loogthan
Adventurer
A true career inspiration in the arts to a refined film analyst and screenwriter.
Posts: 62
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Post by loogthan on Jun 7, 2007 16:23:50 GMT -5
How would you rank Pierce’s Bond films in order of the best to rather decent (the story, not his performance in the role)? Here’s my analysis:
1. Goldeneye -- great structure & story, realistic leading lady (probably among the few who actually questions/confronts his attitude towards life),the dialogue was witty (I loved the bits of sparring between James and Natalya), an equally matched villain; as a side note, I believe this is one we all share--the “Remington hairstyle”--his youthful appearance in this film makes it seem as though he just stepped out of Remington into Bond’s shoes; the hairstyles in the later films became much shorter which tended to remind me of the Season 3 haircut.
2. The World Is Not Enough -- strong dramatic story, captivating villainess; weaker aspects: the addition of Christmas Jones (bland & boring) to wrap the story up with a “happy ending.”
3. Die Another Day -- interesting spin on the revenge plot, fantastically choreographed sword fight scene; weaker aspects: cliched plan of controlling the world through war, overuse of CGI starting with the escape from the Ice Palace, tedium settling in with the direct cuts in parallel action editing between the fights at the end (James v. Graves, Miranda v. Jinx), unsatisfaction in Miranda’s death--I guess they were afraid of repeating the death of Elektra at the hands of Bond; however, his motivation throughout the story is to find out who betrayed him and to seek revenge.
4. Tomorrow Never Dies -- weaknesses: unbelievable plot (even with suspension of disbelief), time constraint of packing everything under 2 hrs, a colorless villain, too much time is spent with the ships (the sinking of the one in the beginning & its function as ‘cavalry’ to aid Bond in the end).
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Post by londonstreet on Jun 7, 2007 17:10:49 GMT -5
1. goldeneye - just perfect, also loved his hairstyle 2. the world is not enough - I love the relationship between bond and electra, the only thing I'd change is Denise Richards. 3. tomorrow never dies - i don't like his hairstyle in this one 4. die another day - it starts very well but then it becomes too fantastic.
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Post by Ace on Jun 7, 2007 19:40:38 GMT -5
1. TWINE: Best and most assured performance by Pierce as Bond. He has more to do with the character and does it exceptionally well. His relationship with Marceau's Electra is his most believable romantic entanglement as Bond (maybe most of the series) with the most sparks and depth. It would be best with no X-Mas but she's not enough to derail it from #1. The opening scene at the Banker's office is my favorite opening scene and shows him in peak form as Bond on the job. The main drawback is that a couple of the action scenes seem shoehorned just for action sake-- in particular the caviar factory scene. I'd love to see Apted's original cut that was about 20-30 min longer (mostly of dialogue). 2.Goldeneye: Pierce is wonderful in his debut but he gets better as his films go on. Here he's still a bit tentative in a couple of scenes. Marvelous henchwoman in Xenia and the sexual heat between Pierce and Famke in the sauna is some of the best in the series and has maybe his best one liner as Bond "No no no, no more foreplay". Sean Bean gives Pierce his best male villain and one just wishes they had even more scenes together -- their fight at the end is the best in the series. I like Natalya but would like her more if she didn't screech or kick Bond in the shin. That's a very sweet relationship but not a lot of heat. My main gripe with the film is the pacing -- for too long a stretch of time (Sevrenaya) Bond is not on screen and it drags. But for a pure adrenaline "that's so cool" rush - Bond driving his motorcycle off a cliff to catch a plane -- wow. DAD: Love the first hour and Pierce gets to do some fine work in it from Korea to Hong Kong To Cuba to London. Favorite bits are Bond swiping the sunglasses, Bond with the masseuse, Bond with Raoul and needing a fast car, Bond being frisky with Jinx (not their dialogue), infiltrating and escaping the clinic, the fencing scene (one of the best pieces of action in the series), Bond with Q (Cleese is so much better here than in TWINE) and the VR shooting sequence. It starts to slow down in Iceland where paradoxically there's more action -- just too much action. I don't like the CGI but really there's not a lot of it as far as screen time goes-- it's more one or two too many large action sets pieces (especially the sufing tsunami which just should be cut) where more character scenes and less one liners would have been far more preferable. Bond should indeed have been the one to kill Miranda -- he was owed. At least he got to point his gun at her and pull the trigger, even the firing pin had bee damaged. (Pierce was correct to tell the writers that's what Bond would do, not try and shoot Graves) It has the best kiss of the series -- Bond and Moneypenny "get it on". TND: The fastest paced of Bonds and again the first hour is stronger than the second. (not unusual for Bond films, alas) Bond has his best small fling here -- with a little Danish (very playful and sexy), he has one of Bond's best moody and tired scenes in the hotel room drinking alone, he's sexy as hell with Paris (personal actor animosity aside). This film has the best action set pieces (printing press chase, car garage, Halo jump, motorcyle chase) until the end where there's too much on the Stealth boat that's not very unique and just goes on and on as so much of the same until the very end where it's once again innovative (love the cutting of of his vest and the breath of life kiss). He has fun buddy chemistry with Michelle Yeoh but it 's a relationship with no romantic or sexual heat (though that's a great visual underwater kiss).
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Post by respectanimals on Jun 9, 2007 13:35:06 GMT -5
My list changes constantly, and I'm no film critic, so I'll just go with my current favorites. I can't put it as eloquently as ACE, but here's my list:
1. Die Another Day - I know...I know, I stand alone on this one. LOL! This movie had the worst offenses of over-the-top nonsense of all of Pierce's Bond films, but I really liked the characters and their interactions. Jinx is my favorite Bond girl, after Ursula Andress of course, and the sex scene where she's eating the fig (even in it's cut version) was a much needed improvement over the previous Bond films. I also thought the torture scene was done pretty well, although as I've mentioned before, it would have been nice to see an entire scene, not just flashes during the intro song. I loved the fencing scene as well. Unfortunately I feel the need to fast-forward through most of this film when I watch it, but it's also the one I pull off the shelf to watch the most often.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies - I like Bond's relationship with Paris Carver, as she seemed to be someone that he actually cared about and once had a longer relationship with, rather than the usual one-night-stand types. I also thought the action scenes were very good. Wei Lin was a Bond girl that was more than able to keep up with Bond (thanks to Michelle's talents I believe), but there wasn't any chemistry between Pierce and Michelle.
3. Goldeneye - I liked the interactions between Natalya and Bond best. I also enjoyed the friendship/enemies aspect between Alec and Bond and of course Robbie Coltrane is always a blast. It was however the first Bond film for Pierce, so I don't think he quite had the character down yet.
4. The World is Not Enough - While I loved Sophie Marceau in this, I just didn't care for the movie itself, and I cringe every time I see Denise Richards on screen. I like her as an actress, but I think she was totally miscast in this film. Pierce just seems like he's robbing the cradle when he's flirting with her.
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Post by shakennotstirred on Jun 2, 2015 17:04:17 GMT -5
1.GoldenEye,hands down. It is so great. Between great plot with some backstory,good dialogue,the great PTS,Tina Turner song,title sequence that actually simbolizes something else,some introspective look on Bond. In this movie Bond is like a man out of time in this movie. From M who criticizes him,to Wade who complains about another "stiff-ass Brit,with you secret codes and your passwords...well one day you guys are just gonna learn to drop it" to Zukovsky... Bond girl Natalya is also good,maybe overshadowed by Famke Jansenn and her brilliant potrayal of Xenia...but Natalya is actually important to the plot and actually saves the day. The movie also seems to be fixtated to the past. General Orumov aspires to be "the next iron man of Russia" even though that's not possible. 006 himself can't escape his past so wants to send England to "the Stone age".Bond himself is made out to be a Cold War relic. GoldenEye just might be the best Bond movie ever made..some thought Bond would not be suited to "the new world"...how wrong they were.
2.TWINE-I like a lot about this one. Its subtext,more character-driven story,Pierce's best performance,the best PTS,I especially love the opening scene at the bankar. Bond is pure class and cold professional at the same time-it might be the scene that encapsulates everything Bond is . Teriffic. I love the title song. I LOVE Elektra. Sophie is so brilliant. Going between strong woman but in the inside frightened and damanged young woman to the cunning bad girl-even though she is as much as a victim as a villain. Even before we find out about it she comes across as particulary well-devolped Bond girl. This movie seems to be drawing lines between Tracy and Elektra. At the beginning they are quite similar. Both are strong women and Bond wants to protect both of them. Not to mention how Elektra wears similar skii outfit like Tracy. Brosnan and Sophie have an incredible chemistry together and at it's best moments the movie shows Bond between his duty to protect her and his own growing attraction. There is just something about the relationship between them(probably the chemistry) that makes it the best thing about the film Problems:The action sequences aside the great boat chase at the beginning seem to be there for the sheer sake of it. The snow sequence is badly edited and is not that exciting or thrilling. Although in the end that sequence gives opportunity for Bond and Elektra to share a wonderful character moment when they get trapped and Elektra gets hysterical.The pipeline sequence-I can't stand Richards talking,the caviar sequence especially seems to be just put there for the sake of it. The submarine finale just bores...and that action sequence in that silo is not that great either although the end provides the 2nd best "Bond.James Bond" line ever. And then we have Christmas Jones..sigh..oh producers why?! In fairness to Richards that character wasn't written at all. It was like an after-thought when the writers suddenly realised they don't have another Bond girl so Bond doesn't have to go all alone into bed even though for this movie that would be the only right ending. To make things worse-they cast Denise Richards. I don't who thought that would work out..the thing about the second half is that Bond and Elektra aren't together for the most part and they are the most interesting thing about this movie. I love the torture scene and the death of Elektra might be the 2nd best moment in the series(the first of course being the introduction in Dr.No).. its so brilliant and that is the real climax of this movie...the sumbarine just bores and the less said about the ending after that the better..it undercuts any sence that Bond was truly affected by it all and I still wait for Michael Apted to explain it since he was the ine going on how the relationship between Bond and Elektra is the key no to mention how Broccoli came out in the interview and said how Bond is conflicted about Elektra and that he thinks hes fohnd a new Tracy but infact he fohnd Blofeld.I wrote an essay on this one but thats because I find this movie to be the most fascinating of the Brosnan ones..what kills me is that this movie could easily been not just the best of Brosnan era but the best of all of them as well. Its just a huge shame... 3.TND-good PTS,I love how everyone starts clapping when Bond says:"Ask admiral where he wants his bombs to be delivered.",I love the Danish lesson scene,a score is great,okay plot,nothing new but after more introspective feel of GoldenEye I think it was a good change of pace. Pryce obviously lives his life dream of being a Bond villain here. He is over-the-top but he NEEDS to be. That is really the only way to play this character. It's not like his plan is the most normal thing ever. The problem for me is TOO MUCH ACTION after that incredible car chase everything goes into one big blur of action for me. I get it,there were numerous script rewrites and production problems but still they should have found another than the brainless action for practically the hour.I love the hotel room scene and Bond sipping vodka and conversation with Paris(even though I find Hatcher to be miscasted for the role) and Dr.Kaufmann scene is pure brilliance.Brosnan nailed the two scenes completely.Many seem to love Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin but quite frankly-I do not care. The kick-ass Bond girl and all that Bond's equal stuff I don't care for. The one Brosnan Bond movie that didn't have a "kick-ass" Bond girl is TWINE and that's the movie that actually had the powerful woman-Elektra.All in all the first hour is very good but then it all goes off into action...and I am not a big fan of too much action. 4. DAD.I watched it only once. And that's saying something since it's a Bond movie with Brosnan in it.Everything is good up to Iceland actually. I could have gone without that explosive clinique sequence but okay...but on Iceland it just get a little bit stupid.What's with that mega-men suit? It all becomes just rather tiring and with some bad CGI and that finale...Rosamund Pike was great though. She gave 100 times better performance than Halle Berry which is ironic since it was her first role and Berry got an Oscar at the time.The sword fight was awesome. There are some great lines."You don't chase your dreams,you live in them". Some nice more in-deep comments on Bond by Miranda and the vilain...the thought that he made his new "character" to be in line with Bonds and there actually is some thing about it.Both seem to "enjoy while they still can" a line that was spoken in GoldenEye..but in the end it was all a bit too much..this isn't a swan-song for Brosnan
I would have love to seen Casino Royale by Tarantino with Brosnan. From what I read of his ideas I seriously think he could have made a masterpiece. Instead we ended up with a corny love story and Craig(I refuse to call him Bond) playing hold em poker.And it was boring and rather poorly told so nothing about the movie interested me...AT ALL. But that's another discussion..
Wow,this was long...
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