Question: Why did Bond and the others go to see the 'dragon' and even attempt to incapacitate it?
Charles Austin Miller
6th Aug 2018
Dr. No (1962)
Answer: Well, Bond knew that dragons didn't exist and when he was proven correct, he attempted to halt the 'dragons' advance.
In what way did the dragon have the upper hand? They did not know where Bond and the others were. Bond and the other two could have simply stayed where they were and the dragon wouldn't be any threat to them. Even if the dragon did manage to find them, they could simply run deeper into the woods/cross a river so they couldn't be followed.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Bond suspected that Dr. No was collecting radioactive materials for his secret project to sabotage the American space program, and Bond suspected that heavily-guarded Crab Key was the center of Dr. No's secret operation. Bond knew that the "dragon" was just a mobile flame-thrower protecting the most vulnerable area of the island, and so he and the others deliberately targeted it (although they failed).
Charles Austin Miller
But they didn't need to seize it, did they? This whole scene appears to be 'forced' in order for Bond and the girl to be apprehended and Quarrel killed off (why didn't he just run?). It just doesn't seem right that Bond would attack an armored flame throwing vehicle with just a gun. The Bond I know would stealthily have followed it to the base, or even simpler, followed the tire tracks.
Well, it wouldn't be the first or last time Bond allowed himself to be captured in order to penetrate the heavy's inner-sanctum.
Charles Austin Miller