Once again, she is quite obviously in love with Bond, and he quite obviously wants to bang her brains out, but knows she wants more than just a quick fix of El-Bondo. She is played by Samantha Bond, who would reprise her role in the series for the rest of the Brosnan films.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/samantha_bond1.jpg

Now we get to the two main female characters in the film. First off there’s Natalya, a Russian computer programmer working at a top secret satellite base in Siberia. When the base is ambushed and all her friends and coworkers killed - leaving her the sole survivor of the attack - she is taken care of by, who else, James Bond. Natalya is played by Izabella Scorupco, who you may remember from pretty much nothing. Oh, wait, she was in that dragon movie with those guys.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyenatalia.jpg

And what Bond movie would be complete without the evil femme fatale who is more attractive than the “good girl”, adding to her menace? To bad babe in Goldeneye is none other than Xenia Onatopp - an ex-KGB pilot now working with General Ourumov and Janus as an assassin who has sex wit her targets and suffocates them with her legs. It’s just as scary and sexy as it sounds. Xenia is played by the lovely Famke Janssen.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyexenia.jpg


The Gadgets

Bond has a few cool gadgets in this movie, and they’re all pretty much within the bounds of reality. First off he has a retractable grappling hook gun, which can also shoot a laser capable of cutting through steel.

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Next is his grappling hook belt. It looks like a regular belt, but the tooth is attached to a long cord which is able to support a fair amount of weight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyebelt.jpg

Bond also has a cool new Omega watch with two functions - like the grappling hook gun, it is equipped with a laser which can cut through most materials. It also works as a timer/detonator for mines.

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There’s also the Tiger helicopter - a new type of military flying machine which is not only invisible to radar, but immune to the effects of electromagnetic radiation.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyechopper.jpg

Finally, Bond has a cool little pen which is also a highly powerful grenade. It operates according to clicking the pen’s back end - three clicks arms it, and another three disarms it.



Distinctions From the Other Films

-Theme song sung by Tina Turner; can be heard along with the opening titles of the film here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2s6iZhQvgo)

-First Bond film with absolutely no reference to anything from Fleming’s novels

-Pierce Brosnan’s first appearance as Bond; he was offered the role for The Living Daylights, but lost it because of his involvement with Remington Steele

-First appearance by Judi Dench as ‘M’

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/goldeneyedench.jpg

-First film in the entire series whose credits sequence was not designed by Maurice Binder, who passed away between this and Licence to Kill

-First Bond film to ever actually shoot in Russia

-Joe Don Baker returns to the Bond series, but as a different character - this time he is CIA agent Jack Wade; he previously played the evil General Whitaker in The Living Daylights

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-First appearance by Robbie Coltrane as Bond’s Russian contact, Valetnin Dmitrovich Zukovsky

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Signature Scenes

Goldeneye features some of the most memorable scenes in the entire franchise, and what write-up of the film could ever be complete without mention of the bungee jump? It is the very first thing that happens - Bond jumps off a dam, in one of the wildest stunts ever put on film. It is still the highest bungee jump ever put in a movie without the use of CGI.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/919/goldeneyejumpzc3.jpg

Next is, of course, the tank chase. When Ourumov manages to get his hands on Natalya, he tries to take her to Janus on his high-tech bullet train - but before he gets there he must drive through the busy city streets of St. Petersburg. Of course Bond had to pursue them, but a car wouldn’t do the trick - he steals a Russian tank and drives it right through the streets in a great chase with some funny sight gags.

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Following almost directly after the chase is the classic scene in the train, where Bond and Natalya must figure out a way off the train before getting blown to bits. The explosion is pretty impressive.

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And finally there’s the confrontation between Bond and Janus at the top of an enormous satellite dish in Cuba. While it’s an exciting set piece on its own, the Serra’s energetic score - namely the track “Run, Shoot, Jump” - really pumps it up a notch.

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Continued...

megladon8
11-12-2007, 02:42 AM
Memorable Quote of Villainy

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume that most everyone has seen Goldeneye, or at least played the game, so they are aware of the major twist that occurs - and if you haven’t played the game or watched the movie, I think it’s OK to assume you probably never will. So, spoilers ahead, you’ve been warned.

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Since Janus is actually Trevelyan back from the grave - well, maybe that’s not the best way to put it, since it may leave you expecting a zombie - he knows just about everything about Bond, and that includes how to really dig into his nerves. It was hard to pick one quote for Trevelyan, because he has some great lines in the film, but in the end I thought this one was the best...

TREVELYAN: I might as well ask if all those vodka martinis silence the screams of all the men you've killed... or if you've found forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women for the dead ones you failed to protect?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/Goldeneyefinal.jpg

On a good day, I may even say that Goldeneye is my favorite of the whole series - ultimately it’s a toss up between this and From Russia With Love, and it’s decided on a daily basis according to whether I’m in a “classic Bond played by Connery is best” or “suave Pierce Brosnan did the best job” mood.

What is definite, though, is that Goldeneye is one of the best films in the series. Not only is it one of the best Bond films, it’s just a really great movie. The set pieces are exciting and original, it’s pretty to look at, has a great musical score, and the performances are all among the best in the series. And let’s not forget Alan Cumming’s wonderfully eccentric performance as the perverted and treacherous computer programmer, Boris.

Rating for Goldeneye - 10 out of 10

MadMan
11-12-2007, 03:20 AM
Goldeneye is one of the best Bonds, bar none. It also resulted in the greatest FPS in video game history. Glad to see your continuing the list meg :cool:

megladon8
11-12-2007, 03:27 AM
Goldeneye is one of the best Bonds, bar none. It also resulted in the greatest FPS in video game history. Glad to see your continuing the list meg :cool:

:D

I can't believe how long it's taken - the original thread was "a look at Bond over 3 months".

One year later, and I'm still not done!

My dad and I are going to be starting the whole process over very soon...'tis that time of year already. I can't believe how fast time flies.

jenniferofthejungle
11-12-2007, 03:31 AM
I'm glad you're finishing up the thread, Braden, great stuff.

This was the only Brosnan Bond film I saw and I liked it a lot. It isn't my favorite, but I liked it very much.

I wanted to kill Famke so many, many times. :)

Kurosawa Fan
11-12-2007, 03:38 AM
Goldeneye was the only Brosnan Bond I liked. Nice write up.

megladon8
11-12-2007, 03:42 AM
Goldeneye was the only Brosnan Bond I liked. Nice write up.


Thank you!

Yes, they get progressively worse.

Die Another Day was insulting bad.

Philosophe_rouge
11-12-2007, 03:44 AM
I wish I could really comment, but I barely remember the film aside from enjoying it. I read your entire analysis though, and it was thorough and wonderful. Great work!

Grouchy
11-12-2007, 04:30 AM
I just watched the opening credits sequence through your link, with its "fall of the Soviet Union" imagery combined with girls sucking up cigars and cannons. Pretty damn neat. It's been a while since the last time I watched Goldeneye, and I've seen it at least five times.

Nice to see this thread not dying.

Morris Schæffer
11-12-2007, 10:55 AM
I like Goldeneye enough. It was time for a new Bond and Campbell's flick certainly filled that void with aplomb, but I still think it has a whiff of staleness even when there are a few pleasing updates, including a harder, more realistic Bond.

D_Davis
11-12-2007, 02:25 PM
Goldeneye is one of the best Bonds, bar none. It also resulted in the greatest FPS in video game history. Glad to see your continuing the list meg :cool:


Goldeneye was the basis for Half Life?

Scar
11-12-2007, 02:53 PM
Goldeneye was the basis for Half Life?

Red Faction?

rocus
11-12-2007, 03:05 PM
One of the few we will actually agree on. I think this one did a wonderful job of mixing the humor of the Moore Bond movies with the drama of the Connery Bond. A fun and fullfilling movie.

MadMan
11-12-2007, 09:20 PM
Red Faction?

Goldeneye was the basis for Half Life?

Okay, one of the greatest. I sometimes let my habit of sporting hyperbolic statements overcome me.

D_Davis
11-12-2007, 10:04 PM
By the way Meg - great write up.

Although, I don't share the other posters' enthusiasm for Goldeneye. I actually fell asleep about half way through it. I seem to do this a lot with Bond flicks. :(

megladon8
11-17-2007, 01:42 AM
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Tomorrow Never Dies marks the beginning of the decline in quality in Pierce Brosnan’s run as Bond. Even though it features and impressive cast and some incredible stunts, it’s a film that never seems to be able to define itself. It’s halfway between being a continuation of the straight-edge Bond we saw in Goldeneye, and an outlandish film more suited towards Roger Moore.

The plot follows news mogul Elliot Carver, a megalomaniac intent on taking over the world through media. The film begins with him sparking a war between China and Great Britain, which he escalates by printing propaganda in the newspapers of each country. While the plan is devious enough, Carver just doesn’t seem that threatening at all. It’s not a knock against Jonathan Pryce, who injects the character with both humor and menace, but the character himself just doesn’t seem to be much of a threat at all to Bond.

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It gets a little heavy-handed as well. As if the description of the plot wasn’t enough to make you think of every other “media is evil!” plotline, watching the movie feels like you’re being bashed over the head by some kind of anti-media activist intent on showing the power that someone like Ted Turner has. This is all well and good, but in the end it ultimately leads to nothing. Bond wins, makes some witty remarks as he dispenses with the villains, and everything’s right as rain. There just seemed to be a lot more potential with the story and characters, but none of it was realized.

This is not all to say that the film is bad, however. It’s light action-adventure fun, and when taken as such it’s quite entertaining. But any bit of examination reveals it’s pretty average on all fronts - even bordering on mediocre. It’s a middle-of-the-road Bond film, about as far away from being the worst in the series as it is from being the best. Though I suppose the appearance of Vincent Schiavelli as a masochist assassin and torture enthusiast adds to it.

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The Babes

This film features two very attractive women. The first one, Paris, is revealed to be one of Bond’s old loves, who was left bitter after Bond left her in the middle of the night many years ago without saying a word. Of course, it was surely to go on some world-saving mission, but he couldn’t tell her that, now, could he? There are significant instances of sexual innuendo between the two, most of which are pretty laughable. Anyways, she is now the wife of Carver, and she is played by Teri Hatcher.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowhatcher.jpg

Next is Wai Lin, a Chinese secret agent who teams up with Bond to try to stop Carver and his plans of world domination and nuclear warfare. She is played by the eternally youthful Michelle Yeoh.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowmichelle.jpg


The Gadgets

While several gadgets appear throughout the film - both in Q’s lab, and in Wai Lin’s hideout - there’s really only one gadget that Bond uses in the field, and it’s his multi-purpose cell phone.

The first function this phone has (aside from making calls, obviously) is as a stun gun. While this can no doubt be used to zap dudes, Bond actually uses it primarily for opening electronic doors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowphonezap.jpg

The cell phone also features a touch screen, which can be used to scan, save and duplicate finger prints. Again, Bond uses this to open doors and safes.

Finally, the phone also flips open to reveal a thumb pad and LCD screen.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowcarremote.jpg

This allows him to control his new car, a BMW 750iL.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowQ.jpg


Distinctions From the Other Films

-Theme song performed by Sheryl Crow; can be heard - along with the main titles sequence - here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg53I1WTmQ4&feature=related)

-At no point in the film are the words “Tomorrow never dies” ever uttered - a strange occurrence for Bond films

-James Bond gets a new gun in this film; his signature gun has always been the Walther PPK, but while in Wai Lin’s hideout he replaces it with the Walther P99, and has used it since

-Dedicated to Albert R. Broccolli, who produced all of the films before this one, as he died in 1996


Signature Scenes

There are actually several great standalone scenes throughout the film. The opening is a well executed battle between Bond and an enormous gathering of terrorists who are holding a weapons bazaar. Bond blows stuff up, gets in a jet and shoot people like a badass with a machine gun.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowmachinegun.jpg

He then engages in a plane chase against two of the terrorists - all of them in fighter jets. While he destroys one of them with a missile, the other one he kills by ejecting the knocked-out-terrorist in the back seat of his plane, up into the hull of the other plane.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowplanes.jpg

There’s also a phenomenal motorcycle chase, where Bond and Wai Lin are handcuffed together and fleeing on the bike, while being pursued by a helicopter. They are cornered, and the helicopter turns its blades down and starts coming closer and closer to them, apparently planning to chop them up. They end up driving as fast as they can towards the chopper, then swerving onto the side of the bike and sliding under the blades.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowmotorcyclestunt.jpg


Memorable Quote of Villainy

As I mentioned before, Carver really doesn’t have a significant level of menace. Pryce does a good job making him cheeky, but in the end he doesn’t seem nearly as scary as many other villains to have appeared in the series. The following quote shows Carver at his most menacing, while also showing that the script seemed to be going for more of a humorous villain than anything.

CARVER: Mr. Bond, Ms. Lin. Welcome to Saigon. Please come in.
BOND: It's always a pleasure to see you, Elliot.
CARVER: I wasn't planning on opening this center until tomorrow. But you're just in time to help me finish writing the inaugural story, YOUR obituaries.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/tomorrowbrosnanshoot.jpg

Seeing as how the technological boom was really taking hold at the time this film came out, it’s kind of sad to see that they apparently didn’t try to elevate it above typical action/adventure fare. This is even more apparent when thinking about a movie like The Matrix, which came out just two years later and tackled the “technology/media as the downfall of man” theme with more success.

Sure it’s fun while it lasts, but it’s pretty forgettable.

It’s neither great nor terrible - it’s just sort of there.

Rating for Tomorrow Never Dies - 6 out of 10

Philosophe_rouge
11-17-2007, 01:44 AM
I still haven't seen this one, and I can't say I'll make it a priority. Again though, great breakdown !

megladon8
11-17-2007, 01:48 AM
I still haven't seen this one, and I can't say I'll make it a priority. Again though, great breakdown !


Thanks :D

It's certainly more worthy of a viewing than others in the series, but I definitely wouldn't make it a top priority.

Have you seen From Russia With Love? If not, you must get on that, post-haste!

Philosophe_rouge
11-17-2007, 01:51 AM
Thanks :D

It's certainly more worthy of a viewing than others in the series, but I definitely wouldn't make it a top priority.

Have you seen From Russia With Love? If not, you must get on that, post-haste!
Russia is my favourite Bond film to date :pritch:

megladon8
11-17-2007, 01:51 AM
Russia is my favourite Bond film to date :pritch:


Want to be my best friend?

Winston*
11-17-2007, 01:54 AM
Your next one up is probably the worst Bond film I've seen.

Philosophe_rouge
11-17-2007, 01:55 AM
Want to be my best friend?
Sure thing, I say we frolick in fields of wild flowers.

megladon8
11-17-2007, 01:56 AM
Your next one up is probably the worst Bond film I've seen.


Really?

The World is Not Enough is bad - namely due to Denise Richards *shudder*...but seriously, worse than Die Another Day?

Winston*
11-17-2007, 01:57 AM
Really?

The World is Not Enough is bad - namely due to Denise Richards *shudder*...but seriously, worse than Die Another Day?
Die Another Day has a henchman named "Mr. Kill" whose name Bond assures him is "to die for". I can't hate a movie with that.

jenniferofthejungle
11-17-2007, 02:19 AM
Great write-up, Braden. I hope to see all of these movies one day.

MadMan
11-17-2007, 02:20 AM
Russia is my favourite Bond film to date :pritch:Awesome to hear :cool:

Yeah Tomorrow Never Dies is pretty medocre. I actually thought that The World is Not Enough was rather entertaining in a very cheesy Roger Moore sort of way. Die Another Day would be the worst Bond film ever if A View to a Kill didn't exist.

Scar
11-17-2007, 01:39 PM
I saw Tomorrow Never Dies numerous times in the theatre.... And I guess its been available for the past couple months. Guess I know what I'll be getting today!

Raiders
11-17-2007, 02:48 PM
Tomorrow Never Dies is far better than GoldenEye. It feels more confident in its own ridiculousness, takes itself less seriously, and it has Jonathan Pryce.

Ivan Drago
11-17-2007, 03:34 PM
Really?

The World is Not Enough is bad - namely due to Denise Richards *shudder*

I'm still trying to figure out who names their offspring Christmas.

megladon8
01-24-2008, 02:29 AM
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Number three of the Pierce Brosnan entries sure isn’t going to end up being “number one” in anyone’s hearts or minds - at least, not in very many peoples’. This film represents a point (which has happened before and I’m sure will happen again in the Bond series) at which the story, actors and even the production team all seem to be tired with the material. Plot twists are thrown in and feel like they’re simply there to mix things up a bit, and despite these subtle changes it all just feels even more formulaic than the typical Bond adventure. I don’t have any illusions in my mind of the Bond series boiling over with originality or brilliance, but a film like The World is Not Enough feels like it’s even more standard, been-there-done-that fare. However, that being said, it’s well-executed, has one or two good moments, and Robert Carlyle is in it. Plus, when you compare it to the abomination that follows it, it looks like Seven Samurai.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldrocket.jpg

The plot follows Bond’s mission to protect Elektra King (played by Sophie Marceau), the daughter of an oil baron and generally powerful, abundantly rich businessman Sir Robert King who is assassinated at the beginning of the film. Throughout the narrative, secrets are revealed such as a possible romance between Sir Robert King and M - who attended law school together - and possible backstabbing plots. It’s all fairly standard Bond stuff, except for the fact that M is directly involved in the plot of the film. This is something which has never really happened before in the Bond franchise, as M has always been an outside force who would simply send Bond off, then we wouldn’t hear from him/her for the rest of the film.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldcarlyle.jpg

The villain is Renard - a terrorist who was at some point shot in the head, but survived. Now the bullet is very slowly digging through his brain, cutting off his senses as it goes. It will eventually kill him, but as of now, he’s inhumanly strong and has almost limitless stamina, due to his deadened pain receptors. It doesn’t make any sense at all when someone puts more than two seconds worth of thought into it, but it’s Robert Carlyle, so who cares?


The Babes

The World is Not Enough has three main babes. One is played by a fairly respectable French actress, one is played by an Italian bombshell, and the other is played by and American “actress”. See if you can guess which one’s which...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldcucinotta.jpg

Maria Grazia Cucinotta is the first one to appear in the film, and her part is so small that her character is called “Cigar Girl”. She gives Bond a cigar at the beginning of the movie, then a few minutes later he realizes that she is responsible for the assassination of King. She is involved in a pretty cool boat chase, and is disposed of pretty quickly.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldmarceau.jpg

Sophie Marceau plays Elektra King, the emotionally fragile woman who survived a kidnapping and is distraught over the death of her father. She is completely paranoid now about repeated kidnap attempts, but decides the best course of action is to show no fear, and continue appearing in public as much as possible. This leads to the film showing her in many different skimpy dresses, as well as a love scene with Bond where you can catch a very quick glimpse of her nipple (though it’s not like I slowed it down to check or anything).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldrichards.jpg

Finally we have one of the most ridiculous characters ever, and one of the greatest instances of miscasting ever. Dr. Christmas Jones (HA!) is a nuclear physicist, and she is played by Denise Richards (double HA!). She has enormous breasts, which are shown in a wet white t-shirt at numerous times throughout the film - that’s about as deep as her character goes.


The Gadgets

There are a few gadgets in this entry in the series, but, again, nothing overly original or interesting.

First off there are Bond’s x-ray glasses...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldglasses.jpg

...at one point in the film, Bond goes to a nightclub owned by Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane returning to his role from Goldeneye), and Bond uses the glasses to see who all in the club is armed.

Then there’s Bond’s new watch, which contains all the usual trimmings you’d expect from a Bond watch (grappling hook, laser, video, remote mines, etc.). It’s an Omega Seamaster, and it’s a damn nice watch...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldwatch.jpg

Then there’s Bond’s super-boat thing, which he uses in the beginning chase sequence with “Cigar Girl”. It can fully submerge, and is balanced in such a way that no matter how you land off a jump, it rights itself. It’s actually Q’s fishing boat, but Bond grabs it out of necessity...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldboat.jpg

There’s also Bond’s car, a BMW Z8, which meets a sad demise later in the film as it is sawed in half...


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldcar.jpg

There are a few other gadgets, such as Bond’s blow-up jacket which he uses to protect himself and Elektra during an avalanche, and a credit card which works as a universal lock-pick.

Again, it’s all pretty standard stuff.


Distinctions From the Other Films

-Theme song performed by Garbage, and can be heard along with the opening titles sequence here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0kjffYeppU)

-First film in the franchise to directly involve M in the plot and action

-The title, The World is Not Enough, is Bond’s family motto and is taken from a quote in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

-The final appearance by Desmong Llewlyn as Q

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldQ.jpg

-The first appearance by John Cleese as Q’s apprentice

-Robbie Coltrane reprises his role as Russian gangster Zukovsky, and much of his dialogue is the same as the dialogue he had in Goldeneye

-Elektra King was originally going to be played by Sharon Stone, but studios wanted someone more European in both looks and voice


Signature Scenes

Of course there’s the boat chase and the avalanche, but other scenes which are memorable in this film include the assault on Zukovsky’s caviar refinery...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldchopper.jpg

...the helicopter with the 5 buzzsaw blades is responsible for the destruction of Bond’s BMW.

There’s also the scene at the end of the film where Bond is set down on a torture chair which puts pressure on the back of his neck, while simultaneously suffocating him...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldchair.jpg


...now, normally I would say the above picture is a spoiler since it sort of gives away that Elektra is not a very good girl, but seeing how her evilness is shown in the trailers and pretty much everyone knows anyways, I figure it’s fair game.

And finally there’s any one of the many scenes featuring Denice Richards in a white t-shirt, which just happens to end up submerged in cold water...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldwhitet-shirt.jpg


Memorable Quote of Villainy

There aren’t any particularly memorable or villainous quotes in this film, but there are some wonderfully bad puns, such as the following...

RENARD: You had me. But I knew you couldn't...
[Renard squeezes Bond's injured shoulder. Bond groans with pain]
RENARD: ...shoulder the responsibility.

RENARD: Welcome to my nuclear family.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldfinal.jpg

So while it’s certainly best described as “mediocre”, it would be an out-and-out lie to say that The World is Not Enough ranks among the worst Bond films. One of its greatest detractors is Denice Richards’ character, Christmas Jones, whose retardedness is so thick it could be cut with a knife. The film features a welcome return by Robbie Coltrane - though some better material would have been much appreciated - and Robert Carlyle is great in just about anything.

Rating for The World is Not Enough - 5.5 out of 10

megladon8
10-23-2008, 11:52 AM
I'm gonna fucking sue. (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/from_russia_with_love/news/1775585/bonding_with_bond_day_2_from_r ussia_with_love)

Grouchy
10-23-2008, 02:42 PM
Your write-ups are way better, man. Seriously.

megladon8
10-24-2008, 04:37 AM
Thanks!

I really should get around to finishing it...

Morris Schæffer
10-24-2008, 08:26 AM
In the last few weeks I've become a bit wary of Quantum of Solace, wondering whether the romance in Casino Royale was potent enough to justify Bond going on a reckless vendetta in the sequel. In any case, I'll probably watch CR again before QoS.

SirNewt
10-26-2008, 05:33 AM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/worldrichards.jpg

Finally we have one of the most ridiculous characters ever, and one of the greatest instances of miscasting ever. Dr. Christmas Jones (HA!) is a nuclear physicist, and she is played by Denise Richards (double HA!). She has enormous breasts, which are shown in a wet white t-shirt at numerous times throughout the film - that’s about as deep as her character goes.




Say what you will, I still think she's quite a cutie.

Overall, I barely remember this film except for

MAJOR

Elektra's attempted necrophilia with Bond

and Valentine dying cause he was cool.

Morris Schæffer
10-27-2008, 12:03 PM
I'm really surprised Dalton was offered the role for On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I mean, considering he eventually nabbed the part much later (1987).

Morris Schæffer
10-30-2008, 11:58 AM
Got a question. Why, in Casino Royale, didn't they just arrest Le Chiffre in Montenegro? They knew he was behind the attack at Miami International. Why the poker game? Why the elaborate set-up?

megladon8
11-06-2008, 12:36 PM
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadposter.jpg

It’s astounding to see just how badly Die Another Day was screwed up. For as terrible as it is (and man, it’s bad) it actually starts off really well. Bond is in North Korea posing as a businessman doing an arms deal with Colonel Moon, a spoiled little brat with a powerful father who thinks he’s some kind of dictator. Where it gets interesting is in just how badly Bond messes up - blowing up a huge army encampment, recklessly engaging in a hovercraft chase that results in the death of Colonel Moon, and then being captured by General Moon (the other Moon’s father).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadarms.jpg

I always liked the Bond stories that would delve into the morality of his job. Is he just a hired gun who happens to be working for the “good guys”? Is he pretty much a bad guy himself? And this is, again, where the story could have paid off in spades. Upon his capture by the North Koreans, Bond’s very existence is denied by M and the rest of MI6. He’s left for dead. No one is coming to save him, no big operation where other double-0 agents pull off a daring rescue. He had to bite the bullet on this one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadtorture.jpg

Some fairly light torture scenes are shown, mostly dealing with Bond’s head being dunked in ice water, or showing him being stung by CGI scorpions, but it’s implied that he isn’t exactly staying at the Ritz. By the end of the torture scenes, Bond has long hair and a beard. He’s been there a long time.

A rather back-handed “trade” occurs between the Koreans and the British government, where Bond is released in return for the, er, return of Zao, Colonel Moon’s right-hand man who was wounded and captured shortly after Bond’s messy assault. Because Zao happened to have been standing right next to a briefcase full of diamonds when Bond’s bombs went off, he now has a face full of diamonds. Why can’t they be surgically removed? Your guess is as good as mine.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadxao.jpg

And from here on is where the film officially goes to Shitsville, pretty much coinciding with the arrival of Halle Berry’s character, Jinx. What disturbs me most about her character is not the terrible writing, awkward love scenes, inability to look convincing with a gun, or total bastardization of the supposed “tribute” to Ursula Andress’ famous bikini shot in Dr. No. No, what bothers me most is that the geniuses at MGM apparently found her character so intriguing, they wanted to give her her own spin-off franchise, which would run indefinitely just like Bond himself. This was just after all the hooplah with Berry showing her twins in both Swordfish and Monster’s Ball (and lord knows I’m not complaining about that), but the logic behind her own franchise just baffles me.

Luckily Berry proved she couldn’t hold her own franchise with Catwoman, so the Jinx series never got past proposal stages.

But still, we’re left with this steaming turd called Die Another Day. A movie so bad that it led to the studio deciding they needed to bring Bond back to something remotely like reality for the next installment, which proved to not only be a reboot/prequel to the series, but also one of the best films in the 40+ year run of James Bond.

So I guess I can’t be that mad about it, when it led to the greatness of Casino Royale. But still, Die Another Day must be seen to be believed. Actually, scratch that, it’s not really worth seeing unless you are tickled by terrible innuendo.


The Babes

The babes in Die Another Day range fro hot-and-bland, to bland-and-bland. Halle Berry is undoubtedly easy on the eyes, but I’ve never really seen her show that she’s much of an actress. Even her Oscar-winning performance in Monster’s Ball seems more worthy of respect due to its riskiness rather than it actually being a great performance.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadbikini.jpg

As mentioned before, she plays a character named Jinx. She’s an American agent, and shown as supposedly being Bond’s “equal”, but anyone who knows the series knows that no female character is ever really equal to Bond. The one major fight Berry has in the film is with another woman, and it focuses more on their skimpy outfits and bouncing...insults off each other, than on actual bruteness. Jinx just doesn’t feel like she could believably take care of herself, especially when she can’t really hold a handgun properly.

The picture above is a snapshot of the “tribute” they included in the film. With the film being released the year of Bond’s 40th anniversary, they decided to jam-pack the movie with tributes and references. This tribute to the famous shot of Ursula Andress coming out of the ocean in Dr. No is laughable. In the original, Andress just quietly walked out of the ocean, singing to herself and examining the sea shells she had collected. Die Another Day amped it up by having Berry emerge from the water in a huge splash, rubbing the water through her hair and down her body, all in succulent slow motion. It’s hilariously over-the-top.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadfrost.jpg

Next up is Miranda Frost, played by Rosamund Pike. She is the right-hand-girl of our main villain, Gustav Graves.

Oh yeah, and while I’m on the topic, the villain is Gustav Graves (played by Toby Stephens). He’s basically a pompous English goof who thinks he’s the hottest thing since the sun and you just want to punch him in his smug face. Plus he has this ridiculous suit he wears at the end of the film which gives him the power to electrocute people by touching them.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadhelmet.jpg

So back to Miss Frost. She’s a total ice queen (get it? Frost...ice queen). She really doesn’t serve much of a purpose other than being a woman that is apparently unattracted to Bond, but in the Bond universe that pretty much makes her a lesbian. History shows that any woman who isn’t genuinely attracted to Bond from the start is playing for the other team (Pussy Galore, for instance) but even so, once Bond gets his sweaty little mits on them, they see the light and decide they want to be with him forever and ever.

Frost isn’t like that, though. She never really falls for Bond, though she does sleep with him at one point due to the old “have sex with him to get information” ploy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadmadonna.jpg

And finally we have Madonna playing Verity, Bond’s fencing instructor. Again, terrible innuendo ensues, and she is trying way, way too hard to be sexy in the 30 seconds she’s on screen, you almost feel bad for her. What happened to you? You used to be MADONNA...now you’re just...ugh, Madonna.

There’s really not much here in the way of babes. Rosamund Pike seems a little too comfortable playing the heartless queen of ice, and Halle Berry is frequently voted as being the worst Bond girl ever (even beating out Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist).


The Gadgets

There are so many gadgets in this movie it’s ridiculous. This is partly why I’m glad they decided to resort back to the “old school” Bond of just a gun and his wits. I like gadgets, but not when they get ridiculous, such as the surf board/parachute/pistol/communications array thingy that Bond uses in an incredible escape. As a glacier is melting, it creates a tidal wave that Bond must evade in one of the most laughably bad sequences in all of Bond history.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadparasurf.jpg

Honestly, the CGI in this scene would make a PlayStation 2 game feel embarassed.

Next up we have Bond’s watch. Of course, he needs a new watch in every film, and always with some arbitrary excuse related to his last mission, where Q gets ticked off at him for “never bringing equipment back in pristine order.” This new watch has the typical laser beam and explosives.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadwatch.jpg

Bond also has a new car. It’s an updated Aston Martin, and this one has a cloaking device! Neat-o!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadcar.jpg

I should also probably mention the ice palace that Gustav Graves builds as his central hub of evilness. Apparently it’s a real place - a hotel, if I’m not mistaken - but in the movie it just sucks, like everything else.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadicepalaca.jpg

The rest of the gadgets are references to earlier films. When Bond enters Q branch we see tons of equipment used in the other films, most notably the tinfoil jet-pack from Thunderball.

The number of gadgets in the film - and all their ridiculous uses - go hand-in-hand with how over-the-top the series had become by this point. When Bond gets in a fistfight in a room full of lasers against a huge henchman named Mister Kill, you know you have problems.


Distinctions From Other Films

-Theme song, “Die Another Day”, sung by Madonna - it is also the first time that the opening credits sequence is actually part of the film’s plot, as this is where all the torture scenes are included...can be seen here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoKzHD046E4)

-First appearance of John Cleese as Q; in The World is Not Enough he was Q’s assistant (codename “R”)

-First film in the series to feature a bullet zooming by the camera during the gun-barrel sequence at the beginning

-First ever love scene between Bond and Moneypenny (though it turns out to have been a computer simulation)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/daddiamonds.jpg

-The sex scene between Bond and Jinx is actually the first sex scene shown in the series - before that, the sex was always implied (they’d go to bed kissing, camera fades out, then back in on them getting out of bed)


Signature Scenes

Um...the terrible paragliding sequence?

Well, I guess you could say the car-chase on the ice is a signature scene.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadchase.jpg

But really, there’s nothing too memorable here, other than some bad effects. Most of it is best forgotten.


Memorable Quote of Villainy

There are so many hilarious quotes I wish I could share. Here’s one example of the terrible innuendo which occurs on and off throughout the film...

MIRANDA FROST: Mr. Bond. And Miss...?
JINX: Swift, "Space and Technology" magazine.
MIRANDA FROST: Really? I take it Mr. Bond's been explaining his Big Bang theory?
JINX: Oh yeah, I think I got the thrust of it.

But for a quote of villainy, let’s try this on for size...

GRAVES: Armed and very dangerous.

And that was in reference to himself. Wearing this.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadhelmet.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v496/megladon8/dadbrosnan.jpg

Die Another Day just isn’t good, like this picture of Pierce Brosnan.

It wastes great ideas by including some terrible ones, and making what could have been a neat morality tale into an overdone CGI-fest with one of the worst scripts in the whole series.

I really can’t bring myself to give it a complete fail, because that stuff at the beginning really showed some promise. But Lee Tamahori shows once again that his big-budget action movies are totally inept, and should be avoided at all costs. Please keep this man away from the franchise from now on.

Rating for Die Another Day - 2.5 out of 10

megladon8
11-07-2008, 12:28 AM
Hope to have Casino Royale up in the next couple of days.

Woo-hoo! Nearing the finish line!

megladon8
11-07-2008, 01:12 AM
So is it official that no one gives a shit about this anymore?

Oh well, I'll still finish it.

Grouchy
11-07-2008, 01:43 AM
So is it official that no one gives a shit about this anymore?

Oh well, I'll still finish it.
Ok, ok, you cry-baby, I read it.

It's just that, well, unfortunately, it's the lowest Bond since Octopussy,

megladon8
11-07-2008, 01:48 AM
Ok, ok, you cry-baby, I read it.

It's just that, well, unfortunately, it's the lowest Bond since Octopussy,


I'd take Octopussy over this any day of the week.

Seriously.

Grouchy
11-07-2008, 01:52 AM
I'd take Octopussy over this any day of the week.

Seriously.
Yeah, me too.

megladon8
11-07-2008, 04:55 AM
Yeah, me too.


What are you expecting with Quantum of Solace?

I'm getting worried. Reading that Bond doesn't seem too deeply affected by Vesper's death, thereby making the whole revenge plot seem out of place, doesn't sound too good. I was looking forward to a really good revenge tale with my favorite black-hearted spy!

Grouchy
11-07-2008, 05:10 PM
What are you expecting with Quantum of Solace?

I'm getting worried. Reading that Bond doesn't seem too deeply affected by Vesper's death, thereby making the whole revenge plot seem out of place, doesn't sound too good. I was looking forward to a really good revenge tale with my favorite black-hearted spy!
I don't know. On one side I like that it's a direct sequel and a revenge story. Where do you get the fact that Bond isn't too affected by Vesper's death? Early reviews?

On the other hand, the trailers are lookin' sort of bland when compared to the footage from Casino Royale we'd seen.

Morris Schæffer
02-03-2010, 11:55 AM
I saw Goldfinger again this morning. Man, this never gets old. I know you're not a major fan Meg, but I love it. The locations, the playful tone meshes perfectly with the more sinister one, The Aston Martin DBS, some great visual flourishes such as the double camera pull back when Bond oversees Goldfinger, only to be spotted himself by Jill Masterson's sister who is a few hundred feet above him. Ken Adam's design, John Barry's score. the golf game. Ah, the golf game.

Oh, and I finally saw it on Blu-Ray. Holy clarity Batman! How can a 1964 film looks so pristine? So immaculate. And I don't even have a Full HD TV!

Dukefrukem
02-03-2010, 01:10 PM
I saw Goldfinger again this morning. Man, this never gets old. I know you're not a major fan Meg, but I love it. The locations, the playful tone meshes perfectly with the more sinister one, The Aston Martin DBS, some great visual flourishes such as the double camera pull back when Bond oversees Goldfinger, only to be spotted himself by Jill Masterson's sister who is a few hundred feet above him. Ken Adam's design, John Barry's score. the golf game. Ah, the golf game.

Oh, and I finally saw it on Blu-Ray. Holy clarity Batman! How can a 1964 film looks so pristine? So immaculate. And I don't even have a Full HD TV!

Totally agree with this. The only drawback is getting over the lame model designs during the jet crash. Did not age well at all.

Morris Schæffer
02-03-2010, 01:58 PM
Totally agree with this. The only drawback is getting over the lame model designs during the jet crash. Did not age well at all.

That crash was literally a 1 second shot. I didn't even think it looked quite so bad.

The worst effect was probably a closeup of a gas canister when the planes are airborne.

Dukefrukem
02-03-2010, 02:51 PM
That crash was literally a 1 second shot. I didn't even think it looked quite so bad.

The worst effect was probably a closeup of a gas canister when the planes are airborne.

Still bothers me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq4A8mfB1P0&feature=related).

Morris Schæffer
02-03-2010, 07:49 PM
Still bothers me (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq4A8mfB1P0&feature=related).

What does? The not quite entirely persuasive miniatures?

Qrazy
02-03-2010, 08:37 PM
I don't understand this conversation. Are you guys talking about Goldfinger or Goldeneye.

Morris Schæffer
02-03-2010, 08:57 PM
Austin Powers: Goldmember

megladon8
02-04-2010, 12:31 AM
I like Goldfinger well enough, I just don't understand why it became arguably the most popular film in the entire franchise, and many reviewers pretty much say "if you're only going to see one Bond film, see this one."

There were better films both before and after it.

Morris Schæffer
02-04-2010, 10:43 AM
I like Goldfinger well enough, I just don't understand why it became arguably the most popular film in the entire franchise, and many reviewers pretty much say "if you're only going to see one Bond film, see this one."

There were better films both before and after it.

Hm. Perhaps the majority said that, but it does strike me as a blanket statement more than anything else. No offense meant Meg. I've a hard time fathoming that there wouldn't be numerous critics who might give the edge to From Russia With Love, Dr. No or Casino Royale, all three top tier material. I think that Goldfinger's more zany (more cool than hysterical really) tone does not work to the detriment of the movie and we're a long ways off from Roger Moore driving a gondola across venice square. :lol:

But I do feel that Goldfinger is top 5 in the Bond franchise.

Dukefrukem
02-04-2010, 01:03 PM
i'm retarded. I mixed up my movies. And yes the models in Goldfinger are much worse. Yes to gas canister!

Dukefrukem
02-04-2010, 01:07 PM
But I do feel that Goldfinger is top 5 in the Bond franchise.

Since you brought it up...

1. Goldeneye
2. License to Kill
3. From Russia, With Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Casino Royale

megladon8
02-04-2010, 06:11 PM
Hm. Perhaps the majority said that, but it does strike me as a blanket statement more than anything else. No offense meant Meg. I've a hard time fathoming that there wouldn't be numerous critics who might give the edge to From Russia With Love, Dr. No or Casino Royale, all three top tier material. I think that Goldfinger's more zany (more cool than hysterical really) tone does not work to the detriment of the movie and we're a long ways off from Roger Moore driving a gondola across venice square. :lol:

But I do feel that Goldfinger is top 5 in the Bond franchise.


Oh there definitely are a good chunk of people who consider From Russia With Love to be not only better than Goldfinger but also the best in the franchise (myself included).

But Goldfinger really is considered the definitive Bond film in many circles. I've (http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/top-10-james-bond-movies_1.html) found (http://movies.ign.com/articles/746/746573p4.html) several (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058150/) listings (http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1560072_22,00.html) where it's #1, just from a quick Google search of "best Bond films".

MadMan
02-05-2010, 02:00 AM
Keep 'em comin', meg. I can appreciate this thread even more as I finally watched the last Bond I hadn't seen last year-The Living Daylights. Dalton was a good Bond who should have appeared in more than two movies. Him and Bronsman both got screwed in that only half of their Bond output was any good.

Die Another Day is the worst Bond movie ever, yes. Even worse than A View to a Kill.