No matter which actor you prefer as the face of the James Bond movies, their association with the role is something that can leave a long shadow. Pierce Brosnan is one of six men who know that for a fact, which has come into focus once more thanks to his role in the 2023 new movie release Fast Charlie. However, for director Phillip Noyce, those comparisons don’t seem to bother him one bit -- and for some pretty good reasons.
While speaking with Mr. Noyce during the press day for Fast Charlie, I brought up this very topic with the man, who had his own experience with espionage thrillers. Given that the director helped make Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan a household name, Noyce probably faced a similar mantle of expectations at the time. When addressing the possibility of comparisons between “Fast” Charlie Swift and 007, Noyce shared these sentiments with CinemaBlend:
I don’t mind if the audience does compare Charlie to James Bond. What I want them to feel, and the backstory I hope Pierce brings, is that he had a younger life, and is now entering the grey times, and looking at an end to all of this. The yearning that I think the audience gets from watching Pierce’s performance, that yearning for something definite when you’re facing something so ill-defined as your mortality. So challenging. The fact that Pierce brings what you could term as baggage is a good thing, because you feel that this is a character that’s starting again in a way.
Based on author Victor Gischler’s novel, Gun Monkeys, Fast Charlie sees the eponymous protagonist wading through a potential gang war. This is a caper that involves an accidental death during a very much ordered hit and involves multiple parties trying to end Charlie's life in the resulting chaos. With all that transpires, it's easy to see why some would some would think the retired Marine-turned-hitman does have a similar air of professional charm and menace to 007.
Though we’re years removed from Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond movies, Fast Charlie’s titular southern boy does bring comparisons to the good Commander to mind. However, that’s not because of the character, but rather Brosnan and his acting prowess. Just as easily as he walked the line between humor and action in his 007 adventures, the Remmington Steele vet is just as effective taking out his enemies as he is throwing barbs at any one who crosses his path. At the same time, Charlie Swift doesn’t rely too much on the backstory that Phillip Noyce implies through Brosnan’s filmography.
You don’t need to be a Bond fan to enjoy Fast Charlie, but being a Brosnan loyalist is absolutely a requirement. While he does share the screen with Gotham’s Morena Baccarin and the late James Caan, who Brosnan reflected on while speaking with CinemaBlend, Pierce commands the screen as usual.
While James Bond’s legacy does tend to cast its large shadow, it isn’t something that’s necessarily unavoidable. As co-stars like Colin Salmon contribute to that story by sharing the Brosnan Era’s huge leaps forward, directors like Philip Noyce know just how to invoke such achievements while not playing just playing the hits.
Basically, with Pierce Brosnan, you can shake your martini and stir it, too. His 007 era is a strongly discussed one but, as one can see with his further credits outside of that run, it hasn't stopped him from branching out into exciting projects. Moviegoers can see just what I mean for themselves, as Fast Charlie is currently in theatrical release. Though the film is also available on Amazon, as well as other leading digital distributors, to rent or own.
