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I guess it proves the old adage @NicNac. Great minds do think alike. It'll be fun to see how we both compare our Bondathons, and maybe how it affects our overall rankings, if any.
Let's do this slightly different than usual. I love the 70s Bond films. And the 60s anyway, none of them is lower than 14th in my ranking (so far). GE certainly will spice things up when it's due in my Bondathon. TND also may play a role.
Still, LALD is my least favorites of the 70s films. That doesn't mean I don't like it much. I love the film! But Bond provides almost too much good stuff and not every single film can be in the top 10.
There's the obvious stuff that is the absolute highlight for me in LALD.
J.W. Pepper and the insane, crazy, lengthy, hilarious, exciting and original boat/police car chase!
Probably the best ever chase sequence in a Bond film for me. I was literally rolling on the floor laughing my well-rounded butt off.
Another insane, yes insane, stunt in the crocodile scene. Seriously, it's death defying and the whole sequence is brilliant anyway.
The film has a very unique atmosphere in New York and then San Monique. The Pts is unusual too and so are the titles and the theme song.
The score works surprisingly well, considering it's not Barry.
The cast is, as usual, great. If not my favorite ensemble to be honest. I also would like to say that the end-game in the villain's lair is not very exciting and the death scene is ridiculous.
The last scene on the train though is bloody brilliant!
Roger Moore has very good scenes, in fact he is clearly the strong point of the film.
Felix Leiter is great as well and I understand why they have cast Hedison again much later.
It's getting increasingly difficult to rank. So far my initial ranking still stands almost untouched.
My ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. SF
10. TWINE
11. TB
12. FRWL
13. MR
14. LALD
15. DAD
16. QOS
17. CR67
18. FYEO
19. NSNA
20. OP
21. AVTAK
22. LTK
I currently have it at #13. With my upcoming Bondathon, it could rise up my ranks.
It's one of the Bond films I seem to enjoy more and more with each viewing.
One of the reasons I rate OP and TLD so highly methinks. I am still thrilled by both of them, AVTAK has dropped off over the years, but it still has a lot to offer. It is one of the weaker entries for me.
TND and TWINE were both film I liked upon their release in my early - mid 20's, but have dropped severely down the ranks. TWINE hitting the bottom of the barrel.
You're right about that youthful period effecting our enjoyment of the series to a degree.
Saw OHMSS on my 11th birthday, and it blew me away. Wonderful memories of that initial viewing.
With age has come more and more appreciation of the series from DN to OP, but certainly the 60's and even early 70's films.
DAF was my first Bond and I was immediately hooked and mesmerized.
Next were TSWLM, MR and YOLT, by then I realized the films will have a huge impact on my life.
I don't know how it feels to be in a cinema with other people watching a Bond film. I watched all the Bond films in a group though and that was a great experience.
What better film to begin with...the first one!
Dr.No
This is a film that I always enjoyed. But with age it's one that I've grown to adore. I simply love DN more with each viewing, picking up little nuances from actors that I don't always find in the latter films. Terence Young was the best person that could've put Bond on screen. It's an outstanding debut film from all involved. For me this is the true elite of the Bond films.
Some might say that the rest of the series must be a let down if you rank DN #1, but the Bond series evolves and changes over the decades, so we're constantly getting films that aren't always comparable to the original. The Bond of DN is a far contrast for me to the Bond we get in DAF, if not before that.
2018 ranking.
1. Dr.No
Next up...
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Just wrapped up the Brosnan era in my backwards Bondathon. Besides the same favorites (CR, SF, and GE), the other spots have definitely changed a fair bit so far. Not sure when I’ll start the Dalton era - could be very soon or a couple days depending on time.
Excellent dear @Benny
Though it's all down hill after seeing DN and OHMSS ;)
Thank you dear @royale65 I'm much obliged. ;)
Well there are one or two more great too look forward too. I do get OP as one of my final Bondathon films. :)
Thunderball I have already seen earlier in my Bondathon. Nevertheless I felt like watching it again. I re-watched several films a third time in between this Bondathon.
I'm really having the best time watching it. Connery is just crazy cool in this. And I love the suits he wears. Oh boy, Domino and Fiona got to be the best Bond girl duo.
The section with Domino is quite long and romantic and I love it, every split second of it.
"What sharp little eyes you've got." - She melts me like butter in the sun!
Bond: "Do you fly here often?"
Fiona: "Do I make you nervous?" - Fiona is as good as they (villainous) come.
In my first review I criticized Celi to be a bit on the boring side. I still feel he is the most unexciting of the Connery era villains but I'm warming up to him considerably.
The actor is great actually and I love his repartee with Bond.
Other than that I wouldn't know where to find anything negative about the film. The underwater/water scenes are all fascinating and quite an achievement. The last fight which is a bit lengthy and at times confusing (for me at least) is maybe the only part that could be better (edited I guess).
John Barry's score is wonderful. I especially love the more romantic themes too.
The pts is still a bit on the silly side (that flying apparatus) but the titles and the song are great!
I love the Q scenes, besides the fact he's wearing the most ridiculous shirts (Felix too), it's great how Bond shows his dismay when he sees that Q is there. And Connery's facial expression when he asks about the swallowing of the pill is priceless. Comedic Gold!
"now?"
Loved the film on my first watch, second and third especially. And I'm afraid, as much as it almost pains me, I have to shuffle my ranking a bit therefore.
On the risk to become one-sided, but TB belongs into my Top 10. Up to 9th from 11th.
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. TB
10. SF
11. TWINE
....11. TB
12. FRWL
13. MR
14. LALD
15. DAD
16. QOS
17. CR67
18. FYEO
19. NSNA
20. OP
21. AVTAK
22. LTK
Good man.
The entire casino sequence in this film (from the way he casually strolls in, checking out two lovelies on his way to the table, followed by the game with Largo itself and then the dance with Domino) is pure gold. Barry's absolutely sublime dreamy score seals it. Connery at his best.
If you haven't got to say anything nice, then better don't say anything at all.
If I comply with it, I just can give you the ranking including:
SPECTRE
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. TB
10. SF
11. TWINE
12. FRWL
13. MR
14. LALD
15. DAD
16. QOS
17. CR67
18. FYEO
19. NSNA
20. OP
21. AVTAK
22. LTK
23. SP
But for the sake of discussion and reasoning here a few thoughts:
The excessive use of yellow color filters, the score completely devoid of any Bondian feeling and the retcon kill it for me.
The cast is pretty mediocre compared to the other 24 Bond films (including NSNA).
No on screen chemistry whatsoever except for WHISHAW.
In fact he is the reason I will re-visit SPECTRE in the future.
There are some scenes that scream Greatness though.
-the train sequence, except for the too obvious, failed attempt to evoke Connery.
-the fight on the train.
-the train station in the desert and the anticipation that builds up on the way to Franz's lair.
-the plane/car chase without the yellow filters and Q in the middle of things saving it.
-the meeting with Mr. White, the whole thing is just great.
When I saw SPECTRE first, it was the 25th film, the last I've seen and it kind of just went by me without any special impact. I have ranked the film above the 80s block at No 18 in my first ranking.
Now it's dead last and I am quite sorry for that. As opposite to QoS which I first had at the bottom, SP doesn't have any true great moments of character development or cast interaction (except Whishaw).
I was blinded by the awful editing job in QoS and couldn't see the rest.
I almost wish it was the same story with SP. But it isn't.
It's especially shameful as it is the newest film in the series. And I really don't understand my reaction to it. It's the same director and the same composer and probably other crew as well that brought us Skyfall.
The white dinner jacket with carnation homage to Connery was too obvious as you note, and entirely unnecessary. The look doesn't work on Craig all that well either, due to his shorter and stockier frame which is emphasized in a white outfit like that. I get what they were going for, but it was a bad move imho.
For me the best sequence by far is White. It's moody and atmospheric, and only spoiled by the "Women!!! Children!!!!" conceit.
What saves the plane/car chase for me is that there are no yellow dirt color filters and that Q plays a vital role in that sequence in his B-plot with the goons following him.
Of course it's kind of ironic if not sad that it takes things like that to make the scene worthwhile.
However, SPECTRE makes me appreciate Quantum Of Solace a lot more. That's a plus really.
I quite agree @Andi1996Ruegg. QoS is a far superior film from my perspective, not least because of Craig's acting. Observe the way he acts in the car in the opening scene of the earlier film vs. how he behaves in the plane (or the car for that matter) in SP. Again, night and day, and I think his approach in the earlier film is far more suited to his portrayal. He has to stop thinking he can play smooth and get back to intense as that is what suits him imho.
I like Skyfall a lot though, just saying.
In SPECTRE there's nothing left of the Craigbond I experience in CR or QoS.
That makes me sad because I feel Craig is the only Bond actor that has such a downfall from an absolute top performance (CR) to such a failed attempt (SP).
Regarding his acting, he certainly doesn't have the natural intensity that he had when younger. He can still bring it (he did so Broadway in Betrayal which I saw, and apparently also in Othello last year), but theatre is a different beast, and I notice he has to act it now. It's not as natural. Part of this is just aging of course. Connery was certainly not the same towards the end as at the start and neither was Moore. However, I found both of those actors could transition more readily into a more relaxed portrayal because their initial success wasn't so tied to intensity . With Craig it doesn't work, at least for me. There's something about his look and manner which suggests fierceness and energy. Like Pacino or De Niro (also actors who lost that as they aged). Moreover, putting him in situations which evoke the past so deliberately (office sequence, quips etc.) only exposes his limitations in comparison to his predecessors. They have to let him be himself and tailor the script to his strengths, like they did LTK to Dalton.
Look at some screen comparisons between the original and the color corrected versions. They're still some yellow during the snow scenes. It only becomes obvious once you know it's there.
Also I like the plane scene too, it’s very exciting and nice to see bond back in the snow however it’s ruined because it’s the perfect opportunity to slide in the OHMSS theme or at least the bond theme I mean what the hell was Newmann thinking. Then contrarily I really don’t like the B plot with Q, it’s like the moneypenny bull shit in the Rome chase like why are we cutting away from the action?um Scooby gang anyone?
1. Casino Royale
2. Skyfall
3. GoldenEye
4. Licence to Kill
5. The Living Daylights
6. Quantum of Solace
7. Tomorrow Never Dies
8. The World Is Not Enough
9. Spectre
10. Die Another Day
The Moore era is up next, which has some highs and lows for me. But then it's the Lazenby and Connery films, which contain some of the series' best. Great way to finish.
CR67 is above the 80s films. I had to make a decision.
Comparing CR67 to the rest is very difficult obviously.
A film that brings me all the joy of the late 60s will always win against the cheesy 80s block.
Majesty's is certainly still one of my favourite films of the series, a wonderful story, great actors Rigg, Savalas, Ferzetti and Ilse Steppat really shine. But we also get some of the best scenes with the MI6 stock crew in M, Q and Moneypenny. Another sad note that this would be the final film in the EON series for Peter Hunt. Former editor and newly promoted Director.
A beautiful score by John Barry, luscious cinematography courtesy of Michael Reed and gripping action from the stunt team lead by George Leech. This is a film like DN that I just adore.
I could easily put this film in first spot, but for a few minor quibbles here and there, there are some flat spots from Lazenby as much as I love him, and as much as I like the editing from John Glen, there are times when it's a little too much for me. But I actualy find most of it adds to Majesty's appeal.
So enough rambling.
2018 ranking
1. Dr.No
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Next up...
Live And Let Die