Why is Q just leaving his lunch out in an area where weapons are going off, also why is his lunch just a sandwich you’d think he’s also have a cup of tea and a packet of crisps to go with it at least
Llewellyn last appearance in "The World Is not Enough " was so perfect, I still find it hard to believe that It was not intended as his finally appearance as Q . Q giving Bond , his last bit of fatherly advice and then leaving, saying "Always have a escape route " left no doubt when I saw the film , that this was the last time we would see Llewellyn as Q. It was the perfect wrap up of the Character .
According to one of the guys in the Oliver Harper review, Llewelyn apparently said Licence To Kill was his favourite Bond film because he actually got to go out and film on location.
@@nifralo2752 Not really, his scenes in India were really filmed in Pinewood Studios, and Desmond was disappointed that he never went to India (the scene of "Q" fishing in India was split between Desmond in Pinewood and a double on location).
Fun fact: all four of the first actors to play Q were all appeared in the same Titanic movie, A Night To Remember. Peter Burton played a steward, Desmond Llewelyn played a crew member at the third class gates, Geoffrey Bayldon played Californian wireless operator Cyril Evens, and Alec McCowen played Carpathia wireless operator Harold Cottom.
Micheal Goodlife (who played Bill Tanner in “The man with the Golden gun”) played Thomas Andrews Jr (1873-1912) in A night to remember. A night to remember is my favourite movie of all time since I am an Titanic historian.
I know Licence to Kill gets a lot of negative reviews for being more dark and violent, but I actually quite like the film because of Q helping Bond when he goes rogue. Even when Bond tells Q to leave, he refuses and stays to help him. I will be curious to see if Ben Whishaw does manage to play Q as long as Desmond Llewelyn did as he is indeed quite young.
that's a reason why it's one of my favorite films. Q helping bond out in every way as well as kind of be a conscious of sorts to bond. i like what ben whishaw is doing with the role as it fits in with the modern world as well as provide the humor that we need in bond films.
He might get to play him for more than 36 (years emphasis on might), hell he’s almost hit ten years, but especially given the rate that they’re making films, there’s no way he’ll hit 17 films. Hell Desmond was in 2/3 of the franchise, and that includes No Time To Die
@@thevoid99 Problem is, of course, that the way he was caught with his pants down in Skyfall should have led to him being transferred to installing printers for the rest of his careers.
I doubt Desmond is in more than 15 minutes of Licence to Kill if you added his screen time together [similar to Octopussy] but it feels like he's a bigger part of the story than he actually is because of how great Desmond was in the role.
Llewelyn was easily the best Q, he had some of the funniest scenes in the entire series. Q is such a basic character, simply to give gadgets to Bond, yet Llewelyn made this a character you looked forward to seeing every time you watched a Bond film.
Desmond Llewelyn was eighty-five when he died. He didn’t even die of old age, he died in a car accident. This guy was a boss! Aside from Llewelyn, I’m also gonna go with Whishaw, as I like how Q has been brought into the modern day, not as a seemingly mad scientist running around in a laboratory, but as a modern tech genius and I think he brings as nice new energy to the part. Also, I like how the fiftieth anniversary is what encouraged them to get Q.
100 percent agreed. Desmond was a national treasure. It's impossible to watch one of his Bond films and not feel a little heartbroken that's he's not still around.
I was about to say that, too. You never know, it might be intentional. Certain aspects of Metal Gear were very heavily inspired by 007, so it makes sense that 007 proper would pay tribute.
"I think he's attempting re-entry, sir." Favorite films were the Dalton Bonds and in Octopussy. "Cut it out! We don't have time for that. Later perhaps."
I wish Ben whishaw continues to play the role of Q, it's so cool and refreshing to watch the typical young genius. Maybe and with a hard training it could be a perfect 007
Although Desmond is the best Q, I'm also applauding Ben Whishaw. I think turning the character from a wise old man into a young computer nerd is a very creative and the right decission for the modern times. Desmond represents the idea we had of a smart person in classic times, Ben represents the idea we have of a smart person in modern times.
Exactly, a mechanical engineer like Desmond’s Q would not thrive in the digital age where knowledge of computer science can go a long way. A mad scientist can’t do shit against a cyber attack siphoning away the organization’ s funds, for example.
Even so, it's really hard for me to accept a young nerd a Q. I don't mind a female M or a blonde thug a Bond, but I would really like to ee Ben Whihaw replaced when they get a new actor to play Bond in the next decade.
@@placeholder1546 I agree about the difference between a mechanical engineer and computer nerd. On the other hand, given that Q stands for Quartermaster, should the Quartermaster actually be a computer nerd at all? One wonders why there wouldn't be a separate division for cyber-related things, and a completely distinct division for, well, the gadgets that the field agents require, which would seem to be less of a task for a computer nerd, and more of a job for more of a mechanical/electrical engineer. Personally, one thing I miss in the Craig films is the gadgets. Oh, they don't have to be completely over the top. But the films seem a bit bland for Bond films without the gadgets which have been a trademark of these films since Dr. No.
Great video Calvin! Yes would have ranked these pretty much exactly the same, and wouldn't ever expect a fellow Bond fan to rank any other Q above Desmond Llewelyn. I think you did say 1966's Casino Royale, instead of '67, but hey - that happens to the best of us, I muck up all the time! (Guess it takes a group of Bond geeks like us to actually notice small little useless information like that! :P ) Anyway, great video as always Calvin, have a good night!
Best Q quotes: " I always taught you two things 007...1) Never let them see you bleed 2) Always have an exit plan." "I did say bring the car back in one piece, not bring back one piece" (Lol this scene was funny) "Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't go in for that anymore" "I can do more damage from my bedroom sitting in my pajamas than you can do in a week in the field"
I absolutely loved John Cleese as Q, partly because of my Fawlty Towers bias. It was a shame he didn’t do a few more, although without Pierce Brosnan he might have felt a bit out of place. Ben Wishaw and Desmond Llewelyn were both wonderful too - I love Wishaw’s humour in the role - and I didn’t even know about the other actors, so thank you for enlightening me. :)
I loved this vid, it serves as a nice tribute to the character but a very warm insightful piece about Desmond and his contributions to the franchise. His last seconds on screen, being lowered into the floor, is so much more poignant knowing it's his last seconds on screen.
My favorite Q scene has to be from Goldfinger. I love the look of the old 1960's Q lab, the interplay between Bond and Q, and the fact that Q introduced us to what has to be the most famous car on screen!!! Rest in Peace Desmond Llewelyn.
Desmond Llewelyn is indeed the literal definition of Q, but I think Cleese was a very ideal replacement. Cleese is a great actor and had the comic skills to make Q branch scenes work, but sadly he wasn’t given much time to ease into the role or to let fans ease up to him.
I wonder if we will be oversaturated with Ben Whishaw as Q in the future.... Something tells me after the end of No Time to Die...these roles will be recast.
Flip-flop Burton and Bayldon and I agree with the list. I also agree with you point that, although Ben Wishaw is a fine actor, we're starting to get too much over-saturation with the MI6 regulars. SPECTRE felt more like a Mission Impossible film than a James Bond film. But I digress...Of course Desmon Llewelyn is Number 1 and nobody will ever dethrone him.
So satisfying to see how Llewelyn went from a strict character in FRWL to a very happy and enjoying one in the rest of the franchise. Personnally Q is the first character that comes to mind when I think of Bond movies as a whole, before Sean Connery or Roger Moore
I won't rip Ben Whishaw because he's done a very creditable job in the role. But a big part of me thinks that it seems rather unrealistic for such a young person to head such an important department in a spy agency. At his age, Whishaw seems like he should be a technician/engineer in the department, rather than the head of the department.
@@rokaanalzeer I completely agree that Rush can play one hell of a villain, especially given his work in Pirates of the Caribbean. However, his performance in The King's Speech really conveys a rt-of fatherly figure that would have, in my opinion, been a perfect succession to Llewelyn's take on Q. I'm kind of embarassed that I didn't realise this before now.
Great video Calvin I completely agree that Desmond is by far the greatest Q. I do love Ben Whishaw as well, regarding the others they're okay but make little impression but Desmond Llewellyn will go down for decades more. Will you rank the 6 James Bond actors in order of personal preference?? :) Great video again
It was a real case of 'careful what you wish for' for me... In so many other installments I've loved the use of the MI6 regulars in larger roles. M in TWINE, Q in LTK etc... But for some reason it did feel too much like super-friends-team-up in Spectre. Especially considering Tanner and Moneypenny didn't really do anything in the climax.
It was, it was but whats more important - your video was stellar as always. You`re doing a phenomenal job with your channel. Even though I often have a completly different opinion than you about many things in the Bond universe I still enjoy your videos like hell because your research is topnoch, your knowledge and your passion for those movies is incredible and you`re a great host. Keep up the good work.
Also, great tribute to Llewelyn by the way. You even gave me some things to dwell on and appreciate that I hadn't before. The man was in the first film I ever remember seeing on the big screen: GOLDFINGER.
Ben Whishaw is my favourite I always thought he bought more of a modern approach like a tech guy in an intelligent agency would look like all the other q look like they need help opening Google
Keep in mind, though - the Geoffrey Bayldon Q scene laid the groundwork for what Desmond's would become. By 1967, the standard Q scene wasn't "Q walks Bond through the lab while a bunch of background gags happen" - Casino Royale set that standard.
Suggestions for future videos: 1- Best non-fiction books about James Bond. 2- Review of the books - and how they differ from the films. 3- Top 5 actors you would like to take the James Bond role now that Daniel Craig confirmed he won't come back.
It's actually not confirmed yet. I know, I believed it myself a few months ago. But everything (including that article about him turning down 67 Million pounds) right now is just rumors and Calvin has said the same on facebook and that until he gets official confirmation from a reliable source, he doesn't believe it. I really do hope they can convince him to come back for at least one more movie, just to give Waltz the opportunity to give us the perfect Blofeld that we have yet to have. Others are hoping they can convince him to come back for two more movies and do another Blofeld trilogy (which would be ideal, but I'm not holding my breath. I think we'll be lucky to get one more).
Desmond is my favorite Q. He was just so perfect and what the scenes with him and Roger Moore great is they were good friends and the ribbing was much good natured.
I'd love for the next Q to be on the younger actor, but a slightly more irritable one, one who won't take any of Bond's crap and will happily tell him how much money all the cars, computers and guns cost. I'd love to see one struggling with management, basically.
Cool video thumbs up! I'm a fan of John Cleese and he's work over the years but it's a shame he wasn't in more bonds as he was great. But Desmond will always be the best Q no one can take his spot.
The missing template/formula in Dr. No is one reason why I like Dr. No so much, because none of the characters is written to say typical lines or be in a certain usual way, so there is more room for realistic characterisations of the main characters in that scene in M's office. I don't know any other Bond movie where we get to see so much of who Bond is as a private person and as a professional in just a few scenes from the casino to his apartment. When we meet Major Boothroyd, he comments on 007's choice of gun and issues the Walther to him. There is nothing else to do for him in that setting. I guess Boothroyds function storytelling-wise is to further our knowledge of Bond and M. Bond is pigheaded. He wants to keep his favorite gun, although the jammed Beretta caused six months in hospital. M has to threaten him with office work to change guns. Bond shows consent, then steals the Beretta from M's desk. But M knows Bond and can't be fooled. All of that happens subtly, almost routinely. But I also know that series usually grow to become formulaic, which isn't necessarily bad, when the writers keep the series fresh by adding something new. The sitcom Cheers comes to my mind, unfortunately as the only series I know so far, whose characters have become stereotypical and the stories formulaic, but which imho is constantly enjoyable.
I always thought David Mitchell (of Mitchell And Webb) would actually make a good Q. He's geeky, appears meticulous/detail specific, seems like he has a vast array of knowledge (he's a Cambridge graduate), and can play tetchy wonderfully well. Although it might seem like he'd be better at playing Q in a spoof (Johnny English?), or it'd recall his character in Peep Shop too much, I think he could nuance it to be realistic, while still being funny. Funnily enough Robert Webb would actually make a good Bill Tanner, as he can play straight-ish, and has the right persona. And to cap it off, if we're casting from Peep Show, Olivia Coleman as M! She's a bit younger than previous ones, but would convince as being qualified and wise, while also perhaps having a bit of well placed wit.
Fun fact, in the Dr No book the man who gives bond his walther is the armourer... a while seperate character to Q so maybe thats why he wasnt written as well as some of the others!
Before Jim Steranko took over the series, the early "Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD" stories from Marvel Comics had an armorer named Boothroyd* (modern sources give him the full name of Desmond Boothroyd in the actor's honor) pop once or twice to supply Fury with exploding cigars, EMP cufflinks, etc. He was later replaced by the character Sidney Levine; coincidentally, Sid's first project was a sportscar that could turn invisible, which was also the first big Q Branch device post-Llewelyn. In another coincidence, the real life Boothroyd (first name Geoffrey, btw) during his correspondence with Fleming was employed by a company named Imperial Chemical Industries, a name very similar to a fictional corporation, Imperial Industries International, which unknowingly was the chief financier of the comic version of HYDRA at the time that Fury's Boothroyd made appearances. *Stan Lee was never one to eschew stealing names from other sources, as Captain Marvel can attest.
I didn't know Llewellyn died in an accident after The World Is Not Enough :/ i though he had indeed retired by then since he fittingly mentioned just that in the movie.
Also in the books James Bond has a 25 ACP beretta 418 in Dr No the Beretta is a 380 ACP 1934 which is technically more powerful than the PPK . What Q says about the Beretta is accurate for the 418 but not the 1934 on screen
Thanks Calvin. Love your review series. Great mixture of fan enthusiasm, humour and smart analysis and insight into film making. I thought Cleese's casting was a mistake, because he's too well known a celebrity (you can't have two iconic personalities / actors in a Bond film - it undermines the Bond universe's core suspension of belief) and the script writers couldn't shape his Q into a credible character. They just relied on Cleese and the audiences' goodwill to Cleese. After the irreplaceable Llewelyn, I think the best approach would be a more low key, believable Q (at least for the first few appearances of the replacement actor) who is not consciously trying to be a bigger screen personality. Llewelyn always grounded the characterisation even when the scripts were making his part more gimmicky.
Watching James Bond since I was little, despite it's a bit weird for a kid to watch James Bond, I love Desmond Llewelyn, he's the best Q! Also love Ben too! He's so cute. Great video!
Late to the party, but glad you included one of my favourite Desmond Q scenes at 14:20, half a dozen beauties celebrating his arrival as if *he* is Bond 😂
It wasn't until the wikipediayoutube/DVD era that I was even aware that Peter Burton even was a "Q" I just always assumed he was some random guy from the armory in Dr. No and that the Q character evolved organically from Llewelyn's role in From Russia With Love.
I agree with the top two spots, but I'd swap the others around a bit. As nondescript as Burton was, at least he wasn't painful in the way that Bayldon was. I'm also not that fond of R, as much as I like Cleese in general, while McCowen makes such a memorable appearance in NSNA that I can almost overlook what the film did to Rowan Atkinson.
He'd worked with Craig before Bond [in Layer Cake] so I do think he was happy to stick with the part as long as Craig was there but not afterwards and do other things instead. He was probably a bit too honest in saying he's out of contract and probably won't be back [unlike the other 'regulars' who've gone for the 'I'm hear if you want me' line].
I’m thinking that John Cleese is mistaken about the plan to have Desmond Llewelyn come back after TWINE. After all, most of his dialogue is alluding to retirement.
I'm sad Desmond Llewellyn is not with us anymore, he seemed so caring and so, well, nice
True, sadly killed in a car accident not far from where I live.
RIP
Same here. He will always be the definitive Q.
He will always be the true version of Q RIP
R.I.P. Desmond Llewelyn.
“Don’t touch that! That’s my lunch!”
I always loved that scene. He sounded legitimately piseed. I would to if someone was touching my food.
that's how I feel when my friend holds my subway sandwich
Why is Q just leaving his lunch out in an area where weapons are going off, also why is his lunch just a sandwich you’d think he’s also have a cup of tea and a packet of crisps to go with it at least
@@mrcritical6751 True, but hey, it’s only a film, and the way that it is in the finished film makes for a great joke.
I think Bond looking at sandwich trying to work out what it does was very funny
Llewellyn last appearance in "The World Is not Enough " was so perfect, I still find it hard to believe that It was not intended as his finally appearance as Q . Q giving Bond , his last bit of fatherly advice and then leaving, saying "Always have a escape route " left no doubt when I saw the film , that this was the last time we would see Llewellyn as Q. It was the perfect wrap up of the Character .
Amen. On the DVD for The World is Not Enough" they did a great tribute to Desmond, ending with that line and Q lowering from the screenshot.
The producers probably figured hed die or be too frail to perfrom after TWINE. Since he was 85 in 1999 when he died (in a car crash).
One of my favorite lines in the series, the other, more recent, being “arrogance and self-awareness seldom go hand-in-hand.”
I agree he was the best
Sxcc
"always have an escape plan."
_leaves_
best exit ever
I met Llewlyn in 1998. He gave me his autograph and I told him I was a fan. He said thank you. Very tall man, I was surprised.
You lucky thing!!!
According to one of the guys in the Oliver Harper review, Llewelyn apparently said Licence To Kill was his favourite Bond film because he actually got to go out and film on location.
Put some respect on Duncan Casey’s name please sir!!
Didn't he do that in octopussy too
@@nifralo2752
Not really, his scenes in India
were really filmed in Pinewood
Studios, and Desmond was
disappointed that he never
went to India (the scene of "Q"
fishing in India was split
between Desmond in Pinewood and a double on location).
Fun fact: all four of the first actors to play Q were all appeared in the same Titanic movie, A Night To Remember. Peter Burton played a steward, Desmond Llewelyn played a crew member at the third class gates, Geoffrey Bayldon played Californian wireless operator Cyril Evens, and Alec McCowen played Carpathia wireless operator Harold Cottom.
Jarrah White And Sean Connery was one of the extras in the film too.
Micheal Goodlife (who played Bill Tanner in “The man with the Golden gun”) played Thomas Andrews Jr (1873-1912) in A night to remember. A night to remember is my favourite movie of all time since I am an Titanic historian.
Hey gang, don't forget Honor Blackman was in ANTR as well.
@@buffalopatriot Did the casting directors for the early Bond movies only watch that movie?
@@huntinglightning3507 I just watched that last night and I could’ve sworn I heard Sean in it.
I know Licence to Kill gets a lot of negative reviews for being more dark and violent, but I actually quite like the film because of Q helping Bond when he goes rogue. Even when Bond tells Q to leave, he refuses and stays to help him.
I will be curious to see if Ben Whishaw does manage to play Q as long as Desmond Llewelyn did as he is indeed quite young.
that's a reason why it's one of my favorite films. Q helping bond out in every way as well as kind of be a conscious of sorts to bond. i like what ben whishaw is doing with the role as it fits in with the modern world as well as provide the humor that we need in bond films.
He might get to play him for more than 36 (years emphasis on might), hell he’s almost hit ten years, but especially given the rate that they’re making films, there’s no way he’ll hit 17 films. Hell Desmond was in 2/3 of the franchise, and that includes No Time To Die
If Ben is Q until he turns 85 like Desmond, it would be 2065! That's Thunderball's centennial!
@@thevoid99
Problem is, of course, that the way he was caught with his pants down in Skyfall should have led to him being transferred to installing printers for the rest of his careers.
I doubt Desmond is in more than 15 minutes of Licence to Kill if you added his screen time together [similar to Octopussy] but it feels like he's a bigger part of the story than he actually is because of how great Desmond was in the role.
Desmond was the best Q hands down. It was always a memorable scene whenever he was with Bond.
"Really 007?! Grow up."
Llewelyn was easily the best Q, he had some of the funniest scenes in the entire series. Q is such a basic character, simply to give gadgets to Bond, yet Llewelyn made this a character you looked forward to seeing every time you watched a Bond film.
Totally agree with all you say!
Yep , when i was young my favorite scenes were with Q , And found him best with Moore :)
Desmond Llewelyn was by far the best Q. Should do a Felix Leiter ranking
I'm sure that guy from Living Daylights would be last on that ranking list! My favourite Felix has to be Goldfinger.
I think he has. Someone has I've seen it.
"You mean this is a put-up job?"
My favorite is Jeffrey Wright.
Jeffrey Wright or Jack Lord for me.
One of my favorite Q interactions was in The Spy Who Loved Me with this dialogue,
Bond: Q have I ever let you down?
Q: Frequently.
I actually think John Cleese had loads of potential as Q. Unfortunately we never got to see any of it.
I didn't really like it for the same reason I don't like Waltz as Blofeld; too obvious. I know that might sound silly, but what can I say?
Red Avenger WHAT
@@redavenger5094 You do realize that one cannot choose to have faith?
@@redavenger5094 Um... can you focus on my point?
@@redavenger5094 lol Where did that come from? Anyway I was raised Catholic but I do *not* believe in God.
Desmond Llewelyn is OBVIOUSLY and will ALWAYS be the BEST Q of the James Bond series.
I love Cleese and think he fit into that particular moment of the Bond series, but the reboot was refreshing. Whishaw's Q is quite a likeable guy.
Desmond Llewelyn was eighty-five when he died. He didn’t even die of old age, he died in a car accident. This guy was a boss!
Aside from Llewelyn, I’m also gonna go with Whishaw, as I like how Q has been brought into the modern day, not as a seemingly mad scientist running around in a laboratory, but as a modern tech genius and I think he brings as nice new energy to the part. Also, I like how the fiftieth anniversary is what encouraged them to get Q.
Not much of a genius if he can be outwitted by a rogue field agent like Silva.
@@ohauss well, Silva clearly has more experience in Cyber attacks, when Q is just a smarter version of Richard Ayoade from the IT Crowd
Plus Desmond was one of many soldiers during WW2 who were held at Colditz Castle
Q: "Don't touch that, that's my lunch"
"Grow up, 007!"
“I never joke about my work, 007!”
Try to be a little less then your usual frivolous self 007.
Dont say it!!!
The writings on the wall?
And all the rest of him 😂
May I remind you 007, you have a licensr to kill.. Not to break the traffic laws!
In the John Cleese vein, Hugh Laurie would be great fun as q.
Freddie Gray: "My god, what's Bond doing?"
Q: "I think he's attempting re-entry, sir."
100 percent agreed. Desmond was a national treasure. It's impossible to watch one of his Bond films and not feel a little heartbroken that's he's not still around.
I adore Ben Whishaw's Q but as an avid Metal gear fan I can't look at him without thinking of Otacon
Wow...now I can't stop thinking of that! They are pretty similar :D
Yeah I was thinking the same thing.
I was about to say that, too. You never know, it might be intentional. Certain aspects of Metal Gear were very heavily inspired by 007, so it makes sense that 007 proper would pay tribute.
And he shoots Craig dead in Layer Cake
He should peed his pants in the movie.
"I think he's attempting re-entry, sir."
Favorite films were the Dalton Bonds and in Octopussy.
"Cut it out! We don't have time for that. Later perhaps."
I wish Ben whishaw continues to play the role of Q, it's so cool and refreshing to watch the typical young genius. Maybe and with a hard training it could be a perfect 007
I hope not. He's insufferable.
Although Desmond is the best Q, I'm also applauding Ben Whishaw. I think turning the character from a wise old man into a young computer nerd is a very creative and the right decission for the modern times. Desmond represents the idea we had of a smart person in classic times, Ben represents the idea we have of a smart person in modern times.
your last sentence...i never really thought of it that way. great observation
Couldn’t disagree more
Exactly, a mechanical engineer like Desmond’s Q would not thrive in the digital age where knowledge of computer science can go a long way. A mad scientist can’t do shit against a cyber attack siphoning away the organization’ s funds, for example.
Even so, it's really hard for me to accept a young nerd a Q. I don't mind a female M or a blonde thug a Bond, but I would really like to ee Ben Whihaw replaced when they get a new actor to play Bond in the next decade.
@@placeholder1546 I agree about the difference between a mechanical engineer and computer nerd. On the other hand, given that Q stands for Quartermaster, should the Quartermaster actually be a computer nerd at all? One wonders why there wouldn't be a separate division for cyber-related things, and a completely distinct division for, well, the gadgets that the field agents require, which would seem to be less of a task for a computer nerd, and more of a job for more of a mechanical/electrical engineer. Personally, one thing I miss in the Craig films is the gadgets. Oh, they don't have to be completely over the top. But the films seem a bit bland for Bond films without the gadgets which have been a trademark of these films since Dr. No.
Great video Calvin! Yes would have ranked these pretty much exactly the same, and wouldn't ever expect a fellow Bond fan to rank any other Q above Desmond Llewelyn. I think you did say 1966's Casino Royale, instead of '67, but hey - that happens to the best of us, I muck up all the time! (Guess it takes a group of Bond geeks like us to actually notice small little useless information like that! :P ) Anyway, great video as always Calvin, have a good night!
I actually prefer John Cleese unfortunate he wasnt in any others
Thanks mate! I ALWAYS say 1966 and have to catch myself... It's like how I say Tanner like (Tay-ner)... Always have to repeat it! Dunno why!
Best Q quotes: " I always taught you two things 007...1) Never let them see you bleed 2) Always have an exit plan."
"I did say bring the car back in one piece, not bring back one piece" (Lol this scene was funny)
"Were you expecting an exploding pen? We don't go in for that anymore"
"I can do more damage from my bedroom sitting in my pajamas than you can do in a week in the field"
I absolutely loved John Cleese as Q, partly because of my Fawlty Towers bias. It was a shame he didn’t do a few more, although without Pierce Brosnan he might have felt a bit out of place. Ben Wishaw and Desmond Llewelyn were both wonderful too - I love Wishaw’s humour in the role - and I didn’t even know about the other actors, so thank you for enlightening me. :)
Desmond Llewelyn was a very nice person in real life too. I wish I could have gotten to know him better. But he was so down to earth and friendly.
I loved this vid, it serves as a nice tribute to the character but a very warm insightful piece about Desmond and his contributions to the franchise. His last seconds on screen, being lowered into the floor, is so much more poignant knowing it's his last seconds on screen.
should have kept John Cleese in the Craig films
My favorite Q scene has to be from Goldfinger. I love the look of the old 1960's Q lab, the interplay between Bond and Q, and the fact that Q introduced us to what has to be the most famous car on screen!!! Rest in Peace Desmond Llewelyn.
1. Desmond Llewelyn
2. John Cleese
My inner Welshman took a blow listening to how you pronounced Llewellyn
Desmond Llewelyn is indeed the literal definition of Q, but I think Cleese was a very ideal replacement.
Cleese is a great actor and had the comic skills to make Q branch scenes work, but sadly he wasn’t given much time to ease into the role or to let fans ease up to him.
"Now, pay attention 007."
"Oh, grow up 007.
Probably the two most important lines of the entire great franchise. ✌
I wonder if we will be oversaturated with Ben Whishaw as Q in the future....
Something tells me after the end of No Time to Die...these roles will be recast.
I was lucky enough to meet Desmond Llewelyn in Brussels, Belgium in the early 1990's. What a charming fellow!
Ben Whishaw as Q gets some sharp and witty quips, but Desmond Llewellyn was just a such a... lovable and *fun* teddy bear of a man.
Flip-flop Burton and Bayldon and I agree with the list. I also agree with you point that, although Ben Wishaw is a fine actor, we're starting to get too much over-saturation with the MI6 regulars. SPECTRE felt more like a Mission Impossible film than a James Bond film. But I digress...Of course Desmon Llewelyn is Number 1 and nobody will ever dethrone him.
There's no such thing as a worst Q, only thing worst is not enough "Pay Attention, 007..."
Now wouldn't it be a blast if Ben Whishaw played Q until he was 85, like Llewelyn?
So satisfying to see how Llewelyn went from a strict character in FRWL to a very happy and enjoying one in the rest of the franchise. Personnally Q is the first character that comes to mind when I think of Bond movies as a whole, before Sean Connery or Roger Moore
I won't rip Ben Whishaw because he's done a very creditable job in the role. But a big part of me thinks that it seems rather unrealistic for such a young person to head such an important department in a spy agency. At his age, Whishaw seems like he should be a technician/engineer in the department, rather than the head of the department.
Desmond Llewelyn will always be the penultimate Q. I wish they kept John Cleese around for another movie or two.
In the book, he was simply called the armorer.
I wish Geoffrey Rush will play as Q in the future Bond film.
I like his character in The King Speech :)
harry10313 Geoffrey Rush always seems villainous to me. I’d rather see him as a bad guy personally :)
@@rokaanalzeer I completely agree that Rush can play one hell of a villain, especially given his work in Pirates of the Caribbean. However, his performance in The King's Speech really conveys a rt-of fatherly figure that would have, in my opinion, been a perfect succession to Llewelyn's take on Q. I'm kind of embarassed that I didn't realise this before now.
I loved Whishaw in the reboot, but Llewelyn Is number 1
Thanks? I guess
I love ben wishaw as q
Ben Whishaw's Q roles would be present only for 3 movies after No Time to Die is announced as the last James Bond movies or James Bond 25
Great video Calvin I completely agree that Desmond is by far the greatest Q. I do love Ben Whishaw as well, regarding the others they're okay but make little impression but Desmond Llewellyn will go down for decades more. Will you rank the 6 James Bond actors in order of personal preference?? :) Great video again
Desmond Llewellyn was the best Q. He will always be my number 1. I loved him in this role. 2nd John Cleese. 3rd Ben Whishaw.
I feel that with SPECTRE the films have already become over saturated with the MI6 team. I call them The Scooby Gang.
It was a real case of 'careful what you wish for' for me... In so many other installments I've loved the use of the MI6 regulars in larger roles. M in TWINE, Q in LTK etc... But for some reason it did feel too much like super-friends-team-up in Spectre. Especially considering Tanner and Moneypenny didn't really do anything in the climax.
Desmond is the best. God be with you Desmond RIP
Ah there you are good sir! Im happy to spent the next fifteen minutes drinking tea and enjoying a new surely quite lovely video of yours!
Thanks, mate! I hope the tea was satisfactory :)
It was, it was but whats more important - your video was stellar as always.
You`re doing a phenomenal job with your channel. Even though I often have a completly different opinion than you about many things in the Bond universe I still enjoy your videos like hell because your research is topnoch, your knowledge and your passion for those movies is incredible and you`re a great host. Keep up the good work.
Also, great tribute to Llewelyn by the way. You even gave me some things to dwell on and appreciate that I hadn't before. The man was in the first film I ever remember seeing on the big screen: GOLDFINGER.
Anyone else caught the sound track when number 1 Desmond Llewellyn was announced was from For Your Eyes Only...
Where's John de Lancie?
There was only one Q and he is gone now! RIP dear Mr. Llewellyn.
If you read Desmond's wiki, he had an extraordinary life indeed.
Ben Whishaw is my favourite I always thought he bought more of a modern approach like a tech guy in an intelligent agency would look like all the other q look like they need help opening Google
OMG HAHA I just finished a school PowerPoint all about the gadgets of James Bond that I'm doing tomorrow! This made my day!
Well, your school is very fun... We get to do presentations on To Kill A Mocking Bird... Fun...
You definitely have a cool school if they let you do presentations on Bond gadgets!
I agree with your ranking of Qs, accept for Cleese and Wishaw, who I would flip in the rankings.
Keep in mind, though - the Geoffrey Bayldon Q scene laid the groundwork for what Desmond's would become. By 1967, the standard Q scene wasn't "Q walks Bond through the lab while a bunch of background gags happen" - Casino Royale set that standard.
It would have been nice to see more Cleese as Q.
Suggestions for future videos:
1- Best non-fiction books about James Bond.
2- Review of the books - and how they differ from the films.
3- Top 5 actors you would like to take the James Bond role now that Daniel Craig confirmed he won't come back.
It's actually not confirmed yet. I know, I believed it myself a few months ago. But everything (including that article about him turning down 67 Million pounds) right now is just rumors and Calvin has said the same on facebook and that until he gets official confirmation from a reliable source, he doesn't believe it.
I really do hope they can convince him to come back for at least one more movie, just to give Waltz the opportunity to give us the perfect Blofeld that we have yet to have. Others are hoping they can convince him to come back for two more movies and do another Blofeld trilogy (which would be ideal, but I'm not holding my breath. I think we'll be lucky to get one more).
A Craig OHMSS and DAF would be amazing. I am currently working on a version of this myself.
Calvin! Great choice of ranking and really glad to see another bond ranking video! :)
Desmond is my favorite Q. He was just so perfect and what the scenes with him and Roger Moore great is they were good friends and the ribbing was much good natured.
I'd love for the next Q to be on the younger actor, but a slightly more irritable one, one who won't take any of Bond's crap and will happily tell him how much money all the cars, computers and guns cost. I'd love to see one struggling with management, basically.
I watched purely to see if you would’ve been crazy enough to put anyone else at number 1. I’m glad to see you still have a firm grip on reality.
Cool video thumbs up! I'm a fan of John Cleese and he's work over the years but it's a shame he wasn't in more bonds as he was great. But Desmond will always be the best Q no one can take his spot.
The missing template/formula in Dr. No is one reason why I like Dr. No so much, because none of the characters is written to say typical lines or be in a certain usual way, so there is more room for realistic characterisations of the main characters in that scene in M's office. I don't know any other Bond movie where we get to see so much of who Bond is as a private person and as a professional in just a few scenes from the casino to his apartment.
When we meet Major Boothroyd, he comments on 007's choice of gun and issues the Walther to him. There is nothing else to do for him in that setting. I guess Boothroyds function storytelling-wise is to further our knowledge of Bond and M. Bond is pigheaded. He wants to keep his favorite gun, although the jammed Beretta caused six months in hospital. M has to threaten him with office work to change guns. Bond shows consent, then steals the Beretta from M's desk. But M knows Bond and can't be fooled. All of that happens subtly, almost routinely.
But I also know that series usually grow to become formulaic, which isn't necessarily bad, when the writers keep the series fresh by adding something new. The sitcom Cheers comes to my mind, unfortunately as the only series I know so far, whose characters have become stereotypical and the stories formulaic, but which imho is constantly enjoyable.
And now I wish Llewelyn was still around just to film an MI6 Christmas party. That would be so much fun to watch!
I’d have Cleese higher than Ben.
I always thought David Mitchell (of Mitchell And Webb) would actually make a good Q. He's geeky, appears meticulous/detail specific, seems like he has a vast array of knowledge (he's a Cambridge graduate), and can play tetchy wonderfully well. Although it might seem like he'd be better at playing Q in a spoof (Johnny English?), or it'd recall his character in Peep Shop too much, I think he could nuance it to be realistic, while still being funny.
Funnily enough Robert Webb would actually make a good Bill Tanner, as he can play straight-ish, and has the right persona.
And to cap it off, if we're casting from Peep Show, Olivia Coleman as M! She's a bit younger than previous ones, but would convince as being qualified and wise, while also perhaps having a bit of well placed wit.
Well Olivia is an 'M' type role in the excellent 'The Night Manger'...
Ben Wishaw's Q is a lot more realistic. The real life Q's are recruited from universities and Ben Wishaw's Q is a former student
Fun fact, in the Dr No book the man who gives bond his walther is the armourer... a while seperate character to Q so maybe thats why he wasnt written as well as some of the others!
Before Jim Steranko took over the series, the early "Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD" stories from Marvel Comics had an armorer named Boothroyd* (modern sources give him the full name of Desmond Boothroyd in the actor's honor) pop once or twice to supply Fury with exploding cigars, EMP cufflinks, etc. He was later replaced by the character Sidney Levine; coincidentally, Sid's first project was a sportscar that could turn invisible, which was also the first big Q Branch device post-Llewelyn.
In another coincidence, the real life Boothroyd (first name Geoffrey, btw) during his correspondence with Fleming was employed by a company named Imperial Chemical Industries, a name very similar to a fictional corporation, Imperial Industries International, which unknowingly was the chief financier of the comic version of HYDRA at the time that Fury's Boothroyd made appearances.
*Stan Lee was never one to eschew stealing names from other sources, as Captain Marvel can attest.
I didn't know Llewellyn died in an accident after The World Is Not Enough :/ i though he had indeed retired by then since he fittingly mentioned just that in the movie.
Technically Boothroyd wanted James Bond to have a Snub nosed revolver. Fleming wanted a Semi auto so that’s when he suggested a PPK
Also in the books James Bond has a 25 ACP beretta 418 in Dr No the Beretta is a 380 ACP 1934 which is technically more powerful than the PPK . What Q says about the Beretta is accurate for the 418 but not the 1934 on screen
I also own the Beretta 418, PPK and Walther P99 ( new Walther in tomorrow never dies)
Thanks Calvin. Love your review series. Great mixture of fan enthusiasm, humour and smart analysis and insight into film making. I thought Cleese's casting was a mistake, because he's too well known a celebrity (you can't have two iconic personalities / actors in a Bond film - it undermines the Bond universe's core suspension of belief) and the script writers couldn't shape his Q into a credible character. They just relied on Cleese and the audiences' goodwill to Cleese. After the irreplaceable Llewelyn, I think the best approach would be a more low key, believable Q (at least for the first few appearances of the replacement actor) who is not consciously trying to be a bigger screen personality. Llewelyn always grounded the characterisation even when the scripts were making his part more gimmicky.
Even he's gone, Desmond, will always be known as "Q", but the younger version of Q is good also.
Watching James Bond since I was little, despite it's a bit weird for a kid to watch James Bond, I love Desmond Llewelyn, he's the best Q!
Also love Ben too! He's so cute.
Great video!
Late to the party, but glad you included one of my favourite Desmond Q scenes at 14:20, half a dozen beauties celebrating his arrival as if *he* is Bond 😂
Cleese is the only Q I've liked since we lost Desmond.
Ben made me watch my first and second Bond movie.
First time I ever saw Ben Whishaw was in that Perfume movie, and I don't think a serial killer would work as Bond's gadget man.
The best Q was Desmond Llewelyn. Nice song from Skyfall.
loved Q on his holidays in the field with BOND
It wasn't until the wikipediayoutube/DVD era that I was even aware that Peter Burton even was a "Q" I just always assumed he was some random guy from the armory in Dr. No and that the Q character evolved organically from Llewelyn's role in From Russia With Love.
I agree with the top two spots, but I'd swap the others around a bit. As nondescript as Burton was, at least he wasn't painful in the way that Bayldon was. I'm also not that fond of R, as much as I like Cleese in general, while McCowen makes such a memorable appearance in NSNA that I can almost overlook what the film did to Rowan Atkinson.
Desmond Llewellyn was a POW for five years in WWII.
I grew up with Desmond but love Ben Wishaw (but can’t help hear Paddington when he speaks)
Nice homage to Desmond Llewelyn in your introduction :)
The skyfall tunnel poster is so sick at the background
Now there are talks/rumors of Ben Whishaw not coming back?
He'd worked with Craig before Bond [in Layer Cake] so I do think he was happy to stick with the part as long as Craig was there but not afterwards and do other things instead. He was probably a bit too honest in saying he's out of contract and probably won't be back [unlike the other 'regulars' who've gone for the 'I'm hear if you want me' line].
Desmond Llewellyns' "Q" shall always be my fave as I've seen all the Bond films he's appeared in. He's #1 in my book !
Good. You had me scared there for a minute Calvin!
I’m thinking that John Cleese is mistaken about the plan to have Desmond Llewelyn come back after TWINE. After all, most of his dialogue is alluding to retirement.
I loved Winshaw as Q
Fun fact the Walther ppl that was given to James Bond in dr no was actually not a ppk it was the slightly bigger version the pp