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Comments
Contrary to what I've said in the past, Connery isn't completely disinterested for the whole of this film - that mainly comes out in one of the most bizarre moments in the series where Bond becomes Japanese and takes part in an arranged marriage. From here Connery loses interest.
The film is fairly run of the mill and one of the weakest of the Connery Bonds. That being said, Tiger Tanaka is a strong ally to Bond and the girls - Aki and Kissy - are fairly engaging Bond girls; the former's death sequence is a well handled moment in the film.
The film is most famous for Ken Adam's extraordinary volcano set and it still looks amazing for a film that is just shy of its 50th anniversary; one of the most impressive set pieces in the series. Donald Pleasance revealed as Blofeld is also excellent - it's a shame that he was only used for the one film; his Blofeld looks and acts exactly as you would expect for the character - the only thing he isn't is a physical threat.
John Barry also presents us with a lush score this time around.
All in all, a satisfying if somewhat lacklustre entry in the series, particularly coming after enormous box office clout like Goldfinger and Thunderball.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. OHMSS (1969)
3. Dr No (1962)
4. Octopussy (1983)
5. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
6. You Only Live Twice (1967)
7. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
8. Live and Let Die (1973)
9. Die Another Day (2002)
Next up for review will be..... GOLDFINGER
The highlights of Goldfinger are:
Shirley Bassey's theme song - clearly one of the most iconic in the series
One of the best villains in the series with great screen presence + the best series henchman, Oddjob.
Some great one liners and a sophisticated, smooth performance from Connery. Here he epitomises the screen sex appeal of Bond more than any other.
The golf scene
Raid on Fort Knox
Bond vs. Oddjob in Fort Knox
There are also, however, some moments that stop this being absolute premium Bond:
Some very dodgy back projection work on the Miami Beach post-titles sequence
Some truly bad casting decisions - Cec Linder as Felix and Tania Mallet as Tilly.
Also the fact that the film loses a lot of its momentum in the middle act where Bond is held prisoner at Auric Stud. The pacing is slowed significantly here and is always the most arduous part of the film to sit through.
Despite these minor gripes, I had fun with Goldfinger this time. It's never going to be top of my list but it's a solid entry in the Bond canon and I can see why it's loved by many Bond fans.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. OHMSS (1969)
3. Dr No (1962)
4. Goldfinger (1964)
5. Octopussy (1983)
6. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
7. You Only Live Twice (1967)
8. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
9. Live and Let Die (1973)
10. Die Another Day (2002)
Next for review is.... A VIEW TO A KILL
This film actually has plenty going for it - once you get into the meat of the story. Yes, Zorin's big speech about Silicon Valley is basically a carbon copy of Goldfinger's Fort Knox speech 21 years earlier and yes, once again, there is some dodgy back projection in the pre-titles sequence and the clear double (Remy Julienne) for Bond driving manically around the streets of Paris in pursuit of May Day but once you get past the crazy first 30-40 minutes of the film it becomes relentlessly entertaining.
Moore and Macnee make a terrific pairing on screen and it is genuinely sad when Tibbett is killed.
Highlight scenes in the film for me include:
The horse race - Bond vs. Zorin
Christopher Walken playing the most sadistic and strongest villain that the series had seen since Christopher Lee in Golden Gun.
City Hall in flames - the escape from the building is excellent - the following fire truck pursuit, not so much.
Peter Lamont's superb mine set at Pinewood.
Yes, A View to A Kill is not going to please everyone but for me it's entertaining Bond and one of the more engaging of the Moore Bond films. Put it this way, I'd rather watch this over LALD, TMWTGG or Moonraker any day.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. OHMSS (1969)
3. Dr No (1962)
4. Goldfinger (1964)
5. A View to a Kill (1987)
6. Octopussy (1983)
7. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
8. You only live twice (1967)
9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
10. Live and Let Die (1973)
11. Die Another Day (2002)
James Bond will return in.... LICENCE TO KILL
Highlights include:
Robert Davi as Sanchez - one of the strongest villains in the series; his entrance in the film, whipping his girlfriend and ordering for a man to have his heart cut out is brilliant, almost like it could have come directly out of Fleming's pages.
The Bond girls are absolutely gorgeous this time around - both of them. Lowell and Soto both play well realised characters who bring a lot to the table.
Many fans of the series have spoken about how this is a product of the 80s and feels like any generic action film of the time. Whilst to some extent that is true, it doesn't work to the detriment of the film - quite the opposite actually; it gives the film a unique look in a series that had become increasingly outlandish. Bond was clearly still relevant at the end of the 1980s and this is clearly John Glen's most competent work as director.
Coming back to Dalton - there is just a sense of absolute authority in his portrayal of Bond. He looks brilliant in a tux and the Bond vs. Villain dynamic here is one of the most interesting in the series. Moreover, he looks like the ultimate Bond - cool and sophisticated - when he is trying to manipulate Sanchez at his home.
The action set pieces are fantastic, particularly the tanker finale, and we get to see just how draining this mission was for Bond as he sighs deeply when Felix and Della have been avenged at the end of the story.
It's a violent film which does put some people off but it's authentic and adds to the realism of the story. As Dalton and Fleming himself have explained in interviews, Bond isn't for kids, it's an adult male fantasy, and LTK, in my opinion, perfectly embodies this in its exoticism of character and location and in its violence.
I never used to be the biggest fan of LTK, always favouring the more generic Living Daylights but I've come to love this film and I imagine it will stay high in my rankings. Currently this is my second favourite Bond performance, behind Connery in FRWL.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. Dr No (1962)
5. Goldfinger (1964)
6. A View to a Kill (1985)
7. Octopussy (1983)
8. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
9. You Only Live Twice (1967)
10. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
11. Live and Let Die (1973)
12. Die Another Day (2002)
Next up in my Bondathon will be.... THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
Other highlights in the film are Stromberg and his excellent entrance into the film, the first appearance from Jaws, when he was an intimidating and quite frightening figure - particularly in the excellent, atmospheric Pyramids scene as well as the jump scare on the train with Anya.
The film is the best directed of Lewis Gilbert's three contributions to the series and the film is also one of the best edited in the series; the film is very pacey and doesn't really let up from start to finish.
We all know that Spy was a big gamble for Cubby following the lacklustre performance of Golden Gun and the dissolved partnership with Saltzman and this film needed to prove that Bond was still wanted by the public. It does this in leaps and bounds with many iconic elements, including Bond's relationship with the Lotus Esprit and the incredible pre-titles Union Jack stunt, seguing into probably the best title sequence from Maurice Binder and the ultimate Bond theme from Carly Simon.
This is often regarded as the Goldfinger of the 1970s and it certainly lives up to that reputation.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1989)
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
5. Dr No (1962)
6. Goldfinger (1964)
7. A View to a Kill (1985)
8. Octopussy (1983)
9. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
10. You Only Live Twice (1967)
11. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
12. Live and Let Die (1973)
13. Die Another Day (2002)
James Bond will return, to close out the Dalton era, in.... THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
Thanks for this - nice to know my thoughts are generating interest with other fans. I do love living daylights so expect a good review
B-)
Again, Connery delivers as Bond, the only thing missing being his famous "Bond, James Bond" line. Robert Shaw is particularly good as Donald Grant; the fight between Bond and him on the train is a series highlight. Kerim Bay is a terrific sidekick, and the introduction of Desmond Llewelyn's Q is noteworthy albeit brief. Honestly though, I am not a fan of Tatiana Romanova; I've always thought she was one of the most overrated Bond girls. She comes off as a bit clingy and annoying at times to me. Granted, she does off Klebb, but her character just doesn't do much for me.
While I preferred the island setting of Dr. No, the settings here were still solid, and I did particularly like many of the scenes aboard the Orient Express. The soundtrack was much improved from the last film, though, bringing in the unforgettable Barry 007 theme. I used to think the film started slow, but that wasn't as noticeable this time around, although it does take a while for James to show up. Though I don't love the film quite as much as many others here (and I personally prefer Connery's first), I still enjoy it a lot, and I think it has a decent chance of making my Top 10. From Russia with Love is a Bond classic that remains strong today!
FoxRox's 2015 Bondathon Ranking
1. Dr. No
2. From Russia with Love
Thank you. For as long as I can remember, they've always been in the number 1 and 2 positions.
Couldn't agree more about Lazenby's physical presence and capabilities of engaging in the fights. In fact, I listened to a Bond podcast recently in which the hosts reviewed OHMSS and they disliked Lazenby intensely, even his physicality. They felt as though his punches were greatly exaggerated and it looked silly. I felt as though they were speaking Mandarin (I don't speak Mandarin)!
That's dumb, his fights particularly in the water and in the hotel room as just as if not more brutal than Connery's and Craig's!
My previous thoughts on it stand, the start of it is promising, a cracker of an opening with an exciting boat chase through the Thames accompanied by one of Arnold's better scores. The story is a unique concept, however it fails miserably on execution. With a bit of polish it could've been a tense and fresh experience. None of the characters are fully engaging, Elektra is perhaps the closest, and Brosnan is inconsistent...his performance in TND was much better. He looks fantastic though, by far the best looking Bond.
The reality is plot and story is rarely the highlight of a Bond movie. But TWINE doesn't deliver any gripping action sequences either, with the exception of the PTS. Most of it is generic explosive sequences matched with perhaps Arnold's worst score. The theme song is hardly memorable but does the job. I haven't kept an eye on the time since TMWTGG.
One of the other aspects that bother me is the terrible use of locations, there are no breathtaking shots of any location - the best we got was perhaps the rooftop before before Bull's bomb.
All this leaves the film rather drab. At least TND delivers a tick the boxes affair. I knew TWINE would not score high, but didn't expect it would be where it is.
I could easily sit through anything from DAF and above. The films below it have more issues
1. The Living Daylights
2. Octopussy
3. From Russia with Love
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
5. Goldeneye
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Tomorrow Never Dies
8. Dr No
9. The Spy Who Loved Me
10. Moonraker
11. Licence to Kill
12. Diamonds are Forever
13. Goldfinger
14. You Only Live Twice
15. A View to a Kill
16. The Man with the Golden Gun
17. Thunderball
18. The World is Not Enough
19. Live and Let Die
I'm in a seriously critical frame of mind I cringe a lot.
I have forgotten, what did he have for lunch?
Seriously though, he did wind up something fierce before a few of his punches.
;)
Craig is quite good... maybe Laz's equal.
In the movies, definitely. In real life, doubtful.
Lol. Oops.
Yep, that's how I feel about TWINE, too. Unfortunately, I was in the "critical frame of mind" this time round...
I feel similar, TWINE is currently my No 16. When the whole Renard/Stockholm syndrom thing doesn't bother me I find the movie quite enjoyable but when it bugs me I have a hard time going through watching it.
This year it bugged me again, especially since I have seen it the first time since Skyfall was released. Now that it's so blatantly evident that Skyfall is a remake of TWINE I even dislike the whole revenge on M twist even more.
But I have to mention how unbelievably great the PTS is for me. The second best in the whole series right after the one of TND.
I liked the skiing scene just because I'm glad there is one in the Brosnan era. But it doesn't compare to TSWLM, FYEO or even OHMSS.
Added: By the way I think Apted was the worst Bond director to date. And no I didn't forget Tamahori, I like his work in DAD, he's not to blame for the OTT Sci-Fi stuff.
I promise to keep an open mind and will report back shortly on any positives I can find (the negatives are painfully apparent to many).