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MI6 takes a retrospective look at what could have been the 17th James Bond film and Timothy Dalton's third outing as 007, with a summary of the first act... |
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Bond 17 - Act I
29th July 2006
| MI6 takes a retrospective look at what could have been the
17th James Bond film and Timothy
Dalton's third outing as 007, a very different concept
to what fans of today are familiar with. The world now knows
"GoldenEye" starring
Pierce Brosnan as Bond
17, however at the time of original planning, 007's seventeenth
outing would have looked very different. |
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Scotland
Chemical Weapons Factory
Lead by the Minister of Defence Nigel Yupland, a bomb squad searches a chemical weapons factory. All appears to be normal. However, in a lab where computer-driven devices perform tasks too risky for humans, one of the machines goes haywire and soon bursts into flames. Outside the bomb squad duck for cover as the factory explodes.
England
House of Commons
The PM works hard to assure fellow ministers all is well
at the Scottish Factory and - after consulting with Yupland
- both agree a full investigation should take place.
M's Office
Bond is confronted by Yupland as M's department has been assigned to investigate the catastrophe in Scotland. It is revealed that a letter was received threatening the destruction of the factory, but no further demands were made. Another letter has come to light at MI6's Hong Kong offices. It states that in three days a second target would be destroyed. The Secret Service has no further information, and so assigns James Bond to the task.
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Above: Timothy Dalton's reign ended
with "Licence To Kill", but a third movie starring
the Welsh actor was planned. |
Yupland's Situation Room
One wall of the situation room is covered with photographs of
possible targets. All are government-funded operations, but the
only other link is a string of break-ins, where nothing appears
to have been stolen. Bond and Q review a blurry security tape
from one such break-in, and note that in each one of these events
the intruder had skillfully evaded capture. Q runs the footage
through his latest computer to help enhance the picture, which
will take at least eight hours to process.
Above: Tokyo at night |
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Tokyo
Kohoni Industries Complex
In the Kohoni Industries complex, one such burglary is taking
place. A black-clad figure emerges from a parked Lamborghini
and skillfully evades security to get to their target.
The target is a crate marked to be sent to Nanking. The
intruder opens it and switches a microchip with one of those
installed in the panel of a robotic device. When the task
is completed, the intruder reseals the crate and makes their
exit.
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Tokyo streets and docks
With the sound of the intruder alarm, the company managers - the
Kohoni twins - gather a security detail outside the building,
with hopes of capturing the intruder. The intruder utilizes a
"Speedline" and swings to the next building and down
to the waiting get-away vehicle. The Lamborghini and passenger
escape in the direction of the docks but soon the Kohoni's are
in pursuit. The car boards a ferry and makes a quick get-away,
but not quick enough to prevent a security officer recording the
Lamborghini's licence plate. On board the ferry the intruder removes
her mask to reveal the master cat-burglar Connie Webb.
England
Q's Lab
Q's latest computer has done the trick and Bond and Yupland are able to identify the burglar as Connie Webb, an ex-CIA agent with a talent for getting in and out of tight spots. Yupland formulates a plan whereby Bond will travel to Tokyo, meet with Webb and convince her to lead 007 to her superiors. The bait will be Q's new microchip, capable of working at room air temperature. Waiting in Q's garage is the trusted Aston Martin DB5. Q explains that it has been scheduled to be turned to scrap at the demand Yupland. However, he cannot let that happen, and makes arrangements for it to be shipped to Japan for Bond's use one last time.
Tokyo
Ski Resort
Bond's contact in Tokyo is a veteran spy near retirement,
Denholm Crisp. He has made reservations for Bond to stay
at a local ski resort; the same one in which Connie Webb
is staying. 007 soon spots Connie's Lamborghini and tails
her to a helipad, where she takes off. Bond, in hot pursuit,
boards another chopper and has the pilot follow Connie.
A Snowy Volcano Mountainside
The mountainside is steep, too steep for the helicopter
to put down. Bond jumps from the chopper to the snow below
and continues to pursue Connie on skis. A ski chase commences.
They race across glaciers and jump dangerously wide gaps.
Too cocky for her own good, Connie Webb skis slightly too
close to an overhang and the whole thing tumbles down. Bond
races to her aid and digs her from the snow pile. Shaken,
but not injured, Connie tells Bond that danger makes for
excitement and she skis away laughing.
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Above: Ski resort near Tokyo, Japan |
Restaurant
Bond joins Connie for dinner at a day spa for the rich and famous
while Denholm watches on. Connie reveals over dinner that she was
once was an Olympic skier and always craves excitement and danger.
Bond walks Connie to her room. They kiss and Connie brings Bond
inside to talk business.
Connie's Room
She orders drinks and Bond reveals Q's temperature resilient micro technology. He asks her to arrange a meeting between himself and someone who could make him an offer. When Connie denies having such a contact, Bond heads for the door, but it's not room service. Bond is knocked to the floor by a vicious karate move. One of the Kohoni brothers cuffs Bond a chair, while Connie is interrogated about the robbery. They threaten to hurt Bond with a tazer, if Connie doesn't talk. The blast causes Bond to thrash wildly and collapse on the floor. He grabs hold of a goon's leg and the electricity passes from Bond to the goon's legs. A brawl begins and eventually Bond and Connie escape out the window.
Connie makes a quick get away in her Lamborghini, but she leaves
007, still cuffed and pursued by the Kohoni's to fend his way
through a local torchlight parade that is taking place.
Otto Winkhart receives a call from his liaison, Connie Webb.
She informs Winkhart of the microchip Bond has shown her. Winkhart
appears very interested and they agree to meet in Hong Kong -
he will have a chartered flight arranged.
Hong Kong
Ching's Offices
Before entering the office complex, Winkhart must first go through
numerous screening and security processes. He is then escorted
to the office of Sir Henry Lee Ching. When Ching can spare a minute
from his wheeling and dealing, Winkhart passes him the microchip.
After much examination, Ching appears pleased with Winkhart's
prize. He wants to invite Bond to a party he is holding that evening.
Above: Hong Kong at night |
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Ching's Situation Room
In Ching's situation room, a large glowing map of the world
covers one wall. Ching surveys the data and has a word with
the operator, pointing to a marker that identifies the Nanking
power plant.
In the power plant, technicians watch helplessly as the
machine Connie had tampered with goes wildly out of control
and soon it bursts into flames.
Back in the situation room Sir Henry requests a meeting
with the Kohoni twins.
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Tokyo
Bond's Hotel Room
Crisp and Bond wait patiently for their bait to be taken, when a hotel receptionist delivers a message and an airline ticket to Hong Kong.
While many details of this abandoned production
are vague, MI6 puts the pieces together to take a look at what
could have been the 17th James Bond picture based on the available
materials.
Stay tuned to MI6 for a series of features
on the ill-fated 3rd Dalton film.
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