Chapter 295: looking

Chapter 295: Chapter 295: looking

But the good times didn’t last; once the plot returned to the romance and the conspiracy reveal, whispers broke out in the theater again.

"This twist is too easy to guess; I figured out who the villain was ten minutes ago," a girl diagonally in front said to her friend, her tone tinged with disappointment.

"And Bond manages to escape danger every time; there’s no suspense at all. You know the ending from the beginning."

Some audience members were die-hard 007 fans and took it very seriously.

In the back row, a grey-haired old man frowned and said to his wife,

"Bond lacks the steadiness he used to have; he’s trying too hard to look cool. And the plot logic is a bit rushed — it’s not as solid as GoldenEye." However, he still stayed until the end, occasionally clapping for Bond’s classic lines, essentially paying for the nostalgia.

The most awkward moment came during the climax when Bond and the villain were in their final showdown at the space weapons base.

Just as a tense atmosphere was finally building in the theater, a loud burst of laughter suddenly came from the adjacent Pirates of the Caribbean screening.

It was mixed with Captain Jack’s signature playful tone and was so piercing that it instantly shattered the serious mood in this room.

"Damn, can’t people just watch a movie in peace?" a boy behind and to the left of Irene complained irritably, even kicking the back of the seat in front of him.

The girl next to him was more easygoing: "Forget it, the plot wasn’t that engaging anyway. Hearing the laughter next door makes me want to go see Pirates instead."

When the movie ended, most of the audience left with expressionless faces, lacking the excitement typical after watching a blockbuster.

As she walked out of the theater, Irene heard many people discussing:

"A bit disappointing, didn’t meet expectations. It’s not as good as watching Pirates of the Caribbean a second time."

"The action scenes were okay, but the plot is too cliché. It’s time for 007 to change its style."

"Full marks for nostalgia, but if we’re talking about quality, Pirates is still more interesting."

A few fans were defending the film: "I thought it was pretty good. Bond’s charm is still there; maybe everyone’s expectations for a classic are just too high."

The three of them left the cinema and turned into a simply decorated American restaurant on the corner, taking a booth by the window.

The waiter handed over the menus. Robert ordered a classic steak set, Hill chose salad and pasta, and Irene ordered roasted chicken with vegetables. During the wait for their food, the conversation at the table naturally turned to the Die Another Day they had just finished.

"Tell me, what are your thoughts on this 007?" Irene took a sip of water, her gaze first landing on Robert. After all, he came from MGM and knew this IP better than anyone.

Robert put down the menu and tapped his fingers lightly on the table:

"Many problems are quite obvious. First is aesthetic fatigue. The image of James Bond hasn’t changed for decades — always in a suit, surrounded by beauties, and omnipotent. The audience has long grown tired of it.

Today’s youth don’t buy the ’perfect hero’ trope anymore; instead, they like characters like Jack Sparrow, who are morally ambiguous, with a bit of madness and vulnerability. Being flesh and blood makes them memorable."

He paused and continued: "Secondly, the plot is completely unoriginal. It’s the same old ’villain wants to control the world, Bond saves Earth single-handedly.’ The twists are predictable, and even the romance feels forced, with no buildup.

If Pirates of the Caribbean hadn’t been released at the same time, relying on the golden IP halo of 007, they might have still harvested a wave of box office based on nostalgia, getting seventy or eighty million in the opening week. But once Jack Sparrow, this ’anomaly,’ appeared, Bond’s charm was overshadowed."

"One is a formulaic hero following a script, the other is a mad captain who doesn’t play by the rules. Audiences vote with their feet; they know who to choose."

"MGM sunk 140 million into this investment; I think it’s in trouble." Robert shook his head with a hint of regret.

"Based on today’s attendance and audience reaction, the opening week box office definitely won’t be high. If word-of-mouth doesn’t pick up, losing money is very likely.

If they really lose money, MGM definitely won’t dare touch a 007 sequel for the next couple of years; this IP will have to cool off for a while. And if they don’t seek change, James Bond, this world-renowned agent, will face a major crisis."

Irene listened, silently admiring him.

As expected of a veteran from MGM, his insight was indeed sharp.

She clearly remembered that after this Die Another Day, the 007 series went silent for five years until Casino Royale returned to the scene. Not only did it change the lead actor, but the style was also completely transformed.

The tough-guy Bond portrayed by Daniel Craig had less elegance and more ruggedness and vulnerability, breaking the audience’s preconceived notions of the character and effectively pulling the IP back from the brink. ℯℯ𝑙.

"I agree with Robert," Hill said, putting down his pen; he had been sketching in his notebook just now.

"There’s also the pacing issue. The buildup in the first half is too slow. While the action scenes in the middle are exciting, the transition between them and the plot is very clunky — it feels like fighting for the sake of fighting.

Especially the ice chase scene; the special effects are good, but there’s nothing memorable about it afterward, and it feels tedious.

When the villain’s plot is revealed in the second half, it feels too rushed, and much of the logic doesn’t hold up — for instance, the villain’s energy monopoly plan; the details simply don’t stand up to scrutiny."

He looked up at Irene and added:

"Also, there’s a problem with the film’s emotional engagement. It’s not tense enough when it should be, and it lacks buildup when it needs empathy.

In the theater just now, except for a few action scenes, the audience was very indifferent most of the time, some even looking down at their phones. That’s a sign of poor pacing control."

Irene nodded in agreement:

"You’re both right. We must avoid these pitfalls of 007 in our upcoming projects. Just like Million Dollar Baby is an award-contender, we can’t ignore the audience’s feelings.

We can’t just pursue depth and forget about pacing and emotional resonance — I think we did a good job on that in this film.

For our subsequent commercial films, we must be even more careful; the hero image shouldn’t be too perfect, we need to leave room for character growth, and the plot must break out of the formula to offer something fresh."

The waiter brought the food to the table, and the aroma filled the air. The three of them paused their conversation and began to eat.

Halfway through the meal, Irene suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, what do you think the opening week box office for Die Another Day will be?"

Hill put down his fork and knife, smiling sheepishly: "I’m not very familiar with box office predictions; I usually focus more on post-production technology. It’s hard for me to say."

Robert put down his steak and thought for a moment:

"Based on today’s attendance and the competition in the same slot, the opening week should be between 40 and 50 million dollars.

Pirates of the Caribbean has the advantage in both screen allocation and word-of-mouth, which will divert a large number of young viewers.

The core audience for 007 is the middle-aged demographic, whose willingness to go to the movies isn’t as strong. Coupled with mediocre reviews, it’s hard to see explosive growth."

"I think so too," Irene agreed. She remembered that in her past life, the opening week box office for this movie was indeed in that range, and the final global box office failed to cover three times the costs, leading MGM to pause subsequent plans.

"But this is a good thing for us," Robert changed the subject.

"The failure of 007 shows that the market is changing; audiences want freshness and realism. The success of Pirates of the Caribbean also proves that strong characters can retain audiences better than strong plots.

In our future projects, whether they are award-contenders or commercial films, we must prioritize character development."

Irene looked at the two of them, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Hiring Robert Smith was truly the right move; many of his ideas were in sync with hers.

When she went to film the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean next year, she probably wouldn’t have to worry about the company being affected by her absence, as she could fully entrust many things to him.