Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan finally gives his thoughts on Daniel Craig’s 007 bow-out No Time to Die. Brosnan became the fifth man to play Ian Fleming’s 007 when he took on the role in 1995's Goldeneye. Craig then became the sixth when he took over for Brosnan in 2006’s Casino Royale.
Though Craig certainly had his ups-and-downs as Bond, the consensus among 007 fans is that his run was overall more successful than Brosnan’s. Of course Brosnan did come out of the gate strong with Goldeneye, but his subsequent Bond efforts were not the most beloved entries in the series. And in general, Bond fans were glad when Brosnan’s time ended and Craig was brought on to help reboot the franchise.
Now Craig’s own time as Bond has ended with his explosive final appearance in last year’s No Time to Die. Critics were mostly positive about Craig’s Bond farewell, which currently holds an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Brosnan however doesn’t seem to agree with the movie’s good reviews, as he indicated with his brief remarks to GQ. Addressing the recent Bond films, Brosnan said:
“I saw the last one, and I saw Skyfall. I love Skyfall. I’m not too sure about the last one. … Daniel always gives of his heart. Very courageous, very strong. But…”
Brosnan did not elaborate further on his No Time to Die thoughts, but his comments made it clear that he is not among the movie’s fans. On the plus side, he did give a big thumbs up to Skyfall, a film that is generally regarded as one of the Craig era’s best efforts. And he of course had nothing but nice things to say about his fellow actor Craig, who did indeed give his all during his five-movie run as Bond.
For Brosnan to say anything at all about Craig’s Bond run is perhaps a little surprising, given how reluctant most actors are to be critical of each other’s work. But Brosnan certainly feels a certain amount of ownership over the Bond franchise after starring in four of the movies himself. So he may feel justifiably comfortable giving his take on the Bond films that came after his, even if some might perceive his remarks as sour grapes.
But no matter what Brosnan may think of No Time to Die, it’s generally agreed that Craig left the Bond franchise better than he found it – something that can’t be said of Brosnan’s own much-maligned 007 tenure. Despite the odd dud like Quantum of Solace, the Craig era of Bond films was characterized by smart course-correcting, especially in terms of sexual politics. The Brosnan era on the other hand seemed like an escalating series of bad decisions, until the plug was finally pulled. Of course, box office returns for Brosnan’s Bond films were always healthy, regardless of the critical drubbing they tended to receive. More specifics from Brosnan on what went wrong with No Time to Die might actually be fascinating, but unfortunately he doesn't seem willing to go beyond his vague remarks.
Source: GQ