...another James Bond pistol rant

[Buzzcook]

Brosnan was a big improvement over Moore, but still not as true to the Bond of Ian Fleming as I had hoped when he was announced for the role.

Ian Fleming wanted David Niven to play Bond.

[MLeake]

David Niven was great at playing light and comedic, but IIRC he was an officer in British commandos. He was deadly. Fleming would have liked him for authenticity, but by the time they were casting "Dr No," Niven was too old.

Edit: Did some checking; Niven was said to have been involved in Phantom and SAS. He would not talk to reporters or biographers about his wartime activities.

[kraigwy]

Bond and the PPK is an icon,

Next you guys will want to see Mat Dillon using a glock.

[JimmyR]

Please remember, the Daniel Craig Trilogy was intened to be early James Bond. The key scene is at the end (SPOILER ALERT)

After the MI6 office is rebuilt, look around. Who is working at the front desk in her NEW job- Munny Penny. Look at the Red Leather on the door, the office. It is the office from the orginal James Bon series. Absolute classic at the end of the newest movies. The PPK was the ideal choice.

[ClydeFrog]

I didn't read all the posts yet but to be fair, the new novel James Bond character packs a Walther PPS .40S&W.

Other novel Bonds have used Glock 19 9x19mm, ASP 9mm(a custom S&W model 39-2) & the Browning Hi Power(P35).

The ASP is slick, Id push for that to be remade or updated in a future Bond film. The Walther PPK .380acp is played out.

CF

[m&p45acp10+1]

One of the points in the books was that Bond spent hours, and countless rounds on the range with the pistol. His previous gun was a .25 ACP Baretta, that in the previos mission to Dr No had jammed. Bond took a few rounds, and bad beating. It left him in the hospital for 6 weeks. M made a statement to that in the first of Dr No.

Eventualy Bond came to like the PPK. He hated to use the supressor. It made the gun balance differnetly, and difficult to hide quickly. Bond preferred the knife for quick silent kills if I remeber it correctly. (Been over 20 years since I read a Bond novel.)

So if he sticks to the PPK it is keeping in theme of Bond. Also Bond was not fond of using the gadgetry. While he was quick to learn most of the things. He was at heart a keep it simple, and low tech kind of guy as well.

[Iron Man]

Jason Bourne beat up a guy with a rolled up magazine! When you are a bad a$$ you can fight with anything. In the hands of James Bond a PPK (or PPK/S which is what was in Skyfall) is major artillery.

Don't forget, many promotional photos of Sean Connery's James Bond used a Walther BB gun.





And Roger Moore posed with a revolver.



In Skyfall Bond used the following:

Walther PPK/S
Glock 17
An Ardesa 1871 percussion pistol
Heckler & Koch HK416 D10RS
Anderson Wheeler 500 NE Double Rifle

[ClydeFrog]

Moore also clearly stated he hates guns & hunting in his own book; My Word Is My Bond.
He worked on violent films other than 007 too & took PR photos holding firearms, .
As I stated, there are good choices for a 007 character to use in 2013.
The custom ASP, a SIG P229R, a PPX, PX4, etc.
Gadgets & SFX are cool . Sam Mendes(the Skyfall dir) put a lot into the film but weapons & SFX & stunts & hot women are what 007 films are all about.

CF

[seeker_two]

Bond needs to keep the PPK for all the reasons listed above. But I didn't understand why all the other MI-6 agents were using PPK's.....took away from the "specialness" of Bond's gun.

Besides, Dalton was the best Bond since Connery.....

[PSP]

Don't forget, many promotional photos of Sean Connery's James Bond used a Walther BB gun.

I bet he put out many an SMERSH villain's eye with that!

[Dragline45]

The Walther PPK .380acp is played out.

Apparently tradition doesn't mean a thing to you, and the PPK .380 is not played out considering in every single movie besides the new one his PPK was a .32acp. Taking away Bonds iconic PPK is like I said before taking away Indy's hat and whip, Mad Max's sawn off shotgun, Luke Skywalkers lightsaber, The Man With No Names iconic .45 with the snake emblem grips. You are going to P.O. a whole lot more people than you are going to please by "upgrading" their iconic items.

[simonrichter]

James Bond was deadly. Roger Moore played him like a lightweight comedian. There was nothing deadly about Roger Moore's Bond. Brosnan was a big improvement over Moore, but still not as true to the Bond of Ian Fleming as I had hoped when he was announced for the role.

On account of Moore is to say that at least he had some distinctive Britishness, something I didn't see too much in neither Connery nor Craig.

Watched one of the Timothy Dalton movies (late 80ies) lately and I must admit I was somewhat surprised. Those are definitely less comedy-style than the Moore-Bonds, yet not as dark and earnest as the Craig-era's.


And here's a nice article (new to me, sorry if it's a repost): http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/ar.../bond-walthers

[CSG]

I thought the Connery Bond movies had him using a .380 but when I went back to look at the scene from Dr. No where he is made to give up his Beretta .25 the Walther is a 7.65 AKA .32. I've thought for years he was packing a Walther .380.

It's funny how he's told about the stopping power of the 7.65.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P26470lZB_U

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by ClydeFrog

Gadgets & SFX are cool . Sam Mendes(the Skyfall dir) put a lot into the film but weapons & SFX & stunts & hot women are what 007 films are all about.

The stunts and gadgets and SFX are indeed what the Bond films are about today, and that's why I don't bother to watch the new Bond films.

There is nothing in any of the new Bond films that comes close to matching the fight to the death in the train sleeper compartment between the Connery Bond and the blond Russian agent. Don't remember which film ... From Russia with Love perhaps? Classic Bond, no gimmicks, no SFX, just two deadly men fighting to the death. It doesn't get any better than that.

[Aguila Blanca]

Originally Posted by simonrichter

On account of Moore is to say that at least he had some distinctive Britishness, something I didn't see too much in neither Connery nor Craig.

Moore was born in London, Connery is a Scot. Both are "British," and I would say that Bond as portrayed by Connery was certainly distinctively British. He sure enough would never be taken for an American.

[tomrkba]

Bond likes the 9mm Europellet. It works well on spineless EU and UN bureaucrats.

[MLeake]

AB, correct on the movie; BG Red Grant, played by Robert Shaw.

Bond was a British citizen, but his father was Scottish and his mother Swiss. (And he ends up married and widowed to a Corsican in the books and movies...)

So Bond probably should not be played British in the way that James Fox would play.

And it would not be surprising that Bond's choices in weaponry would veer toward the continental and minimalist.

[simonrichter]

it works on spineless EU and UN bureaucrats.

alas, THIS pest is beyond control.

[JD0x0]

I think Hugh Laurie would've made a much better Bond replacement than Craig.

[Dragline45]

I think Hugh Laurie would've made a much better Bond replacement than Craig.

Oh my...

[MLeake]

Connery and Moore both agreed they were too old (53 and 56) when they last played Bond, and that the character should be late 30s to early 40s.

Edit: If one wants to see a movie where an older actor plays an older but still frightening character, one should check out Stephen Soderberg's The Limey. Terence Stamp was incredible - and British.

[Sharpsdressed Man]

I'd like to see a modern day Hitchcock direct, or write and direct, a serious, no gadget/no special effects Bond movie. Just completely accurate, espionage thriller with good acting, plot, and direction. I think there is a mature audience out here that could MORE than appreciate a welcome relief from Hollywood fluff, and a Bond film for mature audiences might be the ticket. I'll volunteer my armourer/advisory services for free.

[ClydeFrog]

Is this now www.ScriptSales.com or www.CommanderBond.com ?

I always liked Clive Owen. His work in Croupier helped him get the 007 film but the plans changed.

CF

[elDiabloLoco]

I would have liked to have seen a heavily worn, little-bluing-left, German made Walther PPK 7.65, in a worn shoulder holster, with references to same (a little center stage for the gun) in the movie. This would add to the nostalgia and believability of the secret agent, James Bond. After all, what WOULD a Walther PPK look like that had been carried for years across the European continent on special missions? Forget the new wave tech crap about the special grip identity lock, etc. Just a worn set of brown plastic grips, please.

I don't expect Mr. Bond returns Her Majesty's equipment intact to Q at anything close to 100%.

[bikerbill]

Connery and Craig LOOK like James Bond should look; Moore looked like a hairdresser or a bad stand-up Vegas comic (not that there's anything wrong with that ...) Not sure I'd want to venture out with a .32 or .380 when everybody is trying to kill me with automatic weapons, steel derbies and small missiles ...

House as Bond? not paying to see that ...