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Comments
Then-2
Now-2
Tie-1
I would. He didn t.
Like father, like son.
And holy ghost.
I bet you would have hated to have had me as a son. I wore out the VHS, could recite the dialogue on command (I'll thank my slightly autistic memory for that) and spent hours on the N64 game. It was my favourite DESPITE seeing all the others alongside.
Now I still love it and would still put it above MR (although I do enjoy MR as a guilty pleasure) BUT I can see its flaws more.
I do own THIS T-shirt though.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/zombiewest/works/10741141-goldeneye-wii-007?body_color=black&country_code=GB&p=t-shirt&print_location=front&size=medium&style=mens&utm_campaign=shopping&utm_medium=google_products&utm_source=google&gclid=CL7cuIvxlsgCFQcIwwoddS0Byw
Nowadays, I can certainly see the flaws but I still find it an enjoyable experience. However, I can understand why people might have an extreme dislike for it. I still don't have a problem with Bond in space. I know some people view Moonraker as Fleming's finest effort so it's obvious as to why they were disappointed in the film. Hell, some people even seem to prefer Wood's version. And, let's face it, the humor sometimes borders on the absurd. That's the only real problem I have with MR these days.
Sometimes we wonder how people can think that such and such a film is so bad. That's not the case for me with MR. I get it. @Birdleson, I do agree with your theory about the generation gap when it comes to MR. I'm sure that if i had saw it at your age I would have a totally different opinion of it. I had much the same experience with DAD and, to a lesser degree, TWINE but I'll get to that later. So I can appreciate the idea of some kid growing up to really enjoy it as being quite foreign to you.
I am not afraid to admit that i still enjoy watching MR. Despite it's flaws, it still ranked 13th in my last Bondathon! I remember that the great Sir Henry once remarked that anyone who had MR in their Top 10 was an idiot. I am relieved to not be an idiot but it would seem that I am too close for comfort! I know that this is off topic but when I was new here he was very welcoming and made me feel part of the community. Anyway, he hated this movie and it made me remember our disagreements about Drax, whom I still find to be a solid villain.
I will have to give this a THEN though. I think I like it more than the average Bond fan but I'm not watching it through rose colored glasses anymore.
Then-3
Now-2
Tie-1
Then
When I first saw MR as a youngster I really enjoyed it. Fantastic PTS with a mind blowing stunt. Plenty of action, Roger Moore loving every minute of being Bond. Gadgets, girls, stunning locations. Even the space part was cool. The John Barry score is beautiful and Michael Lonsdale steals the show as one of the series best villains.
Now
Unfortunately I'm not that youngster anymore. The flaws of MR became apparent over the years. As with all the Bond movies, MR is not a bad film. It has stunning production values, and moves along at a good pace. But it is one of the weaker Bond films. Too many gadgets, Bond travelling to a secret space station with laser battles. The return of Jaws. It's just too much. Visually it's great, for this Bond fan a step too far.
Then - 4
Now -2
Tie -1
Then:
I remember watching this one on VHS after I had seen TSWLM. I really enjoyed it back then because I liked the space aspect, all the gadgets and Jaws' return. I'd say it was one of my favourite Bond films when younger because of the OTT aspects and the fact that it looked so beautiful (like one big holiday but with all the spy stuff thrown in......and space too!). I admit that I always much preferred TSWLM because it seemed more 'spy', more exotic (with Egypt etc.), and darker (with a dangerous Jaws), but I liked MR too back then.
Now:
Unfortunately, it's a film that has declined considerably over time in my rankings and in my estimation. Like many others, the OTT aspects that I enjoyed when younger no longer appeal to me now, but in my case, it's not so much the OTT but rather the silliness during the later action scenes. I now notice that there is very little tension in the 2nd half, when they start to play it for laughs (after Dolly shows up). Way too many gadgets spoiling what little tension there is too.
So it's a definite Then for me.
Then -5
Now -2
Tie -1
I sort of have 2 thens for this one. I still count You Only Live Twice as the first Bond film I saw, but actually saw Moonraker first from start to centrifuge scene. I must have been 8 years old and was at my granparents with my parents and was watching it on TV and we had to go. 2nd 'then' was when I taped it off the TV on 28th July 1999 on ITV's 'OO Heaven'. I taped the ones I didn't have to keep, but watched this from the taped viewing as I went to watch Hull City play a friendly against Luton Town, which they won 1-0 incidentally.
Anyway! The first first time I was blown away by both the PTS and centrifuge scene. And on second first viewing I was greatly looking forward to it. I remember being quite disappointed by the PTS, I had remembered to being dangerous and exciting, but now it was comical, which felt wrong. I enjoyed the rest of the film, centrifuge scene and Corrine's death being high points. I don't think the James Bond in space stuff really bothered me when I saw this when I was 13. I remember enjoying it on it's own terms, but still not one of the best Bonds, I think I would have put it bottom 5.
Now
My thoughts haven't greatly changed. The silliness in the latter half though does bring it down further for me in the intervening years. But there are still some strong points - Barry's score is fantastic, the centrifuge scene and Corrine's death are still great highlights. The gondola scene just seems completely ridiculous and the double take - really! Although I can now watch it in surround sound and on a 100" which is more enjoyable that watching it on a 14" 4:3 TV back in the day!
Then - 6
Now - 2
Tie - 1
For Your Eyes Only
Then –
It was a refreshing change to see Sir Rog treat the character of Bond with some gravitas, but there was something missing. No high-tech shenanigans. No spectacular sets. Which was odd – I was used to seeing such films as Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and Spy. There was no memorable hook to catch my attention.
After my Bond baptism – The World Is Not Enough in the cinemas – I was resolved to seeing the rest of the canon. Which meant For Your Eyes Only on the classic 80's VHS, early 2000. But, there was a glitch, a problem, in the VHS, when Bond, Melina and Max the Parrot are talking. I couldn't wait to get my own brand new copy.
Now –
My head says I should rate For Your Eyes Only as the finest of Sir Roger Moore's outings as the legendary 007. However, my heart says I should like Spy the best. Uncharacteristically, I went with my heart. I suppose I could choose Octopussy; the ideal combination of the two styles.
Close, but Now
This is still a favourite of mine, not because it was the first, but because it has all the right ingredients. The humour is great, but not too exaggerated and thrown at you every couple of minutes. Best Bond girl ever perhaps, that crossbow killing of Gonzalez is legendary stuff. More suspenseful scenes than any other Bond. Car chase, ski chase, footchase after Locque, keelhauling, rock climbing scene most of all for me.
I have to say it s a tie.
Then:
I first saw the film on vhs as a kid. I saw it after TSWLM & MR. I remember my excitement awaiting the next 007 installment. Would we see Jaws again. What gadgets would be in the Lotus (I saw it on the poster and assumed it must be gadget ladened). My disappointment was complete and total after watching it......not only was the VHS copy terrible with that awful line at the top of the screen, but where were the gadgets & tricked out car (an explosive alarm doesn't count), what was with that crappy Citreon, where were the larger than life villains, where was the great music that used to be in Bond films (I didn't know who Barry was then but knew this was certainly not him...), and most importantly, why does my hero Roger Moore look bored and serious?
Bibbi was annoying even for me as a kid.
The only thing that I appreciated, even then, was Bouquet's incredible icy cold beauty.
Now:
The film has really grown on me. I still can't stand the score, wish Moore had more trademark humour, think the villains are too realistic (in an almost 70's way) and even uncharismatic, & really can't stand that Neptune underwater sub-man sequence (boredom defined), but there is a lot to like here otherwise.
Moore is suave, and acts like he means it here. You can feel his fear in the ski sequences, and that makes them more interesting. Those ski sequences in fact are absolutely phenomenal all these years later on blu ray. The lack of gadgets is very refreshing these days (since we've sort of gone back to that with DC). Bouquet still lights up the screen like no other (her eyes should have been used on the poster). I still think the pacing is a little uneven and it's probably a bit dull overall for the younger crowd, but it's a grower.
It's a Now for me.
Then: 0
Now: 2
Tie: 1
It took me some time to realise that FYEO is actually a very good Bond film, mature and smart and something of a much needed cold shower after MR. Nowadays I place it in my list of 10 favourite Bond films.
Then: 0
Now: 3
Tie: 1
I watched this originally on a VHS taped from the TV - a family friend had lent me his taped Bond vids which I watched and re-watched thru the school summer holidays of 1998. I watched it straight after Moonraker and I absolutely loved it. The PTS was incredible with that version of the JB Theme. I really liked the climax of the film with the mountainclimbing etc. It was interesting during that summer how dated the 80s Bond seemed to me, I wonder if the 90s Bonds feel like that for kids coming to Bond in the DC era. I always felt that the underwater scene with the Neptune lagged a bit - but that version of the JB Theme again! Boring as it seemed you do get rewarded with the thrilling keel-haul scene orginally from the novel of LALD.
Now
This is a very close one. I still thoroughly enjoy FYEO and still hold it as the best of the Moore's - TSWLM and Octopussy very close up behind it. I just really like the down to eath nature of it and the relationship between Bond and Melina. However, some of the humour now grates on me - and the 2CV car chase isn't what it used to be. And I still don't know why Blofeld would offer Bond a delicatessen in stainless steel?!
Very close but this is slightly then.
Then: 2
Now: 3
Tie 1
So how does it hold up now? I have to say that it just continues to get better. I really appreciate the shift in tone and I love the nods to Fleming. This is the proper way to portray an older 007. Although I'd love to see an even more serious attempt by Craig but I digress. Ironically, even though it was originally written with a new Bond in mind, this was the perfect vehicle for Sir Rog to showcase his talents in a tale about aging and revenge. His experience has made him wise. He honors the past but still relishes every moment of the present. The added dimension to the character allows Moore to provide us with a new wrinkle to his take on the role. Yes, I just said that.
I understand how some may be put off by the humor but I agree with @Thunderfinger that it's never too exaggerated for my tastes. This one is Goldilocks for me. I don't even mind the score. It's certainly one for the ages in my book. I won't hesitate to give it a Now.
Then: 2
Now: 4
Tie 1
Then: 2
Now: 4
Tie: 2
You never know when I might pop up @royale65 ;)
But thanks for the reminder. :-bd
For Your Eyes Only
Then
As a youngster FYEO was one of those Bond films that felt it bit...flat. Sure it had plenty of action, and my favourite Bond in Roger Moore. But I can't put my finger on it, but it just never really appealed to me. Having Spy and Moonraker as your introduction to Bond possibly didn't help either. Gone were the huge sets, the big army finales. In were real locations, much more outdoors, with a small scale attack on a monastery.
Also the villain seemed a little weak. Didn't really feel like a threat to Bond. Only his henchmen. I remember though thinking that Carole Bouquet was gorgeous, and Topol is a very likable ally. The film also looks a little dated (mostly because of the hair and clothing) but nothing too bad.
Now
It was a year or two ago that FYEO really got me. Or rather I really got FYEO. It's a film that has gone leaps and bounds in my appreciation. A fantastic film.
Roger Moore plays it a lot more serious (as serious as a Roger Moore Bond can be), gone are the fantasy and over use of gadgets. In its place is a more thoughtful, caring and hands on Bond. Using the environment around him to save himself and the day.
I love the use of location especially the different contrast of snow, sea and land. It's a very colourful film. There are many parts of this film that I really love, but one that really stands out is the keel hauling scene. So amazingly shot, and full of tension. A really nice piece of Fleming put on film.
The action on the whole is very impressive, the story is nice and simple, the cast is very good. Despite Bibi, and Julian Glover is not a bad actor. But I would've liked it if he had been given a little more to do. He's never really a threat to Bond without his henchmen. The rock climbing scene is great to watch. Exciting, beautifully shot, and when he falls I still wince. Roger Moore really plays the older Bond very well. Better if I may than Connery in his final film DAF.
Topol is as likable as ever, right up there with the likes of Kerim Bey and Marc Ange Draco as great Bond allies. And of course Carole Bouquet is still gorgeous. One of the most attractive and believable Bond leads that I can recall.
A now vote for me.
Then 2
Now 5
Tie 2
FYEO may very well be my favorite of Moore’s Bond films. It could just be that after the (failed) giant leap for Bondkind that was MR, the realistic view of Bond offered by For Your Eyes Only was the perfect palate cleanser. The sight of Roger/Bond at Tracy’s gravesite is an effective reminder that Bond’s job holds significant consequences, and that shot of the priest giving the sign of the cross as Bond departs in the doomed helicopter makes it all too clear what those consequences can be. Most of the film is just letter perfect for me. Even the stuff that some find curious (like the delicatessen…in stainless steel!) are a joy to me. Melina is one of the most impressive of all the Bond girls to my eyes (and I don’t think to my eyes only.) Locque is one of my favorite henchmen of all time, and if Julian Glover is a trifle…sane…for a Bond villain, he’s off-set by Topol’s charismatic presence. I’m happy to see LALD’s keel-hauling scene resurrected for this film…and after so many Bond films with scarcely a nod to Fleming, having several Fleming plots melded so seamlessly to form the storyline for this film is a rare treat indeed. Bond’s mountain climbing scene keeps me on the edge of my seat even now, knowing every rope slip and pigeon scare before it’s going to occur. I especially like Bond’s remark to General Gogol at the close of the scene on St. Cyril’s: “That’s detante, Comrade!” Even the much-maligned Bibi Dahl gets a thumbs up from me: she’s there for a REASON, folks! Think of her thematically: in this film, Bond finally grows up, just as Q has been urging him to for all these years. Part of that growth is the understanding that he can’t have his way with the underaged Bibi. Maybe it impinges on the fantasy world of Bond for him to make the responsible choice not touch the forbidden fruit, but again: that’s the whole POINT of this film…and isn’t it nice to have a Bond film that actually HAS a point beyond “Save the World, Shag the Girl, Shoot the Baddie & Drink the Champagne?”
So my vote: liked it then, like it even more NOW. Then 2, Now 6, Tie 2.
So, from now on I'll chime in, if that's ok. FYEO
then
I can't really remember when I saw it first. Coming-of-Bond-age in the hiatus before GE, I've seen it on TV first. One of the stations would, once a year, show Bond-films every weekend, and at some time I, or rather my brother and I, discovered Bond.
As far as I can recall it's always been one of the more 'interesting'Bonds for me. As I'm afraid of hights the rock-climbing scene has always been scary (still is) and Melina I certainly recognised as beautiful, but even more as misterious and cool with her crossbow.
Now
What I didn't really appreciate then is Roger Moore's acting skill. I'm very much impressed by this Bond of his. Serious, dedicated, gentleman. The film has an interesting and entertaining plot, with added subplots. Perhaps not all is played dead serious (2cv chase) but it all works wonderfully well. Melina is still that mysterious, and still as georgious, but now sexy as well. This one does rank high in my not-existing favorite chart.
Then: -
Now: 1
Tie: -
Good for you! Having watched it only recently in HD on a big screen I can tell you that movie is fabulous, but that you know of course :D
What, she hates FYEO?