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Bond films that have grown on you over time or lost their appeal
Remington
I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.
I hated OHMSS and FYEO and was disappointed by SF upon first viewing. Now I love all three. Yours?
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Now, it hovers just out of my top 10. Tons to like, even with the slower middle parts at Piz Gloria
It's a movie that i couldn't get into at all. Watched it last year on three occasions and got bored out of my mind.
I have read the book adaption since, and when I watched it in summer this year i fell in love with it. Now it's tied with OP for my favorite of Rogers movies.
In no real order, YOLT, TMWTGG, MR, FYEO and DAD.
Even SF is going up in my appreciation, though much as I try, I still struggle with QOS. Though Craig is splendid in it.
Going the other way (I used to enjoy these much more than I do now), are YOLT, GF, TLD & TND.
In recent years, it's been TMWTGG. I thought it was destined to have a permanent residence in my bottom three, but I have found so much more to like about it these days. Not that it's a top ten or anything like that. However, thanks to many of you, I came to the realization of just how good Moore's performance in it really is, which was something that had actually put me off for years. Yeah, the silly stuff is still there, so it's far from perfect. Happy to have changed my opinion on it though!
The entire second four-film block (YOLT, OHMSS, DAF, LALD) has really grown on me. For anyone who wants to argue that it's as strong a run of films as the first four, I wouldn't argue (probably for the controversial thread). YOLT improved immensely when I stopped watching it as though the plot were the most important thing. OHMSS had already undergone its reappraisal by the time I became a fan, but I was still a kid and it did take me a few years to look passed Lazenby (now I can barely fault him in the role). DAF shot up when I realized it was supposed to be a comedy and not an inept attempt at doing YOLT. LALD was never low, but it always hung mid-pack till about the last year or so. Now it's top ten.
Lost appeal
CR has fallen from the heights I used to have it at. I've still got in about mid-pack in my rankings, but a few years back I probably would've told you it was Craig's best. The "Bond begins" stuff was an interesting take at the time that was almost bound to happen eventually. But that aspect has really lost its appeal. Further, while the finale in Venice never was, for me, the grand finale it was put there to be, with each rewatch this becomes more apparent; so is the roughage at the beginning of the film starting to, as the pre-casino stuff becomes more noticeably unnecessary in relation to the unnecessary "Bond's first assignment" stuff. I do like the stuff at the casino (the spine of the film) but even here there are certain things I've become less than thrilled with. Overall I think I've come to feel more adrift. There's not really much of the novel in the film. Lord knows that itself has never been an issue for me; I love Fleming but I'm no purist. However in past cases where the novel has been left behind I have at least felt a familiarity with the cinematic character. Probably because Bond isn't quite meant to be Bond yet, that lack of familiarity has started to estrange me.
Didn't enjoy OHMSS on the first viewing as a kid, but has grown on me each time I've watched it. Top three now, which tells a lot. Always loved the Gumbold's Safe scene though – then and now. LALD is a film that took quite a while for me to truly enjoy, but now I find it to be a really good entry.
QoS has grown on me too, but it really has more to do with how I view it compared to the Craig films in isolation. I've never enjoyed SF or SP, and CR has lost it's appeal by being too long – an issue shared with SF and SP.
QOS, I liked on original release but especially in light of SPECTRE I've realised it's a little gem, not perfect but damn entertaining a great little continuation of CR.
GE, I walked out the cinema on original release hugely disappointed and never really could gel with Brosnan from that point on, went to see all his films around opening day but never with any excitement or build up.
Although I gave GE a viewing earlier in the year and came away very surprised, it's easily Pierce's best and although it's not going to be one of my favourites I think I'd take it over a good few of the original era if I'm honest.
YOLT, didn't seem as bad as I had remembered it still up to DAF Connery's worst though but did enjoy it, Barry's score, the set design & cinematograpy do paper the cracks in it for me. It would have been one of my favourites as a kid but not for sometime now have I rated but it's far from the worst of the bunch.
Lost their sparkle.
On the last watch of them I'd say DN, not it's not bad but I can't see why it's looked at as one of the best, some iconic moments but FRWL is so much an upgrade it just pales in comparison.
I don't remember thinking any of the Moore films were any great shakes bar SWLM, I am going to be watching them again in my Bond marathon I started so will see how they afre then but although I'm a Moore baby and grew up with his films I just don't find they've aged well at all.
LTK, loved this on original release and went to see it twice in the same day of release. Also continued to rate it for sometime after. Although more recent watches although it has some great moments, I can't get past it's jarrring tones. I mean is it a hard boiled revenge thriller or not? Because the Mooreisms that are injected in like Q in the field with that embarassing bag of tricks don't do it any favours.
QOS for me is a much better realised version of this approach and it maintains it's tone as well.
SPECTRE never had any sparkle to lose and gets worse on every subsequent viewing.
I can watch GE periodically; once in a while TND-- minus the shootout on the stealth sub (I can no longer watch this climax); The first third of TWINE, and; none of DAD.
LALD has weird staying power for me. It's largely the soundtrack (the only one that comes close to Barry) but also the occult elements that differentiate it.
Personally, I love all four films. GE was my first Bond and I fell in love with it. I liked TND but didn't love it. It's just gotten better through the years. I didn't like TWINE at first but it really grew on me. DAD I loved. Then I jumped on the "DAD Sucks" bandwagon for a couple years. I'm back to loving, although I do realize it has plenty of flaws. Get rid of the ice dragster chase, CGI wave, and slow mo and it'd be a perfect anniversary film in my eyes.
Another thing. Some fans were saying they were bored with standard mission films and want more personal stories. Well, I hope they're happy now.
Most definitely AVTAK, which for years was my least favorite in the series. Compared to some of the newer entries, I find it to be a masterpiece of pure Bond.
Of the Brosnan films, TND was the first film in the series I walked away truly disappointed. Now I find i one of the more watchable post Cubby Bonds . It's Arnold score and fast pacing help immensely. Pierce is great throughout.
I kind of miss the style of Bond film that fully embraces the formula as this one does.
LOST APPEAL
All four of the Craig films I have to be in the mood for now. I never fully supported the re-boot concept or Bond's origin as told by Eon in the film series. I accepted it and went along with it. I enjoyed CR for what it was as well as SF. Today they don't hold up for me as well.
Now I can see why I wasn't crazy about the re-boot idea to begin with. An entire era of Bond that's sloppily connected with a running story arc.
Words fail me. No wonder I tend to believe B25 may be the film that the series finally closes out on. I really hope I'm wrong and B25 remedies this with an excellent film that will hold the test of time.
Lost their appeal: YOLT (I still really like YOLT, but I think when I was younger it was a Top 10 entry, whereas now it's pretty set around #14-15), DAF (it had a respectable ranking I think, and now it's right near the very bottom), TMWTGG (loved it a lot more as a kid; bottom-tier now), TWINE (also liked this one a lot more a long time ago; it's still okay, but has to be near the bottom for me now), SP (liked it way more when I first saw it, but it gradually grew weaker and weaker until it reached the bottom tier)
Am surprised at that too! I wonder is it to do with his whole period being criticised lately?
I still find CR a top tier Bond, there is so much to enjoy in it, particularly Craig himself, who is wonderful as Bond!
It is suprising. I watched CR recently and i was super impressed with it all over again. It was the best Bond film for me since TLD. Top 5 for me.
Another one is, controversially, NSNA. I used to dismiss it as non-canon and unnessecary. But I find myself enjoying the cast and dialoogje immensely while I also quite like the sunny atmosphere. Connery is enjoying himself as well, more so than in say DAF. I am extremely fond of TB, but consider NSNA as an excellent remake.
Lost their appeal: when CR came out I was so overjoyed that it had a decent story, I immediately put it in my top 5. Lately I still enjoy the film from the introduction of Vesper onwards, but I’ve grown to dislike the faux Nolan Bond Begins that was so in vogue in the day. Furthermore, I welcomed Craig’s more serious style back in 2006, but the ommitment of Bond’s typical sophisticated style has made me more critical of his portrayal.
Speaking of declining fortunes, his era has dipped considerably in my estimation since SP's release. What's most surprising for me is my growing appreciation for SF in comparison to CR. I believe the later film, despite its numerous flaws, is a far more important film for the franchise than the reboot effort, and a far more entertaining rewatch for me. I think it's more balanced throughout its runtime as well.
Opposite effect, but more gradually: I liked OP quite a bit more in the beginning (though I have always thought it came out second in the competition with NSNA). But I'm getting more annoyed with its shortcomings, goofs and kindergarten portrayal of the Cold War, and the Tarzan vine-swinging and yell as well as the gorilla suit may not be sillier than the Bondola, but serve to ridicule the Bond character unnecessarily. Next milestone: Awaiting the moment when I actually like even AVTAK better than OP.
I agree whole-heartedly with this.
Easily by far, OHMSS is my favourite but CR would be no. 2, it's not perfect but it leaves everything after OHMSS wanting with the exception of SWLM which is my no. 4.
I personally don't think the DC era will be looked at unfavorably as the PB era is now. Pierce was just a place holder that kept the brand alive.
Whereas regardless of DC haters assumption that he was just the next guy, changed the pieces on the board and will go down as a far more significant Bond, the most since Connery due to change in the interpretation and the reset.
Some will argue Moore and yes he can be credited with taking on the role after Sean and giving a very different interpretation but the films didn't shift that much and kind of carried on as they were with a more light hearted and charming Bond.
And I agree whole-heartedly with this too-- very well said.
Losing appeal: CR. It's still in my top 5, but I had it at #1 for a long time. It hasn't aged well: too much of MC's direction seems better suited for TV. It's still a great film, nonetheless.