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This is the first Bond film that I have watched in 2015. I was going to hold off until the Dalton double-bill later this month. I hadn't intended to hold out so long. For most of this year, I just have not felt like watching a Bond film. Then I heard about the Vue double-bill, and though that the Bond film I would watch in the cinema, would be the first Bond film that I would watch in 2015.
But following the passing of Sir Christopher Lee, I thought that I would change my plans. Still one of my least favourite Bond films overall. But there are two things that TMWTGG has going for it. The first being John Barry's score, and the second being Lee as Scaramanga.
His best film alongside FYEO.
This time, I am focusing on the dialogue quality and how the mission in question is handled. So, in DN, the dialogue is fantastic. There is not one line I would remove from the film. It may not be the most quotable movie, but each time I watch it, I am captivated by the dialogue, helped no doubt by the expert acting by all concerned, especially from Connery. As for the way for mission is handled, it is very well done here. The M briefing scene, the first in the franchise, may quite possible be the best. There is more insight of the relationship between Bond and M than in almost all the other outings put together. The mission itself, plays much more down-to-earth spy-like than the rest of the franchise (save for OHMSS and FRWL), but with a touch of detective-style, as during the entire movie, Bond (and the audience) patch together the bits of information to uncover the problem in hand. So IMO DN has one of the best script, dialogue and plot in the whole franchise. The movie itself may be a bit 'rough around the edges' as it's very low-budget, and it was the first outing, but I must applaud all involved for a brilliant script that keeps the movie very interesting and exciting, despite having the most of the action bits at the end.
;)
:)>-
The " Drink milk" adverts, and I loved Roger from the Saint and the Persuaders
and pestered my big Brother to take me. :) so I'll always have a soft spot for it.
I've held back on seeing a lot of Bond films in anticipation of a Bondathon closer to SP's release, so am looking forward to seeing if my opinion of this film has changed when I get round to it.
Here's a film that I want to like...but in the end, I just really cannot. The setup for the plot is great; we're introduced to numerous people in rapid succession and we watch Carver's plan fall into place. When Bond arrives at HQ with the newspaper declaring that the British were murdered, it feels very tense and everything escalates quickly from there with the Admiral wanting to send the British fleet to China to start WWIII and giving the Secret Service very little time, having from then until the time the fleet arrives to investigate.
But things never really get this tense afterwards. I feel that once Bond arrives in Hamburg, the film immediately begins to lose steam from the previous scenes. I don't feel as if there is any tension for Bond to discover what is going on (at least You Only Live Twice had the US and Russia's tension escalating each time one nation launched a new rocket). Carver really isn't that interesting of a villain and the idea of him starting a war strictly for ratings and broadcasting rights is not really that engaging. Stamper is neither menacing or interesting and Bond's car is rather boring as well. The whole film has a "been there, done that" sort of feeling to the entire thing that I don't really care for and don't get me started on the finale. I have always thought that this was Arnold's weakest Bond score, too.
- From Russia With Love
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service
- Goldfinger
- Casino Royale '06
- Dr. No
- GoldenEye
- Licence To Kill
- The Living Daylights
- The Spy Who Loved Me
- Quantum Of Solace
- Octopussy
- Thunderball
- You Only Live Twice
- For Your Eyes Only
- Live And Let Die
- A View To A Kill
- The Man With The Golden Gun
- Moonraker
- Tomorrow Never Dies
- Diamonds Are Forever
They're both bottom of the barrel to me...I guess I can at least appreciate Tomorrow Never Dies for attempting to be a serious action film, whereas everything in Diamonds feels tired or unispired. Although Barry's score trumps Arnold's massively.
Its chief weakness is the needless helicopter scene that they threw in because of North by Northwest and the accompanying boat chase (one of the first examples of the henchmen being utter dolts). I'm about to start Goldfinger, which I still regard as the superior movie, but both are fantastic and worthy templates for the series.
EDIT: Having posted this, I see my reflections and those of @DaltonCraig007 nicely align. I shall see how Goldfinger goes.
Actually Diamonds is superior. It is at least vibrantly farcical and features some sparkling dialogue. TND is by the numbers 90's action, with the Bond elements distilled to the point of staleness. Terrible, cliched villain lacking any subtlety or nuance, worst gadget/car of the series, Bond girls that enter and exit the script in such a way that makes them appear entirely perfunctory, Bond at his Hammy, one-liner spewing lowest...
TND looks, feels and behaves like a Bond film with all the creative talent removed, something thrown together quickly to take advantage of the good will the series had with audiences post GE. DAF is an entirely different set of circumstances. DAF gave the people what they wanted after the relative commercial failure of OHMSS. It was a move that, while most deride, saved the series and allowed for the subsequent critical successes.
I agree 150% with your issues with Tomorrow, specifically with how stale the whole thing feels. Tomorrow Never Dies is very "by-the-numbers," but still, I can appreciate certain aspects of the production, namely the slick looking cinematography, special effects and the editing.
Diamonds is such a mixed bag. I really want to like this one but everything is just so underwhelming. Is it worse than Tomorrow Never Dies? I wouldn't necessarily say that. However, I can say that it definitely is the more disappointing entry.
Also, I don't think "commercial failure" describes OHMSS properly; it was still the second highest grossing film of 1969... maybe a disappointment after the grosses of YOLT but I still wouldn't call it a failure by any means, especially when the lead was not an established actor.
Another big difference between the two is that diamonds has that Mankiewicz class when it comes to the dialogue, especially the humour. Loadsa of funny asides, quips, word play (alimentary, Dr. Leiter) really help make for a fun ride of a film. Compare that to TND and, well, there is no comparison. Instead of pushing the film along on it's intended course, TND delivers some inexplicably perverse and (dare I say) smutty dialogue. The cunning linguist line was just awful, not to mention Mr Pryce's 'complex orifice.' Just disturbing.
To be Honest, along with Moonraker and DAD, TND is one of those Bond's I haven't gone back too in a very long time. Every time I think of sticking it in player for a reappraisal, the thought of sitting through it again, even after many years, turns me off.
Agree on the dialogue. No comparison. DAF has brilliant lines delivered with real class by Connery. I watched it recently and was so impressed with the dialogue and delivery of lines. I had previously underrated this performance of Connery's due to his porky appearance & bad toupee. This was a mistake.....he's having a whale of a time in it.
Agreed. The pretitles is excellent.