Any Bond Fans Out There

[D.R. MacMaster]

I was a fan of the old Sean Connery flicks since childhood (Thunderball & OHMSS being faves) and I read all the books in college when I found the complete series in a remainder bin for $2 a piece, and liked Fleming's ability to capture minute, yet illuminating, details without losing track of the story or the suspense.

Any other Bond fans out there?

Anyone who hates Bond and willing to discuss why?

And what do you think of the upcoming Quantum of Solace?

[Lindy Cameron]

I'm a huge Bond fam; and as such would like to point out that OHMSS was not a Connery Bond but a Lazenby Bond and apart from the presence of the incomparable Diana Rigg one of the least good.
IMO - Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Sean; with Pierce Brosnan a close third.

[D.R. MacMaster]

Yeah, I know it was a Lazenby Bond, but since he did only one it wasn't really convenient to give him his own category. Especially since Connery came back to do Diamonds Are Forever after Lazenby walked out because they gave him a contract that was over 50 pages long. ;)

I find that OHMSS is the closest to the original book of any of the Bond films, and is the only one that lets the Blofeld/Bond relationship have some serious screentime and the fact that they didn't do the books in order because they couldn't use the madness/vengeance plotline of You Only Live Twice and instead made it about hijacking space capsules.

But hey, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea because it's such an anamoly. Lazenby is a little more cocky than suave, but he worked well with Rigg in my opinion.

[Dwight]

I'm a big fan of Bond, and Ian Fleming-partly becuase he created and wrote most of the Bond stories while living in Jamaica, my home. I personally think that Daniel Craig is the best Bond since Sean Connery, but I do miss some of the high-tech stuff that Bond was known for.

QoS was a very good action movie, a lot of subtle messages throughout, and more akin to Jason Bourne than Connery's or even Roger Moore's Bond character. I think the series has been reborn, and thats a good thing.

BTW, if you ever go to JA on vacation, check out James Bond Beach; one of the most beautiful places on the island.

[D.R. MacMaster]

I think they should bring back the gadgets, but keep them realistic. The whole "laser in a watch" thing and trips to space were a bit too much.

I also think Stephen Fry would make a good Q. He could do the scolding schoolmaster annoyed at the boy who always breaks the toys very well.

[Jessica]

I just saw Quantum, and it wasn't worthy of the Bond name. As a thriller, it was passable, but the whole point of the Bond sub genre is the innate class with which Bond neutralises his competition. This Bond has no class. It's all fast camera angles, killing for the sake of killing and independant sub plots with no tie to the main story line. It was more of a tribute to Bourne than a tribute to Bond. Plus, this has to be the first Bond where the main characters did not engage in a sexual relationship. Where is the Bond-esque womanizing? In the first five minutes with a minor character, that's where. Bond's leading lady was more of a sister or protegee than a bed partner. No, this film was definately not a Bond flick at all.

[D.R. MacMaster]

I haven't seen Quantum yet, though I am a little unhappy with the folks at EON productions trying to edit out all the things that make movie Bond what he is in an effort to be "with it."

I've been harping for a long time that since they rebooted the series with Casino Royale they should just redo all the books. Fleming's villainous billionaires, terrorists, and international crime cartels make much more sense now than in the cold war, with only a little updating. And with reports of Columbia owning the rights to Kevin McClory's share of Thunderball and 20% of MGM/UA they can bring back Blofeld, king of the Bond villains.

[Beth Groundwater]

I enjoyed Quantum of Solace, but I really missed Q and what used to be the obligatory gadget review scene!

[Jessica]

The director reasonned that the modern audience was too techno savvy to appreciate the gadgets. Gone are the days when the lazer in Goldfinger was the coolest thing ever. You're right though. I missed Q terribly.

[Rhonda Lane]

I'm another one who liked QoS. I think that Bond didn't bed the Bolivian agent because he eventually saw her as an equal, another professional and as driven by revenge as he was. I think he respected her focus.

I do agree that he could be a little more suave when the occasion calls for it, but maybe that's part of "New Bond's" character arc? He becomes more smooth over time?

[Jessica]

Oh my god I hope so!

The only problem I have with Bond finding the Bolivian an equal is that the character would never allow it. Flemming's Bond was incredibly sexist and would have bedded her within minutes just to show her her place.

In Casino Royale (the novella) Bond sees Vesper as very much an equal to him. Which is why he feels an overwhelming urge to dominate her. He says that any relations with her would strip her of her defences and "have the sweet tang of rape". Maybe it's the director trying to be modern and pretend there isn't sexism in the world but it reeks of unfulfilled character to me.

[Karyn J. Powers]

I just saw Quantum last night. They have stripped the current Bond of most of the word play. In fact, I would imagine that the script for this movie had fewer pages than a middle school book report. Still, the action was fun, the escapism is still there. It was low on gagetry. I think Dame Judy Dent is a wonderful M, but she has to stop firing 007 every time he gets sideways of their rules. Instead of building in more conflict and consequence to his choices, it is becoming a running gag.