Home Media Magazine - Agent DVD - July 2008 - (Page DVD9) *ACTIONFILES >> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Licence Renewed In the early 1990s, Tom Clancy’s technothrillers Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and Present Danger (1994), and James Cameron’s 1994 Bond tribute True Lies proved there would be room for a Bond-type hero after the Cold War. “Some people called True Lies the best Bond movie never made,” Pfeiffer says. “It caught the spirit of the early Bonds.” By 1993 the litigation over the Bond rights had ended. Dalton stepped down, so producers hired Pierce Brosnan, whose role on TV’s “Remington Steele” had prevented him from becoming Bond in 1986. Brosnan would play Bond for four films, beginning with Goldeneye in 1995. “They made Bond hip and cool again,” Pfeiffer says. “Artistically, however, the films suffered. They began to look like video games, with too many car chases and explosions.” Michael Bay’s The Rock in 1996 offered a bit of nostalgia with Connery as an aging British agent tapped to fight terrorists on Alcatraz Island. In 1997, audiences were treated to the first of three “Austin Powers” movies, which poked fun at many of Bond’s stalwart clichés, such as elaborate death traps, overly chatty villains and massive secret lairs. “They respect the original material but really exploit the absurdness of it,” Rubin says. “Bond movies are always ripe for parody, but it has to be an outrageous parody.” Brosnan’s films also had to compete with some serious thrillers. Universal’s The Bourne Identity (2002), starring Matt Damon and based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, kicked off a trilogy that includes The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). The latter film, with $227 million at the U.S. box office, is the highestgrossing spy film of all time. Also in 2002, XXX took delight in targeting Bond, but was beaten at the box office by Die Another Day, the 20th Eon film. Pfeiffer points out, though, that Die Another Day was too reliant on computer effects. While many thrillers, such as 2007’s Shoot ’Em Up, relied on CGI, the hallmark of the Bond films had always been live stuntwork. Full Circle In 1999, MGM acquired the rights to Casino Royale from Sony Pictures in a trade for the film rights to Spider-Man. MGM and Eon moved to reboot the series with an official adaptation of Fleming’s original Bond novel, with Daniel Craig as Bond. With performances in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Archangel (2005) and Spielberg’s Munich (2005), Craig had certainly demonstrated he had the edge and charisma to play Bond. “Casino Royale was the most exciting event in Bond history since the release of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” Rubin says. “Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond since the early days of Sean Connery.” For comparison, Pfeiffer advises checking out some of the earlier films on DVD. “Look at From Russia With Love,” Pfeiffer says. “Skip the 1970s. Everything in between is so far removed from Daniel Craig’s version.” Craig’s run continues this November with the 22nd Eon Bond, Quantum of Solace, which takes Ranking the Bonds The Actors 1 SEAN CONNERY 2 DANIEL CRAIG 3 PIERCE BROSNAN 4 ROGER MOORE 5 TIMOTHY DALTON 6 GEORGE LAZENBY The Films 1 GOLDFINGER (1964) 2 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963) 3 ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (1969) 4 CASINO ROYALE (2006) 5 OCTOPUSSY (1983) its unusual title from a Fleming short story. “It shows a real reverence for Ian Fleming,” Pfeiffer says, “Not many franchises have that kind of respect for the audience.” Quantum of Solace also is Bond’s first direct sequel, picking up where Casino Royale left off. It’s just the latest example of the franchise staying relevant while other series have run their course. “For the 40th anniversary of Thunderball, I read a newspaper column that stated Bond was through,” Pfeiffer says. “It was from the New York Times in 1965. People have been writing this series off for much of the last half-century, and it’s still going strong.” AGENTDVD THE EON BONDS THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH DIE ANOTHER DAY CASINO ROYALE 1999 Brosnan shines in his third outing, although the main story involving Eurasian oil shipments leaves a little to be desired. The main distraction is the miscasting of Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist. Sophie Marceau ranks among the sexiest of Bond Girls, especially when revealed to be the main villain. 2002 The film lacks any dramatic weight, but it’s a lot of fun if only because Brosnan is enjoying himself. However, Halle Berry is wooden as a rival agent, and too much CGI ruins many of the action scenes. The film celebrates the 40th anniversary of the franchise, and its status as the 20th movie, with many subtle nods to the earlier films. 2006 Daniel Craig is perfect as Bond in this reboot that begins to explore the events that hardened 007, combining the best of the old series with modern action sensibilities, and several inside jokes. The stunt work, especially a construction site chase with free runner Sébastien Foucan, is amazing. OTHER PRODUCTIONS CASINO ROYALE (TV) CASINO ROYALE NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN 1954 This hour-long episode of “Climax!” starred Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre and Barry Nelson as an American Bond saddled with the ridiculous nickname “Card Sense Jimmy Bond.” It originally aired live and was long thought to be lost. Its historical value makes it worth viewing, if you can track down the complete version. 1967 Anyone who claims to understand this movie is lying. The plot, involving multiple agents named James Bond, is all over the map, with too many starts and stops. Still, David Niven is effective, and the movie manages a few laughs, especially during the zany finale. The DVD includes the incomplete 1954 version. 1983 Connery owns the screen in this Thunderball remake that has some fun depicting an aging Bond growing tired of bureaucracy. On the other hand, it’s too long, scenes without Connery drag, and the lack of Bond-style music is a gaping hole. Barbara Carrera gives a spirited femme fatale performance. Bond: Pierce Brosnan Bond: Pierce Brosnan Bond: Daniel Craig Bond: Barry Nelson Bond: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, et al. Bond: Sean Connery 8 AGENTDVD JULY 2008 AgentDVD.com http://agentdvd.com
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