"SPECTRE" Appreciation Topic (...and why you think the 24th Bond film was the best spy film of 2015)

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  • Posts: 12,473
    Glad to see some fans of SP! It has had such a massive backlash since its release. It has some clear weaknesses but I still find plenty to enjoy, and so I like it pretty well! It has potential to slip in my ranking a little but probably not a lot. Even my lower-ranked Bond films I enjoy plenty!
  • Posts: 11,119
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Glad to see some fans of SP! It has had such a massive backlash since its release. It has some clear weaknesses but I still find plenty to enjoy, and so I like it pretty well! It has potential to slip in my ranking a little but probably not a lot. Even my lower-ranked Bond films I enjoy plenty!

    And now......we can watch SP in a much more different light. Bbecause this film is now not Craig's closure.
  • Posts: 4,617
    Just seen details of DCs interview and he says:
    "I just want to go out on a high note, and I can't wait."
    clearly implying that SP was not a high note?
  • Posts: 4,044
    patb wrote: »
    Just seen details of DCs interview and he says:
    "I just want to go out on a high note, and I can't wait."
    clearly implying that SP was not a high note?

    If CR had been his 4th movie, and he was coming back for one more, he'd still say he wanted to go out on a high.
  • Posts: 1,031
    vzok wrote: »
    patb wrote: »
    Just seen details of DCs interview and he says:
    "I just want to go out on a high note, and I can't wait."
    clearly implying that SP was not a high note?

    If CR had been his 4th movie, and he was coming back for one more, he'd still say he wanted to go out on a high.

    I'd be a bit odd if he didn't want to go out on a high, right? He's hardly going to want to do a DAD now is he?
  • Posts: 12,473
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Glad to see some fans of SP! It has had such a massive backlash since its release. It has some clear weaknesses but I still find plenty to enjoy, and so I like it pretty well! It has potential to slip in my ranking a little but probably not a lot. Even my lower-ranked Bond films I enjoy plenty!

    And now......we can watch SP in a much more different light. Bbecause this film is now not Craig's closure.

    Yup; I already see the film differently. And honestly probably better, since it wasn't the ending I 100% wanted.
  • Posts: 1,917
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    Not Craigs best but more entertaining than SF.

    This says it all for me.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Nice to count you as a fellow fan, @Mathis1. You and @royale65 where fans I never knew the movie had, so good to know you're out there sharing what you love about it.

    I've always been a fan, but I struggled to put my thoughts down coherently. I'm enamored by Spectre, in no small part from the performances by ol' Danny boy and the delectable Lea. With Spectre I still find that I'm enjoying too much, to really dissect it. Hence why I rarely write about it.

    Which is a "mistake" I made with Skyfall; there was so much - especially in its first half - Flemingequse martial to examine, it couldn't be helped.

    I'm not exaggerating when I say, when I first watched Spectre, it was threatening to be my top Bond film (sacrilege if you know how much I love FRWL!) - it was just what I waiting for from Craig - true to modern sensibilities, but with a wonderfully retro, glamours vibe. That was true until the film reached Blofeld's lair and the lackluster finale.

    Both Thunderball and Spectre have their problems, but they are lifted up by the performances of Connery and Craig, so I'm more willing to overlook said problems.

  • Posts: 7,653
    The great thing about SP is that my expectations for the next Craig vehicle will not be that high. If it will be halfway decent we have got a winner. ;)
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    SaintMark wrote: »
    The great thing about SP is that my expectations for the next Craig vehicle will not be that high. If it will be halfway decent we have got a winner. ;)
    Then they are already higher than mine. The only way is up.
  • Posts: 12,473
    SP is basically the most middling entry on my ranking right now at #15. Like several other Bond films I have around that area, I like but don't love it. I have a feeling Bond 25 will end up as my third favorite Craig film above SP and QoS but below CR and SF. I doubt CR is topped anytime soon.
  • Posts: 623
    SP is a good Bond film. Very good actually. If we'd been given this after DAD we'd all be ecstatic.

    Or 'A View to a Kill'. People forget those years. I haven't!
  • Posts: 11,119
    royale65 wrote: »
    Nice to count you as a fellow fan, @Mathis1. You and @royale65 where fans I never knew the movie had, so good to know you're out there sharing what you love about it.

    I've always been a fan, but I struggled to put my thoughts down coherently. I'm enamored by Spectre, in no small part from the performances by ol' Danny boy and the delectable Lea. With Spectre I still find that I'm enjoying too much, to really dissect it. Hence why I rarely write about it.

    Which is a "mistake" I made with Skyfall; there was so much - especially in its first half - Flemingequse martial to examine, it couldn't be helped.

    I'm not exaggerating when I say, when I first watched Spectre, it was threatening to be my top Bond film (sacrilege if you know how much I love FRWL!) - it was just what I waiting for from Craig - true to modern sensibilities, but with a wonderfully retro, glamours vibe. That was true until the film reached Blofeld's lair and the lackluster finale.

    Both Thunderball and Spectre have their problems, but they are lifted up by the performances of Connery and Craig, so I'm more willing to overlook said problems.

    I also prefer comparing SP a lot with TB these days. Both films are truly Bond-ian. Both films have a wonderful cocktail of locations. Both films are, from a production (design) point of view, massively joyous and big and bold. Both films have some massive flaws near the end of it, but they are helped again by perhaps the most fun and joyous outings from both Bond actors.
  • MinionMinion Don't Hassle the Bond
    Posts: 1,165
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 12,473
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    royale65 wrote: »
    Nice to count you as a fellow fan, @Mathis1. You and @royale65 where fans I never knew the movie had, so good to know you're out there sharing what you love about it.

    I've always been a fan, but I struggled to put my thoughts down coherently. I'm enamored by Spectre, in no small part from the performances by ol' Danny boy and the delectable Lea. With Spectre I still find that I'm enjoying too much, to really dissect it. Hence why I rarely write about it.

    Which is a "mistake" I made with Skyfall; there was so much - especially in its first half - Flemingequse martial to examine, it couldn't be helped.

    I'm not exaggerating when I say, when I first watched Spectre, it was threatening to be my top Bond film (sacrilege if you know how much I love FRWL!) - it was just what I waiting for from Craig - true to modern sensibilities, but with a wonderfully retro, glamours vibe. That was true until the film reached Blofeld's lair and the lackluster finale.

    Both Thunderball and Spectre have their problems, but they are lifted up by the performances of Connery and Craig, so I'm more willing to overlook said problems.

    I agree, @royale65. I think SP may be the most vintage modern Bond we have, with imagery that recalls the 50s and 60s in mood and feeling. It almost feels like another time, and that visual life is a great one for a movie that uses memories of the past as one of its foremost themes. The imagery of Bond being a messenger of death, the operatic photography and texture of it all gives it a great feeling throughout so much of it, in addition to eeriness and some bizarre.

    So much of my enjoyment outside of the character work and particularly the stuff with Madeleine and White is how the movie feels ripped from a missing Fleming story during the beginning as Bond takes on the disguise of a killer and seduces the man's wife when he realizes he's never pleased her properly. Those first 40 minutes or so are something I could see reading in a Bond short story, and the rest has the Bond flourishes one expects while giving the usual Craig spin to it. I also seem to be one of the few people who don't mind the finale, as I like Bond returning home and enjoy the imagery and feeling of it all.

    I have issues with it as I do every Bond film, but to use a music metaphor, when you buy an album and don't like two tracks on it you don't throw it in the bin, you listen to the other fifteen that you love and focus on those songs as the tunes that draw you in. In this case SP has some high class tracks, and I look forward to listening to them more and more as time goes on.
  • MinionMinion Don't Hassle the Bond
    Posts: 1,165
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Admittedly I haven't seen Spectre since it's release on VOD back in Feburary 2016, but I liked the third act as well. Your opinion may differ here, but I thought the conclusion at the crater base was what was underwhelming, but the Thames finale made up for it.
  • Posts: 12,473
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 I'd be interested to see your full ranking of the films.

    SP is in fact still the most vintage modern Bond, since we got Spectre and Blofeld back, and there are also sillier moments sprinkled into the film (some of which work and don't work IMO, just like older Bond films). It's got to be the most mixed Bond experience for me, since it has a lot I love and also a lot I don't like. But yes, both TB and SP are the best fourth-entry Bond films. MR and DAD on the other hand are my bottom 2.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Minion wrote: »
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Admittedly I haven't seen Spectre since it's release on VOD back in Feburary 2016, but I liked the third act as well. Your opinion may differ here, but I thought the conclusion at the crater base was what was underwhelming, but the Thames finale made up for it.

    @Minion, I certainly wanted the crater stuff to last longer, as it feels a tad rushed there. I wanted Bond to feel the aftermath a bit more, or to have a bigger challenge fighting off the guards. Bond is known for being an expert shot and this Bond in particular is great at gunplay, but it felt a bit too much like when you play a video game and have "lock-on" selected as your aiming preference.

    I quite enjoy the return to London, though. One thing the Mendes films did beautifully was making Bond the hero of London, and because we see him at home so much he is given the context of place and we know what he fights for every time he goes out. It was a beautiful and fitting end to see the British bulldog coming home to fight the villain again, and I thought the MI6 team was used well with Q and M in particular doing their part. The maze of Bond's past is bizarre and uneasy like I'd expect from a Fleming novel, and I love the feeling as Bond races to save Madeleine and how, instead of leaving before he knew Bond was dead, Blofeld stayed and watched Bond die (or so he thought).

    At the end there's just a sense of triumph I feel with Bond as he walks away and chooses what he does, and that content is made more important by how much Dan has made me love the man through these films. It's a movie that is endlessly enhanced by those that came before so for someone like me who loves all the era's films and has spent so much time writing and thinking about them, SP has a lot to offer in callbacks and feeling because you can see how this one man has developed and become better over time from the reckless maverick we saw at the start of CR.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 I'd be interested to see your full ranking of the films.

    SP is in fact still the most vintage modern Bond, since we got Spectre and Blofeld back, and there are also sillier moments sprinkled into the film (some of which work and don't work IMO, just like older Bond films). It's got to be the most mixed Bond experience for me, since it has a lot I love and also a lot I don't like. But yes, both TB and SP are the best fourth-entry Bond films. MR and DAD on the other hand are my bottom 2.

    @FoxRox, I'll do an updated list when I revisit the Moore and Brosnan films, but it's been so long since I watched them that I don't think I'd accurately be able to order them at this stage. But an outsider should be able to see where my tastes line up, preferring movies that take themselves more seriously and that use Bond to tell interesting stories. DN, FRWL, TB and OHMSS from the old days and Craig's are a sweet spot for me, but I can enjoy the Dalton films immensely too. I look forward to seeing how my thoughts about the Moore and Brosnan era has changed when I get back to them, but that may be after I read all the Fleming books so that I can focus on one thing at a time.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!
  • Posts: 12,473
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!

    Sorry; MR ranks as my least favorite Bond film. There are still things I like about it (decent PTS, good fight scenes with Jaws, decent villain), but the second half generally is a train-wreck for me. I also think Moore does a better acting job in his other movies; he seemed to be at his most "autopilot" in MR. The whole Bond in space thing just doesn't work for me. I still bits about it though; I hate no Bond film.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!

    @TheWizardOfIce, this must be how I sound when discussing SP, though I hope I'm a bit more impartial than that. ;) But that's the great thing about this fandom: we can take flawed films and find something to love about them despite those issues if we can find things about them that speak to us. We come at the movies differently in viewpoint and opinion, but get there by the same avenues of acceptance and ultimate enjoyment.

    Though I must say you giving such effusive praise of something caught me off guard at first, as I feared your patent cynicism was peeling. ;)
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited August 2017 Posts: 9,117
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!

    @TheWizardOfIce, this must be how I sound when discussing SP, though I hope I'm a bit more impartial than that. ;) But that's the great thing about this fandom: we can take flawed films and find something to love about them despite those issues if we can find things about them that speak to us. We come at the movies differently in viewpoint and opinion, but get there by the same avenues of acceptance and ultimate enjoyment.

    Though I must say you giving such effusive praise of something caught me off guard at first, as I feared your patent cynicism was peeling. ;)

    MR is of course terrible when put up against a Citizen Kane or even a FRWL or an OHMSS.

    But that kind of misses the point. I love MR and films like Con Air and The Rock just as much as The Lives Of Others and The Third Man. It would be very snobbish to say you can't enjoy such films.

    Eating lobster and caviar every day would be dreadfully boring. There's nothing wrong with a nice fat burger from time to time.
  • Posts: 1,162
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    I am not TB's greatest fan, but there is nothing in all of Sp that's half as good as any randomly taken minute in TB
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    I like it when he falls on the couch in the PTS.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!

    @TheWizardOfIce, this must be how I sound when discussing SP, though I hope I'm a bit more impartial than that. ;) But that's the great thing about this fandom: we can take flawed films and find something to love about them despite those issues if we can find things about them that speak to us. We come at the movies differently in viewpoint and opinion, but get there by the same avenues of acceptance and ultimate enjoyment.

    Though I must say you giving such effusive praise of something caught me off guard at first, as I feared your patent cynicism was peeling. ;)

    MR is of course terrible when put up against a Citizen Kane or even a FRWL or an OHMSS.

    But that kind of misses the point. I love MR and films like Con Air and The Rock just as much as The Lives Of Others and The Third Man. It would be very snobbish to say you can't enjoy such films.

    Eating lobster and caviar every day would be dreadfully boring. There's nothing wrong with a nice fat burger from time to time.

    I agree, @TheWizardOfIce. Every kind of movie has a place, especially the XXX ones.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,551
    20840781_682723512783_5744157953069745954_n.jpg?oh=3f3db7435e73d518ac067a0ca447df09&oe=5A1F19CD

    Safe to say I appreciate this film!
  • Posts: 11,425
    phibes72 wrote: »
    I think Spectre is just fantastic. My fourth fave Bond film after OHMSS,CR,SKYFALL. With Living Daylights/Licence to Kill at 5/6.

    1.Pre title sequence is just gobsmacking, love the Mexican locale, the helicopter fight, 007 looking at the spectre ring, all of the day of the dead stuff. Stunning.

    2.Love The DVD from M, Moneypenny visiting the flat scene. Homage to Live And Let Die

    3.All of The Rome stuff is just fantastic. Monica Belluci, a little underused but terrific. The Spectre table scene, and Bautista's horrible blinding/Waltz introduction. Terrific car chase

    4. Mr White's return. Really well acted scene between him and Craig

    5. Loved the plane crash into the alpine village. Really Exciting

    6. Train Fight is a classic, nearly up there with From Russia With Loves train fight. Just wish it was a tad longer, and a better end to such carnage. Or is Hinx alive for Bond 25? hope so

    7.Christopher Waltz Blofeld is really good. Really evil. The scene where he plays the death of Mr White, shows what a sadist he is.

    8.Love the blowing up of Blofelds base. I agree with some that this whole scene should have been the end of the film, setting up the next film with Blofelds escape.

    The only thing I was disappointed with slightly, is Bond leaving Blofeld alive. He would have shot him dead, no doubt about that. All in all, I think Spectre is a great Bond film, endlessly rewatchable, with Craig on top of his game. Just hope we get Craig back with Bond 25. Fingers crossed.

    Agree with most of this. SP is not one of my top entries but it's not bad.

    Yes ending the film after the explosion (or soon after) would have improved it significantly. Returning to London again was utterly pointless.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!

    I agree. As a piece of sheer popcorn cinema in an utter bloody masterpiece.
  • edited August 2017 Posts: 12,837
    RC7 wrote: »
    Minion wrote: »
    Thunderball is actually a really good comparison. Both TB and SP are behemoth entries that have a more discernible split of opinions compared to just about any other Bond entry. Both also seem to crumble under their own weight by the end, but one has to decide how much they'll let that mar the rest of the experience.

    A pretty fair comparison. Both are epic in scope for sure but their ambition writes cheques their execution cannot cash.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    They are each stronger than MR and DAD as fourth-entry Bond films. I'd say TB is still definitely stronger and more even, while SP has more narrative issues. Both aren't quite my favorites but still enjoyable for the most part. The third act of SP is the biggest issue.

    Objectively I suppose I'd say TB and SP tied and then MR with DAD bringing up the rear when it comes to the 4th film ranking.

    But I'm afraid the reality is Rog at his peak and Cubby putting every single cent up on the screen means I simply can't hate MR even with pigeons, Dolly and space battles. Sheer rip roaring entertainment.

    Roger Moore starts by being pushed out of a plane without a parachute and ends floating in space shagging a bird. The bit inbetween is called MR and it's bloody fantastic!!!! How anyone can not love MR is beyond me!

    I agree. As a piece of sheer popcorn cinema in an utter bloody masterpiece.

    I really want to agree with this but can't. Don't get me wrong I'm not a film snob. The Rambo sequels are some of my favourite films. I'm probably one of the only fans on this site who genuinely enjoys watching DAD because of how fun it is. And when you put it on paper like that MR does sound brilliant.

    But it just feels so bloated to me. I can't help comparing it to TSWLM which always feels so fresh and watchable and exciting, like everybody is firing on all cylinders to make a really fun blockbuster (a quote I read online somewhere that's stuck with me: "it never stops trying to please the audience, and never fails to").

    Despite all the spectacle MR just feels a bit going like it's through the motions for me. Like how TND feels towards the end, but I prefer TND because up until Bond leaves Hamburg it's brilliant for the same reasons as TSWLM. MR one of those films I admire more than I enjoy. I appreciate how much money they spent on going all out but it's just a bit dull and bloated in comparison to TSWLM imo. It seems like they were desperately trying to recapture the magic of that film, not realising that what made TSWLM so good is that all they were trying to do was make a really good Bond film. If I'm in the mood for a Moore film it'll pretty much always be TSWLM or OP. Maybe LALD on occasion. But I have to properly force myself to watch MR (if I'm doing a marathon or something for example). I'd never just stick it on on a whim.
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