The brosnan era. That's the vibe i want back. I know the writing was a mixed bag, but overall they balanced the cold, deadly world of bond with the lighter and optimistic moments very well. Not slapstick or camp, and not a daytime soap. Just a man doing the job and enjoying it. Not suffering.
They retired it after Die Another day as after 20 films it was time for a change [and home media/internet made it too obvious-Mission Impossible 7 got some flack for having a similar plot structure to MI6],
Agreed. The perfect bond formula for a great bond film is found in the following films: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, OHMSS, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, Living Daylights, License to kill and Golden Eye. Those 7 bond films encapsulate all aspects of James Bond. We need to move on from the dark and vulnerable Bond. That was done to death in the Craig era.
Tomorrow Never Dies is the Bond I want to see. It strikes the right balance of fun and seriousness. I don’t want Moonraker silly but I also don’t want to see Bond sulking throughout the whole film which I think Craig’s Bond did (not his fault it was the writers). I also want Bond on a mission so that we the fans can watch a single bond film and understand everything that’s happening without having to see the previous few films
Simple really: - Bond on a mission - Kicking ass action - Awesome and beautiful women - A solid villain - Good big set pieces - A good story and witty script - Good direction - Nice cinematography - Good pacing that doesn't drag - No social politics - No stupid story arcs - No emotional vulnerability nonsense - A decent ending where Bond wins (and doesn't die like a punk) - Good funny scenes with the MI6 regulars Bing bang a boom, it's a Bond movie. It's not that hard.
I totally agree we want a fun film and the Cuba scene in NTTD proves that EON can still deliver this when they want to. And bring back David Arnold for the music.
@@jamesatkinsonja I so hope you're right and what you say makes sense because Sam Mendes insisted on Thomas Newman for 'Skyfall' which was why Arnold lost the gig in the first place. So hope they bring him back.
Agree 100 percent. Eon needs to do like you said and give the audience what they want! Disney has lost their mojo because they forgot that. Eon is dangerously close to doing the same. Give us a fun story. Great locales. Beautiful ladies and a really bad bad guy. Give me Cavill. Give me Nolan. Heck, give me Tom Selleck as the villain! (He has a ranch to pay for)
Yup, lifelong Bond fan here but the last three Mission Impossible movies have been way better. Genuinely exciting and fun. I like Craig as an actor (and Casino Royale and Skyfall were excellent) but I'm sick of gloomy Bond. Nope, I don't want things as silly as the worst excesses of Moore's era but make Bond fun again, please!
The smile that Daniel Craig pulls after Carlos detonates himself in Miami. That's the note to play. We were in on it with 007. We all smiled. We were satisfied. Bond is timeless because he represents something unchanging . He is a caricature of a certain traditional man, a man that is mildly antiquated, and we find our meaning in his character through the snapshot of this man as we know him navigating a more contemporary world. Bond is stubborn but at the same time cannot afford a misstep. There is your intrigue, gadget and ice paraglide-surfing free.
This is the Diablo 4 syndrome where Whittier’s & producers don’t get want people want; people didn’t want the dark SUPER SAD and depressing narratives of Diablo 4; yes they want ‘realism,’ yes they want a more gritty appearance and tone, but they still want FUN, they still want light heartedness, and like Diablo 4, bond has gone too far down the wrong path. Given that big production houses like Disney have increasingly become removed from reality and greater society and can’t seem to write their way into a compelling narrative regardless of how many hundreds of millions they throw at it, hopefully the license owners of the bond franchise will read the source material, seek out subject matter experts on the topic, and will write a compelling, engaging, and faithful story for the Bond franchise a]that fans and the lay public can equally rally behind. Given the popular belief that a deep cover asset should be a 22SAS operator who is solely good as a hitter but has zero EI and is only charming because the script makes everyone around him act like he is despite looking like a goon while surrounded by one percenters and that such ops just require one to bang their head against a wall long and hard enough to find success, i question if you will find writers like we had in previous generations who will ever really get the source material…
Have people forgotten that words like "fun" or "entertaining" are very "eye of the beholder" like terms? I feel like what these people actually mean is making Bond more lighthearted because well serious or sincere and fun are NOT mutually exclusive with one another. Plenty of films that are seen as dark, emotional or sincere Have shown to be crowd-pleasers such as Die Hard, The Dark Knight trilogy and yes most of the Craig films fall into this category. I know plenty of people who find Casino Royale and Skyfall entertaining, No Time to Die at least drawn in enough of a crowd to finally end the lockdowns in the UK with No Way Home putting the nail on that coffin. When did this happen? When did people start thinking that the only way for a film to be "fun" is one liners and thinking darkness or emotion takes away from said enjoyment? My best guess are the Marvel films, but this is especially true with Brosnan shills who often are the Bond fans who make fan wars out of anything. I still have no idea why people say "at the Brosnan films are fun". I'm a fan of the Moore films and I ask these people what exactly do these people find fun exactly? One lines with no wit to them? Films devoid of class and exoticness in favour of tacky action scenes? Very static characters? Interesting ideas that go no where?
@@TheBondExperienceI know like Batman and Godzilla, Bond playing around with tone, tropes and styles is what kept it alive. The issue is from my experience with fans from Facebook groups is that they're don't seem to think that a film can be dark and gritty, but also fun.
I think people’s problem with the Craig is, in some part Craig himself. Even as someone who loves him, he at least has a reputation of being too serious and apathetic in his movies. This is a Bond who cries in his first movie. So these films at least have the impression of a stoic hero who doesn’t really look like he’s enjoying himself, outside of maybe No Time To Die. I think maybe that’s the issue, I don’t know. It just would be nice to go back to the feel that Moore or even Connery had where they took it seriously but still at least it seemed like Bond was having fun.
@@callummoore6962exactly. People should go back and watch movies like Casino Royale, The Dark Knight, or The Batman. All dark movies sure, but there is a sense of humour in there.
Yes on the girls and real stunts but and Not to sound rude absolutely not on everything else especially the style of Moore and brosnan. It can be fun but be grounded and have stakes where you actually get worried for bond (kinda how the books were. They weren’t like deep literature or anything they were spy thrillers). What Moore and brosnan did (it’s great as they were) should stay where it is. It was nice the first time but the more it went on the more embarrassing it was getting.
He doesn’t have to be Moore or Brosnan, but he needs to have fun, and be fun. Connery had fun through Thunderball, even Lazenby with his limiting acting ability had fun. Daniel Craig might’ve been the best “actor” to play Bond, but after Casino Royale it felt like it was pulling teeth to get his Bond to crack a smile and his iteration couldn’t wait to retire or not be Bond.
@@hitchcockisthegoat ya know that’s was kinda his attitude when I read a great book called the many lives of James bond (highly recommended btw) he doesn’t directly say it but implies it that his bond HATES being bond. And that is NOT who James Bond is I mean he does contemplate about life sometimes but he’s not a depressed emo. He does know how to have fun and relax if you’ve read the books, but it’s not like this “carefree and not a worry in the world” type of fun where it kinda takes you out of it (which I didn’t like at all) but rather “he knows that he won’t live much longer so he’ll just enjoy it as much as he can before he kicks it.” So I agree with you that he needs fun but no more than he has to where it takes you out of it.
It needs to be, I think the Mission Impossible Franchise has the balance right. I've said it before, I felt the last two DC installments radiated his apathy towards the role. I hope the next Bond brings passion, fun, suspense and drama to the movies.
Yet, Dead Reckoning was a big flop. $100 million loss, and NTTD scraped through with a profit even with contending with being the first major release after the pandemic. Numbers don't lie.
@@sandersson2813 really I been saying that for a long time but people have always said that they love him give me a break you know why people like him because one other bond back in the 1980s pave the way for him and his name is Timothy, Dalton, and all my God and I tell you if you read the books, read them because it’s right in the books the blueprint for what bond should be, and if you haven’t seen the living daylights and a license to kill that is what bond should be, and that’s what he should look like
Until or Unless they Retcon that *absolute Insult* that they made back in 1996 and make it so the *real* Jim Phelps really did die in Prague and the one on the Train was Daniel Briggs (the actual Traitor) in a Facemaker, the Mission: Impossible films are Alternative Universe *at best* for me! They need to *Retcon* the First film before I will ever Consider them as Mission: Impossible.
Wonder how different things would have been if NTTD came out before the pandemic. I felt like I came out of a funeral on opening night. Top Gun Maverick left me so excited leaving the theatre
Because he had an actor call Tom Cruise as you know, cared about the franchise and wanted to make sure that the fans were happy and boy did he deliver because when I was at the theater, I saw it and I literally cried. It was so good it’s just sad that a franchise that was born right out of the 1950s by Ian Fleming had to end in that way And I’m gonna say it again as long as I live that Daniel Craig I respect him as much as I can but he should not be in a bond film because in the ending of the day when you read the books, Timothy Dalton is bond
It’s incredible that Daniel Craig had two of the best Bond films, two of the worst, and one in the middle. He had a lot of potential and I respect the man, the writers just did him and Bond dirty.
@@eightnickel1513 hey for a man who literally said that he knows the lore like the back of his hand and he allowed this to happen. What the hell normally you step up and you fight for what you love he did not. He was there for the money and that is it and he doesn’t even look like what James Bond supposed to look in the novels. Just look at Timothy Dalton. He is the blueprint of what Bon should look like not Daniel Craig. And on top of that, he produced some of it so give me a break is nothing but a joke.
Bond movies and the Fleming novels are pulp fiction. They can be dark and gritty, as well as humorous and fun. Someone in the comments mentioned Die Hard, calling it dark and gritty. Die Hard is hard-edged but features a funny, wisecracking hero who finds himself in impossible situations, facing larger-than-life villains, and navigating a twisty plot. This is how I believe Bond movies should be. The first Die Hard is basically Goldfinger with gritty violence. Fleming's Bond stories are fun too, but they feature a more somber Bond within good, fun pulp stories.
Nailed it. Die Hard is a very serious story. The humor came from John McClane deflecting cause he’s terrified of the situation he’s in. John is not a super cop. He was just a regular cop who lead a regular life. Most average cops, who aren’t swat, live a pretty boring career. They aren’t getting into the adventures you see in Lethal Weapon, Cobra, or Kindergarten Cop. So many fans forget that Bruce Willis was NOT an action before this movie. He was a comedy actor. Die Hard doesn’t work if you cast Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Gibson as John McClane.
Exactly. Also if you’re like a bond/Fleming purist, you’ll know when in an interview about bond he said that he wanted bond to be a dull and ordinary man who goes throw into EXTRAORDINARY situations (keyword: extraordinary. So he was literally subtly saying that he’s well aware that what he’s writing is pure fiction with a sprinkling of personal experience and a tiny dash of realism that keeps it grounded) so exactly what you’re saying it can be gritty and serious but it can also be fun escapism. Also Mel was actually originally gonna be John Mclane and Bruce was gonna be Riggs but thank god they didn’t. Because you could not imagine it any other way
I don't get much connection with Die Hard and Bond at all. Die Hard established it's own genre and it's lead [a blue collar family man] is very different to Bond, particularly in his vulnerability [as he's increasingly injured as the night goes on]-which was something lost in the later sequences.
@@jamesatkinsonja If you've read some of the Fleming novels, Bond improvises and sustains serious injuries like McClane. There's also a higher sense of danger similar to Die Hard that plays up the "what if the hero doesn't make it" angle of the story.
1 minute in and you lost me. There's no way in hell woke Hollywood will allow a portrayal of Bond which is recognisable to Bond fans who are entertained by the movies of the past. If (and it's a big if) we see a new Bond movie before woke Hollywood implodes, it will be an unrecognisable version of Bond in a movie driven by woke messaging rather than good storytelling in the spirit of Fleming. Look at what's happened to Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings. I could go on. Best mothball Bond until the madness subsides and mainstream entertainment allows for a proper Bond again
@@briansutherland5919 I completely agree I’ve been a Star Wars fan on my life and it’s been very difficult to even get in the mood to watch the prequel‘s and the originals because we all know where that ends up and Indiana Jones. Are you kidding me? It’s only Sundays in Vietnam and there’s no grandchildren and they only had one child so his line is literally extinct, and I been educated by my friends who have loved the Lord of the rings, and they are pissed beyond belief, so in my opinion, they really need to put James Bond on the shelf until all of this shit gets taken care of because I do not want this franchise that my mother loves and has introduced me to to wind up being sacrificed at the alters of the woke
At this point, I think I would just appreciate a little confirmation that the franchise is still a thing, like they're still going to make more, at the moment it feels totally dead.
Completely agree. Bond has to be Bond. He is an known entity. I honestly think this is why EON is sitting on Bond for a few years - waiting for certain trends to blow out. There are certain TV shows, certain movie franchises that I just will never spend time and money on anymore. Because they do not provide a product I am interested in - and these are the franchises that are failing... A good written Bond story - written with today's social/political world could be very interesting. I really hope the support characters are played by the same actors. A new Bond learning to deal with seasoned versions Q, M & Moneypenny could be an interesting development.
Oh Boy yes, I would really love to see that. I've enjoyed the Craig era but it was a little too much drama, too emotional. James Bond should not be a softie. I'd really like to see a Bond that has his one night stands and enjoys his job saving the world. Bring back the gadgets, bring back the Bond girls. I think the recent Bond era was too realistic and that's not very Bond - they've tried to show the life of a real spy aka you are worth quite little to your superiors and the government. They've portrayed him as a man ready to die that hates life and that's not the fantasy of being Bond.
Top Gun 2 as a little too predictable for me. I hope they keep trying to make new Bond movies instead of trying to remake something they already made in the past.
I hope that James Bond in the novel will be produced with a story about intelligence from World War II before he became a Cold War intelligence agent. The classic James Bond is attractive enough.🎉
I'd be over-the-moon happy if EON could make a film as fun as Octopussy or Moonraker again. Aside from Casino Royale, the DC era has been an illogical and joyless slog. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that a strong, competent white male hero will really fly with some audiences in these divided times and with ESG metrics in play. My theory after No Time to Die was released was that it would be the final Bond film, and I believe this may be the case.
You commented before finishing this video didn’t you? David (and most of the fans and commenters) just said don’t swing the pendulum all the way the other way. Find the balance. No you don’t need to go full on Casino Royale (as much as I love that movie) & Quantum of Solace. However, we don’t need to go all the way back to Octopussy or Diamonds are Forever either.
To be honest though, when talking to kids and teenagers, they really really like what Daniel Craig did, so I feel we need to be careful at what we mean by fun because those Daniel fans might get turned off from Bond 26 if its really different from those movies. But i know what your saying though
@@picosreviews2770 thats not what I said and not all of Daniels movies have been dark and moody. like wise not all of Roger or Pierces movies were great
Those fans who liked the Craig mostly like the Bourne Identity style they mostly took on. They eventually left for the Mission Impossible and Bourne movies. That’s why establishing a base is important. New fans are great, but you must maintain the base too. The base will stick with you, the newer fans probably will leave once the fad is over. If anything the base fans are the ones who will create the newer fans who will stick around. They will show it to their kids and get them into it.
@@DafyddBrooksThe only Craig movie that wasn’t dark and moody was Skyfall, which is the one the made the most money and is often praised as the best in the Craig era. Skyfall is the one Craig movie that felt the most like a traditional Bond movie and that’s why fans paid to see.
They should hire Mike Myers as a secondary villain. The shadow of Austin Powers has been hanging over Bond for years and a scene of Bond killing him would work metaphorically as 007 getting Powers and Dr Evil out of its system.
Hello David! This is why I love your channel. Nobody could have said it in a better way. Hopefully those ones at EON who are the decision makers will watch and understand your video. Thanks a lot for this inspiring video. Jörg from Germany
Right on point! I told you that to fill the void, I've been watching 1960's Eurospy films. Yes they were budget, yes they were total Italian/French/German/Spanish Bond ripoffs but they all had something in common, they all had a playful tone and attitude. Let me say I LOVE the Daniel Craig films and I those films have fun stuff in them and they were also poignant and filled with gravitas but it's time to have more fun, it's time to "play" with Bond again. BTW Axel F was fantastic and we rewatched all the original ones again.
I couldn't agree more with the Top Gun Maverick comparison. When we saw that movie in theatres (and even when I re-watch at home) you leave the movie feeling excited, triumphant, etc. NTTD started so good - I think we can agree we all had those feelings after bond switched on the machine guns in the DB5 in Matera, but after that the movie did not live up to the Bond franchise, and the ending left all of us feeling like a part of us died. Like you say, the formula exists - watch Dr. No, Goldfinger, Goldeneye, Casino Royale, etc and you feel that excitement and positive energy. Like many people have said below - let's stop trying to make Bond so emotional and broken and MAKE BOND ENTERTAINING AGAIN. Bond has always been about escapism, starting when Fleming penned Casino Royale in 1953. Let's get back to that.
I've been annoyed with the whole current situation and lack of any (evident) progress towards Bond 26. So I've had no interest in watching Bond -related videos. I'm glad I came back to watch this one. Very well said. My thoughts exactly. Thank you.
I want the golden age back. Most of us didnt fall in love with the series because Bond was a diaper-changing, depressed man who dies at the end of the movie.
I couldn't agree more. Mid 40s here, Roger was my first Bond cinema experience with Octopussy. Even had the Octopussy annual. Beverly Hills Cop 4 was the perfect mix. The problem is that too many studios let people loose with IP that don't care about the audience but rather want to make a name for themselves. I just saw a trailer Gladiator II, and it looks very interesting. Maybe we are turning a cinematic tide
David this should be a 2 hour discussion with Joe, Calvin and Dutch Bond Fan. We need that kind of Bond film nowadays like when you recently surmized that the films in the 70s where so lighthearted because of all the turmoil the world had exprienced in the 60s.
For Bond 26 and the next era of Bond in general The tone and charm of Sean Connery but keep the fight scenes gritty like The Daniel Craig era. Gunbarrel at the beginning of the film. M scenes to be straight to the point like classic Bond. Moneypenny scenes to be romantic. Still set it in modern day. Keep Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Finnes and Rory Kinnear. Q scenes to have people in the background testing gadgets and Bond messing around with the gadgets but still have a bit of seriousness in these scenes as well. More of Jamaica.
Casino Royale is a superb film with a brutalist, vital, vibrant Bond. A great "reboot"... but NOT the vital, sexy, fun, violent, ruthless Bond of the early Connery films. I read all of the books and the early Bonds (as well as Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me) was truly "James Bond". What did they ALL have in common? The Bond in those films was glamorous, violent, and a a Gentleman... and SEXY. The Craig Bonds were mostly neutered extravaganzas. The early Bonds were - for their time - incredibly violent and irresistibly SEXY... and what the producers of the series have forgotten now for most of the last 50 - 55 years is that Bond was an inveterate Ladies' Man - the Ultimate Example of that species - and that the females in the books/films were dangerous and sexy and erotic and flirtatious and willing to be conquered... THIS element has gone missing for too long... and the series has been much the poorer for it. Even the Bond Fan that has made this Bond video (obviously from a place of passion and love for the character) is too cowardly to mention this VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL element in the Bond series. FCUK political correctness and feminism... BOND WAS AN INVETERATE LOTHARIO AND A VIOLENT ALPHA... AN ULTIMATE CELEBRATION (bordering on parody) OF TESTOSTERONE-FUELED MASCULINITY... take THAT out of the films and you have lost a critical element... AND NOBODY HAS THE BALLS TO MENTION THIS... even the biggest "fans". Return to James Bond as he was originally conceived... adult entertainment with a twist of fun that charms and fascinates "children of all ages"... stop with the character's self-laceration and the films' pandering to the "modern audience" and the "cinema as an amusement-park ride" ethos, as that is a bastardization and a dilution of the character that long-ago blazed onto the screen and into our hearts.
David, Thank you for saying online what so many of us are saying to our friends and fellow enthusiasts. Here are three things to emphasize your point: 1.) the reason that “entertainment” films you described are so popular is because they are produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Mr. Bruckheimer understands the premise of box office cinema: to entertain. “Movie house” cinema aka “indie” cinema is where heavy subjects are discussed, subtitles are used and audiences are challenged, confused and sometimes angered. That doesn’t mean that box office cinema can’t have good dialogue and good stories (think of the great movies of Hitchcock), it just means that the focus of those movie productions - as you said so well - are entertaining the core audience. 2.) the Ian Fleming novels and the Bond movies are escapist. Trust me, I had a career in the trade and I can tell you that my colleagues and myself enjoy the books and the movies not because they are real but precisely because they are not real. The books and the movies don’t harp on the grim nature of life in the shadows. Fleming’s books are far grittier, but he never strayed from the idea that the books were thrillers and that was what drew readers to his books. There are other books and movies out there (mostly written by LeCarre or in his style) that capture the shadow world. They are interesting but the audience will never leave the theatre feeling “entertained” the way an escapist movie will. This is why Indiana Jones movies work; 3.) There is no doubt that the vast majority of the Bond audience are men. That has always been the case and likely always will be the case. That said, over the years the female leads in the movies have been less “eye candy” and more real people. You could say that began with Pussy Galore and continued on and off until NTTD. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between making heroic female characters and trying to force social issues into an escapist genre. Believe me, I have been trying for ten years to get it right with Sue and Barbara O’Connell in my MIKE4 series and so far I haven’t seen any success precisely because my female heroes are just interested in doing the job of espionage and doing it well. I suppose I could write differently, but I am trying to capture the real world where life and death decisions are made based on experience and skill. I wonder if EON even is considering a new Bond at this point. If they are, we can only hope they are listening to people like you. In the meantime, I will continue to read Fleming (including the new Fleming biography) and watch movies that entertain. Cheers, mate JR Seeger Old warrior, even older writer
Yes of course...That all depends on the producers ( not necessarily the current ones... ), the scriptwriters, the actor, etc... And frankly it's long overdue...
Great Video! You are a marketer. On your channel do a video (with your friends) of the scenes that are your example of fun, the triumphant bond! Some that come to mind: no time to die: fight on Cuba, Tomorrow never dies: bond with 2 guns on stealth boat, Thunder ball: Skeet shoot, Live and let die: boat chase, Do that video to explore the cross generational character
It goes in cycles it would seem, first Connery with a little serious tone, Lazenby a harsh tone, then Moore with silliness, then Dalton which was very dark, then Brosnan which was a mix between Connery and Moore and finally Craig which was über serious and tough. So while we may cry out for a funny bond in a few films, we may want the hardliner version again.
I absolutely agree - I want the fun Bond adventure back! I like Casino Royale and Skyfall a lot, but I really hope they go away from that rather depressing crime thriller direction they had with Daniel Craig. And no forced connections between movies that don't really have a well thought out connection. Either plan it well ahead or leave them standalone movies.
For me this is the most important video you have made. Its the thing that affects me at gut level.I long for the days of coming out of a Bond movie and punching my fist in the air. Like i did after TSWLM, Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. Fun and entertaining. I dont get why people want it serious.
1) More realistic espionage elements such as how does bond retrieve a gun and other essentials when in enemy territory 2) More interesting espionage related themes such corporate espionage committed by foreign powers 3) Please, no return to roger moore campy humor. 4) Traditional mission for King and country. No more going awol or being abandonded by MI6. 5) More scenes of fancy train travel and dinner cars. Love those dialogue interactions happening in Belmond style trains 6) More charming flirt between Bond a beautiful woman who can return the flirt.
I am a Dalton fan, Skyfall is my favourite Bond film, and I still have enough of the tone being too serious by now. I hope the next Bond film is not a depressed arthouse flick, but as you said a simple and fun triumph of a film with humour in spades. I want the effortless cool, the quips and the creative. If we were to take No Time To Die as an example, I want the Cuba scene with Paloma as a whole film, not the Norway section.
Bravo, sir! Couldn’t have said it better! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Just watched Axel F and felt the exact same…the homages to the original didn’t slap you in the face but were just right for those of us that saw it first run…and owned the awesome soundtrack on cassette! 😉
Spot on David. I actually used Top Gun Maverick as the opening example, "real stunts" and story it's well crafted basic story in a pitch my Entertainment lawyer sent to EON for the next Bond film earlier in the year.
@@jamesatkinsonja Yes. I noted above what is required. Which includes real stunts. Tho looking more for Tom Cruise level of stunts. Craig injured him self in fights and doing a bus jump.
Yeah I would love a spectacle, a blockbuster, an event, fun escapism. Broccoli said about continuing the theme of Craig’s movies which I found entertaining. But now I would love for Bond to go back to an escapism, fun classic bond style movie. And yeah totally agree that movies nowadays are trying to please a loud minority not the quiet majority. And the last one was just depressing.
I'd like to see future Bond installments be serious, triumphant as well as fun providing occasional laughs. Beverly Hills Cop 2 was my favorite of the franchise due to its darker and more serous tone immediately noticeable from the opening scene. More action, better stunts and a unique 6 foot blonde henchwoman complimented with Eddie Murphy's humor.. My friend purchased a black Iroc-Z because of the movie.
I absolutely agree. However we live in an era in which also Hollywood evolved. It was much easier to make great movies back then, less technology like social media, there weren't so many movies per genres, now you have 200+ movies for each situations, from sharks, to action, to adventures, Sci Fi, so it must be difficult to come up with new scripts and story plots. In regards to Tom Cruise, which i had the priviledge to meet, i think it's pretty obvious that the guy doesn't put his name on low budget, cheap, somewhat entertaining stories. The guy wants only the best, from style, to locations to top tier people working in the business plus each times he gets creative to keep people engaged. IMO, the new Bond should be dialed back a bit, no crazy stunts like barrel rolls in a helicopter, and i think in Skyfall we've seen the best Bond. Vulnerable, more human like without too many insane stunts and so forth. The franchise needs CPR for sure, and it needs to end with a bit of a story twist, like indirectly they make you believe there won't be another bond movie and that's what get people talking and buzzing online for the next months. If it's gonna be the same old story, it's just gonna die the week after. It has to leave us people with a mix of emotions.
There was a moment in “Skyfall” where I found myself thinking Bond has become Bondman (Batman). I love both characters, but Bond has always been - at least cinematically - a character I enjoy seeing enjoying being that “blunt instrument” super spy. I want to see him act on the story rather than the story act on him. Long story short - let’s have fun!
Skyfall was just a joke. I fell asleep in the theater twice and when I saw the ending I was like what the hell we have a 007 agent license to kill and he couldn’t even protect his boss talk about bad and he disrespected the family home, I mean, come on, he just literally blew it up and didn’t even care
You nailed it David! I'm a James Bond fan and in my opinion, what makes those films so attractive (especially up to the Pierce Brosnan movies) is that you are just having a great time with James Bond! The adventure, the humor, the catch phrases, the beautiful and exotic landscapes... as you say, you come out of a James Bond movie pumped, full of positive energy! Even though I like Daniel Craig as an actor, I think that the film makers started to change the formula since Skyfall; Skyfall, Spectre and "the last one", just were not that fun anymore, the locations were not that attractive, not as colorfull anymore...And James Bond was just not that suave gentlemen spy anymore... And so, in my opinion, the James Bond movies lost their charme. I really hope that the next James Bond movie will recapture some of the elements that made you just have a good time watching a James Bond movie.
And yet Skyfall was the biggest box office Bond hit of them all and audiences hadn't seen such huge reactions to two consecutive Bonds (Skyfall/SPECTRE) since Goldfinger/Thunderball. Craig's films just kept apace with the times. Sorry, but if you want to go back to the tone of decades-old Bond films, then you need a VCR.
@@danielscott8180 Agreed. They retired the formula/tropes because it had got too repetitive and there's no denying the Craig films were hugely financially [and mostly critically] successful.
Excellent video as always! Great points about the filmmakers that ignore their base and have problems. No question about what direction they should head with the next incarnation of James Bond. Fun, light, CLASSIC Bond. The same Bond that captured generations decades ago. That will absolutely still WORK today. If anything, probably better than EVER. However, the only issue with doing that is a pretty big one. One which we did not see or maybe did not WANT to see at the end of NTTD. And that is that it is now clear that the Producers basically ENDED the series with that film. So sadly, right now , we just have seen nothing at all to even hint that they are even thinking about setting up a new Bond film. Sounds unbelievable but that seems to be our reality right now! But whenever they do get around to doing it again- I hope they see this video. Because you told them exactly the way to do it !
Never liked Craig, despite enjoying Casino Royal. What makes Bond different is that he is suave and able to attract women IRL - Craig was almost like putting Toretto from the fast and furious franchises playing Bond.
What comes before or after a mission should remain irrelevant, Bond is like the 'monster of the week' episodes in say X-files. Each movie should live in it's own bubble.
Great video, David. And I agree. Given the 2 examples of Top Gun Maverick and BHC Axel F, movies can be made with elements that made them work before all the .... be it politically correct, inclusiveness, masculine toxicity or any of the countless "let's not offend them or they will not watch our movie" Dave Chapelle made jokes about everyone. And everyone watched him. And to add to what you said, you can turn that dial up or down a little to "change it up". The audience would probably embrace it. But in closing, the next Bond film should be fun and triumphant.
He did a video on setting Bond in the past and concluded it wasn't something he really wanted to see so he was actually arguing to keep it contemporary
@@bedfordshiremodeller4491 Calvin came to the conclusion that it probably wouldn't work-mainly due to the cost [as it would need CGI to keep the period setting and lose product placement] but also that Kingsman 3 + Man From Uncle didn't do well commercially so many general audiences wouldn't be interested in it [and while the first two Xmen period films were successful, the other two were diminishing returns].
I do find it interesting that people often cite Brosnan as what a 'fun' Bond should be when he has said he wanted his Bond films to be darker and more serious than they ended up, particularly Die Another Day post 9/11 [which was a big part in him being dissatisfied with some of the 'ridiculous; elements like the invisible car. Brosnan had creative control over 'the November Man' which took itself pretty seriously.
Back in the days when my family went to the video store to rent a movie, the one thing we all could agree on was James Bond-movies. My mom, my dad, my two brothers and me. I have been "addicted" to Bond movies since then, I have seen all the movies multiple times, I have them on BluRay-disks, except the last one. I have not even bothered to watch "No Time To Die". Craig was good in Casino and Quantum, OK in Skyfall, but way to gloomy in Spectre. When I learned that he has a kid in the last movie, and even dies, I never bothered to watch it. It's so far from the Bond movies, the entertainment I grew up with, I'd rather watch another spy or action movie. So I'm with you, David, let Bond get back to the formula of entertainment and giving people what they want, just like "Mission Impossible" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E".
We can’t in my opinion go back to Roger Moore comedy (and btw I loved Roger) but Bond needs the edge.. SAS history .. etc. but I 100% agree that we need a triumphant Bond, we need a winner!! Walking up Regent street in London having watched NTTD, I’ve never seen a crowd so subdued!!! Compare that with the crowd walking out of Leicester sq after seeing CR or Skyfall.. no comparison. TG Maverick was a blessing after NTTD. I do hope Barbara reads some of these comments because she needs to get her skates on!!
Daniel Craig is a fine actor and his action scenes were great, but I quit enjoying Bond once he took on the role. The last Bond Movie I saw in the theatre was Casino Royal, I found it depressing. The rest of his Bond outings I watched at home, some I didn't make all the way through. To me, he just is not and never could be James Bond. Thanks for the video and I completely agree with you, I hope Bond is fun again someday.
Bond himself needs to be fun for the movie to be fun. He needs to lighten up and the films need to be sexy again. I think the of the date in Miami Vice(2006, same as Casino Royale) when Crocket takes Isabella to Cuba in his speed boat, and they arrive in a salsa club and start dancing to great music... We more moments of the sexy 007 lifestyle(Brosnan pulling out the Bollinger in Monte Carlo after the race with Zenia) that we can aspire to.
In fairness I find films like 'Casino Royale', Bourne Identity and the Dark Knight great watches despite the serious tone. A great action scene doesn't need one liners or site gags to entertain. As much as I love 'Mission Impossible', Bond tends to make more money [Spectre earned $200 million more than Rouge Nation for example].
The brosnan era. That's the vibe i want back. I know the writing was a mixed bag, but overall they balanced the cold, deadly world of bond with the lighter and optimistic moments very well. Not slapstick or camp, and not a daytime soap. Just a man doing the job and enjoying it. Not suffering.
The proper formula was laid out in the first three Connery films. Kick assery, style, and a dash of humor. EON needs to get back to that.
EON won't do it because getting into the sheik cocktail parties is more important to Barbara
They had that with Timothy Dalton, but they screwed him over so really come on
They retired it after Die Another day as after 20 films it was time for a change [and home media/internet made it too obvious-Mission Impossible 7 got some flack for having a similar plot structure to MI6],
Agreed. The perfect bond formula for a great bond film is found in the following films: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, OHMSS, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, Living Daylights, License to kill and Golden Eye. Those 7 bond films encapsulate all aspects of James Bond. We need to move on from the dark and vulnerable Bond. That was done to death in the Craig era.
Yes, i agree with many comments: no more rogue. Bond gets a mission and then he beats the villian like in the good old days.
How long has it been? Tomorrow Never Dies is the last one I remember that wasn't making a "its personal" statement.
Tomorrow Never Dies is the Bond I want to see. It strikes the right balance of fun and seriousness. I don’t want Moonraker silly but I also don’t want to see Bond sulking throughout the whole film which I think Craig’s Bond did (not his fault it was the writers). I also want Bond on a mission so that we the fans can watch a single bond film and understand everything that’s happening without having to see the previous few films
I couldn't agree more
"Give the people what they want!"
@@Kemotherapy360the difference between genius and insanity is measured only by success
Totally agree. Tomorrow Never Dies is a perfect example of the Bond formula. Hits all the best beats perfectly. Super underrated Bond movie.
Hell I'll take another Moonraker over any of the Craig era nonsense.
Simple really:
- Bond on a mission
- Kicking ass action
- Awesome and beautiful women
- A solid villain
- Good big set pieces
- A good story and witty script
- Good direction
- Nice cinematography
- Good pacing that doesn't drag
- No social politics
- No stupid story arcs
- No emotional vulnerability nonsense
- A decent ending where Bond wins (and doesn't die like a punk)
- Good funny scenes with the MI6 regulars
Bing bang a boom, it's a Bond movie.
It's not that hard.
I totally agree we want a fun film and the Cuba scene in NTTD proves that EON can still deliver this when they want to. And bring back David Arnold for the music.
Arnold has said the director gets to chose who composes the film but if they don't have a preference, he gets the job.
@@jamesatkinsonja I so hope you're right and what you say makes sense because Sam Mendes insisted on Thomas Newman for 'Skyfall' which was why Arnold lost the gig in the first place. So hope they bring him back.
Agree 100 percent. Eon needs to do like you said and give the audience what they want! Disney has lost their mojo because they forgot that. Eon is dangerously close to doing the same.
Give us a fun story. Great locales. Beautiful ladies and a really bad bad guy.
Give me Cavill. Give me Nolan. Heck, give me Tom Selleck as the villain! (He has a ranch to pay for)
David, Beverly Hills Cop 4 was so magical and triumphant! I hope next Bond gets that treatment!
Yup, lifelong Bond fan here but the last three Mission Impossible movies have been way better. Genuinely exciting and fun. I like Craig as an actor (and Casino Royale and Skyfall were excellent) but I'm sick of gloomy Bond. Nope, I don't want things as silly as the worst excesses of Moore's era but make Bond fun again, please!
2015's Kingsman: The Secret Service proved that a Roger Moore Bond film still works in the 21st century.
Same. Brosnan era I think found the best balance of fun/grit. Not camp but not an emotional grinder you feel depressed about leaving theaters.
yeah like Brosnans first 2 movies
The smile that Daniel Craig pulls after Carlos detonates himself in Miami. That's the note to play.
We were in on it with 007. We all smiled. We were satisfied.
Bond is timeless because he represents something unchanging . He is a caricature of a certain traditional man, a man that is mildly antiquated, and we find our meaning in his character through the snapshot of this man as we know him navigating a more contemporary world. Bond is stubborn but at the same time cannot afford a misstep. There is your intrigue, gadget and ice paraglide-surfing free.
This is the Diablo 4 syndrome where Whittier’s & producers don’t get want people want; people didn’t want the dark SUPER SAD and depressing narratives of Diablo 4; yes they want ‘realism,’ yes they want a more gritty appearance and tone, but they still want FUN, they still want light heartedness, and like Diablo 4, bond has gone too far down the wrong path. Given that big production houses like Disney have increasingly become removed from reality and greater society and can’t seem to write their way into a compelling narrative regardless of how many hundreds of millions they throw at it, hopefully the license owners of the bond franchise will read the source material, seek out subject matter experts on the topic, and will write a compelling, engaging, and faithful story for the Bond franchise a]that fans and the lay public can equally rally behind.
Given the popular belief that a deep cover asset should be a 22SAS operator who is solely good as a hitter but has zero EI and is only charming because the script makes everyone around him act like he is despite looking like a goon while surrounded by one percenters and that such ops just require one to bang their head against a wall long and hard enough to find success, i question if you will find writers like we had in previous generations who will ever really get the source material…
Have people forgotten that words like "fun" or "entertaining" are very "eye of the beholder" like terms?
I feel like what these people actually mean is making Bond more lighthearted because well serious or sincere and fun are NOT mutually exclusive with one another. Plenty of films that are seen as dark, emotional or sincere Have shown to be crowd-pleasers such as Die Hard, The Dark Knight trilogy and yes most of the Craig films fall into this category. I know plenty of people who find Casino Royale and Skyfall entertaining, No Time to Die at least drawn in enough of a crowd to finally end the lockdowns in the UK with No Way Home putting the nail on that coffin.
When did this happen? When did people start thinking that the only way for a film to be "fun" is one liners and thinking darkness or emotion takes away from said enjoyment? My best guess are the Marvel films, but this is especially true with Brosnan shills who often are the Bond fans who make fan wars out of anything.
I still have no idea why people say "at the Brosnan films are fun". I'm a fan of the Moore films and I ask these people what exactly do these people find fun exactly? One lines with no wit to them? Films devoid of class and exoticness in favour of tacky action scenes? Very static characters? Interesting ideas that go no where?
@opmdk put it perfectly… I love the serious and gritty Bond, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and triumphant. It’s a balance.
@@TheBondExperienceI know like Batman and Godzilla, Bond playing around with tone, tropes and styles is what kept it alive.
The issue is from my experience with fans from Facebook groups is that they're don't seem to think that a film can be dark and gritty, but also fun.
@@callummoore6962exactly!
I think people’s problem with the Craig is, in some part Craig himself. Even as someone who loves him, he at least has a reputation of being too serious and apathetic in his movies. This is a Bond who cries in his first movie. So these films at least have the impression of a stoic hero who doesn’t really look like he’s enjoying himself, outside of maybe No Time To Die. I think maybe that’s the issue, I don’t know. It just would be nice to go back to the feel that Moore or even Connery had where they took it seriously but still at least it seemed like Bond was having fun.
@@callummoore6962exactly. People should go back and watch movies like Casino Royale, The Dark Knight, or The Batman. All dark movies sure, but there is a sense of humour in there.
Back to the style of Moore and Brosnan...fun , gags, gadgets, girls, larger than life bad guys,real stunts...no cgi...you get the picture.
Yes on the girls and real stunts but and Not to sound rude absolutely not on everything else especially the style of Moore and brosnan. It can be fun but be grounded and have stakes where you actually get worried for bond (kinda how the books were. They weren’t like deep literature or anything they were spy thrillers). What Moore and brosnan did (it’s great as they were) should stay where it is. It was nice the first time but the more it went on the more embarrassing it was getting.
He doesn’t have to be Moore or Brosnan, but he needs to have fun, and be fun. Connery had fun through Thunderball, even Lazenby with his limiting acting ability had fun. Daniel Craig might’ve been the best “actor” to play Bond, but after Casino Royale it felt like it was pulling teeth to get his Bond to crack a smile and his iteration couldn’t wait to retire or not be Bond.
@@hitchcockisthegoat ya know that’s was kinda his attitude when I read a great book called the many lives of James bond (highly recommended btw) he doesn’t directly say it but implies it that his bond HATES being bond. And that is NOT who James Bond is I mean he does contemplate about life sometimes but he’s not a depressed emo. He does know how to have fun and relax if you’ve read the books, but it’s not like this “carefree and not a worry in the world” type of fun where it kinda takes you out of it (which I didn’t like at all) but rather “he knows that he won’t live much longer so he’ll just enjoy it as much as he can before he kicks it.” So I agree with you that he needs fun but no more than he has to where it takes you out of it.
Almost like a British agent operating in deep cover as a European 1 percenter should act and reflect that
Until it gets too silly and over the top,then people will want serious again ...
It needs to be, I think the Mission Impossible Franchise has the balance right.
I've said it before, I felt the last two DC installments radiated his apathy towards the role. I hope the next Bond brings passion, fun, suspense and drama to the movies.
Yet, Dead Reckoning was a big flop. $100 million loss, and NTTD scraped through with a profit even with contending with being the first major release after the pandemic. Numbers don't lie.
His entire tenure was awful. Worst Bond ever.
@@sandersson2813 really I been saying that for a long time but people have always said that they love him give me a break you know why people like him because one other bond back in the 1980s pave the way for him and his name is Timothy, Dalton, and all my God and I tell you if you read the books, read them because it’s right in the books the blueprint for what bond should be, and if you haven’t seen the living daylights and a license to kill that is what bond should be, and that’s what he should look like
Until or Unless they Retcon that *absolute Insult* that they made back in 1996 and make it so the *real* Jim Phelps really did die in Prague and the one on the Train was Daniel Briggs (the actual Traitor) in a Facemaker, the Mission: Impossible films are Alternative Universe *at best* for me! They need to *Retcon* the First film before I will ever Consider them as Mission: Impossible.
@@simeonyves5940 Good idea actually. That surprise would be a good way to end Cruise's involvement in the series.
nope gritty and grounded is the best
So you want more of the same.😂😂😂
@@picosreviews2770 if it aint broke dont fix it
Yet, Skyfall made the most money. The one Craig film that was a return to the older films and felt the most fun.
Wonder how different things would have been if NTTD came out before the pandemic. I felt like I came out of a funeral on opening night. Top Gun Maverick left me so excited leaving the theatre
Thing is, The Bourne series was serious, but highly engaging. The Craig era was just joyless and miserable.
Because he had an actor call Tom Cruise as you know, cared about the franchise and wanted to make sure that the fans were happy and boy did he deliver because when I was at the theater, I saw it and I literally cried. It was so good it’s just sad that a franchise that was born right out of the 1950s by Ian Fleming had to end in that way And I’m gonna say it again as long as I live that Daniel Craig I respect him as much as I can but he should not be in a bond film because in the ending of the day when you read the books, Timothy Dalton is bond
It’s incredible that Daniel Craig had two of the best Bond films, two of the worst, and one in the middle. He had a lot of potential and I respect the man, the writers just did him and Bond dirty.
@@eightnickel1513 What was the one in the middle?
I think he has three of the absolute worst and two very average top 16.
@@eightnickel1513 hey for a man who literally said that he knows the lore like the back of his hand and he allowed this to happen. What the hell normally you step up and you fight for what you love he did not. He was there for the money and that is it and he doesn’t even look like what James Bond supposed to look in the novels. Just look at Timothy Dalton. He is the blueprint of what Bon should look like not Daniel Craig. And on top of that, he produced some of it so give me a break is nothing but a joke.
Bond movies and the Fleming novels are pulp fiction. They can be dark and gritty, as well as humorous and fun. Someone in the comments mentioned Die Hard, calling it dark and gritty. Die Hard is hard-edged but features a funny, wisecracking hero who finds himself in impossible situations, facing larger-than-life villains, and navigating a twisty plot. This is how I believe Bond movies should be. The first Die Hard is basically Goldfinger with gritty violence. Fleming's Bond stories are fun too, but they feature a more somber Bond within good, fun pulp stories.
Agreed. The novel Dr. No is very Die Hard-esque.
Nailed it. Die Hard is a very serious story. The humor came from John McClane deflecting cause he’s terrified of the situation he’s in. John is not a super cop. He was just a regular cop who lead a regular life. Most average cops, who aren’t swat, live a pretty boring career. They aren’t getting into the adventures you see in Lethal Weapon, Cobra, or Kindergarten Cop. So many fans forget that Bruce Willis was NOT an action before this movie. He was a comedy actor. Die Hard doesn’t work if you cast Schwarzenegger, Stallone, or Gibson as John McClane.
Exactly. Also if you’re like a bond/Fleming purist, you’ll know when in an interview about bond he said that he wanted bond to be a dull and ordinary man who goes throw into EXTRAORDINARY situations (keyword: extraordinary. So he was literally subtly saying that he’s well aware that what he’s writing is pure fiction with a sprinkling of personal experience and a tiny dash of realism that keeps it grounded) so exactly what you’re saying it can be gritty and serious but it can also be fun escapism. Also Mel was actually originally gonna be John Mclane and Bruce was gonna be Riggs but thank god they didn’t. Because you could not imagine it any other way
I don't get much connection with Die Hard and Bond at all. Die Hard established it's own genre and it's lead [a blue collar family man] is very different to Bond, particularly in his vulnerability [as he's increasingly injured as the night goes on]-which was something lost in the later sequences.
@@jamesatkinsonja If you've read some of the Fleming novels, Bond improvises and sustains serious injuries like McClane. There's also a higher sense of danger similar to Die Hard that plays up the "what if the hero doesn't make it" angle of the story.
1 minute in and you lost me. There's no way in hell woke Hollywood will allow a portrayal of Bond which is recognisable to Bond fans who are entertained by the movies of the past. If (and it's a big if) we see a new Bond movie before woke Hollywood implodes, it will be an unrecognisable version of Bond in a movie driven by woke messaging rather than good storytelling in the spirit of Fleming. Look at what's happened to Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings. I could go on. Best mothball Bond until the madness subsides and mainstream entertainment allows for a proper Bond again
Grow up. Leave your basement
@@briansutherland5919 I completely agree I’ve been a Star Wars fan on my life and it’s been very difficult to even get in the mood to watch the prequel‘s and the originals because we all know where that ends up and Indiana Jones. Are you kidding me? It’s only Sundays in Vietnam and there’s no grandchildren and they only had one child so his line is literally extinct, and I been educated by my friends who have loved the Lord of the rings, and they are pissed beyond belief, so in my opinion, they really need to put James Bond on the shelf until all of this shit gets taken care of because I do not want this franchise that my mother loves and has introduced me to to wind up being sacrificed at the alters of the woke
At this point, I think I would just appreciate a little confirmation that the franchise is still a thing, like they're still going to make more, at the moment it feels totally dead.
It’s dead! The problem is the producers are done with making new films.
Seems they're having trouble figuring out how to continue. But there will for sure be more movies, it's just a matter of time.
@@Ray_2112 Damn! They are the experts, they supposed to figure this one out!
@@picosreviews2770 - No more Phoebe Waller Bridge as producer!!! She only knows how to kill our heroes!!!
Considering the state of the entertainment industry, it may be better off if they leave it alone.
Completely agree. Bond has to be Bond. He is an known entity.
I honestly think this is why EON is sitting on Bond for a few years - waiting for certain trends to blow out.
There are certain TV shows, certain movie franchises that I just will never spend time and money on anymore. Because they do not provide a product I am interested in - and these are the franchises that are failing...
A good written Bond story - written with today's social/political world could be very interesting.
I really hope the support characters are played by the same actors. A new Bond learning to deal with seasoned versions Q, M & Moneypenny could be an interesting development.
Oh Boy yes, I would really love to see that. I've enjoyed the Craig era but it was a little too much drama, too emotional. James Bond should not be a softie.
I'd really like to see a Bond that has his one night stands and enjoys his job saving the world. Bring back the gadgets, bring back the Bond girls. I think the recent
Bond era was too realistic and that's not very Bond - they've tried to show the life of a real spy aka you are worth quite little to your superiors and the government.
They've portrayed him as a man ready to die that hates life and that's not the fantasy of being Bond.
Top Gun 2 as a little too predictable for me. I hope they keep trying to make new Bond movies instead of trying to remake something they already made in the past.
I hope that James Bond in the novel will be produced with a story about intelligence from World War II before he became a Cold War intelligence agent.
The classic James Bond is attractive enough.🎉
@@신짱구-r3i timothy, Dalton wow took my breath away in the living daylights
I’m 23 and fan level nearly at David’s level just a few less collectibles 🤣 and yes I agree. Films are for fans not politics
the problem is, that politicians make these movies now insted of actual fans
I want Bond to go back to basics. No more rogue missions. Keep it simple for King and country. No more personal issues Do the job.
Couldn't agree more 🎉
Absolutely.
Same. No baby mama drama, salty step brothers, etc. Trim the baggage.
Same
The Craig films sucked all the fun out of Bond. Its supposed to be pure escapism, Bond driving with baby seat in the back is anything but.
I'd be over-the-moon happy if EON could make a film as fun as Octopussy or Moonraker again. Aside from Casino Royale, the DC era has been an illogical and joyless slog. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that a strong, competent white male hero will really fly with some audiences in these divided times and with ESG metrics in play. My theory after No Time to Die was released was that it would be the final Bond film, and I believe this may be the case.
Although I concur that the fun aspect was missing in the Craig Bonds, I don't want "humor at all cost" like the Roger Bonds either.
You commented before finishing this video didn’t you? David (and most of the fans and commenters) just said don’t swing the pendulum all the way the other way. Find the balance. No you don’t need to go full on Casino Royale (as much as I love that movie) & Quantum of Solace. However, we don’t need to go all the way back to Octopussy or Diamonds are Forever either.
@@Linklex7 I actually think Octopussy is one of the best examples of getting the balance right between serious and silly, Jungle scene aside.
To be honest though, when talking to kids and teenagers, they really really like what Daniel Craig did, so I feel we need to be careful at what we mean by fun because those Daniel fans might get turned off from Bond 26 if its really different from those movies. But i know what your saying though
So the new audience only likes dark and moody films. Yikes!
@@picosreviews2770 thats not what I said and not all of Daniels movies have been dark and moody. like wise not all of Roger or Pierces movies were great
Even some people in their mid- 50s loved Craig's Bond.
Those fans who liked the Craig mostly like the Bourne Identity style they mostly took on. They eventually left for the Mission Impossible and Bourne movies. That’s why establishing a base is important. New fans are great, but you must maintain the base too. The base will stick with you, the newer fans probably will leave once the fad is over. If anything the base fans are the ones who will create the newer fans who will stick around. They will show it to their kids and get them into it.
@@DafyddBrooksThe only Craig movie that wasn’t dark and moody was Skyfall, which is the one the made the most money and is often praised as the best in the Craig era. Skyfall is the one Craig movie that felt the most like a traditional Bond movie and that’s why fans paid to see.
Craig is a horrible bond. Portrayed zero stoicism. Pierce Bronson come back!
The box office begs to differ. As do I.
@@teslapinscher8479 how about Timothy Dalton? He’s the one that did the blueprint for what was the true bond and pave the way for Craig
Brosnan has said he has no intention of coming back, particularly as he's over 70 [and Dalton's nearly 80].
They should hire Mike Myers as a secondary villain. The shadow of Austin Powers has been hanging over Bond for years and a scene of Bond killing him would work metaphorically as 007 getting Powers and Dr Evil out of its system.
Austin Powers Parody Was Out Spying The Spy. Made Parody Of Bond, Comical Spy Hard, Lapoon Spoofs..Evil.
Hello David!
This is why I love your channel. Nobody could have said it in a better way. Hopefully those ones at EON who are the decision makers will watch and understand your video.
Thanks a lot for this inspiring video.
Jörg from Germany
Watch check now
Making it good again would be a start. They never topped Casino Royale (Skyfall was beautiful though)
Right on point! I told you that to fill the void, I've been watching 1960's Eurospy films. Yes they were budget, yes they were total Italian/French/German/Spanish Bond ripoffs but they all had something in common, they all had a playful tone and attitude. Let me say I LOVE the Daniel Craig films and I those films have fun stuff in them and they were also poignant and filled with gravitas but it's time to have more fun, it's time to "play" with Bond again. BTW Axel F was fantastic and we rewatched all the original ones again.
Agree 100%. Doesn’t even have to be hard. Use a good charismatic actor and an Anthony Horowitz book as script. Voila!
I couldn't agree more with the Top Gun Maverick comparison. When we saw that movie in theatres (and even when I re-watch at home) you leave the movie feeling excited, triumphant, etc. NTTD started so good - I think we can agree we all had those feelings after bond switched on the machine guns in the DB5 in Matera, but after that the movie did not live up to the Bond franchise, and the ending left all of us feeling like a part of us died. Like you say, the formula exists - watch Dr. No, Goldfinger, Goldeneye, Casino Royale, etc and you feel that excitement and positive energy. Like many people have said below - let's stop trying to make Bond so emotional and broken and MAKE BOND ENTERTAINING AGAIN. Bond has always been about escapism, starting when Fleming penned Casino Royale in 1953. Let's get back to that.
Bond is fun is a brilliant statement, David. Whatever they do next, they need to embrace this 💯
I've been annoyed with the whole current situation and lack of any (evident) progress towards Bond 26. So I've had no interest in watching Bond -related videos. I'm glad I came back to watch this one. Very well said. My thoughts exactly. Thank you.
Excellent speech. You nailed it. Now if only 'the powers that be' would listen, sit up, and take notice.
I want the golden age back. Most of us didnt fall in love with the series because Bond was a diaper-changing, depressed man who dies at the end of the movie.
I couldn't agree more. Mid 40s here, Roger was my first Bond cinema experience with Octopussy. Even had the Octopussy annual. Beverly Hills Cop 4 was the perfect mix. The problem is that too many studios let people loose with IP that don't care about the audience but rather want to make a name for themselves. I just saw a trailer Gladiator II, and it looks very interesting. Maybe we are turning a cinematic tide
David this should be a 2 hour discussion with Joe, Calvin and Dutch Bond Fan. We need that kind of Bond film nowadays like when you recently surmized that the films in the 70s where so lighthearted because of all the turmoil the world had exprienced in the 60s.
That would’ve been gold to have these guys just discuss it.
For Bond 26 and the next era of Bond in general
The tone and charm of Sean Connery but keep the fight scenes gritty like The Daniel Craig era.
Gunbarrel at the beginning of the film.
M scenes to be straight to the point like classic Bond.
Moneypenny scenes to be romantic.
Still set it in modern day.
Keep Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Finnes and Rory Kinnear.
Q scenes to have people in the background testing gadgets and Bond messing around with the gadgets but still have a bit of seriousness in these scenes as well.
More of Jamaica.
I applaud that.
Casino Royale is a superb film with a brutalist, vital, vibrant Bond. A great "reboot"... but NOT the vital, sexy, fun, violent, ruthless Bond of the early Connery films. I read all of the books and the early Bonds (as well as Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me) was truly "James Bond".
What did they ALL have in common? The Bond in those films was glamorous, violent, and a a Gentleman... and SEXY. The Craig Bonds were mostly neutered extravaganzas. The early Bonds were - for their time - incredibly violent and irresistibly SEXY... and what the producers of the series have forgotten now for most of the last 50 - 55 years is that Bond was an inveterate Ladies' Man - the Ultimate Example of that species - and that the females in the books/films were dangerous and sexy and erotic and flirtatious and willing to be conquered... THIS element has gone missing for too long... and the series has been much the poorer for it. Even the Bond Fan that has made this Bond video (obviously from a place of passion and love for the character) is too cowardly to mention this VERY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL element in the Bond series. FCUK political correctness and feminism... BOND WAS AN INVETERATE LOTHARIO AND A VIOLENT ALPHA... AN ULTIMATE CELEBRATION (bordering on parody) OF TESTOSTERONE-FUELED MASCULINITY... take THAT out of the films and you have lost a critical element... AND NOBODY HAS THE BALLS TO MENTION THIS... even the biggest "fans".
Return to James Bond as he was originally conceived... adult entertainment with a twist of fun that charms and fascinates "children of all ages"... stop with the character's self-laceration and the films' pandering to the "modern audience" and the "cinema as an amusement-park ride" ethos, as that is a bastardization and a dilution of the character that long-ago blazed onto the screen and into our hearts.
Back to Basics Mr Bond!
David,
Thank you for saying online what so many of us are saying to our friends and fellow enthusiasts.
Here are three things to emphasize your point:
1.) the reason that “entertainment” films you described are so popular is because they are produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Mr. Bruckheimer understands the premise of box office cinema: to entertain. “Movie house” cinema aka “indie” cinema is where heavy subjects are discussed, subtitles are used and audiences are challenged, confused and sometimes angered. That doesn’t mean that box office cinema can’t have good dialogue and good stories (think of the great movies of Hitchcock), it just means that the focus of those movie productions - as you said so well - are entertaining the core audience.
2.) the Ian Fleming novels and the Bond movies are escapist. Trust me, I had a career in the trade and I can tell you that my colleagues and myself enjoy the books and the movies not because they are real but precisely because they are not real. The books and the movies don’t harp on the grim nature of life in the shadows. Fleming’s books are far grittier, but he never strayed from the idea that the books were thrillers and that was what drew readers to his books. There are other books and movies out there (mostly written by LeCarre or in his style) that capture the shadow world. They are interesting but the audience will never leave the theatre feeling “entertained” the way an escapist movie will. This is why Indiana Jones movies work;
3.) There is no doubt that the vast majority of the Bond audience are men. That has always been the case and likely always will be the case. That said, over the years the female leads in the movies have been less “eye candy” and more real people. You could say that began with Pussy Galore and continued on and off until NTTD. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between making heroic female characters and trying to force social issues into an escapist genre. Believe me, I have been trying for ten years to get it right with Sue and Barbara O’Connell in my MIKE4 series and so far I haven’t seen any success precisely because my female heroes are just interested in doing the job of espionage and doing it well. I suppose I could write differently, but I am trying to capture the real world where life and death decisions are made based on experience and skill.
I wonder if EON even is considering a new Bond at this point. If they are, we can only hope they are listening to people like you. In the meantime, I will continue to read Fleming (including the new Fleming biography) and watch movies that entertain.
Cheers, mate
JR Seeger
Old warrior, even older writer
Mate, thank you so much for calling things how they are and speaking total sense 👏 👏 👏
Yes of course...That all depends on the producers ( not necessarily the current ones... ), the scriptwriters, the actor, etc...
And frankly it's long overdue...
Great Video! You are a marketer. On your channel do a video (with your friends) of the scenes that are your example of fun, the triumphant bond! Some that come to mind: no time to die: fight on Cuba, Tomorrow never dies: bond with 2 guns on stealth boat, Thunder ball: Skeet shoot, Live and let die: boat chase, Do that video to explore the cross generational character
It goes in cycles it would seem, first Connery with a little serious tone, Lazenby a harsh tone, then Moore with silliness, then Dalton which was very dark, then Brosnan which was a mix between Connery and Moore and finally Craig which was über serious and tough.
So while we may cry out for a funny bond in a few films, we may want the hardliner version again.
They match the mood of the time in many ways. Post 9/11 things got serious so was the perfect time to take Bond in that direction.
This is one of the best videos you’ve posted.
I absolutely agree - I want the fun Bond adventure back! I like Casino Royale and Skyfall a lot, but I really hope they go away from that rather depressing crime thriller direction they had with Daniel Craig. And no forced connections between movies that don't really have a well thought out connection. Either plan it well ahead or leave them standalone movies.
Yes, indeed. Don't go all New Coke with the Bond franchise. 🎉
For me this is the most important video you have made. Its the thing that affects me at gut level.I long for the days of coming out of a Bond movie and punching my fist in the air. Like i did after TSWLM, Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. Fun and entertaining. I dont get why people want it serious.
Because reflects thier daily lives and they see themselves in that kind of movies.
Very well said David.
Congratulations, sir. A brilliant coup.
1) More realistic espionage elements such as how does bond retrieve a gun and other essentials when in enemy territory
2) More interesting espionage related themes such corporate espionage committed by foreign powers
3) Please, no return to roger moore campy humor.
4) Traditional mission for King and country. No more going awol or being abandonded by MI6.
5) More scenes of fancy train travel and dinner cars. Love those dialogue interactions happening in Belmond style trains
6) More charming flirt between Bond a beautiful woman who can return the flirt.
Absolutely brilliant video David, well said!
Great video. You are 100% correct.
I wonder if bond should be more like Dalton action, Moore humor and Connery charm. Brosnan nailed this.
Perfectly put thanks David
I am a Dalton fan, Skyfall is my favourite Bond film, and I still have enough of the tone being too serious by now.
I hope the next Bond film is not a depressed arthouse flick, but as you said a simple and fun triumph of a film with humour in spades. I want the effortless cool, the quips and the creative.
If we were to take No Time To Die as an example, I want the Cuba scene with Paloma as a whole film, not the Norway section.
Agree completely
Lifelong fan here
So glad Craig is gone
Let’s have some fun and adventure
Bravo, sir! Couldn’t have said it better! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Just watched Axel F and felt the exact same…the homages to the original didn’t slap you in the face but were just right for those of us that saw it first run…and owned the awesome soundtrack on cassette! 😉
Spot on David. I actually used Top Gun Maverick as the opening example, "real stunts" and story it's well crafted basic story in a pitch my Entertainment lawyer sent to EON for the next Bond film earlier in the year.
They did do 'real stunts' on Bond as Daniel Craig injured himself on pretty much all his films.
@@jamesatkinsonja Yes. I noted above what is required. Which includes real stunts. Tho looking more for Tom Cruise level of stunts. Craig injured him self in fights and doing a bus jump.
Make Bond fun again… the Daniel Craig Bond was a DOWNER!! 😂
And very depressing and not even entertaining whatsoever
Take it back to the books and the 60s.
Retro.
Yeah I would love a spectacle, a blockbuster, an event, fun escapism. Broccoli said about continuing the theme of Craig’s movies which I found entertaining. But now I would love for Bond to go back to an escapism, fun classic bond style movie. And yeah totally agree that movies nowadays are trying to please a loud minority not the quiet majority. And the last one was just depressing.
I'd like to see future Bond installments be serious, triumphant as well as fun providing occasional laughs. Beverly Hills Cop 2 was my favorite of the franchise due to its darker and more serous tone immediately noticeable from the opening scene. More action, better stunts and a unique 6 foot blonde henchwoman complimented with Eddie Murphy's humor.. My friend purchased a black Iroc-Z because of the movie.
I like Brosnan
Many (read: most) movie makers today are more concerned with lecturing us with their world view than actually producing what we want...entertainment.
We want Henry Cavill!!
Spot on David!
I absolutely agree. However we live in an era in which also Hollywood evolved. It was much easier to make great movies back then, less technology like social media, there weren't so many movies per genres, now you have 200+ movies for each situations, from sharks, to action, to adventures, Sci Fi, so it must be difficult to come up with new scripts and story plots. In regards to Tom Cruise, which i had the priviledge to meet, i think it's pretty obvious that the guy doesn't put his name on low budget, cheap, somewhat entertaining stories. The guy wants only the best, from style, to locations to top tier people working in the business plus each times he gets creative to keep people engaged. IMO, the new Bond should be dialed back a bit, no crazy stunts like barrel rolls in a helicopter, and i think in Skyfall we've seen the best Bond. Vulnerable, more human like without too many insane stunts and so forth. The franchise needs CPR for sure, and it needs to end with a bit of a story twist, like indirectly they make you believe there won't be another bond movie and that's what get people talking and buzzing online for the next months. If it's gonna be the same old story, it's just gonna die the week after. It has to leave us people with a mix of emotions.
There was a moment in “Skyfall” where I found myself thinking Bond has become Bondman (Batman). I love both characters, but Bond has always been - at least cinematically - a character I enjoy seeing enjoying being that “blunt instrument” super spy. I want to see him act on the story rather than the story act on him. Long story short - let’s have fun!
Skyfall was just a joke. I fell asleep in the theater twice and when I saw the ending I was like what the hell we have a 007 agent license to kill and he couldn’t even protect his boss talk about bad and he disrespected the family home, I mean, come on, he just literally blew it up and didn’t even care
You nailed it David! I'm a James Bond fan and in my opinion, what makes those films so attractive (especially up to the Pierce Brosnan movies) is that you are just having a great time with James Bond! The adventure, the humor, the catch phrases, the beautiful and exotic landscapes... as you say, you come out of a James Bond movie pumped, full of positive energy! Even though I like Daniel Craig as an actor, I think that the film makers started to change the formula since Skyfall; Skyfall, Spectre and "the last one", just were not that fun anymore, the locations were not that attractive, not as colorfull anymore...And James Bond was just not that suave gentlemen spy anymore... And so, in my opinion, the James Bond movies lost their charme.
I really hope that the next James Bond movie will recapture some of the elements that made you just have a good time watching a James Bond movie.
And yet Skyfall was the biggest box office Bond hit of them all and audiences hadn't seen such huge reactions to two consecutive Bonds (Skyfall/SPECTRE) since Goldfinger/Thunderball. Craig's films just kept apace with the times. Sorry, but if you want to go back to the tone of decades-old Bond films, then you need a VCR.
@@danielscott8180 Agreed. They retired the formula/tropes because it had got too repetitive and there's no denying the Craig films were hugely financially [and mostly critically] successful.
David Zritsky -- you should produce your own spy film. You'd be really good at it.
Excellent video as always!
Great points about the filmmakers that ignore their base and have problems.
No question about what direction they should head with the next incarnation of James Bond.
Fun, light, CLASSIC Bond.
The same Bond that captured generations decades ago.
That will absolutely still WORK today.
If anything, probably better than EVER.
However, the only issue with doing that is a pretty big one.
One which we did not see or maybe did not WANT to see at the end of NTTD.
And that is that it is now clear that the Producers basically ENDED the series with that film.
So sadly, right now , we just have seen nothing at all to even hint that they are even thinking about setting up a new Bond film.
Sounds unbelievable but that seems to be our reality right now!
But whenever they do get around to doing it again- I hope they see this video.
Because you told them exactly the way to do it !
Love Love Love this one! You are dead on. Great shirt, btw!
Never liked Craig, despite enjoying Casino Royal. What makes Bond different is that he is suave and able to attract women IRL - Craig was almost like putting Toretto from the fast and furious franchises playing Bond.
Make a fun movie, definitely.
What comes before or after a mission should remain irrelevant, Bond is like the 'monster of the week' episodes in say X-files. Each movie should live in it's own bubble.
Great video, David. And I agree. Given the 2 examples of Top Gun Maverick and BHC Axel F, movies can be made with elements that made them work before all the .... be it politically correct, inclusiveness, masculine toxicity or any of the countless "let's not offend them or they will not watch our movie"
Dave Chapelle made jokes about everyone. And everyone watched him.
And to add to what you said, you can turn that dial up or down a little to "change it up". The audience would probably embrace it. But in closing, the next Bond film should be fun and triumphant.
Somewhere between skyfall and kings man would be a nice vibe.
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE! YESSSS MR Z! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Great video David as always, couldn’t agree with you more ❤
What do you think of Calvin Dyson’s idea of the next bond actually taking place in the 1960s?
That would work
He did a video on setting Bond in the past and concluded it wasn't something he really wanted to see so he was actually arguing to keep it contemporary
@@bedfordshiremodeller4491 Calvin came to the conclusion that it probably wouldn't work-mainly due to the cost [as it would need CGI to keep the period setting and lose product placement] but also that Kingsman 3 + Man From Uncle didn't do well commercially so many general audiences wouldn't be interested in it [and while the first two Xmen period films were successful, the other two were diminishing returns].
Well said. Bravo, sir… bravo.
A FUN BOND FILM . JUST SEE ROGER MOORE AGAIN .
I do find it interesting that people often cite Brosnan as what a 'fun' Bond should be when he has said he wanted his Bond films to be darker and more serious than they ended up, particularly Die Another Day post 9/11 [which was a big part in him being dissatisfied with some of the 'ridiculous; elements like the invisible car. Brosnan had creative control over 'the November Man' which took itself pretty seriously.
Back in the days when my family went to the video store to rent a movie, the one thing we all could agree on was James Bond-movies. My mom, my dad, my two brothers and me. I have been "addicted" to Bond movies since then, I have seen all the movies multiple times, I have them on BluRay-disks, except the last one. I have not even bothered to watch "No Time To Die". Craig was good in Casino and Quantum, OK in Skyfall, but way to gloomy in Spectre. When I learned that he has a kid in the last movie, and even dies, I never bothered to watch it. It's so far from the Bond movies, the entertainment I grew up with, I'd rather watch another spy or action movie. So I'm with you, David, let Bond get back to the formula of entertainment and giving people what they want, just like "Mission Impossible" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E".
We can’t in my opinion go back to Roger Moore comedy (and btw I loved Roger) but Bond needs the edge.. SAS history .. etc. but I 100% agree that we need a triumphant Bond, we need a winner!!
Walking up Regent street in London having watched NTTD, I’ve never seen a crowd so subdued!!! Compare that with the crowd walking out of Leicester sq after seeing CR or Skyfall.. no comparison. TG Maverick was a blessing after NTTD. I do hope Barbara reads some of these comments because she needs to get her skates on!!
Daniel Craig is a fine actor and his action scenes were great, but I quit enjoying Bond once he took on the role. The last Bond Movie I saw in the theatre was Casino Royal, I found it depressing. The rest of his Bond outings I watched at home, some I didn't make all the way through. To me, he just is not and never could be James Bond. Thanks for the video and I completely agree with you, I hope Bond is fun again someday.
A bond film with humor charm and action...A ROGER MOORE... SPY WHO LOVED ME KIND
Do you think the “stakes” matter? Does it need to be world-ending calamity if Bond fails, or can the stakes be more personal?
Another way to summarize (marketing-wise): Stay true to the Brand.
Bond himself needs to be fun for the movie to be fun. He needs to lighten up and the films need to be sexy again. I think the of the date in Miami Vice(2006, same as Casino Royale) when Crocket takes Isabella to Cuba in his speed boat, and they arrive in a salsa club and start dancing to great music... We more moments of the sexy 007 lifestyle(Brosnan pulling out the Bollinger in Monte Carlo after the race with Zenia) that we can aspire to.
In fairness I find films like 'Casino Royale', Bourne Identity and the Dark Knight great watches despite the serious tone. A great action scene doesn't need one liners or site gags to entertain. As much as I love 'Mission Impossible', Bond tends to make more money [Spectre earned $200 million more than Rouge Nation for example].
Bring him back to the Sixties, he worked best there!
I tought it should have ended at skyfall as it was quite a touching moment including dame Judy Dench as M send off