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Comments
GF is good no doubt, its iconicness makes it a fine entry but I miss an exotic touch to be honest.
How about thunderball and Goldfinger
How much do I wish we will someday see some spy elements in a future Bond film again!!!!
Goldfinger. Thunderball's pacing is too slow for me, it really is a long movie. Not bad by any means but for some reason to me it doesn't flow as good as the previous 3
TB for me when compared with GF. Not only because I find Connery far more impressive in the later film (his earlier dark edge is clearly back, in marked contrast to the goofiness he demonstrates in Hamilton's effort), but because I prefer Barry's score, the villains, the Bond girls & the basic plot in TB. Although it's certainly slow in the later half, that same criticism can easily also be leveled at GF, which arguably goes to sleep (just like the soldiers) after Bond hits Kentucky.
GF over TB
TB for me.
So I have probably come to the point where I take DAF over TB and DN which are of course classic Bond films but have gone down a little bit in my ranking.
Probably my current Connery Ranking would be:
1. FRWL
2. GF
3. YOLT
4. DAF
5. DN
6. TB (still good and somewhere in the middle of my overall ranking)
You're pitting my number 24 (#25 if we're counting NSNA) against my number 1. TND by a country mile.
TND has a high tech aesthetic and is an attempt to inject a Gilbert'esque approach to the 'new' era. The budget's definitely up there on the screen. Unfortunately, I find it a highly derivative film. Unlike Gilbert's three, which all seem relatively unique to me despite their larger than life plots, TND is just too imitative. It has the stench of obvious pastiche, right down to specific scenes. Additionally, it pitifully wastes the most interesting character in the film, namely Dr. Kaufmann. The rest, including Bond, just seem like cardboard cutouts going through the motions & ticking boxes. A shame really, because the stunt work is first class and holds up well even now. Additionally, the plot (devious media baron using deception & lies to trigger conflict for ratings) is very current. Ultimately, it's highly forgettable due to poor execution and doesn't build on the excellence of its predecessor.
QoS similarly has a modern look to it, while still evoking the classic films in its vibrant and rich colour palette (which seems like eons ago now after the latest effort) and wonderful location work (at least what one can make out when the camera isn't shaking about). As others have noted in the past, its ultra short run time and get-straight-down-to-business approach (right from the visceral opening scene which even dispenses with traditional pleasantries such as the gun barrel) is refreshing. Unlike TND, the performances in this film are rich and textured (from Craig who owns his grieving Bond, to Almaric as the greasy Green, to Kurylenko as the revenge seeking Camille). The action is excellent like the earlier film, but suffers from hyper-editing, which is obviously derivative of the Bourne series. Like TND, the plot is very current. Rather than a corrupt media, this one focuses on a nefarious elite connected to the corridors of power (Davos crowd?) who meet in luxurious locales and attempt to shape world events. Unfortunately, like TND, this film also fails to build on the goodwill established by its predecessor. The difference here is that Craig owns Bond.
Advantage QoS for me, but only just.
Its at #4 compared to TND at #14.