Last Bond Movie You Watched

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  • I am keen to revisit the Bourne trilogy before the new one (which has an awful title) gets released. Nice to see Greengrass back. I'm not big on his political injections into his movies, but his style and form.

    Also, I thought Legacy with Renner (whom I like) was shit.

    Looking forward to revisiting SP again as well. Hoping it grows on me. Having only seen it three times it's still hazier than almost all of the other Bond films for me.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited February 2016 Posts: 15,718
    I watched DAD and TND tonight. Can't beat a good dose of Brosnan badassery! :-bd

    Lately these 2 films seem to improve everytime I watch them.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    Yeah, it's partly the knowledge that things like Die Another Day didn't kill the franchise that makes them more enjoyable now.
  • Moonraker
  • 30 or so minutes into QoS. Forgot how good the cinematography was, and although I don't think it really does anything to advance Bond's character (rendering it pretty inessential because that's really what it was setting out to do, as a character extension of CR) I do love how the visual style and the settings are kinda symbolic of Bond's state of mind.

    It is a bit one note though. Dour and mopey and dirty. Enjoying it though. The foot chase and the subsequent "rope fight" gave me a headache as well as parts of the boat chase but the PTS and Slate fight are edited very well (personal opinion)
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I just rewatched SP for the 2nd time in a week. That's the first time I've done that for a Bond film ever outside of the initial theatre run.

    Much better experience this time, because I had a better idea of what to expect. I reaffirmed my earlier view that the film is a top 10 for me up to the clinic. From the moment Madeline came on the scene until the control room scene it was palatable and top 12 or so, but it declined a little because I found her scenes with Bond weren't 'all that'.

    From the control room scene onward it dropped precipitously again for me, and by the end, like last time I just wanted to turn the damn thing off. I tuned out the entire London finale once more(I did some work on my laptop while it played in the background) and shut it off again just before the Q MI6 Aston finale because I'd had enough.

    I must say that the #1 thing that is making me more appreciative of this film now rather than previously is the cinematography, particularly in the earlier scenes. The film has a scale to it which I've not seen in a Bond film since Gilbert. In fact, I believe it is one of the grandest looking Bond films since TSWLM (not MR - because even though MR is arguably grander, TSWLM has a darker and more suspenseful flavour to it which SP mirrors). It is a decidedly dated element in my view (because films are not made this way any more - with that grandeur and the slower pace) but it is nice to see that style again in a Bond film. If only they had injected the necessary 'charisma' and 'energy' into the characters and performances, I would rank this film much higher.

    Since this was a more pleasant experience, and despite the horrendous finale, I'm moving the film up one on my ranking list, from 17 to 16.
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,596
    @bondjames Yeah that sense of grandeur was something I admired about it. I just wish there was a bit more thrill to go along with it. Looking forward to revisiting it nonetheless.

    Also, finished QoS and unfortunately my opinion hasn't changed much. There's a lot I admire but overall my opinion is that it's a pretty shitty Bond film. The action is a mixed bag as I paid close attention this time. Sometimes it is great, sometimes it just feels like complete chaos (the bad kind, not the zen chaos of masterpiece actioners).

    You can tell, similar to SP, that there were some serious problems with the script.

    People say Craig's Bond is more Fleming but I disagree, at least in QoS. Fleming Bond would have scoffed at the cry-baby way Bond completely disregards any sort of respect for hierarchy as well as the way he just mopes around.

    Ultimately the drab and dour nature of it wouldn't bother me if it moved the character forward as it is clearly attempting to do, but I don't think it succeeds. In fact I think it cuts some of the character nuances from CR in half and presents us with a more one-note Bond and more one-note performance from Craig. So, really, not only is the film inessential in terms of character, but I'd argue it is also a bit reductive. I do admire it for being such a compact slice of explosive action cinema though. A short gut punch.

    I just don't think it's very great and I wish I did considering how many on here love it. Just not my style I suppose. I'm going to keep pretending it doesn't exist within my own personal canon (despite that fact that I do enjoy a lot of it) because I love the way CR ends. Much more satisfying way of saying "Now this is the 007 we all know!" I don't think QoS adds much of note aside from its compact shape and some visceral action, with a boring, nearly incomprehensible plot and grating villain in tow.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    Had a double dose of debut delights in the form of GoldenEye and The Living Daylights
    GE has moved up my ranking over the years, and as much as I thoroughly enjoyed this most recent viewing, I just can't rate it any higher. It still has an almost TV movie feel too it. Sean Bean is an okay villain, without being a Goldfinger , Majesty's Blofeld or Drax.
    The tank chase is still an awesome set piece and possibly the last great action sequence. (Though CR's parkour chase and crane stunt is damn good) I know it has a huge fan base here, but it's never really rated that highly for me.
    TLD on the other hand could take the #1 spot on my ranking. I've always loved Dalton's debut movie. I really like Dalton's Bond in LTK, but in TLD I think the story works better. It's more classic Bond. Follows the formula better (even though it was tired). There's a lot of Fleming in TLD, one of the series best allies, and certainly a good relationship between Bond and Saunders. Resulting in genuine sadness and loss when Saunders is assassinated. Necros is easily the best of the villains, though Koskov and Whitaker aren't so terrible. Koskov is a bit too soft, and Whitaker is just under developed. Kara is the best Bond girl since Tracy. Well written and nice to have a girl who isn't Bonds equal. The romance builds and is not merely thrust upon us. The action is well staged with the cargo net fight still in my opinion the greatest stunt of all time. (No cgi, 100% real)
    A stunning score from John Barry and this is a genuine contender for top spot.

  • Benny wrote: »
    It still has an almost TV movie feel too it.

    Truly can't understand that opinion.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    edited February 2016 Posts: 15,138
    Benny wrote: »
    It still has an almost TV movie feel too it.

    Truly can't understand that opinion.

    Maybe it's because I followed the making of the film so intently back in '94 '95. Or maybe it's because the locations are often the UK doubling for another place. I realise that this has been done in the Bond films before and since. But GE for me stood out like no other. Despite the films scale, it feels low budget.

    http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Goldeneye/pages/Goldeneye-0129.htm Great model, but the explosion makes it look like a Thunderbirds episode. I guess the fact that it was the late great Derek Meddings has a lot to be said for this.

    http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Goldeneye/pages/Goldeneye-0796.htm

    Epsom racecourse doubling for St.Petersburg

    http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Goldeneye/pages/Goldeneye-0818.htm

    Somerset house London

    The church where Natalya meets with Boris is another London location supposed to be in Russia.

    http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Goldeneye/pages/Goldeneye-1215.htm

    The alley the tank goes down is much wider than the establishing shot.

    http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Goldeneye/pages/Goldeneye-1211.htm

    The music too was too similar in my opinion to Eric Serra's work on The Professional aka Leon.

    I don't expect everyone to agree with every members opinion. As we're all aware we all have differing tastes and likes. For me GE feels cheap.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    The title sequence in GE is anything but cheap, though. Certainly a very refreshing one after the repetitive 80's title sequences.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    The GE title sequence is one of the series best. I find the base exploding to be obvious model work. The poppy fields in LALD or the space station in MR looked better. Both of which Medding's did many years beforehand.
  • Goldeneye Simply a great movie that improves with time, a breath of fresh air as not bogged down by a convoluted script. Truly was a great first outing for PB and its a crime how short changed he was by the following films... Though it was the 90s. Since I bought the BOND50 box set think this is maybe only the third time I have watched this, on video and dvd the aspect ratio never did this film justice. On bluray this film is stunning to watch.
  • Regardless of the location aspects I think GE is cinematic as hell through and through. Nothing in the way it was crafted feels TV at all to me. Oh and none of your links are working for me.

    I just think GE is grand and cinematic as hell.
  • Cuckoo007 wrote: »
    Octopussy... ugh.

    Agreed. I just don't understand the love for that film, and the acceptance of the comedic tone. "Sit!"

    Just re-watched the first act of SP.
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,596
    "Hiss off" is unironically one of my favorite lines in the entire series. It cracks me up every single time. I don't care if it's juvenile.

    I just love the way OP brings all of these different feels in a single film (exotic India full of intrigue, sneaky Bond as well as a huge helping of bizarreness - second half is a Cold War spy thriller with a huge helping of bizarreness - the climax is like a full on fantasy mix of the two).

    Lots of Bond being sneaky in the film as well and infiltrating etc which I love, and Moore does some nice fighting for a 54 year old.
  • bondjames wrote: »
    All 3 Jason Bourne films are far more intense & exciting than SP to me.

    Having said, that, I'm going to pop SP in my blu ray player now (2nd time in a week) just for fun before I lend it to dad. I'm curious about his view, because he is a lifelong Bond fan (books and films) and thinks quite highly of DC.

    I really like the Bourne films as well.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited February 2016 Posts: 17,800
    "Hiss off" is unironically one of my favorite lines in the entire series. It cracks me up every single time. I don't care if it's juvenile.

    I just love the way OP brings all of these different feels in a single film (exotic India full of intrigue, sneaky Bond as well as a huge helping of bizarreness - second half is a Cold War spy thriller with a huge helping of bizarreness - the climax is like a full on fantasy mix of the two).

    Lots of Bond being sneaky in the film as well and infiltrating etc which I love, and Moore does some nice fighting for a 54 year old.

    Yeah, it's grand entertainment all right.
    And I always laugh at 'sit!'.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    LALD was just on ITV, I still love it. :)
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 6,432
    Skyfall Spectre will be delivered tomorrow, UK release thought I would revisit SF. Heading toward the hundred minute mark, all good upto now. Alas I know my interest will wane dramatically soon gr.
    I assume Blofeld knew Silva was M's (Dench) son? Assuming the Think on your sins anagram is taken literal.
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,596
    Alright so just finished SP and I'm roughly ranking everything as I go along (elements like action/scores/ so on). It's rough but fun. Anyways, here's the list I've got so far, and I'm including some effective ties because why not...

    1. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE / GOLDENEYE
    3. SKYFALL
    4. MOONRAKER / DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
    6. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY / SPECTRE
    8. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN / DIE ANOTHER DAY
    10. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
    11. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN

    New additions are bolded. I'll update as I go. I'm really glad that I'm warming up to SP. I know what to expect so I look at it in a certain way and can really appreciate a lot about it. For most of its runtime I find it a pretty great Bond film, albeit not quite top tier. When it sucks, it really sucks, but when it's good I really like it.

    QoS I still think is an entertaining explosive film that doesn't mess around. Has some great visuals and occasionally great action, but it just isn't what I want in a Bond film, which would be okay if I thought it did anything to advance the character and it doesn't. If anything I find it regresses him, so in my own personal canon I sort of pretend QoS doesn't exist because I find the end of CR more satisfying.

    Just too dour and humorless for me. I don't get excited for any aspect of it, aside from the PTS which opens phenomenally and Tosca. Gives me chills. Bond just spends much of the film wandering around looking like total shit and I just don't care for that at all. CR stripped him back, but made him (more or less) really Fleming, and really gave us a great character study/thriller. QoS strips things back even more, which would be fine, but it doesn't do anything with that then so we are left with an unglamorous, unspectacular film. Doesn't do anything for the character and doesn't do anything to excite me (except Tosca). Just drab and dirty and I don't think there's as much Fleming Bond here as some might think. Near the bottom of the barrel for this fan.
  • Birdleson wrote: »
    What order are you going in?

    @Birdleson haha, no order really. Kind of trying to pair up movies that have different tones etc, spread them out so I don't finish with one actor too soon if that makes sense?

    I am saving some of the films I love most for last, but mixing in some that I know I'll love that way I don't get discouraged.

    Maybe silly, but I'm just kinda picking and choosing.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489

    Maybe silly, but I'm just kinda picking and choosing.

    If it works for nostrils, it works for Bond films.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Haha, good timing.
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,596

    Maybe silly, but I'm just kinda picking and choosing.

    If it works for nostrils, it works for Bond films.

    hahahaha. Indeed.

    Recommendations for my next viewing?

    Thinking:

    YOLT
    LALD
    AVTAK
    Either Dalton
    TWINE

    Might not get to it tonight. Not sure.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    TWINE. Best to get that one out of the way since you said you're trying to save the better ones for later. I always do that one first. It only gets better.
  • bondjames wrote: »
    TWINE. Best to get that one out of the way since you said you're trying to save the better ones for later. I always do that one first. It only gets better.

    Yeah I'm not 100% random, as I tend to pick my lesser loved ones first, mixing in a few personal classics to keep things exciting.

    Fingers crossed that I enjoy TWINE. I might, as I skipped it last time I recall because I really don't like the film all that much and even the Bond films I don't rate highly (QoS) I'd still rate favorably. Not so much with TWINE. Maybe I'll appreciate it given the time it's been since I've seen it.

    I just remember it feeling like a poorly written episode of Days of Our Lives with obligatory actions scenes that felt about as organic as Richards' line delivery. Funny enough, the villains are pretty good if I remember. Missed opportunity there...
  • edited February 2016 Posts: 1,596
    bondjames wrote: »
    TWINE. Best to get that one out of the way since you said you're trying to save the better ones for later. I always do that one first. It only gets better.

    Yeah I'm not 100% random, as I tend to pick my lesser loved ones first, mixing in a few personal classics to keep things exciting.

    Fingers crossed that I enjoy TWINE. I might, as I skipped it last time I recall because I really don't like the film all that much and even the Bond films I don't rate highly (QoS) I'd still rate favorably. Not so much with TWINE. Maybe I'll appreciate it given the time it's been since I've seen it.

    I just remember it feeling like a poorly written episode of Days of Our Lives with obligatory actions scenes that felt about as organic as Richards' line delivery. Funny enough, the villains are pretty good if I remember. Missed opportunity there... Funny how things change. When I was young TWINE made my top 10, maybe even top 5.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2016 Posts: 23,883
    I just remember it feeling like a poorly written episode of Days of Our Lives with obligatory actions scenes that felt about as organic as Richards' line delivery. Funny enough, the villains are pretty good if I remember. Missed opportunity there... Funny how things change. When I was young TWINE made my top 10, maybe even top 5.
    It's always a chore for me to get through it too but I've always included it in my Bondathons. I think next time I'm going to just skip it.

    Just to clarify also, when I said it only gets better above, I meant the films only get better once I'm done watching TWINE.
  • Birdleson wrote: »
    I enjoyed it in the theatre. Then didn't watch it for a decade, then started Bond-A-Thons and it went way up. About five years ago I had it as a top ten. Now it's near bottom. It seems to weaken with each viewing.

    It's at the bottom of my list right now, so it has no where to go but up!
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