Posted on 10/09/2021 2:24:24 AM PDT by Kaslin
Back in 2002, Die Another Day was the highest-grossing film in the James Bond series. However, despite its box-office success, it was poorly received by Bond enthusiasts and critics who felt the series had devolved into pastiche with outlandish elements such as an invisible car and kite surfing over a tsunami.
The gravitas and subtext that Ian Fleming had conceived had long been absent in the series but it became most apparent in the indifferently made Die Another Day. It also seemed anachronistic for the post 9/11 era to have a comedic spy thriller.
Thus, the forty-year-old series returned to its roots. Casino Royale. Fleming’s first Bond novel was faithfully adapted but adeptly updated for the big screen.
Casino Royale emerged as a huge success both critically and commercially. It was also a total triumph for Daniel Craig, who delivered a brave new interpretation of Bond.
Casino Royale was followed by the relatively lacklustre Quantum of Solace that had Bond going rogue seeking vendetta. Next was the extraordinary Skyfall, which was a psychological thriller with a Nietzschean subtext. Then came the enjoyable but contrived SPECTRE where big tech attempts to take over British secret service and the sinister organization SPECTRE remerges.
In all these films, the essential elements of the Bond series such as the megalomaniacal villain, the henchman, the outlandish gadgets, the heroine with the double entendre name and the one-liners were skilfully reinvented. There was copious action, wit, and thrills, but it was grounded in the violent, gritty, and dark world of espionage.
Daniel Craig’s exceptional and nuanced performances worked magnificently in humanizing Bond, who was usually played as a quasi-superhero. Beneath the stoic heroism of Craig’s Bond was pain, fear, moral conflict, uncertainty, and grief that seemed to be consuming Bond from within.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Like Star Wars it’s over for me. I’ve seen enough of both. Big Entertainment can entertain the woke from now on.
I just didn’t like these Bond movies. Craig made Bond a monotone, moody guy in need of therapy. This left Dame Judy Dench as the central figure. That is until she dies.
WOKENESS SPOILER ALERT: James Bond is called out of retirement, has been replaced as 007 by a black woman, and is (apparently) killed at the end of the film. CIA agent Felix Leiter also is offed.
So, a black female in the next series of “Bond” films? A new male Bond emerges, having somehow survived his fate from this film? With Daniel Craig gone, perhaps significantly physically altered, including being black?
If there are more films, the franchise likely is as dead as a doornail. As it does with all things, the Left will kill it, and soon.
“pain, fear, moral conflict, uncertainty, and grief that seemed to be consuming Bond from within”
Not to mention cirrhosis of the liver. Lol
I’ve heard several people who are fans of the series say you should go ahead and skip this one.
“Like Star Wars it’s over for me. I’ve seen enough of both. Big Entertainment can entertain the woke from now on.”
I agree. Hollywood has been turning out real garbage for decades. Fortunately there is ample access to really great old movies from the 40’s thru the 70’s.
The author forgets that Bond has "returned to its roots" multiple times. The film series has long swung between outlandish fantasy and gritty realism.
The outlandish, Star Wars-inspired Moonraker so upset Bond fans that Brocolli "returned to the roots" with the toned-down, realistic For Your Eyes Only
Then the series became increasingly silly again, until Timothy Dalton brought it down to earth.
Likewise, the first Bond epic, You Only Live Twice, was followed by the more emotionally grounded On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and then the more fanciful Diamonds Are Forever.
And thus the pendulum swings.
There's never been a proper Felix Leiter. Perhaps License to Kill had the best.
But they keep getting different actors to play Leiter. It makes the character difficult to follow. How many actors have played Leiter so far? And I think at least two have been black.
I am over watching special effects extravaganzas. I tend to watch a number of foreign movies and shows with more interesting story lines.
Going to see No Time to Die on Wednesday.
BTW, saw the new Dune last week. It is for lovers of the book only I would say. A great cast - well, maybe except for the Paul Atreides role, fantastic sets and production, but ultimately for afficionados only. Plus, black actors were cast in any role they could be fit into, a nod to wokism I suppose.
Wonder how this compares to other Bond films when adjusted for inflation and more importantly...actual ticket sales.
GO WOKE; GET BROKE.
It’s been years since I went to the movies.
Jack Lord way back in Dr No. Now Jeffrey whats-his-name....
My most favorite movie is Quo Vadis. I saw that as a teenager. I am 80 now
On practical notes, NTTD is too long, not enough action, the interludes between action sequences are slow and ponderous and Bond seems to give up at the end. The brief send off at the end of the film is weak and felt like a quick add on after filming had finished. I’ve enjoyed Craig’s take on Bond, and this set of 007 films have been fun to see, but I think the franchise is dead for a while, some of the world no longer wants James Bond to kill the bad guy and save the day. Good bye Mr. Bond, as it’s been said, all good things…
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