Pierce Brosnan played James Bond between 1995 and 2002, and, though his performance in theJames Bondfranchise was seen as “style over substance” by some audiences,Brosnan’s combination of charm and comedy became the signature approach he brought to the role, rebooting theJames Bondfranchise for a new generation. Thefour movies in which Brosnan plays James Bondgenerally received mediocre reviews, except forGoldenEye, which has an 80% positive rating onRotten Tomatoes.
Release year
1995
80%
1997
57%
1999
51%
2002
55%
Brosnan was accused of being upstaged by gadgets in many of hisJames Bondmovies, especiallyDie Another Day, which, with its invisible car and ice castle-melting solar-powered laser beam, was seen as straying too far into the science-fiction genre. Still,Brosnan starred in his fair share of iconic moments as James Bond, including dropping a traitorous former colleague to his death from a satellite dish, and chasing a killer through the River Thames, but, two ofBrosnan’s most famousBondsceneswere not written for him at all, but for the previousBondactor, Timothy Dalton.
Die Another Day’s Fencing Scene Was Written For Timothy Dalton
It Ranks As One Of Pierce Brosnan’s Best Bond Fight Scenes
Dalton’s unmade thirdBondmoviewas already mostly written, as far as the action went. The script might not have been finished, but many characters were fleshed out, including theBondvillain ‘Sir Henry Ferguson.’ If this movie had been made, it might have drawn similar criticism toDie Another Dayfor being too close to science-fiction, for Ferguson was a tech entrepreneur and the plot heavily featured robots. As Ferguson was also a fencing enthusiast,this seventeenthBondmovie would have featured a sword fightsimilar to Brosnan’s fencing match with villain Gustav Graves inDie Another Day.
Bond’s sword fight was choreographed by former Olympic fencer Bob Anderson, who has also sword-doubled as Darth Vader in theStar Warsfranchise.
Brosnan’s five-minute sword fighting scene was iconic for several reasons: Brosnan says Bond’s catchphrase “The name’s Bond, James Bond,” Madonna, who sang theDie Another Daythem, makes a cameo, and Bond and Graves swap their fencing foils for broadswords halfway through the fight. The fight is regarded as one ofBrosnan’s bestBondfight scenes, but may not have worked as well with Dalton’s less humorous take on the character.
Another Famous Pierce Brosnan James Bond Moment Is Similar To An Unmade Dalton Scene
GoldenEye’s Iconic Fight Scene Features Famke Janssen In The Role That Made Her Famous
Though everyBondactor puts their stamp on the character,Dalton’s Bond has been criticized for lacking the “playboy” nature seen in most other versions of James Bond, and his portrayal has been described as ‘cold’, which makes one scene written specifically for Dalton surprising, as it plays on Bond’s sexier side.Dalton’s unmadeBondmovieReunion With Death, was set in Japan and the script, written by Richard Smith, featured a fight in a steam room.Reunion with Deathwas never filmed, but the steam room fight was, and featured Brosnan andBondgirl Xenia, played by Famke Janssen.
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InGoldenEye, Bond and Xenia’s wrestling-inspired fight in a hotel sauna is deliberately provocative, and filled with innuendo more suited to Brosnan’s James Bond than Dalton’s. The choreography is designed to be misleading, which gives viewers a comedic moment when the two are witnessed briefly by a character who gets the wrong idea from their interaction. The scene is iconic for its sexiness and comedy, and because Xenia is the role that made Famke Janssen famous. As bothBondgirl and villain,Xenia is widely considered the bestBondgirlin Brosnan’sBondmovies.
Why A Third Timothy Dalton James Bond Movie Didn’t Happen
Pierce Brosnan Was First Choice For James Bond When Roger Moore Retired
Remington Steele’s first episode is called License to Steele, which sounds like aBondreference, but it aired in 1982, seven years beforeLicense to Kill.
Brosnan had beenJames Bondproducer Albert Broccoli’s first choice for the role of BondwhenRoger Moore announced his retirement from the 007 franchise.Brosnan wanted the role, but, there was an issue: he was starring in the television detective comedyRemington Steele, which had been renewed for another season, forcing Brosnan to turn down the role of James Bond. When Dalton then left theJames Bondfranchise, Brosnan was offered the role and stepped into Dalton’s shoes not just as Bond, but in those scenes that had originally been written for him.
Source:Rotten Tomatoes
James Bond
The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond’s mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.
