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I didn t get to see this in the cinema, but saw it on video on a B/W tv set the year after. It actually looked pretty great in B/W. This has always been a bottom dweller for me, but I did enjoy parts of it much more now than I ever did since first viewing.
The pts is all right, but gets ruined by the motorcycle stunt, the most absurd scene in the whole series, worse than both vertically hovering helicopters and x-ray specs.
I have always loved the main title sequence and the catchy theme song, both among the very best. Tina Turner channels her inner Shirley here. The music in the gunbarrel however is the worst ever, and the rest of the score a rally mixed bag, ranging fom horrible to sublime. End credits song isn t as bad as I remembered. Sort of a poor man s Peter Gabriel.
Most performances are good, including Brosnan. I only dislike him in TWINE (sans the Bilbao opening, where he is great). An extra shout out to the actors I always liked-Gottfried John, Michael Kitchen (the best Tanner) and Tcheky Karyo. The only terrible character is Boris.
In reversal of many other Bonds, the second half is much stronger than the first here.
Where would you rank GE overall?
08. For Your Eyes Only (+2)
09. Tomorrow Never Dies (+2)
10. Moonraker (+2)
11. Goldfinger (-2)
12. Live and Let Die (-4)
13. Diamonds are Forever (+1)
14. Licence to Kill (+1)
15. The Man with the Golden Gun (+2)
16. Thunderball (+6)
17. The Spy Who Loved Me (-4)
18. Die Another Day (+1)
19. A View To A Kill (-3)
20. You Only Live Twice (0)
21. Quantum of Solace (+2)
22. Skyfall (-4)
23. The World Is Not Enough (+1)
24. Spectre (-3)
FRWL continues to age like a fine wine and is one of the few films where all the stars align. In fact it might be the only film with no convincing negatives. The main one I hear is the finale but I don't agree and doesn't bother me. I've heard weaker arguments against it but to me this is the pinnacle of the series, quality wise
To watch, all top tier:
DN OHMSS OP TLD GE CR
Just got the Moore and Dalton films to finish off, then the Bondathon is complete.
So far, no. 16 out of 18.
It was the first film of my Bondathon, so sometime back in January. Why do you ask?
I saw this in Oslo s biggest cinema with my boss back in 2006. It was a great cinematic experience, and even though it doesn t have the same rewatch value as some older films, it remains a triumph for all involved.
The pts is unique and among the very best. Main titles likewise, Kleinman reinvented himself with this one to great success. Getting an old grunge legend for the theme song was a stroke of genius. I have never heard a Bond song being played that much on the radio. Skyfall comes second, I guess. Kudos to Arnold for bringing about some interesting and off-beat collaborations. His score for this is pretty good, except for the Miami action scene where it gets tedious.
Performances are great all around. A really good cast.
The best scenes for me are the opening in Madagascar, the torture sequence and the very end with Mr White. One of the best end scenes in the series, it gets you pumped for the next film and when the Bond theme kicked in I remember feeling real elation back then.
I vastly prefer CR to GE. Next: QOS.
06. From Russia With Love
07. Goldeneye
08. For Your Eyes Only (+2)
09. Tomorrow Never Dies (+2)
10. Moonraker (+2)
11. Goldfinger (-2)
12. Live and Let Die (-4)
13. Diamonds are Forever (+1)
14. Licence to Kill (+1)
15. The Man with the Golden Gun (+2)
16. Thunderball (+6)
17. The Spy Who Loved Me (-4)
18. Die Another Day (+1)
19. A View To A Kill (-3)
20. You Only Live Twice (0)
21. Quantum of Solace (+2)
22. Skyfall (-4)
23. The World Is Not Enough (+1)
24. Spectre (-3)
To watch, all top tier:
DN OHMSS OP TLD CR
The only Craig film I did not get to see in the cinema. I bought it as soon as it came out, and thought it was fine, but nowhere near the quality of CR. That has changed now.
The pts is short and sweet and I love the transition into the main titles, which is one of the very best. I like the song as well.
Craig gives a great Bond performance, maybe the best in the series. The whole cast is terrific, as it was in the previous film.
Roberto Schaeffer gives us one of the best looking Bond films of all. The composition is so well thought out in every frame, and I love that they spend so much time on location, more so than in any other Bond film. Great locations they are, too. Love those "title cards", very stylish. There are also some great establishing shots, for instance the one with the lizard in the desert. It paints a picture similar to what Fleming would paint with his typewriter when introducing a location.
David Arnold gives his best score by far, one of the best in the series.
I cannot think of anything I don t like about this film. Except maybe naming the organization Quantum. No need to name them at all. The title would work even better if they did not.
I even love the gunbarrel at the end and the end credits.
Of the 20 Bond films I have seen so far, I am placing this as no. 3.
Next up-the Terence Young films.
Am I the only one who thinks Camille looks a bit like Dora the explorer?
The story is also quite excellent, and very Fleminglish. People complain that "water rights" is a dull plot point and boring. It isn t about that, it is about this group of people toppling governments and controlling their own installed puppets and entire infrastructures of society. That is a pretty big deal.
I think this entry is a very special one, and to think it was a "cursed production"!
Absolutely - it may not seem all that exotic compared to missiles being pointed at countries or someone developing a deadly virus, but it's just as threatening and I love the whole realistic geopolitical feel the film has.
@FoxRox, indeed, though I've personally loved it and thought it was one of the best since opening night, though I know I was in a very tiny minority with that sentiment.
Totally agree. It definitely needs re-appraisal!
One thing I always loved about it are the location title cards.
First saw this in the cinema in 1987 during the 25th anniversary Bondathon running that year. Thought it was a bit slow compared to newer films, but later I would learn to really appreciate the pace and tone on display in this cinematic classic. This is one film I know almost by heart, so must have seen it quite a few times over the years.
They really got the right cast and crew together for this one, in every single role and position. They set the bar really high right from the start.
Love the offbeat gunbarrel and the pop-arty title sequence. Also love that it is set in mainly one location, giving it a distinct flavour. It only ever happened again in YOLT, but I wouldn t mind if they went that route with a future installment as well.
Monty Norman doesn t seem too loved here, but I think the score is terrific.
Do I even have to mention Ken Adam? That dome where Dent picks up the tarantula...Love that whole sequence and how it introduces Dr No as just a menacing, mysterious faceless voice that instills fear in his underling. So effective that Young repeated that trick with Blofeld in his next two films. Unlike Blofeld in FRWL and TB, we do get to see Dr No after initially just seeing his lower body. A little similar to how Bond is introduced at first. We just see his arms and hear his voice. Not something the Bond crew invented, but an efficient cinematic trick for building up interest.
Dr No s lair is the one villain lair where I would love to move in. Just my style. And no wonder Bond dispatches of Sandor so ruthlessly after how he treated Bond in this film.
Best line:
"Sorry we didn t bring flowers."
I agree with all this. Beautiful-looking film. And I like the contrast in cinematography between it and its predecessor.
It's not a disaster or anything, but there is not much distinctive about it, at least in the non-diegetic music. There are crescendos in suspenseful moments that are quite pedestrian, such as when the blind killers are about to shoot Bond as he's entering the hotel, or when Bond stabs the guard in the river.
Saw this too for the first time in the cinema in 1987, and I managed to fall asleep, exhausted by military life, but was awakened by the fire alarm. Nobody left the theatre however, and it stopped after a minute or so. False alarm. Saw it again all the way through a year later on video.
Like the first, this also has the perfect cast and crew, plus John Barry on scoring duties which really elevates it. Another cinematic classic.
The first pre-title sequence, invented by Hunt and Young during the editing process is a moody one. I love it.
The title sequence isn t all that, and don t care much for the instrumental theme tune, either. I do love the vocal version with Matt Monro.
Both Istanbul and Venice are great locations, but my favourite is the Orient Express. It really makes me miss the old trains, and it has the best fight scene in the whole series.
The unseen Blofeld is unbeatable as a villain. All the scenes aboard his ship are a joy.
What s so special about the first three films is that they are all very true to the source, based on three of the best books, and made while Fleming was still writing Bond.
Best line:
"This really isn t your day, is it?"
Mine is "let me take care of this filthy stuff"
The old films really do have the best lines.
Bond films weren t shown on tv here until the 90s. It had to do with distribution deals. Bond was a bucket of gold for the video industry all through the 80s.
Cinemas would show older films occasionally. I miss that, not just for Bond. They would show classics, b- movies, cartoons, serials, even tv shows. That ended in the 90s when a multitude of new tv channels arrived.
My thoughts pretty much stay the same. A good, solid Bond film that excels in sets, locations and cinematography but it’s a bit overlong at times nevertheless. The relationship between Bond and Anya has a great premise but needed fleshing out a bit. Action and stunts are excellent though.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
James Bond: 4
Moore really excels during the scene where he reveals he killed Anya’s lover. The worriless quips mid-action are a tad too far for my tastes though, but I do love ‘How does that grab you?’ during the final confrontation with Jaws.
Bond girls: 3
A wasted opportunity if there ever was one. As I said earlier I love the way she is set up but poor acting by Bach and so-so writing later on waste this potentially top 5 Bond character.
Villain: 3
Fine but nothing special.
Henchmen/women: 4
Jaws, Naomi and Sandor are all very good.
Allies: 4
A somewhat overlooked category for this film. A loyal Shane Rimmer, a charismatic Edward de Souza and Gogol’s first appearance make this section worthwile.
MI6: 4
’Well done, James’
Plot: 4
Bond kills Bond girl’s lover in the PTS lifts up YOLT 2.0
Gunbarrel & title sequence: 3
Sets & locations: 5
Along with the next category the best thing about the film: Austria, Egypt and Sardinia!
Cinematography: 5
Claude Renoir delivers one of the franchise’s best in terms of cinematography. Especially love that scene with Jaws at the pyramids: a masterpiece in atmospherical use of colours.
Pre-title sequence: 4
Climax: 3
Good, though a bit too long.
Vehicles & gadgets: 4
The Lotus sub, the Liparus, the jetski and a whole collection of underwater vehicles!
Action: 5
The stunt work is absolutely amazing in this one.
Dialogue & humour: 3
A lot of excellent stuff here but I do dislike Bond quipping every other second. Maybe it’s not even the fact that he’s quipping, it just feels forced and unnatural at times.
Music score: 4
Definitely like Marvin Hamlisch’ score, though a pity the album version of Bond 77 never features in the film.
Original song(s): 4
Costumes & attire: 3
Not the greatest collection of suits and some frantic ties too. Anya’s attire makes up for a lot though.
Snobbery: 4
Ian Fleming: 3
Total: 76%
Current standings
1. OHMSS
2. TB
3. TMWTGG
4. DN
5. FRWL
6. GF/TSWLM
7. YOLT
9. LALD
10. DAF
THUNDERBALL
I saw all Young films for the first time in the cinema in 87. As with the others, this one also grew on me over time.
The pts is one of the wakest in the series, and it is very jarring when Rose Alba suddenly turns into Bob Simmons. It is as bad as Leiter s magic pants.
The title song is fine, but what really stands out is the main title sequence. It is Binder s very best.
The rest of the film is really elevated by the Barry score, one of his finest. So many great scenes throughout. I have always found the scene where the Vulcan pilot gets his airhose cut unsettling. The killer should have held up a sign that said "It just isn t your day, is it?" to lighten the mood.
The whole cast and crew is again tops, and I have to mention Fiona Volpe, the best femme fatale in the whole series. I love how Paluzzi delivers the line "I shall kill him."
The final 20 minutes are unfortunately rather boring, and it brings the whole film down a notch. The speeding boat is like something out of a parody.
Ranking the Terence Young films
1 FRWL
2 DN
3 TB
Next up-Sam Mendes.
Concerning my Bondathon, next up was Moonraker. Now this one was always near the bottom for me, but it really surprised me this time. Maybe that has to do with the glorious visuals that I now saw on blu-ray for the first time. The moments of poor comedy and illogical writing are obviously still there, though I find them much more bearable in this all-out atompsherical globetrotting adventure than I used to. Also, 007 actually does a lot more investigative work than I remembered. Pleasantly surprised.
MOONRAKER
James Bond: 5
I complained about the quips in Spy and you would expect I’d do the same here. The difference here however is that I find the timing better and the lines funnier. In Spy he could be a bit of a jerk, while in this one he’s witty. Could this be the best lighthearted Bond performance?
Bond girls: 5
Lois Chiles is not only a vast improvement over Barbara Bach, she is one of my favourite Bond girls combining both kindness as well as toughness. Corinne Cléry and Emily Bolton aren’t too bad either.
Villain: 4
Excellent villain, definitely top half.
Henchmen/women: 4
Cha and Jaws both deliver one great scene each: the glass museum fight and the Rio alley attack. Towards the end Jaws is played out more for laughs which costs this category the maximum score.
Allies: 3
Scott is ok but a bit boring, I’d give this one a narrow pass for Gogol’s small albeit quite amusing scene: ‘Nothing but problems.’
MI6: 4
A final heartwarming Bernard Lee performance and some short but well-played interaction with Q and Moneypenny.
Plot: 3
A lot to complain here, from the rehashed scheme to the illogical writing, but I love how Bond is actually spying, investigating and being sneaky throughout most of the film.
Gunbarrel & title sequence: 4
I like this title sequence a lot more than I remember, could be one of my favourites. A rather generic gunbarrel here, just like in most Rog films but it’s definitely passable.
Sets & locations: 5
Another triumph for the Lewis Gilbert films: the French château, Venice, Rio and the Amazon! Not to mention Ken Adam’s finest hour in the series. Every single set is a masterpiece here. I think my favourites are the interiors of the Inca temple.
Cinematography: 5
Jean Tournier’s only contribution to the Bond series is a spectacular one with stunning visuals, amazing colours and bathing in atmosphere.
Pre-title sequence: 4
Am I allowed to like this one a tad better than Spy’s?
Climax: 3
Due to some stunning visuals this absurd space laser shootout isn’t all that bad even though it goes on for too long and it’s as far away from Fleming as you can possibly go.
Vehicles & gadgets: 5
The cigarette case that is a safecracker is a favourite. A fine inventory for Goodhead too and that Glastron/Carlson is probably my favourite of the Bond boats.
Action: 4
Dialogue & humour: 5
I think I am in the minority but the dialogue here is in my mind a lot better than in the previous film. Drax in particular gets more than a few great lines.
Music score: 5
One of Barry’s best, ergo one of Bond’s best.
Original song(s): 3
Costumes & attire: 4
Bond sports some great attire in this one and so does Holly. Jaws also gets his iconic suspenders outfit and I love those yellow jumpsuits Drax’ henchmen wear.
Snobbery: 4
Not a lot but a Bollinger remark and Rog’s capability to emulate an overall sense of sophistication work well enough.
Ian Fleming: 2
Despite some fine spy work, this one isn’t quite what Fleming was about.
Total: 81%
Current rankings
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. The Man with the Golden Gun
4. Dr. No & From Russia with Love
6. Moonraker
7. Goldfinger & The Spy Who Loved Me
9. You Only Live Twice
10. Live and Let Die
11. Diamonds Are Forever
Now that was a surprise.
As a Norwegian I feel flattered you have such high praise for places many locals would deem fairly unspectacular. Your are not just being polite are you? ;)
Kristiansand is rather nice :)