Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

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Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

Post by Goldeneye »

OK big day has come. Pierce Brosnan got to make his own spy movie and it is going out to cinemas all over the world.

What do you think of the long awaited movie?
Is it a good starting point for a series or a one and done?
Is Peter Devereaux the "Bond" Brosnan should have been allowed to play? Completely different character? A mix of both?

I don't know the answer to any of the above so feel free to answer the questions or give us whatever your opinion might be. :)
:cheers:
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

Post by Kristatos »

I think we need a separate spoiler-free thread for the benefit of those of us living in places where the film hasn't been released yet.

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Re: Your

Post by Goldeneye »

Kristatos wrote:I think we need a separate spoiler-free thread for the benefit of those of us living in places where the film hasn't been released yet.

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You're right. I'll set up spoiler free zone then merge later on.
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Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

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This is the spoiler free November Man section. Feel free to share your views on the movie but please keep them spoiler free. Thank you. :cheers:
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

Post by bjmdds »

To sum it up:"Murder at 1600" meets "24", as Olga Kurylenko
Spoiler
reprises the same role as in QOS :!:
I thought the movie was very good and Brosnan did a nice job in the process. We all thought it was a quick paced fun film to watch. The plot gets a little complicated at times but if you pay attention you can keep up with it. Those critics that maligned it are morons. 16 people were in the theatre. It's not getting a big enough audience because Brosnan failed to do the talk show tv circuit to promote it probably because there are mostly reruns on in August. It deserves a sequel and I enjoyed it more than ANY Cr-egg Bond film, and it looked like the Bond-ish film Pierce always wanted to do. :up: Image
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

Post by Omega »

Went to The November Man worried it would suck. Despite all the mediocre reviews on RT NM is actually done pretty well.
At it's heart NM is a movie made for Bond fans stuffed with subtle and not so subtle Bond references.

Of the complaints I've read I'd say only a few a warranted. Most IMO are the over critical for the wrong reasons, it's a spy movie, so it follows the pattern spy movies must follow. It didn't reinvent Spy movies but it does make a good entry.
Someone complained about the score it didn't bother me, I wasn't blown away by it but it wasn't distracting either. Brosnan is good as an older agents coming back, in some way I though his action was better than some of his Bonds, it didn't go over the top but the close quarter combat was believable for a older man to pull off.

Remember Olga Kurylenko character from QOS well her she actually makes sense and is someone you feel for and cheer for. (odd AFAIK this is the third movie I seen her in where she doesn't become romantically involved with the lead, QOS, Max Payne, and this)

I have two complaints one is the stormtrooper/clone/droid mentality for killing agents, standard for spy movies, shoot up KGB and CIA agents and nobody cares. My other complaint is a spoiler.

Brosnan is not Bond, this spy is colder and meaner than Bond. In an odd way more vulnerable to.

Bottom line I enjoyed it and hope they make a few more of these. I'd really like Dalton to make a similar move as well.
............ :007:
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

Post by Omega »

Went to The November Man worried it would suck. Despite all the mediocre reviews on RT NM is actually done pretty well.
At it's heart NM is a movie made for Bond fans stuffed with subtle and not so subtle Bond references.
[spoil]When listing assassinated agents the last one is Craig.
Chastises the killer he trained nothing more than a blunt instrument.
Has the OHMSS wife dieing in front of him scene.
Olga Kurylenko lifted completely from QOS and done right.
Goldeneye Valentine Zukovsky like moment

Finally I think I got a shout out from Brosnan, :mrgreen: The bad ass hacker working for the Russian assassin had the omega symbol tattooed on his neck. Later he was killed by the Assassin :( but she looks my girlfriend from High School. so maybe it's all connected. ;)[/spoil]

Of the complaints I've read I'd say only a few a warranted. Most IMO are the over critical for the wrong reasons, it's a spy movie, so it follows the pattern spy movies must follow. It didn't reinvent Spy movies but it does make a good entry.
Someone complained about the score it didn't bother me, I wasn't blown away by it but it wasn't distracting either. Brosnan is good as an older agents coming back, in some way I though his action was better than some of his Bonds, it didn't go over the top but the close quarter combat was believable for a older man to pull off.

Remember Olga Kurylenko character from QOS well her she actually makes sense and is someone you feel for and cheer for. (odd AFAIK this is the third movie I seen her in where she doesn't become romantically involved with the lead, QOS, Max Payne, and this) [spoil]I almost agree the younger version of her and older do not match up however for the story to work the young version can not be obvious. In a way it does make sense[/spoil]

I have two complaints one is the stormtrooper/clone/droid mentality for killing agents, standard for spy movies, shoot up KGB and CIA agents and nobody cares. My other complaint is [spoil]the main CIA bad guy is not killed, after murdering half the CIA agents in wherever the hell it was the good guys basically have to finish killing off all the agency there not on their side then pretend it was the Russians who did it. I don't see how the Agency would be OK with it after giving their approval belatedly to the bad guys plan, which Brosnan and co. put in the toilet.

I'd like so resolution on why all they did would be ultimately sanctioned. But from Brosnan's character POV it doesn't matter he does what he deems necessary and that's all.
Actually the logic behind it is not worse than any other spy move or Bond movie for that matter.

One complaint I'll sort of agree with it the nobody can hide forever line followed by hide were even i can't find you, IMO this felt like it was part of a longer conversation. I hope they release this movie with a extended unrated cut[/spoil]

Brosnan is not Bond, this spy is colder and meaner than Bond. In an odd way more vulnerable to. [spoil]He takes a innocent girl hostage (who just shagged his former protege) for no other reason as far as I can tell than to cut her arterie to test his one time apprentices humanity. Maybe it was to take the young man out of action long enough to do something.

Late in the movie it is revealed Brosnan and his recently murdered by the CIA wife have a daughter they kept secret, this actually works well. Of course she is taken hostage but ultimately doesn't charge the outcome but it had me wondering what Brosnan was going to do. Would he sell out the Russian girl everybody was hunting for to save his daughter or not. And until he says the word we don't know for sure what he is thinking. He is that much colder than he was as Bond.[/spoil]

Bottom line I enjoyed it and hope they make a few more of these. I'd really like Dalton to make a similar move as well.

I saw this movie with the greatest generation, that's right the generation who went to Goldeneye opening day.Which may be some of the BO problem, it was a mostly an older audience who went out to see Brosnan kill again, but not entirely. It's a bad summer for the movie industry it may be a shift in how people watch movies, the economy, or maybe it just there is too much out there and nothing that captures the attention they way a Star Wars or Avatar can.
It's over all solid movie that I'd could see myself watching a few more times, maybe not at the movies but I'll buy it the day it come out.
............ :007:
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Favorite Bond Movie: The Dark Knight Trilogy, Mission: Impossible, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The November Man or any upcoming actioners starring Pierce Brosnan (no, it's not James Bond which is good since it will help him expand his reputation as an actor especially in the action realm)
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

Post by FormerBondFan »

I went to see NM the second time yesterday. While I said that it was great the first time I saw it, the bad reviews are trying to harden my heart during the viewing so it takes a second viewing to enjoy it a lot more. I did that by ignore those critics. Plus, the increased ratings on IMDB made the movie more enjoyable for me.

Anyway, let's talk about the movie. First things first, NM is not James Bond nor that it attempts to be, but it is Pierce's return to the action genre in a decade. It is good that he is not Bond in the movie (after all, he is a versatile actor). However, Pierce's portrayal of the title character is something we could have seen in his Bonds if EON had given the creative freedom he needed in terms of the dark and gritty side. If I must say, Pierce as NM makes Tim's Bond look like a Sunday school teacher. Also, bits of the background music has some Bondian feel it as though that it could fit in a modern Bond film. The action is well paced. It's not over-the-top, and it's quite low scale. It's the first of the planned series. What do you expect? Look at DN. The action wasn't as intense compared to some of the Bonds that came afterwards.

Overall, I enjoy it a lot more than the first time around. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it Oscar-worthy? No. Besides, the Oscars' a joke anyway, but that's a whole different story. As for the rank of NM in terms of Pierce's works, I would say it's just as great his Bonds though sometimes I would rate it a little higher than them mostly because it's a low-scale actioner. If NM was made into a higher scale, I would rate it much higher, but in the old saying, start off small then work your way up. That's what NM just did.........in a similar way DN did for Bond. That being said, give us the sequel.
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

Post by bjmdds »

Screw those Cr-egg loving moronic critics FBF :!: They applaud Cr-egg and denounce Brosnan? The film was darn good to watch, and those negative critics are useless.
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

Post by FormerBondFan »

bjmdds wrote:Screw those Cr-egg loving moronic critics FBF :!: They applaud Cr-egg and denounce Brosnan? The film was darn good to watch, and those negative critics are useless.
They might as well watch this:

[video][/video]
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

Post by Goldeneye »

Review of Brosnan's The November Man

Old spies never die, they just fade away. Well not Pierce Brosnan he came back 12 years after his last Bond adventure with something to prove.

Short story: November Man is a well crafted, well acted romp.

Long story: Going into the movie I already knew it was well received by my friends here.Turned out it was a good escape from the drudgery of day to day life, well worth the use of a precious day off to go to the movies. Kind of refreshing too, after months working on the house in our spare time without a real break.

November Man is not Bourne and yet it's not Bond between those two polls it fall somewhere in the middle perhaps confusing some people who assume it has to be one of the two.
The story is a standard spy movie, following the pattern of top agent quits, retires, lost, captured, presumed dead, who come back to right "wrongs" because of their conviction and or duty. The bread an butter of Bond adventures for nearly 52 years.

The story while familiar is not boring and fast enough paced it keeps interesting. The cast is well done and locations well used. I can't think of any actor in it I'd like to replace.

Brosnan came back with something to prove and he proves not only does he still have the skill to pull off the lead of an action movie, he proves he could have brought more to the table as Bond as well.

While The November Man is a average action/spy movie I could see if they make a few more of these it might become it's own unique spy series, like a Bourne or a Bond.
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

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[video][/video]
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

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[video][/video]
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (spoilers allowed)

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[video][/video]
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Re: Your "The November Man" Review (No spoilers allowed)

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