I was gripped by the latest James Bond movie through its action packed twists of plot.
The film is a statement to the world that UK derived brands and cultural icons can fill cinema seats and entertain millions in many different cultures and countries. I wish it commercial success as it helps the traditional cinema revive after lockdown.
What kind of image of the UK does it project? Whilst viewers would be wise to see it as drama not documentary and will appreciate many of the unrealistic conventions of the 007 genre, there will be those who take away a message about the UK from it.
I was surprised to be warned that the film contained moderate violence. There didn’t seem to be anything moderate about a series of mass murders, mass sanctioned deaths of arms carrying criminals, the use of explosives to enter and control populated buildings and missile strikes on an inhabited island. The story centred as before around the actions of the UK secret services on the world stage. The Head of the service was happy to authorise killings anywhere in the world in pursuit of dangerous global criminals. There was no reference to the National Security Council and only once was it thought a good idea to mention to the PM some of what they were doing. So it was clearly not a representation of the legal process, rule of law and democratic controls that apply.
Leaving aside the unrealistic idea that officials in the UK can authorise machine gun fights and dangerous car pursuits leading to the death of drivers in overseas countries , the film gave a very positive view of the UK in three crucial respects. The senior officials were very loyal to our country. Our country stands for right and the defeat of evil worldwide criminal gangs throughout the movie. The officials could summon up precise force, equipment and clever innovations to win any war against a criminal gang however violent and resourceful they might be. Whether it was in Scandinavia or near Japan, people could be quickly deployed. What’s not to like, unless you are a criminal.
Just as the film overdid the lack of legal restraints on UK counter action, so I fear it flattered government in its portrait of speed, resource and innovation. Let us hope our senior officials study the brave and inventive officials we see in the drama to see how we can increase our success in the struggle against violent serious global criminals within the rule of law.
In many ways the cars were the stars. Aston Martin emerged victorious, though its vintage vehicles got lead roles and its latest machine a bit part. Range Rover was present in force. Shrewd product placement should help some UK brands in a competitive luxury market. One of our naval Destroyers also appeared in action, reminding the world that the navy gives us the capability to intervene anywhere where there is a sea to sail.
October 11, 2021
Good morning.
Glad you enjoyed it, Sir John.
So no dodgy dossiers then ? 😉
Oh well, maybe next time.
October 11, 2021
@Mark B +1
isn’t that the reflection of the UK Government, suggesting they are squeaky clean while in an underhanded way do the opposite
October 11, 2021
Or rendition to Egypt!! No payouts for British citizens ending up in the US base on the far side of Cuba?
October 11, 2021
For “legal process,rule of law and democratic controls”,see Wikileaks/Edward Snowdon/Julian Assange.
October 11, 2021
Good Morning,
Surely Johnny English gives a more accurate portrayal of the efficacy and competence of our Government today…
October 11, 2021
Indeed, though he would surely have a far better energy policy than the current government as he has degrees in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Newcastle and Queen’s Oxford and is sensible and rational (qualities rather lacking in parliament).
Also he is very sound on free speech unlike this government. Mr Bean for PM please funnier than Boris too.
October 11, 2021
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary is correct: the Russians are using oil as a weapon.
Well what did he expect? China are also surely using any net zero agreement as a weapon to gain concessions too. Energy is rather an important weapon and vital weapon. Surely a Defence Sec. should know this.
October 11, 2021
‘…the Russians are using oil as a weapon.’ If so it’s a better weapon then we use against Russia, sanctions.
October 11, 2021
Adrian Smith President of the Royal Society calls for more spending on Science and R&D in the Times today.
“Britain has always been good at science. It is the country of Newton, Faraday and Darwin, of Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing and Tim Berners-Lee. And the value of our science has never been more apparent than in this pandemic, with the UK at the forefront of discovering treatments, tracking variants and developing vaccines for Covid-19.”
I agree fully (but who is Ada Lovelace?) and it is very easy to find the money too. Just kill all the subsidies for roll out of premature & duff “renewable” technology and the insane net zero CO2 religion and put the £trillions thus saved into sensible science, R&D % sensible R&D grants & tax breaks for businesses.
The Royal Society is however very much to blame over this idiotic net zero agenda, climate alarmism and these hugely wasted & misdirected subsidies that the Society rather encouraged with their misguided groupthink.
October 11, 2021
It’s easy enough to find out who Ada Lovelace was but I am surprised you are unaware considering how often you boast your mathematical background. She was mathematician associated with Charles Babbage and his difference engine widely viewed as the first computer programmer and has a programming language, mostly used in defence, named after her.
October 12, 2021
Perhaps she was indeed a talented mathematician (I do not know) there are hundreds of thousands of them, but we clearly know the reason she has been placed in this illustrious list.
October 11, 2021
At the forefront in Covid 19??? Britain refused effective treatments for Covid 19 used successfully elsewhere, and the part-British vaccine, Astra Zeneca, has been rejected in many countries. I don’t call that the forefront. It has no doubt ‘tracked variants’, but quite what good that’s done in terms of a practical response remains to be seen. We still use the same rubbish Covid tests that we did a year ago. And Test ‘n’ Trace was hardly our greatest science and technology achievement either.
But you’re right, Lifelogic – if science funding continues to be diverted into climate scam research, it won’t be surprising if we fall further behind other countries. I think we should make a start at the root of the problem, by recruiting good quality science teachers paid sufficient to attract them into teaching, rather than careers currently offering better salaries.
October 12, 2021
@LL It has never been “easy” to find money for R&D particularly inside a large corporate where you would expect a heightened appreciation of the benefits and more ready ability to exploit the results. Outside of a company there is a lot of competition for funds, facilities and resources that precludes most people who are not part of the club (ie academia).
That said, there are ways the private individual can readily support R&D as both a consumer and investor – so how are you making a contribution? Note: running a vehicle for 10 years+ does not contribute to automotive R&D.
There are already tax rebates for R&D.
If our problem is too many people chasing reducing resources, owing to access or economics, what do you suggest R&D is focused on differently to now. And what subsidy should there be from government
October 11, 2021
Rowan Atkinson would certainly do a better job of Energy policy. Check out his Wiki profile.
October 11, 2021
Peter Wood,
Very true.
However, Bond is a very successful formula that pulls in audiences. It’s all crash, bang, wallop, exotic locations impressive stunt work and glamorous women. Bond has always been amoral and the portrayal of the secret services pure fantasy.
Le Carre and George Smiley would be closer to the mark. Crappy offices, civil service furniture, a troubled marriage, moral dilemmas, internal intrigues and failures. Lamplighters doing all the routine groundwork without the aid of fancy gadgets.
Glad Sir John enjoyed it. An unexpected reference to popular culture like that obscure pop song a while back. I always thought Sir John would go for more cerebral, upmarket entertainment.
October 11, 2021
When can we expect other English icons to fall victim to the war of woke on the demo majority? Are we allowed to criticise Marxist woke or is that a criminal offence, ten years imprisonment and sequestration of all assets?
The greater threat to the moral, decent people of this nation comes from within not without but then those who follow the deceitful antics of the now activist British political State, some elected politicians, the hobbled media and our various enforcement bodies will know this only too well.
No enforcement body is safe from the leftist woke limpets as they infect our nation with its poison and all aided and abetted by successive Tory governments who neither believe in it and in all probability secretly despise it
When all is said and done Bond is a yearning for a past that has been deliberately wiped away by all politicians seeking to destroy all that we are and all that we want to be
October 11, 2021
Is it being so cheerful that keeps you going, DOM?
October 11, 2021
Well Dom is surely right. But you can be cheerful with it (as I am) – even if “leftist woke limpets … infect our nation with poison and all aided and abetted by successive Tory governments” is indeed rather depressing.
October 11, 2021
Play the ball, and not the man.
October 11, 2021
@DOM +1, to dislike something is a ‘hate crime’, to hide history is not to report it as it was in that moment in time, for that moment in time, so as to learn from it – but is to deny its existence.
Dumbing down so as to manipulate.
October 11, 2021
It is the Right, who want to force the National Trust to hide the history of the buildings and other properties for which they care.
Isn’t it?
October 11, 2021
Who wanted the NT to hide the history of its buildings?
More made up nonsense from you.
As usual you are wrong NLH
Like many I cancelled my subscriptions to the National Trust when it obsessed on woke historical politics instead of focusing on maintaining its buildings.
October 11, 2021
Peter2
I cancelled my subscription to the National Trust and English Heritage, both demonstrating unacceptable levels of Wokeness, both have women CEO’s.. coincidence?
October 12, 2021
Lester, it seems, for one, Peter2.
October 12, 2021
NLH
Take a look online at the problems the National Trust is facing due to membership cancellations.
October 12, 2021
Yes, there are a lot of very, silly, petty people around.
Their votes have caused rather more serious problems, Peter2.
October 12, 2021
Free choice is what NHL refers to as being silly and petty.
Best of luck getting elected.
October 11, 2021
I’m more than happy to be nothing like you, or like you want to be, Dom 😁
October 11, 2021
NLH
you seem to have introduced a new level of unpleasantness which has been thankfully absent
October 12, 2021
No, I’m not cynical.
October 12, 2021
Lester never said you were cynical NLH
October 11, 2021
I picked my wife and youngest from the cinema last night ,can’t face it myself .3 hours of silliness is too much for me. I haven`t liked Bond since Roger Moore and ” Just keeping the British end up Sir “… Get in there !
I am surprised that Sir John Redwood would go the Cinema at all , had anyone asked me what he might do for entertainment I would have guessed a local “Organ Recital” a reading of Kipling’s Patriotic verse, or a jolly good HMS Pinafore.
reply. You always distort what I say and wish to impose an inaccurate caricature.
October 11, 2021
Just kidding
October 11, 2021
I recently came across a picture of our host(it was on the back of a Times newspaper clipping from around three decades ago)when he was a presenter of a political show on Channel 4 called “Powerhouse”.
He looks very Roger Moore-ish-even down to the arched right eyebrow!
Stirred but not shaken I’m sure.
October 11, 2021
“ when you’re wounded and left on Afghanistans plains
And women come out to cut up what remains
Jest roll to youp rifle and blow out yer brains
An goto your Gawd like a soldier”
Kipling 1890
Not much has changer over the years so its well worth reading early literature. But that seems to be to intelligent for you Newmania!
October 11, 2021
@MFD – then again the ‘Taliban’ did save James Bonds bacon in previous outings
October 11, 2021
‘Too’ intelligent I think you mean. I am rather keen on Kipling as a matter of fact
October 11, 2021
I love the reply.
Agh, my aching sides…
October 11, 2021
Newmania,
Roger Moore was by far the best Bond. He did well to play the role after Sean Connery had set a template.
Moore’s gentle send up was far better in my opinion. Laughter and you still got the rest of the formula too.
October 11, 2021
They have all been ok in their own way . They suit time and place . I will wait until it is shown on TV though . I agree ; it is time Pinewood studios put out something sellable. Do they still exist? I am not a TV addict but I do watch most evenings and BBC 4 or Netflix do it for me. Reading anything just sends me to sleep these days .
October 11, 2021
Charming, unlike the gritty Craig version. I was fortunate to see Moore’s final speaking tour.
October 11, 2021
1. ‘I fear it flattered government in its portrait of speed, resource and innovation.’ A lovely line.
2. ‘One of our naval Destroyers also appeared in action.’ CGI, presumably.
3. Enough fantasy for you, Sir John. You and the other backbenchers now need to save our infantry.
October 11, 2021
Indeed, we will only have enough personnel to crew one ship the way we are going.
Too much money being spent on channel taxi service and their passengers.
Government priority I believe.
Britain second.
October 11, 2021
Agreed Ian
October 11, 2021
Yep – got it in one Ian.
October 11, 2021
+1
October 11, 2021
Ian,
Still giving over ten billions to EU even though we left!! Budgeted for over ten billion for four star hotels for criminals entering our country and allowing them to disappear.
October 11, 2021
Lifelong holiday in Britain. hotel, NHS included. no bills EVER, No need to work. Family to come and claim even more for every must be £millions a week must be being spent.
October 11, 2021
Indeed. They’ve budgeted billions on these illegals over the next few years. £1.4 billion annually and rising daily. The ONLY ways to stop this is to drag them back immediately to France or deport them immediately. This Government is totally disingenuous on this issue. Its incompetence is for everyone to see in every area. What happened to charging health tourists. Nothing. All woke and PC and no doubt supports this under some UN or EU directive.
October 11, 2021
B N n c
A bit harsh old mate.
But truth, real truth often is.
October 11, 2021
Yes, Ian. It certainly seems that way.
October 11, 2021
Its policy to bring them here at our 4* expense. The rest is hype from Priti Useless. How many returned or deported? ZERO. The only thing we can do is not vote for more of this.
October 11, 2021
‘The only thing we can do is not vote for more of this.’ We’ll get it whatever is voted for.
October 11, 2021
(+1
October 11, 2021
Ian
I see reports of late that some of those who we have recently rescued from Afghanistan, are absolutely fed up with living in their hotel rooms, and would prefer to go back !
Seems the Local Councils which have a duty of care, cannot find any homes to let them have !
Well what a surprise, Some UK resident Nationals have been waiting decades for a home from the Council, why should new comers jump the queue.
Fact is there have been more people than we have homes for, for decades, but politicians still suggest this is not the case !
Why are they simply not honest with people who want to come here, there are no houses for them to be given, or even rented, unless they are prepared to pay for them on the open market.
Indeed from a housing point of view, we are actually full up !
Why pretend otherwise.
October 11, 2021
Your references to the exercise of violence around the world with minimal political control sounds more like the CIA. It has a long record of regime change, apparent extra judicial interventions, promotion of revolutions and the like. Though, as I understand it, drone strikes on “terrorists”, who often turn out to be innocents, do get prior presidential approval.
October 11, 2021
It was an excellent Bond film. However, and you might want to skip this if you haven’t seen the film, I’m not sure Land Rover’s marketing department will be so pleased with it, because an ancient Land Cruiser driven by Bond evades Range Rovers and new Defenders.
October 11, 2021
@Pud – Then again the Land Rover ‘Defender’ is manufactured by an India Company in the EU, not in the UK. The UK taxpayer was involved in the funding of its removal from the UK, so I guess that makes it OK
October 11, 2021
Not all fantasy then.
October 11, 2021
Land Cruiser as made by Toyota, and as seen to be the vehicle brand of choice for all kinds of non-governmental armed people in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and West Africa?
autoblog.com 08/08/2016 ‘British Special Forces combat ISIS in modified Land Cruisers’
independent.co.uk ‘Why does ISIS have so many Toyota trucks?’ also businessinsider.com
Why is it that people really needing a sturdy truck choose Toyota instead of the softy-softie (wokey?) LR used in this country to do the shopping at Waitrose?
October 11, 2021
Having competed at the sharp end in the 60s, I would maintain that Timo Makinen could have seen most off driving a mini van. It is drivers who were GT not vehicles.
October 11, 2021
Top Gear blew up a tower block with a Toyota Hilux atop. It still ran afterwards.
October 11, 2021
The PM away on a foreign holiday, govt departments/minister openly bickering with each other, our host talking fiction, about a fictional Secret Service agent at least;
Crisis? What (energy, supply-side, employment) crisis?!….
Reply I have set out what I think needs to be done on energy and have tweeted it again based on previous blogs
October 11, 2021
@JR reply; I never said you had not, just commenting on how others might see today’s article, given the state of the country, the whereabouts of the PM, just as some chose to see events in Jan ’79.
At least Callaghan had an excuse to stop off in Barbados, having attended the intergovernmental summit in Guadeloupe (discussing the then considerable, and mounting, international issues), on the other hand Spain is not exactly the most direct route back to Downing Street from Manchester.
October 11, 2021
Events are far worse materially for most people than in 1979, far worse.
October 11, 2021
Are they NLH?
Your understanding of history is weak.
Try 2 days with no power every week.
For example.
October 12, 2021
@peter2; “[NLH] understanding of history is weak.”
You might come to regret saying that….
“Try 2 days with no power every week.”
Even at the hight of 1971/2 and 1973/4 coal strikes (the latter including Heath’s State of Emergency / Three Day Week) I doubt anyone had to live two days total without any power, never mind two days per week. Yes we were all asked to only use the bare essential amount of electricity, yes we did have power cuts, but the areas affected would tend to be off for an hour or two each day or each other day, people quickly got used to the routine. Oddly for a country still not fully converted to natural gas there appeared to be no shortage of gas, I well remember families who had gas cookers/fires suddenly became very popular! I also knew of one mother who used their family caravan to cook with, if there was a power cut the family would also eat in the caravan too.
Try 2 days with no power every week, because the allocated ‘meter money’ (in the age of smart meters, read budgeted usage) has all gone, due to the increase in fuel price, there being no spare money in the pot due to other increases, such as Council Tax, general inflation etc. @NLH is correct, we are in a far worse crisis today than we ever were in the 1970s, and we’re not even into the cold winter months yet.
October 12, 2021
Try blaming Tory Heath’s 1974 3 Day Week on 1979 Callaghan’s Labour, why don’t you?
October 12, 2021
Power cuts were regular
Inflation was high
Unemployment was high
Strikes were common.
Crisis what crisis.
October 13, 2021
@Peter2; Carry on conflating two different events/periods/govts, why not…
Nor was inflation caused by industrial strife in the 1970s, being the result of the “oil shocks” at the start and end of the decade, there would have been problems whatever.
Back to the present though the dangers are obvious to all but those who choose not to look;
Power cuts are likely, either at source or inability to pay
Unemployment is high, retaliative, and could go higher
Inflation is increasing, output is decreasing
Civil unrest is common or mounting
Danger of stagflation
Crisis what crisis.
Never mind, nice weather in Spain, almost as nice as Barbados….
October 11, 2021
Let’s cancel (or get the farce of COP26 done with – without any idiotic binding agreements) then ditch the whole insane net zero agenda, get fracking, pile the coal high as a backup and sort out some decent nuclear facilities. After all we do not want to rely on the French especially as we will shortly (finally) have act over the blatant abuse (by the EU) of the Northern Ireland agreement.
October 11, 2021
I do have a question Sunak’s judgement, obviously his tax to death and piss down the drain tax agenda (to pay for vital things like HS2 or “help out to eat out”) but also why on earth is he not in discussions over what (if anything) might be done to try to rescue all the jobs about to be lost due to the government idiotic & expensive energy policies?
But worse of all Sunak ‘sustains himself throughout the day with a Granny Smith apple and some cashew nuts’. Why would anyone do this when we have such delicious Cox’s Orange Pippins etc. and Kentish Cobnuts (especially at this time of year)?
October 11, 2021
Plus for those who wish to believe in the delusion of Global Britain setting it’s sails to contain China in the Orient and the theatre of the absurd that is AUKUS,see bottom of today’s FT :”China’s supremacy in AI a “done deal”.”Or An article by David P Goldman(editor) in Asia Today,8/10/21.”China Marches On Towards Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
October 11, 2021
M: “Bond, your task is to eliminate enemies of the state.”
Bond: “Understood M, I have the list of politicians to shoot.”
October 11, 2021
That should read:
‘Bond, your mission is to eliminate enemies of the people.’
When you see how the state is behaving in relation to our energy and food supplies, its absurd and dangerous determination to increase our population through immigration and its obsession with imports – it seems the state is the enemy of the people.
October 11, 2021
You probably remember the photo being circulated after the London Olympics, of the Queen speaking Bond/Daniel Craig as they walked through the Palace to the helicopter, and the caption was something like “yes, the whole Government, Mr Bond…”
October 11, 2021
+1 🙂
Many a true work spoken in jest
October 11, 2021
I am not interested in this latest Bond film, as I am not into ‘woke’. Preferring to hear the feedback from those who have watched it.
Funnily enough, IMO the last Daniel Craig film ‘Spectre’ gave a better analogy to the way contemporary government operates; Slimy deviant traitorous ‘little gits’ trying to undermine the Nation, whilst claiming this is the way forward and really is in the country’s and its peoples best interest…
October 11, 2021
+1
October 11, 2021
@J Bush +1
October 11, 2021
That portrayal felt chillingly accurate to me also.
October 11, 2021
A wonderful few hours of escapism from our world that we have no idea to what really awaits us with all the real life madcap policies being implemented by our government and our completely off of the wall leader.
October 11, 2021
+10000000
October 11, 2021
+1
October 11, 2021
Oh I don’t know. Wasn’t there a shootout in an east London launderette recently?
No fatalities but 7 in hospital I believe.
Very Bondish.
Art holding up a mirror and all that.
October 11, 2021
Bond is so old fashioned and misogynistic that it’s barely watchable anymore. Like so much of that 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s stuff it is just totally irrelevant to modern life. Whilst the world has moved on, Bond has not.
Even the British brands in Bond aren’t British anymore. Aston Martin is owned by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll. Range Rover is owned by Jaguar Land Rover who are owned by India’s Tata.
I am sure the film will do well amongst the elderly Brexitists it is aimed at. Their biannual trip to the cinema will at least free up some space in the supermarkets. But I am sure almost everybody else will give Bond a miss.
Incidentally, the film industry has been badly damaged by Brexit. Creatives like directors, producers, camera people, sound operators, actors, designers etc need free movement to be able to do their jobs easily. That has been removed by the Tory Brexit pensioners.
The same ones enjoying James Bond have stuffed up opportunities for tens of thousands of young Brits in the creative sector.
Reply The cinema audience was representative of the age of the population across the range
October 11, 2021
Andy, if you remember the 50’s then you qualify to be ‘old’ and, following your own insistence regarding oldies, you should take immediate steps to cease to be!
October 11, 2021
I bet he remembers the’ Who’ Talking about my generation…” I hope i die fore get old” “Why don’t you all ffff fade away” ..
October 11, 2021
missed out the big ‘I’..
October 11, 2021
Perhaps you should offer some proof for your assertion that the film industry has been damaged by Brexit.
It seemed that many of the luvvies were up in arms about Brexit. I have been a regular theatre-goer for three decades. I can’t recall seeing a single continental in any of the major roles. Americans (Schwimmer, Lowe, Hannah) and Australians (Kidman) have featured at the top of several bills – and were seemingly unable to come here without difficulty. I expect that to continue.
P.S. I’m off to see HMS Pinafore at ENO in a couple of weeks. I hope that all they key roles – on and off-stage – are filled by British nationals, whether they be Brexiteers or not.
October 11, 2021
I meant ‘able’ – not ‘unable’.
October 11, 2021
I am almost elderly and have been a Brexiteer since before the first referendum even as a teenager – but I will certainly not be rushing to the cinema to see it.
October 11, 2021
@Andy; No, only ‘Woke’ people have moved on, the world has not, nor has our natural world and the science that underpins its existence.
October 11, 2021
That should read:
‘Bond, your mission is to eliminate enemies of the people.’
When you see how the state is behaving in relation to our energy and food supplies, its absurd and dangerous determination to increase our population through immigration and its obsession with imports – it seems the state is the enemy of the people.
October 11, 2021
Wow.
More repeats than the BBC!
October 11, 2021
Relatives of mine here in S Africa thoroughly enjoyed this Bond movie on Saturday: relatives’ ages are 71, 49, 42 and 14, none of them are Tories/UK pensioners or have a view on Brexit.
October 11, 2021
Most Brexitists are Labour voting, working class oils that, quite rightly, cannot afford a visit to the cinema.
October 11, 2021
Not half as damaged as the film industry has been by woke !
(I’m not into Bond either, though I did like Casino Royale and entirely on its own merits.)
October 11, 2021
Welcome to Fantasy Island starring Andy, not forgetting his fictional family, imaginary properties and his Jobseekers Allowance that funds it all.
Box office interest from the general public? Nil !!
October 11, 2021
Stop being silly, Glenn.
October 11, 2021
When I went to the cinema to see the Bond film it was packed out and mainly with young people.
October 11, 2021
Hi Andy.
Still on the Brexit-Bashing Bandwagon I see.
Do you live next to Martin in Cardiff (MiC) ?
There are lots of empty supermarket shelves across Europe. Presumably all due to the lack of UK HGV drivers who can’t transport their own native goods from their own native manufacturers & wholesalers?
Give it a rest FFS.
October 11, 2021
It’s not supposed to be relevant to modern life, it is pure escapism.
Perception of brand is more important than ownership.
Your certainty does not stack up with its commercial success. Connecting it with jubilados and Brexiteers is your usual sinking of the Ark Royal as iterated with great frequency by Lord Haw Haw.
With nobody’s help you perpetuate your own bitterness, whirling with ever increasing speed to disappear up your own black hole.
October 11, 2021
So Bond died in this one then?
A Bond reset in the green soy pipeline no doubt.
The entire concept ripe for ruining by wokery.
Well I hope whatever horribly altered version they come up with goes the same way as other much loveds when tampered with!
October 11, 2021
Everhopeful. I won’t bother if it goes woke.
October 11, 2021
The real world actions of present day politicians are far more dangerous and dystopian to the people of the UK than the fiction portrayed in such films.
October 11, 2021
@Brian Tomkinson +1
October 11, 2021
+1
October 11, 2021
In reality our security services can’t even track down and stop criminal gangs buying rubber dinghies and bringing illegals across the channel. Think about this. No, it’s not believable is it?
October 11, 2021
Christine, +1, Neatly put.
October 11, 2021
@Christine +1
Even charity donations to the RNLI specifically to fund our wonderful brave volunteers is diverted by its new bosses. Taxi Service in the Channel, creches in Bangladesh and new Diversity management, so on and so on. The funds are not being spent as suggested of intended by those that donate. Sounds like a ‘con’ to me
October 11, 2021
@Christine; I believe our secrete services also had problem tracking down those buying certain chemicals to do unspeakable things with, you see problem is, buying a rubber dinghy or certain chemicals is not illegal nor illicit behaviour in its self, only what use such items are put to later. Of course counties could ban such sales outright to everyone, but is that not rather draconian, never mind damaging to economic activity?
October 11, 2021
It’s not meant to be believable, it’s entertainment.
There’s going to be a film out soon on how the fifth richest country in the world deliberately froze its population to death, restricted their food supply and taxed them off the road until the masses revolted and strung up the perpetrators.
Now that willbe believable.
October 11, 2021
Ian. HA, ha. Love your comment.
October 11, 2021
That’s because its agreed policy by Governments. Forget the hype. That’s why we’re getting more taxation to pay for the invasion. No deterrents or deportations from the Consocialists.
October 11, 2021
Where can I buy shares in rubber dinghy production companies – good prospects for the coming years I think. They are not British are they with a good export business?
October 11, 2021
Should be unleashed on Insulate, Extinction Rebellion and immigrant traffickers. I havn’t seen the film but it would seem to emphasise the difference between those who do and those who just talk about it. We have an excess of the latter.
October 11, 2021
Not seen it yet, but plan to do so, as past films in the series have usually been very entertaining.
Good to have a bit of entertaining escapism from time – time.
Most of the rest of the World seems to like it given the history of the takings.
October 11, 2021
Alan. It’s brilliant and I particularly liked the authentic British icons throughout
October 11, 2021
In this new over-WOKE World, the disappointment for me and it is a disappointment how instead of things being offered at face value there now has to be a back ground manipulation of society.
Ian Fleming wrote immensely entertaining books all of the time. The Ian Fleming character has not just moved with the times, is no longer entertainment, escapism but has become the indoctrination and manipulation of minds. All a very sad reflection of what Government now stipulates and the desperate need of the few to send a ‘virtue signal’.
Then add in the overbearing product placement and high emphasis that the story line is really big business advertising, you finish up with a corrupted single view of the World that becomes all the more dangerous for it.
October 11, 2021
Nota# – Now the even more churlish take on the message. James Bond never drove an Aston Martin. It was a Bentley. Then again todays Bentley is just a VW Phaeton in a different suit, much the same can be said for Aston Martin it has now become a Mercedes in a different suit. In PC terms that means either option has it components manufactured by some of the Worlds most polluting companies. Assembly in the UK, is a Boris version of escapism, ‘Greening the World’ – more World Pollution but not here in the UK.
Loss of UK jobs, income, revenue for the massive infrastructure projects and so on.
I am not suggesting that without that deviation in history, or the deviation from the exact meaning of made in the UK those companies would have survived. On a larger scale it illustrates the Governments sleight of hand on reducing CO2 and distaste of the UK’s prosperity. The gripe is to date the Government has increased the UK’s actual involvement in the creation of World CO2 and World pollution, while making it vulnerable and beholden to the political will of others.
October 11, 2021
An interesting if diplomatic politicians view – highlighting some non-optimum things but not being too critical as to cause alarm.
Given the way this government has behaved in the last few years with the issuance of diktats and guidelines not backed up by laws, I’d say the way officials are portrayed in this film was far too accurate – even if their ability to deliver was in the realms of science fiction..
October 11, 2021
Ian Fleming Bond’s creator was inspired by our parents generation who used brains to overcome brawn and evil in the tradition of St George and the dragon.
It has always been a tongue in cheek roller coaster ride to temporarily lift the gloom of a humdrum life and a fantasy dream for millions and had huge success undeniably.
After a generation a new hero heroin or whatever is required. As the saying goes “Where is Batman when you need him”?
Whatever comes next will be quite a challenge as they have maxed out explosions violence and money but in the end simplicity wins.
October 11, 2021
Can’t say I’m a fan of Bond.
But the idea that this is a competent, highly-efficient and innovative country which has the ability to operate successfully in other countries in order to eliminate our enemies is ridiculous.
This Government can’t even control our borders; provide cheap and reliable energy when the means to do so is under our feet or off our coast; make the Civil Service go back to work or stand up to Macron. As for the legal process, rule of law and democratic controls ….. they got trashed 18 months ago over a Low Consequence Infectious Disease with low mortality rates, when the Government decided to suspend our Civil Liberties and lock the population in their homes for months on end.
October 11, 2021
Just had an amazing experience, travelled extensively around and through Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire today, must have passed about 30 fuel garages en-route ,not one was closed, not one was out of fuel.
Now the panic buying appears to have stopped, we seem not to have a problem anymore !
Proof if any was needed the government was correct, there never was a fuel shortage, and they are not responsible for employing drivers.
They are however responsible for the DVLA fiasco, and the driving test Centres which has caused chaos for many people, HGV drivers included.
October 11, 2021
Never was a fuel shortage in my corner of the SW. A couple of garages in the nearby town sold out thanks to stupid panic buyers, but the others were all ok.
October 11, 2021
Alan. Same here. Travelled from Sussex to Shropshire and no queues at the petrol station
October 11, 2021
Whilst Bond movies are hardly realistic the British government authorises illegal invasions of countries that have not threatened the UK against the Nuremberg laws agreed after WW2. It also sanctions many special forces operations around the world on a regular basis. Claiming that it would never sanction violence is either massive naivety or simple hypocrisy.
October 11, 2021
I have an idea that in a few years time when people find out the true cost of “zero carbon” we’ll have a ready made Bond villain – Greta Thunberg.
She certainly looks the part…
October 11, 2021
But ET was quite a friendly soul.
October 11, 2021
Poor Greta is just being used I feel sorry for her. The real villains are in rather more powerful positions many must know they are frauds amd con merchants.
There are the usually bought climate alarmist “experts” at universities, the BBC climate propaganda outfit, the many so called “Charities”, many state funded international organisations, ED Miliband, Boris, T May, Carrie, Gummer, various crony capitalists, Biden, the Prince Charles, Emma Thompson… do as I say not as I do types…
October 11, 2021
Indeed she is being used, but she is not fully aware of it.
The penny will eventually drop, but not for a while yet.
October 11, 2021
Those were not recipients of the recent Nobel Prize in Physics, Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi are, for various works more or less related to climate change. Interestingly the last recipient basically put to rest LL’s often repeated (but completely wrong) ‘interpretation’ of chaos as the reason for the impossibility of making any prediction beyond a few days.
Could a small amplitude perturbation (the continuous addition of a few additional ppms of CO2?) and a long period forcing (120-150 years and ongoing?) produce within Prof. Parisi’s ‘stochastic resonance’ framework a much more rapid change to the underlying complex system?
Could such small but prolonged perturbations modify the climate more than what has been seen over the last 22,000 years? In different contexts, Prof. Giorgi thinks and has shown it does.
But science being science, if Lifelogic proves it is not the case, could it be that next year’s Nobel Prize will be for him?
October 12, 2021
How can one predict the climate in 100 years when they do not even have all the relevant input information? Do they know the dates and sizes of all the volcanic eruptions, all the sunspot activity, the world population for 100 years, the wars, any comet impacts, pandemics, genetic changes in crops and plants (natural or engineered), when controlled fusion will become practical…
It will be shown not to be the case by events. If they cannot predict the weather (or climate) accurately for next month (as we know they cannot) how can they do so for the month after that as this depends on the first month’s climate and so on.
October 11, 2021
Prince Charles is becoming a laughing stock and yet another person completely out of touch. He won’t be losing his job in the steel factory will he?
October 12, 2021
+1 – P. Charles even wants taxpayers to fund quack medicine on the NHS. But he does run his Aston on waste english wine and cheese it seems. Does he really think this saves CO2?
Not spending £1+ million PA on travel, private jets and helicopters would though.
October 11, 2021
It was interesting to see an image of Britain without an green revolution….I did fear that the plot would be about climate change and not biological weapons
October 11, 2021
When biological weapons were mentioned someone in the audience shouted out that it came from a Chinese lab.
October 12, 2021
ha ha
October 11, 2021
Sir John,
I wonder if you would have found the latest Bond film so gripping if it had been made by a UK derived brand and cultural icon such as the BBC.
October 11, 2021
Fantasy. The film is fantasy. The commentary is fantasy.
October 12, 2021
Agreed.
October 11, 2021
Off topic, the Irish Foreign Minister is complaining about the attitude of the UK government so I have sent this short letter to various newspapers both north and south of the border:
“If what Simon Coveney says is true, and the UK government is now simply dismissing out of hand all new EU proposals on the Irish protocol, then the saying “what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander” springs to mind.
Because that is what the EU did in the autumn of 2019 whenever an alternative to the noxious “backstop” was put forward, including a collaborative system of “mutual enforcement” which would be the civilised way to proceed.”
The prime example being the plan put forward by Sir Jonathan Faull and two law professors:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-49488844
“Brexit: Backstop plan by Sir Jonathan Faull dismissed by EU”
October 11, 2021
Denis the backstop idea came about during negotiations but was not agreed – thereafter talks continued until the WA and the Protocol were actually agreed.
The protocol is part of an International treaty ‘ and if the government is of the mind to tear up International treaties then they should at the very least let the people know – so parliament can first weigh up the consequences.
October 12, 2021
The point is that Sir Jonathan Faull and his colleagues formulated a sensible plan which they called:
https://verfassungsblog.de/an-offer-the-eu-and-uk-cannot-refuse/
“An Offer the EU and UK Cannot Refuse”
but the EU was not prepared to even consider it, so they cannot complain at getting the same treatment.
We may find out more later today:
https://www.rte.ie/news/brexit/2021/1012/1253157-ni-protocol/
“UK Brexit minister to set out demands for NI Protocol changes”
October 11, 2021
Though I did like Casino Royale it ought not to have been billed as a Bond film. Daniel Craig is too dark and serious to be a Bond… a gritty, mean fighter with a quick temper rather than a smooth debonair lover with a sense of humour, he is a Bond that takes himself way to seriously… the poisoning scene, the rope scene (what ???), the choking scene in the stairwell… all befitting of something interesting but certainly having no place in a light entertainment Bond film.
Andy says that Brexit has doomed the film industry but it really hasn’t. The last film I watched at the cinema that I really wanted to see (and was glad I saw it) was Life of Pi and before that Saving Private Ryan. The rest has been crash-bang-wallop CGI nonsense or woke stuff I do not want to watch… or both.
Both Dunkirk and 1917 were a travesty of historical rewriting and nonsense and an insult to those who fought.
Woke is killing the movie industry.
October 11, 2021
What struck me, Sir John, was that despite it being all about biological warfare, the Chinese didn’t appear, and weren’t mentioned until right at the end, when it is said they will object to British lawless behaviour. I had understood from the media that the film was updated, so naively thought this would mean switching the Cold War from the Russians to the Chinese. Not a bit of it. The stage villains are still Russian, or seemingly from the former Russian empire. It is the British who start the biological spread, and MI6 and the CIA don’t come out of it terribly well. There are vague hints the Japanese might be involved. I suppose the Chinese have bought the film industry along with everything else.
There were modernisations though: the main character is their idea of emasculated, despite the violence being greater and more prolonged than ever; and the three heroines, and one of the two little girls, take part in the violence. Some liberation!
October 11, 2021
Yes John, I read that the army is cutting it’s front line fighters down to 11,500 men with over 59,000 people to back them up, don’t you think that that is bit unbalance, as you wrote the other day, that the army has hundreds of top army brass with grace and favour home’s paid by the taxpayers and their children go to private school’s like EATON also paid for by the taxpayers. Maybe one 007 could replace the lot, but the main question is, was the cinema that went to full.
October 12, 2021
The cinema I went to was full, on a Thursday night.
October 11, 2021
Yes, I believe you wrote Lieutenant Colonel and above 2100 people what we went to captain, 10,000.
October 11, 2021
With Boris announcing that Britain must undergo ‘Great Reset’ in his remote speech to his party conference, something that was always said to be in the realm of conspiracy theory, maybe one does not need to look so far from home to see an international conspiracy in action?
October 11, 2021
Sir John,
If you want a vision for the future, then I would seriously suggest you add the 2005 film “V for Vendetta” to your viewing list. (Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, John Hurt, Tim Piggot-Smith, Stephen Fry [et al]
I would suggest you pay particular attention to the discourse of the character ‘Rookwood’ in the Museum scene.
Regards,
GW.
October 11, 2021
Maybe Priti Patel should watch the new James Bond, view the speed and efficiency with which he dispatches lawbreakers and enemies of Britain, and perhaps it will steel her resolve to deal with the criminal gangs who are delivering people onto our shores by the thousands every day.
October 11, 2021
The british army has one officer of captain and above to every 5.4 lower personal, 12,770 officer’s at last April 2021.
October 11, 2021
“Why doesn’t the government take immediate action to increase reliable UK generating capacity and increase domestic gas output? Price controls cannot stop price rises coming unless we produce more energy .”
“The Business department wants Treasury help with the sky high price of gas. They run energy policy, so why don’t they licence more UK production to cut expensive imports and increase supply?2
You are too polite to say this so I will: the Secretary of State personally ended fracking, so he can personally start it up again. Is he a big enough man to do this?
October 11, 2021
Rose
Is the Government in charge of Gas Production ?
It is probably in charge of the licences sold/purchased by Commercial Companies, but that is probably all.
Perhaps there is a clause in the agreements which would put the supply to the UK first on request, but I would not hold my breath.
October 11, 2021
Has the British govt. considered the defence policy of Costa Rica? They have no army, no navy and no air force and no one threatens them. Probably cheap too.
October 11, 2021
That policy appears to be the direction of travel
October 11, 2021
My daughter and family went to see it on Friday evening, I did some research on Ian Fleming and how he perceived Bond’s appearance, he thought that Hoagy Carmichael would fill the bill perfectly, no mention of a female Bond anywhere!
October 11, 2021
I’m afraid the latest James Bond is – from the reviews that I have read -too feminist for my tastes. I prefer the traditional Bond films rather than these modern woke ones.
October 11, 2021
Did the Bond film include Brits sitting around posting about how miserable, hopeless and pointless their lives are, all in perfect comfort? That would be a note of realism.
October 11, 2021
Not entirely off-topic since this is about UK creative arts, but I see that yet another fake Brexit story bit the dust this morning. Contrary to what we have been told by the Press, 20 of the 27 EU members, including Germany and France have schemes in place to allow short-term visa-free tours by British Bands and Groups performing in the EU, which matches the UK’s own scheme that allow EU Bands – if there are any – to tour the UK. And this was part of the original FTA negotiatitions.
Looks like Elton has been telling a few porkies, eh?
October 11, 2021
No, Elton John is correct.
The musicians now need twenty-seven work visas for a full tour of the European Union instead of none as before.
Furthermore there is all the documentation required for equipment multiple times too.
It isn’t worth it any more.
October 12, 2021
Wrong again NLH
Jon is correct
There is a condensed article article about it in euronews.com 5th August 2021.
And a long version on the .Gov site
October 12, 2021
All due to EU rules, NOT UK ones!!
October 12, 2021
All due to brexit.
October 12, 2021
Well everything is brexit if you have an obsession
October 11, 2021
I agree that the cars were the stars and I wish the real British motor industry could be reestablishment. It was a world beater and would be again with our own designers, engineers and ingenuity.
However I have to say that I thought the last 007 spoof, Johnny English, had more to teach us about the modern world.
Ditch the high tech globalists, a pen, paper and a brain outwit a computer everytime. Go off grid as far as possible, you will be more comfortable and better off.
I have no pecuniary interest in promoting Johnny English.
October 11, 2021
John where is the gas piece..
If its dear we need more….. so much gas on this site pity it cannot be lit.
Reply It is tomorrows. technical problems with loading now resolved
October 11, 2021
While the media where all over James Bond last week they forgot to report the following epic news –
‘The South Pole just had its coldest winter on record.
Between April and September, a research station sitting on a high plateau in Antarctica, registered an average temperature of minus 78 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 61 degrees Celsius). That’s the coldest temperature recorded since record keeping began in 1957, and about 4.5 F (2.5 C) lower than the most recent 30-year average, according to The Washington Post.’
Source – https://www.livescience.com/south-pole-coldest-winter-record
October 11, 2021
Climate change. Let us pray………that this is passed to Boris. Can we keep our boilers and ice’s now?
October 11, 2021
I fear that our ”leaders” are not allowed to use their imagination, Sir John. The narrative appears to be written in stone.
October 11, 2021
Climate change. Let us pray………that this is passed to Boris. Can we keep our boilers and ice’s now?