Is Koskov the most underrated Bond villain?
LPFilms
Posts: 31MI6 Agent
I personally think so. I agree that Whitaker is a generic villain (even though Joe Don Baker did his job well), but Koskov is very underrated IMHO. He has a lot of energy and is extremely entertaining whenever he's on screen. His plan is one of the more inelegant and more realistic Bond stories. And once Saunders dies, we really begin to hate Georgi. He's completely in it to fill his greed. He doesn't mind killing innocents (004, Saunders, Pushkin, and even Kara) just so he can profit. Sure, Blofeld held the world ransom a few times, but it went towards SPECTRE, to fund the group and to gain power over governments. Georgi does it just for his own pockets, instead of trying to fund a larger cause he has (I understand that Whitaker is doing it for the same reason, but he really is a bland villain and just sits in the background while Georgi calls the shots).
Am I the only one?
Am I the only one?
Comments
He twists and turns every step. Staying one jump ahead..
The problem with Koskov & Whitickar (and some might apply this argument to Kamal Khan & General Orlov, or Electra & Renard too) is which one is the kingpin, and which is the second leftenant? Unlike Electra and Renanrd though where at the critical moment it's revealed Electra has gone bad and bewitched Renard, it is not as clear who is the kingpin in TLD. In the end I always feel it is Whittikar since he is bumped off first, and Koskov has run to him for sanctuary. He had nowhere else he could go.
Jeroen Krabb'e does a brilliant job of making Koskov charming and funny, while also a slimy untrustworthy sod. In some ways the tone of the character is similar to Silva in SF, but he is doing small scale manipulation, rather than all out revenge or a Blofeld/Drax/Carver world domination scale evil plan. I think it's effective but as the story is convoluted, we never get a real endgame from him. Bond asks him directly what he hopes to achieve - he evades the question.
It's interesting - although the Kingpin of the story, Dominic Greene suffers from a similar problem in QoS. No clear endgame. Koskov is more memorable though, and had Mr Dalton lead more films Koskov could have returned in a larger capacity.
Agree with whom? Whitaker is one of my top villains and practically steals the show from the whiny weasel Koskov. I like Whitaker's wax museum of famous military leaders (that all slightly resemble his face) and his diorama battle sets and weapons.
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I see what you're saying about a lack of menace. The only two spots he shows any sort of menacing feature are when he's having Kara arrested with Bond and when he drives the jeep with Necros firing at Kara. Besides that, his methods really show off his more "slimy" side as a villain. Also a fan of Kamal Khan!
His lair is very memorable, but something about Whitaker feels a bit off. He's filled with energy and exerts that in some scenes, but I don't know. Something about him just feels a bit off, like he's there and then he's gone. The psychotic laugh he gives off during his fight with Bond is fun but feels a bit forced. Joe Don Baker really is the only man who could play the character, though.
Not so sure Sanchez is underrated. Most of the comments I've seen indicate that Sanchez is viewed as one of the top Bond villains, and I agree with that sentiment.
Sanchez was a great villain. I know I
do. -{
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming