This is indeed Desmond Llewelyn's last film as Q, but not for the reason you may think. He sadly died in a fatal car crash just weeks after the movie had premiered. He was returning home from a book signing. So even though it wasn't planned, this is his last appearance in the role and it always makes me emotional to see that scene.
Even though he unexpectedly died following the release of this film, this was planned to be Desmond Llewellyn's last appearance anyway. I remember reading about it in the build up to the release of the movie.
Fun Fact, “The world is not enough” is indeed the English translation of the bond family motto. It was mentioned in the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service novel.
in a lesser Bond movie, no one would much care about Christmas Jones not being a fully fleshed out character, but in this movie it really stands out. Especially when compared to Elektra - besides being the 1st female villain, she's a complex, consistent, layered character, with clear motivations, an outlined backstory, and a nuanced, engaging performance. Meanwhile Christmas doesnt seem to have gotten much time from the writers and is relegated to provide technical exposition. In a movie where the relationships are what makes the story shine - Bond and Elektra, Renard and Elektra, M and Bond - Christmas is an afterthought for the plot
Barbara Broccoli once said that with Elektra 'Bond thinks he has found Tracy but he' s actually found Blofeld. ' It gives the film so much more weight if you read that Bond is reminded of his dead wife in universe (and makes Bond' s "This is not a game I can afford to play" heartbreaking in retrospect.)
Actually, since Brosnan bond is a soft reboot, I think he's referring to Paris carver . Though his family motto is the same as before, there's nothing else to connect Connery, lazenby, more and Dalton. Brosnan hemself says so
@@randomhuman97 There are a few things to connect him to the previous Bonds. In Goldeneye, we learn that he had been a spy during the Cold War, we see him drive a DB5, we get the impression that he has a long-running professional relationship with Q and Moneypenny, and we are informed that he worked under a previous M who was a man. In The World Is Not Enough, we see a painting of Bernard Lee, suggesting that his M was Judi Dench's predecessor. (That detail potentially ignores the existence of Robert Brown in the 1980s Bond films, of course.) And we see plenty of old gadgets from the Connery and Moore films in Die Another Day.
@@MAMoreno that makes Craig bond connected to the old ones too . In casino, M says she misses the cold war, meaning she was working as M since then. The DB5 and the living daylights Aston Martin V8 connects him to old bonds Era. Also the poster of Robert brown's M in no time to die. These are all vague Easter eggs for the fans and doesn't really hold as hard evidence . .
@@randomhuman97 Judi Dench's M had just taken the job immediately prior to the events of Goldeneye (a few years after the end of the Cold War), and she regarded Brosnan's Bond as "a relic of the Cold War" upon first meeting him. Dench is playing a rather different version of M in the Craig films, one who is less prone to number-crunching and more nostalgic for the Cold War than her pre-reboot counterpart. Bond's DB5 in Skyfall (et al.) is certainly a stronger connection to the old continuity, since it's identical to the one from Goldfinger instead of being like the one he won in Casino Royale. Considering that Goldfinger is one of the handful of Bond films from the old continuity that isn't dependent on a Cold War setting, it's entirely possible that a version of Goldfinger happened between Quantum and Skyfall. (Just don't try to make sense of 007 Legends in the continuity!) As for the portrait of Robert Brown's M in NTTD, that's certainly a nice little nod to an oft-overlooked M, but considering that Craig's Bond never had an M before Dench (on screen or otherwise), the reference is less indicative of continuity than Lee's portrait was in TWINE.
this hangs high in my Bond ranking (except for the last scene which is a badly shoehorned Moore scene in a Brosnan movie). the performances and story beats exceed the script with the Bond-Elektra-Renard triumvirate putting many things at play for Bond: his white knight syndrome, thinking he can console Elektra`s PTSD the same way he copes with trauma, all the while she`s manipulating him - paying Zukovski for the submarine right under Bond`s nose, with the charade of a card game, and she does it just for the thrill of knowing she can. Bond usually uses his body to get women to do what he wants but this time its the villain who does so, using Renard as her muscle. I love where the M-Bond relationship has evolved to here, with him calling her out and yet still knowing his place. He handles M like only a savy spy can. And its rare M shows the cracks of her cutthroat decision-making and sees the result up close of the violent missions she sends him on. A highlight of the Brosnan performances, he feels mature and serious, being emotionally affected but still ruthless when pushed, killing an unarmed woman. I even like the detail of Moneypenny scolding Molly instead of writing it as a "cat fight". Chritsmas is really the odd one out and severely underdeveloped. Ive never seen Brosnan less interested in someone even though it was meant to be a call back to how he sleeps around to cope with trauma given Elektra`s impact on him, but it comes off as just a camp scene and contrived xmas joke. I would have ended it when they come up for air in the water with the gag of the tourist boat waving at them. It would have been a light-hearted enough finish. Brosnan has a good trilogy of Bond movies, but the next one is pure post-9/11 escapism, so take it with some humor and good will
@@RighteousBrother weakest point of the movie but not as bad as everyone says she is. Stacey Sutton is easily a worse character and the whole Moore era in general has worse Bond girls.
agreed, definitely in my top10. the triangle of Bond, Elektra and Renard is really interesting and fresh, especially with Bond admitting that women are like an emotional bandaid for him to survive trauma. the last scene is the only thing that brings down the movie for me as Richards and Brosnan have shown no interest in one another up until that point and it makes her performance retroactively worse. otherwise she`s a benign presense as a competent ally that saves Bond`s life twice in the film
Whilst this film definitely has issues, the plot in my opinion, is actually a strong point. Convoluted doesn't mean bad. It's trying to hide the secret villain after all. Don't get your hopes up for Dire Another Day though!
I actually really liked Renard played by Robert Carlysle. Before this, his two biggest films were Trainspotting with Ewan MacGregor and The Full Monty...both of which are really good!
"The Full Monty" was brilliant, very deserving of its Best Picture nod. It had no chance against "Titanic," "As Good as it Gets," or "L.A. Confidential," though!
The longest pre-title sequence in a Bond movie and I love it, the action of the boat chase through The River Thames with the music from David Arnold, awesome.
👍🏻I really agree with you, Sophie Marceau as a villain is really the strong part of the the movie in my opinion 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻great reaction and post video comment
Michael Apted directed Gorillas in the Mist which is worth watching. Sigourney Weaver got one of her two Oscar nominations in 1988 for starring in it. It's a biopic about Dian Fossey.
Yeah, definately a mid-tier Bond-Movie in my book. Brosnan gave his best performance in the role here, the Villains' plot is rather realistic and believable (all things considered), the Score is great and I like that the Main Bond Girl/Love Interest turns out to be the Main Villain, which is a nice twist. But Denise Richards is simply not believable in her role, the Movie seems to go by the numbers a bit and Michael Apted's direction seems kinda... off. I dunno, from all I've heard of his other films, he was a capable director but here the Action-Scenes (the opening Boat Chase aside, which is excellent) feel weirdly anemic. They feature all the neccessary gadgets and explosions, the right locations, great stunts and sufficient scope... but the editing feels out of step with David Arnolds pulse-pounding Score, as if the Action always seems to lag behind the music. And the Dialogue-Scenes often have a strangely Soap-Opera-feel to them, I think. The direction in the previous Bond-Movie felt way more dynamic to me. And yes, sadly, this was Desmond Llewelyns' final appearance in the role. As far as I know, he didn't intend to retire just yet. John Cleese was cast as his assistant, probably to share some of the gadget-related dialogue for a couple of movies until he would take over completely. Unfortunately, Llewelyn died in a car crash shortly after the movie came out. At the very least, his final Scene was a perfect note to end his tenure on, even if it was unintentional. "Now pay attention, 007. I've always tried to teach you two things. First: Never let them see you bleed." "And the second?" "Always have an escape plan..."
It might be an interesting watch to take a look at director's Michael Apted's heartbreaking documentary series in which he interviewed various English kids at 7 years old who talked of their hopes and ambitions. Then he revisited them every 7 years to see how they fared. The films were called "7 Up", "14 Up" , "21 Up" all the way up to "63 Up" and maybe more would have been planned if Apted hadn't passed away.
I hate to be *THAT* guy, but Rosa Klebb played by Lotte Lenya in From Russia With Love was the first Bond villianess. Admittedly, female villians are a rarity in this franchise but she is one of two main villians of the second film.
watching this, the scene with the boat chase scared me. The design of the hull of Bond's boat seemed incredibly unstable. Props to the stunt driver for pulling it of without dying. Also, Electra's insanity creeped me out man. The scene where she says "do you know what happens when a man breaks his neck?" before she straddles Bond disturbed me to no end.
Gutted you didn't show Q disappearing slowly out of shot - such a fitting exit for a longstanding 007 character. Very sad that Desmond Llewellyn died shortly after the film, but makes his appearance in TWINE so much more poignant.
Michael Apted has made some very good movies, especially "GORKY PARK"(w. William Hurt & Lee Marvin), "NASHVILLE LADY" (Sissy Spacek & Tommy Lee Jones) and "GORILLAS IN THE MIST" (Sigourney Weaver). But I also liked "BLINK" (Madeleine Stowe), "CLASS ACTION" (Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and "THUNDERHEART" (Val Kilmer & Sam Shepard).
Definitely not the worst Bond film. I think it's Brosnan's best after "Goldeneye". Denise Richards should not have been in this film. I know Bond has to have a main girl, but it's a terrible character. Sadly, yes, it's Desmond's last appearance as "Q". He was stepping down anyway, but unfortunately he passed away shortly after completely his filming.
I once saw a movie poster(American?) of TWINE, which looked exactly like a family photo! Father: Pierce Brosnan. Mother: Sophie Marceau. Daughter: Denise Richards....................
I feel like the only real problem with this film is the Denise Richards character, Christmas Jones. I feel like she’s there just so Bond has someone to hook up with at the end. They were still playing it very safe with the Bond movies at this point. I feel like had Sophie been the only Bond girl in this one, and had they had the guts to have Bond kill off the one and only Bond girl, this movie might have been great.
Once you've ended this Bond run, i'm going to go to your channel and spend the best part of a day or so re-watching every one of them. I love your enthusiasm and passion, even on those i consider the weaker films, which occasionally differs from yours, but that's just down to personal opinion. Even those you don't consider amongst the best, you still have that same energy throughout.
In OHMSS, Sir Hilary Bray does Bond's family's coat of arms. The family motto was The World is Not Enough. Desmond Llewellyn retired after this film and tragically died in a car accident soon afterwards. BTW I don't think there's a helicopter in The Man With Golden Gun. Don't remember one in Dr. No either.
The next film, which is also Pierce Brosnan's last outing as Bond is where they truly "Jump the Shark" with the franchise, requiring the much needed reboot of the series with Daniel Craig stepping in to pick up the mantle of 007!
Michael Apted has directed several films that have gotten nominations or Oscars for everyone (but him). Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) got 7 nominations and Best Actress for Sissy Spacek. Gorillas in the Mist (1988) got 5 nominations, including for Sigourney Weaver. Nell (1994) got an Oscar nomination for Jodie Foster. He is also well known for a series of documentaries starting in 1977 with 21 Up, in which he interviews the same people at 7 year intervals. The most recent entry was 63 Up.
Some casting "what-ifs": both Javier Bardem (before he did Skyfall) and Jean Reno were considered for the role of Renard, and considered for the role of Elektra were Sharon Stone and Vera Farmiga.
What's super random is that Michael Apted is perhaps best known for his Up series (the title of each film is like 7 Up, 14 Up, 21 Up, etc.), which is a series of documentaries where they interviewed a bunch of 7 year old kids, and then made a new documentary interviewing them 7 years later, and so on. The most recent entry checks in on the group at 63 years old (so 63 Up). Pretty monumental series of documentaries, incredibly random to me that outside of those, Michael Apted directed films like The World is Not Enough and the third Narnia movie.
They could absolutely have skipped Christmas Jones entirely in this film. Having Elektra emotionally hurt Bond towards the end of the film. Kinda how they did in a certain Bond film some years later.
Saw this at the cinema in the day with my gf. It was her first Bond film. She liked it, but I found it so so. I shared some of the other films I had afterwards.
Always love you Bond reactions. I'm usually right on with your analysis. But I really liked this one. One of my favorites. Can't wait to see your next review. Thank you for going through the whole catalogue. It's great to reminisce.
Michael Apted was a very accomplished director with a long, successful career. He worked across all genres with several awards worthy efforts. In the late 90's he began to focus on action orientated thrillers to diminishing effect unfortunately. It remains one of the most unexpected career pivots in memory but there remain several earlier efforts worthy of a watch including Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas In The Mist, Thunderheart and the "Up" documentary series.
One of my favourite Bond films and Brosnan is also my favourite James Bond! (I’m definitely biased towards it though since it was the first Bond that I ever saw, it was playing on tv when I was a little kid and it solidified Pierce Brosnan as being my James Bond) Below are my top 15 favourite Bond films, it’ll be interesting to see what your ranking of the films is at the end of the series since you’ve at least liked every one so far. (Honorable mention to No Time To Die which comes in at 16) 15. Thunderball 14. Live And Let Die 13. From Russia With Love 12. Quantum Of Solace 11. Spectre 10. The Living Daylights 9. For Your Eyes Only 8. Licence To Kill 7. Tomorrow Never Dies 6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 5. Goldfinger 4. The World Is Not Enough 3. The Spy Who Loved Me 2. Casino Royale 1. Goldeneye
In the mi6 headquarters in Scotland scene where bond confront m on Electra’s kidnapping, there is a portrait of Bernard Lee as M on the wall behind them
I remember the game for this. I think it had a multi player mode based around capturing that suit case. Or maybe that was an other game, but I did play the video game for this and for a few others who didn't have movies. and I remember the boat chase being a big deal.
There is one interesting tv series named Once Upon a Time where Robert Carlyle is acting. You do not have to make a reaction videos about it, but i thought you might be interested that series and it is worth ti check it out. It is unique in tv series genre.
In "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - Remember Bond has to pretend to be a Genealogist when he visits Blofeld. Before he visits Blofeld, he goes to the Royal College Coat of Arms in London and is shown the Bond Family Coat of Arms. The latin motto on the Bond Coat of Arms is "Orbis non sufficit" which means "The World is not Enough" which is said in "OHMSS" which is why in this movie, Bond says "family motto"
Great reaction/analysis, as usual! Shan, I'm not a patron or anything, but if you could react to the indy film, Ink (2009), I'd be most appreciative. You're one of the few movie reactors who I think could figure out much of its subtleties and deeper meanings (considering it is a movie that explains very little and has almost no exposition).
My favourite Michael Apted film is Enigma (2001) - a good World War II mystery thriller set in the codebreaking centre at Bletchley Park. It is a lot less action packed than a Bond film, but it does have a very nice score by John Barry.
Michael Apted's background was in soaps/TV dramas, and was brought on to try and get more out of the characters, and then the second unit dealt with most of the action set pieces
This film seems better with age. The narcissistic Elektra King is a unique villain and very classical in character. Added to that is Bond and Renard's infatuation with/love for her and how that clouds their judgement and almost overrides their actions. I think the title is a nod to that in being an homage to OHMSS, which also involved love. A particularly powerful and uncharacteristic line is at the end when Bond says to Renard "she's waiting for you". That's almost an act of kindness, empathy and emotional relief for the villain.
I haven't read through all the comments but I don't know if anybody's mentioned that Minne Driver plays plays Robbie Coltrane's girlfriend and singer. Also Sophie Sophie Murrow is the first female lead villain but we did have colonel Kleb of the KGB. From Russia with Love as second in command to the Russian General.
Elektra King is actually the second female main Villain Rosa Klebb ( From Russia With Love ) is the first I know a lot people say Red Grant is the main of that movie but he clearly takes orders from Klebb also some people might say Blofeld is the main Villain but even though he's the head of Spectre you never see his face and Bond never comes across him in the movie so Colonel Rosa Klebb is the main Villain which makes Elektra King the second female Bond Villain
I have to say this is the only Bond film I really didn't care for. I've watched it a couple of times but I've watch all there others uncountable times. Sophie just didn't do it for me as a villain. And Denise Richards, nah! Maria Grazia Cucinotta, the cigar / boat chase girl could outdo any of the main cast.
I feel like this is nearly a great Bond film, but it's held back by its fear of playing too much with the formula. We didn't need a "good" Bond girl in this film, and the time we spend on Christmas Jones could've been spent better elsewhere. Elektra King singlehandedly makes TWINE into Brosnan's second-best entry, though. This film receives a spiritual sequel in Skyfall, which revisits the idea of M paying for a mistake in her past.
In my opinion, Michael Apted's best film was probably "Gorillas in the Mist," a biopic of primatologist Dian Fossey. He also did "Coal Miner's Daughter," a biopic of country legend Loretta Lynn. He did a few other half-decent films like "Nell" and "Amazing Grace," but I guess I like his biopics the best!
This was the last appearance of Q, the actor would die that same year of the premiere in 1999. He was the only actor who remained in the saga the longest.
More so than any other film in the series, this is the one that I always wish I liked a little bit better than I actually do. It’s like all of the elements are there, but they just don’t add up somehow.
This is the point at which I felt Brosnan's Bond really started to run out of juice and my interest in Bond fell away until Daniel Craig. I remember seeing this in the cinema at the time and what I was left with was a liking for many of the ideas and characters in concept but enjoyed the execution on a surface-level only. It has all the hallmarks of Bond with the supervillian, femme fatale, doublecrosses, high production etc, but it feels off somehow and almost slapstick at times. This and the final Brosnan Bond movie show why the series needed an overhaul in the 00s, it had just run its course.
I think this is only the second film I’ve seen where an injury to an actor IRL was made part of the plot. The other one, to my knowledge, is Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.
On 19 December 1999, Llewelyn was driving alone to a book signing event when his Renault Mégane collided head-on with a Fiat Bravo on the A27 near the village of Berwick, East Sussex. Llewelyn sustained massive internal injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to Eastbourne District General Hospital, where he died soon afterward at the age of 85. The driver of the Fiat, a 35-year-old man, was seriously injured but survived; a woman in her thirties was also in the Fiat and suffered minor injuries. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.[10] Llewelyn's death occurred three weeks after the premiere of The World Is Not Enough. Roger Moore, who starred with Llewelyn in six of his seven Bond films, spoke at his funeral on 6 January 2000[11] at St Mary the Virgin Church in Battle, Sussex. The service was followed by a private cremation at Hastings Crematorium, with the ashes given to Llewelyn's family. His widow, Pamela Mary Llewelyn, died in East Sussex in 2001, also aged 85. His son, Justin Llewelyn, died in 2012, aged 59.
I think this is Brosnan's best Bond movie. It's his third and weirdly enough it seems that the third Bond movie is the best for some other actors as well. Like Goldfinger for Connery, Skyfall for Craig and some say that 'Spy' is also Roger's best Bond movie.
We can all agree that the Q Boat is the ultimate badass vehicle in the franchise by far my favorite theme song in the series but unfortunately this film has one of the saddest send off to one great character/actor the way Q (Desmond Llewyn) left the screen was saddening may he Rest in Peace Renard's death felt like a one shot kill, the plutonium rod resembled a golden bullet, since the bullet in his head didn't kill him yet.
Only point I disagree with is what you said in the fight, "Why doesn't he just snap his neck?" Keep in mind, he's battling a classic Bond henchman, a thug who can't feel pain, only Renard also has superhuman strength and because he was near death by the end of the movie, he was at his strongest.
The tunnel is not CGI. This director refused to use any CGI in his Bond movie. Although he does use miniatures and miniature cameras. He also use his blue screen. But he and sisters no CGI in the World is Not enough
BMW were furious with what Bond filmmakers did to the car in this film so much so they cancelled their contract. The next Bond film saw a return to Aston Martin.
I can't really remember if Q died during the making of this Bond movie or soon afterwards but unfortunately his time indeed had come to an end. John Cleese who you saw as R deputised for Brosnan's last outing as Bond and the first 2 Daniel Craig Bond films had no Q or Moneypenny for that matter.
Although I don’t rank this among the best Bond films, the premise is eerily plausible; contaminate a primary shipping route to benefit one’s alternate shipping route.
Michael Apted is usually a solid workman director. His best stuff are the 7-UP / 14-UP / 21-UP / etc. documentary series but the Liam Neeson / Jodie Foster / Natasha Richardson film NELL would make a great reaction.
I don't mind Denise Richards in this movie. I know a lot of people trash her because of her involvement in this movie but she is the only actress doing her job.
I just cant get on with this film it just doesnt grab me, although I do think its possibly Brosnans best performance the role fits him like a well tailored tuxedo.
Elektra was probably born with hidden predisposition to practicality, manipulation and cruelty, but one must ask - would that ever become a major part of her personality if she wasn't kidnapped and forced to utilize her worst qualities to save herself? What kind of person she would be without that ordeal? And how many more ordinary people out there that can turn into real world dominating monsters at wrong circumstances?
Insensitivity to pain is a severe medical disorder. It is not a super power, since feeling pain is vital to survival. People born with the condition generally die in childhood due to either injuries they sustain, or illnesses that go undiagnosed because they can't feel the effects.
8:19 That lady in white I think she was a monster of the week villain on Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2 episode Revelations if it is I've never seen her in anything else
One of my problems with this movie is the cinematography. The DP was the guy who did Aliens, Princess Bride and Thelma and Louise, all gorgeous looking movies, but this one looks like a network police drama or something, very dull. I think maybe they were trying to make it look more like a drama film cos that’s most of what Michale Apted did in his career, but I’ve seen dramas that are still more photogenic then this, I just don’t get it lmao
Reaction Request: The Great Escape (1963) Directed By John Struges. Starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence.
This is indeed Desmond Llewelyn's last film as Q, but not for the reason you may think. He sadly died in a fatal car crash just weeks after the movie had premiered. He was returning home from a book signing. So even though it wasn't planned, this is his last appearance in the role and it always makes me emotional to see that scene.
John Cleese certainly makes for a fun enough addition, but there's no topping the master.
He died on December 19, 1999, three years before I was born.
The actor Ian Bannen died around the same time, also in a car accident. A sad time.
The director for this one also died last year
Even though he unexpectedly died following the release of this film, this was planned to be Desmond Llewellyn's last appearance anyway. I remember reading about it in the build up to the release of the movie.
Fun Fact, “The world is not enough” is indeed the English translation of the bond family motto. It was mentioned in the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service novel.
Same for the movie when George Baker (as Sir Hillary Bray) said that as well.
Yup: th-cam.com/video/I-P5weCAQH4/w-d-xo.html
It's in the OHMSS film as well.
in a lesser Bond movie, no one would much care about Christmas Jones not being a fully fleshed out character, but in this movie it really stands out. Especially when compared to Elektra - besides being the 1st female villain, she's a complex, consistent, layered character, with clear motivations, an outlined backstory, and a nuanced, engaging performance. Meanwhile Christmas doesnt seem to have gotten much time from the writers and is relegated to provide technical exposition. In a movie where the relationships are what makes the story shine - Bond and Elektra, Renard and Elektra, M and Bond - Christmas is an afterthought for the plot
This is Desmond Llewelyn's last Bond movie before he passed away in 1999.
Barbara Broccoli once said that with Elektra 'Bond thinks he has found Tracy but he' s actually found Blofeld. ' It gives the film so much more weight if you read that Bond is reminded of his dead wife in universe (and makes Bond' s "This is not a game I can afford to play" heartbreaking in retrospect.)
I really liked her too. The villain switch between her and Robert Carlysle now reminds me of Dark Knight Returns.
Actually, since Brosnan bond is a soft reboot, I think he's referring to Paris carver .
Though his family motto is the same as before, there's nothing else to connect Connery, lazenby, more and Dalton. Brosnan hemself says so
@@randomhuman97 There are a few things to connect him to the previous Bonds. In Goldeneye, we learn that he had been a spy during the Cold War, we see him drive a DB5, we get the impression that he has a long-running professional relationship with Q and Moneypenny, and we are informed that he worked under a previous M who was a man. In The World Is Not Enough, we see a painting of Bernard Lee, suggesting that his M was Judi Dench's predecessor. (That detail potentially ignores the existence of Robert Brown in the 1980s Bond films, of course.) And we see plenty of old gadgets from the Connery and Moore films in Die Another Day.
@@MAMoreno that makes Craig bond connected to the old ones too .
In casino, M says she misses the cold war, meaning she was working as M since then.
The DB5 and the living daylights Aston Martin V8 connects him to old bonds Era. Also the poster of Robert brown's M in no time to die.
These are all vague Easter eggs for the fans and doesn't really hold as hard evidence . .
@@randomhuman97 Judi Dench's M had just taken the job immediately prior to the events of Goldeneye (a few years after the end of the Cold War), and she regarded Brosnan's Bond as "a relic of the Cold War" upon first meeting him. Dench is playing a rather different version of M in the Craig films, one who is less prone to number-crunching and more nostalgic for the Cold War than her pre-reboot counterpart.
Bond's DB5 in Skyfall (et al.) is certainly a stronger connection to the old continuity, since it's identical to the one from Goldfinger instead of being like the one he won in Casino Royale. Considering that Goldfinger is one of the handful of Bond films from the old continuity that isn't dependent on a Cold War setting, it's entirely possible that a version of Goldfinger happened between Quantum and Skyfall. (Just don't try to make sense of 007 Legends in the continuity!)
As for the portrait of Robert Brown's M in NTTD, that's certainly a nice little nod to an oft-overlooked M, but considering that Craig's Bond never had an M before Dench (on screen or otherwise), the reference is less indicative of continuity than Lee's portrait was in TWINE.
this hangs high in my Bond ranking (except for the last scene which is a badly shoehorned Moore scene in a Brosnan movie). the performances and story beats exceed the script with the Bond-Elektra-Renard triumvirate putting many things at play for Bond: his white knight syndrome, thinking he can console Elektra`s PTSD the same way he copes with trauma, all the while she`s manipulating him - paying Zukovski for the submarine right under Bond`s nose, with the charade of a card game, and she does it just for the thrill of knowing she can. Bond usually uses his body to get women to do what he wants but this time its the villain who does so, using Renard as her muscle. I love where the M-Bond relationship has evolved to here, with him calling her out and yet still knowing his place. He handles M like only a savy spy can. And its rare M shows the cracks of her cutthroat decision-making and sees the result up close of the violent missions she sends him on. A highlight of the Brosnan performances, he feels mature and serious, being emotionally affected but still ruthless when pushed, killing an unarmed woman. I even like the detail of Moneypenny scolding Molly instead of writing it as a "cat fight". Chritsmas is really the odd one out and severely underdeveloped. Ive never seen Brosnan less interested in someone even though it was meant to be a call back to how he sleeps around to cope with trauma given Elektra`s impact on him, but it comes off as just a camp scene and contrived xmas joke. I would have ended it when they come up for air in the water with the gag of the tourist boat waving at them. It would have been a light-hearted enough finish. Brosnan has a good trilogy of Bond movies, but the next one is pure post-9/11 escapism, so take it with some humor and good will
This is actually my favorite Bond film and I consider myself a huge Bond geek. I will defend this movie to my death lol.
Denise Richard's nuclear scientist, discuss
@@RighteousBrother weakest point of the movie but not as bad as everyone says she is. Stacey Sutton is easily a worse character and the whole Moore era in general has worse Bond girls.
agreed, definitely in my top10. the triangle of Bond, Elektra and Renard is really interesting and fresh, especially with Bond admitting that women are like an emotional bandaid for him to survive trauma. the last scene is the only thing that brings down the movie for me as Richards and Brosnan have shown no interest in one another up until that point and it makes her performance retroactively worse. otherwise she`s a benign presense as a competent ally that saves Bond`s life twice in the film
@@RighteousBrother she's just okay. But I don't get why she was chosen instead of some other actresses.
My favorite Bond song. The chick from the band Garbage was so hot.
Whilst this film definitely has issues, the plot in my opinion, is actually a strong point. Convoluted doesn't mean bad. It's trying to hide the secret villain after all.
Don't get your hopes up for Dire Another Day though!
Die another Day is the weakest in Brosnan's run
@@neojason8349 It's the weakest Bond movie, bar none. I actually thought it would definitively kill the franchise.
@@QuayNemSorr I think it sucks so much more because the first third of the movie is actually legit good and then they go to Iceland......
I actually really liked Renard played by Robert Carlysle. Before this, his two biggest films were Trainspotting with Ewan MacGregor and The Full Monty...both of which are really good!
His popularity lasted that time, right? because today I don't see that it stands out much.
"The Full Monty" was brilliant, very deserving of its Best Picture nod. It had no chance against "Titanic," "As Good as it Gets," or "L.A. Confidential," though!
And he does a great job as Rumplestilkskin in Once Upon A Time!
To me his big role was as drug dealer Jo Jo McCann in "Looking After Jo Jo".
The longest pre-title sequence in a Bond movie and I love it, the action of the boat chase through The River Thames with the music from David Arnold, awesome.
NTTD is actually the longest now, it has a 20 minute-long one.
Have to say, Dalton`s Bond films have been excellent.
👍🏻I really agree with you, Sophie Marceau as a villain is really the strong part of the the movie in my opinion 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻great reaction and post video comment
Michael Apted directed Gorillas in the Mist which is worth watching. Sigourney Weaver got one of her two Oscar nominations in 1988 for starring in it. It's a biopic about Dian Fossey.
All these years I thought that movie is about Jane Goodall.
Yeah, definately a mid-tier Bond-Movie in my book. Brosnan gave his best performance in the role here, the Villains' plot is rather realistic and believable (all things considered), the Score is great and I like that the Main Bond Girl/Love Interest turns out to be the Main Villain, which is a nice twist. But Denise Richards is simply not believable in her role, the Movie seems to go by the numbers a bit and Michael Apted's direction seems kinda... off. I dunno, from all I've heard of his other films, he was a capable director but here the Action-Scenes (the opening Boat Chase aside, which is excellent) feel weirdly anemic. They feature all the neccessary gadgets and explosions, the right locations, great stunts and sufficient scope... but the editing feels out of step with David Arnolds pulse-pounding Score, as if the Action always seems to lag behind the music. And the Dialogue-Scenes often have a strangely Soap-Opera-feel to them, I think. The direction in the previous Bond-Movie felt way more dynamic to me.
And yes, sadly, this was Desmond Llewelyns' final appearance in the role. As far as I know, he didn't intend to retire just yet. John Cleese was cast as his assistant, probably to share some of the gadget-related dialogue for a couple of movies until he would take over completely. Unfortunately, Llewelyn died in a car crash shortly after the movie came out. At the very least, his final Scene was a perfect note to end his tenure on, even if it was unintentional.
"Now pay attention, 007. I've always tried to teach you two things. First: Never let them see you bleed."
"And the second?"
"Always have an escape plan..."
It might be an interesting watch to take a look at director's Michael Apted's heartbreaking documentary series in which he interviewed various English kids at 7 years old who talked of their hopes and ambitions. Then he revisited them every 7 years to see how they fared. The films were called "7 Up", "14 Up" , "21 Up" all the way up to "63 Up" and maybe more would have been planned if Apted hadn't passed away.
RIP Desmond Llewelyn i wonder if he hadn't passed away he would continue playing Q for longer
When you have seen all the Bond movies, please make a seperate video where you summ it up your thoughts of entire Bond movieworld.
I hate to be *THAT* guy, but Rosa Klebb played by Lotte Lenya in From Russia With Love was the first Bond villianess.
Admittedly, female villians are a rarity in this franchise but she is one of two main villians of the second film.
watching this, the scene with the boat chase scared me. The design of the hull of Bond's boat seemed incredibly unstable. Props to the stunt driver for pulling it of without dying.
Also, Electra's insanity creeped me out man. The scene where she says "do you know what happens when a man breaks his neck?" before she straddles Bond disturbed me to no end.
This is the first Bond movie in which the Bond Girl is also the main Bond Villain.
Fun little character touch, in the opening boat chase as Bond is submerged he can be seen casually adjusting his tie, while also holding his breath
I remember seeing this film in the theater. That got a big laugh and clap from the audience. It’s my favorite part of the film. It’s very Bond.
Gutted you didn't show Q disappearing slowly out of shot - such a fitting exit for a longstanding 007 character. Very sad that Desmond Llewellyn died shortly after the film, but makes his appearance in TWINE so much more poignant.
Michael Apted has made some very good movies, especially "GORKY PARK"(w. William Hurt & Lee Marvin), "NASHVILLE LADY" (Sissy Spacek & Tommy Lee Jones) and "GORILLAS IN THE MIST" (Sigourney Weaver).
But I also liked "BLINK" (Madeleine Stowe), "CLASS ACTION" (Gene Hackman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and "THUNDERHEART" (Val Kilmer & Sam Shepard).
Coal Miner's Daughter with Sissy Spacek is probably his standout work along with Gorillas in the Mist
Been waiting for this for ages.
Also I've always found Denise Richards to be a perfectly fine Bond girl. This film is underrated.
Definitely not the worst Bond film. I think it's Brosnan's best after "Goldeneye". Denise Richards should not have been in this film. I know Bond has to have a main girl, but it's a terrible character.
Sadly, yes, it's Desmond's last appearance as "Q". He was stepping down anyway, but unfortunately he passed away shortly after completely his filming.
Final Film of
Desmond Llewellyn
(1914-1999)
I once saw a movie poster(American?) of TWINE, which looked exactly like a family photo! Father: Pierce Brosnan. Mother: Sophie Marceau. Daughter: Denise Richards....................
I feel like the only real problem with this film is the Denise Richards character, Christmas Jones. I feel like she’s there just so Bond has someone to hook up with at the end. They were still playing it very safe with the Bond movies at this point. I feel like had Sophie been the only Bond girl in this one, and had they had the guts to have Bond kill off the one and only Bond girl, this movie might have been great.
Denise Richards is much better in Undercover Brother..
Once you've ended this Bond run, i'm going to go to your channel and spend the best part of a day or so re-watching every one of them. I love your enthusiasm and passion, even on those i consider the weaker films, which occasionally differs from yours, but that's just down to personal opinion. Even those you don't consider amongst the best, you still have that same energy throughout.
Btw i do agree that both this and Tomorrow Never Dies are far from the best.
In OHMSS, Sir Hilary Bray does Bond's family's coat of arms. The family motto was The World is Not Enough.
Desmond Llewellyn retired after this film and tragically died in a car accident soon afterwards.
BTW I don't think there's a helicopter in The Man With Golden Gun. Don't remember one in Dr. No either.
"None of the Bond films I've seen so far have been outright bad."
Die Another Day: Hold my beer.
With hindsight, I still love this movie. It was the first DVD I bought, so it has some sentimental value to me too.
That's kinda funny, my first DVD was the previous Bond film - Tomorrow Never Dies. Bought my first player at Sam's, split the cost with my brother. :D
I saw this film at the Gala Premiere after winning tickets in a radio competition:)
Michael Apted directed the very excellent ‘Gorillas in the Mist’
The next film, which is also Pierce Brosnan's last outing as Bond is where they truly "Jump the Shark" with the franchise, requiring the much needed reboot of the series with Daniel Craig stepping in to pick up the mantle of 007!
Michael Apted has directed several films that have gotten nominations or Oscars for everyone (but him). Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) got 7 nominations and Best Actress for Sissy Spacek. Gorillas in the Mist (1988) got 5 nominations, including for Sigourney Weaver. Nell (1994) got an Oscar nomination for Jodie Foster. He is also well known for a series of documentaries starting in 1977 with 21 Up, in which he interviews the same people at 7 year intervals. The most recent entry was 63 Up.
Some casting "what-ifs": both Javier Bardem (before he did Skyfall) and Jean Reno were considered for the role of Renard, and considered for the role of Elektra were Sharon Stone and Vera Farmiga.
What's super random is that Michael Apted is perhaps best known for his Up series (the title of each film is like 7 Up, 14 Up, 21 Up, etc.), which is a series of documentaries where they interviewed a bunch of 7 year old kids, and then made a new documentary interviewing them 7 years later, and so on. The most recent entry checks in on the group at 63 years old (so 63 Up). Pretty monumental series of documentaries, incredibly random to me that outside of those, Michael Apted directed films like The World is Not Enough and the third Narnia movie.
They could absolutely have skipped Christmas Jones entirely in this film. Having Elektra emotionally hurt Bond towards the end of the film. Kinda how they did in a certain Bond film some years later.
Saw this at the cinema in the day with my gf. It was her first Bond film. She liked it, but I found it so so. I shared some of the other films I had afterwards.
Always love you Bond reactions. I'm usually right on with your analysis. But I really liked this one. One of my favorites. Can't wait to see your next review. Thank you for going through the whole catalogue. It's great to reminisce.
Michael Apted was a very accomplished director with a long, successful career. He worked across all genres with several awards worthy efforts. In the late 90's he began to focus on action orientated thrillers to diminishing effect unfortunately. It remains one of the most unexpected career pivots in memory but there remain several earlier efforts worthy of a watch including Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas In The Mist, Thunderheart and the "Up" documentary series.
One of my favourite Bond films and Brosnan is also my favourite James Bond!
(I’m definitely biased towards it though since it was the first Bond that I ever saw, it was playing on tv when I was a little kid and it solidified Pierce Brosnan as being my James Bond)
Below are my top 15 favourite Bond films, it’ll be interesting to see what your ranking of the films is at the end of the series since you’ve at least liked every one so far.
(Honorable mention to No Time To Die which comes in at 16)
15. Thunderball
14. Live And Let Die
13. From Russia With Love
12. Quantum Of Solace
11. Spectre
10. The Living Daylights
9. For Your Eyes Only
8. Licence To Kill
7. Tomorrow Never Dies
6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
5. Goldfinger
4. The World Is Not Enough
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. Casino Royale
1. Goldeneye
In the mi6 headquarters in Scotland scene where bond confront m on Electra’s kidnapping, there is a portrait of Bernard Lee as M on the wall behind them
I remember the game for this. I think it had a multi player mode based around capturing that suit case. Or maybe that was an other game, but I did play the video game for this and for a few others who didn't have movies. and I remember the boat chase being a big deal.
There is one interesting tv series named Once Upon a Time where Robert Carlyle is acting. You do not have to make a reaction videos about it, but i thought you might be interested that series and it is worth ti check it out. It is unique in tv series genre.
In "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - Remember Bond has to pretend to be a Genealogist when he visits Blofeld. Before he visits Blofeld, he goes to the Royal College Coat of Arms in London and is shown the Bond Family Coat of Arms. The latin motto on the Bond Coat of Arms is "Orbis non sufficit" which means "The World is not Enough" which is said in "OHMSS" which is why in this movie, Bond says "family motto"
Great reaction/analysis, as usual!
Shan, I'm not a patron or anything, but if you could react to the indy film, Ink (2009), I'd be most appreciative. You're one of the few movie reactors who I think could figure out much of its subtleties and deeper meanings (considering it is a movie that explains very little and has almost no exposition).
My favourite Michael Apted film is Enigma (2001) - a good World War II mystery thriller set in the codebreaking centre at Bletchley Park. It is a lot less action packed than a Bond film, but it does have a very nice score by John Barry.
You’re doing it right. Watching the movies with a Seamaster on wrist🎯 I have one in the blue dial and love it.
Michael Apted's background was in soaps/TV dramas, and was brought on to try and get more out of the characters, and then the second unit dealt with most of the action set pieces
I somehow ship Elektra King w/ Xenia Onatopp. Now that'd be a kinky pair.
Woof.......
@@philipcamp1370 Meow?
Man, your reactions are an absolute joy to watch.
This film seems better with age. The narcissistic Elektra King is a unique villain and very classical in character. Added to that is Bond and Renard's infatuation with/love for her and how that clouds their judgement and almost overrides their actions. I think the title is a nod to that in being an homage to OHMSS, which also involved love. A particularly powerful and uncharacteristic line is at the end when Bond says to Renard "she's waiting for you". That's almost an act of kindness, empathy and emotional relief for the villain.
The chief stunt coordinator guy for 007 used to be a Scotsman by the name of Vic Armstrong.
Another Bond reaction? I thought Christmas only comes once a year?
I haven't read through all the comments but I don't know if anybody's mentioned that Minne Driver plays plays Robbie Coltrane's girlfriend and singer. Also Sophie Sophie Murrow is the first female lead villain but we did have colonel Kleb of the KGB. From Russia with Love as second in command to the Russian General.
Elektra King is actually the second female main Villain Rosa Klebb ( From Russia With Love ) is the first I know a lot people say Red Grant is the main of that movie but he clearly takes orders from Klebb also some people might say Blofeld is the main Villain but even though he's the head of Spectre you never see his face and Bond never comes across him in the movie so Colonel Rosa Klebb is the main Villain which makes Elektra King the second female Bond Villain
I have to say this is the only Bond film I really didn't care for. I've watched it a couple of times but I've watch all there others uncountable times. Sophie just didn't do it for me as a villain. And Denise Richards, nah! Maria Grazia Cucinotta, the cigar / boat chase girl could outdo any of the main cast.
I feel like this is nearly a great Bond film, but it's held back by its fear of playing too much with the formula. We didn't need a "good" Bond girl in this film, and the time we spend on Christmas Jones could've been spent better elsewhere. Elektra King singlehandedly makes TWINE into Brosnan's second-best entry, though. This film receives a spiritual sequel in Skyfall, which revisits the idea of M paying for a mistake in her past.
In my opinion, Michael Apted's best film was probably "Gorillas in the Mist," a biopic of primatologist Dian Fossey. He also did "Coal Miner's Daughter," a biopic of country legend Loretta Lynn. He did a few other half-decent films like "Nell" and "Amazing Grace," but I guess I like his biopics the best!
This was the last appearance of Q, the actor would die that same year of the premiere in 1999. He was the only actor who remained in the saga the longest.
More so than any other film in the series, this is the one that I always wish I liked a little bit better than I actually do. It’s like all of the elements are there, but they just don’t add up somehow.
This is the point at which I felt Brosnan's Bond really started to run out of juice and my interest in Bond fell away until Daniel Craig. I remember seeing this in the cinema at the time and what I was left with was a liking for many of the ideas and characters in concept but enjoyed the execution on a surface-level only.
It has all the hallmarks of Bond with the supervillian, femme fatale, doublecrosses, high production etc, but it feels off somehow and almost slapstick at times. This and the final Brosnan Bond movie show why the series needed an overhaul in the 00s, it had just run its course.
I think this is only the second film I’ve seen where an injury to an actor IRL was made part of the plot.
The other one, to my knowledge, is Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.
Michael Apted has done many great films like Nell and Gorillas in the Mist, but my personal favorite of his is Thunderheart
On 19 December 1999, Llewelyn was driving alone to a book signing event when his Renault Mégane collided head-on with a Fiat Bravo on the A27 near the village of Berwick, East Sussex. Llewelyn sustained massive internal injuries and was airlifted by helicopter to Eastbourne District General Hospital, where he died soon afterward at the age of 85. The driver of the Fiat, a 35-year-old man, was seriously injured but survived; a woman in her thirties was also in the Fiat and suffered minor injuries. An inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.[10]
Llewelyn's death occurred three weeks after the premiere of The World Is Not Enough. Roger Moore, who starred with Llewelyn in six of his seven Bond films, spoke at his funeral on 6 January 2000[11] at St Mary the Virgin Church in Battle, Sussex. The service was followed by a private cremation at Hastings Crematorium, with the ashes given to Llewelyn's family.
His widow, Pamela Mary Llewelyn, died in East Sussex in 2001, also aged 85. His son, Justin Llewelyn, died in 2012, aged 59.
I think this is Brosnan's best Bond movie. It's his third and weirdly enough it seems that the third Bond movie is the best for some other actors as well. Like Goldfinger for Connery, Skyfall for Craig and some say that 'Spy' is also Roger's best Bond movie.
The traffic warden getting splashed at the start....was a real traffic warden who, at the time, was featured in a 'reality' series.
As a kid this was my favourite! Brosnan is my Bond
Q's still to appear in future Bond films, but Desmond Llewelyn was in a car accident and died after this film.
this is desmonds last film if he didn't die in a car crash i wonder if he would have played Q longer
some movies by this director
Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
I laughed so hard at the theater when we are introduced to Dr. Christmas Jones.😂
"I thought Christmas only came once a year" Bond
We can all agree that the Q Boat is the ultimate badass vehicle in the franchise
by far my favorite theme song in the series
but unfortunately this film has one of the saddest send off to one great character/actor
the way Q (Desmond Llewyn) left the screen was saddening
may he Rest in Peace
Renard's death felt like a one shot kill, the plutonium rod resembled a golden bullet, since the bullet in his head didn't kill him yet.
6:42 what sort of fishing was Q looking to do with that thing? What was his catch? Jaws? Moby Dick? The Loch Ness monster? The Kraken?
This wasn’t supposed to be Desmond’s last film as Q but he sadly died in a car crash just before this movie came out
Great theme of great Scots in this one.....Carlisle, Coultrane and Garbage doing the theme song
I'll always remember Robbie Coltrane for this more than his Hagrid.
"Hopefully Die Another Day is an improvement over this one" - Hmm... Vasten your seatbelt sir! 😜😂
Only point I disagree with is what you said in the fight, "Why doesn't he just snap his neck?"
Keep in mind, he's battling a classic Bond henchman, a thug who can't feel pain, only Renard also has superhuman strength and because he was near death by the end of the movie, he was at his strongest.
The tunnel is not CGI.
This director refused to use any CGI in his Bond movie. Although he does use miniatures and miniature cameras. He also use his blue screen. But he and sisters no CGI in the World is Not enough
BMW were furious with what Bond filmmakers did to the car in this film so much so they cancelled their contract.
The next Bond film saw a return to Aston Martin.
I can't really remember if Q died during the making of this Bond movie or soon afterwards but unfortunately his time indeed had come to an end.
John Cleese who you saw as R deputised for Brosnan's last outing as Bond and the first 2 Daniel Craig Bond films had no Q or Moneypenny for that matter.
This is not a top tier Bond movie, but it's not bad either. Brosnan was good in it. Loved your reaction.
Although I don’t rank this among the best Bond films, the premise is eerily plausible; contaminate a primary shipping route to benefit one’s alternate shipping route.
Interesting, as always. I'm looking forward to your DAD review...😁
Michael Apted is usually a solid workman director. His best stuff are the 7-UP / 14-UP / 21-UP / etc. documentary series but the Liam Neeson / Jodie Foster / Natasha Richardson film NELL would make a great reaction.
GORKY PARK (1983) is excellent
I don't mind Denise Richards in this movie. I know a lot of people trash her because of her involvement in this movie but she is the only actress doing her job.
16:36 and its a boss fight in the game, the helicopter i mean
I just cant get on with this film it just doesnt grab me, although I do think its possibly Brosnans best performance the role fits him like a well tailored tuxedo.
I'm looking forward to your reaction to "Casino Royale". It's definitely one of the best Bond films!
Dr Christmas is the epitome of a Bond Girl.
Elektra was probably born with hidden predisposition to practicality, manipulation and cruelty, but one must ask - would that ever become a major part of her personality if she wasn't kidnapped and forced to utilize her worst qualities to save herself? What kind of person she would be without that ordeal? And how many more ordinary people out there that can turn into real world dominating monsters at wrong circumstances?
The best cold open of the Brosnan era.
Insensitivity to pain is a severe medical disorder. It is not a super power, since feeling pain is vital to survival. People born with the condition generally die in childhood due to either injuries they sustain, or illnesses that go undiagnosed because they can't feel the effects.
"i thought Christmas only came once a year"
8:19
That lady in white I think she was a monster of the week villain on Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2 episode Revelations if it is I've never seen her in anything else
Her sister is more well-known.
One of my problems with this movie is the cinematography. The DP was the guy who did Aliens, Princess Bride and Thelma and Louise, all gorgeous looking movies, but this one looks like a network police drama or something, very dull. I think maybe they were trying to make it look more like a drama film cos that’s most of what Michale Apted did in his career, but I’ve seen dramas that are still more photogenic then this, I just don’t get it lmao
Reaction Request: The Great Escape (1963) Directed By John Struges. Starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence.
Shan, if you want to see a good Michael Apted film, you really should watch GORKY PARK (1983).