Does anyone like to pretend that the Craig films are not a reboot?

raptors_887

I like to pretend it's still a continuation from the Brosnan films. Each film is another day in the life of James Bond. I'm watching Bond fight Hinx in Spectre and I think to myself "He's fought Jaws before, he knows what he's doing." I just think it's more fun this way instead of basically forgetting about everything that happened in the past films.

I basically just ignore the fact that's it's a reboot of the series. Does anyone else do this?

heartbroken_mr_drax

Yep, I pretty much do the same thing.

Some people talk about the continuity issues on here with DC, but it doesn't mean a lot to me. I'm aware of it, the reboot, 00 status etc., but I just get on and enjoy it without considering that too much.

Silhouette Man

I think one tends to forget about the reboot at times and just enjoy the films for what they are but I agree that the current Craig Bonds do still continue on from the Brosnan Bonds chronologically if nothing else...

Loeffelholz

I don't dwell on the reboot; of course I acknowledge that it happened and have no problem with it...but it's very easy for me to simply enjoy Bond on a film-to-film basis. Bond is Bond :007)

Likewise, I can easily accept that DN through DAD is all the same person---and Craig as well, honestly, whether one considers the Craig Era a prequel to everything else, or whatever (Blofelds, Ms, Qs and Moneypennys notwithstanding). I really don't fret over continuity in the slightest, which is why I look upon all of the handwringing about timelines and continuities with considerable amusement

HatThrowingHenchman

I do aswell, pretend that the craig films took place before Dr.No.

Matt S

I hate that they rebooted the series, but there's no way to make sense of Craig's films occurring before or after the events of the previous Bond films. It's the same character but in an alternate universe where some things are the same and some are different.

HatThrowingHenchman

some can look past these thing though

heartbroken_mr_drax

Matt S wrote:

I hate that they rebooted the series, but there's no way to make sense of Craig's films occurring before or after the events of the previous Bond films. It's the same character but in an alternate universe where some things are the same and some are different.

This is where the whole reboot stuff shouldn't be taken so seriously. I don't find there's any real continuity to the entire series anyway. There are hints at it, but they're not really sequels or prequels, they're just stories.

In SP, while there's a mention of "[Bond] just getting started", you can just take this as another mission like any of the others...

Matt S

heartbroken_mr_drax wrote:

Matt S wrote:

I hate that they rebooted the series, but there's no way to make sense of Craig's films occurring before or after the events of the previous Bond films. It's the same character but in an alternate universe where some things are the same and some are different.

This is where the whole reboot stuff shouldn't be taken so seriously. I don't find there's any real continuity to the entire series anyway. There are hints at it, but they're not really sequels or prequels, they're just stories.

In SP, while there's a mention of "[Bond] just getting started", you can just take this as another mission like any of the others...

Whilst there isn't much continuity in the original 20 films, there are very few conflicts, with the notable exception of Bond meeting Blofeld twice. Now in SP, Bond learns about SPECTRE for the first time again (originally in DN), and meets Blofeld (YOLT/OHMSS), who is now his foster brother.

eric7064

Ehh I don't. Especially with Craig in CR becoming a 00. In fact I look at each actors movies as a separate continuity usually. I don't think of Brosnans Bond escaping Goldfinger. Nor do I see Dalton's Bond dressing up in a clown costume.

Continuity is not a huge deal to me in the Bond universe.

DutchJamesBondFan

It bothered me very much, but since Skyfall I leave it by what it is and just enjoy them. I think CR works great as a movie, it had a great effect on Skyfall by bringing the regulars back to where they belong. Just enjoy them and accept it worked the best for me. It is as it is.

superado

I think one cannot help but assume and accept DC's Bonds as a reboot of everything; case in point is the addition of a new character named "Moneypenny," and let's not forget Bond's acquiring of his "00" status. I just don't like the schizophrenia of bringing in elements to bridge the old and the new, like carrying over the same actress who played M, the gadget-laden Goldfinger DB5 (and the elaborate narrative of how Bond aquired it) and even the facial characteristics of the most recent villain.

Continuity in the Bond series should be recognized pre and post reboot, but should be observed lightly with one's eyes slightly squinting if we are to accept for example, the passage of time in Bond's world from DN to DAD.

caractacus potts

what does one have to ignore to deny that its a reboot?
theres already many elements I choose to ignore, throughout the series, like the firetruck chase or Blofeld in drag, so I can ignore if it makes it a better story

some lines of dialog in Casino Royale establishing its his first mission as a double oh ... there's no reason the precredits cant happen prior to Dr No
but otherwise its a thematic thing, that he's learning the hard way on this first mission, and by the end he's a changed man, less naive and more cynical
it never seemed he had anything he needed to learn in his first 20 adventures, MooreBond especially had everything memorised much to M's annoyance

the new ones harder to pick out specific lines of dialog to ignore, because its reintroducing a classic character while contradicting things we already knew
and I guess the last one introduces a new Moneypenny and new Q, otherwise Skyfall could have happened to any Bond at any time and so could have Quantum of Solace

really, prior to Craigs films, I put up with three Ms, three Moneypennys, four Blofelds, a couple dozen Leiters, plus two different versions of Thunderball and Casino Royale, all without in-universe explanation ... all in all there's nothing that weird about his first mission coming after his 20th or suddenly remembering <spoiler> is his long-lost <spoiler> ... at least this time they acknowledged they had met before!


plus all these in-film homages we in the audience appreciate so much, how does the character experience them? "say that komodo dragon reminds me of time I had to escape from some alligators, I wonder if the same trick would work a second time?" Life must seem to be going round in a perpetual loop

ToTheRight

If the Craig films didn't follow any story arc it might be easier to ignore it as a re-boot. I'm really not a fan of the whole re-boot idea anyway. The Craig Bonds are really the only ones I have to be in the mood for, whereas I can pop in, say FYEO or TLD anytime. A lot of that has to do with the fact the others are stand alone films. One of my favorite things about SPECTRE is that it pretty much plays like a traditional Bond film, so maybe I'll be more inclined to watch it repeatedly when it comes out on Blu ray.

Gassy Man

I'm fine with them being a reboot, though i find it interesting that they found a more Connery-esque actor to play Bond. As the films are moving toward being traditional again, it makes one wonder if Craig's successor will be someone Moore-like (assuming there isn't a one-off with a Connery-esque actor the public does not respond amiably to). The reboot issue, to me, is no different than a new series of any other classic film character. But it did take me a bit to realize that the "homages" were not meant as such but rather as the same elements reimagined for a different Bond series.

heartbroken_mr_drax

ToTheRight wrote:

If the Craig films didn't follow any story arc it might be easier to ignore it as a re-boot. I'm really not a fan of the whole re-boot idea anyway. The Craig Bonds are really the only ones I have to be in the mood for, whereas I can pop in, say FYEO or TLD anytime. A lot of that has to do with the fact the others are stand alone films. One of my favorite things about SPECTRE is that it pretty much plays like a traditional Bond film, so maybe I'll be more inclined to watch it repeatedly when it comes out on Blu ray.

Good point, I agree. Hence why I think I like SP so much.

Oddjoblofeldraxorin

Seems like there's true continuity between Dr. No and FRWL. I fell like there is solid continuity up to OHMSS, although Blofeld didn't recognize Bond from YOLT. I think there is potential continuity all the way up to DAD. I'm perfectly fine with Bond going to Space and dressing like a clown, but maybe not kitesurfing a tsunami. Casino was definitely a reboot. Although, that video game 007 Legends seems to pretend that Craig films are not a reboot.

Oddjoblofeldraxorin

But in the back of my mind I do want to believe it's all the same Bond.