Drama over the next James Bond

[reanimate]

European to Middle Eastern isn't always a massive stretch. There's a massive amount of phenotypic overlap, especially between South-East Europeans and non-Arab Middle Easterners. E.g. take a look at Assad:

With his blue eyes, light skin etc, if he were introduced to you as John Smith from England, you wouldn't blink twice.

 

[saint.nick]

European to Middle Eastern isn't always a massive stretch. There's a massive amount of phenotypic overlap, especially between South-East Europeans and non-Arab Middle Easterners. E.g. take a look at Assad:

With his blue eyes, light skin etc, if he were introduced to you as John Smith from England, you wouldn't blink twice.

Exactly. Caucasians and Arabs are quite close together on the continuum. It's relatively easy for a Caucasian with darker features to portray a Middle Eastern. It just starts getting silly when you have white guys portraying people like American Indians, who look nothing like Caucasians.

I can see both sides of the argument around the Leo Di Caprio/RDJ issue. In a perfect world, you'd have some Persians or Arabs with the acting chops, but I don't blame the casting director for going with a couple of dudes are who are famously good at what they do and can potentially pass of as Persians with a little make-up. It shouldn't be too hard for Downey Jr especially because he's got very dark features.

 

[Pete Cash]

I dont see why leo cant play the character either. I think playing characters from real life can get dicey but i would judge it on a case by case basis. I probably wouldn't see a movie about obama where he was played by a white guy but id find it pretty ballsy.

See i love the dark tower and im not per se bothered by elba playing roland. However race plays somewhat of a role in the books and i assume all of that will be cut out. Like the movie 21 its not really part of the character that they were asians (cept they are good at maths lol) so whitewashing wasnt as offensive as changing say obama white because his race is a part of his story as the first black president.

I dont think bonds whiteness defines him. Id probably say he is defined by his gender (so id not be a huge fan of a woman bond) and his Britishness (so id rather bond stays a brit). Like mentioned earlier he is the quintessential british gentleman. As is elba.

 

[Misanthrope]

I dont see why leo cant play the character either. I think playing characters from real life can get dicey but i would judge it on a case by case basis. I probably wouldn't see a movie about obama where he was played by a white guy but id find it pretty ballsy.

See i love the dark tower and im not per se bothered by elba playing roland. However race plays somewhat of a role in the books and i assume all of that will be cut out. Like the movie 21 its not really part of the character that they were asians (cept they are good at maths lol) so whitewashing wasnt as offensive as changing say obama white because his race is a part of his story as the first black president.

I dont think bonds whiteness defines him. Id probably say he is defined by his gender (so id not be a huge fan of a woman bond) and his Britishness (so id rather bond stays a brit). Like mentioned earlier he is the quintessential british gentleman. As is elba.

To be honest, there's more cause for outcry at a black Roland than there is at a Black Bond.

Bond's race doesn't really ever come into play as a plot point beyond his nationality (and last I checked, there's plenty of black British), whereas Roland's dynamic with Susan hinges heavily on the fact that she assumes he's another racist white honky.

I assume they'll have her redirect all of that at Eddie, but that only works for so long given where that relationship goes.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Plenty of real people have been played by whites when they weren't IRL. Argo is a great movie but the guy Ben Affleck played is Hispanic IRL. Did that get you in a huff ?

It probably got certain actors in a huff I'll bet as they would have felt that Afleck took away the chan ce for an Hispanic actor to make their mark Same as the hubbub about Chiwetel Ejiofor's casting in The Martian. The character he was playing, Vincent Kapoor, was described in the books as being of Indian-Asian descent and is identified as a hindu. It was one of the few roles in the book that writer Andy Weir spelt out in great detail what the character looked like and their background (mind you WEir had no problem with Ejiofor's casting). The Media Action Network for Asian-Americans criticized the casting of Ejiofor, they said that Asian actors, being under-represented in Hollywood, were deprived of acting opportunities.

 

[The Charlatan]

I'd almost agree with you, but you'd need to change it to:

Brosnan was a womanizer, carefree, witty, and violent when he needs to be...

Craig was violent, and a womanizer, carefree, and witty very rarely...

I love the Craig Bond, but his interpretation and Brosnan's are wildly different. Brosnan's was all cheesy quips, genuinely smooth pick-ups, and occasional bursts of violence. Bond's is brooding and acidic, rarely makes you laugh, but kicks more ass than Brosnan ever could.

Both great characters and both perfect for the guy in the role, but hardly 'the same'.



Would saint.nick be okay with a German(/Irish) Bond? :sarcasm:

I felt that Craig's Bond was more raw, as evidenced in Casino Royale where he attains his double-0 status. He's fresh, relatively new to the game. More of a blunt instrument if you will. Brosnan's Bond is gadget savvy and doesn't get his hands as dirty.

Not concerned about a black Bond, there's been small variants between the Bonds over the years. Not fussed as to what they do in regard to the characters skin colour. As long as the character development doesn't suffer I am not fussed.

 

[shiznit]

I agree with your sentiments on Craig's Bond.... I think you put it well where you said he was more of a blunt instrument...

I liked the direction Craigs Bond was headed... A physically tougher and gritty Bond... Which is more realistic to what he would be like if it were non-fiction... There's also a vulnerability he brought to the character which also brings him into line with reality...

He can still be the suave, dashing, womaniser but also be capable of brutally killing a bunch of trained assassins with his bare hands... Which if I'm honest I really find a hard time picturing Brosnan doing...

I haven't read the books... But from what I've been told by people who have read them was that Flemings Bond was more of a Brosnan then a Craig...

But if we're honest... Fleming wrote those books over 50-60 years ago... So a lot of what Fleming wanted in Bond just doesn't appeal to what viewers want these days... And realisim is a huge factor.

I love Huddleston as an actor... I think he's great... But I just think he would be a step back for the character... Which would be disappointing and could well hurt them...

 

[Game_Breaker]

Also, it doesn't look like Hiddleston can win a fight. I can't buy him as Bond

 

[Danish]

Also, it doesn't look like Hiddleston can win a fight. I can't buy him as Bond

How many fights does bond even win? Guy gets his ass kicked in every one of his movies, only to be saved by a conveniently placed blunt object or weapon within reaching distance, a gadget, an environmental fluke (ice breaking, building collapsing) or love interest bailing him out.

Bond sucks at straight up hand to hand combat

 

[saint.nick]

I can't imagine Hiddlestone as Bond either.

 

[shiznit]

Also, it doesn't look like Hiddleston can win a fight. I can't buy him as Bond

Yeah which is why I see it as a step back...

I know he probably doesn't quite look the part but I always wondered why Tom Hardy wasn't considered...

He's probably more a Bond villain than Bond himself but I like him a hell of a lot.... Huddleston would be a good villain also...

Christian Bale???

 

[The Charlatan]

Bale? Yuck...

 

[elyod138]

Bale would make a great bond, it's not a good use of his talents though, he already wasted away in 3 Batman movies with little to do. He'd make a great Bond villain too, I loved him as the bad guy in Shaft.

 

[shiznit]

If it has to be a white dude... Tom Hardy's the guy I reckon...

I think he's got great acting chops... I think he's got the physicality to pull it off... And he scrubs up well as the gentleman...

 

[Game_Breaker]

I agree he'll make a good Bond, but he doesn't need the Bond franchise, it's too much of a commitment.

 

[elyod138]

Hardy is too pretty I think, Jason Isaacs would be great if he was younger.

 

[shiznit]

Hardy is too pretty I think, Jason Isaacs would be great if he was younger.

Too pretty??

I actually thought Hardy was probably the guy that has the versatility to pull both looks off...

 

[shiznit]

Here we go.... :lol:

 

[God-King Dean]

I'm a massive Tom Hardy fan. Equally pretty, & a hard arse. Probably my favourite actor.

id let him do whatever he wants to me

 

[elyod138]

The beard is hiding his pretty lips.