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I have yet to see the film, but I just bought the Blu-Ray. The movie is starting as we speak. Looking forward to it.
I've been a Bond fan for about 15 years now, and being able to enjoy my first marathon of these films with the latest era officially completed is an exciting milestone of sorts. CR was released before I dove into this fabulous franchise, but by the time my fanhood had begun and I watched all the films at least once, QOS was quickly on its way to theaters. My memories with these movies are endless, and I'm hopeful to make some new ones for this newest marathon. As indicated by the title and my other postings about it on previous pages, this marathon will cover the 25 EON films in alphabetical order. My favorite aspect of this arrangement is that it allows me to mostly see the films as standalone as possible and be able to rank them with the least amount of bias I can manage. With the traditional rules of words like "the" and "a" not counting as the first words of the movie titles, the first feature that I watched tonight was...
Starting a Bondathon with CR is a bittersweet thing. It's fitting and terrific in the sense that it starts things off with a bang, and that it's the one film to serve as a sort of "origin story" for James Bond, but for me it's also an instant peaking of the whole experience, given it's been my #1 ranked Bond film since I first saw it. Very few movies I rewatch frequently have me constantly on the edge of my seat when I already know what's going to happen, but CR still brilliantly has this effect on me. I still get sweaty palms when Bond and Mollaka are high up on the cranes and high nerves when the high-stakes poker hands are played. This is the kind of movie where I believe the stars aligned to create as close to Bond perfection as we're ever going to see.
The main thing I want to talk about film-wise this time around is Daniel Craig. This was actually my first non-NTTD Craig Bond film watch since it dropped last year, and it was interesting leaping from that right back to the beginning, even though it's been months since my last NTTD viewing. I feel like in a way, watching NTTD first then CR second in a double feature would be more rewarding than the other way around. Anyways, Craig's Bond performance in CR to me is simply extraordinary. Yes, it's true Dalton deserves credit for being the first to really nail the grittier tone as Bond, but Craig still has a distinct flavor of his own. In my opinion, of the six EON actors to play the role, he by far feels the most believable as a hitman - a killer.
Craig's a Bond that messes up frequently, but still manages to get the job done in sloppy fashion. I'm blown away every time I watch that chase scene in Madagascar, which may be the best action sequence of the whole series. It felt like Bond went through more in that one scene than he had in several of the older films put together, and I think that's because of the roughness of his interpretation. He's not effortless the way his predecessors were. He suffers more than any other Bond. One of CR's greatest tricks is turning the series on its head by diverting from the fantasy, wish fulfillment style of the originals, and making the viewer more thankful they're not Bond this go around. I think both visions are suitable for Bond when executed well, and I certainly think Craig was the right person to give us the most tragic and tortured version of the character ever. Though I consider Connery the overall king and all-in-one package among the actors, I'm damn proud Craig was "my Bond" - the Bond I got to grow up with.
I've sung my praises of each and every lovely element of this masterpiece many a time, so to quickly recap: perfect Bond girl, perfect Bond villain, perfect cast and other characters, perfect score, perfect action, perfect story, perfect thrills and drama, perfect atmosphere, and most importantly, perfect Bond for the movie. I really do have a hard time seeing this entry ever getting knocked out of my top spot. I adore every bit of it and can barely take my eyes away from it whenever it's playing. I'm glad to see how much love it gets around here in our community, and I'm more than happy and confident upholding it as my favorite installment.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
It's a pretty stark contrast going from CR to DAF. For one thing, the former is far more grounded and less campy, and they also happen to be on opposite ends of the scale in my rankings. DAF's bizarre PTS is probably my least favorite opening of all the movies, so that gets things off to a rough start, but I have to say I actually think the film goes pretty decently overall through the first hour. The scenes are consistently interesting and entertaining for half the movie, but once the moon buggy chase scene comes, things go pretty quickly downhill for me.
Watching Connery's last official film first in this marathon is pretty weird, but I also feel like it helped me appreciate his performance a little more in DAF than I usually would. While there are unfortunately campy elements that do not play to Connery's strengths and take me out of the experience (mousetrap in jacket, pretending to make out by himself on the sidewalk), his energy level is noticeably higher than it was in YOLT still. That movie has a lot more going for it IMO, but I will definitely give DAF the edge as far as Connery's Bond performance goes. I do really wish though that they hadn't swung so far into silly territory for Connery's last movie and just waited one more for Moore's arrival given how much better it suits him instead.
I never liked Tiffany Case, sorry. Easily a bottom tier Bond girl for me. Same goes for Plenty. And though I enjoyed Charles Gray's Blofeld a little more than usual today, he still falls short of all the other versions for me. He's an entertaining enough baddie, but I can't take him very seriously nor consider him fitting as Bond's archrival. The way he and the whole SPECTRE organization is handled in this movie is ultimately quite unsatisfying to me, though it's always a lot more frustrating when I watch it right after OHMSS, so the sting was lessened. If they had gone for a more standalone route here I'd probably have enjoyed it a bit more.
Barry delivers a good score like always at least, and Bassey's title song is a classic albeit not among my personal favorites. I like that Blofeld's cat got more attention than usual throughout the movie. I've noted it plenty of times before, but Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd are far and away the biggest highlight of the movie. They hit the perfect blend of campy and menacing and simply steal every scene they're in; the final scuffle with them aboard the ship is far more exciting and interesting to me than the entire oil rig climax. Going back to what I said earlier about the strong start, the collection of scenes in the first half really are pretty fun, but this film gets duller as it heads toward the ending and it's a real pity. The one really cool sequence I get a kick out of in the second half is the fight with Bambi and Thumper. If the film was as consistently colorful and lively as the first half the whole way through, I know it could be bumped up a couple spots or so in my rankings.
I want to make it clear I don't hate DAF, or any other Bond film at all for that matter. Being braced for the shaky second half and watching it in a random order instead of a follow-up to OHMSS helped make this viewing one of my better ones of it in recent memory still. There's a lot about it that doesn't work for me, but I still had a good time overall. It being a bottom tier Bond entry for me proves how strong this series is and why it's always such a blast marathoning all of them!
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. Diamonds Are Forever
Following up DAF with DAD marks the roughest stretch of this Bondathon for me, given they've been my two least favorite Bond films for a long while now. DAD actually made me mostly miss DAF still. I don't watch James Bond movies for subtlety, but DAD is somehow twenty times less subtle than every other Bond movie combined. There just aren't near enough moments to breathe, and the overcompensation of explosions, CGI, and other annoying effects like the random speed-ups and slow-mos become most annoying as they bombard the viewer in the final act.
Like DAF, DAD actually is pretty good for the first hour or so. The sword fight scene is the biggest highlight of the movie for me, standing out as a unique and fun action sequence within the franchise. Besides the CG bullet in the gunbarrel sequence and the surfing, the PTS is cool, and one of my other favorite bits of the movie is Bond's torture and imprisonment in North Korea (2/3rds of this was going to be Danny Boyle's Bond 25, right?). Of course, the series-worst title song does hinder that enjoyment. Characters like the female prison guard and Miranda remind me of how much I miss female antagonists in this series; aside from Dr. Vogel and Valenka, both of whom are very minor characters, female villains were far too lacking in the Craig era. Hope that turns around going forward.
Brosnan himself is fine and comfy as Bond in his fourth and final turn, but he and the rest of the cast get the most cringeworthy dialogue of the entire series too. The puns are a trademark quality of this franchise I wouldn't want to see go away, but they consistently hit groan-inducing lows in DAD. Graves is likely my least favorite main Bond villain, though Zao is solid. Jinx is maybe a little over-hated, but still not a great Bond girl. I think ultimately what frustrates me most about the film anyway is that it has a lot of potential to be better, but takes such a wild nosedive from the ice palace onwards and never recovers. It earns that dreaded bottom spot pretty thoroughly, simply for being the least good of the large lot to choose from. Like CR being highly unlikely to be unseated from my top spot, the same can be said for DAD in the basement.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. Diamonds Are Forever
3. Die Another Day
DN's slow-paced, less-is-more approach was the perfect tonic for the bombastic DAD. I know it'll never happen given how expectations have changed, but I still yearn for a more small-scale, action-light Bond adventure like this one again. Great action is great, but I love that here other elements like the spy work and the mystery get more spotlight.
It never fails to amaze me just how much the very first Bond movie got right. Connery's debut performance is nothing short of remarkable, and I believe the most central reason why this series has gotten to enjoy the longevity that it has. One element in particular I love about Connery in DN is that he never gets more vulnerable than in this outing; his subtly emotional reaction to Quarrel's death, his admittance of being scared to Honey, and the beating he takes by Dr. No's guards are key examples. While we get to see plenty of his cool side in the movie, it'd have been neat for his future films to put him in more rough spots like this one does so well.
As always, very minimal complaints with this fantastic movie. The only way I can think it would have been more perfect is a classic John Barry score to complement all the events. The soundtrack isn't "bad," but other than the iconic Bond theme nothing stands out. Everything else is just so quality though. Jack Lord's Leiter is the perfect cool counterpart to Bond, Quarrel is an awesome ally, Honey Ryder remains one of the very best Bond girls ever, and Dr. No himself is one of the very best Bond villains ever. The script is crisp, the Jamaica settings are terrific, and most importantly, James Bond himself couldn't have been established as an on-screen character more perfectly. I do wish this one got the same level of praise as the beloved, Connery-led titans of FRWL and GF, because frankly I think DN's just about equally incredible.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. Dr. No
3. Diamonds Are Forever
4. Die Another Day
I think Norman’s music is fine, though Barry would definitely have been able to elevate some of the more quieter scenes.
Welcome to the alphabetical Bondathon Sir Roger Moore! It's interesting that FYEO is the first one up of the seven Moore films, given it's the one that stands out most for being the most serious and Fleming-esque of his decidedly campy tenure. I can't go any further without addressing the oft-derided PTS. I LOVE IT! What is a lowlight for many is one of the highlights of this movie for me. Yes, Blofeld is a little too laughy, and yes, the delicatessen line is pretty ridiculous, but other than that I think the entire sequence is brilliant. The homage to Tracy Bond was such a great idea, and frankly I feel like the fact that they couldn't mention Blofeld by name makes the whole thing more impactful and neat in a way with his and Bond's final encounter. The neck brace element always made me theorize that this is the first time Bond sees the "real" Blofeld since OHMSS, and that all he dealt with in DAF were fakes. We all like to make up our own canon anyhow as Bond fans! The way he's disposed of down the chimney after taking Bond for a ride is both fun and satisfying to me - not silly and disrespectful as many interpret it. Different strokes for different folks, but as far as I'm concerned the film starts with a bang with that scene.
I always have fun watching Roger as Bond, but this movie definitely holds my favorite performance of his. He can be funny, cold, and tender when the moments call for it. The hilarious, visible discomfort around Bibi, iconic car kick scene, and warm relationship with Melina are all great instances of Moore at his best. Melina is a Top 10 Bond girl, and Columbo is a Top 10 Bond ally, no question about it to me. While not the most overly impressive or Bondian, I'm a fan of the title song, and though it's one of the weaker soundtracks in the series, Bill Conti's score has its moments too. I forgot how much action was in this one actually, I somehow remembered it being a little slower than it felt on this latest watch. Kristatos is an admittedly plain villain, but he fits what the movie's going for perfectly. I still like him.
The general complaint I see about this one is that it's the most vanilla Bond movie. That might be true, but for me that's all I need and want to hit the spot sometimes! Every time I do a chronological Bondathon, FYEO comes as a much-needed relief following MR for me. I'm really glad Moore got this particular movie, because it's a lovely straightforward, grounded outing amid the wild madness of his other adventures. It's welcomingly the most bare-bones Bond film after DN and FRWL. There's great action, great romance, great characters, and a good story with a couple neat twists. It may not boast many particularly exceptional elements like the most elite installments of the franchise (mainly just the main girl and ally IMO), but FYEO is a rock-solid Bond movie that holds a soft spot in my heart.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. Dr. No
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. Diamonds Are Forever
5. Die Another Day
What a Bond film FRWL is. It's hard to think back to it now, but when I was first getting into these movies as a kid this one was never a favorite. I think the slow pace, light action, and lack of fantastical elements must have put me off at the time, but now as an adult those are some of the things that make me love it the most. This is the ultimate "spy thriller" of the entire franchise. It's some of the best adapted Fleming there'll ever be and gloriously Hitchcockian. If you just want that and absolutely no frills and no BS, this is the Bond movie for you.
All of Connery's first four Bond performances are fantastic, and here he's at his most intense and brutal. Kerim Bey I think is probably the single greatest ally character in all 25 movies; he's full of personality and aides Bond both in business and friendship. One of my favorite lines to come from Bond in the movie is, "How can a friend be in debt?" That's about as mushy as we'll ever see 007! While Dr. No is my single favorite villain of the Connery era, FRWL boasts the greatest overall collection of rogues of any outing. Rosa Klebb, Kronsteen, Krilencu, Donald Grant, and Blofeld himself - are you kidding? That's stacked as hell. Speaking of Grant, it amazes me how to this day, the train fight scene has never been topped 20 plus films later. It's delightfully claustrophobic, ferocious, heart-stopping, and vicious. The action is used sparingly for good effect, and when it all explodes at the end the impact is all the better, with terrific scenes on the train, the boat, and the demise of Rosa Klebb.
Tatiana Romanova... I know that's she's one of the most beloved Bond girls ever, but I won't back down from voicing my unpopular opinion that I think she is the most overrated. Not the worst - not even close to bad either - I just don't understand the thinking she's a Top 5. She is beautiful and has the clutch moment of offing Klebb, but I feel like her personality is a tad too one-dimensional and her lovey-doveyness towards Bond gets to be a bit much at times. The film's got some awesome firsts, such as the super-cool PTS, title / credits song, and Desmond Llewelyn's Q! John Barry also arrives on the scene, and while he would outdo this first score many times over, it brings some terrific ambience and the all-timer "Bond Takes the Lektor / 007 Theme."
I don't know much more I can say without droning on. I think FRWL is spectacular, and while I prefer a few individual elements about DN, this one collectively comes together just a bit more impressively. My love for Connery's first four adventures is damn near equal, and it likely goes without saying but ranking these films is often like splitting hairs. I also realized interestingly I nearly got Connery's first three in a row in this alphabetical marathon, separated by just FYEO and GE! There's always interesting patterns that develop even when one tries a more random sequence! But yes, sorry for that tangent. FRWL is a James Bond masterpiece, period.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. Diamonds Are Forever
6. Die Another Day
When it comes to directors who have done more than one Bond film, two names stand above all others in consistent greatness: Terence Young and Martin Campbell. A shame only TB remains in this Bondathon of all their great Bond movies put together! GE is the Bond that Brosnan is remembered for, and that's all for the better given his era ended up being a series of diminishing returns. But boy did he start off with a bang!
Brosnan himself arguably got more comfortable in the role of Bond later on, but he's still very good in his first performance here. Frankly I find all 6 Bond actors to be great! He's plenty suave and witty, and gets lots of great characters to play off of like the humorous Jack Wade, kinky Xenia Onatopp, and best friend-turned enemy Alec Trevelyan. The film boasts one of the most colorful casts of characters I've seen in an action flick. Dench as M was a terrific casting choice that paid dividends, Natalya is among my favorites of all the Bond girls, and the assortment of villains from Boris to Ourumov is splendid. While a far cry from the slower, less actiony FRWL, GE does feel like it carries a similarly large impact for the series for more modern audiences. I'd consider it among the top few most "important" Bond films made, along with the likes of DN, FRWL, GF, LALD, TSWLM, CR, and SF. The films that really left huge marks and kept the series going so well.
I don't care what the haters say, I love Eric Serra's soundtrack! It's a distinct flavor, and I really wish they left the Pleasant Drive in St. Petersburg track in for the tank chase instead of the classic Bond theme - not that I hate the usage of the latter, but the former is a great rendition for the movie IMO. The title song and credits are super solid too. Oh, and the PTS... along with CR and NTTD, the very best the series has to offer. I'm going to keep this talk relatively brief, as GE's a film I've loved since I first saw it and it's not going anywhere away from my favorites list. Just wild that it faces such stiff competition so early on in this marathon!
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. GoldenEye
5. For Your Eyes Only
6. Diamonds Are Forever
7. Die Another Day
Dr. No
More solid than I remember. Connery is fantastic. The build up to the titular villain finally showing himself is expertly done - I love when they show you his hands for the first time. Kitzmiller as Quarrel is quite likable and his gruesome death is very undeserved. It's a shame Jack Lord didn't come back for Goldfinger, he makes for a good counterpart to Connery. I was struck by how perfunctory Honey felt; she comes in quite late and doesn't contribute much, plot-wise. The entrance is iconic, though.
Highlight: Bond and No's dinner.
7/10
From Russia With Love
A very well-constructed thriller. The inclusion of SPECTRE was a beneficial change from the book, it adds a nice additional layer of intrigue that's layed out clearly. The gypsy camp sequence drags a little, but not too badly. The train is really the climax of the movie, so I'm not sure we needed three denouements in the helicopter chase, the boat chase, and Klebb's tap dancing, but they're all enjoyable nevertheless. Matt Munro's FRWL song is apparently controversial, so I'll say I quite liked it. Same for the hand wave.
Faceless Blofeld immediately makes an impression. Tania falling for Bond on the train is a cute little set of moments. Pedro Armendáriz as Kerim has effortless chemistry with SC, and you really feel like Bond cares when he finds him dead. Robert Shaw as Red Grant is a great adversary for Bond, that whole sequence when he comes onto the train is such good suspense. I wish there was more of Kronsteen. Klebb is so wonderfully creepy.
Highlight: Blofeld, Klebb and Kronsteen discussing the plan.
9/10
1. From Russia With Love
2. Dr. No
Goldfinger
The film that defined the Bond formula, GF is an adventure from start to finish. It's difficult to fully appreciate it after becoming so familiar with everything it inspired, but it's a great way to spend two hours.
Connery is the central attraction. The man positively radiates cool in every scene, even when he spends most of the Second Act falling on his face (well, he does begin to sound like a psycho while driving Tilly to the petrol station, but other than that). Speaking of Tilly, she does feel a little undercooked. Her death works as a way to fire the Checkov's Gun of the hat throw, but we did already have one sacrificial lamb in her sister.
One of my favourite bits in the film is after Bond gets put back in jail post Hood's Convention and there's half a dozen goons looking at him in his cell.
It was an interesting subversion to have some other guy bail Bond out with the bomb; perhaps it should've been him from a screenwriting perspective, but he does kill both Oddjob and Goldfinger, so I wouldn't say it was necessary.
As for the rest of the cast, although Q appeared in the previous two, and was played by Desmond Llewelyn in FRWL, this is really when he takes on a personality of his own beyond Exposition-Man. Cec Linder is actually pretty enjoyable as the bureaucrat variant of Felix, despite my preference for Lord. It's funny how Pussy is almost a proto-Bond’s Equal when we first meet her. I liked the Irish golf expert who tagged along with Bond at the game.
Highlight: the PTS.
8/10
1. From Russia With Love
2. Goldfinger
3. Dr. No
First of all, the film looks great. More than just camera-wise along with the move to widescreen, I think this is Connery's best look as Bond, and Claudine Auger and Luciana Paluzzi are stunning. This really does feel like the 'biggest Bond yet'.
I know some find the plot confusing, but I thought it was easy enough to get. My main issue was the underwater sequences: they go on for far too bloody long. We didn't need to see every step of the plan in excruciating detail, or Bond kill a dozen goons. They damage the pace of the film, which is otherwise well measured.
Rick Van Nutter's Felix is sadly Discount Jack Lord overall. There's less of the sense of equality with Bond that Lord or even Linder had.
Fiona Volpe is an inspired addition to the story. My favourite moment is when she mocks the trope of Bond turning women to the side of good with the power of sex.
It's strange they gave a really minor henchman such an important role in the climax, and how we didn't even see him throwing the arming device into the sea given it's significance. I wonder if he survived. Oh well, there's only room for two on Bond's loveboats.
Highlight: The PTS, once again.
7/10
1. From Russia With Love
2. Goldfinger
3. Thunderball
4. Dr. No
Have to say, I don't think Connery is bad in this film. Is he as lively as in the previous ones? No, but he isn't the creature of stone people say he is. And whatever you think of his performance here, there's no doubt he pulls off that Navy uniform.
The helicopter chase did feel haphazard to me, even in terms of score initially the sound effects are drowning out the Bond Theme and then they go and restart it. Just didn't come together properly.
Connery as a Japanese man is ungodly stuff.
I have a soft spot for Pleasance as Blofeld. That first meeting between him and Bond is crackling.
The main thing I dislike about this film is that it robbed us of a faithful to the book YOLT, but on it's own it's fun.
Highlight: Bond and Blofeld meeting face-to-face.
7/10
1. From Russia With Love
2. Goldfinger
3. Thunderball
4. Dr. No
5. You Only Live Twice
Amazing film. Lazenby is IMO much better than his detractors say he is, even if he does spend a good chunk dubbed (the only truly wooden bits are the puns and a couple awkward deliveries). For a first-time actor it's very impressive. The physicality is good too, and Diana Rigg and him have brilliant chemistry. As for Rigg herself, she's without a doubt one of of the best Bond girl in the series. Savalas as Blofeld! The fight scenes! The score! The list goes on.
And the ending, my God. The hat throw and Tracy's death made me shed tears. It's a movie that's firing on all cylinders.
The only thing I can say that isn't in praise of it is I think there would've been an added dimension to the story if it was further into a Bond actor's tenure, rather than his first film. I stil love it as is, though.
10/10
Highlight: the ending.
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. From Russia With Love
3. Goldfinger
4. Thunderball
5. Dr. No
6. You Only Live Twice
Well, this one ended up coming a day later than I had planned, since I had a bizarre internet issue last night that interrupted VUDU. GF is the king of classic Bond, and one of the absolute most rewatchable and well-balanced entries of the franchise. It gets off to a fantastic start with the best PTS of Connery's era, a 5-minute mini Bond movie that's got everything you need to know about James Bond in a nicely compact package! The whole movie though really is the best one of all 25 to introduce someone to James Bond to.
Like his other first few movies, Connery's in top form, making his pitch-perfect Bond performance look easy-breezy. Something I noticed in FRWL, GF, and TB is that I feel the henchpeople (Grant, Oddjob, Volpe) all outshine the main villains for me (Klebb, Goldfinger, Largo), even though I like the main villains too. Oddjob's iconic character is maybe my favorite aspect of GF; such an original, brilliant baddie! Jill Masterson is one of my favorite minor Bond girls, and Pussy is a solid main Bond girl. While likeable, I never found Cec Linder's Felix to be particularly fitting for the role. John Barry starts to come into his own with this score, and the first time usage of sung lyrics over the title credits is perfection with Shirley Bassey's title song.
GF and GE are both near-perfect Bond experiences, though I noticed on these past two watches there were just a tiny bit of pacing issues for me with them. Nothing major, though it did cross my mind. For the longest time GF was an immovable Top 5 Bond movie on my list, but it hasn't been in that territory for a bit now in my ranking. It isn't so much of me liking it less as it is gaining an even bigger love for a couple other Bond movies. And today, the first ranking change happens with this theme, which is DN gaining a spot above GF. If you're looking for pure entertainment and a Bond buffet, GF is the better experience, but if I'm being 100% honest DN has clicked for me more between the two. That being said it's still absolutely splitting hairs, and I really do hate when ranking comes to moments like this when I have several personal 10/10s sitting among each other. GF's a damn good time, particularly the sensational first half, and its "demotion" by a spot is more of a testament to DN's undervalued greatness than anything else. With the next five films on the docket, we're gonna get a healthy dose of Dalton and Moore!
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Diamonds Are Forever
8. Die Another Day
LTK probably is the Bond film I love the most that I don't credit the most... if that makes sense. I have a very fond memory of this being one of my very first Bonds, viewed with a friend at a young age, and it left a great impression. While in my earliest years as a fan it ranked a little higher, I do still really have a soft spot for this one, and I want to give it its due credit.
While TLD was a decent debut for Dalton, it's LTK that has a hold of my heart. It's got the perfect villain in the heinous Sanchez, the perfect tough Bond girl in Pam Bouvier, a satisfying and thrilling revenge plot, and just entertains relentlessly. The PTS, while not an all-timer, is a solid way to begin, and the film really just gets better and better as it goes along which is a super rare thing for a Bond movie IMO. The climax especially is a series-great, with Sanchez's demise being a particular highlight. Dalton himself really does a fine job, and I know I speak on behalf of most Bond fans when I say at least one more Bond for him would have been a much nicer timeline.
I really love Q in this movie, even though he's used in the field too much in recent entries I feel like the way it's done here was never bettered. Moneypenny and M, while limited, are good; it's Robert Brown's best turn in the role IMO. Love the farewell to arms scene. Sharkey is a really awesome ally, wish he had lived longer. I'm actually a big fan of the title song and If You Asked Me To, they really have that 80s charm that appeals to me. The action in this film is amazing. I really feel like John Glen went out on a high with this and that it was the best of his solid run of 5 Bond movies.
Well, it was a really special watch of this one today. I can't place my finger on it exactly, but it just clicked so well. I seriously, seriously debated placing this above GE, but I just can't bring myself to do it, at least for now. The ranking started easy enough for the first few movies, but now it's feeling as hard as it ever has for me. I'm definitely expecting a shift or two going forward.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Licence to Kill
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. Diamonds Are Forever
9. Die Another Day
A film eternally hamstrung by the fact it was the followup to OHMSS. The PTS seems to want to have it both ways in terms of continuity: starting in Japan might signal it's continuing on from YOLT instead, but then Bond is out for unspecified revenge. The rest of it ignores Majesty's completely, with Bond and Blofeld even exchanging light banter. It isn't that this isn't fun to watch, or that I don't get why they went this way - Lazenby walked away, making a revenge film with Connery would've been very awkward, and of course Majesty's did underperfom relative to the prior films - but it's no less disappointing.
I prefer Bassey's DAF to GF. Fight me.
I like Bond and M's sparring in the Very Different From Goldfinger briefing and the former's snobbery. The Moneypenny scene is great, unless you think about Bond’s last experience with a diamond in a ring...
I have a great time with Jill St. John's Tiffany, until she loses her snark in the 3rd Act. The bit where she falls off the oil rig is still funny though.
The lift fight with Franks is one of the best in the series.
Lana Wood is pretty good in the small role she has, although it is impossible to make sense of Plenty's death without behind the scenes knowledge. Her introduction does result in one of Connery's best lines. "I didn't know there was a pool down there" is an underrated one. Wint and Kidd are mostly very good, although they stray a little too far into camp at points. Their first scene is nicely eerie. Norman Burton as Leiter is the weakest one yet. I have a great time with Jill St. John's Tiffany, until she loses her snark in the 3rd Act. The bit where she falls off the oil rig is still funny though. Gray's Blofeld is actually not bad, again, aside from being the one who follows Savalas killing Bond’s wife. Good chemistry with Connery.
And for SC himself, he doesn't physically convince, but he does give a decent performance. That long look at Whyte after he says the guy shooting at them is fired did make me laugh.
Highlight: Bond vs. Franks.
5/10 (I feel bad for this one, but it's wasted potential narratively).
Live and Let Die
This one I have more fun with. Moore fits perfectly, Koto and Seymour are great in their roles, I even like J.W. Pepper. Hedison is a marked improvement on Burton and has great chemistry with Moore. Rosie is a pain, but Moore gets a few good lines from her so eh.
The biggest issue I have is the uh, troubling racial undertones of having basically every black character in the film in Mr. Big's pocket, apparently gleefully (granted, the taxi driver is another bit character I'm fond of) and the one guy who is on Bond's side gets coffin'd. Now I really like that death, it's nice and dark how they cut before the question gets asked seeing as we know the routine from earlier, but nevertheless. Solitaire being white is also dubious, but I like Seymour in the part too much. Speaking of Solitaire, Bond stacking the deck is creepy, yet Moore inexplicably makes it seem not so.
Highlight: Ironic, but the second funeral.
7/10
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. From Russia With Love
3. Goldfinger
4. Thunderball
5. Live and Let Die
6. Dr. No
7. You Only Live Twice
8. Diamonds Are Forever
5/18: OHMSS, No Time to Die
5/20: Licence to Kill, Skyfall
5/22: The World Is Not Enough, Diamonds Are Forever
5/23: Thunderball, Live and Let Die, You Only Live Twice
5/24: A View to a Kill, Casino Royale
5/25: From Russia with Love, Goldeneye, Die Another Day
5/26: Goldfinger, The Man with the Golden Gun
5/27: Quantum of Solace, Spectre, Moonraker
5/31: The Spy Who Loved Me, Dr. No
6/1: Tomorrow Never Dies
6/3: The Living Daylights, Octopussy
6/4: For Your Eyes Only
LALD is one colorful, unique Bond film. It's also arguably the funniest and weirdest entry in the whole series. I remember a long time ago this one was in my Top 10, and though it's fallen a few spots, my love for it has not diminished much at all. This latest watch, like with LTK, was one of my better ones in a long while, too. Funniest thing about going from that to this is Hedison's older to younger Felix. He did a very fine job in both movies!
There is a ridiculously impressive villains lineup at play here. Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big is one of the series' more underappreciated main bad guys, and his minions are super memorable. While Baron Samedi ended up as the most iconic baddie from the film, and he is undoubtedly great, Tee Hee is my favorite of the henchmen in this one. Just love his personality and hook gimmick, plus the epilogue train fight with him is really solid. Solitaire is a surefire Top 10 Bond lady. Oh, and Roger Moore... just effortlessly becomes his own James Bond from the get-go. I feel the survival of this franchise was largely contingent on how he performed, and thanks to his charming sensibilities and separation from Connery's style, he fully succeeds.
It feels repetitive to say it, but the title track is absolutely one of the franchise's best songs. I also feel George Martin did an admirable job taking over from Barry - a task I don't envy of any Bond composer. Though this time I'm not viewing the movies chronologically, I always think about how this movie feels like such a breath of fresh air and bounce back after DAF. With the campier tone they were shifting to and a clear end to Connery's tenure, LALD brilliantly kicked off Moore's era. The action in the movie is very good, particularly the climax IMO.
LALD has a ton of energy and very few flaws. When going up through my Top 14 or so Bond movies, I have a hard time picking out much that I don't really like. I guess my nitpicks here would be I feel like there was one chase scene too many (the double decker / airplane / boat all close together), which affected the pacing a tad, and that Samedi could have used a bit more screen time. The only thing I've disliked about this Bondathon is that most of my favorites are coming up too early, meaning the ranking is already getting super tough and the back half of the marathon won't be quite as amazing. Anyway, tonight's watch brings the second change since my last ranking, which is that LALD leapfrogs FYEO and significantly threatens LTK and GE.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Licence to Kill
7. Live and Let Die
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. Diamonds Are Forever
10. Die Another Day
Ah, TLD. Every time I've watched it, from the very first time years ago to tonight, my opinion of it remains largely the same, that being I consider it a perfectly "good" James Bond movie. I've noticed it's one of the very most popular Bond movies on this site, which is fine and I'm glad so many love it, but personally I don't quite grasp all the hype. I'll elaborate on what I think works and doesn't.
First, Dalton himself does a pretty good job! I think his LTK performance is superior, but he's decent here too. I think he was the right man to take over from Moore for sure when it came to trying something a bit different. The film peaks immediately with the PTS, which is a fantastic action scene that both perfectly sets up Dalton's Bond and thrills to the max! In a sense, and I've seen many others say as much, TLD kind of feels like the last "classic" Bond movie in several ways. It's John Barry's final score, it's the final PG-rated entry (though I still don't know how that happened with some of the stuff in here, like the more blatant nudity!), it's one of the last ones that doesn't really veer into the "this time it's personal" territory (TND is probably the only one since), and it's also the last one to use Russians / Cold War type material while it was still going on (GE being the only one to address this since, and dominantly set after it).
I really like Kara Milovy. Used to think of her as a mid-tier Bond girl, but I'd probably bump her up a little higher after this viewing. Oh, and Saunders is a terrific but underused ally! Pushkin I like a lot too. Meanwhile, John Terry's Felix is easily my least favorite version of the character. Just never bought it or liked it. Though it's not one of his very best, I do think Barry went out on a good note with this score. The title song isn't one of the greatest, but I like it well enough. The action is consistently really good, with particular highlights for me being the car chase (the Vantage is the coolest car, too!) and the Necros fight scenes.
Now, onto the stuff I'm not as crazy about. There are two fatal flaws that hold this film back for me: the villains and the third act. I do like Necros as the main henchman, but both Koskov and Whitaker are two of the absolute weakest baddies in the whole franchise. I can never take them seriously, I'm sorry. The film starts very strong and remains very good most of the way, but for me the pacing and quality drops considerably once Bond and Kara escape from the prison. Things just begin to drag considerably, and the climax just feels so... messy. And while fun, the last bit at Whitaker's place feels awkward. I just feel like the execution of the last parts of the film could have been worked on and improved.
I do very much enjoy TLD. But I doubt at this point I'm ever going to see it as an elite-level Bond film. It's got plenty to love and is a more than satisfying action/adventure movie, but I simply don't find it quite as consistent and amazing as many of the series' other entries. Its placement will look rough for the time being, but there's a huge gap between 9 and 10, and I already know several films will end up below TLD in due time. Also - I know @Birdleson most of all will get a kick out of this - I've decided to bump LALD above LTK for this newest ranking, at least for now! Sadly, with this watch, Dalton is the first Bond actor to exit the marathon. How I wish he could have had just one more...
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Live and Let Die
7. Licence to Kill
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. The Living Daylights
10. Diamonds Are Forever
11. Die Another Day
Of all the films to this point TMWTGG feels the most 'low rent'. The whole brothel scene, 'Bottoms Up', Goodnight pressing the button etc. Diamonds at least had some good dialogue and Connery, even a Connery that was past his prime as the character. This one isn't so lucky.
Moore here gives a weaker performance than in LALD. They're trying to have him go down a darker, sleazier route and it just doesn't fit with his version of the character. Goodnight is a complete damsel that embodies every stereotype of a Bond Girl and has less sense than 3rd Act of DAF Tiffany. Why is there that pointless scene of her rejecting Bond when she jumps into bed with him literally 30 seconds later? Andrea is good, but underused. Nic Nac is fine but the last joke fight is woeful and I ended up just feeling bad for him.
I actually enjoy J.W. Pepper's scenes, though there's no good reason for him to be here.
The Bond/Scaramanga relationship and build to their duel is by far the most interesting part of the plot - I wasn't sure how to feel about Lee's performance until the dinner scene, which is where he really comes alive in the role - but it too is inconsistent (does Scaramanga want to fight him or not?) and the solex agitator plotline is a distraction.
Highlight: the dinner scene.
4/10
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. From Russia With Love
3. Goldfinger
4. Thunderball
5. Live and Let Die
6. Dr. No
7. You Only Live Twice
8. Diamonds Are Forever
9. The Man With the Golden Gun
I'm here to swing the other way on this from @Agent_Zero_One and sing praises for Moore's sophomore outing! I LOVED this movie when I was kid, easily used to be one of my very favorites. While it isn't quite Top 10 material for me anymore now, I still find this entry a lot of fun, and this latest watch was definitely one of my best in some time.
Moore is indeed at his darkest and dirtiest in this one, but honestly it serves to benefit the character of James Bond IMO. I like Bond as a very flawed, kind of evil but not really evil kind of guy. I very much enjoy Moore's first 3 performances and FYEO's; I find them all his best acting jobs as well as generally his best Bond movies. Anyways, Christopher Lee as Scaramanga is simply a brilliant foil for Bond. He's a great example of how to do the "dark version / evil other half" type of villain with subtlety and style. And he's accompanied by Nick Nack, one of my personal favorite Bond henchmen! I prefer Andrea over Goodnight; they fall somewhere in the middle of my Bond girls list. Hip's a cool, underrated ally character.
The biggest flaws of the movie to me are the title song (I think DAD is the only one I like less) and car chase sequence with JW Pepper. I felt Pepper got overused, wasn't as amusing as he was in LALD, and the amazing bridge jump of course being tarnished by the sound effect still irks me. I also do feel like the solex agitator MacGuffin was quite unnecessary and didn't add anything interesting to the movie. Still, there's a whole lot of positives for me that outweigh the cons. For instance, Barry provides another cracking score, Scaramanga's island is the absolute coolest villain lair in the series, and the third act is a particularly strong segment that provides both terrific vocal and action interaction between Bond and Scaramanga.
TMWTGG is far from perfect, but I do feel it gets a bit too much flak too often. Even I had a phase where it ranked very low for me, but now I feel very happy with it overall and adore it for its entertainment value. Of all the 25 films we have, I actually want the next Bond movie to be most modeled after this one. I want a small scale plot again (the hunt between Bond and Scaramanga aspect particularly, which is awesome), complete standalone and unique story, some more genuine lightheartedness and silliness (Bond's swan dive out of the karate school kills me every time), and a return to the sleaziness and sexiness for God's sake! It's not a top shelf entry, but I very much appreciate TMWTGG's place in the Bond canon and feel it has a lot to be enjoyed and inspired by!
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Live and Let Die
7. Licence to Kill
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. The Man with the Golden Gun
10. The Living Daylights
11. Diamonds Are Forever
12. Die Another Day
MR is one of the Bond movies I've warmed up to over time that used to be an easy bottom 3-5 entry. While still not a favorite, there's plenty I've found to enjoy about it. In fact, really the first two thirds in general I think are quite solid for the most part!
I've always said about this one that Roger Moore is at his most "autopilot" as Bond, which I still feel is the case. To me this makes it his least impressive Bond performance, but still effortlessly charming and fun to watch nonetheless! I consider Holly Goodhead an average Bond girl, and I do wish Corrine had gotten more. I was just thinking on this watch how Manuela and her role really reminded me of Paloma in NTTD! Wonder if there was any inspiration behind the small, in-and-out role? Drax is a pretty good villain, and I like Chang and Jaws as henchmen. Random minor note, but I always get a kick out of Chang's sincerely sad face when Bond gets out of the centrifuge trap! Speaking of, that scene is the best bit of the whole film, and a definite series highlight. I always think of Bernard Lee a lot with this one too, as it was his final turn playing M. He was legendary and perfect every time at it.
I like a lot of the action in this film. The PTS is extremely good, the centrifuge part as I mentioned is superb, the cable car sequence is a joy, and I also love the fight with Chang with a whole bunch of glass breaking (a very satisfying element in action scenes to me). The settings are as gorgeous as ever, and Barry's effort on the soundtrack is fantastic! Also, I'm a big fan of Bassey's title song in this one, which I find to be one of the franchise's more underappreciated songs. There's just one big, glaring flaw... the double-take pigeon!!!
But seriously, other than a few super-silly moments in the first two thirds, the main issue I have is the third act. It loses me every time to some extent, and this latest one was particularly rough. Could be because it's late and I'm tired, but in any case I've never been a fan of the gigantic laser fight and outer space madness. It doesn't feel very Bondian at all to me at that point. There's still cool parts like Jaws in action and Drax's death, but overall it's significantly weaker than the rest of the movie and does drag on too much for my liking.
If MR had some more consistency, I could see it ranking at least above TLD for me. At any rate, some of the over the top stuff is just too glaringly off for me, and while it is a very entertaining movie, I can't in good conscience place it any higher. I really like the movie collectively though, and it once again proves how even a lesser-beloved Bond movie for me beats the vast majority of other movies out there! NTTD up next sure will be a hell of a dramatic shift from this one.
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Live and Let Die
7. Licence to Kill
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. The Man with the Golden Gun
10. The Living Daylights
11. Moonraker
12. Diamonds Are Forever
13. Die Another Day
This was my fifth watch of NTTD, and the first one where I'd say all the dust has 100% settled with it being not a newbie anymore. I'm more relieved than anything else that it hasn't taken a massive dive like SP did for me after all the initial hype, even though I love it maybe just a tad less than my first few watches. There is a LOT of content in this movie, and most of it is pretty high-quality luckily.
Daniel Craig pulls off a masterclass performance, clearly giving it his all in his final go around. His sillier side is much more natural and improved from SP, and the dramatic beats are rivaled only by his fabulous CR performance. I think it might still be my single favorite Bond performance for showing us each and every part of Bond's character, and just the fact Craig is such a terrific actor. He did so, so well in this role, and he's undoubtedly the best and most important thing about the movie. I found Madeleine's character and chemistry with Bond vastly improved from SP too, and while I prefer Tracy and Vesper, she finally made sense to me as Bond's new "true love" so to speak this time around. That being said, with three "true loves" in the series now, I'm ready for that to take a very long break and get back to a more loose and womanizing Bond again!
One thing I feel like NTTD did better than any of the other Craig movies was henchmen. Craig's era was a bit lacking in this department, but I really like Primo and Ash! As for the main bad guy, I'm a big fan of Safin. I do think his character could have used a little more attention and focus, but as is, he's a super creepy, unique villain who succeeds more than any other Bond villain ever did. I feel like the cast and acting all around in this film is very good, and can't think of any complaints in that area!
Another thing I want to emphasize is that the action is absolutely fantastic in this movie. SP's action felt so dull compared to the thrilling, heart-pounding action in the other Craig movies, and fortunately NTTD restored that aspect with a bang. The ominous forest sequence and Cuba shootout are particular highlights, though there's simply no beating the epic PTS, which is a contender for series-best. And both Hans Zimmer and Billie Eilish deliver the goods in the music department.
I've spent a lot of time praising the movie, but it isn't flawless for me. This was the first time of my watches that I started to really feel the length, and while I do think the pacing's pretty good and I enjoy the vast majority of the scenes, I do wish they had found a way to trim it at least a little. I'm still weirdly neutral-ish about Bond's big death scene, which I have to consider a con that it didn't gel or resonate with me as well as it should have. The best thing I can say about it is that on paper, the idea of Bond dying at all pissed me off for a long time, and when I actually ended up seeing how they did it here I wasn't angry. Just... kind of left cold. It's logical for the story they wanted to tell, especially with a clear beginning in CR and wanting to have a clear ending here, it's just not the direction I would have gone in myself. Also, the use of SPECTRE in Craig's tenure was just a misstep in general. This is kind of a leftover flaw from SP that they had to carry over here with their mission to wrap up everything. The fact they all just get wiped out in one fell swoop is great for closure and plot convenience, but also a stark reminder that they could have been handled so much better, or just better still, saved for the next actor's era.
All in all, I'm happy to report I still think NTTD is a very good Bond film. While not in my Top 10 anymore as it started off in, I think it's pretty solid in most areas, and surprisingly rewatchable for its beefy length. It's one I can see being anywhere from 10 to 15ish, depending on my mood, as it's hard to judge against more traditional entries that are in that range as I find the new style has its pros and cons over the older ones. Anyhow, you all can see where I put it for now, but it's very subject to change!
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Live and Let Die
7. Licence to Kill
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. No Time to Die
10. The Man with the Golden Gun
11. The Living Daylights
12. Moonraker
13. Diamonds Are Forever
14. Die Another Day
I'll be honest, I never understood the hype around OP on this site. It's a bit like TLD for me in the sense I think it's a good and entertaining entry, but I'm not quite as high on them as the majority it seems. That being said, I had a really nice time with this film tonight, and it resulted in yet another ranking shift; I'm stunned at how much movement this marathon has seen for me, the most in many years.
Moore's super good in this movie. I always get a kick out of his facial expressions, and he's got maybe his best balance of funny and serious going in this outing. Magda and Octopussy are middle of the road Bond girls for my money, and the same pretty much goes for the villains. I think Kamal Khan and Gobinda are a lot of fun to watch, though I don't think I could rank either in the upper echelon. Vijay is a terrific ally character, and I've warmed to Robert Brown's M. One bizarre thing worth mentioning is the one-off, one-scene character of Penelope Smallbone. I can only assume she was meant to be an eventual replacement of Lois Maxwell's Moneypenny, but that not panning out whatsoever makes the scene quite awkward and odd in hindsight.
While not one of the better ones of the series, the PTS is a fun ride. It's not one of the more popular songs, but I actually like All Time High. One thing I want to point out for me is that I think this movie gets progressively better and better, and it's one of those few where the third act is actually my favorite part. The entire sequence with the train and the bomb countdown is quite amazing, and really made me think about how lame and bland the one in SP was by comparison. In this movie, my palms still get sweaty and I'm feeling the thrill as Bond scrambles to deactivate the bomb. I also love the bit on the plane at the end, with the way Khan and Gobinda go out. Maybe it's a tad sadistic, but I can't help but chuckle at Bond's use of the antenna that gets Gobinda and the cut-off scream of Khan before the explosion. Just those little charming edits and moments that are probably unintentionally humorous are part of what makes older Bond movies, and movies in general, charming in a unique way we don't see anymore. Another good example is the old-timey speed-up effects, like the boat in TB.
I can't say my opinion of OP drastically improved, but I still find it a satisfying adventure that's full of color and fun. I didn't think it'd beat out MR for me, but I'm going to give it the edge, with the key difference being MR starts strong and slowly fizzles out, while OP just gets better and better and ends with a better taste in my mouth. Roger Moore is such an awesome James Bond, I think I'm getting more and more attached to him with age. I'm very excited, because next up is one of the all-time greats...
2022 Alphabetical Bondathon Ranking:
1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. GoldenEye
6. Live and Let Die
7. Licence to Kill
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. No Time to Die
10. The Man with the Golden Gun
11. The Living Daylights
12. Octopussy
13. Moonraker
14. Diamonds Are Forever
15. Die Another Day