Campbell Discusses Edge of Darkness, Green Lantern, and 007

[Goldeneye]

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Thursday, January 21


Martin Campbell Discusses Edge of Darkness, Green Lantern, and James Bond

Green lanternWhen Martin Campbell completes his work on Green Lantern, the movie could be the start of the director's third franchise, having directed two Zorro movies and two James Bond movies (Casino Royale and Goldeneye). Campbell told Crave Online that Green Lantern has franchise potential, considering the movie will be an origin story.

Well, first of all, it's the origin story so I think people, certainly Green Lantern fans, know what that's about. It's Hal Jordan. As you know, there's probably been five Green Lanterns. So it pretty much sticks to the origin story. It sets up Oa, the planet where the Green Lantern calls his base. It sets up Hal's training on Oa and becoming a Green Lantern. Fear clearly is the enemy. So it's got all of those.

Having reinvented James Bond twice, Campbell knows how to set up a character in a way that creates future movies. For Campbell, again, it's all about an origin story.

Casino Royale of course was an opportunity to go back to the tone of the books which they never were in the original movies. They never have been. Even the [Sean] Connery movies are not in the same tone as the book. Again, I was lucky enough to have an origin story. Bond really doesn't become Bond until the last frame of the movie. He's a f***ed up guy. He's a guy who smokes too much. He doesn't smoke in the movie but in the books he certainly smokes too much, he drinks too much, he abhors a certain kind of violence when it's very messy and ugly. It's something he hates. He finally shoots someone in the forehead with a bullet, but the bathroom scene is very distasteful and ugly and clumsy and messy. So there are elements to Bond, and of course a great relationship with the girl which allowed you the one meaningful relationship in his life apart from On Her Majesty's Secret Service where he marries the girl. So that was a really great opportunity to get into the tone of the books and make him a much darker, more f***ed up character which was way more interesting in my opinion.

Edge of DarknessCampbell's latest movie, Edge of Darkness, is not a franchise starting movie, per se, but it is something that Campbell has visited before in the form of a BBC mini-series of the same name that he directed in 1985. Campbell says the thriller is punctuated by "tough guy talk" but it's pace will be dictated by the emotions that Mel Gibson's character faces as he investigates the murder of his daughter.

The truth is the pace is, look: If you compare this to, say, Taken, which in the first four and a half minutes of the movie dispenses with all its emotional story. The rest of it is Liam Neeson with a gun dealing with these bad guys in Paris, shoots about 200 of them which is a terrific film, by the way. Whereas this is a slower burn, it's about loss, it's about grief, it's about a detective discovering things about his daughter he had no idea she was involved in. So there are other elements to it and an emotional core throughout the movie I hope.

Edge of Darkness opens January 29, while Green Lantern opens June 17, 2011.

[James]

I love the Green Lantern. Hope this turns out to be good.

[Kristatos]

I love the Green Lantern. Hope this turns out to be good.

The only Green Lantern comic I've ever read was the one that had the 8-page backup story by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill that earned O'Neill the first ever blanket ban from the Comics Code Authority on the grounds that nothing he drew would ever be suitable for children. I can't even remember what the story was about now, but that's one hell of an achievement. I know Kev probably regards it as his finest hour.

[Mazer Rackham]

Campbell has it ass backwards on Bond and Fleming's intent. Sad part is he doesn't even recognize the talking points he is regurgitating the Eon team today won't even touch with a 12 foot poll.

[Kristatos]

The Eon team today won't even touch with a 12 foot pole.

Why is that?

[Mazer Rackham]

The Eon team today won't even touch with a 12 foot pole.

Why is that?

Talking points used today no longer rely on the this is "Ian Fleming's Bond" crutch, in fact look at Craig and the producers reaction to the Devil May Care among others. Not only do they point out actors more appropriate to fill the Bond role they more or less concede what they are doing is a "modern take" on Ian's Bond other than an accurate interpenetration of him.

Even the most doe-eyed fan recognizes Craig wasn't playing Bond in CR or as it turned out Quark. Craig has a famous quote were he says "everyone keeps asking me when is Bond going to be Bond again, well soon but not yet", or words to that affect. Which concedes without equivocation that he was not Bond in either of his films.

[Kristatos]

Oh, sorry, I thought you meant EON wouldn't touch Campbell again with a 10-foot pole.

[Mazer Rackham]

Oh, sorry, I thought you meant EON wouldn't touch Campbell again with a 10-foot pole.

No, I think that is the other way around

[katied]

Campbell's good people.

[Omega]

Casino Royale of course was an opportunity to go back to the tone of the books which they never were in the original movies. They never have been. Even the [Sean] Connery movies are not in the same tone as the book. Again, I was lucky enough to have an origin story. Bond really doesn't become Bond until the last frame of the movie. He's a f***ed up guy. He's a guy who smokes too much. He doesn't smoke in the movie but in the books he certainly smokes too much, he drinks too much, he abhors a certain kind of violence when it's very messy and ugly. It's something he hates. He finally shoots someone in the forehead with a bullet, but the bathroom scene is very distasteful and ugly and clumsy and messy. So there are elements to Bond, and of course a great relationship with the girl which allowed you the one meaningful relationship in his life apart from On Her Majesty's Secret Service where he marries the girl. So that was a really great opportunity to get into the tone of the books and make him a much darker, more f***ed up character which was way more interesting in my opinion.

I can't see the similarity in what he describes and the movie he made. Has he seen the final cut?

[katied]

Edge of Darkness looks dreadful.

[James]

I can't see the similarity in what he describes and the movie he made. Has he seen the final cut?

This is the man who compared Brosnan to Cary Grant when GE was in production and then all but said he was rubbish after they cast the notables for CR. I hope Green Lantern is Hal Jordan.

[FormerBondFan]

I can't see the similarity in what he describes and the movie he made. Has he seen the final cut?

This is the man who compared Brosnan to Cary Grant when GE was in production and then all but said he was rubbish after they cast the notables for CR. I hope Green Lantern is Hal Jordan.

Campbell had been brainwashed and corrupted by Queen B1tch Babs.

[James]

Well, I think the PR guff is part of the game. Legend has it that Campbell wanted to take Henry Cavill under his wing and turn him into Bond as Peter Hunt did George Lazenby. Perhaps that's why he looked so grumpy during that press conference on the Thames in 2005.

[katied]

Legend has it that Campbell wanted to take Henry Cavill under his wing and turn him into Bond as Peter Hunt did George Lazenby. Perhaps that's why he looked so grumpy during that press conference on the Thames in 2005.

After seeing Avatar,I can see why people would want Sam Worthington in the role!