Ingrid Pitt - Craig Is Not Bond

[007]

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/178538/ ... _bond.html

The Ingrid Pitt column: Craig is not Bond

BAFTA voter Ingrid rates Daniel Craig very highly. But not as 007...

James Bond is NOT Daniel Craig! Daniel Craig is NOT 007! James Bond is tall, dark, handsome, debonair and always on top of things, whatever happens. He rarely runs but is always there, one step ahead of the villains who have names like Stavro Blofeld, Jaws, Rosa Klebbor Hugo Brax. The only platonic relationship he has is with his boss's secretary, Miss Moneypenny, who always knows when he has arrived by his hat sailing through the air and landing on the hatstand in the corner of her office. He gets begrudging orders from his handler, 'M', and gets tooled up by 'Q'. 'Q' always appears to be annoyed with Bond because of his casual attitude towards the wonderful gadgets he makes for him, which usually save his life or get him out of a sticky situation later in the film. He introduces himself as "Bond. James Bond" and likes his Vodka Martinis "shaken - not stirred." Films have titles like Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, Live and Let Die or The Man With the Golden Gun. The Bond Girls, a proliferating species that he meets along the way, have double entendre names like Plenty O'Toole, Pussy Galore and Holly Goodhead - many of which turn up dead.

The film always starts with a strident but appropriate song by a leading singer of the day and naked female bodies writhing across the screen in chiaroscuro. This is after some amazing feat carried out by Bond that often has no bearing on the film in question. And the two things that ALL proper Bond films have is the opening blood-dripping gun barrel scene and the explosive ending before Bond is contacted by 'M', or Mrs Thatcher, for a report on the operation as he is getting down to business with the female who has survived the mayhem.

When Cubby Broccoli was in charge there was no real problem. James Bond was Sean Connery, and, with reservations, Roger Moore. The films fell into an easily recognised rhythm and were loved by the cognoscenti. It wasn't until new wave actors came along and felt that they must add something to the Bond cadre that the oil began to leak out of the Bond motor. They wanted Bond more touchy-feely. To have some proper relationships. Cubby was still able to keep the essentials in place but after his daughter, Barbara, took over the Beretta, 007 began to change and ended up as Daniel Craig.

Daniel Craig is a wonderful actor but I repeat, not James Bond. This fact was driven home to me over the holidays by the happenstance of seeing Defiance immediately after being bored rigid by Quantum of Solace. I think Felix The Cat would make a better fist of it than Craig. He never seems to stop running. All the humour and nonchalance has gone from the character of Bond and been replaced with ???? What's more, it is derivative of all the other Bond films only with added CGI. It has also been contaminated with the Bourne films and delivers Bond as a dour clone of Matt Damon. What the Fleming franchise needs is a humour transplant. More lines like, "No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die," delivered with glee by Goldfinger himself, Gert Frobe.

[Kristatos]

Wow, I had no idea Ingrid Pitt was still around! I had a major crush on her as a teenager. Still, I'm sure the pro-Craigers will give their standard response ("has-been, not relevant" etc.)

[Kristatos]

Daniel Craig is a wonderful actor but I repeat, not James Bond. This fact was driven home to me over the holidays by the happenstance of seeing Defiance immediately after being bored rigid by Quantum of Solace.

Anybody going to see Defiance? I like Edward Zwick's films, but feel they work better on the small screen. Zwick, for me, is a director who has never really transcended his TV roots, at least not in the films I've seen of his.

[LilleOSC]

I agree with Ingrid Pitt. I wish Broccoli/Wilson would feel the same way.

[katied]

Glad to that a member of BAFTA thinks that Craig isn't that great.

[James]

Here is a recap of some of the mighty celebs who have expressed doubt about Daniel Craig's suitability to play James Bond.

[LilleOSC]

That is a lot of people, James, but supposedly Brosnan, Dalton, Connery, and Moore approve of Craig as Bond.

Four of the past Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan have indicated that Craig is a good choice as Bond.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185819/bio

[wrenchhands]

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/178538/ ... _bond.html

What's more, it is derivative of all the other Bond films only with added CGI. It has also been contaminated with the Bourne films and delivers Bond as a dour clone of Matt Damon. What the Fleming franchise needs is a humour transplant. More lines like, "No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die," delivered with glee by Goldfinger himself, Gert Frobe.[/i]

She recites the Bond formula as if Craig isn't following it and then calls QOS derivative? That's just contradictory.

Anyways, this is what I'm talking about, old people bitching about change. This is nothing new. it's always about "the good ole days", "this is how it was" blah blah blah. Life changes, deal with it. Guess what? Dr No, FRWL, Thunderball.... all feel extremely dated and corny, and can be slow too! For chrissakes, how much meandering around did Bond need with AlI Karim Pey or how bad was it when he almost got killed by an out of control exercise machine.

There are critiques to be made of QOS, I don't think she listed them.

[wrenchhands]

That is a lot of people, James, but supposedly Brosnan, Dalton, Connery, and Moore approve of Craig as Bond.

Four of the past Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan have indicated that Craig is a good choice as Bond.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185819/bio

http://www.jamesbondwiki.com/page/Catch ... nby?t=anon

I see your point, but even if they hated his potrayal, I wouldn't care, because I like him as Bond. I don't care if George Bush and Osama Bin Laden made up to decry Daniel Craig, I would still like his films.

QOS a little less than CR, but I like them.

[Kristatos]

Anyways, this is what I'm talking about, old people bitching about change.

As opposed to people so terrified of their own mortality that they seek to tear down anything that reminds them of the passage of time ("Uurgh, Stonehenge is old! Let's destroy it and put a shopping mall there").

[Capt. Sir Dominic Flandry]

Here is a recap of some of the mighty celebs who have expressed doubt about Daniel Craig's suitability to play James Bond.

Don't forget Shoeliftgate's Gemma, James.

[wrenchhands]

Anyways, this is what I'm talking about, old people bitching about change.

they seek to tear down anything that reminds them of the passage of time

So... you liked Moore in A view to a kill?

[Kristatos]

Anyways, this is what I'm talking about, old people bitching about change.

they seek to tear down anything that reminds them of the passage of time

So... you liked Moore in A view to a kill?

Touche.

[wrenchhands]

Common ground.... we can find it.

[The Sweeney]

Here is a recap of some of the mighty celebs who have expressed doubt about Daniel Craig's suitability to play James Bond.

Mighty celebs indeed. Especially Patsy!!

Let's also have a reminder of some of the celebs who think Craig is great as Bond....









Perhaps they may know a tad more about what it takes to be Bond than Patsy Palmer & Co......

[wrenchhands]

He praised him too

[The Sweeney]

So did they.....





I know they still aren't as famous as Patsy, and so therefore don't hold as much credibility as she does.....

[James]

Here is a recap of some of the mighty celebs who have expressed doubt about Daniel Craig's suitability to play James Bond.

Don't forget Shoeliftgate's Gemma, James.

Here's another one. He wanted Henry Cavill to do Casino Royale.

[stockslivevan]

Dunno if anyone has heard, but Lazenby did put in some positive remarks on Craig's Bond, although he had the same complaint of Moore's about the films getting violent.

[Kristatos]

Dunno if anyone has heard, but Lazenby did put in some positive remarks on Craig's Bond, although he had the same complaint of Moore's about the films getting violent.

Which is odd, since OHMSS was noticably more violent than its predecessors.