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The Spy Who Loved Me – This movie, I think, is the best of Roger Moore’s stint as 007. Moore puts in his best performance as Bond I feel. One scene in particular stands out for me and that is when Moore’s Bond shows off his extremely ruthless side when putting Sandor to rest. Don’t know why but that always sticks in my head. Great Bond movie.
Second up, therefore, was Moonraker – Ok, so it’s not the best Bond. But for all its daftness, it’s still an entertaining ride of a movie and has some very good scenes. The scene that sticks out for me, and still give me chills, is the scene of Corrine’s death and it’s helped along by the great score. Someone pointed out to me last night that it gave them a Hammer Horror feel and I can certainly see why. Not the best Bond movie by a long way but certainly not the worst.
Really. Which Bond film is worse than Moonraker?
DAD is laughably bad.
DAF I just find quite boring.
Agreed (although I do like DAF), not to mention Moonraker's beautiful score and sets.
DAD starts well, and just gets dafter as it goes on to the point of embarrassment, but it does have Rosamund Pike. Moonraker's silly from the get go, although it does have a good score and photography. And something's gotta be at the bottom of the pile!
It's a pretty mediocre Bond movie, all told. I can't really find as much to dig into here as with the others on that account, so please excuse me if this review isn't up to the standard of the others. Nothing jumps out as a glaring flaw that prevented the movie from standing out as one of the best. The plot is sensible, there are no baffling errors, no agonizingly slow sequences, no characters who collapse midway through.
On the other hand, there's really not much that stands out beyond the boat chase, which is fantastic. The plot chugs along through San Monique and New Orleans, Yaphet Kotto isn't much more than serviceable as Kananga (although the role isn't written as much), Tee Hee is a fine character, and Baron Samedi is instantly memorable.
The voodoo bits are more than a little weird and a touch out of place, but the movie keeps them restrained enough that they don't drown out the rest of the movie in OTT silliness (as we shall see in Moonraker and Die Another Day). The apparent notion that every black person in the world other than whatshisname the CIA agent and Quarrel Jr. is in on the plot is a little uncomfortable, as is Bond's card trick on Solitaire (although it was fated to happen, so...?). Rosie Carver is annoying and Solitaire is beautiful, which rounds out the noteworthy aspects of this time around's Bond girls.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the debut of Sir Roger Moore in the role. Even watching it over forty years later, I could feel that it was a shift in the history of Bond to finally leave the defining Connery era behind. He hasn't yet found his footing, mostly focusing on take that's definitely Not Connery, but not yet definitively Roger Moore. He'll struggle more in the next movie before finding his footing in The Spy Who Loved Me, but he's comfortable here, and he earns the respect of every Bond fan by proving there can be life after Connery.
Again, before closing the review, I must note that the gator run and boat chase are absolutely fantastic, and even J.W. Pepper can't do much to damage them. All in all, it's an average Bond movie that I must respect for its contributions to Bond history and stability.
Ranking:
1. Goldfinger
2. From Russia With Love
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. You Only Live Twice
6. Thunderball
7. Live and Let Die
8. Diamonds are Forever
He was listening to The Beatles without earmuffs!
This one came out when I was nine. I remember going to the theatre and seeing the teaser image of the pistol sitting in the melting ice, the silencer still smoldering from the heat of a bullet. After his mission is compromised and having been abandoned by MI6 in a North Korean jail cell for fourteen months, Bond goes rogue to find out who set him up. Well, the movie never lives up to potential it could've been. This could have easily been one of the classic entries.
Why doesn't it live up to it's potential?
The first half of the film before Iceland is rather good stuff. Minus Jinx... her and Bond talk in nothing but one=liners. Halle Berry may not have been the worst actress cast as a Bond girl (I would leave that up to Tanya Roberts, Barbara Bach and Denise Richards) but she is definitely the worst female character in the entire series. In fact, entire conversations are comprised of one-liners in certain situations. Because of this, the characters and story that are hinted at in the beginning of the film never come to their full potential. Has anyone read the script before Tamahori got ahold of it? I know that he pushed for the use of CGI and would like to read what P&W wrote beforehand. I'm wondering if he substantially altered the shooting script, similar to how Apted had his wife rewrite the TWINE script. Also, in hindsight, I think this one looks so much worse today due to the drastic changes in direction for the series immediately afterwards. At times, it's hard to believe that Casino Royale is the immediate successor to this one. It's easily the biggest direction change in the series' history.
Still, the first half of the film is pretty good stuff, which is enough to keep it from the bottom of my ranking. It's sad that this was Brosnan's last Bond film. Whether you like it or not, the man rejuvenated and put Bond back on the map. Even though he may not be my favorite, he was "Bond" growing up and I'll always have a soft spot for him, even if half of his era is sitting in the bottom three in my 2015 ranking.
01. From Russia With Love
02. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
03. Goldfinger
04. Casino Royale '06
05. Dr. No
06. GoldenEye
07. Licence To Kill
08. The Living Daylights
09. The Spy Who Loved Me
10. Quantum Of Solace
11. Octopussy
12. Thunderball
13. You Only Live Twice
14. The World Is Not Enough
15. For Your Eyes Only
16. Live And Let Die
17. The Man With The Golden Gun
18. A View To A Kill
19. Moonraker
20. Die Another Day
21. Tomorrow Never Dies
22. Diamonds Are Forever
I totally agree with you on the bit about DAD. Most of the first half is too good to place it at #23 for me. I have plenty more problems with MR and AVTAK personally..
I've just finished GOLDENEYE and I have some troubling news...I didn't enjoy it this time around, I couldn't bare it. All the detractors were right, Brosnan is terrible, he's all washed up. I was a fool all along, I give in...PSYCH! Had you fooled didn't I?
This movie was awesome, A non stop thrill ride, The ultimate Bond movie. Words cannot describe how much I love this movie. Ever since I was six years old, I have loved this movie from beginning to end. This was my introduction to the world of James Bond and what a wonderful introduction it was. I watched this film for the first time with my dad, god rest his soul. This film has a lot of wonderful memories behind it for me personally. Though, I played the GoldenEye videogame not too long before I saw the movie, so I was very happy to see the movie behind the game. Which also was something me and my father played together. This Bond movie is the transition between Classic Bond and Modern Bond. This viewing made me realize how strange and interesting this film is. It has some things we've seen before and things we haven't. All the characters are so unique and have their own specific qualities that stand out with a nice ensemble cast this film carries. It really makes it stand out for the better. This film is so memorable, The dialogue is sharp and quotable. The action sequence and stunts are good, and while many will disagree with me here, I just love Serra's score. It adds to the strangeness to this film. And when I say strange, I don't mean that in a bad way. It gives the film character and GoldenEye has tons of it. That is why I love it so much. I was actually kind of afraid to watch it given my reanalysis of the films. Some I've loved have gone down in rank, Others I didn't hold in high regard or had mixed feelings on have gone up considerably. But I'm happy to say, GoldenEye didn't disappoint and is still my #1 favorite Bond film. I've started the 90's with a blast and I can't wait to continue. Until next time.
This film suffers from the same issues as FYEO in that it is clear that there is a concerted effort to go back to Fleming and make a spy thriller like FRWL, but both films lost there bottle and stuck to the formula established in GF. It's like they just can't shake off those familiar elements even though they don't fit the story at hand. Films that should have their own distinct identity instead include out of place comic relief. It is easy to spot the difference between this and say OHMSS, which followed through with its human and emotional story, just by comparing the two endings. One is a tragic moment of lose, something we have never seen from the character on screen before. The other is a hasty 'happy ending' with Felix chirppy in a hospital bed and bond getting the girl. OHMSS and CR are examples of the franchise truly departing from form and taking genuine risks whereas FYEO and LTK are halfhearted attempts at a serious portrayal that ultimately give in to convention. Just my 2 pence.
The main thing that bothered me though was having to look at Sheena Easton all the way through her tune. Was that necessary? Seems like an ego trip to me.
The movie has quite the interesting premise, in the world's greatest assassin challenging the world's greatest secret agent, mano a mano, and the ensuing game of cat and mouse that culminated in a duel between the two. Unfortunately, the producers decided to squander that with a parade of idiotic decisions that add nothing and drag the film down to the bottom. The film is unique, I guess, in that the stupid decisions don't follow a set order or scheme; they just keep piling up out of nowhere, determined to ruin TMWTGG.
First, they decide to focus on Scaramanga's third nipple entirely too much, mentioning at nearly every opportunity (is it supposed to be funny?). Then they shoehorn in an energy plot, complete with the spectacularly non-threatening Hai Fat, who exists solely to get killed off by Scaramanga. Then, in a truly mindblowing display of Bond villain stupidity, Hai Fat decides not to have Bond killed while he lies unconscious and helpless, uttering the immortal line, "Take him...to school." I needn't discuss the happenings at the school any further. The same goes for J.W. Pepper reappearance and the slide whistle, the only thing that could wreck one of the greatest stunts in Bond history.
The film is also handicapped by the presence of Nick Nack, Scaramanga's midget henchman and the idiotic dead weight Mary Goodnight, whose chief accomplishment is nearly getting Bond killed with her ass, in a brief sequence that serves only to pad TMWTGG's runtime. Moore is also still finding his footing in the role, alternating between too glib and omniscient (the scenes where he gives Scaramanga's complete biography and explains solar power on a PhD level) and the senselessly cruel. Moore wasn't Connery, and it shows when he's attempting to break poor Andrea's arm and slapping her around.
All said, the movie does have its strong points. The dear, departed Christopher Lee is excellent as Scaramanga, with the perfect mix of menace and sophistication, as one should expect from him. Maude Adams is similarly fantastic as Andrea Anders, although her death is all too premature.
And I get to watch The Spy Who Loved Me next!
Ranking:
1. Goldfinger
2. From Russia With Love
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. You Only Live Twice
6. Thunderball
7. Live and Let Die
8. Diamonds are Forever
9. The Man with the Golden Gun
I would say LTK was Binder's last great work, some of the previous ones (AVTAK for one) are quite poor.
One Word: Magnificent.
Two Words: Absolutely magnificent.
Connery's performance: Perfect......and I mean perfect.
Young's direction: Incredible.
I came away with a new found appreciation for this inaugural Bond film. I previously had it ranked below FRWL & TB, but I actually now think it belongs at the top, or at least on par with FRWL.
Everything just comes together so beautifully. Connery really defines James Bond in this one. People talk of Craig and Dalton. Sure, they're good, but Sean Connery in Dr. No (and FRWL/TB) is without a shadow of a doubt, for me, the definitive James Bond bar none. It's not even close. Ruthless but charming, he is the Bond you actually believe women are fascinated by, adversaries are wary of, and colleagues are trusting of.
I also can't say enough about Terence Young's contributions here. He is 3 for 3 as far as I'm concerned and the best Bond director by far. He just knows how to make Connery into Bond on screen. I find it interesting how, despite very few gadgets, or budget, or fancy schmancy, he was able to make a very taut, engaging, fast paced thriller that was so far ahead of its time that it's almost contemporary 50+ years later on Blu ray.
Ursula Andress's beauty was never more apparent to me than after this recent watch. She was stunning.
The only negative as far as I'm concerned is Monty Norman's score and the overuse (in my estimation) of the Bond theme. Barry was so much better at melding and weaving it into his orchestrations to make it sound different, as well as using it more sparingly in its original form. Having said that, this is the first film, and so hearing the famous tune blaring in all its glory often can be forgiven......in fact, the film is refreshingly underscored in parts.....almost bare, which I liked..
I haven't had such a satisfying Bond movie experience in some time. I feel almost liberated to rediscover this seminal Bond film in all its blu ray glory and finally fully appreciate what a debt all the other films, and the genre, owes it. Truly legendary.
From the beginning, it's a classic Bondian romp and a lovely return to form after the years in the wilderness since Diamonds are Forever (and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, going by the standards of the time). The submarine heist is tense, the leadup to Amasova's reveal as Agent XXX is a brilliant subversion of the dozen or more times Bond has laid in bed with as woman only to be called away. The Asgard jump is, of course, the Asgard jump, and a definitive proclamation that Bond was back, for good.
The movie keeps the energy up throughout, starting with Bond and Amasova's game of wits throughout Egypt, trading barbs and possession of Stromberg's plans. The car chase is another classic and the final battle is an action-packed spectacle, as one might expect. Jaws is one of the two best henchmen in the series, and becomes endearing in his sheer refusal to be beaten (more on that next time).
The movie's weakest points are Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova and the lack of anything resembling a character for Karl Stromberg. Amasova is a great role (and necessary for the series) and Moore is at the height of his powers in this movie, finally playing a character he's comfortable with and in a worthwhile movie. Bach betrays this with her one facial expression and one line reading; just imagine how much better the (already great) scenes where she mentions Tracy and the death of Sergei Barsov would have been with a competent actress. At least she's pretty.
Stromberg, for his part, is a third rate Blofeld knockoff, with none of the essential gravitas of the character or SPECTRE, or any of the defining quirks that made each version of the character memorable (faceless Blofeld, Pleasence's scar and demented voice, Savalas' relative youth and vigor, even Gray's camp). Curt Jurgens does well enough with what he's been given, and if he were actually Blofeld the character as a whole would bee improved.
It's been said that this was the last time the Bond series truly felt like the zeitgeist, rather than reacting to it. Although I wasn't around for the release, it seems plausible to me almost forty years later. It's a comic tour de force and doesn't show the reactive tendencies of the Dalton movies, GoldenEye, or even Casino Royale (not to disparage those movies in the slightest). It's also the definition of the silly, OTT Bond movie done right, and none before or since have been able to top it. We shall see what Spectre manages later this year.
Ranking:
1. Goldfinger
2. From Russia With Love
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (first actual ranking change!)
5. Dr. No
6. You Only Live Twice
7. Thunderball
8. Live and Let Die
9. Diamonds are Forever
10. The Man with the Golden Gun