His name is Bond, James Bond: just don't expect him to introduce himself. For the first time in his 22 screen outings, Britain's best-known secret agent will not utter the words of introduction that have thrilled fans and appalled master criminals for 46 years.Some traditions just shouldn’t be messed with.
Nor in his next adventure, Quantum of Solace, released in November, does 007 utter the other classic one-liner--“shaken not stirred”--when ordering his martini, according to the director, Marc Forster.
“There was a ‘Bond, James Bond’ in the script,” he said. “There are several places where we shot it as well, but it never worked as we hoped. I just felt we should cut it out, and Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson [the film’s producers] agreed, and Daniel [Craig, who plays Bond] agreed, too. It’s nice to be open-minded about the Bond formula. You can always go back to them later on.”
It is another radical departure for Bond who, in his last film, Casino Royale, found himself stripped of many on-screen staples.
(Hat tip to Notes from Hemingway’s Lounge.)
6 comments:
"But it never worked as we hoped." What does he mean? How could it not work?
Maybe Daniel Craig just doesn't have enough natural panache to carry off a trademark line like that? He's a fine actor but it's all too easy for 'Bond, James Bond' to come out sounding cheesy just because of the freight it carries with it.
In their relentless efforts to make the Bond films "relevant" the producers are stripping the film franchise of its hallmarks. Supposedly this is pleasing to fans of Fleming's books, who think the films should be identical to the books, but to those of us who liked a tuxedoed-Bond-James-Bond-shaken-not-stirred-gadgets or two, there is little reason to go and see the next Bond film. The last Bond film could have been called 'Die Hard With An Accent' and starred Bruce Willis for all the difference there was between 'Casino Royale' and the standard action pic.
After Casino Royale, I completely trust them. This Bond is more like in the books
I too am a long time Bond fan and I didn't like Casino Royale - it was Bond in name but little else.
I'm a long term Bond fan and I didn't like Casino Royale - it just wasn't Bond.
As a long time Bond fan, I was prepared not to like Casino Royale. Was I surprised. Now I can't wait for Quantum of Solace.
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