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And back then I remember word of mouth being very good for it- the notable thing being the largest indoor water set ever made... but much as we enjoyed it a certain little space adventure that opened a couple of months earlier was what really had our unending attention that year.
I don't loath Goldfinger. It was better this time around. I see why it's loved, but aside from some Iconic scenes the rest is just kinda slow to me. But then again, I'm from a different era. GoldenEye is my Goldfinger.
As for YOLT, I used to love it, but in my most recent viewing of it, It was just boring to me. Hard to sit through it without getting sleepy. It just felt like EON was running out of steam early on and didn't know what direction to go.
Something about Hamilton's work bothers me. Apparent in all his films. I've finished his era now in my current Bondathon and not overly impressed with any of them. DAF was the most enjoyable in a so bad it's good way. GF has its iconic scenes but the rest of it is not that interesting. Something about the way they are filmed, not engaging for me, which makes me nitpick the details in my boredom.
TMWTGG starts off with some intrigue, and that follows through right until Hai Fat appears, then the movie starts to fall apart. Why does the side whistle get so much hate when JW Pepper's ass is the more offensive aspect of the scene? The whistle is actually appropriate to the movie. Why should Barry take the movie seriously when no-one else is?
Moore feels more involved here and has some great interactions with the characters. Scaramanga is a great villain and is one of the best in the franchise. The music is great as usual, and the script is more fluid than LALD. All in all, TMWTGG is quite a fun flick, still in the lower tiers but better than I thought
1. OHMSS
2. FRWL
3. DN
4. DAF
5. GF
6. YOLT
7. TMWTGG
8. TB
9. LALD
I'll try to resume my Bondathon with YOLT today, but after this marathon I'll think of another order to watch the franchise. Or I'll just pop in the blu ray player whichever outing I feel like watching.
Or if you have ranked them, start with your least favourite and work your way upwards towards no. 1. Gradual improvement all the way.
Definitely mix it up in some way (doesn't really matter how) next time. It will help to keep things fresh and gives you a different perspective of some of the films. It's a must for Bond junkies!
But every now and then to mix it up is interesting too, next time I'll do it by random.
With my random app I can put in all 24 names and then pull one out the hat so to speak whenever I feel like it.
Or one can do this, from the Rate The Various Categories Theard* ;-) -
Overall Bondian Scores
1. From Russia With Love - 92.0083%
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - 88.50%
3. Casino Royale - 87.85%
4. The Spy Who Loved Me - 80.83%
5. GoldenEye - 78.94%
6. Dr No- 78.7%
7. The Living Daylights - 78.61%
8. For Your Eyes Only - 77.68%
9. Thunderball - 77.47%
10. Goldfinger - 77.23%
11. Licence To Kill - 77.04%
12. Octopussy - 76.61%
13. Skyfall - 75.4%
14. Live and Let Die - 74.52%
15. A View To A Kill - 72.22%
16. You Only Live Twice - 70.27%
17. Tomorrow Never Dies - 70.20%
18. Moonraker - 67.4%
19. The World Is Not Enough - 63.85%
20. The Man With The Golden Gun - 61.33%
21. Quantum of Solace - 59.40%
22. Diamonds Are Forever - 56.05%
(23). Never Say Never Again – 53.08%
(24). Casino Royale 1954 - 52.24%
25. Die Another Day - 39.92%
(26). Casino Royale '67 - 34.5%
*Shameless plug. Coming soon....
Connery is good, but nowhere to the level of the first 4 films. I also noted that YOLT is probably the most straight-forward plot in the whole series. It's as if Bond is just a spectator, and is there to explain details the other characters can't.
In conclusion: YOLT may very well be my new least favorite outing once this marathon is over.
That's a very good idea too!
I'm always up for doing that. I remember watching it back-to-back one night, with one regular viewing and one with the commentary on.
Actually I watched Goldeneye twice in my current Bondathon. For me it is the epitome of a Bond movie.
I was again that excited about it that I had to re-watch it again after DAD.
Soon I'll start the Craig-era Bonds.
"I want him dead he killed my sister"
"well you're a lousy actress"
Goldeneye
Utter perfection, as always. Nothing more to say! I will post a solid, highly in-depth review of this one day (as I plan to do with all of the Bond movies. Perhaps I'll do that on my next Bondathon, as the separate review threads are severely lacking.)
The World Is Not Enough
Excellent (as usual) and leagues better to me than TND was. Brosnan is in top form, Elektra plays a great villain, and Renard does a good enough job, though I really don't like Richards as a nuclear physicist (or whatsoever) in this whatsoever. The last few seconds are a little hammy with those forced sexual jokes (in fact, the Brosnan era seems to drop any subtlety and becomes very sexual and obvious in all of its innuendos. Nothing is left to the imagination.). The twists and turns are nice, the finale is good, the bits at Zukovsky's place are wonderful, and Brosnan is at his most brutal in this (executing Davidov and Elektra like he does.) Overall, a very solid entry and my second favorite of Brosnan's, but unfortunately, there are many other classics that jump ahead of this, as much as I love it.
Die Another Day
I'll defend some low points of the Bond series until the day I die, but this is inexcusable. The dialogue, the CG, Madonna, the overacting, the finale, the CG, Michael Madsen, the CG...also, the CG. Aside from the PTS, Cuba (excluding that cringe-worthy Jinx dive), and the Bond vs. Zao ice chase, this movie really doesn't have anything going for it.
2015 Bondathon Ranking:
1.) GE
2.) FYEO
3.) DN
4.) LALD
5.) FRWL
6.) TSWLM
7.) OP
8.) OHMSS
9.) LTK
10.) TWINE
11.) AVTAK
12.) TB
13.) TLD
14.) GF
15.) TND
16.) DAF
17.) YOLT
18.) DAD
19.) TMWTGG
20.) MR
While your ranking of certain films differs greatly from mine, I am happy see that you appreciate TWINE so much. I'm always going to bat for that one. Very underrated.
While your ranking of certain films differs greatly from mine, I am happy see that you appreciate TWINE so much. I'm always going to bat for that one. Very underrated.
I can see why this is loved by so many. It has everything everyone expects in a Bond movie without going too overboard. Hamlisch's score complements the film well and the cinematography and action overshadows the boring villain and weak (but beautiful) Bond girl.
This is Moore's epitomy. As it stands currently I enjoy his 80's adventures more but as I creep towards the 80's in my Bondathon maybe this will change...?
Such a close battle between several of the films. The main thing going for DN is that it puts Bond as the main character. Since then Bond has become a character amongst the action and scenery, as Connery pointed out. And with the excellent visuals, stunts and locations of TSWLM it is not necessarily a bad thing. And for that I will rank it above DN.
At times I wanted to place TSWLM higher than OHMSS and FRWL...I will give it some thought...
1. OHMSS
2. FRWL
3. TSWLM
4. DN
5. DAF
6. GF
7. YOLT
8. TMWTGG
9. TB
10. LALD
This is exactly what the Bond series needed after DAD. Craig dazzles in his first entry as Bond, and I think I prefer his acting and how he portrays the character the most in this than I have in QoS and SF. Well shot, the cinematography is beautiful, the entire cast is well chosen and given enough screentime, and you can't help but grieve with Bond while having his testicles whipped. Poor guy.
Note: The Miami/airport sequence drags for me, so I'm placing it slightly lower than I thought, and I may even switch it with DN once I ponder it some more.
2015 Bondathon Ranking:
1.) GE
2.) FYEO
3.) CR
4.) DN
5.) LALD
6.) FRWL
7.) TSWLM
8.) OP
9.) OHMSS
10.) LTK
11.) TWINE
12.) AVTAK
13.) TB
14.) TLD
15.) GF
16.) TND
17.) DAF
18.) YOLT
19.) DAD
20.) TMWTGG
21.) MR
2nd film in the series I got to witness in theaters. I enjoyed it as a twelve year old, but it has not held up as well for me. However, this viewing was a great improvement over past experiences.
Positives: I enjoyed the action more this time with the PTS and Zukovsky's caviar factory being the standouts. I like the added involvement of M which is believable here. Q/R scene is such a fitting end and it's hard not to get emotional knowing everyone's favorite Mi6 mainstay is making his final exit. Robbie Coltrane is again a treat here as he was in GE, this time with even more exposure. This performance solidifies him as a top 5 ally in my book.
Negatives: The biggest issue for me is Elektra King who is one of the series weakest villains. It is a shame because I love the female villain angle as it fits well with Bond. Marceau's acting bothers me throughout, as the movie tries to depict her as an ally and victim at the start and even as a child, I didn't buy it from minute one. The combination of dialogue and delivery during the torture scene really takes you out of the film. Finally, the submarine finale I enjoyed more than usual, but is still average at best. Renard has an interesting premise, but Robert Carlyle is mostly wasted here.
The Rest: I don't mind Denise Richards anymore as it's fun to laugh to the absurd lines and her awkward delivery. The puns are at an all time high here and I can still laugh along with the,, but so many are so blatantly forced that it surpasses campy/cheesy and moves into groan inducing at times.
I don't expect TWINE to move up in my rankings, but I did have fun with it this time.
Moose's 2015 Bond Rankings
1.) Dr. No
2.) The World Is Not Enough
My next movie is MR. On one hand, it has some great scenes (cable car fight, PTS, gas masks) and dialogue but will that make up for the silliness?? Hmm...
If TSWLM is Mario, then MR is Luigi in the shadow of its big brother. Both incredibly similar films, but MR is the quirky one. And if you can ignore the plot conveniences, and forget your brain it is a fun ride.
1. OHMSS
2. FRWL
3. TSWLM
4. DN
5. MR
6. DAF
7. GF
8. YOLT
9. TB
10. TMWTGG
11. LALD
It's well documented on here by now my relationship with 1985's A VIEW TO A KILL. I've always been one of its most staunch defenders, and I still am in some ways. I still maintain that it is one of the more underrated films of the series. There are too many good scenes and elements of the film to totally dismiss it and so I think AVTAK is elevated somewhat by these qualities.
However, I previously declared upon my last viewing of this film, back some months now, that my enjoyment and appreciation of this film had declined. Well this diminution of my appreciation has never been more pronounced. I went into this Bondathon with a clear head, tried not to be biased, and this hasn't worked well in AVTAK's favour. It may even fail to make the top ten, which it has never done so before: I don't think I can any longer justify AVTAK's strong showing in my ranking.
I think it all boils down to the film being a bit limp, for want of a better word. Visually, it isn't impressive and it lacks the wow factor that one comes to expect from a Bond film (although there are still some very impressive scenes). AVTAK has the unfortunate designation of having the worst fight scene in the Bond series, the fight with Zorin's goons in the warehouse, and overall, there seems to be a tiredness about the film, particularly in the scenes at Stacey's house which just seems to go into idle mode (Bond makes a quiche, Bond reconnects the telephone line, Bond gets awoken by some budgies etc...). Among other things, scenes that irk me more than usual is the fire truck chase with Bond hanging onto the ladder with Stacey's incessant exclamations and the dining scene with Monsieur Aubergine (could the filmmakers do anything more to point out he's French) and shots of the "mah car!" Frenchman, which I find to be rather cringeworthy.
Stacey Sutton isn't amongst my favourite Bond girls, and it's not because of her screaming in the City Hall fire (and don't really mind this, it's to be expected) but because I don't find Tanya Roberts to be the best of actresses, to put it mildly. I usually don't mind Stacey, but again (this is becoming a trend), her performance stuck out more than usual. I'll take her other Domino "Bland" Derval, though.
And as for Moore, my favourite actor to have portrayed Bond- AVTAK is definitely my least favourite performance of his. It's not so much his age in this film (the only times that his age impeded my enjoyment of his performance is the Moneypenny office scene with his weird stare when the camera cuts to him and when he wears leather jackets), but rather I wished the film compensated for his age to somehow acknowledge his age and have a more age appropriate actress as the female lead. With that being said, his performance is still immensely enjoyable and entertaining as always.
Let's move on to the positives, of which there is an abundance.
Christopher Walken as the psychotic Max Zorin is without a doubt the best Bond villain performance in the series. I love his mannerisms and his nuances, his madness and wackiness, matched with outstanding dialogue ("Intuitive improvisation is the secret of genius", "anybody else want to drop out?" etc.), Max Zorin is my favourite villain the series.
And so is May Day, in the henchman department. Like Zorin, it's her wackiness and benign bizarre trait, her physique and persona that lights up the screen whenever she's on. She also goes out with a bang, in a marvellous scene that's basically two fingers up to Max Zorin after his betrayal. The henchman turning to the side of good is handled so much better here than the case with Jaws in MOONRAKER.
I find the following scenes to be excellent- Bond chasing May Day up the Eiffel Tower, the following parachute scene and the subsequent chase through Paris (bar the "mah car" man), the scenes at Ascot with M and Moneypenny, any scene with Sir Godfrey Tibbet, the introduction of Jenny Flex, the horse racing scene with its fantastic conclusion ("killing Tibbet was a mistake" and following dialogue from Zorin) and Bond using the car's tyre air to survive underwater waiting for Zorin and Mayday to leave, the City Hall fire escape, the police cars failing to cross the drawbridge and the chaos that ensues, the scenes in Zorin's mine, the finale upon the Golden Great Bridge. There's so much to love in AVTAK. The shot when the blimps explodes over the Golden Gate is also a great visual and very memorable.
AVTAK is also a pretty violent film at times, with perhaps the most violent scene in the series occurring when Zorin massacres the miners with a sub machine gun. It's a shocking scene, but it really shows how psychotic and plain dangerous Zorin is. There's also the moment when the KGB agent is thrown into the oil pipeline, which is rather gruesome. I always did like the darker side of the Bond films.
The score is one of Barry's finest with his instrumental version of the theme song being beautifully woven into the score, Duran Duran's titular theme song is my favourite in the series along with Macca's Live and Let Die. The titles sequences is a time capsule into the eighties, and it's another great visual experience from Binder. I like the PTS, too- not one of the best, but there are some nice stunts within it. I love the locations; the scenes at Zorin's estate in France are stunning and San Francisco is well utilised (SF is also one of my favourite cities in the world and would love to see it again in a Bond film in the future).
I still thoroughly enjoy A VIEW TO A KILL, and I'll always defend it where I see fit. But in terms of ranking it, I can't put it above my favourite Moore and Connery releases, and so for the moment, for the first time, I'll put it just below LIVE AND LET DIE...
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
-ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
-FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981)
-THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)
-FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
-GOLDFINGER (1964)
-OCTOPUSSY (1983)
-LIVE AND LET DIE (1973)
-A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
-DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
-THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1974)
-THUNDERBALL (1965)
-YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)
-DR. NO (1962)
-MOONRAKER (1979)
I'm double dipping this week, and so I'll stick on THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS today.