Since the release of “Spectre,” we”ve heard our fair share of opinions about the quality of the latest James Bond movie. But here”s the two cents you”ve been waiting for: from former 007, our turn-of-the-millennium Bond, Pierce Brosnan.
While talking with Brosnan about his thriller “No Escape” in anticipation of its DVD release next week, HitFix asked him about “Spectre,” which has topped the U.S. box office in its first two weekends in stateside theaters.
“I was looking forward to it enormously,” said Brosnan, who played Bond in four films from 1995 to 2002. “I thought it was too long. The story was kind of weak – it could have been condensed. It kind of went on too long. It really did.”
The Irish actor also acknowledged recent Bond films” tendency to take some cues from the gritty Jason Bourne franchise – movies that have resided much more in the real world than the invisible car or exploding pens of Brosnan-era 007.
“[‘Spectre”] is neither fish nor fowl. It”s neither Bond nor Bourne. Am I in a Bond movie? Not in a Bond movie?” Brosnan said. “But Daniel, in the fourth go-round, has ownership of it. He had a nice looseness to him.”
Daniel Craig”s predecessor continued with his praise for the current Bond actor: “He”s a mighty warrior, and I think he found a great sense of himself in this one with the one-liners and a nice playfulness there. Just get a tighter story, and he”ll have another classic.”
As for Craig”s much-circulated comment that he”d rather “slash my wrists” than do another Bond movie, Brosnan said, “I think the guy was just fairly banjaxed by playing it. By the time you finish making a Bond movie, you don't want to hear the name, see the name or have anything to do with it because you just want to go to ground.”
Craig did make that comment when speaking to TimeOut London just four days after finishing the eight month-long shoot for “Spectre,” and he”s since clarified: “Maybe I”ll make another one. I don”t know.”
Brosnan has hope we”ll see Craig play the MI6 agent once more: “Give him another year off here, and he'll be ready to rock and roll for sure.”