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It is just a number. It was John Dee's number once, too.

I really don't care about the James Bond franchise any more. Not particularly over casting, or the quality (although the recent ones have sucked). It's just been going on too long, and the money and effort could be put into doing something new.

If they must keep making them, the best thing to do would be for them to go back and do them as period pieces set during the Cold War.
 
... If they must keep making them, the best thing to do would be for them to go back and do them as period pieces set during the Cold War.

I agree with this assessment. I preferred the Fleming novels I read as a teen in the Sixties to the Hollywood films from that period onward. As time went on Bond became more a generic super-capable figure of intrigue and less a unique character in a particular historical context. Bond became something of a meme, and over the course of all the films the character sort of devolved into just another specimen or exemplar of the meme for which he'd been the inspiration. At some point I found I had to remind myself the action hero on screen was supposed to be James Bond (as opposed to any of the other action heroes).

I like the idea of ceasing the endless hyper-inflation of the Bond meme and circling back to portray him in his original context.
 
If they must keep making them, the best thing to do would be for them to go back and do them as period pieces set during the Cold War.
I like the idea of ceasing the endless hyper-inflation of the Bond meme and circling back to portray him in his original context.
I agree, if well done that could work very well. 'Dr. No' wasn't far off the book mind.
 
I agree with this assessment. I preferred the Fleming novels I read as a teen in the Sixties to the Hollywood films from that period onward. As time went on Bond became more a generic super-capable figure of intrigue and less a unique character in a particular historical context. Bond became something of a meme, and over the course of all the films the character sort of devolved into just another specimen or exemplar of the meme for which he'd been the inspiration. At some point I found I had to remind myself the action hero on screen was supposed to be James Bond (as opposed to any of the other action heroes).

I like the idea of ceasing the endless hyper-inflation of the Bond meme and circling back to portray him in his original context.
I like this .. NSFW swearing

James Bond Is Kind Of A Prick ..

 
I wonder how many people James Bond has killed so far? Anybody keeping a tally?
 
I agree with this assessment. I preferred the Fleming novels I read as a teen in the Sixties to the Hollywood films from that period onward. As time went on Bond became more a generic super-capable figure of intrigue and less a unique character in a particular historical context. Bond became something of a meme, and over the course of all the films the character sort of devolved into just another specimen or exemplar of the meme for which he'd been the inspiration. At some point I found I had to remind myself the action hero on screen was supposed to be James Bond (as opposed to any of the other action heroes).

I like the idea of ceasing the endless hyper-inflation of the Bond meme and circling back to portray him in his original context.

I've only read a few of the books (Live & Let Die, Goldfinger, The Man With The Golden Gun, I think), but I think that both the hard-boiled element and periodic the sense of playfulness has been almost entirely lost in the latter-day adaptations. James Bond was at times the most unprofessional of professionals. The earlier films communicated this pretty well.

Darker elements were always present in his character and the plots, but the attempts to make James 'gritty and realistic' have sapped his likeability (a rogue, but one on our team)--and who really wants or needs to 'relate to' James Bond?
 
James Bond will cease to be relevant about the time James Bond knock-offs stop being made. So that's some time after Spies in Disguise, Black Widow, xXx 4, Mission Impossible 7... and so on.
 
Bond is still going. Did anyone like the last Bourne movie?
 
Austin Powers killed Bond.
 
That's the popular narrative, or one the Bourne people were keen promote anyway, but increasingly I'm seeing Bourne reassessed, specifically the Greengrass ones - his shakycam is proving a liability to enjoying them now.
 
Can't find the thread on black lady 007 so this goes here . It's a question of reading comprehension. James bond is not going to be a black woman. He's just been let go and replaced as the person bearing the code name '007'.

“There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says, “Come in 007”, and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman,” the source said. “It’s a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he’s been replaced as 007.”

Provides an interesting question to be resolved through the film...no problem with it at all.

But...why "leak" such a thing before the film is on release?
I am quite pedantic about films, I like to only know a very brief, perhaps short one line, summary of what it is about, before seeing it.

i.e. It is a mildly witty RomCom, fine for a plane journey but not worth going to the cinema for


or

Insightful documentary about an extraordinary man - such as The new Maradonna documentary.
 
I've never got the obsession some people (mainly blokes) have with Bond. I don't recall watching a Sean Connery one all the way through - I dare say I have, I just don't remember doing so. I watched Bond on telly as a kid and quite liked them because there were gadgets, fighting and the occasional hint of boob but preferred plenty of other stuff. It seems like an antiquated franchise to me, it's remarkable how long it's lasted but I'm simply nonplussed. I liked Casino Royale and Skyfall but wasn't crazy about them, QoS was poor and I've heard Spectre was dreadful from many people. Craig era has been "Bond does Bourne" or at least started this way, I much prefer Bourne overall.

They should have got rid of Craig and "rebooted" again, he's too old.
 
The new film's title is revealed as... No Time to Die!
Bond news

"Do you expect me to talk? I have no time to die!" as Sir Sean didn't quite say. Oh, and Léa Seydoux is an actual returning Bond Girl, there's a novelty. Bond Woman, I mean. It'll be intriguing to see if Phoebe Waller-Bridge works her Killing Eve magic on the script (they'll let her, if they're sensible).

Anyway, out next April.
 
I'll watch it but with James Bond being retired as the leading character?.... mind you, ACDC didn't suffer from having a new lead singer so never say never again. Can cars do donuts from stationary?.
 
I'll watch it but with James Bond being retired as the leading character?.... mind you, ACDC didn't suffer from having a new lead singer so never say never again.

I don't think that's what's really going to happen.
 
I don't think that's what's really going to happen.
Some are saying the new 007 is just 'temping' for James in this film. I never warmed to Daniel Craig as 007 anyway, mainly because of his ridiculous 'trout pout' .. it's like watching a young Simon Le Bon mincing about in a Duran Duran video.
 
Some are saying the new 007 is just 'temping' for James in this film. I never warmed to Daniel Craig as 007 anyway, mainly because of his ridiculous 'trout pout' .. it's like watching a young Simon Le Bon mincing about in a Duran Duran video.
Yup, he could never be called a 'face' actor.
 
I'll watch it but with James Bond being retired as the leading character?.... mind you, ACDC didn't suffer from having a new lead singer so never say never again. Can cars do donuts from stationary?.

Brian Johnson as Bond, now there's an idea. Rather fond of cars too, I bet he could do donuts from stationary.
 
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