Casting Call: Next Bond. . . James Bond

[Lauren Hynde]

Damn. I was just scrolling down to type that. He's got the looks, the accent (all accents apparently, he's some kind of wiz in that department), the style, the action-experience, and he is one talented fart in general.

Absolutely. If Bale goes for it, I'm completely convinced that people wouldn't even remember Connery. He was a perfect Bateman, will be a perfect Batman, would be the perfect Bond. He pretty much has the monopoly on the coolest B-named characters market.

Again, I'd rather he wouldn't. I think the Bond series will never again be what it once was, and I'd hate to see a real actor like Bale involved in a (probably) lost cause like that.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Christian Bale has the wrong look for Bond. his face is too thin, and he's not old enough, in my opinion...

In a few years...

 

[Guest]

Well, that settles it for me. If L. Hynde says Bale, I say Bale.

Perdita

 

[raphy]

*grins* ... In a few years Jude Law would make a much better bond than Christian Bale...

Don't get me wrong. I adore Bale, I think he's a fine, fine actor. I just don't think he'd be a good Bond.. Maybe if he put a little bit more weight on his face, it might work.. But right now, those razor-sharp cheekbones just don't scream Bond to me.

As for Batman ... He'll be a damn good Bruce Wayne. I'm not so sure about the Batman half. As radical as it might sound, I actually think Clooney has been the best batman so far.. Klimer had the Batman half, Keaton the Wayne half.. Clooney made them both believable.

I can't see Christian Bale doing violence any differently than he did in American Psycho and Shaft, and that's just not the right sort of violence for Batman or Bond.

My vote's still with Jackman.

 

[raphy]

p.s. Still trying to figure out what my objection to Bale would be .. I think he'd be too much of a pretty boy. Brosnan's good looking, for sure - But he also has a world-experienced look to his face. I'll see what Bale looks like in a few years time, after he's got some lines around his eyes, and maybe change my mind.

After all, one could never claim Dalton was a pretty boy.

 

[Guest]

I think Jason Isaacs bears quite a resemblance to Timothy Dalton. When I saw him in the second Harry Potter movie, I thought it was Dalton, until I saw the credits.

I think out of all the actors mentioned, Jackman would probably be my pick. I had to look up a couple of the ones mentioned and I didn't much think they looked like the Bond type.

As far as the Batman thing goes, I think Clooney was the best one too. Why isn't he reprising his role?

 

[OldnotDead]

Re: Re: Casting Call: Next Bond. . . James Bond

Brosnan is my favourite of the lot, with Dalton following a half mile behind in second place.

My choice for the next Bond would have to be Jude Law. Was he in the article?

That link just seems to want me to register.

it's a New York Times article and the NYT requires you to register to get access to their stories and some archives. It's all free and depending upon your proclivities, you can even sign up for specific features to be emailed to you. I have a subscription to David Pogue's columns. One of them he only does for internet readers.

And once you go through the registration process, you will actually be taken to the article. I hate to admit the Times does anything well, but they actually run this site pretty smartly.

 

[BardsLady]

The new James Bond

Well, I grew up with Roger Moore as James Bond.

I suffered through Timothy Dalton as Bond.

I LOVED Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. I remember when they were searching for the next Bond. I looked at my mom and said, "Pierce Brosnan! He's the only one that fits the bill!"

Sure enough, they got him.

I wonder what would happen if they got Russel Crowe to do Bond? hehehe.

Actually, I think Hugh Jackman would do a good job as Bond. Who knows. It's just that sometimes I cant git that wolvie look out of my head.

Can you guys see James' Bond suddenly going berserk and flashing admantium claws to scare off the bad guys?

I'm so bad...

 

[fiery_jack]

Re: Re: Re: Casting Call: Next Bond. . . James Bond

it's a New York Times article and the NYT requires you to register to get access to their stories and some archives. It's all free and depending upon your proclivities, you can even sign up for specific features to be emailed to you. I have a subscription to David Pogue's columns. One of them he only does for internet readers.

And once you go through the registration process, you will actually be taken to the article. I hate to admit the Times does anything well, but they actually run this site pretty smartly.

Thanks for that OnD, sounds like it's worth investigating. It was just that my 'spidey-sense' tends to go off when sites ask before they give.

*grins* ... In a few years Jude Law would make a much better bond than Christian Bale...

A gap like the one between Dalton's last and Brosnan's first?

 

[raphy]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Casting Call: Next Bond. . . James Bond

A gap like the one between Dalton's last and Brosnan's first?

You might be on to something there, OnD ..

But in the meantime, let's have Jackman in, we don't need to wait for him at all, hehe

 

[Quasimodem]

Sean Connery was the ultimate movie James Bond. If that is to be our pattern, what follows will be merely a series of more-or-less satisfying pesudo-Connerys.

Another idea is to attempt to recapture the original novels.

It has been a long time since I read the James Bond novels, but as I remember that character, Bond always struck me as more of a rat, than a hero.

Perhaps that is why I can see Liev Schreiber in the role of the real, original, Ian Fleming novel, James Bond.


"INCOMING!"

 

[MathGirl]

Sean Connery was the ultimate movie James Bond.
Dear Quaz,
Absolutely. When I was about twelve, I read all the books one week. They're about right for that age. I'd never seen a Bond movie. I rented the first Bond movie ever made (Goldfinger?). After reading all those books, I took one look at SConnery and thought, "Yep. That's James Bond." I've never seen a movie with anyone else as JB, and I don't intend to. They could only be wannabees.
Dogmatically,
MG
Ps. The movies aren't much good, but neither are the books. It's was done in the 60s, though, so I make allowances. Mom LOVES JB movies with Connery, and she's a good judge of old men.

 

[Guest]

 

[OldnotDead]

About ten years ago, After Timothy Dalton and before Pierce Brosnan, the Broccoli organization floated the trial balloon of some alternative Bonds. Arnie was sugggested. Some believe he made True Lies to show them he should have been cast as Bond.

Another possibility raised was having a woman play JB, specifically then Sharon Stone.

It caused Jay Leno, thinking of character names like Pussy Galore, to remark : Just think of what the men's names would become.

There was some 'insider' speculation after the last movie that the Halle Barry character will be spun off to have her own series.

Math's, what the heck do you mean the movies are no good? I cannot remember the title, but it was the one with JAWS, that was the first Bond film to crack 50 million in production costs. It was also the first 50 million dollar film that LOOKED like it cost 50 million to make

Or were you talking about things like plot and acting?

 

[Quasimodem]

. . . Math's, what the heck do you mean the movies are no good? I cannot remember the title, but it was the one with JAWS, that was the first Bond film to crack 50 million in production costs. It was also the first 50 million dollar film that LOOKED like it cost 50 million to make . . .

Old,

You have just demonstrated the problem with James Bond movies, as well as novels.

With the exception of the Connery five, I have never been able to keep one plot separate from another.

More to the point, I have never met anybody else who was able to, either.

Edited to add :

Sean Connery did MORE than five [damnit!]

Dr. No
Goldfinger
From Russia With Love
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds Are forever
Never Say Never Again

I guess what I should have written was I only remember the ORIGINAL five!

 

[TheEarl]

I can't believe Colin Farrell or Russell Crowe are even being considered. Can't see them as Bond.

Quite liking the idea of Hugh Jackman, but not sure I really want a Yank Bond.

The Earl

 

[Guest]

Quite liking the idea of Hugh Jackman, but not sure I really want a Yank Bond.

Sweetie, Jackman's an Aussie; or am I not getting you?

Pear

 

[oggbashan]

Sean Connery could be the next Bond

Now that the capacity exists, why not have a computer generated version of a younger Sean Connery to take over as the next Bond?

They have enough film footage of him playing Bond to generate a clone.

If they could do it then (badly) with Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau they could do it perfectly now with Connery as Bond.

Og

 

[Black Tulip]

Ps. The movies aren't much good, but neither are the books. It's was done in the 60s, though, so I make allowances. Mom LOVES JB movies with Connery, and she's a good judge of old men. [/B]

Drat, I was just going to say I think Connery was the best Bond ever in terms of sexy. With Brosnan a good second.

Thank you MG.

I really liked Roger Moore because I always thought he was mocking himself and the movie. His Bond was more fun.

 

[Seattle Zack]

Sean Connery did MORE than five [damnit!]

Dr. No
Goldfinger
From Russia With Love
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds Are forever
Never Say Never Again

I guess what I should have written was I only remember the ORIGINAL five!

Never Say Never Again was actually a remake of Thunderball -- due to some quirk in the licensing, Broccolli doesn't have the rights to the characters in Thunderball. So, in essence, Thunderball can be remade over and over again without infringing on the "real" Bond films.

The Roger Moore Bond had degenerated past parody until it was almost slapstick -- Octopussy was nearly unwatchable. With Goldeneye, the first Pierce Brosnan film, the producers made an effort to give Bond more of an edge like the original Sean Connery character. I did think Goldeneye was one of the better Bond films, right up there with Dr. No.

Much as I like the Connery films, I thought Brosnan made a better Bond.

Edited to add: Let's not forget David Niven as Bond in Casino Royale

 

[MathGirl]

David Niven played Bond in "Casino Royale." I heard it was a real stinker.
MG

 

[Quasimodem]

David Niven played Bond in "Casino Royale." I heard it was a real stinker.
MG

Woody Allen was James Bond Junior, but it wasn't bad if you like Herb Alpert.

 

[Vincent E]

Comparing current Bonds to Sean Connery is tough since he was the first, and therefore he is most people's point of reference. Roger Moore was Bond when I was a kid, but I thought that Connery was better when I saw his Bond films. Dalton was okay. Brosnan was very good. Frankly I think that Peter Sellers was pretty damn good also.

On that note I would like to nominate John Inman for at least one Bond movie. Just imagine a young John Inman in some classic Bond roles.

"Do you expect me to talk?"

"No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die."

"Well, I think I'd rather talk. Now do be a nice chap and turn that laser thingy off. Oh my, it's going to give me a longer inside leg."

And how about Rowan Atkinson as Bond? Not the Mr. Bean Atkinson, but how about the Blackadder Comes Forth Atkinson with the short haircut and moustache.

 

[Quasimodem]

... "Well, I think I'd rather talk. Now do be a nice chap and turn that laser thingy off. Oh my, it's going to give me a longer inside leg." ...

Is this the P. G. Wodehouse version?


"The name is Bond, old bean. No, I mean James.
That is, er, James is my first name. Bond is the other thingy."

 

[Xelebes]

You guys are not gonna get the long-standing joke... but I thought this pic would fit so nicely here.