Would you rather run into Fields at the airport OR Paloma at a bar?

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  • Posts: 12,460
    LALD for me, though I know TLD is the overwhelming favorite on this site. While TLD has the superior PTS and action, I’d argue LALD wins the categories of villains, girls, title song, and climax.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    Posts: 3,787
    Both aren't my favorites, not much of a Moore Fan (my only favorite of his is Moonraker), then I prefer LTK for Dalton.

    But in this one, I prefer TLD, LALD, for me was really a slow watch (slow paced), it's a film with an overlong chases in different forms (Boat, Bus, and Runway Plane), it's just a matter of hide and seek for Bond and the villains, they're always chasing and chasing in the film.
    Watching LALD, I've felt that I'm watching almost for over an hour.
    Some parts of the film could've been cut in my opinion, and it would be a lot more faster paced and watch.

    So, in this matter, I'd go with TLD.

    Sure, the villains in LALD are miles better than the ones in TLD, the Bond Girls in both LALD and LTK are just on par with me (they're just on the same level) both are damsels and kinda a bit childish for Bond, the title song by McCartney was better than in TLD (although, I also liked TLD), but in terms of soundtrack, Barry did it better than Martin, not also a fan of both climaxes (TLD had the Afghanistan sequence that's quite misfit from the rest of the film; LALD had this bizarre climax with a villain's death via inflation), they're just on par with each other, for me, but the only disadvantage of LALD and to where it lost on TLD was the slower pacing.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,127
    I’m going to go with TLD, based solely on my own rankings of the films.
    I love LALD almost as much as TLD, both are great debut films, but Dalton wins this one.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Exceptionally tough, and LALD has exploded up my rankings, but TLD by a (comma of ) a hair.
  • Posts: 4,089
    LALD is a Bond film I now view a lot more favourably than when I was younger (some of the early Moore films really have gone up in terms of how much I enjoy them). While TLD has a great PTS and some great Fleming material that's integrated into the script, it suffers from a lack of memorable villains. Kara as a Bond girl never quite works. That said, despite LALD's lighter tone both films aren't actually a million miles away from each other for me. They're both a bit more low key in terms of scale, both involve villain plots around narcotics as opposed to anything on the world domination spectrum, and both contain lead performances in which the lead actors are trying to bring something different to the role.

    Again, I'm a fan of the character from the novels, so Dalton's my preferred choice. But it's close. Moore's performance is so smooth and effortless in that film. The Bond series was lucky to get him when they did.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    Posts: 2,641
    TLD, that film is more than 35 years old yet you still feel that breath of fresh air, Dalton's Bond brought in with his portrayal.
    It's probably the first "modern" Bond film

    I love TLD, and a lot of that is to do with Timothy's portrayal. If only the 3rd act was as good as the first two I'd be a perfect film
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,272
    TLD by a fair margin for me. Dalton nailed the character from the jump.

    I have a soft spot for LALD as it was the first one I saw (on TV). But this is the rare Bond film that would benefit from about 15 minutes of editing--especially in the (intolerably long) action scenes.
  • Posts: 7,401
    Though LALD was a superb debut for Moore, it has to be my man Dalton, fabulous first appearance in an equally fabulous Bond film!
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    @Mathis1 , you're so right, LALD was such an amazing debut, and this was a heartbreaking choice for me.

    But Dalton was pretty damn explosive, and TLD was more a traditional Bond film done extremely well (and I say that without taking anything away from the incredible choices they made for Moore's debut).

    Plus, extra points go to Dalton for doing some of his stunts. It's amazing watching him on top of that jeep, taking his knife out and ramming it through the canvas roof.....
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    Moore and LALD. It's one of the fun outliers in the series for me and a damn good film. Dalton is fantastic in TLD but I don't hold the same amount of love for it that a lot of you all do. I would love to reach those heights every time I revisit it but I never seem to.
  • Posts: 12,460
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Moore and LALD. It's one of the fun outliers in the series for me and a damn good film. Dalton is fantastic in TLD but I don't hold the same amount of love for it that a lot of you all do. I would love to reach those heights every time I revisit it but I never seem to.

    Finally, someone else!!! X) I like TLD and have it in a respectable spot in my ranking, but I’ve never understood the extreme love for it around here personally. Of Dalton’s movies, I’m much more partial to LTK.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    edited August 2023 Posts: 3,787
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Moore and LALD. It's one of the fun outliers in the series for me and a damn good film. Dalton is fantastic in TLD but I don't hold the same amount of love for it that a lot of you all do. I would love to reach those heights every time I revisit it but I never seem to.

    Finally, someone else!!! X) I like TLD and have it in a respectable spot in my ranking, but I’ve never understood the extreme love for it around here personally. Of Dalton’s movies, I’m much more partial to LTK.

    I do actually prefer LTK to TLD, I'm not a fan of TLD, really.

    But what made me picked TLD over LALD was for me, it's more fast paced than LALD.

    (I'm not a fan of both of these films, MR is my favorite from Moore).
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,309
    I'm not a massive fan of LALD; I tend to think it falls apart a bit towards the end after a good start, but Roger is pretty astonishing in it. He's completely in control and is a star straight out the gate- as soon as he walks out of that airport terminal you just accept that he's the hero and you want to watch him. Imagine Lazenby taking over from Connery in this film: he'd just disappear. And something like the hotel room scene with Rosie lets him do much; little touches of humour, subtle winks to the audience, and yet he also lets his arrogance get punctured whilst remaining charming... it's a brilliant first performance coming straight after Connery.
    Dalton on the other hand... he's very watchable, but he never feels like a star, and he misses the crucial fun factor of Bond in that he never swaggers, he never feels enjoyably full of himself; and that's always a major part of the enjoyment of watching 007 on screen. Dalton's Bond feels more nervous half the time- it's not my favourite performance as Bond. I sometimes imagine Pierce in it, and I honestly think he'd have been better.

    But just as films, I much prefer TLD to LALD; it's always been one of my most favourites and hits the fantasy/grittiness Eurospy tone I prefer just right. So I'd watch TLD.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    Moore and LALD. It's one of the fun outliers in the series for me and a damn good film. Dalton is fantastic in TLD but I don't hold the same amount of love for it that a lot of you all do. I would love to reach those heights every time I revisit it but I never seem to.

    Finally, someone else!!! X) I like TLD and have it in a respectable spot in my ranking, but I’ve never understood the extreme love for it around here personally. Of Dalton’s movies, I’m much more partial to LTK.

    You're not alone! You and I both: I'll take LTK over TLD any day of the week. It's like Bond meets Miami Vice and I love it every time.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    Posts: 4,592
    One thing I will defend LALD over TLD, it feels truly unique for a Bond movie. Mostly because Richard Maibaum wasn't writing. So LALD for me. However, TLD had an ally that I wish we could have seen in another film: General Pushkin. Not using him in LTK or GE was a real shame. Meanwhile, LALD gave us an "ally" who shouldn't have been made: Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Considering how much the LALD novel used Felix Leiter, the film should have had him leading the boat chase.
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,008
    I have a nonsensically special feeling for LALD, since seeing it four times in different cinemas in 1974 (when I was still 17) and another 15 or 20 times or so since on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. So for me there is no contest, as much as I like TLD.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,309
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    One thing I will defend LALD over TLD, it feels truly unique for a Bond movie. Mostly because Richard Maibaum wasn't writing. So LALD for me. However, TLD had an ally that I wish we could have seen in another film: General Pushkin. Not using him in LTK or GE was a real shame. Meanwhile, LALD gave us an "ally" who shouldn't have been made: Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Considering how much the LALD novel used Felix Leiter, the film should have had him leading the boat chase.

    It's always weird how Felix never gets involved with any action during the film: he's always standing at the sidelines letting Bond get on with everything.
  • MaxCasinoMaxCasino United States
    edited August 2023 Posts: 4,592
    mtm wrote: »
    MaxCasino wrote: »
    One thing I will defend LALD over TLD, it feels truly unique for a Bond movie. Mostly because Richard Maibaum wasn't writing. So LALD for me. However, TLD had an ally that I wish we could have seen in another film: General Pushkin. Not using him in LTK or GE was a real shame. Meanwhile, LALD gave us an "ally" who shouldn't have been made: Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Considering how much the LALD novel used Felix Leiter, the film should have had him leading the boat chase.

    It's always weird how Felix never gets involved with any action during the film: he's always standing at the sidelines letting Bond get on with everything.

    Minus a bit of LTK and a bit of NTTD, isn't that how it always is? EON should make him as important as M in the future. They have a decent graphic novel for guidance. I just hope EON doesn't have a story where his past catches up with him.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,309
    It is how he's usually involved, but there's something about the way that Bond keeps going off for an action scene in the afternoon and coming back to see Felix in the evening afterwards that makes it particularly obvious in this one! :)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,155
    I'll happily choose TLD over LALD any day. I find the former beating the latter in almost every single department. Granted, I think Jane Seymour is the better-looking Bond girl (by a very narrow margin), but Kara is a far better-developed character in relation to Bond. Then there's the score, the action, the locations, the plot, ... all categories in which TLD beats LALD. And no matter how much I like Roger as Bond, I'd say that Tim nailed it from day 1, whereas it took Roger 3 films to finally find his Bond IMO.

    The one department where LALD beats TLD for me is a pretty obvious one: Felix. Other than that, it's '87 over '73 for little old me.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    j_w_pepper wrote: »
    I have a nonsensically special feeling for LALD, since seeing it four times in different cinemas in 1974 (when I was still 17) and another 15 or 20 times or so since on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. So for me there is no contest, as much as I like TLD.

    What a treat it must've been to see this in theaters on release. I grew up renting that one a stupid amount of times on VHS before I inevitably owned all the films on the format and kept up the rewatches. It's such a special installment to me.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,534
    You know what, I'm gonna go with LALD too, as it's a personal fave of mine being one of the first I owned on VHS. I had a blast with LALD back in June for its 50th. I was analysing the film; buying all the vintage gear; trying to make the toys. Plus it's got one of the absolute best soundtracks in the series.

    I recognise TLD as a top 5 Bond film but I put a lot of that down to the Fleming short story that is the sniper scene, the Pushkin interrogation and intricate plot.

    Although LALD might sit around 10th-12th spot, the villain ensemble is top notch and has one of the best hotel room scenes. We get the classic bug sweep, more than one close shave in the bathroom and various enemies sneaking in. The voodoo themes are fun and certainly unique (I actually discovered a very subtle reference to voodoo and perhaps New Orleans in CR recently, but that's for another time). Every film is a time capsule of sorts but LALD really takes that notion to another level.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,394
    Very interesting thoughts on this would you rather.

    Okay this one is a bit of a cheeky one since George had a debut and a finale in one. But lets do one last debut watching would you rather.

    Would you rather watch George's debut in OHMSS OR Daniel's debut in CR?

    One debut featured an unknown taking on the role and dealing with emotion not seen before, the other stormed on to the scene and gave us a rebooted Bond for the first time in the series history. We got to see how Bond became Bond. So which one would you rather watch? Please stick the spirit of the thread and choose one!
  • edited August 2023 Posts: 12,460
    My Top 2 Bond movies. With that said, it’s CR for me, with Craig’s outstanding performance being the main deciding factor (I still find Lazenby very good for his one turn).
  • Majesty’s.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    I'd have to pick OHMSS. My love for CR has surprisingly diminished in the years since its release (though it's still one excellent installment) whereas my love for OHMSS has only grown since I was a kid.
  • SIS_HQSIS_HQ At the Vauxhall Headquarters
    edited August 2023 Posts: 3,787
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service would be my pick too, it's got a great story, a beautiful cinematography, a Bond Girl who can really match Bond in all aspects! A more developed and fleshed out romance, and a plot that successfully combined the James Bond formula and the Fleming tone.

    Actually, I know where this thread would side on, Casino Royale has very much dominated the entire Bond fandom, it's untouchable and very much the bread winner, so, I don't think any Bond film would've possibly won against it, maybe except Goldfinger.

    So, I think this is a bit unfair, and yes, I do expected this kind of game because we've been comparing the debuts of the Bond actors to one another, but in every battle where there's Casino Royale, I'm always seeing it win.

    Bond fans and Bond fans alike hailing Casino Royale like a crown, a very high star, so there's no chance that other Bond film would've beat Casino Royale, and if there's one, it's probably a history never done before!

    So, in many ways, I think Casino Royale is very much the most overrated Bond film of all time, yes, moreso than Goldfinger, or The Spy Who Loved Me, it's very much over praised, and I've watched the film and thinking to myself "It's not a masterpiece or a crown jewel like what people claiming it to be".

    As much as I'm siding through OHMSS, when there's CR, there's no way it would win.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 5,394
    Yes @SIS_HQ I tried to make the choices a bit tough or unique. Seemed appropriate to have Majesty's go up against Casino. I do admit there is cheek here, but this is a fun thread. I was actually how surprised how close the Moore Dalton would you rather was.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,309
    I watched CR on telly on Saturday: it's still great, one of the best. And obviously in terms of debut performances, the two don't really compare.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,957
    @SIS_HQ, very well said. OHMSS definitely has the best cinematography to me in the series. I love just how dark the picture is at times without going overboard.
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