Anyone Else Hate Bond movies?

[finbarlafume]

Does anyone else hate James Bond as much as I do?
I saw the teaser trailer for 'Die Another Day' recently and all I could do was roll my eyes skyward. Surly it's well and truly time that Bond was given his gold watch and told to retire?
I can't understand how a person who seems perfectly happy to kill in cold blood can be considered a heroic figure. Not only does he seem to relish his license to kill... he also makes so called 'humorous' remarks whenever he watches his victims die. I mean, the guy must spend his evenings writing down all the possible ways a person could be killed and then thinking up a series of silly one liners to go with them. ( A psychopathic tendency if ever there was one )
He's really no better than the villains he fights against.
I remember one movie where after seeing a guy sliced to pieces beneath some whirling blades he said: "He had guts!"
Yeah, and I bet he had a wife and kids too. ( Austin Powers was right... nobody ever thinks of the henchman's family )
And I remember another scene where a guy fell into a giant printing press. We saw the paper streaked with blood as Bond said: "He was bad news!"
Maybe these guys are the villains... but surely there's a better way of dealing with them than resorting to gruesome murder? It's the entire glorification of killing that disgusts me, the fact that we're supposed to be cheering Bond on. I reckon he's killed so many people that he's addicted to it.
I bet if he was ever dismissed from the Secret Service he'd never be able to abide to the law. First chance he got he'd be off killing people again... I wouldn't like to be an annoying salesman who knocked on his door!
What bothers me most about this is the fact that Bond is considered a character who guys should aspire to be... a person to be looked up to and admired.
I think not!
If that's considered to be the ideal male lifestyle then I'm pretty happy the way I am, thank you very much!
Aside from the license to kill aspect, Bond also seems to find glory in sleeping with as many women as possible. How can a person with no respect for women be considered the hero? Hardly a responsible role model for young men is he?
And he gambles and drinks to obscene levels too...
Bond as a character is totally outmoded and has no place in the 21st Century.
All in all, come the release of 'Die Another Day', my own choice will be to 'Go to the Cinema Another Day'... hopefully when there's another movie on.

[Zorakfan]

The whole appeal behind Bond nowadays is that he is all those things you said. He womanizes, kills, drives a sweet car, wears the sharp tux, and is basically just the concept of 'suave' in human form. Can you imagine how much the movies would suck if he was made out to be a politically correct character?

I'm sorry, o babe-o-licious female secret agent counterpart, but I don't believe in kissing on the first date. How about I give you the number to my wristwatch and you call me when there is world peace? Or if it's too much trouble I could call you...I'm sorry, did I call you babe? I'm sorry...it's just that I...*sob*

and so on, until he is killed because he refuses to kill the villain like he usually does.

It's appealing because he's just a no-nonsense, do whatever the hell he wants kind of guy. I'd keep seeing em if they didn't start to suck as of late.

(Connery was the best bond)

[James]

Ah, old James.

I think the beauty in James is everything you detest in him. He can go and kill for king and country and then return for in time for a quick luncheon and then out with the ladies at night. The detachment that he has between his social life and his job is what makes him so amusing.

The early films were closer to the books, which ere themselves based on some of Flemings own experiences, I believe. There is an element of truth in the attitude of the character (although I will not for one moment try and convince you there is one man at this moment single handedly wrestling the controls to a new nuclear satellete from a crazed mad man bent on world domination. No siree).

It's amazing what has been justified in the name of King and Country - by every province on the planet. But to James - and the real spies/agents out there - it is thier job, and there is no one who has had such a cold and bloody history as the British. They are good at war and I think this trained detachment is what is so interesting.

In fairness, Bond is a little less arrogant in the books - worth a read.. even if you disliked the recent gung ho films! They are a lot more subtle.

[TheHuntressDiana]

"Hate Bond?" Ahh...stick a knife right through my heart why don't 'cha?

I love Bond...I've seen them all numerous times (except for "Her Majesty's Secret Service") and I'm with SJJ; Connery was the best Bond (the young Bond, not the "Diamonds Are Forever" Bond).

It is partly his "be right back darling, I've got to kill this nasty sniper" attitude and the European suaveness. But it's also the "spy" thing as well.

I don't know. It's probably due to my age (I'm almost 30) and the fact that they were some of the movies I was allowed to watch when I was younger. My parents were very strict & I never saw an R-rated movie at home until I was a junior in high school.

[Clayface]

I gotta say, I can't stand the Bond flicks. Never, ever liked them. Unfortunately, my girlfriend loves them, so I get dragged to them all. :rolleyes:The day they declare the Bond movie franchise over is the day I rejoice.

[James]

Originally posted by TheHuntressDiana

I love Bond...I've seen them all numerous times (except for "Her Majesty's Secret Service") and I'm with SJJ; Connery was the best Bond (the young Bond, not the "Diamonds Are Forever" Bond).



Yes - From Russia With Love had a perfect Connery bond. Not as flawless and perfect as Brosnan. Falliable and trickable. Not quite as arrogant either..



It is partly his "be right back darling, I've got to kill this nasty sniper" attitude ....



Or perhaps as Ace Rimmer from Red Dwarf used to like to declare: "Smoke me a kipper - I'll be back for breaakfast!"


... and the European suaveness.

Interesting that in the books, James hates Paris - again, I can't imaine old Remmington Steele feeling the same way about the city of love...

[RogueMartian]

I like the old James Bond movies with sean connery. They were kind of funny and they are so 60s you can't help but laugh. But after Connery, James Bond just isn't good. Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan just couldn't cut it. One thing that really bothers me about Bond movies these days is not that they aren't P.C., I honestly don't care about that, its that the one remaining henchman doesn't come after James Bond at the end. That's what's supposed to happen. Bond and the girl for the film are on the cruise or hotel and the villain with weird teeth or hands comes to kill him, but ends up being tossed over the balcony.

Without that ending scene, the movie just isn't worth it.

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

::shrug:: I've always thought the Bond films were deadly boring and impossibly sexist.

[Nickdisk]

i cant stand Bond movies either, they are really boring IMO :)

[The Shade]

lol I read this after I put up my Bond Avatar.

As for me, I love em, sorry I do! Best series ever! You complain about him being so terrible, but he's meant to be like that!

I love those movies, action, the Bond girls, and after hearing that corny theme song over and over again, I still love hearing it!

[The Guard]

James Bond has endured for a reason. Like Robin Hood, The Three Muskateers, Batman. Why? He's the best and the worst of men rolled into one. And the movies are exciting. He kills, he sleeps around, and he's calm and collected. Who didn't get chills the first time he said "Bond. James Bond."

Bond is Ian Fleming's legacy. Fleming himself drank a lot, used women, and was extremely sexist. He used to bring women to his apartment and show them his collection of porno. Oh, and Fleming was a spy.

[Barb Gordon]

I'm a big fan of the Bond movies. And, as has been said, what makes Bond so awesome to some people are just about all the things that make you dislike him! He's the daring secret agent, who get's any hot girl he wants, has an endless supply of beautiful cars and insane gadgets, uses his gun alot, has a smart mouth and see's a lot of action. He's such a great sterotypical secret agent/spy, and that's what makes him so great! When you think about it, just about every single movie has the same point to it, but who cares? They're just fun, entertaining movies, and you either like them or you don't. I find this thread interesting, because I never thought before that people didn't like Bond movies!

~Barb

[James]

I'm not a major fan of the later Moore or Dalton movies. My real grumble with Bond was how formulaic it got.

Bad guy. Bond meets two girls - one evil - has sex with one who is later killed - gets caught - other girl falls for him - big end battle in suspiciously studio like sized silo/bunker/spacestation/hanger/sub - fights guy with silly disfigurement -kills bad guy - quips a one liner just beofre sex with M watching.. and repeat until Timothy Dalton.

My favourite Bond films are ones that deviate from this formula which pretty much began with 'You Only Live Twice'. 'From Russia With Love', 'Goldfinger', 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', 'Live And Let Die' and 'The World Is Not Enough'.

Ones I hate (which ties in with the topic! :) ) are 'Licence To Kill', 'View To A Kill', 'Tomorrow Never Dies', 'You Only Live Twice', 'Octopussy' and 'Diamonds Are Forever'.

Oh and the Warners (at least I think it was Warners) remake of 'Thunderball' - Never Say Never Again - was pretty poor too - Rowan Atkinson's character didn't help matters much. . .

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

I'm a fan of the Bond movies in general (they're kind of like Star Trek, in that you can usually expect at least a certain level of quality and entertainment in them, License to Kill and A View to a Kill being the two big exceptions). I do generally prefer the Connery Bond movies, although For Your Eyes Only is one of my faves as well. SJJ pretty much nailed the formula of the later ones.

That said, I think finbarlafume brings up a few interesting points, which (to me) boils down to the fact that the stories and dialogue in the current movies just aren't very good. I think Bond (and the spy thriller in general) has also never really recovered from the end of the Cold War. I doubt the current producers be able to turn today's bugaboo of choice into a movie without seeming in horribly bad taste, or without getting accused of racism.

I think the idea that Bond "has" to kill is a really interesting one, though. If that concept were introduced into the franchise, I think a lot of interesting stuff could be done with it.

Personally, I also find Bond far more palatable as a role-model than anything Ah-nuld or any of his clones have ever done. At least the older Bond films had the backdrop of the Cold War to attempt to justify his actions.

-- Ed/Ace

[mbaker]

Personally, I'd rather watch the DuckTales episode "Double-O-Duck" than any of the Bond films. I mean come on! The plotlines are basically the same. No turning points, not character growth, nothing to keep it as fresh, and evolving as it should be. your not missing much, folks.

[SpaceCub]

I wouldn't say I hate the Bond films, but I just never got into them. I like my movies fairly believable and I find it hard to believe that so many people out there want to and are capable of taking over the world. I also ***** about any movie that portrays guns inaccurately. As Ding Chavez said in Rainbow Six , "They hold their weapons like they're knives or something, and then they hit a squirrel in the left nut at twenty yards. Damn, I wish I could do that."

He's not even a very good spy. Everbody , even the head bad guys, knows who he is. What good is a spy that everyone recognizes? He has a habit of getting caught, too. He's also worse than the movie Batman when it comes to women. He finds a new one in every movie and somehow manages to ruin the relationship before the next one. I'm waiting for a movie were all his ex-girlfriends conspire to take over the world and kill Bond because of the emotional trauma they went through with him.

But I don't hate the movies for the same reasons you do. Yeah, killing people isn't very cool, but when you're left with the choice of killing 1 person (an evil person, btw) in order to save billions, there's not much you can do. Yeah, Bond does seem to enjoy it quite a lot, but after he's killed so many people, maybe those cheap one-liners are the only thing keeping him from emotionally breaking down. And wouldn't that make for a great movie? Bond at his psychiatrist, "I'm sorry doc, but I just can't keep on killing people *sob*"

Yeah, he does womanize. But it's a two-way street. What kind of woman hops into bed with a guy who's left dozens of girls just like her? Sure, you could say that it's the movie that portrays the women like this, but where are the actresses', who portray these women, consciences? I know I'd have a problem acting in a movie that made all guys out to look like mindless oafs watching TV and drinking beer all day.

---
"Not a time to lose one's head"

[wonderfly]

Hmmm...is this thread boiling down to a "Men love him, Women hate him" thread? Let's clear this up, are there any women here that like the James Bond films? It's fairly obvious why some men like the flicks...it lets them live their inner fantasies. Which isn't neccesarily bad, just a fact.

[James]

Originally posted by wonderfly
Hmmm...is this thread boiling down to a "Men love him, Women hate him" thread? Let's clear this up, are there any women here that like the James Bond films? It's fairly obvious why some men like the flicks...it lets them live their inner fantasies. Which isn't neccesarily bad, just a fact.

I don't think that's entirely true - I think there has been a mixed female response and not an entirely united male response.

I don't think Bond is a male role model - I think there is a lot more to him than that. True, it's not realistic but it's not meant to be - not anymore anyway.

I think the beauty in Bond is his detachment to his job. Bond could be working in an office/saving the world - there would be no real difference. It's a job. He doesn't enjoy killing people. He does it as it's his duty. He's British military stock (a Commander no less) and unflappable.
Yet at the same time, he is charming and charismatic. The burdens of work do not affect his lifestyle. I think the mixture of decadent and dangerous is what makes him amusing. The cliche of him sking down the alps in a tux carrying a 9mm submachine gun or the like is what is so brilliant. The repressed Englishman. I've met Brits like him (well not quite like him thank god). He's an exaggeration of a character type.

Plus the rest of the main cast, Q, M and now R are equally as British and you'll find them lurking in the upper echelon's of British society.

Pretty much all action films live out the male fantasy - save the girl from a fate worse than death and have her fall into their arms - in fact most do it better as Bond's life never looks fairly shallow and lonely.

That's not to say that guns/cars/women/exotic locations don't help the box office in anyway. :D

.....And I suppose to get a brand new sports car, wreck it in a hot battle and get another has a certain attraction...

[peterparker05]

I personally am a big fan of the James Bond movies. I don't watch them for a social message. I watch them for some good old fashioned non-PC entertainment. On a side note, I also loved the British character actors that appeared in the films. I will truly miss Q. Also, I have a suggestion for the plot of the 21st Bond film, the return of SPECTRE and the son of Blofeld.

[Dane Martin]

I don't particularly _hate_ the Bond films; I just don't like movies that recycle plots repeatidly. Integrity is a must if a movie series is going to exist.

But hey, at least Bond isn't on the Land Before Time level.

[Calico]

I liked the older Bond movies ok, but once Pierce Brosnan was attached to the character it became an obsession. Bond's charasmatic, suave, and completely unrealistic, but in a fun way. Two hours of purely un-PC action-packed, sexy fun.

[cjshoup]

On a seperate assignment, he discovers who the main villian is, and gets a girl who has nothing to do with the plot.

Gets a bunch of stuff that gets blown up, even though the boss tells him not to get them blown up.

Screws the mistress who tries to kill him.

Fights the main villian, who eithers dies or somehows escapes.

Gets the woman at the end who assists him.

That is Die Another Day in a nutshell.

[randomguy]

Yeah, Bond is pretty bad, but it could be worse. I mean... Golgo 13, people.

[hello_lola]

Originally posted by Mackenzie Rainelle
::shrug:: I've always thought the Bond films were deadly boring and impossibly sexist.

Yup, that about says it. Plus, Pierce Brosnan is covered with liver spots - not very sexy or sophisticated.