Welcome to the final installment of this two part examination of James Bond. We look at how Ian Fleming’s character has remained popular for over 50 years. You can read Part One here. When an aging Roger Moore finally retired from the James Bond series in 1985, a young Irish actor named Pierce Brosnan was hired to replace him. However, when his series Remington Steele featured a surge in popularity following his casting announcement an option in his contract for more episodes was accepted meaning that he had to turn the role down.

In 1987 Timothy Dalton finally appeared as Moore’s replacement in The Living Daylights. More serious than Moore, Dalton took Bond back to his literary roots as a fierce killer. However, Bond faced his biggest challenge yet – the 80’s action hero. Faced with action stars like Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson, it appeared that Bond had finally met his match. In the summer of 1989 Licence to Kill failed at the box office when pitted against the blockbuster likes Batman, Indiana Jones and Lethal Weapon. It looked like the era of Bond was over.

Audiences never really connected with Dalton’s portrayal of Bond. While he may have taken the part with the best of intentions, many critics believed that the Welsh actor felt that the role was beneath him. Looking back it’s easy to see that this just wasn’t the case, the excess of the 1980’s just wasn’t ready for this interpretation of Bond. Maybe things would have been different if audiences had been given the opportunity to see Dalton in more of the super spy’s exploits; however they wouldn’t have the opportunity.

Following a 6 year court battle over rights issues between Eon and MGM, many thought that the suit wearing Bond was now a relic of a bygone era. In the mid 1990’s Dalton declined an invitation to return to the legendary role and, in 1995, Pierce Brosnan finally had his chance to star as James Bond in Goldeneye. Re-launching the franchise in glorious fashion the film and Brosnan’s subsequent films were a huge success. Each of Brosnan’s films grossed more and more at the US box office and he became Bond for a whole new generation. However, following the 9/11 bombings and the Jason Bourne films many thought that 2002’s Die Another Day had taken the franchise back to the realms of Moonraker with its far fetched plot and over the top special effects.

Deciding not to renew Brosnan’s contract for a 5^th film, the Broccoli family hired controversial choice Daniel Craig to reboot the franchise (along with Goldeneye director Martin Campbell). Whilst many thought that the film would be a huge failure, the film became a critical and commercial hit. Bond was back.

Craig and Campbell stripped away many of James Bond’s iconic elements. Discarding Q, Moneypenny and gadgets this 21^st Century Bond was again more like Ian Fleming’s original creation.  Mark Forster’s Quantum of Solace takes a similar approach – however the film feels like homage to the Roger Moore years with many images and situations recalling the 1970’s and early 80’s period of Bond. Don’t worry – this isn’t a bad thing. Solace is a leaner movie than Casino Royale, and the film picks up mere minutes after that films finale (a first for the series) and follows the previous films plot points through to its conclusion. Action packed, but light on quips Solace is the shortest film in the franchises 46 years, but with its high grossing box office it looks like James Bond will keep retuning every few years.

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While I’m still very excited about the upcoming James Bond flick Quantum of Solace, I was disappointed to hear that a couple of classic lines will be missing from the film. It’s being reported that this will be the first James Bond film in which our hero does NOT utter the introductory phrase:

“Bond. James Bond.”

Even in Casino Royale Daniel Craig said that line once.

Another line that will be missing is the famous “shaken, not stirred” when he orders his favorite drink – a martini.

Now remember I really loved Casino Royale, which gave a much-needed reboot to the Bond franchise. Daniel Craig is now my second favorite, behind Sean Connery. Even with Pierce Brosnan adding his furrowed brow and grim expression, the series was still a bit silly with the gadgets and silly leading lady names (and casting Halle Berry as one of them didn’t help, either).

So gone are the gadgets, Miss Moneypenney, and even “Q,” the fellow who provided Mr. Bond with all those outrageous toys.

But no “Bond. James Bond.”????

Is an agent of SPECTRE behind this?

Director Marc Forster told The Independent:

“There was a ‘Bond, James Bond’ in the script. 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.”

I’ll admit (shamefully) that I haven’t read a single Ian Fleming book, so I don’t know what the tone of the James Bond series is like in its original format. I understand that Casino Royale was actually much closer to the tone of the books than the campy films that the series morphed into.

Forster went on to add:

“His announcing of himself had become a bit corny. Casino Royale gets back to the spirit of the books, rather than all the silliness.”

I’m sorry, but books or no books, I disagree. That line wasn’t corny – it was cool and smooth as hell as far as I’m concerned. And with the martini thing, I noticed he didn’t specify how he wanted it made in the last film, but I was hoping to hear the line in this one.

On a happier note, Ain’t It Cool News has a bunch of new images from the movie  (click on the image below to check them out). We also have a new poster for the film for you as well thanks to Coming Soon.

Daniel Craig in Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace poster featuring Daniel Craig & Olga Kurylenko

Like I said, I’m still extremely stoked for this film, but I’m saddened by the bits they’re leaving out. I hope they at least use the familiar theme music in this one since it was only heard in the closing seconds of the previous film.

I mean come on – leave us something.

Quantum of Solace opens on November 14.

Source: The Independent via Rope of Silicon

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