Justin Lin
One of the historical trademarks of the James Bond franchise has been major, awe-inspiring stunts, and while the Fast & Furious films are hardly high art, I would argue director Justin Lin – who has helmed everything from Tokyo Drift onward – stages spectacular action stunts as well as any filmmaker working today. Fast Five is a near-perfect action film, to my mind, and if the Bond franchise is looking to go in a more bombastic direction any time soon, Lin would be the perfect man for the job. Just imagine all the hijinks Bond might get up to in his Aston Martin with Lin directing; there is potential there for a bigger, more thrilling Bond film than ever before.
But 007 films are not really action movies, all things considered, and I think Lin’s previous work has hinted at an ability to do quality character material as well. The Fast & Furious films are certainly not ‘character pieces,’ but they do involve large ensembles and decently developed personalities, and Lin has done a better job with the cast and story (such as it is) on each successive installment (and, of course, in his work outside the franchise). With the excellent actors a Bond film would no doubt attract, I suspect Lin could succeed at forging some memorable characters, and would be a solid, well-rounded pick to helm a 007 film.
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