007's Quantum Leap

The 22nd chapter of the James Bond saga was announced today — Quantum of Solace. I'm not so crazy about the title, but it still beats Octopussy.

Already there are complaints of the "worst title ever" variety, by people who suffer under the delusion that they titles are usually masterpieces. Take a look, there are as many hits as misses.

Co-producer Michael Wilson told the BBC that the name had only been decided upon a few days ago, so I don't know if this poster is real or not, but I like the look, so there it is.

The title is in reference to the last remaining element in a relationship after love has died, before the inevitable split. Daniel Craig told reporters that author Ian Fleming defined a quantum of solace — it means, roughly, a measure of comfort — as "that spark of niceness in a relationship that if you don't have, you might as well give up."

The film begins "literally an hour after the last film left off," says Wilson. "We thought it was an intriguing title and referenced what happened to Bond and what is happening in the film." Quantum finds 007 learning more about his betrayal by Vesper Lynd and lookin for some payback. "He had his heart broken at the end of the last movie and that certainly is a spur for him in this one," added Craig.

"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't revenge in his heart. But it's more than that. That spurs him on, but that's not what the movie is. It's not a revenge movie. It's about him figuring a few things out."

Hopefully not. The last revenge-based Bond, Licence to Kill, was a disaster. A Bond out to murder, overrun by his emotions, was so out of characters. Of course it could have had something to do with the unloved Timothy Dalton too.

The relaunch of of the Bond franchise with Craig in 2006's Casino Royale was a stunning success, as the producers took a character and an film icon that was growing long in the tooth and dragged him into the new century by returning to his past. The film was darker and less gadget obsessed, having more in common with the stunning Bourne series than the preceding installment, Die Another Day. Hopefully lightning can strike twice — we'll know in 10 months.

Nobody Does It Better

James Bond is dead. Long live the new James Bond. After a couple of years of waiting (and gnashing of teeth by some petulant, stuck-in the-past fans), Daniel Craig, the new face of 007 has made it to the big screen and truly brought the legendary franchise into the 21st century, by stripping him down to the basics in order to rebuild him.

When Pierce Brosnan was unceremoniously dumped as the world’s most famous spy, I was not happy. Brosnan hewed most closely to the Bond I was introduced to – early ‘70s Roger Moore, and managed the role with more swagger and fewer quips. But once he was gone the realization set in that the franchise had, despite raking in record box office takes, had lost its already tenuous grip on reality. The stories and villains had spiraled out of control, as has the gadgets and miraculous escapes. While these were the essential elements of every Bond movie I had grown up with, the films now bore more of a resemblance to Goldmember than Goldfinger.

The release of The Bourne Identity in the same year as Die Another Day set the bar higher for any spy film that was to follow. Compared to Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, Commander Bond looked soft and effete. Bourne could beat someone half to death with a rolled up magazine, while Bond was rolling about in an invisible car. It was hard not acknowledge that the torch had been passed.

That didn’t mean that it was time for James to slip quietly into the night though, and the producers recognized it. They returned to 007 creator Ian Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale, and hired a relatively unknown actor for the role, eschewing the A-listers circling the part. And the results are a fantastic success. Craig plays a much harder Bond, disassociating himself from what he does with arrogance instead of smarmy one-liners. He’s rough around the edges and less than infallible. He makes mistakes and is more than willing to get his hands dirty – dispatching bad guys up close and bloodily personal. Craig comes across as leaner, meaner and far more believable because of it.

The film even deals with one of the most improbable aspects of a secret agent – the fact that he tells everyone his name. It is one of many nods to the character’s long lineage, from the vodka martini to the Aston Martin and a reinterpretation of a famous scene from Dr. No. This Bond film hasn’t forgotten where it came from, but nor is it tied down by history – jettisoning Q, gadgets and Miss Moneypenny, at least for now. The critics that were up in arms with the choice of Craig as the new face of 007 have been silenced.

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Pop Culture Lobbyists

It probably would have gone straight to video or at least died a quick death during the August cinema doldrums, but because of the rabid interest of fans on the web, Snakes on a Plane is well on its way to becoming a cult classic.

The film has been floating around Hollywood since 2000 and has since been the subject of fan art, trailer mashups, shirts and blogs, a phenomenon of its own. Interest in the movie has encouraged the studio to shoot more scenes, adding more deaths, nudity and, of course, snakes to the film. It’s called Snakes on a Plane, what else could you expect? Also on tap will be Samuel L. Jackson yelling: "I want these motherf**king snakes off the motherf**king plane!"

Jackson stars as an FBI agent who has to fight a planeload of snakes unleashed by an assassin bent on killing a witness in protective custody. "That's the only reason I took the job: I read the title. You either want to see that, or you don't," Jackson has said of the film. Collinder.com agrees, stating that maybe fans just want what they want, ironic or not.

Not all fans are quite so lucky. Depite much whiney resistance to new 007 Daniel Craig by fan groups such as the Craignotbond site, the blonde Bond has been signed on to a second round, once Casino Royale wraps.

Some have vowed not to see any Bond film starring Craig, despite there having been little footage to base their opinion of his work on. So here we have two films with intense online interest and it will be intriguing to see which group will impact the box office more.

Licence to Whine

Daniel Craig just can’t catch a break. After a huge search to find a new James Bond, the iconic British spy, the actor got the nod.

It’s a huge role, vaulting any actor who snags it into the international spotlight. You’d think it would be a time to celebrate, foregoing the shaken martinis and cracking open the champagne.

And perhaps he is, but there is some serious opposition to the “blonde Bond.” A group of 007 fans is seriously unhappy with the choice.

"How can a short, blond actor with the rough face of a professional boxer and a penchant for playing killers, cranks, cads and gigolos pull off the role of a tall, dark, handsome and suave secret agent?" asks the site CraigNotBond.com.

The complainers are calling for a boycott of any film with Craig in it and are calling for Pierce Brosnan to be reinstated. I agree that Brosnan was an excellent Bond and he did get unceremoniously pushed out of the role, I also understand what the producers are doing.

Casino Royale is meant to hark back to a younger, harder Bond of the Ian Flemming novels, a more youthful, realistic and cold character, a la Jason Bourne. They are reinventing the franchise by returning to the origins of the character, much like Batman has recently done. It’s a good idea.


The petitioners don’t appear to be complaining about this, just about he physical appearance of Craig, which is a fantastically superficial complaint. They also say there have been five great Bonds. Anyone who says George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton were great Bonds are clearly dillusional.

Previous Bond posts:
Royale Flush
My Gossip Runneth Over
Shaken and Stirred
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
The Bond is Dead, Long Live the Bond

Shaken and Stirred

I'd been talking about the future of the James Bond franchise with a couple of friends yesterday and then stumbled across this shot from Casino Royale of Daniel Craig as the new 007 and had to share.

As those who have read me before are aware, I'm a bit of a Bond junkie. We were talking about what needs to change to keep the series fresh, and what should never be touched. You can't touch the theme music, the opening shot through the barrel of the gun, or Bond's nationality. But after that, it's pretty much fair game.

The Bourne series has set the current bar for super spies and the 007 films could use a little of that hard-nosed, can-do, quiet intensity. Die Another Day went some of the distance, showing a Bond that wasn't infallible or unrumpled. I hope they continue, lest the quips and double entendres turn the series into Austin Powers-lite.

And choosing Casino Royale seems to indicate that they are serious. This was Ian Flemmings first Bond novel so it appears the producers are looking at their roots. As part of that, the characters of Q and Moneypenny won't be in the next film as they weren't in the book, according to bondmovies.com.

The film will also deal with "...a lot of 'embryonic stuff' about why Bond prefers his martini 'shaken, not stirred,' and why he favors the Aston Martin sports car." So it looks like they are going the route most recently taken by Batman Begins and reinventing an overly familiar figure. I can't wait.