Bond cancelled

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

IMDb ratings mean nothing, especially when you consider how many movies get voted up or down by people who never saw them or who have silly, meaningless agendas. In the case of The Asylum, a lot of their high ratings apparently come from people who work for them (there are a lot of posters in their forums who only comment on how great Asylum movies are).

That kind of manipulation can only happen with movies that get a very small number of votes. With major movies that draw tens of thousands of votes I find that IMDB ratings are generally a good reflection of public sentiment (although sometimes a film's rating will be inflated when it's just been released and its rating after it's played through home entertainment will give a more accurate reflection).

 

[Samurai8472]

Feels like a Superman Returns situation

 

[Timby]

IMDb ratings mean nothing, especially when you consider how many movies get voted up or down by people who never saw them or who have silly, meaningless agendas. In the case of The Asylum, a lot of their high ratings apparently come from people who work for them (there are a lot of posters in their forums who only comment on how great Asylum movies are).

That kind of manipulation can only happen with movies that get a very small number of votes. With major movies that draw tens of thousands of votes I find that IMDB ratings are generally a good reflection of public sentiment.

Public sentiment is stupid, but it's not so stupid to believe that Pulp Fiction is the fifth-greatest movie of all time.

I think I'd actually vomit on someone who said that to me with a straight face.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Public sentiment is stupid, but it's not so stupid to believe that Pulp Fiction is the fifth-greatest movie of all time.

I've seen quite a few measures of public opinion on the greatest films of all time place Pulp Fiction in the Top 10. You may vehemently disagree, but the IMDB rating does reflect the sort of esteem that the public has for the film.

 

[Kegg]

Shame. Craig was a pretty excellent Bond, and honestly, while Quantum of Solace was a bit of a misfire it was decent enough to watch once.

 

[Rii]

Shame. Craig was a pretty excellent Bond, and honestly, while Quantum of Solace was a bit of a misfire it was decent enough to watch once.

I enjoyed its cynicism. The series has flirted with the notion that the Good Guys aren't quite so good before, but never so blatantly.

Also I think I'm one of about three people who like the theme song.

 

[KB24]

Love Goldeneye, but Brosnan did indeed have half a lousy tenure!

To me, I think ratings and dollars are tough to compare, with inflation and such of course Quantum of Solace is a higher grossing movie and Craig's tenure has big bucks compared to Connery's tenure. I found both Craig's films subpar, but had faith for the next one to get back to traditional Bondness. Oh well. He's just like Dalton now, isn't he?!

I really don't know all the finate MGM/Sony details, and as a viewer, I don't care about the behind the scenes drivel beyond 'yes there's money, it's a go'. How it looks is more affecting, I think. Sony had their piece and made off with some nice dough with this two picture deal, and now they just leave the entire franchise in limbo. Gee, thanks.

What is that Microsoft mode of operation? Conquer and extinguish?

 

[Australis]

Didn't like Tomorrow Never Dies, but liked the other Brosnan films. DO think Craig is slightly better, thanks to the stories.

 

[sidious618]

Feels like a Superman Returns situation

Not really, no.

 

[Brikar99]

Seriously... It's JAMES BOND. Someone needs to step up and make this frickin' happen.

 

[Skywalker]

Seriously... It's JAMES BOND. Someone needs to step up and make this frickin' happen.

Don't worry. James Bond Will Return...

 

[Timby]

How it looks is more affecting, I think. Sony had their piece and made off with some nice dough with this two picture deal, and now they just leave the entire franchise in limbo. Gee, thanks.

This isn't a case of Sony walking away from the Bond franchise. There was a very complicated contract for the production of the Craig series of films. Sony put up 75 percent of the financing (and MGM 25 percent) for Casino Royale. The contract then called for a 50 / 50 split in financing for the next film in the series, which turned out to be Quantum of Solace. The next film in the distribution contract was to be entirely financed by MGM (with MGM, accordingly, no longer splitting revenues with Sony). Sony didn't walk away, nor did it leave anyone in limbo. In fact, Sony has said on multiple occasions that it would like to continue its involvement in the Bond franchise.

Here's the kicker: MGM owns 50 percent of Danjaq, the holding company of the James Bond rights. So Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson can't just shop the movie around to other studios. The only way another studio can take over the next Bond movie is if MGM acquiesces and sells the rights (which it isn't likely to do, not at this point, due to the intransigence of its ownership).

 

[KB24]

Who comes up with all these complicated kickers, Timby? It just seems like everyone in the industry is out to screw everyone else. If I can't make this movie, you never will! Wooohaaaa! Do they honestly think the filming and rights are going to be cheaper if they continue to let this drag out? Oh, this just stinks. What's a viewer to do?

 

[Aragorn]

^ That's how my local government likes to do things. Instead of taking action to repair, remove or create, they want to create a study first to see if a study on the issue is viable. Meanwhile things keep getting more expensive by the year and they just keep twiddling their thumbs.

 

[Hermiod]

Personally, I'd like to see them use this as an opportunity to cut the budget and tell a more interesting story than we've had from the last two movies.

 

[Starkers]

Its a shame if true, Casino Royale was a bit too bloated, and Quantum of Solace a bit too sparse, so I was really hoping Craig's third outing would be just right

I think it's inconcievable that we won't see Bond return, I just fear it won't be Daniel Craig, which is a real shame (and if you'd told me I'd say that when Craig was announced I'd have laughed in your face but he's been bloody brilliant)

Hermiod, I agree on the budget front, be nice if they cut back all the product placement as well. They always claimed they had done and maybe they did, but it felt way more obvious, in CR especially. All those lingering close ups of Bonds Sony Erricson phone, his extended Ford Mondeo advert...even the "rolex, no Omega" conversation between 007 and Vesper (which was clever at least).

I've never understood why Bond films seem so reliant on sponsership when they make shit loads of money!

 

[Hermiod]

Maybe I'm boring and old fashioned, but From Russia With Love is one of my favourite Bond films yet has very little real action aside from the fight in the train and the chase at the end.

The train fight is superbly choreographed, vicious and nasty - but I'll bet it was also cheap to film.

There's no reason why a Bond film, done right, should cost any more than £30m to make with salaries on top of that. They made Cloverfield for £25m and that was a CG-fest!

 

[Starkers]

The trouble is expectation I guess, but I do think its possible to make a damn good action film on a budget. I'd always site the first Transporter film here, a fantastic action film that clearly did not cost a lot to make and, just as clearly, didn't need loads of CG, just some fab car chase work and excellently choreographed fights. I think your budget would have to be at least double Cloverfield's though, and even then...well I'm a bit out of the loop when it comes to film budgets these days.

FRWL is a wonderful film, I just fear how well that kind of spy thriller would go down these days. That said I've recently rewatched OHMSS and its amazing how cool a well staged ski chase can be when you have such a great John Barry soundtrack.

 

[lennier1]

Considering how the movie business is nowadays we'll probably get a reboot of the reboot in a few years anyway.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Considering how the movie business is nowadays we'll probably get a reboot of the reboot in a few years anyway.

Yeah, BOND BEGINS: THE FIRST CLASS, James Bond will be 19 and there'll probably be vampires involved.