Sam Worthington too famous

[doubleoLisa]

Sam Worthington is a hot commodity at the moment. I don't think he'll be Bond. He is just a name people recognize for the moment and has a British accent so naturally people thinking of what's for him next say Bond.

[stockslivevan]

He is just a name people recognize for the moment and has a British accent so naturally people thinking of what's for him next say Bond.

That's true for most British actors (Hugh Grant? Please.) but this really is not the case for Worthington. He's brought up because he was one of the final four actors along with Daniel Craig to be up for the Bond role. And he's not British, he's Austrailian.

Either way, I say the best actor to take the role after Craig is done is Michael Fassbender. His performance in Inglourious Basterds was a good blend of steely toughness and charm.






Come on EON, let Bond smoke again!

[Kristatos]

I wouldn't want somebody too unknown. Lazenby was the least experienced actor they hired for Bond and he didn't work out very well.

Yes, as a Dalton fan, it pains me to say this, but that fact that Tim was a virtual unknown before playing Bond was probably one of the reasons why the public never really warmed to him. Far from being too famous, I'd say Worthington was just famous enough. He's not an A-list star who can open a movie, but thanks to Avatar, if it were announced tomorrow that "Sam Worthington is the next James Bond", everyone would know who you were talking about. I'd say his level of fame right now was comparable to Pierce's or Roger's before they took on the role.

[stockslivevan]

I wouldn't want somebody too unknown. Lazenby was the least experienced actor they hired for Bond and he didn't work out very well.

Yes, as a Dalton fan, it pains me to say this, but that fact that Tim was a virtual unknown before playing Bond was probably one of the reasons why the public never really warmed to him.

It wasn't that he was an unknown but rather that Pierce Brosnan had been heavily speculated as Bond ever since his Remington Steele role that the public, mostly from the US, sort of expected him to be the next Bond as if there were no other choice. When it went to Dalton it was probably too much of a curve ball for audiences so because of their anticipation for Brosnan they had a hard time accepting Dalton, especially as he played Bond differently from his predecessors and how Brosnan could have played then. Instead of getting the light and fluffy Pierce Brosnan, they got a hard edged and rather cynical Timothy Dalton who couldn't appeal to as many daydreaming single mothers as Brosnan.

[Dr. No]

Wasn't TLD intended to be a Brosnan Bond movie?

Dalton while a good actor was miserable as Bond. The gloomy and gritty isn't what people wanted people wanted to have fun watching a movie for 2 hours not watch the angst of a actor on screen for 2 hours. DAlton proved in his later movies he can do cool and funny, not over the top funny but enjoyable.

They tried it again with Craig's spy but it was more a action movie than a Bond story, more Rambo less Bond.

[Kristatos]

Dalton while a good actor was miserable as Bond. The gloomy and gritty isn't what people wanted people wanted to have fun watching a movie for 2 hours not watch the angst of a actor on screen for 2 hours.

Sorry, but I don't agree. Yes, he played a more serious and intense Bond than his immediate predecessor, but his films still felt like Bond films, with action and humour, albeit of a more down-to-earth variety than the '70s films or OP. TLD in particular was no more "gloomy and gritty" than FYEO or Connery's first two films and even LTK was leavened with humour, mostly courtesy of Desmond Llewellyn (his finest hour, IMO).

[carl stromberg]

Dalton while a good actor was miserable as Bond. The gloomy and gritty isn't what people wanted people wanted to have fun watching a movie for 2 hours not watch the angst of a actor on screen for 2 hours.

Sorry, but I don't agree. Yes, he played a more serious and intense Bond than his immediate predecessor, but his films still felt like Bond films, with action and humour, albeit of a more down-to-earth variety than the '70s films or OP. TLD in particular was no more "gloomy and gritty" than FYEO or Connery's first two films and even LTK was leavened with humour, mostly courtesy of Desmond Llewellyn (his finest hour, IMO).

Dalton played it a bit more seriously. But as Kristatos says the Dalton films were great Bond adventures and Tim played a great charming romantic Bond, especially in The Living Daylights.

[Dr. No]

Dalton while a good actor was miserable as Bond. The gloomy and gritty isn't what people wanted people wanted to have fun watching a movie for 2 hours not watch the angst of a actor on screen for 2 hours.

Sorry, but I don't agree. Yes, he played a more serious and intense Bond than his immediate predecessor, but his films still felt like Bond films, with action and humour, albeit of a more down-to-earth variety than the '70s films or OP. TLD in particular was no more "gloomy and gritty" than FYEO or Connery's first two films and even LTK was leavened with humour, mostly courtesy of Desmond Llewellyn (his finest hour, IMO).

Dalton played it a bit more seriously. But as Kristatos says the Dalton films were great Bond adventures and Tim played a great charming romantic Bond, especially in The Living Daylights.

I like TLD, but I was pointing out that the way Dalton played it was too grim and the fantasy some have about the Bond "who looked like he'd hurt himself if he smiled" and the gritty and realistic catchwords popular today. TLD was basically a Brosnan script and Dalton was fun in that but trying to be too serious, and way too serious in LTK and now this is in vogue with fans of emo
Dalton movies are without a question Bond films and fun at that, TLd was fun but not popular for because people wanted a fun escape not angst from their bond. But somthing about Dalton just never clicked with audences, he is remembered beter today (in certain circles anyway) than he was actually then. LAzenby too for that matter.

IMHO if Dalton had lightened it up a bit he would have been received better

[Kristatos]

IMHO if Dalton had lightened it up a bit he would have been received better

I suspect he would have grown a lot more confident and relaxed in the role had he made more than two films.

[James]

I thought Dalton for some reason seemed more natural and relaxed in TLD and then a bit theatrical in LTK. I'd put both films in my top ten though. The series has gone downhill since 1989.

[Captain Nash]

I like TLD, but I was pointing out that the way Dalton played it was too grim and the fantasy some have about the Bond "who looked like he'd hurt himself if he smiled" and the gritty and realistic catchwords popular today. TLD was basically a Brosnan script

Actually it was written with Roger Moore in mind. When Tim Dalton signed on some of the gags had to be changed to suit his portrayal of OO7

Dalton was fun in that but trying to be too serious, and way too serious in LTK

LTK to serious. Are you for real Doc. It's the story of a south american drug lord who has maimed and murdered people who are very important to Bond. It shouldn't be lighthearted or fun. It's still a Bond film and we have the characters, and a villain and a Bond girl. But it's the story of revenge. Not a British secret service mission.

Dalton movies are without a question Bond films and fun at that, TLd was fun but not popular for because people wanted a fun escape not angst from their bond. But somthing about Dalton just never clicked with audences, he is remembered beter today (in certain circles anyway) than he was actually then. LAzenby too for that matter.
IMHO if Dalton had lightened it up a bit he would have been received better

Dalton was an excellent Bond, and I believe it was because of the american market that he didn't go on to make third and fourth films. He scored well with audiences all over the world. But never really got accepted in the (for some reason) all important US market.
Didn't help though that LTK had a non existant ad campaign, or the legal issues that plagued EON for the next five to six years.
I'm not sure why Dalton needed to lighten up a bit though. His Bond in TLD is fun, humourous, romantic and excels at the action required for the role. He was the first actor to capture the Fleming Bond on film imo.
LTK was never supposed to be a fun Bond film. But there is still plenty of Bondian humour, though as Kris said much of it coming from the late great Desmond Llewelyn. In quite possibly his finest hour.
Dalton was a great Bond, who had he made a third Bond film may have been accepted by a wider audience. With Craig I see his take on Bond as a second coming of the Dalton Bond. I see similarities in the way they play Bond. Still got a sense of humour, but less tongue in cheek or silly. But a Bond more from the novels and less from their cinematic predecessors.

[Dr. No]

]

I like TLD, but I was pointing out that the way Dalton played it was too grim and the fantasy some have about the Bond "who looked like he'd hurt himself if he smiled" and the gritty and realistic catchwords popular today. TLD was basically a Brosnan script

Actually it was written with Roger Moore in mind. When Tim Dalton signed on some of the gags had to be changed to suit his portrayal of OO7

Dalton was fun in that but trying to be too serious, and way too serious in LTK

LTK to serious. Are you for real Doc. It's the story of a south american drug lord who has maimed and murdered people who are very important to Bond. It shouldn't be lighthearted or fun. It's still a Bond film and we have the characters, and a villain and a Bond girl. But it's the story of revenge. Not a British secret service mission.

And people didn't get enough of drug lords on tv in teh 80s. I don't like LTk its a hodgepodge of things and over did parts of it big time. They went too far for vengeance for vengeance sake it wasn't set up properly.

Dalton movies are without a question Bond films and fun at that, TLd was fun but not popular for because people wanted a fun escape not angst from their bond. But somthing about Dalton just never clicked with audences, he is remembered beter today (in certain circles anyway) than he was actually then. LAzenby too for that matter.
IMHO if Dalton had lightened it up a bit he would have been received better

Dalton was an excellent Bond, and I believe it was because of the american market that he didn't go on to make third and fourth films. He scored well with audiences all over the world. But never really got accepted in the (for some reason) all important US market.
Didn't help though that LTK had a non existant ad campaign, or the legal issues that plagued EON for the next five to six years.
I'm not sure why Dalton needed to lighten up a bit though. His Bond in TLD is fun, humourous, romantic and excels at the action required for the role. He was the first actor to capture the Fleming Bond on film imo.
LTK was never supposed to be a fun Bond film. But there is still plenty of Bondian humour, though as Kris said much of it coming from the late great Desmond Llewelyn. In quite possibly his finest hour.
Dalton was a great Bond, who had he made a third Bond film may have been accepted by a wider audience. With Craig I see his take on Bond as a second coming of the Dalton Bond. I see similarities in the way they play Bond. Still got a sense of humour, but less tongue in cheek or silly. But a Bond more from the novels and less from their cinematic predecessors.

If it was just america I don't think anyone would have bene worried, there was somthign about him that didn't click with enough people to take off.

I like TLD and think if Dalton hadn't been trying to over do it and laid back to do be more at ease he would have worked better as Bond. He has great sense of humor and great comedic timing. He was tyring to take the role too seriously to have any fun, on or off screen. He was another serious acotr who wanted to make serious movies forgetting that they weren't dramas to begin with. Bond of the books seems like cool guy to hang around maybe get a beer with, the way you discribe him he sounds like a angst ridden narcissist

[Kristatos]

I think it's justifiable in LTK, though. Felix had just got his wife killed and his legs bitten off by a shark. I doubt Bond would be in much of a mood for jokes. The third film planned for Dalton, The Property of a Lady, would have been lighter in tone, as EON had been burned by the relative failure of LTK at the box office. I think it may have gone too far in the other direction, though, with Bond battling a robot assassin in Hong Kong. I think even now, humanoid robots are too far into the realm of sci-fi to really fit well in a Bond film, let alone 20 years ago.

[bjmdds]

No robots, just classic human villains;however, CR-egg crashing through a sheetrock wall in CR looked robotic in nature.

[FormerBondFan]

]

I like TLD, but I was pointing out that the way Dalton played it was too grim and the fantasy some have about the Bond "who looked like he'd hurt himself if he smiled" and the gritty and realistic catchwords popular today. TLD was basically a Brosnan script

Actually it was written with Roger Moore in mind. When Tim Dalton signed on some of the gags had to be changed to suit his portrayal of OO7

Dalton was fun in that but trying to be too serious, and way too serious in LTK

LTK to serious. Are you for real Doc. It's the story of a south american drug lord who has maimed and murdered people who are very important to Bond. It shouldn't be lighthearted or fun. It's still a Bond film and we have the characters, and a villain and a Bond girl. But it's the story of revenge. Not a British secret service mission.

And people didn't get enough of drug lords on tv in teh 80s. I don't like LTk its a hodgepodge of things and over did parts of it big time. They went too far for vengeance for vengeance sake it wasn't set up properly.

Dalton movies are without a question Bond films and fun at that, TLd was fun but not popular for because people wanted a fun escape not angst from their bond. But somthing about Dalton just never clicked with audences, he is remembered beter today (in certain circles anyway) than he was actually then. LAzenby too for that matter.
IMHO if Dalton had lightened it up a bit he would have been received better

Dalton was an excellent Bond, and I believe it was because of the american market that he didn't go on to make third and fourth films. He scored well with audiences all over the world. But never really got accepted in the (for some reason) all important US market.
Didn't help though that LTK had a non existant ad campaign, or the legal issues that plagued EON for the next five to six years.
I'm not sure why Dalton needed to lighten up a bit though. His Bond in TLD is fun, humourous, romantic and excels at the action required for the role. He was the first actor to capture the Fleming Bond on film imo.
LTK was never supposed to be a fun Bond film. But there is still plenty of Bondian humour, though as Kris said much of it coming from the late great Desmond Llewelyn. In quite possibly his finest hour.
Dalton was a great Bond, who had he made a third Bond film may have been accepted by a wider audience. With Craig I see his take on Bond as a second coming of the Dalton Bond. I see similarities in the way they play Bond. Still got a sense of humour, but less tongue in cheek or silly. But a Bond more from the novels and less from their cinematic predecessors.

If it was just america I don't think anyone would have bene worried, there was somthign about him that didn't click with enough people to take off.

I like TLD and think if Dalton hadn't been trying to over do it and laid back to do be more at ease he would have worked better as Bond. He has great sense of humor and great comedic timing. He was tyring to take the role too seriously to have any fun, on or off screen. He was another serious acotr who wanted to make serious movies forgetting that they weren't dramas to begin with. Bond of the books seems like cool guy to hang around maybe get a beer with, the way you discribe him he sounds like a angst ridden narcissist

Rocketeer proves that Tim can show humor in Bond.

[Captain Nash]

I like TLD and think if Dalton hadn't been trying to over do it and laid back to do be more at ease he would have worked better as Bond. He has great sense of humor and great comedic timing. He was tyring to take the role too seriously to have any fun, on or off screen. He was another serious acotr who wanted to make serious movies forgetting that they weren't dramas to begin with. Bond of the books seems like cool guy to hang around maybe get a beer with, the way you discribe him he sounds like a angst ridden narcissist

I'm not sure what kind of Bond film you're after Doc.
But from what I read, it would appear that films like DAF, MR and DAD are your cup of tea?
Well, those are mostly enjoyable films. Though they're not especially good Bond films. You see, the Bond that Dalton played, was the Bond of the novels. Go back and re-read some of the novels. You'll find that Bond isn't a wisecracking guy all the time, out to have fun. Or to drink a beer with.
He's a government assassin at the end of the day, Dalton captured that amazingly well.
It's okay if you don't feel Tim measured up as a Bond for you. But you'll find many fans who feel that Dalton was as close to Fleming's Bond as we've seen.

[The Sweeney]

I like TLD and think if Dalton hadn't been trying to over do it and laid back to do be more at ease he would have worked better as Bond. He has great sense of humor and great comedic timing. He was tyring to take the role too seriously to have any fun, on or off screen. He was another serious acotr who wanted to make serious movies forgetting that they weren't dramas to begin with. Bond of the books seems like cool guy to hang around maybe get a beer with, the way you discribe him he sounds like a angst ridden narcissist

I'm not sure what kind of Bond film you're after Doc.
But from what I read, it would appear that films like DAF, MR and DAD are your cup of tea?
Well, those are mostly enjoyable films. Though they're not especially good Bond films. You see, the Bond that Dalton played, was the Bond of the novels. Go back and re-read some of the novels. You'll find that Bond isn't a wisecracking guy all the time, out to have fun. Or to drink a beer with.
He's a government assassin at the end of the day, Dalton captured that amazingly well.
It's okay if you don't feel Tim measured up as a Bond for you. But you'll find many fans who feel that Dalton was as close to Fleming's Bond as we've seen.

I was going to say, I never felt Bond of the books to be a guy you would want to go out drinking with either. The only person he had for his stag night before marrying Tracey was his short lived Father-in-law, Draco - a Mafia leader. Not exactly a couple of guys you would want to go for a night on the town with. And it says a lot that Bond didn't have a group of drinking buddies. The relationship with Felix is quite buddy-buddy, but he was probably the only drinking mate Bond had.

Bond was a loner, a killer, a womaniser, maybe even slightly racist. Nope, not my idea of a fun night out.

(and yes, Dalton had Fleming's Bond off to a tee..)

[Mazer Rackham]

I think the Doc is going for Bond was more a bloke than tortured loner as some are likening him to.

Fleming wrote a good yarn, he had broody introspective moments and points were he had to with carefully selected words convey Bond's determination in certain situations. However a few tend to dwell on those fleeting moments and completely miss the fairly well rounded human Bond was.

Bond was a soft touch for the ladies, a man of honor, dignity, compassion, an educated well mannered man and some times even funny. The short story QoS wouldn't have been intriguing to the man Sweeney and Benny admire.

For Your Eyes Only Bond has a personal mission for his boss, if he were the man Benny thinks he is he would have killed the girl trying to avenge her parents.

No, Bond cared about his fellow man and women. Maybe the women more. He was insulted and felt personal affront when the common everyday values of his countrymen were violated, the Boy run off the road and card cheating in Moonraker. The women he met he was always soft spoken for and willing to risk his life to save theirs even if he wasn't the guy they were going home with that night.

The Bond Sweeny and Benny want to believe in simply can't exist if we are basing him on Fleming's books rather than the scripts for their personal favorite Bond actors.
You can't have Bond without the violence but you need to understand that doesn't make the man. It was part of the man buy not what solely defined him.

The Hildebrand Rarity and QoS and just about any story by Fleming demonstrates how normal a guy Bond was, could be, and how approachable he was. His cover was based in sales and his real job/ his duty required him to globe trot , he made fast friends everywhere he went and mixed easily in polite society and high society. An average guy could met Bond and under the right circumstances invite him to the homestead for a meal with the family and Bond would be perfectly at easy and charming. I could imagine Fleming putting thoughts in Bonds head of what he's missed out on in his life supping with a salt of the earth family. Bond had humble aspirations, a sometimes yearned for fruits of the simple life.

Simply not the man some are convinced he need to be. Dalton may have gone too for in Byronic hero territory forgetting the simpler things that made Bonds day.

BTW Sour Grapes blaming the Yank for Dalton's lack of appeal. 4.4m yanks & 5.4m of the rest of the word didn't return for seconds and didn't buy the home videos. LTK didn't turn a profit until well after GE was on home video. Sorry the Yanks may think they can do anything but they didn't cause this. The producers did by not paying attention to what was happening on their set, Dalton was pulling more than his weight and the director was concentrating on action and ignoring the story. They should have stepped in and fixed the problem instead of cashing their check and hanging around craft services.

[doubleoLisa]

He is just a name people recognize for the moment and has a British accent so naturally people thinking of what's for him next say Bond.

That's true for most British actors (Hugh Grant? Please.) but this really is not the case for Worthington. He's brought up because he was one of the final four actors along with Daniel Craig to be up for the Bond role. And he's not British, he's Austrailian.

Either way, I say the best actor to take the role after Craig is done is Michael Fassbender. His performance in Inglourious Basterds was a good blend of steely toughness and charm.






Come on EON, let Bond smoke again!

I am not so obsessed with Worthington that I know his homeland by heart. I was merely pointing out that popular young actors with British like accents always end up associated with being Bond next time out. I didn't know he was in the final four last time. He is a decent choice.

[The Sweeney]

The Hildebrand Rarity and QoS and just about any story by Fleming demonstrates how normal a guy Bond was, could be, and how approachable he was. His cover was based in sales and his real job/ his duty required him to globe trot , he made fast friends everywhere he went and mixed easily in polite society and high society. An average guy could met Bond and under the right circumstances invite him to the homestead for a meal with the family and Bond would be perfectly at easy and charming. I could imagine Fleming putting thoughts in Bonds head of what he's missed out on in his life supping with a salt of the earth family. Bond had humble aspirations, a sometimes yearned for fruits of the simple life.

You have a point there. I never really saw Bond that way, but now you mention it.....