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NEW 2021 UPDATES ON 'Quick Big Mi6 Bond Ranking Game': JOIN IN, FOLKS!

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  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,619
    Spy usually ends up in my top 5. This time, #4. It's all good, but Egypt is clearly the highlight - amazing use of locales here. And Bond may have saved the world, but Cubby's pasta saved the day.
  • SomethingThatAteHimSomethingThatAteHim
    Posts: 532
    Spy Who Loved Me is 9 for me. Definitely agree that the first hour or so is pretty much the platonic ideal for epic James Bond films, and it’s a stunning movie to look at. I find the third act fairly unsatisfying though, with a rushed confrontation with both Not-Blofeld and Jaws, and the film completely jettisoning the tension between 007 and XXX (she literally just laughs off the murder of her lover) as well as turning her into a damsel in distress. It doesn’t undo all the goodness that came before, but it does keep it from being too 5 material for me.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,223
    Spy is my #14.

    Lots of wonderful iconography, beautiful set design, and some superb individual moments, but it's not my favourite Rog (that's a toss up between LALD and OP these days). I think Stromberg has a lot to do with it - one of the most memorable villain lairs in the series somehow gets designated to one of the dullest villains. That said, I'll always watch it and enjoy it when it's on.

    And I love "Bond 77".
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,219
    I love TSWLM. It's an anything-goes adventure flick, and not a lot makes sense, but the sum total of its elements make it a pleasant and enjoyable ride. That said, I'm somewhat surprised it reached this far, surpassing the likes of TB and SF. Still, good film!
  • ProfJoeButcherProfJoeButcher Bless your heart
    Posts: 1,711
    It's really not my favorite, rather somewhere in the 20s. But boy oh boy was it a fun watch on the big screen a couple years ago. Never seen the cinema experience make such a difference for me!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    In the tournament thread, this managed to share the no 4 spot with DN. As for now, I ranked it at no. 20. Some brilliant sequences, mainly in Egypt, but Bond is such a jerk in this one and much of the humour and suspense just doesn t click with me anymore.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,162
    Like it's successor, TSWLM is excellent comfort food. The locations, the cinematography, the sets, it all looks absolutely gorgeous. It's spectacular too, and I love that disco score.

    I don't consider it as groundbreaking as many others do, but I really like it nonetheless. I'm siding with @echo here, while I like GF, TSWLM and to a lesser extent SF, I prefer entries that are maybe less iconic but certainly more engaging, like OHMSS or LTK.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,985
    Fairly close, as I had this one listed as #9 in my latest (2019) ranking. It's as epic and grand as they come, even if some aspects don't click with me as well as I'd like.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    Well, this is slightly disappointing as I had it at #4, but still a strong showing nonetheless. I knew it wasn't everyone's favorite, but I guess I was surprised by just how low some rank it. Of course, it seems like every entry so far has had at least a couple of low placements so we are certainly a diverse bunch, which is a good thing.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,152
    I’m going to guess DN or GE is coming up next.
  • Slazenger7Slazenger7 Gothenburg, Sweden
    Posts: 1,344
    #2nd place. It’s one of my favorite movies.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,219
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I’ll be disappointed if DN doesn’t come in the Top Five.

    Same here to be honest.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,152
    DN is #2 for me. But I don’t think it has universal love.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,162
    I'm afraid I will have to disappoint some of this film's fans, but here is our number 7:

    STARRING
    Sean Connery as James Bond 007

    WITH
    Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord & John Kitzmiller

    DR. NO

    MUSIC BY Monty Norman
    DIRECTED BY Terence Young

    92860e155e26ddd9b143b033025af87a.jpg
    (the Italians released DN as Licence to Kill, that's why later on LTK was released in Italy as Vendetta privata, aka Personal Vendetta)

    DN's best placement was 2nd, on three occasions. That makes DN the highest ranked entry without a gold medal.

    Additionally it reached n. 3 on one occasion, n. 4 on two occasions and n. 5 on five occasions. Six more top 10 spots were rewarded to it, all of those were inside the top 7. Another six top 15 spots were secured as well.

    Only one bottom 5 place occurred, which was a 21st spot, its lowest ranking.

    DN collected 180 points in total.


  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,162
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Still, not a bad showing. TLD and GE have quite a fan base in this small Petri dish.

    True.

    DN's showing is quite good nonetheless. Personally it usually falls just outside my top 10, but always in the top half. A cracking entry for sure.
  • Slazenger7Slazenger7 Gothenburg, Sweden
    edited April 2021 Posts: 1,344
    #6th place. DN is impressive for being a low-budget movie, much credit to Sean Connery who is just brilliant in it. I can imagine how fresh this must have felt back in 1962, compared to other action/thrillers of the same time it still holds up.
    It’s also remarkable how many things associated with the series that is set right from the very start.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,487
    7#th place for DN also in my ranking. It could also reach an even higher spot one day. I absolutely love its charm and the exotic locations.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,219
    Ah well, you can't win them all. I had the film at #6. Still, it's good to see it only now.
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,520
    Dr. No is always a difficult one to place for me.
    I admire it rather than like it. It was Bonds debut after all, and it changed a lot. It broke ground among 'kitchen sink' dramas of the time!
    But I dont watch it very often, usually when its on T.V. Actually think the novel is more entertaining!!
    Still, a respectable position!
  • SomethingThatAteHimSomethingThatAteHim
    Posts: 532
    #5 for me. I’ve grown to love Dr. No more and more over the years. I love the stark structural shift between the “social espionage” of the first half, and the pulp adventure of the second, the edge that Connery’s performance has in this first entry, and Dr. No himself is a top-tier villain (in no small part due to Ken Adam’s expressive sets that bring another dimension to No’s megalomania). The only major weak point to the film is the score, which is a shame because I can only imagine what John Barry would have done with it.
  • ProfJoeButcherProfJoeButcher Bless your heart
    edited April 2021 Posts: 1,711
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    Dr. No is always a difficult one to place for me.
    I admire it rather than like it. It was Bonds debut after all, and it changed a lot. It broke ground among 'kitchen sink' dramas of the time!
    But I dont watch it very often, usually when its on T.V. Actually think the novel is more entertaining!!
    Still, a respectable position!

    The movie is actually my favorite Connery, but the book is criminally underrated! It's my second favorite Fleming novel, but I feel it's little discussed.

    I do wonder what a John Barry score could do for this movie. Monty Norman's orchestral cues are uniformly terrible: the histrionic accompaniment to every fight sounds like we're witnessing the invention of punching. It's the film's only negative point for me.
  • ShakenNotStirredShakenNotStirred
    Posts: 1,399
    Benny wrote: »
    DN is #2 for me. But I don’t think it has universal love.

    Here as well!
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,223
    I always loved Dr No, but my appreciation for it grows even more over time as I gain more understanding of the constraints the film was made under in comparison with....well, every other Bond film since.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    GE beating DN is really ridiculous.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote: »
    GE is the GF of a certain age group. I cannot begrudge them that.

    Certainly nothing wrong with that. I just find it baffling.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,487
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    GE beating DN is really ridiculous.

    I see, you think my decision is ridiculous. No problem for me ;) I love both movies.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    goldenswissroyale wrote: »
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    GE beating DN is really ridiculous.

    I see, you think my decision is ridiculous. No problem for me ;) I love both movies.


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  • SomethingThatAteHimSomethingThatAteHim
    Posts: 532
    I don’t even like Brosnan as Bond and GE is a top 3 for me. Guilty as charged about the age-range so nostalgia certainly plays a part, but the movie is so damn fun.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,985
    7th is still great but DN has always been one of my favorites throughout the series and certainly my favorite of Connery's. A super cool introduction and having it based almost entirely in the beauty of Jamaica is commendable and unique. I love the sleuthing, the spy work, the introduction of allies that are close and important to Bond, the stripped back nature of everything and the mystery to it. Plus, Dr. No makes one incredible impression as a villain, considering he's in it for such a short period of time. One of the best, no question.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,853
    I had DN at #12 in my rankings.

    No knock on DN – it is a fine film and I really admire the choice to introduce many of the Bond characters in mid-flight (i.e., no boring origin story). Its’ just that I think there are eleven films that are better.

    Now, as for this GE vs. DN debate…….you guys are killing me =))

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