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(Oh and about Barbara Bouchet: :x )
One of many, yes.
Skyfall
Featuring an excellent cast, great script, gorgeous cinematography by Roger Deakins, and inspired direction from Sam Mendes, Skyfall is one outstanding Bond film. Skyfall trades the soundness of the plot, in order to be thematically strong, which is a minor flaw in this 50th Anniversary treat.
Worse Bit - “We haven't been formally introduced” line. Just have Tanner say, “Good morning Miss Moneypenny. He'll see you now, 007.”
Best Bit – Bond and the gorgeous Severine have a chin wag at the Floating Casino.
Royale's Ranking
1. From Russia With Love – 10/10
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service – 9.5
3. Casino Royale – 9.5
4. Dr. No – 9.5
5. Licence to Kill – 9
6. The Living Daylights – 9
7. The Spy Who Loved Me – 9
8. Goldfinger – 9
9. Skyfall – 8.75
10. Octopussy – 8.75
11. Thunderball – 8.75
12. For Your Eyes Only – 8.75
13. Spectre – 8.5
14. Quantum of Solace – 8.5
15. The World Is Not Enough – 8.5
16. Tomorrow Never Dies – 8.5
17. You Only Live Twice – 8.5
18. GoldenEye – 8.5
19. Live and Let Die – 7.5
20. A View To A Kill – 7
21. Moonraker – 7
22. Diamonds Are Forever – 7
23. Die Another Day – 7
24. The Man With The Golden Gun - 7
1. CR
2. LALD
3. MR
4. DAD
5. DAF
6. FRWL
7. DN
8. GF
9. AVTAK
10. LTK
11. QoS
12. GE
13. FYEO
14. TLD
15. SP
16. OP
17. TB
18. Spy
19. TND
20. OHMSS
21. YOLT
22. TMWTGG
23. TWINE
24. SF
So, that is it. I always say watching a Bond film is like catching up with an old friend. I love the Bond pictures, and even the lesser ones on my special Bondain scale, entertain me royally. And isn't that what a film is supposed to do?
Welcome back to the Top Ten for Goldfinger! Is has been a long ass time my friend! I see that Octopussy has managed to sneak up there as well. Octobenny will be proud.
I've always felt that the Craig films were disconnected with the rest of the franchise. But not any more - both Craig's more grounded style and the unashamedly Bondian Spectre, helped with that. But three of Craig's films have issues with them, that prevent them being in the top tier, such as editing, lapse in logic or relationship drama. Without those issues, the Craig films would be in my top ten. Such potential wasted. In fact until the torture scenes in Spectre, it would have been in the top three.
Instead I found the Brosnan's movies to have that disconnect. Maybe because his films are a more cinematic style, as opposed to the Flemingesque style that I prefer, most notably the ranking of The World Is Not Enough. Previous to this Bondathon, I had it safely inside the top ten. Sniff.
I also enjoyed Diamonds Are Forever this time around. It has been gaining more and more favour with me of late, so it has moved off the bottom of the rankings. The 60's are well and truly over, instead replaced with the tacky, gaudy 70's - the style of Bond's world contrasts nicely with the obscene world of Las Vegas. The world has moved on, but the resolute Commander Bond has not.
James Bond will return...
Samantha Bond did get some cheesy lines, but I thought she did a more convincing job than Bliss - who a clichéd 80s "geeky secretary" caricature.
I'm on the fence a bit with Harris. She seems to be doing that whole "acting cool" thing.
Maxwell
(large gap)
Bliss
Harris
(large gap again)
Bond
He really didn t. He was just one of the weaknesses of that whole period.
Samantha Bond was great and perfect for the Brosnan era, the chemistry between her and Pierce made it work. She would have been great with Craig as well.
Poor Bliss didn't get a lot to do and mostly stupid lines. Still like to see her.
Harris is a whole new take on the character. I liked her already in SF and thought she was one of the few really good things about that movie.
In SP she is spectacular imo.
My Ranking:
Lois Maxwell
Naomie Harris
Samantha Bond
Caroline Bliss (never cared for her. What the hell happened to her anyway?)
1-Lois Maxwell (that's not negotiable)
2-Samantha Bond
3-Caroline Bliss
4-Pamela Salem
To me, Naomie Harris isn't playing 'the' Moneypenny. Just someone who shares the last name as the original character. But, she's doing a job well done at what she's given to portray.
Roger Moore keeps getting better the older I get it seems. Moore is just so effortless, charming and cool. Maybe watching the films in the Fleming order reinforced the Fleming Bond - Moore is surprisingly Flemingesque as you know.
Whilst reading Colonel Sun, I've been picturing a similar Bond to Moore in FYEO. Amis' Bond and Moore's FYEO Bond have a certain world weariness to them. And the Greek setting helped, no doubt.
Goldfinger used to be a mainstay of my top ten, but time had lessened it for me - so many good scenes in Goldfinger, so perhaps familiarly does breed contempt, in that one took them for granted. Effectively Goldfinger and Thunderball have swapped places - Thunderball is too epic for its own good, similar to Spectre in a way.
I thoroughly recommend to anyone trying this method out, next time you have a Bondathon.
Perhaps I'll try locations the next time I do one of these again. Let's say The Man With The Golden Gun for Macau, then Skyfall, then maybe The World Is Not Enough for Istanbul etc.
I always have a whale of a time with this one, and this viewing was no different. Full of action from the get-go, it just doesn't let up, with excellent pacing throughout. It's almost like Glen wanted to atone for his directorial debut in FYEO, which was slightly slow on occasion, so he upped the ante here, with more thrills, more villains, more gags, and just more charisma all round. I suppose the impending return of King Connery in 1983 also kept everyone on their toes, and it shows.
Roger Moore is in fine form here, exhibiting a nice balance of the more serious Bond he brought in his first two and previous outing with more humour like he showed in TSWLM. He's aged noticeably, but paradoxically seems more sprightly to me than in FYEO, perhaps on account of the action involved.
The lovely Maud Adams was the standout for me during this viewing. I was so impressed with her calm, serene but smart titular character, and how well she plays off Moore, that I googled her while watching the film and was surprised to find how great she looks even today at 71. Amazing.
Louis Jourdan gives us a very memorable villain in the slick Kamal Khan, and Kabir Bedi as Gobinda is a credible henchman. Steven Berkoff (in one of his early roles) hams it up like no tomorrow, and is a delght to watch as the warmongering Orlov.
This is another one of those films for which Barry deserves all the plaudits he gets. His score is energetic & memorable, and like with DAF it serves to ground the film and temper some of its silly moments.
OP is a definite top 10 entry for me, just on account of the fact that it's so much fun, very colourful & charismatic, & because I never tire of watching it.
Bashtard.
Done. :D
Indeed I am @royale65 ...indeed I am. Splendid stuff my friend.
=D>
Great review @bondjames and always happy to see people place Octopussy within their top ten. It is a film I never tire of, and genuinely look forward to viewing, because I know what a fun ride I'm in for.
Personally I've recently watched A View To A Kill, Diamonds Are Forever, Die Another Day, and Quantum Of Solace.
Strangely, DAD and DAF have moved slightly up my rankings, while AVTAK and QOS have moved down. AVTAK based on the mess that it is, even with an ever charming Moore and Christopher Walken as the main villain. It can't save an over aged Bond, and far to many doubles.
QOS is a film that I've struggled to enjoy for a while. And whilst no Bond film is truly terrible, this film just leaves me feeling bored. Craig is fine, but the movie is boring and dull. Maybe it's due to the overly arty direction from Marc Forster. Or because the threat is the Bolivian water supply.
I-)
Next up...The Man With The Golden Gun
This has always been one of my favourites. Like OP which I watched yesterday, I can never tire of this film. Once again I had a great time with this one today.
That famous opening scene with the jump off the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland (supposed to be a Soviet location in the film) remains fantastic to watch. I remember seeing that for the first time in the theatre like it was yesterday, and it's as great now as it was then. The scenes with 006/007 in the facility, along with the Goldeneye Overture playing in the background were also as good tonight as I remember them all those years ago. The lack of orchestra here make the sound fresh & modern, and yet there is a hint of the traditional Bond theme (but updated) throughout. Great work from Eric Serra here.
In fact, I really like Serra's work throughout the film, including the much maligned Ferrari/Aston chase score, which has a playful quality to it, mirroring the scene itself, which is absolutely fantastic. I'd take this chase any day over that dull SP one, and I'm certain it didn't cost so much to film it either. Famke is a delight to watch in that Ferrari. Classy. She's also incredible throughout the film as Onatopp. One of the franchise's most memorable villains imho.
The highlight of this film for me remains Izabella Scorupco however. Not only is she a total knockout even with the unglamorous outfits she wears in the film, but she commands every scene she's in. It's one of my top two or three Bond girl performances of all time. There's an almost 'old school' quality about Natalya Simonova. She's practical, intelligent & resourceful without being too 'look at me'. My kind of girl.
Sean Bean is the other highlight as Alec Trevelyan. He caught my eye a few years earlier in Patriot Games, and when I heard he was cast as the villain, I couldn't have been happier. I like the fact that he's Bond's contemporary in age and skill. It makes for a more even matchup and their fight at the end is one of the series' best in my view.
The supporting cast is electric. Gottfied John, Tcheky Karyo, Robbie Coltrane...all great.
Brosnan does very well in his first outing. He's lacking in confidence and a bit unsure in some scenes, but I still like this Bond portrayal of his the best (even better than DAD). I think that's down to Campbell understanding the character. None of the unfortunate acting tics that I associate with Brosnan are visible here. He's kept firmly in check, and that's for the better. Even the pain face is brought in only at the appropriate time (when he's being squeezed by Xenia) and there is far less of the sappiness that I generally associate with his Bond, apart from the infamous beach scene which is thankfully contained.
While watching the film, I realized that it's just so 'cool' in the way it moves along. Super cool in fact. It has an almost retro style to it while still being contemporary, and the pacing is also very good. GE remains one of my top Bond films and is firmly entrenched in my top 10.