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When I first saw QOS I thought it was a "middle of the pack" Bond film. Now I can't help but see it as one of the lesser films in the series. The editing and shaky camera work make my eyes hurt and makes the action scenes nearly impossible to follow (the Slate fight being an exception. FANTASTIC fight sequence). The politics frustrate me, the villains are weak, the plot is arguably weaker, and Bond spends the entire film covered in dirt wandering around the desert. Talk about desolate, downtrodden, and depressing. Every character is just in a bad mood aside from Mathis and Strawberry Fields (the two BEST aspects of the movie and they're killed off!)
Positives? Craig gives a good performance although I think it's a step back from his turn in CASINO ROYALE. Regardless, he's one of the reasons I still enjoy the film overall. Camille is a decent Bond girl when she's not snarling about. As I mentioned earlier the Slate fight scene is thrilling, frenetic, and awesome. Aside from that (and parts of the PTS car chase) the action is very hard to follow. The Tosca scene is incredible. "Classic" Bond. David Arnold composes his best score yet (I want him back now!). The cinematography is excellent during non-action scenes and Craig's two jokes:
"I don't think he smoked," and "So shoot me I'd rather stay in a morgue" are pretty great.
After QOS came LALD. Boy, what a film. Moore is great (much like Connery) right from the get go. Coming off of the bleak QOS the color and vivaciousness of the film just grabbed me immediately. It's a ton of fun and Hamilton injects his usual mix of bizarre elements with Fleming Bond. For the most part I love the settings. I love the exoticism and the supernatural element that hangs over the movie. Definitely one of the more bizarre Bond films and I cite that as a positive. Moore is great. His performance is excellent. I also like J.W. Pepper as an ally, Quarrel Jr. and perhaps the best ensemble of villains in the entire series (bested only by GE, maybe). Awesome awesome movie. George Martin's score really stood out this time as well. One of the best non-Barry scores (and even better than one or two of the master's I'd reckon).
Updated Rankings:
1. LIVE AND LET DIE
2. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
3. LICENCE TO KILL
4. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
5. DIE ANOTHER DAY
6. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
7. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
8. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
9. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
It's a film I can watch any time, any place.
B-)
It floats at between 4-6 for me depending on my mood...
For a movie that used to be one of my least favorites in the series (I always liked it, just like a massive Bond fan should, but I would have ranked it around 20-21) I've enjoyed FOR YOUR EYES ONLY much more with recent viewings.
I never liked the PTS until this viewing. I hated the treatment of Blofeld (even if it was a stab at McClory). Now, I can get over it because of how insanely awesome that helicopter stunt is. Wow. Pretty killer stuff.
The cast of characters is mixed. On one hand, all of the "good guys" are pretty great. Roger Moore gives a great performance (I've always liked his world weary veteran agent style of his final 3 films), Melina is a great example of an ass-kicking Bond girl and never falls into whiny territory (ahem, Pam), and Milos Columbo might just be my favorite ally in the entire series. He and Bond have great camaraderie together. Every scene he's in is full of pistachio munching fun.
On the other hand, the villains range from bland to bland-er. Kristatos is probably my least favorite villain in the series. Sure, Dominic Green and Gustav Graves suck. They really do. But at least they make an impression. At least they have a presence. Kristatos is just there. He's so bland, vanilla, boring (whatever word you want to use). It's unfortunate as the film's locations are so colorful and wonderful set against his dullness. His henchmen aren't much better. Kriegler is another Red Grant wannabe (in my opinion Necros is the only villain in that vein who is any good). Locque isn't bad actually but he isn't particularly good either. I at least get this seedy evil sinister vibe from him, which is nice.
I dig Bill Conti's score. It's different. It pushes the action along. It's also worth mentioning the film boasts some of the better action sequences in the entire series. Pretty great stuff.
My only other real complaint is the underwater set piece. It's slow. Real slow. And it never stops. It's one of those that has like 3 different endings. It really kills the movie's momentum.
Updated Rankings:
1. LIVE AND LET DIE
2. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
3. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
4. LICENCE TO KILL
5. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
6. DIE ANOTHER DAY
7. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
8. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
9. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
10. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
Shame to see QOS beat out GE. Childhood favorite of mine. But we can't agree on everything. Nice review mate.
Some of the puns are pretty corny:
"do you know how to disarm the weapon?
"I suppose that depends on what weapon you're talking about disarming"
but there is a sort of cuteness to it at times I think - unlike in the later films.
I've got a soft spot for GE as I was one of the youngsters who grew up with it. But I can see the flaws more now than I could before.
That's exactly how I feel about FYEO ! I did'nt use to like it at all, until I saw it in the cinema last month. Now I love it! I'm pretty sure it's in my top 5 at this point. At the event I visited I talked to John Glen about the movie and that made me love it even more!
I don't know what is happening to my Bond tastes, but this is yet another Moore:Bond that I throughly enjoyed. It wasn't that I didn't like this one, no, I was ambivalent towards Bond#17.
Octopussy features some of Barry's best Bond work. Skip to 11:15...
... I didn't once get tired of hearing that, the numerous times it was used throughout the film.
On the down side, well, there is surprisingly little that I hated. The big offenders were the Tarzan yell and Bond going ape in the Train carriage.
1. From Russia With Love
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. The Spy Who Loved Me
***5. Octopussy***
6. Dr No
7. Thunderball
8. You Only Live Twice
9. Live And Let Die
10. Goldfinger
11. The Man With The Golden Gun
12. Moonraker
13. Diamonds Are Forever
OP is simply aswome. Kristina Wayborn is "very sexyful".
Aki is one of the more likeable and coolest Bond girls in the series. She's beautiful and extremely capable, saving Bond not once but twice. I also found Kissy more tolerable this time around. She's not great, but she's not bad at all either. Pleasance's Blofeld I have always had a soft spot for. I love ole Donald and I think what he lacks in stature he makes up for chilling persona and presence on screen.
I could do without Bond going Japanese and I wish Connery was a BIT more like his Bond of just two years prior but there's so much to love about YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE that I can't complain too much. Gorgeous film. Old school grand escapism done right.
Updated Rankings:
1. LIVE AND LET DIE
2. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
3. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
4. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
5. LICENCE TO KILL
6. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
7. DIE ANOTHER DAY
8. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
9. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
10. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
111. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
In the past, I would have disagreed. But now, I am all for the Octopussy love.
As for YOLT, is was the first Bond I ever watched, and while I will always have a special place in my heart for that very reason, it has slipped down a few spots this time. And I suspect that it will slip down a few more places before this Bond season is finished.
High five for OCTOPUSSY!! As for YOLT I do think Connery's performance occasionally tries sucking the air out of the film momentum wise. Luckily EVERYONE else involved is working at the height of their powers. No where near the top of my list but still classic Bond as far as I'm concerend.
James Bond action extravaganza. Spottiswoode and David Arnold take the elements of the Bond formula and dial everything up to 11. It's loud, full of explosions, and relentless. Sure, the constant action is probably there to mask other flaws but I don't mind. That motorcycle chase is a stone cold classic.
Brosnan is perhaps at his best here. He's filled out a bit since GOLDENEYE, giving him less of a smug frat boy look, and he's also more confident in the role.
It's not a perfect film by any means. It ends abrupt after the climax and the shoot-em-up finale gets a bit tiresome. Much of it is great though. Wai Lin kicking ass and a lot of the "close quarters" action in the hallways on Carver's stealth boat is great stuff. Really really hate Stamper but I really really like Carver. Pryce goes along with the rest of the film and plays him up to 11 as well. World War 3 for TV broadcasting rights? Insanity! Delicious.
Dr. Kaufman is another highlight. That scene is great. I'm indifferent towards Paris. I don't love her, don't hate her. Bond's new family-looking BMW really sucks but fortunately the car chase through the parking garage is great and Arnold's score makes the action even better. Speaking of which, I love that Arnold used the Bond score liberally throughout. He didn't overdose on it, but he uses it when it's necessary. Super cool. I wish the Craig era had more Bond theme.
So yeah, flawed but a really solid Bond movie. Doesn't try to reinvent the wheel and instead just stands as a great Bond adventure.
DR. NO
That first casino scene with Sylvia Trench is enough to put this movie in the top half. The rest? Sean Connery + more Sean Connery + Terence Young + Joseph Wiseman + Ursula Andress + Ken Adam.... You get the point. Stone cold classic.
Updated Rankings:
Note: I'm getting to the point where a lot of these are really neck and neck so, once this Bond-A-Thon is completed, I'll insert some tiers.
1. DR. NO
2. LIVE AND LET DIE
3. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
4. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
5. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
6. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
7. LICENCE TO KILL
8. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
9. DIE ANOTHER DAY
10. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
11. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
12. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
13. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
1. On her majesty's secret service (1969)
2. From russia with love (1963)
3. Goldfinger (1964)
4. Thunderball (1965)
5. Dr No (1962)
6. You only live twice (1967)
As for Connery himself, From Russia With Love was his peak, from Goldfinger on, he lacked that edge which was present in his first two Bonds.
Naturally, which is why I didn't use the word 'fact'. The same as in in your review for The Living Daylights, where you used words, such as 'bore' and 'bored', referring to John Terry as 'horrible' and Kara as 'adequate, but hardly memorable in anyway'.