You Don't Mess with Icons......

[The Sweeney]

There was one guy stating he had waited over 40 years to see James Bond on screen.

Hmmn. Strange man.

Not so strange when you read the Fleming novels, and compare them to some of the comedy-fest gags we have seen over the past 40 years.....

On the plus side those 'comedy gag fests' didn't have a short man with a blonde crewcut playing James Bond.

Only if you think the colour of hair is actually more important and essential to the true source of Ian Fleming's material, than slide whistle sound effects, double-taking pigeons, invisible cars, underwater cars, Carry On one-liners, etc.

I tend to look beyond such superficial elements and focus more on the tone of film and characterisation instead....

[ID]

Daniel Craig leaping around a construction site like Jet Li and endlessly tapping into a mobile phone wasn't very faithful to Fleming.

[The Sweeney]

Daniel Craig leaping around a construction site like Jet Li and endlessly tapping into a mobile phone wasn't very faithful to Fleming.

I agree, regarding the 2 action set-pieces (construction site and Miami scene). CR is very much a 2-part film, a schizophrenic film even. It wants desperately to be like Fleming, (which does happen in the second half) but also wants to keep the OTT cinematic version too (which does happen in the first half).

The mobile phone bit is just modern technology, the same as Bond on his laptop. Nothing clever about that, but to not show this type of technology in modern day spy thrillers because it wasn't around in 1952 would be laughable.

[Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry]

Daniel Craig leaping around a construction site like Jet Li and endlessly tapping into a mobile phone wasn't very faithful to Fleming.

I agree, regarding the 2 action set-pieces (construction site and Miami scene). CR is very much a 2-part film, a schizophrenic film even. It wants desperately to be like Fleming, (which does happen in the second half) but also wants to keep the OTT cinematic version too (which does happen in the first half).

The Sweeney is starting to agree with us. If we can convert him fully to the darkside then anything is possible

[The Sweeney]

Daniel Craig leaping around a construction site like Jet Li and endlessly tapping into a mobile phone wasn't very faithful to Fleming.

I agree, regarding the 2 action set-pieces (construction site and Miami scene). CR is very much a 2-part film, a schizophrenic film even. It wants desperately to be like Fleming, (which does happen in the second half) but also wants to keep the OTT cinematic version too (which does happen in the first half).

The Sweeney is starting to agree with us. If we can convert him fully to the darkside then anything is possible

Never! I will never join you!!

It's not something I have just started to agree on. I thought this when I first watched CR. However, for some reason it actually worked in the film. I know the Brosnan films had a tendancy to attempt this too (even DAD) but somehow EON never pulled it off successfully. This time round they have, due to the subtle changes (Bond bloody, dirty, torn, Bond hesitating before jumping, etc.) They've tried to keep a consistency with the character, even though the action becomes more OTT.

[Jermaine76]

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Darth Vader. Before Lucas revealed him as nothing more than a petulant, whiny teen the Dark Lord of the Sith deserved his title. The guy was dark, scary, powerful, pure evil. Lucas tampered with his icon, showed us something new behind the mask. Suddenly Darth Vader seems a lot less scary. Nooooooo!

I have to agree with this. I don't look at Darth Vader the same way like I did back in the day. When I watch Episodes 4, 5 and 6 and see Vader, I can't help but seeing that punk ass, p-whipped, NSync wanna-be behind the mask and suit.

[Commander 0077]

Don’t believe me? Take a look at Darth Vader. Before Lucas revealed him as nothing more than a petulant, whiny teen the Dark Lord of the Sith deserved his title. The guy was dark, scary, powerful, pure evil. Lucas tampered with his icon, showed us something new behind the mask. Suddenly Darth Vader seems a lot less scary. Nooooooo!

I have to agree with this. I don't look at Darth Vader the same way like I did back in the day. When I watch Episodes 4, 5 and 6 and see Vader, I can't help but seeing that punk ass, p-whipped, NSync wanna-be behind the mask and suit.

The new Eon team and George Lucas seem to have been bitten by the same bug. Let's throw away what made us unique and follow Bourne; in the case of Vader, let's throw away the need for -- at the very last -- a competent actor.

Since this isn't a Star Wars site, I'll make it brief. IF there was a fine actor, director, story, the basic premise of Vader being a normal guy seduced by the Dark Side is a good one. Then we would have seen how evil works its spell.

Back to Bond : Yes, Commander of the Royal Navy. No to Army Captain.