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Controversial opinions about Bond films

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  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    Posts: 17,819
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Torgeirtrap wrote: »
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    Some sections of TB do drag a bit. However, I love every frame. It almost always reaches my top 5, often battling with GF for #1.

    I love the Bahamas locale, Domino, Connery's superb performance as Bond, Domino, the wonderful Barry score, Domino, the great villain that is Largo, the superbly beautiful Ted Moore scope cinematography and Domino.

    Good things can't be repeated enough! :-bd

    My number one favorite Bond girl for decades now, and that unashamedly affects my ranking of the film.

    The Bond girl lineup in TB is brilliant, and Domino is definitely one of my favourites too.
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,521
    The Bond girl lineup in TB is better than any other Bond film collectively IMO, with relative ease. As a main Bond girl, Domino is probably my third favorite only behind Tracy and Vesper. Fiona is just as amazing, and Patricia and Paula are as good as minor ones get. The Barry score is one of the series' finest, Connery is at the top of his game, the humor is great, the action and suspense are awesome, the story is good, and the film also gives one of the best on-screen depictions of the SPECTRE organization I think - maybe the best.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,600
    Thunderball is great minus the Vulcan scenes and post recovery.
  • BT3366BT3366
    Posts: 1,926
    ThighsofXenia, I look forward to your longer post regarding TB, especially based on the thoughts you put together in the previous post. It did what a good discussion should do: get some to reevaluate some their ideas about the film and some of its qualities. I know some discussions on this forum have made looking at these films I've watched countless times over the years refreshing.

    Now my conundrum is the opposite of RC7's in that I've tried and tried to love GF more and just can't quite grasp its greatness, even after yet another reevaluation earlier this year. I can think of worse things than to keep trying.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    I agree with you @ThighsOfXenia, TB is a perfect mix of cinematic and literary Bond, though please allow me to consider TLD an even better mix of those two elements.

    That doesn’t take anything away from TB, which feels more like a Bond film than any other film. On one hand because of that mix you so eloquently described, but I’d say it’s also because it has that 60’s chique, the Caribbean exoticism and the SPECTRE villains which all add to that classic Bond atmosphere.
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    edited September 2019 Posts: 12,521


    Just want to throw this underrated track in here while we're discussing how awesome TB is. Such a beautiful song from an amazing soundtrack. I've been listening to the TB soundtrack today.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    BT3366 wrote: »
    Now my conundrum is the opposite of RC7's in that I've tried and tried to love GF more and just can't quite grasp its greatness, even after yet another reevaluation earlier this year. I can think of worse things than to keep trying.

    Now that you mention it my controversial opinion is that I don't like GF. Recently I've upgraded to 'I don't dislike it'. Goldfinger is the best villain and the banter he has with Bond is the best in the franchise, and that counts for a lot in me upgrading its status

  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,521
    I'm not going to lie, my adoration for GF has slipped just a little bit in a couple recent rewatches. I still do love the film, and I can't imagine it slipping out of my own Top 10, but FRWL and TB have become my preferred Connery entries. Maybe it's more of a case of me just loving certain other films more lately. GF is still awesome for me in almost every way, but I have noticed it's not my most go-to entry lately. But I still do certainly consider it very high-tier.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    FoxRox wrote: »


    Just want to throw this underrated track in here while we're discussing how awesome TB is. Such a beautiful song from an amazing soundtrack. I've been listening to the TB soundtrack today.

    Such a lovely track. I just stopped doing what I was doing and relaxed for four minutes with just this cue to listen to.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    I think the only way I can describe Thunderball is “sluggish, like a wet sponge”.

    On the other hand, I never don’t have a fun time with Goldfinger. The pacing is just miles apart imo.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,600
    From Russia With Live and Diamonds Are Forever are my favorite Connery films. The rest are extremely interchangeable
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    Posts: 863
    The Man with The Golden Gun is a fantastic film with a good Moore, one of the best cast and written villains, a decent score and a song that's maybe not very well sung but a good song on itself.

    *runs for cover*
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    FoxRox wrote: »
    I'm not going to lie, my adoration for GF has slipped just a little bit in a couple recent rewatches. I still do love the film, and I can't imagine it slipping out of my own Top 10, but FRWL and TB have become my preferred Connery entries. Maybe it's more of a case of me just loving certain other films more lately. GF is still awesome for me in almost every way, but I have noticed it's not my most go-to entry lately. But I still do certainly consider it very high-tier.

    I agree on this. While GF is certainly a high level, and very, very worthy entry in the series, I don't find it to be the earth shattering classic some do.
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    Posts: 1,596
    I think you can have the experience with GF that is less than enthusiastic, but I do think it is hard to argue against its status as an "earth shattering classic," given its impact on the series and action/thriller/blockbuster cinema as a whole. It cannot be overstated, frankly. It is a classic, just like The Maltese Falcon is for American film noir.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Pay more attention to your chef
    Posts: 7,057
    ThighsOfXenia wrote: »
    Thunderball (...) is flawed, but it's as good as we've gotten of a merging of Hamilton's established "cinematic Bond" elements with Fleming's Bond which differs considerably. Balancing the two so well is something I don't think we've seen since. The breathtaking blockbuster and the cold thriller both functioning not in spite of the other, but in tandem.

    I agree with this. You can really see the mixture of these elements in the film. It's very good, in that respect. For me, it's not like every Bond film, without exception, needs to aim for the same balance, but it's something that should be generally present in the film series.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    MartinBond wrote: »
    The Man with The Golden Gun is a fantastic film with a good Moore, one of the best cast and written villains, a decent score and a song that's maybe not very well sung but a good song on itself.

    *runs for cover*

    My favourite Moore Bond, and the only 70s film in my top ten.
  • cwl007cwl007 England
    Posts: 611
    Here's my controversial opinion. The Thunderball posts reminded me.
    I find all the underwater set pieces in each film very boring, like really boring, it's when I tend to leave the room to make a cuppa. Everyone of them :TB (Each scene), TSWLM (driving Lotus), FYEO(investigation in the sub) (actually the keel hauling section isn't so bad), LTK( up until Bond 'water skis' away) , TND.
    There's not one I'm fond of.
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,537
    cwl007 wrote: »
    Here's my controversial opinion. The Thunderball posts reminded me.
    I find all the underwater set pieces in each film very boring, like really boring, it's when I tend to leave the room to make a cuppa. Everyone of them :TB (Each scene), TSWLM (driving Lotus), FYEO(investigation in the sub) (actually the keel hauling section isn't so bad), LTK( up until Bond 'water skis' away) , TND.
    There's not one I'm fond of.

    Underwater scenes are hard to make exciting. But I for one love the climax to TB, and the keel hauling sequence in FYEO is a highlight, the brief underwater scrap from LTK is also good and it leads to one of the most thrilling action scenes in the series!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Fleming s underwater scenes are far, far better than in any of the films.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Personally I love the LTK one,i think it moves pretty quick as well.
  • cwl007cwl007 England
    Posts: 611
    Despite my earlier post I imagine seeing TB in the cinema in the '60s must have been thrilling. The clarity of the underwater scenes probably seemed pretty revolutionary.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,078
    cwl007 wrote: »
    Here's my controversial opinion. The Thunderball posts reminded me.
    I find all the underwater set pieces in each film very boring, like really boring, it's when I tend to leave the room to make a cuppa. Everyone of them :TB (Each scene), TSWLM (driving Lotus), FYEO(investigation in the sub) (actually the keel hauling section isn't so bad), LTK( up until Bond 'water skis' away) , TND.
    There's not one I'm fond of.

    It's funny but i love the underwater scenes, and not just in Bond films. Probably because i enjoy seeing beneath the waves. That adventure and mystery the sea evokes.

    Some of the films i really love feature a lot of underwater scenes, like;
    The Deep
    Into The Blue
    The Abyss
    Jaws

    It's something that's missing from the Craig Bond films. That and skiing..!

    Even Pierce got to go underwater once!
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited September 2019 Posts: 7,207
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    MartinBond wrote: »
    The Man with The Golden Gun is a fantastic film with a good Moore, one of the best cast and written villains, a decent score and a song that's maybe not very well sung but a good song on itself.

    *runs for cover*

    My favourite Moore Bond, and the only 70s film in my top ten.

    Seems to be the same thing for me. Granted, it’s hard to defend Pepper being pushed in the water by an elephant or Hip driving off without Bond, but I absolutely love about everything else the film has to offer.
    Moreover, Scaramanga is my favourite villain, his island with funhouse my favourite villain lair and his golden gun my favourite gadget/weapon (hence my nickname).
  • BMW_with_missilesBMW_with_missiles All the usual refinements.
    Posts: 3,000
    MartinBond wrote: »
    The Man with The Golden Gun is a fantastic film with a good Moore, one of the best cast and written villains, a decent score and a song that's maybe not very well sung but a good song on itself.

    *runs for cover*

    I agree. It’s a film that I actually hated on first viewing, but the second time I strapped myself in and enjoyed the absurdity.
  • jobojobo
    edited September 2019 Posts: 7,507
    I have to say this: TMWTGG's score is very underrated. I repeatedly see it ranked as Barry's worst. I think people get blinded by the dumb lyrics and annoying vocal performances in the title song. There is nothing wrong with the actual score. In fact it's great!

    I also agree Moore has a decent performance, that Lee is brilliant as Scaramanga, that his lair is cool and that the locations overall are interesting. Apart from that, however... there is hardly anything I like about the film unfortunately.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    jobo wrote: »
    I have to say this: TMWTGG's score is very underrated. I repeatedly see it ranked as Barry's worst. I think people get blinded by the dumb lyrics and annoying vocal performances in the title song. There is nothing wrong with the actual score. In fact it's great!

    I share this sentiment.
  • TorgeirtrapTorgeirtrap
    edited September 2019 Posts: 17,819
    There's so much to love about TMWTGG, and that includes the score. Nor Barry's best, but still very enjoyable, IMO. I even like the title song!
  • j_w_pepperj_w_pepper Born on the bayou, but I now hear a new dog barkin'
    Posts: 9,082
    jobo wrote: »
    I have to say this: TMWTGG's score is very underrated. I repeatedly see it ranked as Barry's worst. I think people get blinded by the dumb lyrics and annoying vocal performances in the title song. There is nothing wrong with the actual score. In fact it's great!

    I also agree Moore has a decent performance, that Lee is brilliant as Scaramanga, that his lair is cool and that the locations overall are interesting. Apart from that, however... there is hardly anything I like about the film unfortunately.
    There is quite a lot to criticise about TMWTGG, but it is not nearly among the bottom five for me. I do think the score is Barry's worst among his Bond scores (not all of his film scores), but this is mainly due to the fact that it is not very extensive or versatile when you compare it to the others, not because of the quality of what's there. Yet Barry's worst is still better than anything from another composer of Bond scores, probably with the exception of George Martin who unfortunately only composed a single one.
  • BT3366BT3366
    Posts: 1,926
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    jobo wrote: »
    I have to say this: TMWTGG's score is very underrated. I repeatedly see it ranked as Barry's worst. I think people get blinded by the dumb lyrics and annoying vocal performances in the title song. There is nothing wrong with the actual score. In fact it's great!

    I share this sentiment.
    Me as well, thought so for many years. I find it far more interesting than Barry's score for AVTAK, which so many seem to appreciate but I find very by-the-numbers and as uninspiring as the film it comes from.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited September 2019 Posts: 7,207
    Concerning TMWTGG’s score, a cue that I really like but is not on the album is the one when Bond enters Andrea’s hotel room and finds her in the shower.
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