It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
A pity we didn’t get Dalton in TPOAL indeed :(
Sorry to hear you had a rough time on MR. I’ve come to appreciate it more and more recently, but it does have some weak points. I just had a rough time with DAD (as usual). I like most of the first half, but the second is just irredeemably bad.
Currently I rank MR and DAD at the bottom of my list. :(
MR feels so much like a total waste of talent. They had a big budget, John Barry, Adam's super inspired design, a good photography and great locations. But the movie is so unbalanced in tone and pacing. There are some comedy camp scenes that feels completely out of place, the narrative isn't smooth. Things happen just because they have to and there is no tension throughout the movie. It's a shame because some parts of the movie are beautiful - all Venice scenes with the exception of the bloody Gondola - and are filled with a true espionage flavor to it. Also the overall locations are excellent. But then the space comes in and it's just not Bond. It's ridiculous and anti-climatic. The space battle with the laser pistols is even worse than the DAD wave scene imo.
But now it's TSWLM turn!
Had a great time watching all of these three. The rewatchability factor is something I value very much, so I've updated my rankings slightly again.
1. Thunderball
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. From Russia with Love
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. Goldfinger
7. Octopussy
8. Live and Let Die
9. Diamonds Are Forever
10. The Living Daylights
11. Goldeneye
12. Licence To Kill
13. The Man with the Golden Gun
14. Dr. No
15. A View to a Kill
16. Casino Royale
17. Quantum of Solace
18. The World Is Not Enough
19. You Only Live Twice
20. Moonraker
21. Tomorrow Never Dies
22. Never Say Never Again
23. Die Another Day
24. Skyfall
25. Casino Royale (1967)
26. Spectre
It's funny, whenever I plan to watch a Bond movie, I inevitably choose another at the last minute. But I stood by my intention to watch this on Sunday eve, and I'm so glad I did, as it's one of the best views of it I've ever had.
This looks stunning on blu-ray, Young really knew how to frame a shot, and his wide angle scenes are stunning. It probably contains Connerys best performance, so cool and intimidating, love the casino scene with the baiting of Largo, Domino is utterly delicious, and I really love the final underwater battle, really well filmed and one of the best climaxes. Great score and theme, and Binders titles are simple, but effective (you listening Danny Kleinman?)
Really excellent viewing. I have to move it into my top ten!
It was Connery's last great Bond film. Wonderful photography. For my taste it's a little bloated but still top notch Bond. Unfortunately you could see the makers were thinking bigger means better for each film.
I still say GF was Connery's best performance. 😁
Two films with an underwater theme, and two of my favourite Bond films. In my opinion peak Connery and peak Moore. Can't go wrong with that!
Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the first four. It's just a matter of personal preference.
Ironic; my friend watched those exact two at the same time on Saturday! Great ones for sure.
That's funny!
They go well together these two films. I didn't watch them on the same day though, so I might do as your friend did next time around, and watch them both on the same day as a double-feature.
This movie has some things that drag it down, like the ridiculous villain death (who knew Kananga was a balloon the whole time?) or Sherrif Pepper's scenes going on way too long. Matter of fact, though I really like the boat chase, after a while that drags on for far too long too.
I like Jane Seymour as Solitaire, always thought she was the most beautiful girl of Moore's tenure, by a mile. I've loved the crocodile jump since my first viewing, nearly 25 years ago, but it only occurred to me now how silly it is to see all the crocs lined up conveniently for Bond. When he's about to do it, you can see all the fake crocs all in a line, not moving. I don't know, that just cracked me up.
Anyway, it's a fairly good movie. I've been vocal in the past about my relative indifference to the Moore era. Not because of Roger, I love the guy. I only really flat-out like two of his seven - FYEO and TSWLM.
I'll be watching TMWTGG next. A couple of weeks ago I watched DAF, now I watched LALD. Guess I'm revisiting the '70s Bond movies.
I think the crocs were real, but just tied down!
I’m not sure
Well there is an outtake where Kananga, the man who did the stunt, (the real life owner of the croc farm) was caught by one of the crocs by the shoe in one of the attempts,, so yes, real crocs were used!
This should go in the 'Last Movie You Watched' thread instead, but I've really been wanting to carve out time on a weekend where I can (finally) watch the Extended Trilogy all in one sitting. Would be tough but a lot of fun. That's my favorite trilogy of all time, I'd say.
Dammit - sorry. Thought I did put that in there. Feel silly now.
No worries, I've done it so many times before (and still do). You're not alone.
As for me, rewatched QoS last night, it's just as perfect as ever to me. Breezes by and keeps me hooked from the opening seconds to the last. I'm already itching to rewatch it again, might have to cap off this Bondathon with a few of my favorites. Watching SF now (not going that well, despite my previous viewing this year being, surprisingly, the best one I had ever had) and as "wrong" as it feels, I think I'm going to pass on SP this go around. I can only subject myself to so much torture and misery before I feel I should be locked up.
Aside from weak Blofeld, I don't have much problem with the film, unpopular as that may be. The train fight is still brutal, albeit a little too short. Mr. Hinx could have been used better too.
Was watching a Bondathon of Bond movies that are less favourable to me, but will give that a break.
Am leaning towards QOS, or possibly OP!
CASINO ROYALE
Craig's debut is still a stunner. He is utterly brilliant in it, and it has an exceptional cast. Mads Mikkelson is an excellent LeChiffre, and Eva Green is stunningly beautiful and smart as Vesper! Great sequences and set pieces, David Arnold's score, Kleinmans titles (and Cornells pumping theme song) with that 'based on the novel by Ian Fleming'!!
and THAT final scene still gives me goosebumps! Stone cold Bond classic!
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
CRs follow up threw me a bit on first viewing (yes, it was the editing!) But I absolutely love it now. Another great showing. Craig again brilliant, the lovely Olga, Dominic Greene is an under-rated villain. And as you can see, I really like Rene Mathis character (he and Craig's scenes together are among my favourites in the series) Beautifully shot by Roberto Schaefer (more impressive than SF imo!) with thrilling action sequences (the pts car chase is still a thriller) and a fabulous final scene set in Russia. Only slight drawback was the gunbarrel not being at the start!
Wonderful double bill that I may repeat over Christmas (along with my annual viewing of OHMSS!)
As usual completely agree with your assessments. You're right about the Mathis/Bond scenes being some of the best in the series. Missed him in SF and SP as well as Felix Leiter.
OHMSS is also a Christmas watch for me, although i have been itching to watch it sooner after my Moore bondathon.
Yeh, I always tempted to watch OHMSS throughout the year, but I resist as it's a Christmas highlight for me! It's like I'm watching it for the first time every year. Classic in the true sense of the word!
Oh damn straight! Brilliant Bond film.
I've been blasting out the soundtrack in the car for the last couple of weeks!
The main theme does make you want to drive faster though....!
Oops wrong thread. :\">
Well, BECOMING BOND is next.
BECOMING BOND is very entertaining.
Lent to a friend of mine, who is only a casual Bond fan and he loved it!
Goldfinger will always be my all time favourite. It's what the word iconic was invented for. Connery is cooler than cool!
Just love QOS. Moves like an express train and what a performance by Craig. Embodies my kind of Bond: cocksure, cool and ruthless.
IMO far superior to SF. And dont forget Arnold's fabulous score 👍
My girlfriend and I had, throughout the last year, watched CR and SF together. Over the weekend she said she wanted to give Craig's newest a shot. I've found these viewings to be incredibly interesting. Having someone else with me in the audience, for whatever reason, tends to highlight some aspects of the movie that I'd overlook when watching solo, and it also heightens the excitement of other aspects. It is as if, in some ways, since she is watching it for the first time I too am experiencing things again in a "fresh" way. Background: She really, really liked both CR and SF with a slight preference for the former, which I think she genuinely loved.
This viewing of Spectre was even more of a let down than the last. I've never felt as harshly toward it as some on these boards, but it has consistently hovered somewhere in the bottom third of my rankings ever since it was released. Furthermore, and I'll quote her best I can, my girlfriend found the film both "silly in a way that doesn't totally fit with Craig's interpretation of the character -- jarring." She also said it wasn't "particularly well written" and that the overall plot wasn't "very compelling or exciting." She even used the word "boring" to describe it, adding that there were a few exceptions, including the pre-title sequence (which she thought was thrilling and exciting on multiple levels, given that she is of Mexican heritage). As for some positives: she enjoyed the cinematography as well as Craig's performance throughout, noting that he handles the dryer sardonic moments of humor a lot more naturally and deftly than the more overt moments of silliness that she derided earlier.
Her and I are in agreement about most of it. Obviously I have some more thorough ideas simply due to the fact that I'm a huge fan of the series, but she's a savvy cinephile in her own right so her observations are pretty accurate. One thing I noticed more on this viewing than in earlier viewings was the weakness of the writing, particularly in the way it jumps and leaps from plot point to plot point. Moneypenny shows up and throws out that line "I think you've got a secret," for almost no reason whatsoever other than to push the film toward the reveal of M's final message for Bond. There are many equally jarring moments like that in the script. Of course, I hate almost everything about the Blofeld angle, but that has been well documented by me and others on this forum so I won't belabor it.
I agree with her about the cinematography by and large, with an * noting that some of the color palette ("filter") choices hamper what is otherwise a very textural image with some beautiful compositions and uses of lighting. The Monica Belucci scene, for example, is absolutely breathtaking, as she walks out onto the lawn with the curtains blowing in the wind behind her.
As with my last viewings, the film absolutely dies once the lair has been blown up, and it could be argued it dies before that. The torture scene is shot really interestingly, but there isn't much beyond that to like because of the angle the film takes toward Blofeld, toward Madeline and Bond's relationship, and on. Furthermore, the action sequences, while "impressive" frankly are not that exciting. Exceptions are parts of the pre-title sequence and the fight on the train which I think is absolutely brilliant and one of the better fights in the series. I enjoy most of the train stuff, actually, although some of the dialogue/writing is a bit weak (a trend). The car chase is beautiful, but there is no thrill. None. The way it is filmed, the ebb and flow of the action, the intercutting of Moore-esque silliness that cannot and does not work in the context of this Bond, the deadness of the city (which is admittedly very thematically and aesthetically compelling, but doesn't make the action feel like it has stakes). The escape from the lair is also a joke in terms of writing and execution as well. And, of course, everything back in London is dire.
Lastly, there's still a lot I like about the film, namely in the smaller moments and pleasures. The textural image that I mentioned, as if you can reach out and touch it. The curtains blowing in the breeze covering Madeline's face as she lies on the bed. The way Bond pulls out his pistol as they wait in the desert. The suits. The framing. The use of mirrors and veils and other such images throughout. The little things like that I enjoy quite a bit, but overall the film slips further in my estimation. There's something "dead" about it.