James Bond series

[Tony Stark]

While I would typically be hesitant about a composer coming in this late in the game, I've basically loved all of Zimmer's work so I trust this is in good hands. My excitement for this movie has just gone up a level with him on board.

Me and my brothers as well. We didn't think we could get more hyped.

[Enigma]

I've never heard of her so I'm struggling to get excited

[Enigma]

I thought that I would have a listen to some of her music. Oh dear, this is a move that does not excite me. I really didn’t like any of what I listened to... This saddens me because the main track is a key thing for me in Bond films do I’m hoping that she will shock me.

[ChrisIII]

I'm wondering if Zimmer will have his own version of the Bond theme. Although Thomas Newman scored the last two films, he pretty much just used the David Arnold version of the theme from Casino Royale and didn't really change anything.

[Jack Parker]

I thought that I would have a listen to some of her music. Oh dear, this is a move that does not excite me. I really didn’t like any of what I listened to... This saddens me because the main track is a key thing for me in Bond films do I’m hoping that she will shock me.

From the couple of her songs I've heard, I think she decent. That said, nothing about her or her songs says Bond to me so I'm kind of curious why they hired her beyond the fact that she is a popular name right now. I have really liked three of the four main Bond themes from the Craig films, so I'm willing to give her a chance.

[Jack Parker]

I'm wondering if Zimmer will have his own version of the Bond theme. Although Thomas Newman scored the last two films, he pretty much just used the David Arnold version of the theme from Casino Royale and didn't really change anything.

I'm hoping that Zimmer puts his own spin on the Bond theme. He is one of my favorite current composers, so I would be a bit disappointed if he is essentially just recycling another composer's version of the theme.

[Enigma]

There is an interesting discussion about the Zimmer announcement on James Bond Radio.

[Jack Parker]

I just listened to that episode. I agree with them that I wouldn't be surprised if Zimmer had someone assisting him with composing the theme considering how busy he is this year and the limited amount of time he has (I had no idea he was composing music for Wonder Woman 1984 as well). I don't mind if he has assistance as long as it feels like a Zimmer piece if that makes sense. I kind of disagree with them that I want something that feels very traditionally Bond from Zimmer. While I don't want something that would feel like it belongs more in Guardians of the Galaxy for example, I feel like the Craig movies have been at their best when they avoid just repeating the same traditional beats previous Bond films have.

[Enigma]

I do like traditional Bond, but Craig's Bond is deliberately modern and I don't have an issue with them doing something out of the traditional Bond cast. That said, I'm still keen on their choice of vocals for the theme...

[ChrisIII]

I'm surprised Michael Giannocho has never been asked. His Incredibles soundtrack practically is in particular Bondish.

[Jack Parker]

Heineken has started their promotion for No Time to Die by releasing another Bond related commercial. While don't really like drinking Heineken, their Bond commercials usually amuse me a lot. I thought this was another fun little commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXUJY78RMRQ

[Enigma]

Heineken has started their promotion for No Time to Die by releasing another Bond related commercial. While don't really like drinking Heineken, their Bond commercials usually amuse me a lot. I thought this was another fun little commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXUJY78RMRQ

Not bad

[Enigma]

I read 'Solo'. This interested me for a few reasons. It's very much based on book Bond and Boyd even references that it strictly follows the origins given by Fleming. It involves Bond going rogue essentially, which to me is very interesting. Also, it begins with Bond celebrating his 45th birthday, which as per Fleming (Boyd is specific about following Fleming), means that he should be facing mandatory retirement but by the end it is clear that this isn't happening. Faulkes and Gardner have both ignored this rule too, which I personally am not keen on. A role change I could accept.

The actual concept of the novel is really nice in my opinion (not going to spoil it), involving an African civil war with things not as they initially seem. However, the ending is a bit anti-climactic given that I so enjoyed the meat of it. Also, there is a character that Bond is involved with early in the book and at the end (very slightly in the middle) who literally serves no purpose other than somebody for Bond to steal a passport from and as a way for him to decide 'no more women for me, too dangerous'. She gets a fairly good amount of the book dedicated to her arc and it means nothing, so that was weird. Bond's personality is all much closer to being a respectable man around women (not a bad thing) and he is (mostly) less violent than Fleming's depiction, which I guess is attributable to his age in this book. It follows the Fleming timeline, so 1969. All in all, I think this could have been a great Bond novel, but the two issues mentioned ruined it for me to be honest.

[ChrisIII]

I've been rewatching the movies before No Time To Die. It's very interesting how the adaptations differ and yet are similar. For example, in the Dr.No novel the reason Bond gets a new gun is that the other gun jammed during From Russia With Love, which in novel continuity takes place before-and in that novel, Bond was nearly killed with the poison shoe. The Dr.No movie alludes to a similar incident. When From Russia With Love the movie rolls around, obviously it takes place *after* Dr.No so the adapted incident has a different outcome-Tatiana is present, for one, and shoots Klebb, so Bond gets to spend the end of the movie on a nice Venice boat ride instead of lapsing into unconsciousness with only Mathis arriving in the nick of time to save him at the last minute.

So there's some pre-Dr.No mission in The Dr.No-Die Another Day film canon, which had near-fatal consequences for Bond because of a gun jam, just not the Lektor inciddent.


Also M in the novel figures that Strangways just ran off with the secretary (Something Dent, in the movie, brings up and unintentionally is a clue to his involvement for Bond) and sees the mission as a relaxing one for Bond to go back into action, while M in the movie is dead serious about his missing agent.

[Jack Parker]

I read 'Solo'. This interested me for a few reasons. It's very much based on book Bond and Boyd even references that it strictly follows the origins given by Fleming. It involves Bond going rogue essentially, which to me is very interesting. Also, it begins with Bond celebrating his 45th birthday, which as per Fleming (Boyd is specific about following Fleming), means that he should be facing mandatory retirement but by the end it is clear that this isn't happening. Faulkes and Gardner have both ignored this rule too, which I personally am not keen on. A role change I could accept.

The actual concept of the novel is really nice in my opinion (not going to spoil it), involving an African civil war with things not as they initially seem. However, the ending is a bit anti-climactic given that I so enjoyed the meat of it. Also, there is a character that Bond is involved with early in the book and at the end (very slightly in the middle) who literally serves no purpose other than somebody for Bond to steal a passport from and as a way for him to decide 'no more women for me, too dangerous'. She gets a fairly good amount of the book dedicated to her arc and it means nothing, so that was weird. Bond's personality is all much closer to being a respectable man around women (not a bad thing) and he is (mostly) less violent than Fleming's depiction, which I guess is attributable to his age in this book. It follows the Fleming timeline, so 1969. All in all, I think this could have been a great Bond novel, but the two issues mentioned ruined it for me to be honest.

Solo has been on my list on Bond novels to read for some time due to hearing about how strictly it tries to stick to Fleming's lore. Its disappointing to hear that it ends up being a let down. I would like to see a Bond novel focus on Bond having to deal with a forced retirement as I feel like it would go along well with Fleming's novels and Bond in other media reflecting on Bond being obsolete, which I know has been touched on in some of the Bronson and Craig films. Would you be on board with Boyd taking another crack at Bond in the future or do you feel like this novel soured that possibility for you?