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As for Jinx, I can't remember many, if any, innuendos on the island (Oh my, I'm defending Die Another Day), but that is only an exception. She is dire in every scene afterwards (and beforehand, for that matter). I like Jinx in the Los Organos scenes because she is "sassy" (something that would be overdone to the extreme later in the film), and I particularly like her line "you know, great artists are only appreciated after they're dead", kaboom.
Oh the days when Bond movies were fun, will we ever have those days again?
I've seen DN, FRWL, GF and TB.
Some big changes since the last time I've seen them in order. First of all, DN has drasticly improved for me. I used to think of it as a very slow movie, but this time the film just flew by. Sure there are no big action scenes, but the movie just advances at a sure and steady pace, and Connery is just magistral in this. The plot is also interesting, since you are invested with Bond in trying to find out what happens, it's kind of "Detective Bond" in this outing. Only thing I didn't like was the soundtrack by Norman. The rest was just great.
Another change is that before I thought Connery reached his peak with TB, but starting from today, it has became apparent to me that IMO Connery peaked with his 2nd outing. FRWL also improved since the last time I saw it. If it is possible to put a 11/10 rating on a film, this film is worthy of it. Straight away, Barry is a insane improvement over Norman. The plot is just epic, keeps you on the edge of your seat al the way through. Connery is very much THE man in this, absolute legendary acting. Kerim is one of the best allies, he's just cool, likeable, and the scene where he kills Kirylenku with Bond is simply breathtaking of camaradery between the 2. Tatiana improved for me IMO, she's gorgeous and very sweet. Red Grant is pure badass, and even though he is evil to the bone, you're forced to like him. My only gripe is the 'necessary' action scenes at the end, but it doesn't negate the epicness of what came before.
GF also had a big change for me. It was much better than I remembered. Connery is in no way bored, although his descent starts here. The plot is bonkers as are many of the elements in the film, and the OTT of the franchise starts here IMO, but there are so many iconic scenes that I can forgive it. This has also become my least favorite Barry score if you take out the very good theme song from it. The end sequence is total bonkers ( the military faking falling unconscious), but it was the first true big scale battle scene in the franchise, so it was bound not to be perfect. The first hour until Bond is captured is extremely good. The movie slows down after that, but it still remais quite good.
TB didn't really change for me, however; I still love this outing although now, as I said earlier, FRWL is my new favorite Connery performance. The many dicusssions about TB made me see the film in a new light. I now realised the plot relies on huge coincidences, like Bond being injured and just happens to stumble on the evil plan at Shrubands. But IMO the plot itself is just so epic that I am still invested in the film. But yes, I didn't get a sense of 'danger' given the impending catastrophe, the movie was too nonchalent and humorous for that. The battle in the Disco Volante is completly bonkers and the speeding up makes it look ridiculous, but I just love seeing henchmen flying around, same as the PTS fight with furniture flying around all over the place. It's very close between GF and TB, the former closing the gap but I still prefer TB.
Goldeneye
Now I make it no secret that GE has never been a favourite of mine. When I first saw it in '95 I wasn't impressed at all. Whilst everyone was lapping up the new Bond and praising it left and right, I was wondering why.
Gone were the John Glen tick the boxes style. Yes it had action, but it didn't feel like the action of the 80's films. The soundtrack was imo awful. And it still is I'm afraid. However over the years I have started to appreciate GE more. It's not as amazing to me as some Bond fans find it (I'm looking at you @Murdock), but the older I get, and the more I watch it, the more I appreciate it. I did see it five time in '95 to try and make it work for me. I really wanted to like this new Bond film. It sometimes take time. Twenty years perhaps. :))
I love the pts and always have. It's OTT, its action packed, it's smart...its pure Bond. Even the terribly fake looking skydiving into the plane that bookends the pts. The film proper takes far too long to take off though. A lot happens, but nothing really happens until Bond and Natalya are captured. After that the movie moves along at a swift pace. One of the issues I've had with GE, is possibly knowing too much of how it was made. Many of the locations were shot in the UK and doubled for Russia or somewhere else. Knowing this I think takes away some of the magic. The film also has a slight TV movie look to it at times. Although during the action set pieces, this cannot be said. The infamous tank chase is still a sight to behold. Again, only in a Bond film would you be able to do something like this and leave the audience saying "WOW!"
The tank chase is a Bond classic.
And so to Bond himself. Pierce Brosnan makes a very good debut. He's confident, looks the part. Has a wonderful M scene, can play the comedic parts well. Is excellent at the action. The end fight with Trevelyan is particularly impressive. Very brutal. It's hard not to imagine that neither actor was actually not hurt during this fight. There is one point during the finale, and any Bond fan will know it. As Bond is setting his mines on the tanks, I bullet whizzes past Bond's head, and he calmly moves it to one side as if a fly is irritating him. It's very cool.
http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Goldeneye/pages/Goldeneye-1531.htm
Yes, I think it's safe to say that Pierce Brosnan does very well in his first outing.
The rest of the cast work very well also. First the villains. Sean Bean has also grown on me as OO6 aka Alec Trevelyan. I do find him to be a little too hands on to be so megalomaniac though. After all he's got a personal army at his base in Cuba.
Famke Janssen is wonderful as Xenia Onatopp and likewise with General Ourumov, played by the late great Gottfried John. I would've liked to see Ourumov's role last a little longer into the film. I'd certainly prefer less screen time for Boris. He's annoying and...annoying. I don't like him. Never have. His riddles are stupid, and his accent it more than a little iffy at several points.
I do like the pen twirling thing he does, and how it's worked into the Cuban scene when Bond has been captured. Although the fact that Bond is given a trick explosive pen is somewhat convenient.
The leading lady in Natalya as played by Izabella Scorupco is one of the better Bond girls. She's smart, fairly confident and actually has something to do. She's a good Bond girl. She needs Bond, but is not clinging to him, nor is she thrust into the world of OO7 with a shoehorn.
The rest of the supporting cast is very good. Judi Dench makes her debut as M. She seems a little unsure in this film, as if finding her feet (which would be natural for an actor) though she needn't worry. She makes a great M. A role that would improve over the years to come. Though more on that as her role in he movies progresses.
Michael Kitchen plays Tanner. Not the Tanner of the Fleming novels however, though it has to be said he plays it in a likable way. (Side note, Michael Kitchen lived very close to where I grew up in the UK. I was awestruck when he visited my fathers farm one day on business. He was incredibly nice and signed my making of Goldeneye book for me. He did seem genuinely shocked to be recognised. This was before he become more well known in Foyles War. This was my first encounter with someone from the world of James Bond.)
I must say I did enjoy this most recent viewing of GE. The blu-ray transfer was as good as all the previous films. I do find the story a little all over the place at times. And I'm not a fan of the shot of Bond and Natalya searching for the Cuban hideout with the antennae rising from the lake. I know it's Bond, and it's OTT, but it feels out of place somewhat. I did find it a lot of fun though for the mot part. Certainly not as bad as I had on its initial release. Though not a film that I'll likely place in my top five.
It has jumped four places since my last ranking though.
Benny's Blu-Ray Bondathon ranking:
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. From Russia With Love
3. The Living Daylights
4. Octopussy
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Goldfinger
8. Thunderball
9 Doctor No
10. Goldeneye
11. Licence To Kill
12. Live And Let Die
13. You Only Live Twice
14. A View To A Kill
15. Moonraker
16.The Man With The Golden Gun
17. Diamonds Are Forever.
Some more big changes here.
While I used to like YOLT, it drasticly improved. I had it in my head that Connery was bored senseless in this outing, but there was none of it. Sure he is less invested than in the previous 4 films, but he was still a pleasure to watch. On blu ray the film looks majestic, Barry's score is epic. As with the previous 2 films, the first hour or so is absolutly fantastic, it slows down a bit during the Bond turning japanese, but it makes up for it big time with a thrilling epic large scale battle in the volcano lair. About that - the sets are totally breathtaking. I think I prefer YOLT to GF and TB now!
OHMSS was better than I remembered, and it was in my top 3 already! Lazenby is just a total legend, sure he is inexperienced but the guy is just a complete badass. The guy knows to fight, and he does so graciously. No wonder he went to Hong Kong, he fights like he is doing a ballet dance, which is the style of HK cinema. Barry's score is wonderful, the look of the film is simply stunning. Given this was made in 1969 they must have spent 1 billion dollars back then to make a film so lush and so well made. I think I now put Lazenby equal number 1 with Moore as my favorite Bond actor.
DAF also was much better than I remembered. The film is complete bonkers, but that's why I love it. Connery is having the time of his life, Barry stuns again. The supporting cast are all a big bunch of interesting and colourful characters. The film is campy but not cringe worthy campy, you laugh with it and with Connery.
Parts of DAF and TMWTGG make me genuinely want to throw something at the TV. Where's that Hulk pic again? Same thing with MR but at least those moments don't go on for as long.
Well I have found myself liking GE a little more recently. But to be honest, there are still six more films to watch, so the final standing may change yet.
;)
GoldenEye - This movie encapsulates the 90's to me. It's so sleek, stylish and sexually aggressive with a healthy dose of P.C. to boot. Perhaps, like it's leading man, it's a bit too much style over substance at times. It really is the GF or TSWLM of it's time. I was entertained throughout but when you stop to think about some of the things that happened... Well, perhaps SF can be added to this list as well. The whole cast was great and I don't think the soundtrack is as bad as it's reputation. I will admit that i did wonder how Dalton would have done in a some of the scenes.
TMWTGG was my favorite Bond film, and it remains so. Sure the film is totally nuts, but there's just something about it that never fails to entertain me. One thing I noted this time was Moore seemingly looking for something behind him during the karate girls fight. It's as if he was looking for Cubby to ask him what in the world they were filming! :)) It's funny that the last 3 Hamilton films each have a very distinctive style - caper for DAF, horror/blaxploitation for LALD and kung fu for TMWTGG. Mind you, I would never argue that TMWTGG is the best made Bond film, it's just the outing that entertains me the most. I can understand some of the stuff is irritating for many people, but I just burst out laughing. Pepper during the car chase was just hilarious. Only thing that bothers me is Goodnight - she is a class a baffoon, but she is quite the looker in that bikini.
TSWLM is as epic as I remembered. But with YOLT improving during this Bondathon, TSWLM is no longer the clear winner of the OTT Bond's. The end battle scene is my favorite of the large scale battle, Anya is annoying and ugly, so I really enjoy the scenes with Naomie. Moore is a total legend in this one, but I prefer his performance in LALD and FYEO/OP. Soundtrack is quite good, I just don't like that terrible disco cue when Bond and Anya get to the Stromberg layout by boat.
MR used to be my least favorite of the 2 Moore Gilbert outings. Well this time, it has improved dramaticly! Maybe because I saw it too many times when I was younger, the hiatus between my last viewing and this one has helped. The film is completly OTT at parts, the end sequence in space is so un-Bond, but, it's impossible for me to hate a film where Sir Rog is visibly having the time of his life. What gives big points to this outing is the Barry soundtrack, which is simply majestic. However, Drax is now my least favorite villain in the franchise. He has great lines, but Lonsdale just shows zero emotions and has the same monotone voice in every scene.
Been a bit more active on here as of late and it's spurring me on to perhaps start up another Bondathon. Gotta' block some time out of my schedule it seems.
FYEO was brilliant as always, a welcomed change of style after TSWLM and MR. Moore is epic in this one, badass in scenes like the attack of the port and kicking the car off the cliff. And his chemistry with Melinda is very good, quite different from what I saw in recent outings prior to this one. You can see a lot of mutual respect between Bond and Melinda. The soundtrack is good, although a bit too Rocky-esque. This feels very much like an european Bond film, as it takes place only on the continent.
OP improved on this rewatch. I didn't remember the bomb chase was so tense, and even though I've seen the film countless times, I am still on the edge of my seat. Some pretty campy stuff in the first hour (tarzan yell, Q scene, telling a tiger to sit, etc) but all are easily forgiven when you arrived at what is IMO the best 2nd half of a Bond film when compared to the first half. Soundtrack is quite good although not to to level of Barry's best. My current opinion is Moore should have stopped here. I'll see what I make of AVTAK once I'll rewatch it tomorrow.
=))
I don't mind the "sit" gag. The one I truly, truly love though (one of my favorite lines in the entire franchise, humor wise) is when Moore whispers "Hiss off" to the snake.
That's not very nice. [-(