Poll: Can Sam Mendes shake up (and stir) the James Bond franchise?

The prospect that Sam Mendes will direct the new James Bond movie (provided that MGM and/or new owners can finance said movie) has the blogosphere buzzing. Mendes would be following the highly successful and acclaimed "Casino Royale" and the somewhat less acclaimed but still successful "Quantum of Solace."

It’s worth pointing out that some of the best Bond movies, at least for our money, were not directed by the most notable directors (Guy Hamilton directed “Goldfinger”) while some of the more acclaimed directors did some of the more middling or campy efforts (Lewis Gilbert directed  “Moonraker”).

Which makes you wonder how Mendes, who directed the Oscar-winning “American Beauty,” will fare. Which in turns leads us to the below poll.

Comments

[Buck]

The best Bond movie needs action sequences that are thrilling, but also character development and at least some sense of real peril for 007. Quantum was too full of quick edits and chase scenes, explosions, etc. Casino had the perfect mix.

The hope is that Sam Mendes will bring the right balance to the next film,and that the scripters will deliver a thrilling story. And ... have we run out of Ian Fleming titles?? BTW it is recommended that Bond fans read ILF's short story Quantum of Solace. It is quite captivating.