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Comments
Dalton and D'Abo have genuine bond (sic) and
It is one of the most convincing partnerships of the series.
Despite barry007 hatred (obsession?) With Kara, this can't be argued with (though I'm sure he will try!!)
I like the Flemingesque TLD. But the Koscov and Whittaker are two of the worst/ most bland villains of the series. Honey Ryder is the archetypal Bond girl, whilst Kara’s naivity is unrealistic, misplaced and irritating in a darker storyline.
Well you did ask, and TLD is my favourite Bond film. It only looses out on that off-kilter wierdness, which even the film of DN isn't brimming with. But if we are going down this route, then I think the hoo ha is more about the bikini. Andress for all her "sexyfull", does have very broad shoulders, almost Rugby player broad. And I can't say that I find the characters personality all that likeable either. Even among the 60's Bond Girls, Honey ranks quite low.
Now if they had cast, let's say... Diana Dors as Honey, then it might be different (probably would be).
8-|
Well, Honey was the first Bond girl and hence Bond fans find her great but let's face it:
1. She has zero relevance to the plot. She appears very late in the film and is nothing more than a damsel in distress that has to be saved by Bond. She is completely useless and cannot help Bond.
2. She looks good but is completely uncharismatic. Dubbing and bad acting does not help, too.
3. I understand that people found it amazing back in 1962 when a women in a bikini came out of the water but well, what is so special about that scene today?
Kara is a bit like Tatjana, a naive girl who crosses the line between the East and the West. At least, she is a character who is relevant to the plot and who feels like a real person. Her naivity and uncertainty is understandable.
I think I hear barry007s teeth grinding!
Can't argue with any of this. Tania, Kara and Natalya a pretty fine triumvirate of Cold War hotties who cross over to Bond's side and find the inner strength to save the day with various degrees of success.
Although, in deference to Bazza, Kara opening the bay doors is a low point, however I feel her character is simply the victim of extremely sloppy writing here. They had to get the bay doors open somehow when the fight was changed for safety reasons from the (open) side door to the rear door. Why they couldn't have Bond or Necros accidentally hit the button with their elbow or a stray drug parcel is beyond me. Poor old Kara made the patsy for the likes of Baz to ridicule.
Title Credits: TLD - it's not among the series' best but I still find it exciting enough and superior to the simple dots and overlapping silhouettes in DN
Main Villain: DN - easy win for the good doctor
Main Bond Girl: TLD - I love the icon that is Ursula but Kara is just a more real and genuine character, and as already has been mentioned she and Bond have a genuine romance that develops which feels REAL (unlike Bond and Vesper who are like 2 alley cats scrapping with each other). I think Dalton and d'Abo have amazing chemistry. He's a more introspective and sensitive Bond than we've seen before and Kara is just the type of sweet and heartfelt girl for him. A Pussy Galore type simply doesn't work for Dalton.
Henchman: TLD - easy win for Necros
Overall Plot: TLD - as with OCTOPUSSY I love the twisty and labyrinthine plot here! When it all unfolds you go "aha!" (no pun intended lol) and it makes perfect sense. Of course the next time you get around to watching it you've totally forgotten all the intricacies of the plot (you just remember something about smuggling diamonds and opium and weapons) so it's fun to unravel it time and time again. Certainly more interesting than simple rocket toppling using some radioactive water or whatever.
Dialogue: TIE - I really can't decide as both have some great iconic dialogue.
Score: TLD - one of Barry's absolute career bests!!!
Settings: TLD - it's close but I just love the abundance of such diverse locales as Bratislava (actually filmed in Vienna), Vienna itself, Gibraltar, Bladen Safe House, Tangier, Afghanistan (also filmed in Morocco). We go from snowy scenery to desert scenery, from Cold War locales to Arabic locales.
Action: TLD - obviously!!
Humour: DN - this is the film that started the legendary trademark gallows humor of the Bond films (superbly delivered by Connery); conversely the Dalton films aren't particular standouts in the humor department.
Cinematography: TIE - another tie - I love the 60s cinematography and the excellent use of shadows to convey mood as well as the beautifully shot Jamaica, but TLD has that sublime shot of Afghanistan at dawn (or is it dusk??) with the camels traveling which feels like something out of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Alec Mills also manages to capture that Cold War atmosphere in Bratislava really well at the beginning!!
Benign Bizarre: DN - again no surprise
Suspense: TLD - both films have fine moments of suspense but I think TLD is a little more effective, particularly in the early scenes in Bratislava! So much of it is due to Barry's magnificent score!
Minor Characters: TLD - this is really close but I do love Pushkin and Kamran and Saunders and even Gen. Gogol pops up at the end! Of course DN has the original M and Moneypenny, as well as the best Felix. So it's really close.
Glamour: DN - glamour is not something I typically associate with the Dalton films, though this one is certainly more glamorous than LTK. But DN is the originator of the Bond glamour so it's an easy win!
Bond Performance: DN - I love Dalton in this one but Connery's debut vs Dalton's debut? Gotta go with Connery! So iconic and so ultra cool!
TLD: 10
DN: 5
TIE: 2
I suppose we are lucky they remembered to film an insert shot of the bullet holes in the fuel tank otherwise they would have had the poor cow pressing the 'fuel dump' button as well!
Hear hear.
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: DN
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: TLD
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: TLD
Settings: DN
Action: TLD
Humour: DN
Cinematography: TLD
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: TLD
Minor Characters: TLD
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
TLD: 6
DN: 11
Nope.
I like Dr No, I do, but this gets my Terry-Thomas seal of approval.
Title Track: DN (LTK's is one of the very worst in the franchise)
Title Credits: DN (see above)
Main Villain: DN (This one killed me, but that's the name of the game.)
Main Bond Girl: DN (I have a soft spot for Pam, but it's Honey Ryder)
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: LTK
Settings: DN
Action: LTK (I mean, come on.)
Humour: LTK ("Launder it.")
Cinematography: LTK
Benign Bizarre: DN (the iguana is great, and some of Sanchez's brutality probably qualifies (paradoxically) but this is DN's category)
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: LTK (I adore the plucky group of henchmen at the climax who won't give up on chasing Bond.)
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN (Better than TLD, but just short of DN. Tough break.)
10-7 DN for me, the same score as the last time out. I liked LTK a fair bit better than Dalton's other one, but there were some razor-thin categories.
Will DN be able to get its win back on your scorecards? Only one way to find out...
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: LTK (my favourite in the series)
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: LTK
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: DN
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: DN
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
DN:12
LTK:5
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: DN
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: DN
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: DN
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: DN
Minor Characters: DN
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
DN: 15
LTK: 2
DN might have to wait 'til DAD to get another win.
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: DN
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: LTK
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: LTK
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: LTK
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: DN
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
DN: 11
LTK: 6
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: DN
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: DN
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: DN
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: DN
Minor Characters: DN
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
DN: 15
LTK: 2
LTK is only a couple of places behind DN in my rankings but when it comes to head to head categories, its no contest.
Title Track: LTK
To be clear, I'm not comparing Licence to Kill to the Bond theme, but to the cut up version of it in the Dr No titles. I've always loved the Licence to Kill song, even if some of the lyrics and production are a bit naff.
Title Credits: LTK
Purely based on the first 15 seconds or so (from "Albert R Broccoli presents" to the title card). The visuals of Tim in the smoke firing his gun around as the song's hook blasts gets me every time.
Main Villain: LTK
Dr No is an all-time classic, and the true template for Bond villains, but Sanchez is ruthless, funny, charming, and for most of Licence to Kill, more likeable than Bond. :-D
Main Bond Girl: LTK
Honey is iconic as it gets, but she's also nearly completely extraneous to anything that's going on. Pam is a gorgeous, kick-ass ally who saves Bond multiple times, and it's all believable without shoehorning some social message with it.
Henchman: LTK
From Benecio, to Wayne, to both Anthonys, this film has got incredible henchman. Sinister enough to be sure, but with a great heaping portion of humor, especially when it comes to Wayne Newton. Even the hapless, silent ones are great in the finale.
Overall Plot: LTK
Few Bond films have a real plot worth talking about, but LTK is one of them. A surprising number of characters seem to have specific motivations, and odd relationships are hinted at between Sanchez and most everyone around him. It's also the very rare action movie where the hero is pushing the plot most of the time, and not the villain. Bond is in near-total control for the last 45 minutes or so of the film, and it's a delight watching Tim smile as he takes his revenge on Sanchez and his operation.
Dialogue: DN
LTK has a great scene between Bond and M, but Dr No is full of fun conversations. Bond's initial meeting with Quarrel, the dinner with Dr No, anything with Professor Dent. This is one of the strongest Bonds for dialogue.
Score: LTK
Michael Kamen's effort isn't life-changing, but he came up with a great rendition of the Bond theme, and he used it exactly in the places where it should be used. Dr No, on the other hand, has kind of a terrible score. The camera zooms in on a file that reads "Doctor No", and the music tells you that the world is coming to an end. Take it down a notch, Monty.
Settings: DN
Nearly every shot in this movie is of a place I want to be. Kingston and Crab Key are wonderful, deep settings that feel like real places, and are in a state that will never be seen again in real life. A great trip, and really one of the main reasons I love Dr No so much. Also, Ken Adam nails it with Dr No's lair. I think it's his best work in the series.
Action: LTK
I mean come on. The whole Wavekrest sequence in particular is my favorite action sequence in the series. Very imaginative, very exciting, and a great use of the Bond theme.
Humour: LTK
How LTK is not more praised for its humor I will never understand. Just the scene of Krest trying to explain to Sanchez how the money was stolen was a brilliant meta moment long overdue in the series. Q tossing his gadget away, and every instance of "Bless your heart" are also highlights. Oh, and "Launder it." Oh, and "What a terrible waste. Of money!" Tim doesn't get to deliver any great lines, but the people around him get some gold.
Cinematography: DN
Neither movie really knocks me out in this department, but for the locations it gets to display, Dr No wins.
Benign Bizarre: DN
LTK is no slouch in this department, thanks to Professor Joe and his "Secrets of Cone Power", but Dr No, far from being the gritty serious movie it's sometimes thought to be, just gets goofier by the minute. Dr No as a character is enough to win this category.
Suspense: LTK
The first time I saw this movie, I had no idea how Bond would get away when his air was cut underwater. And then he got away in the coolest ****ing way imaginable. Even more suspenseful for me was when he had to take his mask off in front of Dario, and while Tim had a confident smile on his face, I sure didn't know how he was gonna deal with it.
Minor Characters: LTK
I like Killifer, whatever Grand L Bush's character is called, and even the polite man that initially turns Pam away at the meditation place.
Glamour: DN
No Bond movie is more glamorous than Dr No. Again, practically every shot of the movie shows me a place I wish I could be but would be impossible to visit in 2018. (Edit: I should walk that back a little...OHMSS is more glamorous than Dr No...)
Bond Performance: LTK
Sean and Tim can both be accused of some overacting in these films, but I have to say that Sean clearly takes the deeper plunge. The weird bark he does when he's angry or giving orders is one thing, but any scene where he's in a car is actually kind of hard to watch. He's not helped by the score or rear projection, but some of those scenes are lows for the series. At other times though, most of the time, in fact, he's great. I just think he got a lot better in the three following films.
Dalton is fantastic in LTK. His shout of "Della!" is slightly awkward, I guess, but for most of the movie, he's bottling his rage nicely and delivers on the "Most Dangerous Bond" promised in the promotional material. Timothy Dalton is not nearly as physically imposing as a Connery or Craig, but for this entire film, you totally believe he is ready and able to rip up anyone who gets in his way. In addition to that, this is one of the rare Bond movies where Bond is regularly thinking on his feet and adapting his plans to new situations, and Dalton sells that well too, and it's an easy thing to overdo. When he tells Sanchez the "freelance hit team" were to be paid by "someone arriving in Isthmus tonight", it's excellent.
So again, Dr No is absolutely great, and my favorite Connery film, but LTK has just always done it for me, ever since my first viewing.
LTK: 12
DN: 5
Title Track: LTK
Title Credits: LTK
Main Villain: LTK
Main Bond Girl: LTK
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: LTK
Dialogue: LTK
Score: LTK
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: LTK
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: LTK
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: LTK
DN: 4
LTK: 13
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: DN
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: DN
Overall Plot: DN
Dialogue: DN
Score: DN
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: DN
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: DN
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
DN:15
LTK:2
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: LTK
Main Bond Girl: LTK
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: LTK
Dialogue: LTK
Score: LTK
Settings: LTK
Action: LTK
Humour: DN
Cinematography: LTK
Benign Bizarre: LTK
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: LTK
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: LTK
DN: 4
LTK: 13
Title Credits: DN
Main Villain: LTK
Main Bond Girl: DN
Henchman: LTK
Overall Plot: LTK
Dialogue: DN
Score: LTK
Settings: DN
Action: LTK
Humour: DN
Cinematography: DN
Benign Bizarre: DN
Suspense: LTK
Minor Characters: DN
Glamour: DN
Bond Performance: DN
DN: 11
LTK: 6