“James Bond for Idiots.” This is what the Chicago Tribune’s Michael Phillips has called KIngsman: The Golden Circle, released in theaters this week. Phillips goes on to say that “in the worst way, anything goes in a Kingsman movie.” Phillips appears to suggest that one of the more notable aspects of the Bond series has been the way that the franchise has rather “tastefully” approached its material, especially violence.
But this isn’t always the case. In what ways have any of the 24 “official” Bond films crossed the line (by Bond standards)? Here are the top 5 moments when a Bond film might have pushed the boundaries of good taste and made you go, “Ewww.”
Winter is Coming
5. Bond pushes a child overboard (The Man with the Golden Gun)
Interestingly, children have played very limited roles in the Bond franchise. In this scene, a young Thai boy climbs aboard James Bond’s boat and offers to help him fix the motor, in exchange for Bond to purchase a hand-carved wooden elephant. Bond agrees, only to renege on the deal when the boat is fixed. Bond pushes the young boy overboard. While the boy isn’t injured in the scene, it’s cringe-worthy nonetheless, given that Bond also left him in the path of his pursuers. Roger Moore would later admit that the scene didn’t sit well with him, considering he went on to become a UNICEF spokesperson. Is it a “violent” scene? Not really. But it certainly makes you feel yucky.
4. Bond kills Slate (Quantum of Solace)
In one of the more action-packed fight sequences in Bond history, Bond fights Slate in a Port-au-Prince hotel room. The scene, inspired by Jason Bourne fight sequences, is brutal and over with in less than a minute. It culminates with Bond sticking scissors into Slate’s jugular and then holding him down until he bleeds to death. It’s cool, but maybe a bit much compared to other Bond killings.
3. Bond assaults Tatiana Romanova (From Russia with Love)
Even in 1963, it probably wasn’t necessary for a man to handle a woman as Bond does here, alone on a train. Bond suspects Tatiana has double-crossed him and his anger gets the best of him. He first grabs her by the shoulders, to which Tatiana cries out that he is hurting her, and then slaps her hard across the face. Though Bond has genuine feelings for Tatiana (and vice-versa), one wouldn’t know it based on this brutal and quite “cringe-worthy” display of violence, made worse by the fact that Bond is wrong: Tatiana knew nothing. It’s similar to . . .
2. Bond assaults Andrea Anders (The Man with the Golden Gun)
Roger Moore didn’t like filming this scene, in which Bond uses physical force to extract information from Anders. Yes, indeed, Anders had a gun on Bond, but his force here, on a woman screaming “you’re hurting my arm!” is a bit much. And then he continues, with a slap to the face, afterward. Moore thought the scene could have been played out with Bond using his charm, as opposed to physical force. He’s right.
1. Milton Krest explodes (Licence to Kill)
While Bond doesn’t directly cause Krest’s death in this scene, he definitely contributes to it. After Bond has framed Krest, making Franz Sanchez think he has stolen money from him, Sanchez seeks revenge by locking Krest in an air chamber. After turning up the pressure, causing Krest to scream in pain from the vice-lock air inside, Sanchez takes an ax to the air hose. The quick release of air pressure causes Krest to gruesomely explode.