QoS Homages to (Ripoffs of) Earlier Films

Haven't seen it discussed anywhere but this movie was chock full of scenes stolen from other films, primarily the Connery ones. Since its pretty much a landslide that Connery is who people associate the Bond character with as well as the glory days of the character, it's almost like they tried really hard to make Daniel Craig as much like Connery as possible and I'm not too sure that I'm okay with that.

I realized this very early in the film when Bond comes out of the hotel with the briefcase and Camille drives by and tells him to get in. The same scene happens in You Only Live Twice.

The most obvious reference is the Fields death-by-oil homage to Goldfinger. As is Bond's reaction to the situation and him and M's exchange about personal vendetta's and work.

Next is Greene's rehashing of Dr. No's SPECTRE speech (btw, Greene is no Dr. No). And QUANTUM is no SPECTRE.

The dead geologist drowned underwater--Plenty O'Toole in Diamonds are Forever.

On his way to see Mathis, Bond is riding in a speedboat and thescene of him just sitting there next to the flag on the boat is very reminiscent of From Russia With Love. Same with the speedboat chase earlier in the movie

During the Opera when he listens in on the Quantum meeting and interrupts and lets him know he's listening in--straight out of Goldfinger when he's playing cards at the resort.

Bond and Fields' sex scene is very much like that of Bond and Fiona Volpe's sex scene in Thunderball (maybe its the red hair, but I think it's more than that, and if it was just the red hair, then you've also got Tracy, Tiffany Case, Helga Brandt references...). The Opera Quantum meeting itself is very Thunderballish.

Even the sets were built to resemble those of the old Ken Adams sets. The hydrogen powered hotel reminded me a lot of the Fort Knox set.

There's the "where's Fekkish?" scene from TSWLM when Bond drops the agent he doesn't know works for MI6 onto Greene's SUV from the rooftop.

I kept playing The Living Daylights over and over in my head during the dogfight.

There's probably a few more I saw last night but just can't remember at the moment.

After thinking it all over, I can only justify that Michael G Wilson took a lot of his favorite Bond scenes and had Daniel Craig recreate them since he knew these scenes already worked and defined the Bond character. I really liked that I recognized these scenes but I felt they took away from the movie itself, leaving it diluted, forgettable, and lacking originality and identity.

Comments

  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,992Quartermasters
    See you in the queue for #23, KnightSpy! {[]
    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • caractacus pottscaractacus potts Orbital communicator, level 10Posts: 3,950MI6 Agent
    I noticed a few of those too, obviously the Goldfinger homage but also that Spy Who Loved Me rooftopdrop
    one you seem to have missed: they redeemed the opening of Moonraker!
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