(Disclaimer: This is not a review of any movie; the author intends to use his freedom of expression to vent out his frustration and provide some solace to himself)
Let me declare first that I am not a big ‘Bond-fan’ or something. I admire Bond-girls more than Mr.007’s gadgets & heroics, more than admiration bond is worth for my jealousy (for obvious reason). Not getting carried away by visual delight index but the Romance scenes in Bond movies have got more practical value than the extra-ordinary action scenes.
Enough of self-defense, the point I want to make is, Bond movies have been value for money so far… if they disappoint in one aspect they make it up with something unique may it be the actions sequences or camerawork , that’s my perception about majority foreign movies.
First of all, I (rather my Indian mind, overwhelmed by Hollywood films) could never agree that the film which involves so much money, sorry for the understatement, I meant millions of pounds (that sounds better), can be bad or even close to being uninteresting/illogical etc.etc… except for if it is a Karan Johar or Suraj Barjatya’s movie.
But all that changed with one gr8 movie which was like the last nail in the coffin & a successful effort from the maker’s point of view to Re-define the Bond.
Actually I had liked this Bond in the last movie because he used very less (illogical) gadgets and did everything on his own without much of a support staff and resources. The one who stumbled like a normal human being when he jumped from one roof to another, bled/ fainted / got confused/struggled and possessed a gr8 physique unlike previous Bond’s who fought in a suite without even forming a wrinkle.
The more humanized and error prone Bond Seemed to be logical but all that went down the drain , when we saw this new Bond flick which gave us nothing but disappointment and many unanswered questions like how, even after blocking all the credit and sim cards Bond manages to get all the resources and help whenever he wants ? Why he is never shown using a public phone or petrol pump? Isn’t it funny to find a knife in James Bond’s pocket when you expect Hi-Fi gadgets? How he breaks the handle of the washroom door with a single hand when sometimes I find it difficult to even twist & open the door??? why they dip the agent in oil and how the dead body gets inside the suite? Where are the trails of oil drops (none on the floor) ?How he goes to Russia without necessary documents…? and so on…all of them un-answered.
Generally Bond Movies are famous for the Romantic (Please decode it as per your convenience) scenes but in this, there was none! Except for one bedroom scene which they could show even on POGO ,with (God-knows-who) an agent which I can say is the most irrelevant scene of the movie (I think cost-cutting has badly affected Bond movies as well).
The boring movie became a bliss later on as we entertained ourselves with our own comments much to the dismay of the other people but had to provide some ‘quantum of solace’ to our souls .in the end, I would not say it was bad, but if at all I have to describe it, it was ‘0 0 1/7’.
I agree. This Bond movie was not like most perhaps it is based on one of the earliest Bond-scripts. This movie has either many cuts in between or was handled badly. The climax could match climax of any of the second rate movies. But I have a point to make here and it is that you have written all the things well but the title!
ReplyDelete(Ass – an offensive term that deliberately insults somebody’s intelligence, consideration for others or general value)as per dictionary.i am aware of the other interpretations of this term but that is not what i mean...(my interpretation of this title is- the stupidity of the sole character)
ReplyDeletebut i agree...it reads very odd.
Ian Fleming wrote it in his will, that James Bond movies must not reflect his novels…for, what he wrote in the 1950s would be obsolete by the 1970s. The world of 007 is one of pure fantasy, running parallel to our own, touching us only in a graze in terms of reflecting certain political realities. They have been speaking of a realistic Bond ever since Roger Moore’s departure. This is because Moore was the most successful Bond in history (if you translate the dollar figures of his time to those to the ones that followed him), and all those that followed did not have his box office power. Thus, “realism” was introduced as a way of saving money. But, it’s a very schizophrenic realism. No matter where Bond goes, it’s a place swarming with gorgeous ladies—young models come a dime a dozen. But, stunts are expensive, so he is reduced to running, jumping, roping and fist-fighting. As crazy as classic Bond stunts were, they were truly performed by the world’s best. Bond is pure entertainment, light-hearted and fun. Departing from the formula established by the legendary producer, Cubby Broccoli, is blasphemous. Bond set the standard, now, it copies that of others. It’s become just another movie. Daniel Craig is nowhere as handsome, suave, intelligent-looking, etc. as his predecessors. Connery, Moore and Lazenby had the intelligence to laugh themselves and at the characters together with us, as we all had fun, and escaped from the everyday problems for two hours. It’s not about being strong, but about being smart…the henchmen will always be bigger and stronger, but, Bond always used his brains, gadgets, even cheating in a likable and funny way, to overcome them…and, that is not illogical, but the logical way to face villains and henchmen that are bigger than life. What good is a villain that acts so tough, in “Casino Royale,” only to start crying like a baby, the minute a gun is pointed at him? What good are villains that try to kill Bond, in “Casino Royale,” one minute, then try to rescue him, the next! How acceptable is beating Bond’s testicles to a pulp, and have him make love the next scene? How logical is a car with a defibrillator, but, not a single airbag? The Bond filmmakers of the past, like classic novelist, created a world with their set of rules, and stuck to them—that Bond did in the classic movies, were logical in Bond’s world, and it accounted for the incredible success of the character, and the timeless movies that are still loved and watched, today. With the likes of Dalton, Brosnan and Craig, they have done to Bond what the villains failed to do to Bond for decades.
ReplyDeletehey, Great Research!
ReplyDeleteI have seen only a few old Bond Movies but I agree with you.
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