Amp, even as a fan of Roger Moore, I understand that his silly shenanigans could sometimes go a little too far. But even though he was humorous, he could also be cold-blooded at times. When he shoots Stromberg in cold blood, pushing Drax out into space after shooting him with the dart gun, kicking the car, with Emile Locque trapped in it, down the cliff, are just a few examples of how Moore could be lethal. I actually think Connery and Moore share more similarities than most people think. They could play the part both seriously as well as for laughs. Connery does have some quirky moments that I could easily see Moore pulling off. They were both very universal, in that you could dress them up in silly disguises or put them in bizarre situations, and they could pull it off with such greatness and ease. They both engaged in more fisticuffs rather than shooting at everything. Their Bond films also had similar vibes to them in the types of villains/henchmen they encounter, the secret lairs, gadgets and so on. I would really like to go on in greater detail, but it's going to take far too long. It would probably be better if I would create a thread about that topic.
Anyway, I know that the beginning of Bond was already considered after Roger Moore left. But Albert Broccoli ultimately decided to move forward with contemporary Bond for The Living Daylights, since he felt audiences didn't want to see a Bond who is unsure and just learning his job. Bond falling in love, seeking revenge, being betrayed, having a more emotional side, and so on, are all concepts that were either criticized or failed in the past. So now the producers are trying again to make these things work, and although it may be more acceptable now than before, there are still numerous outcries against it. James Bond became very popular for how he was portrayed in the movies. There have been various movies and television shows that imitate Bond. Most people got into Bond through the films and not the novels, or are aware of the novels but simply like the cinematic Bond better. When you go back to the novels, many people get confused and upset by this sudden and drastic change. This is why I said earlier that there needs to be a balance struck here, because this approach is alienating fans of the older Bonds. If they want to make a more realistic spy thriller, then they should do something similar to For Your Eyes Only, Dr. No, From Russia With Love, or The Living Daylights. Taking away all the various elements of the old formula that made Bond so popular isn't the answer.
Now I understand that every Bond actor gets a certain amount of marketing. But what I don't understand is this sudden push for James Bond to be more closer to the novels. I personally have never heard this much talk about Bond being closer to the novels until Craig came in. Timothy Dalton did this approach long before, and he didn't get that kind of marketing, so why is it suddenly a big deal now? It just seems that they are trying to market these new Bond films as more superior than the older ones. They ended the original series on a bad note, with that intentional farewell party film that was Die Another Day, and then use that as a reason to justify why the old formula is no longer suitable. That's not a very good reason to throw away 40 years of cinematic history, and change a very popular pop-culture icon, in my opinion. After Moonraker, the producers simply took a more down to earth approach with For Your Eyes Only, they didn't reboot the whole series. The same thing should have been done after Die Another Day.
Yes, the Craig films are making lots of money, but just look what came before them. By the end of the Brosnan era, the quality had dropped so low that almost anything would have seemed like an improvement. This is why I said before, if Brosnan's Bond career would have been better than it was, would Craig have had a harder time being accepted with his darker approach to Bond? And judging by the amount of negative feedback Quantum Of Solace received, as well as the numerous complaints I've heard about this reboot, it seems that there are still many people that want the classic style of Bond to be brought back.
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