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Comments
As for FRWL, I can't complain one bit! It was absolutely outstanding, and near perfection! It has moved up into my Top 5 for sure.
Up until now, my opinions on GF were extremely negative. However, as of this most recent watch, I can say that they are improving a bit. But not too much! I still wouldn't put it as Top Ten material, no sir! It's simply too lackluster for me. I absolutely hate the character of Miss Galore, and there are some very dull moments, like when Oddjob gets the car crushed, Bond and Miss Galore's barn tussel, Bond tracking Tilly through Switzerland, and the Flying Circus spraying the Delta 9 nerve gas. Also, the ending was incredibly rushed after the Fort Knox battle. However, it does have a lot of class, and the pace of the movie and its elements are very good.
All in all, I'd say maybe a #13 or #14 in my rankings.
I'm not sure how I'm going to get away with this so I'll just say it...I actually liked it a little bit more this time (ducks). Don't get me wrong, its still a pretty poor Bond film with one of the laziest names for a Bond villain (Mr Kil) but there were a few scenes I enjoyed amongst all the excess/cheesiness. I don't really know why but I liked Toby Stephen's OTT baddie (except when he puts on THAT suit at the end) and the film probably had more colour than the rest of the Brosnan era.
Brosnan was decent, despite looking a little heavier. The scene in the hotel room is probably one of the "Bondiest" moments during his stint in the role. His character seems líke even more of a self-assured git this time - a good thing ("care to show me more").
Rosamund Pike was better than Halle Berry by miles. The sfx were still rubbish though.
I suppose my standards on the film were pretty low so they can only go up (slightly).
4.5/10
altough i have to admit every time i watch it my oppinion about it is better
If Brosnan did have a 5th movie, the villain would have been named 'Dr. Meen' >:-)
I have mixed feelings about this entry. The best things about it also serve to ultimately let it down. Let me try to explain...
While the set designs are awesome, and the exotic location of Japan was unique and held much mystery at the time it was made, I feel that to much of the film time is devoted to these things at the expense of good dialoge. I am certainly not knocking the great Ken Adams, the sets are a marvel to look at, but I get a little bored rewatching this film.
It`s been said around here that Connery comes across as bored himself, but I would argue that it is the film itself that is a tad boring to watch. Connery comes across as ice cool as usual, and the music is very unique, with one of the best title songs!
Some films have more of a rewatchbility factor than others I suppose.
One more thing, the last 15 minutes or so is taken up with almost constant machine gun fire. This is certainly not a criticism from me, but I notice TND gets stick for the same thing, but YOLT doesn`t. Anyway, YOLT is larger than lifr Bond, and the series ultimately benefits from time to time having episodes such as this. I suppose Connery became wary of the role straying to far from its roots?
Still enjoyed it though. ;-)
Easily one of the best Bond movies. Exciting, dramatic and yet doesn't forget to be a little humorous aswell. However it probably isn't hard to guess the weak link of the film ;) Before people accuse me of going off on an anti-Laz rant I think he did a decent job and had some very memorable scenes (especially the end), however all the other actors in OHMSS are more dominating and eye-catching for the most part IMO. Laz doesn't really get the chance to shine until the final scene - but when he does, he performs very well.
Barry's romantic score really does add a heart to the film. Everytime it came on a little lump formed in the back of my throat and I dare say the music helped Laz A LOT. Rigg and co were teriffic and thoroughly convincing in their parts. This alone made up for Laz's occasionally stiff performance.
9/10
;-)
(sigh), I'm not getting into yet another argument over this. Brosnan was EASILY more fun to watch than Laz - and I've JUST WATCHED OHMSS.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489664/
Haven't seen The Greatest or Remember Me so hard to tell.
Brosnan is the Bond people love to hate. But for me, he did a grand job.
B-)
Brozza fans shouldn't automatically hate Laz and Laz fans shouldn't automatically hate Broz - despite the well known feud the 2 actors have in real life.
Personally I find Broz more entertaining to watch overall. He's just a slightly more polished, confident, compelling actor to me. Also the fact that Laz, the lead in the film, is dubbed does undermine his performance a bit - even if it is for only half an hour.
Personally I find Broz more entertaining to watch overall. He's just a slightly more polished, confident, compelling actor to me. Also the fact that Laz, the lead in the film, is dubbed does undermine his performance a bit - even if it is for only half an hour.
Agreed. Brosnan really brought all his talent into 007 right off the bat! He nailed GoldenEye in probably his best performance as 007. As for Lazenby, he seemed very weak and unsure of himself. Now yes, he was dealing with a lot of pressure, what with coming after Sean Connery and all. But still, he wasn't exactly ready for the role, nor was he even confident in his own potential, which only the very last scene was able to pull off for him.
Watching LTK now anyway.
I've always enjoyed LTK and found it one of the more exciting entries of the series. HOWEVER after watching LTK so soon after OHMSS it's clear which one is the more fun, the more indulgent, the more imaginative, the more "English" and ultimately the one that REALLY mirrors Fleming - Service.
Kill is exciting but lacks the polish, British wit and sense of escapism that was always part of Fleming's books. Dalton is great (a better actor than Lazenby), Davi is great but upon viewing the film again it's easy to see where a large influence for the film came from - 80s American crime thrillers (slow-mo shot, early scene with cigar chomping FBI agent Ed Kelifer, American police cars guarding crime scene while hero slips in unnoticed and a bar fight that could have come straight out of a Lethal Weapon film).
There are also occasional bits of dialogue that feel out of place for a Bond film (“I don’t like it, you can finger me”, "SEE YOU IN HELL", “chainsaw my ass”, “look I just saved your life back there, if it wasn’t for me your ass would’ve been nailed to the wall”).
I do still really enjoy Kill but it's slipped out of my top 10 unfortunately. It's probably a lot more effective as a stand-alone action film than a Bond film.
Note: a big continuity error occurs (even bigger than GE’s switch in locations). When Bond and Pam are in the speed boat it’s clearly pitch black however it suddenly becomes dawn the moment they run out of gas a second later.
7/10
================
Octopussy review:
This is one of the all-time high great Bond movies and one of the Rog's best which is saying a lot, as all of the Rog films are classics.
ROGER MOORE is JAMES BOND. Sean who? Watch enough Rog films in a row and you will know this to be true.
The car chases are great especially the one through Germany as Bond races to expose the bomb . Nice job by Bond stealing the car from the obnoxious woman that wasn't even curious as to why Bond might need the phone right away. If not a nuclear bomb emergency, maybe he had a medical emergency, or had to tell the babysitter he'd be late. Babysitters need to know what's going on. Most have very active social lives.
Good for Bond stealing her car.
Prior to that scene, I enjoyed Bond's ride with the German couple who were plying him with what looked like really delicious food. I know Bond was in a hurry and had things on his mind, but how does he turn down that big juicy German weiner schnitzel ( no Wint/Kidd inunendo intended btw). It looked delicious and I don't think Bond had eaten anything for a while.
Nice touch during the Delhi street chase that the wad of cash landed in the beggar's pan. Hope he got out of there before someone grabbed the money.
The look on Vijay's face is still priceless as Bond casually divvies up his backgammon winnings.
Glen does more of his excellent bird work in this film. In fact OP is the most animal-centric of all the Bond films.
Practically all of Noah's Ark is reprsesented at various points in the film. From Bond's jungle adventures, to the circus animals, OP's croc moat, stray dogs, Glen's pigeon bursts.
We also learn a new Bond seduction technique, which you young guys might want to file for future reference.
Night one, OP sends Bond to his room. Next day, undiscouraged, Bond works his magic. He uses the get- woman-righeously-worked-up-over-something-near-and-dear-to-her-heart technique, (in this case OP's less than legal profession). With woman in emotionally charged state, move in for full lip-lock smooch. Pull her head around if necessary- firmly but gently. Then explain you are "two of a kind," whatever that means. Woman sighs and becomes putty. In like Bond.
Moving on, I hope Kamal Khan choked on his sheep's eye main course. Disgusting. Remind never to accept dinner invite from slimey Afghan Prince.
Just wondering about the pts. I realize the acro-star was Plan B, if bomb was discovered and Bond was caputured. But if the acro-star hadn't attracted enemy rockets, what was Bond's plan of attack on the hangar base, I wonder. Anyway, doesn't matter. He turned the enemy's weapons against them.
Very un-Bond like , I thought for Bond to dismiss his Indian hotel hostesses' very cordial "anything at all" overture, wtih a maybe-later brush-off response.
What happened to the Bond-in-Rio we knew, who was pulling on Manuela's instant dis-robe string, within 30 seconds of settling into that hotel room.
Maybe the girl has to make Bond a drink or he loses interest - "until later", that is.
For that matter, Rog did turn down Valerie Leon's hotel receptionist stalking of him in TSWLM too. (Sean though, more than made up the Rog snub to Val, a few films later in NSNA)
Even the Rog has to pace himself. (the pit-stop with Sheik Hossein's desert harem would have exhausted most mere mortal men for weeks)
Now that I've seen his film about 50 times (or whatever-lost count years ago) I think I am finally beginning to be able to follow all the comings and goings of the train and the train cars, and which car the bomb is in, and whose on what train, at any given time. Its starting to fall into place.
All in all an excellent Bond film. 10 out of 10 stars of course.
One final note: I notice Babs gets her first on-screen credit here. No not as one of the Octopussy girls, but as "Executive Assistant" (coffee fetcher). But twelve years and 4 films later, she and Mikey take charge of everything
===A View To A Kill review
Another brilliant Rog effort.
Still can't pick out Maud Adams who is supposedly the woman in the Fisherman's Wharf crowd. I've looked and looked and I can't see her.
I did very much see both Mary Stavin and Carole Ashby who have been promoted from their largely decorative roles in OP as OP girls, to much meatier challenges in AVTAK.
Stavin is Kimberley Jones, the ice-flow pilot whom Rog must spend 5 lesiurely days traveling to Alaska with . He was understandably pretty tuckered when he arrived back at HQ for his customary tete a tete with MP.
Carole Ashby is gorgeous as the Effeil Tower restaurant, Whistling girl. Uber gorgeus even.
I really enjoyed the antics of Stacey's cat. ( we don't know it's name but the name on its bowl is Pussy, named after Galore no doubt. Blofeld's pussies didn't have names either. There is a pattern here in the Bond films with nameless pussy)
Stacey had to lug the cat about a couple of times. Nice work by Tanya Roberts there, but she comes with experience having worked with much bigger cats in her previous film, Sheena Queen of the Jungle.
The experience no doubt helped qualify her for the cat handling in AVTAK.
Has anyone else noticed that when Bond is captured by Zorin as he tries to hitch a ride with what he thinks is Tibbet driving by in the Rolls, that Mayday in the front seat seems to think its necessary to be training a gun on the very dead Tibbett in the back seat? Unless its just an odd camera angle and she's actually training the gun on Bond, but it sure looks like she's pointing it at Tibbett.
Jenny Flex and Pan Ho do a lot of marching and waving about with their guns but never actually fire them or even point them at anyone. They are not the fiercest pair of henchwomen.
They do help Zorin and Mayday stage the fire at the San Fran City Hall though.
Some nice direction by Glen with lead actress Roberts. As Bond and Stacey hide with the explosives during the mine approach, Stacey worries about what she might be sitting on. Glen deftly zooms in on her perfectly formed posterior, squeezed up against the explosives, and holds the shot for just the right number of beats, so that we are indeed quite clear as to what her cheeks are indeed resting on. Nice work.
Later Glen very smoothly catches a full fleshy left thigh shot as Mayday, straining to reach, tears off Stacey's coveralls. Glen holds the shot just long enough so that we know Stacey no longer has full coverall protection.
What do FRWL, DAF and AVTAK all have in common? Answer at end of review.
Zorin must have two airships as there is no way he could have staged that big board meeting on the ship that Zorin and company use to escape the mine.
Nice job by Dolph Lundgren as one of Gogol's KGB agents at the horsetrack.
Roberts as Sutton is one of the all-time great "James, James" screamer girls and one of the shapeliest of all the Bond girls. No wonder Glen took such care filming her.
Stacey ranks with Jill and Britt in my top 3 all-time Bond girls.
Roberts flouncing about in her naughty nighty, rivals St John's lingerie work in DAF and Virginia Hey's brief but impressive underwear work in TLD.
Not a good film for Bond allies though as both Tibbet and Chuck Lee (this name has got to be a Chuck Norris/ Bruce Lee hybrid) are offed by Mayday. Moral here is always check the backseat before getting into your car. It might save your life.
Rog outdoes himself in his final fling as Bond. He's got 4 confirmed female conquests. Stavin, Grace Jones, Fiona Fullerton and Roberts. That ties Sean's YOLT and NSNA record. The two most famous Bonds maintain the record to this day.
The other fellers just can't keep the British End Up with the same enthusiasm. In fact Craig's barely threatening the action Q got in some films.
Rog is also as smooth as ever. Check out St John Smythe at the horse talk party. He brazenly propositions both Stacey and Mayday and all in the same exchange and gets away with it. Neither can hide their interest. There's no playing coy with Rog Bond. The man is a giant.
Babs doesn't get an actual film credit this time but Imdb says she was an assistant director, so she's learning the ropes. According to imdb her first involvement with a Bond film was actually MR as an assistant of some sort.
To wrap up, fantastic performances by Rog, Stacey's cat and Tanya Roberts herself.
Goodbye to Lois Maxwell. Fittingly in her last scene we see her sobbing because she thinks Bond is dead.
She's right in a way as this was the end of the line for both Rog Bond and for herself.
AVTAK is one of the all-time great Bond films and Rog-Bond films. 10 stars out of 10 of course.
Trivia question answer: Bond encounter rats in all three films, but its only in DAF that he actually talks to one of them.