Quantum of Solace [new James Bond film]

[Marv Orange]

Looks bloody great cant remember ever actually being excited by a bond trailer before.

[Jemble Fred]

Gosh, that was disappointing. I mean, what is there in that trailer that stands out as either fresh or interesting? I'm still looking forward to the film, but that was one of the dullest trailers I've ever seen.

[greencalx]

I reckon they've only chosen it so they can do the same diagonal 007 thing as Casino Royale:



The new logo will probably be something like:

QUANTUM OF
             SOLACE
                7

Have a coconut.

which looks a bit shit if you ask me. They may as well have called it:

MR JAMES BOND'S
SHAGFEST BONANZA
                 7

Well, yes.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Awesome trailer. So glad they decided to 'reboot' the franchise, it had been stale for so long and they've really given it a kick up the arse. Daniel Craig is perfect in the role, despite reservations I had when he was initally announced as the new Bond.

[Don_Preston]

No sign of the round table story about marrying the air hostess then

[Leo2112]

Spoiler alert

Is the shadowy organization in this one supposed to be SPECTRE?  Or are they not going down that route for the reboot?

[close]

[Catalogue Trousers]

Leo2112 -

Spoiler alert

Probably depends on whether or not Kevin McClory's prepared to play ball - hence why obvious-Blofeld isn't named in For Your Eyes Only, the SPECTRE logo, Japanese volcano base, another-obvious-Blofeld-HIMSELF!!! etc re-appear in various Bond console games but the words SPECTRE and Blofeld are never mentioned, etc.

I do hope that the bygones can somehow be bygones. 'Twould be great to see SPECTRE and old Ernst back.

[close]

[El Unicornio, mang]

Kevin McClory died 2 years ago so I don't think they'll have any problems

[Catalogue Trousers]

Blimey, you live and learn! So, unless his estate has an equal chip on their shoulders, then it could well happen. How splendid!

[El Unicornio, mang]

I think MGM own the rights to it all now, hence they were able to adapt Casino Royale, and release Never Say Never Again on DVD along with the other Bond films.

[CaledonianGonzo]

As far as I'm aware, the uber-organisation in QOS is not SPECTRE

Spoiler alert

In fact, handily enough, they're called Quantum.  I'm in two minds about a Blofeld re-appearance.  Post Dr Evil, anything he did would be a cliche.  Plus, as Catalogue T. nearly mentioned, Bond killed Blofeld in FYEO.

[close]

[El Unicornio, mang]

Well, they don't need to follow the well known version that he became famous for (ie: the Donald Pleasance version) that Austin Powers parodied.

His appearance has changed in all the films he's in, and he was pretty much just an arm stroking a cat and a voice in his first two, which might work if they keep it subtle.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Hang on...





He's a crafty one, that Ernst Stavro. 

Next you'll be telling me that General Gogol was a minor SPECTRE enforcer during the From Russia With Love years...

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Also, Joe Don Baker.

I think the Blofeld type of character is too cheesy anyway. It's more sinister for us to never see the true head of whatever evil organisation the hero is up against. Bond can foil their schemes and kill their subordinates, but he can't get them.

[Catalogue Trousers]

CaledonianGonzo wrote:

Spoiler alert

Plus, as Catalogue T. nearly mentioned, Bond killed Blofeld in FYEO

[close]

Spoiler alert

What? By a mere drop down a chimney? Shurely not! Also, what if it was just one of his various clones?

[close]

I dunno, I rather like the idea of Blofeld back. Or at least some big, larger-than-life, iconic villain in the Goldfinger or Scaramanga mould. With some suitably striking henchmen. The Bond films have really lacked those for far too long now.

[Jemble Fred]

Utter agreement here – it's the lack of such egregious characters that's making the franchise seem so damn beige at the moment. It's why that trailer earned nothing but shrugs from a whole scrum of Bond-loving blokes when it premiered in our office the other day. It's crucial to bring back Blofeld – or perhaps Blofeld Jr? That could be even better actually, A) What kind of freak would Ernst bring up, and B) What would that son do to the man who killed his father?

The closest there's been of late was Robert Carlyle. We need more interesting psychos and less... moody boredom.

[boxofslice]

I think the idea of one big supervillan would feel ridiculous now in these post Austin Powers/Jason Bourne/9/11 times. The whole 'one guy trying to takeover/rule/control the world' always felt stupid to me, why would you want the hassle. 

[Jemble Fred]

But since when has realism been one of the Bond franchise's strengths? Even the books are insanely inflated fantasies.

[Don_Preston]

I refuse to believe that the character in FYEO is indeed Blofeld, and just a nameless wheelchair bound bald nemesis. They made him into a bumbling fool and not the supervillain of olde. Plus why make him a throwaway pre-credit baddie? So I conclude, Blofeld is alive.

[boxofslice]

But since when has realism been one of the Bond franchise's strengths? Even the books are insanely inflated fantasies.

True but I don't think these days people would go for the whole 'I'm going to takeover the world Mr Bond with this device' *Bald man points to insanely extravagant and complicated machine built under ocean/volcano etc*

[El Unicornio, mang]

The closest there's been of late was Robert Carlyle. We need more interesting psychos and less... moody boredom.

Yeah but the film he was in was shite. The Bond films have always been just throwaway entertainment, even the best ones like From Russia With Love aren't exactly masterpieces of film. I like that they're trying to give them more depth and realism now, the old formula was totally worn out. When they try to make modern-day Blofeld types they end up with things like that awful Jonathan Pryce media mogul baddie.

[CaledonianGonzo]

I've always been fairly fond of the Gustav Graves/Colonel Moon combo in Die Another Day.

I'm probably alone in this. (DAD is generally slated, but parts of it are fantastic - I also think that Zao qualifies as the best henchman in a long, long time).

However, I thought Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre was brilliant.  He succeeded in being a fairly credible, almost-alien baddie.  Not a Dr Evil-style megalomaniac, but almost icky, in a quiet, seedy sort of way.

As for Blofeld progeny, in the 'expanded universe' he has a daughter called Nina (I kid you not), who revives SPECTRE.

[boxofslice]

Artists revealed for new Bond theme tune

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7532438.stm

[Panbaams]

I refuse to believe that the character in FYEO is indeed Blofeld, and just a nameless wheelchair bound bald nemesis. They made him into a bumbling fool and not the supervillain of olde. Plus why make him a throwaway pre-credit baddie? So I conclude, Blofeld is alive.

Because what became Never Say Never Again was going into production and it was the Eon series' way of spoiling it – by killing off the "real" Blofeld (of course, they can't refer to him as that, but it's obviously him – the cat, the suit, Bond visiting his wife's grave ...), it was their way of undermining his presence as the villain in the rival film.

I don't think it'll happen, personally.

"I'll buy you a delicatessan – in stainless steel!"

[Artemis]

Previous iconic James Bond signature tunes have been recorded by stars including Dame Shirley Bassey, Duran Duran and Sir Paul McCartney.

The announcement follows speculation that the job would go to British stars Amy Winehouse, Duffy or Leona Lewis.

Duffy?! How did she think she was possibly in with a chance?

[Panbaams]

Red-top bullshit, the same that reckoned that the theme for Tomorrow Never Dies was going to be one of Celine Dion, Oasis and the Spice Girls.

[mothman]

Hopefully one day they'll do a special edition. . . DVD? Blu-RAY? Data Crystal? Direct Cortical Download? . . . of Tomorrow Never Dies that re-instates kd lang's end-titles song as the main titles theme (and puts in the Pulp version for the end titles), removing forever that Sheryl Crow abomination.

I still say Richard Hawley could have pulled off a song called "Quantum of Solace."

[CaledonianGonzo]

Hopefully one day they'll do a special edition. . . DVD? Blu-RAY? Data Crystal? Direct Cortical Download? . . . of Tomorrow Never Dies that re-instates kd lang's end-titles song as the main titles theme (and puts in the Pulp version for the end titles), removing forever that Sheryl Crow abomination.

I don't mind the Sheryl Crow song, but yeah - 'Surrender' by kd lang is the great Bond theme that never was.  It's the tits.

As for the prospect of Jack White & Alicia Keys, I'm very optimistic about it.  The article says that White has written it, and there's all sorts of intriguing duet possibilities with the contrast between Keys smoother voice and White's high-octane yelp.  Intriguing.

[Marvin]

Yeah I like the sound of  Jack White-penned Bond theme, and the duet will be interesting.

[boxofslice]

Not sure if White will be singing, I have a feeling that Keys will be on vocal duty while White will just be writing and performing the music.