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What Next for James Bond

Posted: 17/11/2012 17:50

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Could Zach Galifianakis be a Bond baddie in the future?


Anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows I am the biggest Bond fan to have ever drawn breath. I was first taken to the cinema to see a Bond film - Goldeneye - by my mother, in 1995.

From that day forward I have enthusiastically accepted Bond as the ultimate movie franchise and a great many of its films, including Goldfinger, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Goldeneye and Casino Royale, as amongst some of the best films ever made.

Therefore, you can imagine my excitement when I managed to get London IMAX tickets for the opening night of SKYFALL.

I thought it was a stupendously good film. It had the grit and unique cocktail of personal animosity, tempered by loyalty that only Daniel Craig can deliver. To look for a floor in Judi Dench's portrayal of SIS spymaster 'M' was impossible. She manages to convey, with masterly effect, the slipperiness of power and the conundrum inherent to reconciling the necessary Machiavellian approach to defending country, with the human 'weaknesses' of sentimentality, doubt, loyalty and miscalculation.

In addition, the photography is exceptional; the stunts are second to none and the special effects leave nothing to be desired. In particular, I loved the fact that M's office of old has been recreated, right down to the red leather-padded door. It is little details like this which Bond geeks, like me, hope are carried forward to Bond 24.

However much I enjoyed SKYFALL, though, there is always room for development. And as reports suggest that the next Bond film is already in pre-production, I thought I would get my two penneth in early. Indeed, there is precedence for fans engaging in the production of future Bond films. For example, the iconic Aston Martin DB5 would have never graced our screens in Goldfinger were it not for a fan who suggested Bond swap his Bentley, of the books, for a DB3.

So here are my suggestions.

Bond Girls...

The thing that was lacking most in SKYFALL was Bond girls and the one there was - Sévérine - was killed off so prematurely. When she was shot I thought that she could not be dead. It would have added further depth to the film if Daniel Craig's relationship with her had been allowed to develop. Indeed, James Bond has always been largely defined by his relationships with women, as they draw out the scrap of emotion he is otherwise deficient in.

More importantly, killing Sévérine off early meant the other trademark of Bond films - harmless chauvinism - also got the axe. In recent films, the producers have been sensitive to the feminist lobby and thus Bond girls have been professionals and a clear match for Bond's wit and intelligence. This is all well and good - I thought, for example, that Casino Royale's Vesper Lynd was the perfect combination of feisty intelligence and vulnerability - but when each female interest has to be Bond's equal, in every way, it not only depletes reality - Bond is, supposedly, the UK's best spy - but also the impact of the high flirtation integral to the Bond narrative.

The fact that Judi Dench's M is certainly a match for the intelligence, professionalism and cunning of Daniel Craig's Bond should mean the producers have greater license to provide for Bond girls like Miss Goodnight, from The Man with the Golden Gun.

It is a key characteristic of Fleming's Bond that he's emotionally retarded - only capable of viewing women as commodities - pampered commodities but, nonetheless, commodities. Of course, such a view of women is wholly wrong, but this is a deficiency in Bond, stemming from the fact he was orphaned at a young age, not the women.

Moreover, the 'sexism' of Sean Connery's and Roger Moore's Bonds is so tame it hardly warrants comment. I have never heard one woman criticise the films for being sexist. In contrast, I have several female friends who would kill for the chance to be a Bond girl!

Therefore, in Bond 24, I would like to see a greater emphasis on the Bond girl(s); I would like the Bond girls to literally be Bond's girls and I would like more names like Pussy Galore, Plenty O'Toole, Xenia Onatopp and Holly Goodhead.

The Gadgets...

Another area in which I felt SKYFALL lacked was gadgets. The low point in Bond film gadgetry was Die Another Day, with its invisible car, but there remains a need for exciting, realistic gadgets. For example, I thought Pierce Brosnan driving his BMW via his mobile phone in Tomorrow Never Dies was great and the darts which fired from Roger Moore's wrist in Moonraker added a nice, little touch.

So, Bond 24 needs a greater emphasis on gadgets. Back in the real world, news channels report that drones, which have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan, might one day be deployed on the UK's streets - maybe this is an area in which Bond could pre-empt reality?

Ben Whishaw makes an impressive Q, however, so I am confident that this is part of my wish list will be answered and some.

Bond Baddies...

An integral ingredient to the Bond franchise is the Bond baddie. Bond baddies are uniquely quirky. The obvious example is Donald Pleasence's Ernst Stavro Blofeld of You Only Live Twice, stroking his white cat, but there are many other examples, such as Christopher Lee's Francisco Scaramanga who appears in The Man With The Golden Gun. These baddies add a bit of 'camp' to Bond, which emphasises the franchise's action, rather than thriller, credentials.

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While I thoroughly enjoyed watching Javier Bardem's unhinged Raoul Silva, I think it time that the Bond films reverted back to having continuity with baddies - as with Blofeld - and maxed up their quirkiness.

In Bond 24 I would be delighted to see a new nemesis for Bond, setting off on a reign of terror, lasting several installments. Of course, this new character could be played by several actors, as Blofeld was, but continuity in character would be good.

Franchises do need to evolve, though, so a future Bond baddie would need to be a new kind of quirky. In contrast to the relatively tame nature of many previous baddies, I would suggest a darker, more violent baddie be injected into the films. I do not advocate explicit violence, as this would fundamentally depart from the founding principle of Bond films that they should be lighthearted, fun and inclusive, but a lot can be conveyed by suggestion. In fact, one's mind almost always does a better job at imagining horrors than any director could ever capture on film. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is a master class in this.

Therefore, in Bond 24, I would like to see the inauguration of a new nemesis for Bond, who remains a thorn in his side for three, four or five films (although not necessarily all consecutive films). An inspired choice to play him would be Zach Galifianakis of The Hangover fame. As well as The Hangover, I have seen him in Criminal Minds and his ability to do both quirky and disturbingly evil marks him out as future Bond royalty.

All-British Action...

One last thing I would love to see incorporated into Bond 24, which was not particularly explicit in SKYFALL, is chest-pounding, distinctly British, action. Witnessing Pierce Brosnan In Goldeneye demolish the streets of St Petersburg in a tank, while adjusting his tie, is one of the best moments in British film history. In an age of growing globalisation and, consequently, increasingly sensitive diplomatic relations, it would be refreshing to see a British agent wreak such havoc abroad once more. Maybe Bond 24 could see Daniel Craig destroy the Eurotunnel? At the French end, of course...

Or, with the next installment of the Bond franchise hitting our screens in Autumn 2014 - the same time as the Scottish independence referendum - we could look closer to home? How about Daniel Craig taking on the evil machinations of a deranged First Minister, intent on destroying Her Majesty's United Kingdom? Not likely, I know. Shame that!

These are all very much suggestions for future Bond films, however. SKYFALL is a great film in its own right; I just want to see certain, limited elements of the James Bond of old brought back and greater continuity from film to film.

When does the IMAX start taking bookings for Bond 24?...

 

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Could Zach Galifianakis be a Bond baddie in the future? Anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows I am the biggest Bond fan to have ever drawn breath. I was first taken to the cinema to see a...
Could Zach Galifianakis be a Bond baddie in the future? Anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows I am the biggest Bond fan to have ever drawn breath. I was first taken to the cinema to see a...
 
 
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07:09 on 07/01/2013
I know I'm being pedantic, but you refer to a "floor in Judi Dench's portrayal", surely you mean a flaw?

Bond vs Salmond would be amusing but I don't see it happening, shame really. Perhaps Bond vs Deranged Tea Party President? It would require suspending disbelief enough to think one could be elected, but sadly it isn't too big a leap to make.
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Daniel Wood
17:18 on 07/01/2013
You're right. I wrote this late at night. I requested a change to 'flaw' as soon as I published it, but once published errors cannot be correct, unfortunately.
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Daniel Wood
09:17 on 08/01/2013
*Corrected*

Oh, the irony!
16:59 on 05/01/2013
I like the idea of, "it's BOND that's the Villan, the BADDIES are just good guys in disguise" idea.

What would happen if we tried that in a Superman II remake?

I wonder how complex we could make things...and still keep the audience in a state of
"verisimilitude"
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Daniel Wood
13:19 on 07/01/2013
Unfortunately, I know far too little about Superman to comment. Bond is the best movie franchise *ducks for cover* :)
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JohnBryansFontaine
Liberal Democrat
19:57 on 25/12/2012
"... I was first taken to the cinema to see a Bond film - Goldeneye - by my mother, in 1995..."

Well whipper-snapper, I was first taken to the cinema to see a Bond film - You Only Live Twice - by my mother, ( after having begged both her, as well as my dad to see the fifth Bond film ), in 1967.
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Daniel Wood
17:20 on 03/01/2013
Ha! Yes, whipper-snapper tag accepted, but I must have seen each Bond film a minimum of 15 times each! :)
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JohnBryansFontaine
Liberal Democrat
19:35 on 25/12/2012
The next James Bond film MUST HAVE :

- Cobie Smulders in it
- Better yet, both Cobie Smulders AND Kat Dennings in the movie
- A rebuilt Aston Martin DB5, with all of the special options, of course
- ( well possibly anyway ) the Quantum Silver Aston Martin DBS V12 from ' Quantum of Solace ', with a few
special options of its own
- The return of the biometric PPK/S
- The return of Erst Stavro Blofeld, instead of an ultimately pathetic villain such as ' Skyfall ' s Silva
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
JohnBryansFontaine
Liberal Democrat
17:24 on 05/01/2013
You need to manip a photo of Viggo Mortenson, walking to the LEFT of DC (HIS Left.), in that "walking out of Tesco" pic...

And maybe....Also, you need to have Viggo have Dame Judi Dench on his arm, and SHE'S ALL SMILING and HAPPY and looking OH SO MAH-VELOUS...because Viggo got her a new...Mini-Deep-Fryer for the Kitchen, so she can make those VEGGIE Hush-Puppies, that Daniel HATES, (that and Daniel's Mrs. Said, "No buying nothing for MOM, buy for ME...I need NAPKINS...and I don't mean for the TABLE, understand?!")

and the thought balloon over DC's head, reads: "HMPH! Mom always DID like you BEST!"

as a smiling jab to the SMOTHERS Brothers.
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Daniel Wood
17:21 on 03/01/2013
I agree that a villain such as Blofeld needs to return to the Bond film. That's actually one of my main points. Glad to see we're agreed!
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JohnBryansFontaine
Liberal Democrat
13:22 on 25/12/2012
Fighter Pilot and Thrust SSC Driver Andy Green is a real life James Bond :

Thrust SSC - The Mission (Full Docu), Supersonic Dreams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Ms71VPVQY
21:20 on 09/12/2012
"I think the producers should give some serious thought to reworking all the original Bond movies one way or another, but changing the sequence. Bond 24 should be a remake of the excellent On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Craig’s Bond goes up against Blofeld for the first time, meets his future wife, marries her and loses her in the final scene. This would set us up nicely for the continuity of bad guys and Bond spends the next few movies seeking vengeance, a role for which Craig is perfect.

We also play the loss of Tracy as Bond losing what little chance he had left of enjoying a normal life. The tone would follow on nicely from Skyfall me thinks."

I agree with Scottish Script, "Property of a Lady" could be Bond 24 "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"'s story in an updated Daniel Craig version. Since the DB5 was destroyed in "Skyfall" he'd have a vintage1969 Aston Martin DBS for a replacement. Blofeld's return to his snowy Swiss Lair, the plot remaining essentially the same with Property of a Lady referring to either the Queen or his upcoming betrothal to Tracy (maybe portrayed by Craig's wife Rachel Weisz.) Director Christopher Nolan who has expressed an interest had a similiar setting portrayed in his film "Inception." Other pervious story lines could follow using the remaining Ian Fleming titles or made up titles reflecting the spirit of 007. I guess we can only hope!
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JohnBryansFontaine
Liberal Democrat
19:50 on 25/12/2012
The remake could have a cameo with both George Lazenby, as well as Dame Diana Rigg . I would think that the two have ' mended fences ' after 43 years.
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Daniel Wood
17:22 on 03/01/2013
I agree that OHMSS is one of the very best Bond films - any director could learn a lot from it!
20:57 on 18/11/2012
1.Having Dench as the film's "Bond girl" was a flawless move. It subverted Bond's womanizing trope. Also, the previous film was a revenge plot fueled by Bond's anger at having lost Vesper. We've been let it on the secret of why Bond treats women the way he does. Which speaks to the continuity you would like included in future films.

2.Gadgets are silly. My favorite gadget in a bond film was From Russia with Love's tear gas suitcase. Simple is better and more believable. Writers tend to use them as deus ex machina and that will kill a film's plot with a speed only matched by a super spy dispatching a henchman with a wristwatch laser.

3.Raul Silva was a fantastic modern day Bond villain. His deformity was more subtle than iron teeth but far more visually shocking than bloody tears. Casting Javier Bardem for the role was perfect.

4.The reoccurring dark and malicious character in 007 movies is Bond. Especially in this new batch of films. If you put a mask on him he could pass as a horror film serial killer in some scenes. The villains are the stars of the show in a Bond film. Like Batman, the character's rogue gallery is one of the largest aspects of his appeal. However, unlike Batman serializing those villains wouldn't work.

I respect your opinion but couldn't disagree with you more.
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Daniel Wood
08:30 on 19/11/2012
Fair enough :)

As my blog makes clear, though, these are not aspects I want the Bond films to coalesce around. I think most should remain very much minor aspects, but it would be good to have them included.

I do not think gadgets are silly at all. For example, government agencies were using GPS for many years before it became commercially available. There very much remains a role for gadgets in the Bond films, so long as they don't become ridiculous, as they did in Die Another Day.

I really like the way in which the producers have taken Daniel Craig's Bond but the franchise could become too serious and too realistic. People watch Bond films for the escapism and their fun nature. That's its unique selling point.

Anyway, thanks for your feedback.
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ScottishScript
"I am not a number, I am a person!"
13:51 on 18/11/2012
Well I for one am happy to see the end of Dench’s M, it was truly tiresome to see her shoe horned into every script. However this time it worked.

I didn’t think Q was done well though. I thought Eddie Izzard would have been a great choice.
I agree about the reintroduction of the classic Bond baddies. I thought the whole Quantum organisation was going to morph into SPECTRE at some point, but sadly no.

Honestly I couldn’t care less about the Bond girls, what I want is clever plots, memorable baddies and terrific action sequences.

I think the producers should give some serious thought to reworking all the original Bond movies one way or another, but changing the sequence. Bond 24 should be a remake of the excellent On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Craig’s Bond goes up against Blofeld for the first time, meets his future wife, marries her and loses her in the final scene. This would set us up nicely for the continuity of bad guys and Bond spends the next few movies seeking vengeance, a role for which Craig is perfect.

We also play the loss of Tracy as Bond losing what little chance he had left of enjoying a normal life. The tone would follow on nicely from Skyfall me thinks.
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HUFFPOST BLOGGER
Daniel Wood
16:52 on 18/11/2012
I can't agree with you about Judi Dench - I think she's brought much to the role. I think your other points are good, though. There is no reason why Bond could not find himself up against Blofeld and SPECTRE again. The main point I was trying to make is that I want to see greater continuity from film to film. It's a narrative that both maintains Bond fans' interests and attracts new fans.
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ScottishScript
"I am not a number, I am a person!"
17:39 on 18/11/2012
I thought Dench was great, but the problem was, once she garnered her Oscars she became too big for the role and so the producers found ridiculous ways to inject her into each storyline in a way M never was before.

In Skyfall that was justified, but think TWINE and how she had to be rescued, or QOS where she was written in as an interrogator in the field, totally outlandish.

I think the team who brought us Skyfall did a great job, save for the score. So much better than using run of the mill in house directors the way they used to. They should make efforts to hire directors of Mendes' caliber in the future and continue to push the boundaries of the Bond world.

I personally would even go as far as to cast a new actor as 007 for every movie, giving each movie an even more unique flavour, but in the meantime Craig is excellent so no complaints there.