Dear Johnny Fanboy,

Here's a nitpick for ya. In the latest James Bond movie, Die Another Day, can you please explain what the hell is going on with the large bell in the pre-credits sequence?

When Bond is hanging from the wooden clapper thing, he seems to be doing so because it is over the waterfall. Why else would he exert himself so much by swinging towards the bell? Then he lands on the floor, walks away from the clapper, and looks over the edge of the waterfall. This cannot be, as he would have to turn around to see the waterfall.

Furthermore, just before we cut to the opening titles (with the crap Madonna song) the camera pulls back to show the bell and it's bloody obvious that it's nowhere near the water! So why did Bond need to swing himself under the bell at all? Obviously he needed to grab hold of something to stop himself from going over the edge, but surely he could then just drop to the ground.

Yours,

T Watterson

Johnny Fanboy replies:

I admit the scene is very misleading in terms of visual language. It does at first give the impression that 007 is trying to avoid the waterfall. But that cannot be the case, unless Bond was sitting facing backwards while he was steering the hovercraft, which he clearly wasn't.

Looking back over the scene, I can only surmise that he is swinging so vigorously because he is struggling to avoid getting tangled up in the ropes that are connected to the clapper.

The only other explanation would be that Bond is showing off his Tarzan-like strength for the benefit of any young ladies who might happen to be in the vicinity! Well, you never know when you might get lucky, do you?

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