COOL STUFF
Bond Week: Fan Fueled Survey Results to Argue Over!
by Alex Billington
November 12, 2008
Source: Fandango
As a Bond fan myself, I know how frustrating it is to get caught up in long arguments with fellow Bond fans over who the best James Bond actor is (Roger Moore) or which Bond movies are the best (The Man with the Golden Gun). Thankfully we've been given some different fodder to fight over today courtesy of Fandango, who surveyed roughly 1,000 Quantum of Solace moviegoers recently about the Bond franchise. They chose some rather interesting questions to ask, like the most outrageous character name for a Bond girl, the most confusing title for a Bond movie, or the most terrifying villain or henchman in a Bond movie. Luckily we have the exclusive results to share - and argue over for hours on end!
To kick things off, they asked the respondents if it was the edgier Bond, played by Daniel Craig, that interested them in seeing Quantum of Solace. 78% of them said it was; 18% said they're not sure; and 4% said they're less interested because of him. In a separate question, 61% of the respondents said that they do not miss the corny gadgets and campy one-liners of the old Bond franchise (while 39% do miss them). Very interesting results so far, but nothing too out of the ordinary. We can't forget that these results come from a small group of fans who bought their tickets quite a few days in advance - so that obviously makes them a bit biased towards Quantum of Solace and this newest iteration of James Bond.
» Moving on to the juicer results, the next question was: What was the most confusing title for a James Bond movie? Ironically, the top result was Quantum of Solace, at 35%; Octopussy at 26%; Moonraker at 12%; The Living Daylights at 8%; Tomorrow Never Dies at 6%; A View to a Kill at 5%; and The World is Not Enough at 4%. It's hard to really justify these answers, because if you ask someone who doesn't know James Bond what the words "Octopussy" and "Moonraker" mean, of course they won't know. But that's what makes this Bond franchise so fun - these titles are very unique to the story. And a lot of them come from Ian Fleming's actual novels.
» The next question was: What was the most outrageous name for a Bond girl? Of course almost everyone probably knows the top result for this - Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger) at 53%. Following that was Octopussy (from Octopussy) at 17%; Xenia Onatopp (from GoldenEye) at 12%; Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker) at 6%; and Plenty O'Toole (from Diamonds Are Forever) at 4%. No arguments here, but then again, I never thought any of the Bond girl names were outrageous - I always love them!
» Lastly, the question that left me the most aggravated was: Who was the least terrifying villain or henchman in a Bond movie? The top result here was Elliot Carver (from Tomorrow Never Dies) at 21%, a rather appropriate choice this time. Following that was Nick Nack (from The Man with the Golden Gun) at 17%; Scaramanga (from The Man with the Golden Gun) at 11%; Mr. Wint and Mr. Kid (from Diamonds Are Forever) at 11%; May Day (from A View to a Kill) at 11%; Jaws (from The Spy Who Loved Me / Moonraker) at 10%; and Zorin (from A View to a Kill) at 9%. I will agree with them on anyone from A View to a Kill and Mr. Wint and Mr. Kid, but Scaramanga and Jaws? Are they out of their mind?!
First off, every real Bond fans knows that Jaws is a badass. I don't care if all he really did was "threaten" him or bite through a gondola cable, how can you say a 7 foot tall man with jaws made of metal isn't terrifying?! Moving onto Scaramanga from one of my all-time favorite Bond films, The Man with the Golden Gun, he is literally the only villain in Bond history that could match Bond's abilities with the gun - and he actually challenged him to a duel (but later got killed in his trippy maze). Scaramanga, played fantastically by Christopher Lee, may not exactly look terrifying, but his ability to kill certainly was. Even if you didn't like the Golden Gun movie that much, I'm not sure how you could think otherwise.
What do you think about these results? Do the top choices make sense to you?
19 Comments
2
Questions and REAL Answers What was the most confusing title for a James Bond movie? - C'mon - OCTOPUSSY - WTF is that? Some kind of multi-tentacled cat? Or sex organ? or...crud...who knows? What was the most outrageous name for a Bond girl? - Well. I think they got this one right.. Pussy Galore is pretty outrageous, but I still think Plenty O'toole is a little worrisome... Who was the least terrifying villain or henchman in a Bond movie? - I can't answer this. but I know who was the MOST badass!! Jaws. Best Villain ever... Someone get us some questions that are worth answering...
fouristhenewone on Nov 12, 2008
3
There are only four legitimate Bonds. They are Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and now Daniel Craig. Lazenby only did one and Timothy Dalton was no good at all, so they don't factor in. Of those four I mentioned I would rank them in this order: 1. Sean Connery 2. Pierce Brosnan 3. Roger Moore... ...I'm not placing Daniel Craig yet, as he has only appeared in one released Bond film. However, if he continues along the course he set in Casino Royale, he should vault to second place this weekend. I always thought Roger Moore's Bond was a bit of a goof. He was the Saturday morning cartoon Bond. Sean Connery was the original. He put the stamp on the character; and Pierce Brosnan brought the franchise back to respectability, after the whole Dalton fiasco... Looking forward to Quantum of Solace.
Dave Lister, JMC on Nov 12, 2008
4
@3, I agree with you completely. And, having seen most of Quantum of Solace, I did insert Daniel Craig into the #2 spot. So: 1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Moore . . . n. Dalton & Lazenby
Reverend on Nov 12, 2008
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You know, with all the excitement over Bond & QoS, I just couldn't lay out my real enthusiasm for this franchise. Hats off to Dave Lister, you nailed many of my thoughts and feelings for Bond and for Daniel Craig. I wanna bring my kids to watch QoS, like my Dad did for me & my brother when we were kids .... but i find the fight scenes to realistic and brutal for youngsters. For those of you who have been in a fight, .... these fight scenes are as realistic as they can get. Just like in the Bourne movies. Anyways, I think the only thing so far that Daniel Craig has outdone the other Bonds, is his full commitment to doing the fight scenes and stunts. He's really one mean machine. Not that Sean Connery wasn't. Yes, Moore was a bit Goofy. Christmas Jones is a silly bond girl name for me.
Shawn Gregory on Nov 12, 2008
6
C'mon Alex...True Bond Fan?? Jaws wasn't in For Your Eyes Only, it was The Spy who Loved Me and Moonraker!! Roger Moore as the best bond and Man with the Golden Gun as the best villain!!! No way in a million years!! Best Bonds; Dalton Connery Craig Brosnon Lazenby Moore Dalton, Connery and Craig all played him as a cold blooded killer, Lazenby was good, but even Moore says he played it for laughs with his comic campy gags, ironically my favorit film is For Your Eyes Only, with Moore doing an excellent job, this is the film he hates the most as it's too violent and close to the killer of the books and connery films, surely that tells you that he was the worst one, straight from the horses mouth!!! fouristhenewone - any bond fan would know that the title Octopussy comes from a) the film the name of the main bond girl b) the book the name of the majors pet octopus!! How the hell was badass??? Has everyone forgottent he sudden U turn he takes in Moonraker?? He has the potential and his presence is great when first introduced but as with most Moore villains he becomes too comical, dropping rocks on his feet!! WTF??? Don't understand the problem with Dalton, he portrayed the character the same way Craig has, by going back to the source material and showing the true colours of the character, a cold blooded killer who relies on his skill and training and not some far fetched gadget that shoots darts at the flick of a wrist, or capsule that fill people with air and then blow them up!! C'mon there's suspension of disbelief then there's the camp Moore films!!! The stories were good the acting was great, fantastic set pieces and the story and characters were believable, especially Robert Davi as Sanchez he was ten times the villain Jaws was!
Paul on Nov 13, 2008
7
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You could say though that Craig isn't a good bond as all he is doing is referenceing all the others going before him!! What did Moore bring to the role? He avoided the martini and opted for bourban to distance himself from the connery/book bonds, he added more UNNECESSARY humour, he spy relied far to much on gadgets and in short wasn't believable as a spy with a licence to kill!! Dalton's run was cut short by a stupid lapse in copyright issues and not due to his acting ability, a third film was wrote and pre-production started before someone said hang on a mo, we no longer have the rights to james bond!! By the time that was sorted, 1992, he was out of contract, hence the hiring of Brosnan!! Licence to Kill also suffered due to marketing problems, Americans spelling licence incorrectly and the original title Licence Revoked caused problems as a vast majority of the americans surveyed had no idea what revoked meant!! See I grew up with Moore as well, and yes as a child I prefered him, but now as an adult who understand what the films are/should be about I can appreciate that as a child I was wrong.... spectacularly so!! Back to the point at hand, how are Scaramanga and Jaws badass???? Explain! Scaramanga relied on cheap tricks, and although a crack shot wasn't much of a villain, how was he better then say Red Grant? Or Sanchez? Or even 006? Ruthless killers!! And as for Jaws, he quickly became very comical and completely incompetant! As henchmen go surely Oddjob was better, Benicio Del Torro in Licence To Kill was a great henchman, truely brutal and again not some comical sidekick there for a laugh!! As far as A View To A Kill goes, another cracking example of a poor bond performance, Yes May Day sucked, but given a better script/story Walken's Zorin would be a great villain, especially with his back story as it's a good example of a complete and utter psychopathic nutter!! Moore Sucks!!
Paul on Nov 13, 2008
9
Yeah, I never felt Moore, either. But I'd have to say Dalton played the role to the core, but I grew up with Brosnan so of course I see his image as the most groundbreaking I guess. Plus, I just think Bond (hell anybody from my generation) recognizes what Pierce put forward from Goldeneye until Die Another Day. Despite if they were groundbreaking as films or not. Hell, even the games produced helped. Like Everything or Nothing. Tell me that wasn't good Bond imagery. Either way. I find Moore way too comical and something doesn't strike me about Craig. Not sure yet. I'm indifferent about him so far. But that's just me.
Mike on Nov 13, 2008
10
fun fact: "the world is not enough" is actually the Bond family motto. it's actually "orbis non sufficit" in latin. its from the novel on her majesty's secret service. i figured some die hard fans might know this and might realize it's not such a silly name for a movie given it's history.
Zach on Nov 13, 2008
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Zach. tis true, they use that in the OHMSS film as well. The reason it's there is because Flemming was som impressed with Connerys Bond he decided to give him Scottish ancestary!
Paul on Nov 13, 2008
12
I never understood why "I grew up with Moore" made Roger a contender for best Bond now that we've had 3 since those flicks. I grew up with Adam West, but that don't make him a top pick for Batman. And Dalton is one of the top Bonds. License to Kill was a solid Action flick, not just a great continuation of the series. Living Daylights was good as well. It was great if you consider Saggy McMoore previously in View to a Kill. Pussiest Bond henchman or villain? Dr Kaufman from Tomorrow Never Dies. I love Vincent Schiavelli but he was just goofy in that scene with Lois Lane. Best Villian? I'm gonna stick with my Dalton and say Robert Davi as Sanchez. Dude blew up a man's head. Harsh. Other than that, I agree. Pussy Galore, check. Quantum of Solace, check. Gotta go rewatch Casino Royale again.
ScottyR on Nov 13, 2008
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I hope i was dreaming when i read Roger Moore's name after the Who's the Best James Bond in the article. His movies reminded me of a 8th grader trying to get laid for the first time. If i had to pick the best Bond i would take the charm of Pierce Brosnan, the fierceness of Daniel Craig and put it into Sean Connery. I grew up with Pierce Brosnan. But after seeing the other Bond movies i was able to let go of my childhood leanings and admit that while Pierce Brosnan had the charm, Sean Connery was the best all around Bond. If i want a cheesy pick up line ill watch a Roger Moore bond flick. I did really like the Spy Who Loved Me so his career wasnt a horrible waste. But the i grew up with him excuse isnt enough for me to say that Pierce was the best Bond. I personally like Goldfinger as a villian. Jaws was more of a henchmen as was Oddjob but both were very entertaining. As a bond girl my favorite has always been Christmas Jones but i can understand that im probably the only one.
Chris on Nov 13, 2008
14
Paul, and the other 2 Dalton fans in the world, It seems like everyone forgot the only reason Dalton made it as the next Bond after Moore was because Brosnon was hung up in contract issues with NBC and their psuedo Bond rip off Remmington Steele. I was quite young but remember the hype about how Pierce would be the perfect replacement for the aging Moore as he would continue the "goofy" one liners that Bond movie-goers enjoyed in those days. Alas Bronson had to wait many years (not sure exactly how many) for the show to hit sindication before he could persue any "Bond type character". I recall this being a huge fight between the Brosnon and the Network execs. I thought Dalton, though less "silly" than Moore, too sappy and soft to be considered a true killer spy. I definitely like the grittier, hard ass Bonds. That being said, Pierce didn't hit that for me until Die Another Day when he came out of the prison camp and contiued on with a vengeful attitude.
Ger on Nov 13, 2008
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Yeah, I totally disagree with that villain question. How could they say Elliott Carver? Did they ask a bunch of 18 year olds. In my opinion that was the worst villain, and one of the worst Bond films. I thought the guy from Moonraker did a great job.
Lefthanded on Nov 13, 2008
16
There are two things I don't agree with. The first being Scaramanga as LEAST intimidating villain. He blows away all other villains in my opinion. Christopher Lee is intimidating in anything he plays, especially as a deadly and accurate assassin. As for the most outrageous Bond girl name, she may have had a tiny part, but doesn't anyone remember Penelope Smallbone, the assistant to Moneypenny?
Colca on Nov 13, 2008
17
Ger, ..... you meant Brosnan. You typed - ...'Alas Bronson had to wait many years ...' Elliott Carver wasn't menacing at all. He was like a little boy given his first 'Battleship' game. He never had anything smart to say. Probably the script was weak. Bet Bond movies for me - "You Only Live Twice", "The Spy Who Loved Me", "Goldeneye", "Die Another Day" & "Casino Royale".
Shawn Gregory on Nov 13, 2008
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Ger, you're forgetting that Dalton was asked to play bond as early as OHMSS, to replace Connery but he said he thought he was too young for the character, long before Brosnan was considered, and also before Moore was as well. You have to remember that although Moore was an original contender for the role the producers felt Connery was getting too old by YOLT and Moore is actually older!! Dalton was approached for Live and Let Die, turned it down for the same reason and they then asked Moore, after three films they wanted to replace Moore, and they approached him with the script for For Your Eyes Only (you can see they wanted a new direction as it's a grittier Bond, good story etc.) but decided to go with Moonraker to cash in on the whole space themed films popular at the time. Dalton rejected Moonraker as the story was going in the complete opposite direction to one he wanted to take the character. Moore stayed on and agreed to do FYEO as well. Dalton was considered for Octopussy but again declined as the script and story were poor. Once Moore decided to retire Dalton was again approached for The Living Daylights and accepted as he felt the character was more in line with Connery's bond but more importantly in line with Flemmings vision of the spy, he also felt he was now the right age. Et voila, one of the best Bonds, go back to the films re-watch them and you'll see they are two of the most solid films of the franchise, I'd love to see the script for what would have been his third outing, Property Of A Lady, but alas the script is rare and very hard to find!
Paul on Nov 13, 2008
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Most outrageous Bond Girl name: Qu Mi (pronouced: Chew Me) from TMWTGG.
Richard on Nov 21, 2008
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