In this topic, you can just give your thoughts on the James Bond series. I’ve recently became interested in the films since they’ve been playing on Spike TV (“the greatest secret weapon he keeps in his pants he’s got a licence to score” haha) and the Tarantino news about Casino Royale. For the majority I think the films are really good. Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is not Enough, and Die another Day sucked. My favorite James Bond films are From Russia with Love (best out of the series) , On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (I didn’t think Lazenby was that bad. He actually kicks some serious ass like when he beats the guy to death and tells him “Merry Christmas”), The Living Daylights, The Spy Who Loved Me (best Moore film), and Goldfinger. I think the Bond films are escapist movies and they can be enjoyed by almost everyone. I think it’s true what Tarantino said that the earlier Bond films were spy thrillers, then it was the “can’t touch me” spy films, then the Brosnan era has made James Bond into the typical action films. I think some of the best stunts ever caught on film were on Bond movies like the pre-credit jump sequence in The Spy Who Loved Me, the thread-the-needle sequence in Octopussy, and the broken bridge jump in The Man With the Golden Gun. Here’s my view of the actors:
Sean Connery - classic Bond and the best.
George Lazenby - could’ve been in another movie. I thought he did well for it being his first movie.
Roger Moore - comic bond. tounge-in-cheek humor. i like it.
Timothy Dalton - I liked Dalton’s serious edge.
Pierce Brosnan - he is bond for this generation. i agree with lazenby saying he acts too feminine
On with Casino Royale, this film looks promising because they are returning to the Ian Flemming source material. My only main concern is who is playing James Bond. The producers should’ve given Tarantino a chance. Brosnan would’ve been good for this film. I like the classic James Bond 1962-1989. The series is going downhill. Too much emphasis on the gadgets, women, action, etc. WHAT ABOUT THE STORY? The most important part. The begining of Die another Day looked promising but afterwards it was total crap.
Yeah I grew up watching these movies as a kid and I never understood all of the sex stuff and recently I saw Moonraker and when Q said that line I couldn’t stop laughing my ass off.
THESE are the four battling it out to be the next James Bond.
Established big- screen names such as Clive Owen and Dougray Scott are being overlooked in favour of this shortlist.
ER-hunk Goran Visnjic, 32, posh Henry Cavill, 22, Aussie Alex O’Lachlan, 28, and veteran Scot Ewan Stewart, 47, took part in a series of screen tests last week. They played out love scenes with Emmerdale’s Camilla Power - tipped to be a Bond girl.
Production executives at Eon, who make the Bond movies, are now studying the scenes before making a decision.
A movie insider said: “All four are among the most impressive would-be Bonds we’ve ever encountered. They show style, sophistication and have a natural air of the shaken-but-not-stirred secret agent - and the ability to make women swoon.”
The top-secret tests took place at Pinewood studios near London over three days.
The shortlist will come as a shock to Bond fans, who were expecting Layer Cake star Daniel Craig to scoop the role in Casino Royale. The insider added: “The shortlist has surprised people because there is no huge star. Bosses want whoever wins the role to become Bond in people’s minds, which they wouldn’t achieve with a bigger star.”
Scots star Gerard Butler and Hulk actor Eric Bana have also been in the frame to take over from Pierce Brosnan as 007.
ALEX O’LACHLAN AGED 28
THE second big-screen Bond was Australian George Lazenby - now fellow countryman Alex O’Lachlan is in the running for the next movie. Starred in little-known films Oyster Farmer and Man-Things, but has been tipped as “the new Russell Crowe”. Recently quit
Australia and moved to Los Angeles to further his film career.51
GORAN VISNJIC AGED 32
TRAINED as a paratrooper in the Croatian army. Most famous for his role as Dr Luka Kovac in long-running drama ER and was named US magazine People’s Sexiest Import in 1999. Also appeared as the love interest for Madonna in the video for her song The Power Of Goodbye. Last year took
starring role in a TV version of Spart-acus. Married to fellow Croat, sculptress Ivana.1
HENRY CAVILL AGED 22
FORMER public schoolboy, born in Jersey, appeared in 2002 movie The Count Of Monte Cristo alongside Guy Pearce. Has also appeared in TV cop dramas Midsomer Murders, on ITV, and the Beeb’s Inspector Lynley Mysteries. Co-starred in this year’s Hellraiser sequel Hellworld and
appearing alongside Sophia Myles and Rufus Sewell in period drama Tristan & Isolde.
EWAN STEWART AGED 47
SON of Scottish music hall legend Andy Stewart - who had a hit in 1961 and 1989 with Donald Where’s Yer Troosers. First found fame in late-70s TV drama All Quiet On The Western Front. Has also appeared in The Professionals, Only Fools And Horses and The Bill. Film-wise, starred as First Officer Murdoch in
Titanic. Other major film credits include Coll in Rob Roy. Married to actress Clare Byam-Shaw.71
i think the bond series has gone from a charming spie series into a non-stop action film franchise. i personally think Pierce Brosnan is as bond-ish as bond could be (i think he was born to be bond), but the films just lack the charme and the stories of the old ones. i’d love to see the next bond as a bond with less explosions, but more acting, more 70s style bondgirl-sex and charmingly old locations…
apart from brosnan, i think Dalton just rocked. he was the ass kicker among the bonds. connery was the kid, lazenby the gap-filler and moore the gigolo
I think Dalton is defintiley under rated, he played Bond very well, but I think I read somewhere once that he was only supposed to ‘fill in’ for Bronson, till the later was released from another contract…mores the pity really, I mean Bronson is very good, but I would have liked to have seen Dalton have a longer run…
I hope they dont get anyone to young and shallow to do it…you want someone who’s charming and swarve to be Bond.
^ Sean Connery is James Bond, but my favourite is George Lazenby. And the James Bond movies I don’t like are all from the 80’s. I also don’t really like the “comic” Roger Moore Bond.
I don’t know if anybody has watch the Bond movie marathon on AMC, but the widescreen presentations of the films look stunning on T.V. I heard the films are going to be released on a Ultimate Edition DVD Q3 2006 (were originally set for October 2005) for the release of “Casino Royale” on high-def and 5.1 transfers. I almost wonder if the widescreen Bond films shown on AMC are the actual finished transers of the Ultimate Edition DVDs.
