Best 'Bond-style' movies?

[Kristatos]

I forgot about North By Northwest. Yes, that would also be another good Bond alternative. It's one of my favourite Alfred Hitchcock films.

It was also Ian Fleming's preferred template for what a Bond film should be like, something the makers of FRWL seem to have taken to heart!

[James Bondage]

Even as a kid, A View To A Kill has always been one of my favourite Bond films. The title song is my all-time favourite, and I like the soundtrack by John Barry. The title sequence is also one of my favourites. It's so '80s, but in a good way. I think Max Zorin and May Day are awesome villains, and some of the action scenes are pretty cool, particularly the climatic Golden Gate Bridge fight between Bond and Zorin. And it has Patrick Macnee, who stared in The Avengers TV series, which is pretty cool.

I have always considered AVTAK an enjoyable Bond adventure. It was the film that got me into Bond, and like you say it has so many good 'Bond' elements, ie great action scenes, great villains (I would say Zorin/Mayday are some of the best in the series), decent(ish) story, pretty epic final scene, and particularly soundtrack. The bashing it gets usually goes along the lines of 'Oh come on, Roger Moore was WAY too old', to which I reply 'well maybe.. but he still gave a solid performance'.. or 'oh come on, they put the BEACH BOYS soundtrack in it!!' to which I reply 'well yeah.. for about, 15 seconds of the film?'

I do miss the days of John Barry.. he had some EPIC soundtracks that really helped make some of the older films what they were. The Living Daylights is another film that I can remember always stuck out for me soundtrack-wise. These days with the Craig films.. it's just, not the same...

It (AVTAK) has its share of problems too, but I think every Bond film does. It was also perhaps a little too violent for me as a kid as well (a couple of bits I found unsettling to say the least). But it's in my personal top 5 for sure.

I remember seeing North by Northwest a LONG time ago.. that was the one with the crop-duster, wasn't it? Something like that. My memory of it is really vague though.. think I will have to give that one another watch.

Going to watch The Saint tonight.

[Eye Of The Tiger]

I forgot about North By Northwest. Yes, that would also be another good Bond alternative. It's one of my favourite Alfred Hitchcock films.

Yes. "North By Northwest" "Rear Window" "To Catch A Thief" "Dial M For Murder" "Vertigo" and "Psycho" are some of my favorites from Hitchcock.

Hitchcock made a lot of films that I think would appeal to a lot of Bond fans?

Several of his movies had to do with spies.
Some of those were...

North By Northwest
Topaz
Torn Curtain
Notorious
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Foreign Correspondent
Saboteur
The 39 Steps
Secret Agent
Sabotage
The Lady Vanishes

Hitchcock also made the 1964 film "Marnie"which stared Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren.

[The Saint 007]

Even as a kid, A View To A Kill has always been one of my favourite Bond films. The title song is my all-time favourite, and I like the soundtrack by John Barry. The title sequence is also one of my favourites. It's so '80s, but in a good way. I think Max Zorin and May Day are awesome villains, and some of the action scenes are pretty cool, particularly the climatic Golden Gate Bridge fight between Bond and Zorin. And it has Patrick Macnee, who stared in The Avengers TV series, which is pretty cool.

I have always considered AVTAK an enjoyable Bond adventure. It was the film that got me into Bond, and like you say it has so many good 'Bond' elements, ie great action scenes, great villains (I would say Zorin/Mayday are some of the best in the series), decent(ish) story, pretty epic final scene, and particularly soundtrack. The bashing it gets usually goes along the lines of 'Oh come on, Roger Moore was WAY too old', to which I reply 'well maybe.. but he still gave a solid performance'.. or 'oh come on, they put the BEACH BOYS soundtrack in it!!' to which I reply 'well yeah.. for about, 15 seconds of the film?'

I do miss the days of John Barry.. he had some EPIC soundtracks that really helped make some of the older films what they were. The Living Daylights is another film that I can remember always stuck out for me soundtrack-wise. These days with the Craig films.. it's just, not the same...

It (AVTAK) has its share of problems too, but I think every Bond film does. It was also perhaps a little too violent for me as a kid as well (a couple of bits I found unsettling to say the least). But it's in my personal top 5 for sure.

I remember seeing North by Northwest a LONG time ago.. that was the one with the crop-duster, wasn't it? Something like that. My memory of it is really vague though.. think I will have to give that one another watch.

Going to watch The Saint tonight.

The thing about Moore was that he always looked a little younger than his actual age. I didn't even know Moore was 57 in A View To A Kill until sometime later on. I can't say the same thing for Craig, though. About the use of Beach Boys California Girls song, I just recently watched a video review where the reviewer said that people in the theatre were cheering and applauding during that scene. So I guess there are some people who didn't think it was that bad. While I personally don't mind Moore's silly humour, I can still understand why some people may not be into it. But these moments last only a matter of seconds. And as it was mentioned in another thread here recently, some quick editing can easily make the Moore Bonds reasonably straight spy thrillers. So I do think some people make a bigger deal out of the humour than they should.

I wholeheartedly agree with you about John Barry. He certainly defined the James Bond sound, and the series did lose some of its magic after he left. I do like certain Bond soundtracks that weren't composed by John Barry, such as Live And Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me, but Barry will still always be the best, in my opinion.

A View To A Kill is definitely one of the more violent Roger Moore Bonds. Moore himself even said that the violence was one of the reasons why it's his least favourite out of his Bond films. But at the same time, there are some people who think that the Moore Bonds weren't violent enough. Moore's Bond wasn't overly aggressive, but there was times where he could be quite cold-blooded, and there was some darker moments in the films. It's just that the humorous approach toned down some of the violence, making it seem less grim for audiences. So it's not like Moore just simply went around telling jokes and made the villains laugh themselves to death, although some people try to make it seem that way.

[The Saint 007]

I forgot about North By Northwest. Yes, that would also be another good Bond alternative. It's one of my favourite Alfred Hitchcock films.

Yes. "North By Northwest" "Rear Window" "To Catch A Thief" "Dial M For Murder" "Vertigo" and "Psycho" are some of my favorites from Hitchcock.

Hitchcock made a lot of films that I think would appeal to a lot of Bond fans?

Several of his movies had to do with spies.
Some of those were...

North By Northwest
Topaz
Torn Curtain
Notorious
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Foreign Correspondent
Saboteur
The 39 Steps
Secret Agent
Sabotage
The Lady Vanishes

Hitchcock also made the 1964 film "Marnie"which stared Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren.

Some other good Hitchcock films are Strangers On A Train, I Confess, Rope, and The Birds. I used to watch the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series too. I should check out that series again, it's been quite a while since I've last seen it.

[James]

True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger is a homage to Bond although I imagine everyone has seen that by now. The two James Coburn Derek Flint films are very Bondish and not bad. Our Man Flint and In Like Flint. Probably a bit dated now though.

[Dr. No]

you know non bond movies used to be a little farther a field but since the 1990 - 80s? is mostly rogue agents trying clear their names, get revenge, hunted by their own government, Black hats, what has Bond done since Goldeneye the same sort of thing. Bond in the 1960s was a clean cut agent who was good at his job and loved his country, most cop and spy shows are not about drama of being suspected by their own and all the other stuff they throw in now. Bond used to kwno who he was and why he was doing what he does, I trying to think of one recent spy movie or show that does not follow the same old template, Bourne was a hyperactive amnesiac hunted by George W Bush (never said but implied ), MI movies usually have them behind the 8 ball trying ot clear their names. Spy games was the Bad CIA and going rogue to do the right thing.
But movies like oceans and other heist movies are sort of more like the old spy movies

MAybe JAck Ryans were the odd series in the spy genre

Hunt for red October was just brilliant.

[Eye Of The Tiger]

I forgot about North By Northwest. Yes, that would also be another good Bond alternative. It's one of my favourite Alfred Hitchcock films.

Yes. "North By Northwest" "Rear Window" "To Catch A Thief" "Dial M For Murder" "Vertigo" and "Psycho" are some of my favorites from Hitchcock.

Hitchcock made a lot of films that I think would appeal to a lot of Bond fans?

Several of his movies had to do with spies.
Some of those were...

North By Northwest
Topaz
Torn Curtain
Notorious
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Foreign Correspondent
Saboteur
The 39 Steps
Secret Agent
Sabotage
The Lady Vanishes

Hitchcock also made the 1964 film "Marnie"which stared Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren.

Some other good Hitchcock films are Strangers On A Train, I Confess, Rope, and The Birds. I used to watch the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series too. I should check out that series again, it's been quite a while since I've last seen it.

Yes. I'm a big Alfred Hitchcock fan. I've seen all (30, I think?) of Hitchcock's American made films, and 6 or 7 of his British made films.

I used to watch "Hitchcock Presents" with my father when I was a kid. There's a TV channel that is carried in my town that currently shows "Hitchcock Presents" late at night. I sometimes catch an episode or two on there some nights.

I agree, SOAT, I confess, Rope and The Birds are great films, as well. Several of my favorite Hitchcock films are ones staring Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart.

[Kristatos]

Who would you cast as Derek Flint if they were to make a new Flint movie? I can't think of anyone who fits the title "A James Coburn for the 21st century".

[Gala Brand]

"Classic" James Bond? Johnny English and Austin Powers are probably your best bets.

[bjmdds]

Who would you cast as Derek Flint if they were to make a new Flint movie? I can't think of anyone who fits the title "A James Coburn for the 21st century".

I loved the Flint movies and his cigarette lighter was THE classic spy gadget in the 1960s. It was rumored Bob Keeshan carried a wounded James Coburn to safety on Iwo Jima.

[The Saint 007]

"Classic" James Bond? Johnny English and Austin Powers are probably your best bets.

The reason why James Bond spoofs such as the ones you mentioned are even made in the first place, is because of the massive popularity of the James Bond series. Any popular film/TV series will always get made fun of, that's just the way it is. If classic Bond is so bad as some claim, then why are there still references being made to them in Craig's Bond films? Why is classic Bond used as a method of trying to lure back the disappointed fans after the producers mess up? It's obvious that classic Bond still holds a lot more value than some of the fans or the producers want to admit.

This thread was about suggesting other decent Bond-like alternatives, in which you give the "Go watch Austin Powers/Johnny English" response that's typically seen from Craig fanatics on sites like IMDb. If you can't give any proper suggestions like some others here have been doing, then you shouldn't bother to comment at all.

[Blowfeld]

Recently digitised my Johnny English soundtrack (some great music by Bond) to my surprise some of the pictures in cover looked like the recent Craig Bond posters




Parodies of Bond were a mark of success sadly Daniel is parodying the 'other fellows' becoming more ridiculous in his own right.

[BrosnanIsBond007]

The Incredibles & Johnny English are good calls. I'm tempted to see Johnny English Reborn but it didn't get great reviews - might catch it eventually though.

Taken & The Matrix come into mind - both have a larger-than-life male protagonist who kills a bunch of people and doesn't give a $!#@. The womanizing isn't there, but as a guy I think you watch those films & think "Wow that guy's awesome, I wouldn't mind being him" same as you would with Bond.

EDIT - Also the first Mission Impossible movie was kind of lumped together with the Bond films in my mind when I was a kid, that's a great secret agent action movie (from 1996 I think)

[Kristatos]

If you're a fan of Lewis Gilbert's mad, camp-as-tits sci-fi version of Bond, I recommend Doctor Who. I know The Doctor is a very different character from Bond, but both are holdovers from swinging Sixties culture, except that one never lost its sense of fun while the other did.

[Dr. No]

Sherlock Holmes 1&2 are good demonstration of how to make a Bond. The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol should get Brad Bird a call, he would do a great job on a Bond.

[BrosnanIsBond007]

Sherlock Holmes 1&2 are good demonstration of how to make a Bond. The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol should get Brad Bird a call, he would do a great job on a Bond.

YEAH Sherlock Holmes - forgot about those, good call.

[The Saint 007]

The suggestions of The Incredibles and Sherlock Holmes made me think of Disney's The Great Mouse Detective. It's one of my favourite Disney films, and it sort of has a Bond-like feel to it.

[commander0077again]

Welcome Mr Bondage, James Bondage.

Well, your signature for now is pretty funny.

As for Bond-type movies, again will have to repeat myself, having recommended this in other threads. But since this is a new topic: Casablanca has the feel of Bond, even though it doesn't have much physical action. Bogart has presence and style with his white dinner jacket. He can drink himself under the table, and that reminds me of Bond of the books, when he's depressed after the death of Tracy. Bogart is sardonic, self-deprecating -- very Flemingnisque traits. He's tough, but has a hidden heart. He's rated number one in numerous lists as the 'number one screen star of all time,' even trumping Cary Grant, Clark Gable (who had a Connery-like build, btw) and all the rest. Some of the best Bond scenes are when Bond reflects on his past loves, and of course his past wife -- and these are very Casablancaian (nice to invent new words!). I can imagine Rick Blaine across the green baize from Largo.

MI films are frenetic .... if they had more leisurely scenes and character development, they could be more Bonded.

And of course, don't forget the Dark Knight. In this incarnation Bruce Wayne pokes fun at himself in all the darkness, and he even has a very good "Q" in Mr Fox. For grounding, he has Michael Caine. Btw, Caine would make a formidable M. I'd still like to see Brosnan as a retiring Bond-type with Caine as his 'M.' Well, Mr. Brosnan, if you or any of your friends are reading this, let me know, and I can withdraw some gold bullion to fund the film (in a hidden vault high in the Swiss alps).

[FormerBondFan]

Based on this trailer, The Fast and the Furious franchise is slowly heading towards a James Bond route.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKi5XoeTN0k[/video]