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I viewed Timothy Dalton's second (and, unfortunately, his last) Bond film in honor of its 25th Anniversary, which was a week ago.
Long regarded by most as one of the weak points of the series, Licence to Kill has long been my favorite Bond film. I've watched it countless times over the years and have never tired of it, which is not something that I can say about all of the Bond films.
Licence to Kill finds our hero in uncharted territory: without his license to kill or the backing of the British government. Taking its cues from Ian Fleming, and more specifically his Live and Let Die novel, Licence to Kill strips away a lot of the glamor and humor from the previous decade plus of the franchise, delivering an entry that feels much different from anything we'd seen since the Connery films while still retaining what makes a Bond film a Bond film.
Dalton is tremendous as Bond in this film, portraying him as a singular-minded man driven solely by his desire for revenge against Robert Davi's Franz Sanchez. Dalton and Davi are excellent to watch on screen together, forming perhaps the best Bond/Villain pairing in the entire franchise. Davi's villain is every bit as charismatic as Bond and that, along with his emphasis on loyalty, make him a unique villain in the franchise.
The Bond girls in Licence to Kill are fantastic as well. Carey Lowell still stands as one of the most beautiful women to grace the Bond franchise with her presence, and her portrayal of Pam Bouvier is top notch. Out of all the times that the Bond franchise has attempted to give Bond an "equal", I think that Lowell is the only one to successfully pull it off. A lot of people would choose Ursula Andress or Eva Green as their favorite Bond girl, but I'll take Carey Lowell any day of the week. She's fantastic. Talisa Soto is not quite up to the par set by Lowell, but she does a fine job in the film.
The story in Licence to Kill is thankfully simple and compact. There's no real twists or turns, it's just a straightforward revenge tale. It's a thrill to watch Bond investigate the attack on Leiter, track down Sanchez, infiltrate his inner circle, and then systematically force Sanchez to tear down his own organization through paranoia. It's a much more interesting way to construct a film than having Bond simply take down the villain in an endless parade of action scenes. That's not to say that the action in Licence to Kill isn't good, because it is. In fact, I'd put the tanker chase that closes out the film right up there with the very best of the franchise's action sequences.
Licence to Kill may have its flaws (set design and lighting, for example), but the rest of it is so great that it trumps those issues. It's one of the classic Bond films in my opinion, and one that should get more praise than it does.
Wow! That is a bold statement on a James Bond forum. :) Sure it's not more appropriate on the "controversial opinions" thread? ;)
Absolutely agreed.
While it's certainly true that the set design and lighting often leave a bit to be desired, I don't think Licence to Kill lags that far behind the rest of the series that it deserves the neverending "TV-movie" criticism that it always gets.
Casino Royale
- We open up in B&W in Prague. Hello, Dryden. I love the silence throughout the scene as he takes the elevator and short walk to his inevitable assassination. Doesn't even spot Bond as he enters the office.
- "Your file shows no kills...and it takes..."
- "Two."
- BOOM! Here it goes. We cut right into Bond kicking Fisher's ass.
- The entire fight sequence in the bathroom is fantastic. This shows you exactly what you're in for during the rest of the movie: Bond dealing and receiving blows, and lots of brutality.
- Also, if you haven't seen the entire sequence, you should watch the deleted scene where Bond watches Fisher during the game and pursues him through the club. The fight is a little different, as well, and it's awesome watching Bond jump into the room, disarm him, and begin the fight.
- I also love how the kick to Fisher's chest intercuts with the sound of Dryden whipping his pistol up, only to find it empty. We jump back to the fight as Bond is drowning Fisher, and the score gets more and more intense as Bond 'succeeds'...
- ...only for him to relax, cut back to put one right in Dryden's skull, leave, and jump back to the BEAUTIFUL gunbarrel intro he does. So good and creative.
- 'You Know My Name.' I love me some Chris Cornell, and this song never fails to excite me. I love the title song and the themes. Fits well with the introduction of a new Bond, and really showcases the upcoming poker game, complete with card backgrounds and men dying as they turn into clubs, spades, diamonds, etc. The only thing missing is the floating Bond girls, but I can forgive that since we see a small 'blink-and-you'll-miss-it' snippet of the gorgeous Vesper.
- Chilling in Uganda. Soda, pinball machines, and children with guns. Seems like a fun place.
- The little fluttering score that kicks in when the immaculate Le Chiffre is introduced is very well done. Everytime I see it, though, I think of how sad he'll be when he realizes his shoes are now caked in mud. :(
- Here's my question, something I never tend to dwell on: is Le Chiffre merely a 'bank' for freedom fighters and terrorists around the world? Surely, they don't know that he'll be using their money to bet in stocks and make more, but for me, I can only assume he offers his services so they can access their money anytime, anywhere, without having to strut into a well-known international bank or divvy up his money among tens of hundreds of offshore accounts? It's one of those questions I thought I always knew until I really sat and thought about it.
- Now we're in the bright, harsh-colored Madagascar. Who knew a fight between a snake and a mongoose could really draw a crowd?
- Mollaka, you have a little something on your f--oh, that's just your burnt, charred skin. My apologies. Now, enter Carter, the most worthless agent around. I love how he gives up their position, falls, discharges his weapon, scatters the crowd, and that's it. We don't see or hear from him again. I bet the snake and mongoose attacked and killed him, and the crowd rejoined and bet on that fight.
- I won't even comment during this scene. Every shot is intense and beautiful, and it's hard to pause a scene like this. Though I'll say two things that irk me: one, when Bond yells 'Put your hand down!' to Carter, it's horribly delivered. It sounds like one word thrown together, and it's very nasally. Bothers me every time. Two, the other thing that gets to me: at the end of the chase, Bond shoots Mollaka, then the tank, causing the getaway explosion. When it shows where Bond was, the gate is completely blown away and he is nowhere to be found. How did Bond make it out of there without being altered by the explosion? If it managed to reach far enough to blow the entire gate off, and Bond still had to stop to grab the bag, how did he walk away unscathed?
- The exterior shots of the water and landscape around Le Chiffre's yacht are beautiful, until you see the bad green screen as Valenka enters.
- Uh oh, Le Chiffre is showing off two dangerous skills: numbers and eye-bleeding.
- I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this before, but you can see Valenka showering behind Le Chiffre and Kratt when they go down to see the news that Mollaka has been killed. In fact, I'm not sure how the news agencies have reported that he is both British and an MI6 agent...
- Ahh, M ranting yet again. Dench seems to age very well over the series from GE to SF. I'm sure I'm the only one, but I don't particularly care for Villiers. I'm not sure why, but I'm glad he was one and done with this film.
- M is ripping Bond a new one. It's rare that we see her this livid. She now regrets her decision of promoting him. That's cold. Here begins the distrust between the two. I'm honestly not sure how she doesn't trust Bond at this moment. She may not like that he stormed into an embassy, but how does that make him untrustworthy? Is it just to add increased tension or something?
- Ahh, Nassau. A dream location of mine to visit one day. All of the colors really stand out here, and Bond is looking sharp as he steps out of the plane in a nice, light grey suit.
- Thanks to this movie, I now want to drive a Ford and use my phone while driving, so I can be just like Bond...only to check out the ladies and tie my shoe at a nice club.
- Just a few moments after arriving, Bond is already piecing things together and figuring out exactly how to find out where the text came from. He sure is quick on his feet with the distraction.
- As James walks away from the crashed car, he's slightly speed-walking and passes by a woman in blue. He doesn't move out of the way, he just shifts his arm and torso by her and keeps on walking. I think ever since I saw this film, I constantly do this now.
- I love Bond's smirk as he sees security dealing with the crashed car. Here we see him playing the role of Sherlock as he figures out who sent that text.
- "We have an oceanview villa."
- "Perfect."
- I would be so happy if I could do that with anything. Price and locale is irrelevant, here is my card, because trust me, hunny, I can afford it.
- Uh-ohhhh, u can c craigs weiner in his shorts uh ohhhhh. Seriously, though, I wish my body looked like that...
-...as we cut to Dimitrios, who I can only assume has the same body as I do. Woe is me.
- Small bother, but I really don't like that shirt on Craig, the dark blue button-up that he wears to play against Dimitrios. Craig's outfits are hit and miss throughout his Bond tenure.
- This took me years to figure out: Bond says 'Guten abend.' For years, I thought "What in the hell is 'kanamas,' and why is Bond saying it?"
- Solange. Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful...and Dimitrios shoves her away. What a loser.
- Dimitrios bets his car...in the form of a keychain. How does Bond win the car with only the valet ticket and a keychain? Dimitrios leaves immediately after this, unless I'm missing something and the little DB5 model on the keychain is the key or something?
- Bond is too cool during his first encounter with Solange. A few quips, some interesting lines, the impressive "Welcome to my home," all of it is wonderfully done.
- You put me in a movie where I get to make out with a girl like Solange, you needn't even mail me a paycheck for my time. The film would've ended, however, with me being fired from MI6 because I let the bad guy get away to have a sex marathon with Solange. Oops.
- Cut to Miami. I've wore a grey shirt and black jacket combo like the one Craig has on here many times. I have a jacket almost exactly like it. So comfortable and cool looking.
- Another question I had (thankfully I'm doing this as I watch): why is there a baggage check-in for this museum? Is it just for people getting off the plane in Miami who want to visit, but have nowhere to place their luggage or something like that?
- I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I think Dimitrios has the worst luck in his short time during CR. He is inches away as Solange checks out Bond in the sea. He then loses his money and car to Bond, Bond steals his girl, foils the big plot in the end, and before that, he kills him with his own knife...and playfully pats his corpse on the face, just after stealing his phone. Poor guy.
- Mr. Branson cameo, getting frisked by his own people.
- I love how Bond is hot on his heels the entire time. I wish it was that easy getting into an airport like that.
- Man, Daniel Craig's eyes in this movie are SO blue. Like, ridiculously blue.
- Always bothered me seeing Carlos enter the staff area, and when he opens the door, it's all black behind him. Obvious soundstaaaaage...
- And with that, I'll get two other annoyances out of the way: one, would an airport really have an emergency sprinkler override like that? Seems far-fetched to me. And two, why is M yelling at Bond on the phone? I thought he hung up and said he would call her back, but now she's magically on the phone again?
- Look at Bond: he's in the middle of a huge crisis and he has time to stop and help a lovely woman who has slipped. What a gentleman.
- Great job, Miami airport security! Happy to see that you let any Joe off the block come sprinting onto the runway.
- I really love the shot of Bond running up the stairs and making it atop the fuel truck just in time before it passes by him. He then proceeds to just narrowly miss being run over by the oncoming truck. So close.
- Craig can look really cool sprinting, but he can also look really girly sometimes, too. It's a vicious cycle.
- I dig the shot of Bond laying down flat as the collection of clothes and luggage flies past him.
- Carlos almost succeeds, aaaand nope, Bond yanks him back to attach a bomb to his rear.
- Every time I see it, I'm bothered by the shaking shot as Bond turns the truck and his face looks constipated for a moment. And why don't these cops read him his rights?
- Ahh, that smirk. That beautiful smirk he gives as the bomb detonates and Bond realizes he wins. I love it.
- Bond returns to the club, and he is as cold as ever. Completely unphased by the death of Solange, and he is looking sharp in that blue polo. Villiers can't handle it, though. What a baby!
- This entire scene between Bond and M giving insight into what happened and what Bond will have to do is great.
- The Bond and Vesper scene. It's perfection and a great first encounter between the two. Nothing more to be said. I love Bond's "Skewered. One sympathizes." line, as well, along with, of course, the entirety of them sizing one another up and using deductive skills of sorts to figure out one another.
- I wish they wouldn't have deleted the scene that showed Bond and Vesper talking as they switched from the train to the car.
- The banter between the two on the car ride to Hotel Splendid is amazing. Craig's Bond has some of the best lines and genuine chuckles in this scene, and I always like to think that when he tells Vesper she isn't his type because she's 'single' that he momentarily thinks of Solange when he says it. Probably not, but a man can dream.
- Bond goes in and immediately blows the cover created for both him and Vesper. He knows there is no point in keeping up with disguises, so he writes that all off real fast.
- "Take the next one. There isn't enough room for me and your ego." Ouch. Cold, very cold, but it's hard to come back from something like that. Bond isn't phased because he just got...
-...a beautiful new Aston Martin DB9, outfitted with antidotes (how convenient...) and a nice suppressed Walther P99. What a lucky man. Bond is also looking cool as hell walking across the street to the car. There's that iconic Craig walk that I love so much.
- This just dawned on me: Bond is different in so many ways throughout CR, QoS, and SF. I've never noticed it, but he is so smiling, happy, and full of intelligent little quips in CR. In QoS - after the loss of Vesper - he is completely devoid of emotion and is intensely battle-hardened, and in SF, he's recovering from the PTS, adding in a little bit of comedy that sometimes falls flat, but at the same time, he isn't that same, smiling person that he is in CR. Very unique.
- Ahh, Mathis, I love your character. Introduces himself and shows off his skills by getting rid of the Chief of Police already. Poor Michael G. Wilson.
- Bond and Vesper starring in a sitcom: "You wear this...no, I'll wear this!" So adorable, and Vesper is so proud of herself for pissing off 007.
- Gorgeous bit of score as we first see James Bond put on that tuxedo. Looking wonderfully sharp.
- I love when Bond enters the private section of the casino and goes down the stairs, Kratt passes him and eyes him up. See, Bond was right: Le Chiffre definitely knows who he is.
- Okay, question time; I've asked it before, but I think it went unanswered: why does Bond have to beat Le Chiffre in cards? I understand not killing him, because once they get ahold of him, he can give up lots of people, but why does Bond have to win? If they arrest him, surely he'll give everyone up just to receive immunity. Of course, if they don't play, it takes away from the plot and title, but is Bond sent to beat him just so he is more likely to surrender and work with MI6? Even so, just like M says: "Le Chiffre doesn't have $100 million to lose." I would like to think that if Bond wins, he would do exactly what he does: fight him to get the money back.
- And going off of that, even though I'm not at the scene just yet: when Bond wins, Felix heads off to arrest Le Chiffre "with pleasure." What happens with that? He isn't arrested. Felix storms off as if that's what he is going to do right at that second.
- Le Chiffre has to show off that he knows who James really is. I love it.
- "Six letters or more."
- *James smirks, doesn't enter V-E-S-P-E-R, only for it to be that code later on.* I know I'm pointing out continuity errors and mistakes, but these are things that always stand out because I've watched the movie so much.
- Another thing I love about this film, the difference between Bond (who can be seen as a rookie) and Le Chiffre, the number pro: again, I've said it before, but just watch how they handle the chips. Le Chiffre is skillful in flipping his and playing around with them, but he always lays them down in a neat, fashionable order. Bond? Always throwing his on the table or shoving an entire pile into the pot.
- Ahh, there's Vesper, looking beautiful in that dress. Sorry, Brady, but she's stunning! Bond acts like he doesn't even care about the game when she appears momentarily, tossing down the bet since he knows Le Chiffre's tell and knows he will win this hand.
- It's always irked me that Mathis compliments Vesper on her beauty and she doesn't say a word of appreciation.
- "Send the barman over, please." Gah, love this scene. Everyone's so blown away by his order that they can't help but order one, as well.
- Bond is slowly chipping away at Le Chiffre. Folding while Le Chiffre was nervous, ordering the drink, leaving the table for a moment when he realizes Le Chiffre is in a big hurry.
- They did a great job of playing off Mathis as the traitor in the group. He asks about the tell initially, and when they take a break, Mathis leaves, following right behind Le Chiffre. Let's you sit back and question (until QoS) if he was the traitor (until we find out about Vesper's true intentions), and even after that, if he was a traitor alongside her.
- Anyone else jump a little when Le Chiffre enters his room and is attacked by Obanno? No, just me? Alright then.
- I like the elevator scene a lot. Bond enters action mode and Vesper's nervousness heightens.
- Wouldn't it be great if Bond tracked Le Chiffre down, hears noises and knows something is wrong, but comes to find out they were just having wild, crazy sex? That'd be something. Bond plays it off well with making out by the stairwell with Vesper.
- This fight scene on the stairwell is so intense. At one point, Bond dodges the attack and it cuts into .8x speed or something, and the stunt double lands on the stairs on his neck. I can't imagine how much that had to hurt.
- The *shing* noise of the sword as it flies past Vesper is well done, too. The bits of score kicking in as Obanno's legs smash the ground as Bond chokes him out is great, too.
- The silence as Bond tends to his wounds, chugs the glass of whiskey, and stares at himself in the mirror with the shaky cam is amazing. So emotional and vulnerable.
- I think the shower scene between the two is nicely done, as well. First sign of emotion amongst both Bond and Vesper.
- "Here, sweetheart, let me suck the blood of another man off your fingers."
- Another outfit of Craig's I don't care for is the oversized cardigan and grey t-shirt he wears as he checks on Vesper and talks to Mathis about the bodies. Mathis is looking crisp in that brown suit, though.
- Now things are about to turn south for Bond, with him and just about everyone else losing, plus the poisoning. I can't wait for his beautiful comeback in a little while.
- If I was Bond, I would've immediately assumed that either Mathis or Vesper was a traitor due to Le Chiffre's line about his tell. Seems so glaringly obvious to me.
- I do love that they manage to throw in how the game is played here and there, but at the same time, they don't force it down your throat, either. Mathis commenting on the game to Vesper, Bond talking about the game slightly with her on the train, etc. That's what I loved about GE, too: when Bond faces off against Xenia in the casino, you need to know nothing about the game, because the score and her comments says it all. Same with this: a few miscellaneous comments and the score tells you all you need to know.
- Le Chiffre is so cocky and pompous when he wins here. "Oops." His ego is so massive, everyone has to clear the room because of it. ;)
- Bond's bitter that he was wrong and even more upset that Vesper won't help him buy back in. I don't blame him.
- "Vodka martini."
- "Shaken or stirred?"
- *ooooh, here comes that famous line!!!!*
- "Do I look like I give a damn?"
- :O
- Bond pursues Le Chiffre because he believes he is leaving for good. I would've loved to have seen him attack Le Chiffre and his goons with just a steak knife. THAT would've been entertaining.
- "Sorry, should've introduced myself, seeing as we're related. No, really, we're related. I'm your long-lost brother, John. Let's take some family photos."
- A friendship is formed and Bond is back in the game with one hell of a confident attitude. Just take care of this whole 'getting poisoned' sadness and you've got him.
- It's hilarious how Le Chiffre knows Bond catches his actual tell this time and then folds by whipping the cards at the camera. Amazing.
- It's a bit risky poisoning a drink. Movie magic at its finest right here, as Bond gets the poisoned Vesper. You can barely see it, but Felix gets the other one. It would've been interesting if it went to someone at the table that was neither Bond nor Felix, and he realizes that their drink was poisoned and was meant for him, which shows him that the stakes are even higher than initially believed.
- Le Chiffre sits back and watches it unfold, waiting for Bond to die. So brutal. I love the score here, as well.
- Bond is sweating up a storm here. You'd think he was poisoned or sick or something!
- Yet another convenient gadget that manages to come in handy.
- "I'm all ears." Yes, you are.
- RIP, Paul Bhattacharjee.
- How does Vesper come out and know how the entire defibrillator machine works? Weird.
- Bond has technically died. They say Bond can't be killed, but he is briefly dead. Never really let that one sink in.
- *Bond comes to and looks at Vesper* "....you okay?" Rich!
- The finale of the game is afoot, and Bond wins. Beautiful. You can see the defeat in Le Chiffre's eyes. Bond even tips the dealer a cool half a mill. So much money for him, and it's nothing compared to the $100 million+ that Bond just won.
- Bond handles winning so much money with a cool head. I would've been flipping out, jumping on the table, and screaming like a girl.
- I've asked it so many times and I'll never remember or figure out the answer, so if someone reads this and knows, please tell me so I can pound it into my head and not forget it again: what makes Bond find it weird that Mathis texted her, enough for him to run off after her? Perhaps it's him finally realizing that someone told Le Chiffre about his tell, and Bond thought he was the only one who gave him up?
- The dinner scene between Bond and Vesper is beautifully done. Bond reads into her a little bit more, which is nice.
- I LOVE when it cuts to Bond sprinting after the car passes. Such a great shot. I also really like the nighttime shots of him chasing after Vesper.
- When the score cuts and the car starts flipping, I sit in awe. Magnificently done.
- Here comes the nut-whipping scene. Intense. Kratt's knife skills are great, the conversation between Bond and Le Chiffre is excellent - with Bond's taunts making it that much better - and so is the headshot performed by Mr. White. I'm also glad that they removed the scene where Bond is rescued and put on the gurney.
- Lake Como. So, so beautiful. If I could live in one area for the rest of my life, this would be that place.
- I feel so bad for Mathis. Ruins that immaculate outfit with grass stains and electricity. See you in QoS, Rene!
- The whole scene between Bond and Vesper here is a bit cringeworthy to me. I used to love what he says to her, but now, I'm not a fan of it. I understand there was an attraction there before, but they go from leaving on an odd note in the restaurant to being madly in love here? Seems to be quite the emotional time jump.
- The sailing shots of Bond and Vesper are beautiful, as well. I'll just go ahead and say that the scenery and locale from this point on is breathtaking. Bond 'resigns' and he's ready for a long life (and by long life, I mean a few hours) with Vesper.
- I like when Vesper whips the pillow at Bond and he catches it gleefully. Not sure why, it's just one of those small things I enjoy.
- 007's outfit here: amazing. I want that shirt, even if I couldn't pull it off well.
- I know exactly how it ends, but it's so intense when Bond finally realizes that Vesper is the traitor. So, so nerve-wracking.
- Just think of how different the events would've played out if he stopped her instead of following her to Gettler.
- This is another thing that is confusing to me: Bond spots the guy watching the door. He enters the door and looks around, and then the guy pops out...but he was watching the door. Shouldn't he have shot Bond as soon as he entered, or was he hiding to take him by surprise? I surmise it's the latter.
- That quick tracking shot of Bond sprinting past the gunfire is amazing. One of my favorite shots of the movie, preceding my favorite shot: Bond runs up to the front of the building, aims his gun, and quickly turns left. It's very cool.
- Even more quick thinking as he shoots the tank, causing a distraction.
- The shots of the building crumbling down are well done, and the entire fight is brutal and intense: nail guns, electrocution, knees to the head, and bad guys getting crushed by falling elevators. I can't imagine how it felt getting nailed in the face with a 2x4 as hard as Bond could do it.
- How does that nailgun fire out 20 direct shots, and only one hits Bond?
- The score working alongside the blows Bond delivers to Gettler is so so good...
-...as is Bond's angry, cold stare to Vesper, followed up with his awesome looking dive into the water in near silence.
- The underwater sequence is done well, albeit incredibly sad. The goofs before have said that you can see Vesper wearing an underwater mask to help with breathing, but I've never caught onto it.
- Sadly, Bond's efforts are futile, as his love is dead in his arms. You can see the intensity and sadness in his eyes as he realizes she's beyond dead. The pain and sorrow is apparent, and Craig's acting here is wonderful.
- As this happens, though, Mr. White is standing there, immaculate and dry, holding the briefcase with the $120 million. How is that possible? There's no way he got lucky enough to stand in one location and have the briefcase simply float his way.
- There's that cardigan again that I don't like.
- Another part I don't understand: why does looking at the shells make him check the phone? And why does turning on the phone suddenly reveal a message? And who sent the message?
- The final few moments of the film: Mr. White lives to see another day, but not before Bond puts a round through his knee and utters that intensely famous line. Mr. White's echoed shout is great, and the slowness of the Bond theme kicking in as Bond approaches gets me pumped. Time for QoS!
THIS is a Bond movie, exactly how one should be done. Of course, I have questions and a few minor nitpicks, but it's most certainly in my Top 3 Bond films and I don't ever see it leaving that spot. Beautiful work, Mr. Campbell, as always.
I guess that's the explanation, yes. Terrorists and normal banks don't go hand in hand I gather. But I don't think it's supposed to be analyzed too deeply. ;)
I have never realy got it myself... I think the most logic explanation is the one you pointed out; that Le Chiffre would be more willing to cooperate if on the run from terrorists. But why MI6 would risk "directly financing terrorism" as Vesper puts it for that? I dont't know... The plot in the novel was far less complicated...
And here's another question:
Why does the CIA such a terrible job in bringing him in? Even when he leaves the Casino by car in a rush, no one other than Bond is following him! :-O
Well. He got to be in a relationship with Solange for... god knows how long (!), although he was a complete asshole. Lucky bastard I'd say! ;)
Thunderball
The fourth film in the series gives us a return for one (sadly) final time of director Terence Young. An integral part (imo) in the series creation and why it has lasted so long. Though this film keeps on the same over the top path that was established somewhat in Goldfinger. Thunderball is an epic movie. Everything is bigger than the last film. Which is no mean feat.
The PTS is okay, but not the mini movie that we got with Goldfinger. Yes it's got a jet pack, which is still cool to this day. But the whole thing is poorly executed and over the top. It's like the producers were trying too hard.
The film proper is fine though. Some find it boring. This is somewhat true of the slow opening. After the fantastic Spectre meeting room sequence in Paris, where Spectre #2 reveals their evil plot to steal atomic bombs and blackmail the west. And we see yet another snippet of this mysterious organisation. Complete with execution for failure.
The story moves to Shrublands health farm where Bond is recovering, and a Spectre agent is doubling for a NATO air force officer during a training flight. The double kills the flight crew and steals the plane. Along with two atomic warheads. It's bordering on unbelievable, but manages to stay within the boundaries of improbable, not impossible.
But the sequence is slow and does get slightly tiresome. One wonders if it could've been edited down somewhat.
The Bond / M scene is wonderful, with Bond late for a conference with M, dignitaries and every double O agent from Europe. The Connery / Lee scenes are some of the best of the series. Lovely dialogue and Lee was truly excellent as M.
When the film arrives in the Bahamas the pace begins to quicken, though it doesn't rush.
The scenery is exotic and colourful. The villains are villainous and evil. And OO7 has seemingly more and more to take on with each new movie.
Largo is not quite as successful as Auric Goldfinger. He's charming evil. Though not mad megalomaniac evil. Though the films ace in the villain front is Luciana Paluzzi as Spectre assassin Fiona Volpe. Sexy, committed, loyal to her cause and truly bad. The best femme fatale of the series. (At least until 1995.)
The rest of the villains ensemble is rather unmemorable and clichéd.
We get a new Felix Leiter, who is given a little more to do than before. Though who never overshadows Bond.
The locales are really beautiful, whether above or below the waves. The girls are all attractive enough, and the action is turned up to 10. Most of it happening below the surface.
I like the time factor that the story gives us, with Spectre leaving only a few days for the ransom to be paid. Leaving Bond and friends little time to delay on stopping them. Though some of the timeline does seem a little rushed it keeps the pace up. As the film reaches its climax with Bond and the US aquamarines taking to the depths to stop Largo and his men destroy Miami the epicness of Thunderball is fully evident. If Goldfinger was big, Thunderball is bigger.
After Largo has been defeated and Bond and Domino await rescue the skyhook rescue is amazing today as it was in '65. Even Batman used it. So it must be good.
The pace is a little slower than that of the previous film. But the wonderful dialogue, return of Young and sheer quality of the locations make Thunderball a winner.
Notable scenes, the conference room. Bond and Largo at Palmyra. The talk of guns and women and Bond skeet shooting is wonderful to watch. Connery was at the peak of cool in this film. The junkanoo and Fiona attempts to kill Bond culminating in one of the best lines ever. "Do you mind if my friend sits this one out. She's just dead." is never over welcome in this house.
The epic finale with the plane dropping aquamarines with Miami in the background, and the skyhook rescue, Thunderball is an epic film.
It ticks all the right boxes, but at times tries too hard to succeed. I've got more time for this than some fans, and did appreciate the film on Blu-ray. The colours really come out. But the pace and slightly over rushed film making keep it from reaching the top spot.
Benny's Blu-Ray Bondathon ranking:
1. From Russia With Love
2. Goldfinger
3. Thunderball
4. Doctor No
To be honest, there's not much in it between TB and GF. Though I really do like Thunderball. Connery was never better. The locales are exotic. Everything works to a point. But sloppiness in editing, pace and other areas do let it down.
Thank you very much. I'll be doing one for QoS here in a few days, I'm sure.
To try and answer one of your burning questions...
The seashell could be a little trinket either Bond or Vesper gave to the other, or just a memento from their time at the beach together. I think the shell sparks thoughts of Vesper in Bond's mind, and as he begins rummaging through the remains of her things he checks her phone quite naturally, possibly to see if there was any clues to go on.
The message leading Bond to White is one Vesper left for him to find, as a sort of final piece of assistance to help him get what he wants, ie., tracking down the individual who took the money and had her by the puppet strings. At the time she still hadn't caught on that Yusef was using her, but she had still genuinely grown to love Bond and wanted to do everything in her power to protect and help him. Vesper basically told White and his boys that if they rescued Bond from the barge and kept him alive she'd find a way to get his winnings to them, which she does in Venice. She is smart enough to realize that as soon as the men get their money she is just another loose end that needs tying off, so she left that text on her phone to help Bond track down who was behind the scheme in the event of her death. However, how Bond then used that name to find White's location, I haven't the faintest idea.
Hope that helps clear some things up. :)
You Only Live Twice
Now I have to say, YOLT has never really blown me away. Last time I ranked the films, it fell into 14th spot. Yes it's got the volcano lair. Yes it has Little Nellie. And Ninjas, and a Japanese setting. But it's all so poorly used. I did however enjoy this viewing more than I usually do. The colours and Japanese locations were really brought out much better thanks to a great Blu-Ray transfer.
But the film suffers in many areas. Most notably in Connery's performance. It's well known that he didn't enjoy the making of this film and it shows. He's clearly bored with the whole thing. Also the reveal of Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the guise of Donald Pleasance is a poor one. Pleasance is a fine actor. But he's no Blofeld. He poses no menace or threat to anyone. The story is a weak one, and one really does have to question how any of the storylines were approved. The volcano is a fantastic set, and the actual revealing of it still impresses. The Bird 1 rocket is something that takes things to far. Far bigger than anything the Americans or Russians can build at the height of the space race. And able to lift off and land in the exact same spot and be reusable. Spectre should've quit the holding the world to ransom racquet and gone into space technology. With this film the producers have gone past the point of probable and into pretty much impossible territory. Bigger is not always better.
The overuse of rear projection interspersed with real locations is another area that bothered me. Some of the locale work is stunning, and it's a pity that the filmmakers couldn't utilise it a little better.
That said there are many wonderful moments in YOLT, the helicopter magnet carrying the goons car over Tokyo and dumping it. The Kobe docks fight with the wonderful camera shot of Bond on the roof, the Little Nellie scene (which looked fantastic on Blu-Ray), Bond and Kissy trek up the volcano and of course the finale with the ninjas entering the volcano via ropes.
The cast is also rather good. I would've preferred to have Aki as a lone Bond girl, the relationship with Kissy is poorly written and unbelievable. There is no chemistry and Bond simply kisses her and it's all good as far as the writers are concerned. Tiger Tanaka makes a great ally and is well used. And Charles Gray is far better in his brief scene than he would be a few years later.
As I said YOLT is for me a mediocre film in the series. I seem to enjoy it more the older I get. I appreciate it's grand scale. But feel it's just a little too much at times. The Connery Bond films peaked with Thunderball.
Benny's Blu-Ray Bondathon ranking:
1. From Russia With Love
2. Goldfinger
3. Thunderball
4. Doctor No
5. You Only Live Twice
2014 Bondathon
1. From Russia With Love
2. Dr No
3. Goldfinger
I must say i was disappointed this time around,it seemed dated suddenly,and the CGI is very dubious,as is the scale modelling for certain scenes,as in the PTS and the MIG flying into the Serenaya dish.
And the ending with Wade and the marines appearing all around Bond,with the helicopters etc just gets my goat up - not needed.
Brosnan does warm into the role,but this is definately his weakest performance out of the 4 he did.
It's currently at #4 on my list,behind OHMSS and in front of OP,but this may have to be revised eventually.
For me atm GE is number 7. For a long time I considered it the best Bond film. It's still one of my personal favourites and I think the action is much more exciting here than in Brosnan's next few films (the tank chase looks fantastic on Blu Ray). However I take your point about the dodgy model work (sometimes I think that may have been the intention though as Derek Meddings was the man responsible - someone who had worked with Gerry Anderson as well as on previous Bond films).
I think he looks best in TND,personally,he seems to have filled out a bit more in that.
The tank scene for me never really does much,it just seemed a bit OTT,especially in Russia !!
Maybe i was just over-critical about the film,it didnt get to #4 for no reason,on my list !!
The tank chase is OTT but IMO is really well made. You can see that a lot of effort went into making the scene.
In DAD Brosnan was a little complacent i feel,in how he looks etc,almost as if he was now on autopilot,and over-confident about getting another film after this one.
He does seem to be an extra-cocky,smarmy Bond in DAD.
I also love the accompanying music.
Because its a genuinely impressive piece of film-making as well as being a lot of fun - even if it is OTT.
How many car chases had been in the films by that point? Towards the end of the Moore era (mainly AVTAK) they felt dull.
Quantum Of Solace
- This is one of my favorite scenes of the film: the score slowly kicks in and we get this gorgeous shot of the lake. Score is getting a little bit heavier as we see quiet driving, guns being loaded, and more. It gets faster and faster and BOOM, the engines rev and the chase sequence begins. I LOVE it so much. Every single time I watch it by myself on blu-ray, the volume has to be turned up here. It's a requirement. I wish I could've taken a picture of my face when this first happened in theaters six years ago. (I'm in awe of this chase, so I'll be watching it straight through and typing what I remember when it finishes.)
- Honestly, the editing had me confused when I first saw it, but it never bothered me. I even got to the point of wondering how Craig was driving the Aston Martin, and his doppelganger was in the truck he collides with. Confused me. ;)
- The shot of the door getting ripped off as Bond spins around and takes off once again is great, as is the shot of narrowly missing death as it collides with one of the Alfa Romeos. One down, one to go.
- You know, people give this film a lot of flak for the editing, and I've always admitted that it can be a little rough, but honestly, it really isn't too bad in the PTS, now that I can compare it to movies like 'Taken 2' where four camera angle cuts = one punch. Not bad at all.
- The soundtrack here is great. Fits so well with the chase.
- Bond's winces as bullets smack the car are great, as well. And these tracking shots as they drive through the quarry. You can love QoS or you can hate it, but it is one beautiful film.
- Also took me a while to figure out if Bond hits the police jeep when it makes it to the bottom of the hill or not. Just narrowly misses it!
- Playing by a cliff. So dangerous. The score kicks up and gets more hectic, aaaand....Bond cuts back in, unloads, and the music stops, as we hear the engine of the Alfa Romeo flying over the hill. Gorgeous. Now we get more shots of Italy as Bond has made it to his destination. "It's time to get out."
- The title themes: I love them. The lighting and particles of sand and dust throughout are well done and fit nicely with the overall location of the film.
- The song: the lyrics aren't the best, but like YKMN, it never fails to get me rocking and ready for one action-packed Bond flick.
- We cut into this lovely horse race. I love that quite a few annual moments were used in the film, something you can't see that often, such as this horse race and then the Tosca sequence later on. The colors really stand out in the former here.
- Our first proper look at Bond, looking great in his suit. We can already see a different man, still reveling in the thought of having lost Vesper and now hearing more about her. Dare I say...Craig looks the best in this film? He looks young and ready in CR, and in SF he's looking much older and in tighter outfits, but with this, he's perfectly in the middle: great outfits, hairstyle is wonderful, at a proper age.
- "Going to kill the...check the perimeter, ma'am." - Mitchell.
- Bond swallows as Vesper is brought up. You can tell he's slightly nervous about it. That, or he's incredibly cold over the thought, for now.
- M comments on never really knowing anyone, as Bond slyly slides the photo of her in his pocket and takes another swig. I love it.
- "You don't? You don't have to worry about me. I'm not gonna go chasing him, he's not important." *finishes drink* "And neither was she." *slides folder* This might be my favorite line in the film. "Shall we?"
- The intercutting shots of the interrogation and the prepping of the race are nicely done. Shows what chaos Bond and Mitchell will have to inevitably weave through.
- M's coy little smile when she informs Mr. White of knowing who he is is fantastic. So cocky.
- The chase begins. This is quite intense. I might have slight editing complaints with this scene, as it becomes really hard to tell who is who at times and how some of those separate corridors match up with ease.
- Bond opening the door with his shoulder right before it closes is great. So is the poor old Italian lady who is more than livid.
- Okay, some of my other favorite scenes are right here: Bond's gorgeous jump-and-fire onto the roof, just to slide down, freak out about falling, and then he jumps and smashes into the wall. It's so brutal, but it saves his life. Well done.
- "Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, there's a white guy on my roof. Let me pump the brakes to shake him off aaaaaand...there we go. Let's continue."
- 007 lands and aims his PPK so fast. This short moment in the bell tower is nice, and I love the way Bond defends and disarms him before they fall together. It's great how Bond's gun is so far away, and all he is trying to do is keep Mitchell's away from him. The mid-air rope fight is awesome. This whole sequence is very unique to me.
- Bond gets the shot in at the last possible second and beats Mitchell. Wonderful. I like the exchange between M and Bond in Mitchell's place, too. Bond's incredibly sarcastic. However, preceding this, I really don't need huge text logos telling me where we're at. I think the general person can figure out what these locations are by listening, aside from a few places like Mathis' place in Italy where it isn't listed. Either way, do it like SF: make it subtle.
- The whole money scene is a bit far-fetched with the computer, but it's still cool seeing how they piece it together.
- Ahh, Bond vs. Slate. My favorite fight scene in the series. Brutal, fast, sudden, both men take blows and cuts, and Bond wins. His outfit in this scene is amazing, too.
- Hello, Mr. Wilson.
- Bond plays it so cool when he meets Camille, even after she sticks the gun in his face. I wish they had worked it out later...over drinks. ;)
- "Damnit, he killed him!" M knows him too well.
- I love Bond's Sony Ericsson in this. I spent so long after this trying to find one, but they cost way too much.
- Greene's introduction is very...non-threatening, I suppose? For the villain reveal, it isn't done too well. I love the General, though.
- 007's short pursuit on the motorcycle is nicely done.
- My big complaint here would be the bad CGI when he smashes into the side of Medrano's boat...
...however, the action following is awesome as he does a lot of work with the boat and rope.
- I really like when Camille yells "Get down!", and her taking out the guy with the pipe is a lovely shot.
- I'm a huge fan of how the score and background noise quiets down as he takes out the last boat and drives off.
- "Excuse me. Thank you. She's seasick." This is how I want the comedy done.
- Bond steals a hot chick magnet of a Bronco. Atta boy.
- It's a small detail, but when 007 calls Tanner and starts spelling Dominic's last name, he says 'G-R-DOUBLE-...' and as he goes to say 'Double E,' the computer registers it as 'W,' so it spells it and then corrects itself. Really cool, tiny detail.
- M has her own tricks, too, with figuring out that Greene is of extreme interest.
- Another tiny detail: you can see Elvis hold on to his hairpiece as he gets onboard the plane. That's rich. This poor guy has no luck throughout the entire film. As shown here: "How much longer?" Leiter stares and doesn't acknowledge him as a human being.
- I'm not a big fan of Beam. Seems like a childish goofball.
- "I will need you to get rid of him for me."
- "Yeah. That's not gonna be a problem."
- HA! Good luck.
- Greene's best feature, to me: those evil, insect eyes he flashes at Beam and Leiter when he drives out of the airport.
- The light score playing is beautiful here, as both Bond and Greene drive off to Tosca.
- Greene passes by a man and woman, and the first few times I saw it, I only caught quick glimpses, and thought it was both Jack White and Alicia Keys, and thought "Oh, not again..."
- Wouldn't it be great if the man Bond tails just got a special, VIP package, and he went and knocked him out for nothing? Just some poor, innocent chap. Wife is outside, tapping her foot while waiting on him.
- Speaking of the package, I would love to own that 'Quantum' pin. Would be very nice.
- 'The Misfortunes of Elvis, Part 2:' he turns and smiles at Dominic's man and gets no kindness in return.
- The man leading the Tosca has one fantastic voice.
- Another thing I didn't catch the first few times I saw this is - and you pretty much have to have the subtitles on - you can hear Quantum members talking about Corinne.
- How does that guy know Bond is up there??
- Bond scaring everyone off is amazing, but his picture snapping is a bit ridiculous.
- Here it is: the music builds and the execution during Tosca steadies as Bond jumps off the stage and makes his way inside. It builds, it builds, and the bad guys confront the good guy. Weapons are drawn on stage, aaaaaand SILENCE. The men take off and a bloody gunfight ensues. One of my favorite bits of the film, it's so well done.
- The guy Bond collides with in the kitchen gets one round through his gut and that's that.
- "Drop it." Bond's about to kill his stunt double in the film!
- These events happened one minute ago, and they "know" that Bond shot him and threw him off the roof? Not only that, but Bond does nothing to defend himself.
- I love the bit of flirting Bond and the airport employee share when he tells her to divert whoever calls.
- Another outfit of Bond's I absolutely love. I'd say Craig's outfits are the best in this film, followed by SF and then CR. The money I'd pay to have that cardigan he wears to Mathis' place.
- Mathis, how I've missed you. I also love his girlfriend, she's hilarious, pretty, witty and on Bond's side.
- Mathis is blunt and totally right when it comes to Vesper.
- Bond is so sad and broken here. Drinking the flight away as he stares at Vesper and her Algerian loveknot. Poor guy. Don't worry, you'll have your revenge and move on, my good man.
- Fields is beautiful, but I really wish they would've selected any other hairdo...or wig...for her. His witty retorts here are well done after an emotional flight to Bolivia.
- "I think she has handcuffs."
- "I do hope so."
- :D
- Bond is on a mission, but he absolutely refuses to stay in such a dump. Good man.
- There goes Craig-Bond, whipping the room keys.
- Okay, now this bothers me: I think the little sex scene between Bond and Fields (before they leave for the party) is very nicely done, but the buildup is completely lacking. I know women typically fall in love with and/or want Bond immediately, but there's nothing but negativity and tension between the two, and suddenly she's all smiles and wants him? Seems so out of character for how she has already been presented. Is it that she's so impressed that he got them into a really nice place? I don't know. Doesn't feel right to me, though.
- I love the song playing as the fundraiser begins and Bond and Fields arrive. her hair looks much, much better here.
- Carlos. Just execute him now, Bond, and save Mathis.
- Ahh, Camille's "drunken" sabotage of what Greene is trying to do. Well done.
- "Please, my friends call me Dominic."
- "I'm sure they do." Atta boy.
- Bond's little look to Fields for her to help is great. The misfortunes of Elvis are happening again, and even his hairpiece falls off. Poor guys.
- Curious as to how they got Mathis out of the party, beat him up, and hid him in the car with nobody noticing.
- Bond makes quick work of the two dirty cops, and holds a dying Mathis in his arms. So sad and emotional. Still don't get the "Is Mathis your cover name?" bit. Perhaps Carlos didn't know that was his cover name, and realized who he was? I don't know. Bond also doesn't say he forgives Mathis before he dies, which makes me sad, as well. I hate that he gets killed off. Such a great character. Hell, with all the action in the film, they should've had him take off across the city to the hospital as they fight off more crooked cops, getting him there in time.
- "He'll make much more when he sells us out."
- *cuts to him making a call as they fly off*
- Well that didn't take long at all!
- Okay, stupid question time. When Bond and Camille are talking about the attempted murder of M, Bond says "She likes to think so" when she asks "Your mother?" Now, I heard somewhere that this was an easter egg kind of joke for the people who thought Bond said "Mom." whenever he got on the elevator at M's place towards the beginning of CR, but I think Bond just means that because she's so overbearing and always looking after him/looking into what he's doing.
- If I had to pick, I'd say that from the start of the airplane chase sequence to them landing in the sinkhole is my least favorite part. I like how Forster wanted to add in the different elements of the Earth as fights, and he most certainly succeeded, but this is a weak point. The chase sequence isn't the greatest and the falling is too much CGI for me. Also, if they pulled the chute at that moment, their bodies would've gotten destroyed.
- I like the break in action as Bond and Camille learn more about one another - and how they're both driven by revenge - and what Greene is really up to. It's a beautiful moment shared between the two and a slight connection is formed.
- Every time I saw this movie in theaters, I would be blinded by the quick cut from the darkness of the sinkhole to the blinding sun in the desert.
- Here's a nod to TSWLM: both Bond and Greene are dressed up and walking through the desert to their destination together.
- I don't particularly care for the way Fields is killed, but it sure does send a nice message. I guess it's the obvious nod part that I don't like.
- I'm confused as to why Tanner is in the field with M.
- M asks Bond what the female body count is for him now. That. Is. Harsh.
- Bond makes quick work of the men in the elevator. Takes out two of them before the rest even know what's going on. In a matter of seconds he is back talking to M. You can tell she's stunned, yet relieved, in a sense.
- I like Bond's casual transition from the vault to the cool walk down the stairs.
- "Get in."
- "Are you gonna try and shoot me?"
- "I said get in."
- :D
- I love the casual tune playing in the background before the men storm into the bar. There's some tension between the two, but it's cool that Leiter gives him the hook. I really hope he returns for B24.
- Bond makes quick work of the lone guy, jumps the balcony, and he's gone. Fighting is in the air and Leiter downs his drink and bails, though I don't get what "Just what we agreed." means when Beam asks him what he told him.
- A quick shot of a lizard out in the desert. Mendes, if you're going to put animals in a Bond film, this is how you do it. None of that CGI junk anymore, please.
- Oh look, Robb Stark's wife from 'Game of Thrones'!
- I don't like Bond's outfit here at all, and I wish they would've kept his outfit with the polo from the one still where he is running down the bridge in the finale. I wonder what they filmed there and why it was cut/his outfit was changed.
- The meeting begins and they're headed in. Let's go to work.
- Greene is very blunt here about what he wants, and it's nice how we have overlapping shots of Camille infiltrating the hotel.
- I really dig the shot of Bond falling off the roof onto the hood of the car to execute Carlos. Makes quick work of all these guys and takes out the tool who couldn't afford Elvis a simple smile.
- And, the final misfortune of Elvis: Greene keeps him behind to die in an explosion, having his pants blown off. The shot of Greene running as the glass and chairs fly around him is great.
- Greene's frantic, animalistic screaming and swinging actually makes him a match for Bond, who can only disarm him.
- The stickied-camera shot of the walkway falling as Bond holds on is great, as is him stepping up to kick Greene and get thrown back by the explosion. I can't imagine how much stabbing an axe in my foot must hurt.
- I think it would've been a better finale for Greene if he gave Bond a key bit of information, and Bond merely dropped him into the fire below.
- 007 doesn't let Camille suffer alone, and comes to her aid like a gentleman as she cowers at the sight of what she feared when she was young. It looks like Bond even momentarily comes to terms with dying, kissing her forehead and letting her have the final shot. But, life isn't that cruel, and they make it out with luck.
- The entire set design for the hotel (and the ensuing explosions/fire) is very nicely done.
- As to what I said earlier, perhaps Greene gets it worse than simply being dropped into flames: he's left in the scorching hot desert with motor oil and the inevitability of being tracked down and executed.
- I love the final moment between Bond and Camille. They both get revenge on people who killed someone that was close to them, and this emotional moment between them is beautiful. That passionate, fierce kiss (to me) says that they want each other, but in another time, another place. They respect each other and have a connection, but revenge came first, and now it's time to go. One of my favorite Bond girls, I'd say. I'll be one of the few to say that it'd be nice to see her return one day.
- The lighting effect as Bond sits in Yusef's place and slightly raises the PPK, cocking it is gorgeous.
- The moment Bond has been waiting for: meeting the man he has wanted to kill, face-to-face. He's better than execution, and lets him live. Surprise surprise.
- Look at how nervous Yusef is here. I love it.
- *looks at Corinne* "Do it now, please." *moves gaze to Yusef* "This man and I have some unfinished business." I also love her subtle "Thank you." as she leaves. Such a good scene to conclude the film with.
- I love Bond's peacoat here and I want it. Now.
- Finally concluding it with the shot of the snow hitting Vesper's necklace is great.
Oh, how I love this film. Not as perfect as CR, but it's right behind it, with SF in a far third place. I might watch it tonight or tomorrow and do the same thing. Great, underrated movie, this one.
So, I'm done with FYEO. The only thing that is truly entertaining in this one is Sir Rog. I find both Kristatos and Melina very daft and boring. I hate the plot, and Tanner as Bond's superior is just stupid. I love the score though, and the title song.
Bond-A-Thon Ranking summer 2014
.1. Moonraker
.2. Thunderball
.3. From Russia With Love
.4. Live And Let Die
.5. The Spy Who Loved Me
.6. On Her Majesty´s Secret Service
.7. Goldfinger
.8. You Only Live Twice
.9. Dr. No
.10. For Your Eyes Only
.11. The Man With The Golden Gun
.12. Diamonds Are Forever
In...a good way, I suppose? :D....?