After announcing that Bond 25 would be released on February 14, 2020, the producers moved it further for an April 2020 release date. Since Bond 25 has been delayed again, I think it would be just right that we feast our eyes with other films from the spy genre, films that are referencing, or spoofing, the James Bond franchise.
 |
| Johnny English Strikes Again movie poster from imdb.com |
The third installment of the Johnny English movie series, "Johnny English Strikes Again" came seven years after the second one. As for me, I think this movie made reference to the James Bond franchise more than its predecessors ever did. That is maybe is an influence rubbing off from Spectre (2015) wherein there were references from all previous 23 Bond films, from Dr. No to Skyfall.
1. Plot
The film starts with someone hacking information about the British Secret Service agents, revealing their true identities, exposing their covers. This was the same plot used in Skyfall wherein Silva, a former MI-6 agent did the same cyber attacks on the British Secret Service.
 |
| Agents' cover being exposed in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| The list of agents in Skyfall |
2. Theme
The film has the "Old versus New" theme, with Johnny English representing the "Old" and Jason Volta representing the new. Much like in Skyfall, where a very experienced James Bond tried dealing with his digital villain in an old-fashioned way.
 |
| Johnny English choosing the Aston Martin over the hybrid ones in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| Q and Bond in Skyfall |
3. Pre-Title Sequence
A tradition set by the James Bond movies, this movie has its own Pre-Title Sequence.
4. From Russia with Love Pre-Title Sequence
That pre-title sequence is lifted from From Russia with Love's (1963). Seemingly, Johnny English is in a mission with his colleagues until it was revealed that it is only a training conducted by English to his students, just like when Red Grant was training with a SPECTRE agent with Bond's face in the start of From Russia with Love.
 |
| Johnny English training his students in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| Red Grant in a training with SPECTRE in From Russia With Love |
5. "Moneypenny"
This film has its Pegasus. This means that it is only right to have this film's version of Moneypenny. Named Lesley, Pegasus' secretary was played by Pippa Bennett- Warner.
 |
| Lesley in Pegasus' office in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| Eve Moneypenny in Skyfall |
6. Pegasus' office
Bernard Lee's M was known to be an Admiral before he was the head of MI-6. That explains the painting of ships present in the office of Ralph Fiennes' M in Skyfall. For this film, Pegasus' office also has a ship painting present.
 |
| Pegasus in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| M and Bond in Skyfall |
7. Dance, Fox, Gambon
These three older agents that returned as requested by the British Secret Service all have their own links to the James Bond franchise. Charles Dance was a henchman of the villain, Aris Kristatos (played by Julian Glover), in For Your Eyes Only (1981). Edward Fox played M in Never Say Never Again (1983) wherein Rowan Atkinson played a small role alongside Sean Connery, while Michael Gambon was offered the role of James Bond for Diamonds are Forever (1971).
 |
| Edward Fox in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| Edward Fox as M with Sean Connery as Bond in Never Say Never Again |
 |
| Charles Dance in Johnny English Strikes Again |
 |
| Charles Dance as a henchman in For Your Eyes Only |
 |
| Michael Gambon in Johnny English Strikes Again |
8. Exploding Pen
Q mocked Bond for wanting a more extravagant item in Skyfall (2012) by saying "Were you expecting an exploding pen?". Another reference of this was from Goldenye (1995) where Bond was given an exploding pen but with a shorter countdown timer of five seconds.
 |
| Exploding pen in Goldeneye |
 |
| Exploding pen in Johnny English Strikes Again |
9. P Scene
This movie also has its own Q Branch scene, which was also lifted from Skyfall. The gadgets are now some futuristic technology and not the traditional spy stuff seen in earlier spy films. To keep up with the theme of the movie, Johnny English still picks to be old-fashioned and asked for a gun, and a vintage Aston Martin, instead of asking for a hybrid vehicle.
 |
| P scene with Bond in Skyfall |
 |
| P scene in Johnny English Strikes Again |
10. Aston Martin
James Bond drives an Aston Martin, so does Johnny English.
 |
| Bond's Aston Martin DB5 in Skyfall |
 |
| English's Aston Martin V8 in Johnny English Strikes Again |
11. Chase scene
Most spy films have their own chase scenes. However, the car chase scene in Johnny English Strikes Again between Johnny English and Ophelia Bhuletova looks similar to the initial chase scene between James Bond and Xenia Onattop in Goldeneye. The location seems similar. Also, it was a chase between Bond and Bond girl, although she is a henchwoman. Notice the color schemes of the cars used in both chase scenes.
 |
| Bond's chase scene with Onattop, featuring the cyclists, in Goldeneye |
 |
| Bond's chase scene with Bhuetova, featuring the cyclists, in Johnny English Strikes Again |
12. Bar scene
The bar scene where Ophelia Bhuletova meets Johnny English is very alike with most of Bond's meeting with his Bond girl. One of those seemingly similar scenes is the bar scene in Skyfall. Another one is the scene where Bond meets Anya Amasova, also a Russian agent, in the Egyptian gathering in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
 |
| Bond and Severine in Skyfall |
 |
| Bond and Bhuletova in Johnny English Strikes Again |
13. Dance Floor, Curtain, Gun
The scene wherein Johnny English is highly energized by a drug and is then seen dancing in the dance floor while Ophelia Bhuletova was trying to kill him was one of the hilarious moments of the film. The part where Bhuletova hides behind a curtain and aims at Johnny English looks like the one from Thunderball (1965).
 |
| Gun pointed at Bond in Thunderball |
 |
| Gun pointed at English in Johnny English Strikes Again |
14. Garrote Watch
Red Grant of From Russia with Love has the garrote watch as his choice of weapons. So does Russian agent Ophelia Bhuletova.
 |
| Grant's garrote watch in the train fight scene in From Russia With Love |
 |
| Bhuletova's garrote watch in the dance floor scene in Johnny English Strikes Again |
15. VR
Although it is not used well in Die Another Day (2002), the idea of having a Virtual Reality concept in a spy film started in that said movie. Pierce Brosnan's James Bond was shown in a shooting training using VR, while Moneypenny used it to fantasize Bond. Johnny English Strikes Again upgraded the use of the VR in a highly hilarious scene. VR and Rowan Atkinson seemed to be a good combination.
 |
| Bond and Q's VR in Die Another Day |
 |
| English and P's VR in Johnny English Strikes Again |
16. Student Driver
This has to be my most favorite among all other references made. After escaping Jason Volta's lair, Johnny English has to take over a vehicle for him to continue escaping. However, the vehicle he managed to get was occupied by a student lady driver accompanied by its instructor. Hilariously, English continued the driving lesson even when they were being chased by Volta.
Do you remember Mrs. Bell from Live and Let Die (1973) as she was getting her plane driving lessons from Roger Moore?
 |
| Mrs. Bell in Live and Let Die |
 |
| The student driver in Johnny English Strikes Again |
17. Crane chase
That previously stated chase scene ends when a crane blocks their way leaving only a little space enough for Johnny English and the student lady driver's car to pass through. Since Jason Volta's car is larger, he cannot pass through and continue chasing English. This very scene is reminiscent of how the very first car chase action scene of the James Bond series concluded.
As Sean Connery was driving, the Three Blind Mice follows him until they were blocked by a crane. Since they were in a hearse, they were not able to pass through and fell off the narrow road.
 |
| The obstructed funeral car in Dr. No |
 |
| Volta's obstructed car in Johnny English Strikes Again |
18. Six Bullets
During the final showdown with Jason Volta, Johnny English in a knight's armor is being shot at by Volta using his 3D-Printed gun. English remarks, 'Don't worry, he's only got six bullets in that thing!" Sean Connery also has the same remark before he shoots Professor Dent, played by Anthony Dawson, in Dr. No. "It's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six."
 |
| Bond and Professor Dent in Dr. No |
 |
| English and Volta in Johnny English Strikes Again |
19. Villain fight
The final showdown with Jason Volta involves a very unexpected weapon of choice for Johnny English. As English manages to be in possession of Volta's tablet, he tries to stop Volta's chopper. However, since English is not very good with computer and modern tech stuff, he throws the tablet to Volta which made him fall onto his head, just like when Bond throws a knife into Raoul Silva's back in Skyfall.
 |
| Javier Bardem (left) and Dame Judi Dench in Skyfall |
 |
| English throwing the tablet at Volta in Johnny English Strikes Again |
20. Main Girl
The main English girl (as opposed to Bond girl) of this film is Olga Kurylenko, playing a Russian spy working undercover against Jason Volta. Kurylenko also played the main Bond girl Camille Montes in Quantum of Solace (2008) and in another spy film with former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan in The November Man (2014).
 |
| Olga Kurylenko (left) and Daniel Craig (right) in Quantum of Solace from supposedlyfun.com |
 |
| Pierce Brosnan (left) and Olga Kurylenko (right) in The November Man from variety.com |
 |
| Olga Kurylenko (left) and Rowan Atkinson (right) in Johnny English Strikes Again from entertainment.inquirer.net |
No comments:
Post a Comment