Last Bond Movie You Watched

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  • Posts: 17,756
    Quantum of Solace
    Finished the Daniel Craig part of my Bondathon last night with QoS. It’s a film I’m a bit uncertain how much I really like, but it’s at least a dynamic, fast-paced adventure that has something to offer in the action department.

    I really enjoy the PTS; the editing doesn’t bother me too much, as this is a good car chase (in contrast to the SP one). It sets up the film nicely, and the scenes that follow are entertaining. What happens throughout the film is a bit "hit and miss" though.

    I like the plot; it’s a bit different perhaps, but it certainly makes the film feel current with its environmental angle. Dominic Greene is the right kind of villain for this story, but I don’t feel the character has time to be properly developed throughout the short run time of the film. The same can be said of Camille, which feels like a character that could’ve been explored further if there was time for it. On the other side, it’s a film that doesn’t dwell with anything – it’s constantly pushing itself forward, and that’s something I like. After the more plot and story heavy CR, it’s a bit refreshing in a way that we got this "fresh breeze" of a film that’s just… something else.

    Again, QOS is – and has always been "hit and miss" for me. That makes it difficult ranking it among the best, but it’s certainly a decent Bond film. Perhaps the Craig film I’m likely to pick out of the shelf most often.

    Updated ranking with QOS included:

    1. Thunderball
    2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. For Your Eyes Only
    5. The Spy Who Loved Me
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Octopussy
    8. Live and Let Die/Diamonds Are Forever
    10. Goldeneye
    11. Dr. No
    12. Casino Royale
    13. The Man with the Golden Gun
    14. Licence to Kill
    15. The Living Daylights
    16. Quantum of Solace
    17. The World Is Not Enough
    18. A View to a Kill
    19. You Only Live Twice
    20. Moonraker
    21. Tomorrow Never Dies
    22. Die Another Day
    23. Skyfall
    24. Casino Royale (1967)
    25. Spectre

    This leaves me with NSNA, a film I still only own on VHS. As my VHS player doesn't work anymore, I need to get NSNA somehow. I'll most likely just download it digitally for now to finish the Bondathon, and buy a Blu-ray or DVD copy later.
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    Posts: 1,889
    With the return of Jeffrey Wright for B25 I decided to put on Quantum of Solace.

    I must admit that this was the first time watching the film (including upon theatrical release) where I wasn't troubled by the editing. I somehow managed to process almost everything in the rooftop foot chase. Of course it still requires more of your attention than any competently edited action sequence... But today I'll allow it.

    The scenes between Craig and Wright are perfect in this film. Whoever wrote the brief discussion at the bar gets my respect. I just love the cynical banter and playful jabs they give each other. Both actors also seem to suit this kind of writing imo and I hope they continue on with it for Bond 25. Speaking of which, I wonder how Felix will end up luring Bond back into action. Perhaps reminding him of this moment?

    All in all I thoroughly enjoyed QoS. In fact, with tonight's passable editing and recent knowledge that Wright's Felix will be a vital part of Bond 25, I'm willing to momentarily put the film above SPECTRE. Yes, you heard correctly: QoS is better than SP. Thought I'd never have to say that, but there you go.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    With the return of Jeffrey Wright for B25 I decided to put on Quantum of Solace.

    I must admit that this was the first time watching the film (including upon theatrical release) where I wasn't troubled by the editing. I somehow managed to process almost everything in the rooftop foot chase. Of course it still requires more of your attention than any competently edited action sequence... But today I'll allow it.

    The scenes between Craig and Wright are perfect in this film. Whoever wrote the brief discussion at the bar gets my respect. I just love the cynical banter and playful jabs they give each other. Both actors also seem to suit this kind of writing imo and I hope they continue on with it for Bond 25. Speaking of which, I wonder how Felix will end up luring Bond back into action. Perhaps reminding him of this moment?

    All in all I thoroughly enjoyed QoS. In fact, with tonight's passable editing and recent knowledge that Wright's Felix will be a vital part of Bond 25, I'm willing to momentarily put the film above SPECTRE. Yes, you heard correctly: QoS is better than SP. Thought I'd never have to say that, but there you go.

    Infinitely better, I don't think you'll find that many wouldn't agree with that so not a controversial opinion at all.

    SPECTRE's stock continues to slump and if B25 knocks it out the park, I've a feeling that it will stick out as the worst film easily of this era.

    Bond 25 being great will not improve the standing of SP whatever element it takes of it and improves, the genie is out of the lamp and it's not going back in.
  • ShardlakeShardlake Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 4,043
    Birdleson wrote: »
    In my book QOS is so far above SP that it isn't even worth commenting on. One is a Top ten tight and concise package of entertainment, the other is the weakest in the franchise.

    Couldn't argue with that.
  • Posts: 12,473
    I can hardly believe there was once a time I ranked SP above QOS. Just goes to show how a honeymoon phase can sometimes mess with a proper ranking! I prefer QOS in just about every way.
  • edited May 2019 Posts: 17,756
    Never Say Never Again
    Just finished watching NSNA, and felt the need to write a review straight away. It's been a long time since I watched NSNA – so long that I've only ever owned it on VHS, until I bought it through Google Play yesterday. It was interesting sitting down to watch a Bond film I had few memories from at all, and even more interesting since it's a Connery film!

    I remember being a bit indifferent to NSNA when I watched it as a kid; the main reason being that NSNA is noticeably different to the EON films. And it did feel different watching it again today as well. There's no familiar cast except an older Connery, and no gunbarrel of course. Not negative on paper, but it's still a factor watching the film.

    Being a fan of TB, I quite like the plot and how it develops throughout the film. Klaus Maria Brandauer is a good Maximillian Largo, while Kim Basinger is quite forgettable as Domino (Petachi). Barbara Carrera steals every scene in her portrayal of Fatima Blush. She's so OTT and flamboyant that I couldn't help but chuckle more than a few times! The rest of the supporting cast doesn't add anything IMO, and you'd expect Max von Sydow as Blofeld and Edward Fox as M to elevate the film a few notches. Unfortunately they both have limited screen time, and have little to work with. Rowan Atkinson as Nigel Small-Fawcett gives the film a bit of added comic relief though.

    The highlights of the film are all mainly in the first half. The casino sequence (including that very odd looking video game) and the car chase with Bond on the Q-branch motorbike a couple of them. The second half – after Bond's final confrontation with Fatima Blush, doesn't quite manage to keep me as interested, unfortunately. There are some interesting scenes, but nothing that noteworthy.

    All in all, I feel NSNA is an uneven movie experience, but being a Sean Connery film there's still a lot to like. As it's not an EON film it does make it difficult to rank the film, but it's far from the worst.

    Updated ranking with NSNA included:

    1. Thunderball
    2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. For Your Eyes Only
    5. The Spy Who Loved Me
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Octopussy
    8. Live and Let Die/Diamonds Are Forever
    10. Goldeneye
    11. Dr. No
    12. Casino Royale
    13. The Man with the Golden Gun
    14. Licence to Kill
    15. The Living Daylights
    16. Quantum of Solace
    17. The World Is Not Enough
    18. A View to a Kill
    19. You Only Live Twice
    20. Moonraker
    21. Tomorrow Never Dies
    22. Never Say Never Again
    23. Die Another Day
    24. Skyfall
    25. Casino Royale (1967)
    26. Spectre

    This concludes my 2019 Bondathon. I'll likely rewatch a few selected films throughout the year, and make a final ranking sometime in December. I have a feeling there might be a few films that switches places, and I need to land a decision on which film to place highest in the ranking out of LALD and DAF.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    @Torgeirtrap I am purposefully dragging my own Bondathon out to make it last, and so as not to get bored with it, but NSNA is next up for me. Curious to see how that one holds up.
  • Posts: 17,756
    @Torgeirtrap I am purposefully dragging my own Bondathon out to make it last, and so as not to get bored with it, but NSNA is next up for me. Curious to see how that one holds up.

    I definitely expected the Bondathon to last longer, but as I had the time and opportunity, it was fun to watch them i quick succession. I usually watch films like TB, FRWL, FYEO, GF, DN and DAF each summer, and plan to do the same thing this year. So even if I've watched them all already, the ranking might still change a little.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,589
    FoxRox wrote: »
    I can hardly believe there was once a time I ranked SP above QOS. Just goes to show how a honeymoon phase can sometimes mess with a proper ranking! I prefer QOS in just about every way.

    Me too. Every film since DAD had a honeymoon phase and the only one that stuck was CR
  • edited July 2019 Posts: 17,756
    The Living Daylights
    Just finished a very entertaining viewing of TLD. The latter half still doesn't feel as good as the first half, but the wonderful action sequences certainly goes a long way to weigh up for the weaker parts.

    The thing that was most apparent this time around – apart from the brilliant John Glen action – is that TLD is wonderfully edited. No scene feels too long, and I'm a bit impressed what they manage to include in the 130 min runtime. This makes quite the difference to the current era, where the two latest films feel incredibly bloated in comparison. I wasn't appreciative enough of this watching the film earlier this year, and I've edited my 2019 ranking slightly. I'm curious where LTK will end up on second viewing!

    1. Thunderball
    2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. For Your Eyes Only
    5. The Spy Who Loved Me
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Octopussy
    8. Live and Let Die/Diamonds Are Forever
    10. The Living Daylights
    11. Goldeneye
    12. Dr. No
    13. Casino Royale
    14. The Man with the Golden Gun
    15. Licence To Kill
    16. Quantum of Solace
    17. The World Is Not Enough
    18. A View to a Kill
    19. You Only Live Twice
    20. Moonraker
    21. Tomorrow Never Dies
    22. Never Say Never Again
    23. Die Another Day
    24. Skyfall
    25. Casino Royale (1967)
    26. Spectre
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,007
    The Living Daylights
    Just finished a very entertaining viewing of TLD. The latter half still doesn't feel as good as the first half, but the wonderful action sequences certainly goes a long way to weigh up for the weaker parts.

    The thing that was most apparent this time around – apart from the brilliant John Glen action – is that TLD is wonderfully edited. No scene feels too long, and I'm a bit impressed what they manage to include in the 130 min runtime. This makes quite the difference to the current era, where the two latest films feel incredibly bloated in comparison. I wasn't appreciative enough of this watching the film earlier this year, and I've edited my 2019 ranking slightly. I'm curious where LTK will end up on second viewing!

    1. Thunderball
    2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. For Your Eyes Only
    5. The Spy Who Loved Me
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Octopussy
    8. Live and Let Die/Diamonds Are Forever
    10. The Living Daylights
    11. Goldeneye
    12. Dr. No
    13. Casino Royale
    14. The Man with the Golden Gun
    15. Licence To Kill
    16. Quantum of Solace
    17. The World Is Not Enough
    18. A View to a Kill
    19. You Only Live Twice
    20. Moonraker
    21. Tomorrow Never Dies
    22. Never Say Never Again
    23. Die Another Day
    24. Skyfall
    25. Casino Royale (1967)
    26. Spectre

    A beautifully made Bond film. John Glen's best. Pure Fleming.
  • Posts: 17,756
    The Living Daylights
    Just finished a very entertaining viewing of TLD. The latter half still doesn't feel as good as the first half, but the wonderful action sequences certainly goes a long way to weigh up for the weaker parts.

    The thing that was most apparent this time around – apart from the brilliant John Glen action – is that TLD is wonderfully edited. No scene feels too long, and I'm a bit impressed what they manage to include in the 130 min runtime. This makes quite the difference to the current era, where the two latest films feel incredibly bloated in comparison. I wasn't appreciative enough of this watching the film earlier this year, and I've edited my 2019 ranking slightly. I'm curious where LTK will end up on second viewing!

    1. Thunderball
    2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. For Your Eyes Only
    5. The Spy Who Loved Me
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Octopussy
    8. Live and Let Die/Diamonds Are Forever
    10. The Living Daylights
    11. Goldeneye
    12. Dr. No
    13. Casino Royale
    14. The Man with the Golden Gun
    15. Licence To Kill
    16. Quantum of Solace
    17. The World Is Not Enough
    18. A View to a Kill
    19. You Only Live Twice
    20. Moonraker
    21. Tomorrow Never Dies
    22. Never Say Never Again
    23. Die Another Day
    24. Skyfall
    25. Casino Royale (1967)
    26. Spectre

    A beautifully made Bond film. John Glen's best. Pure Fleming.

    That'll be FYEO for me, but TLD is a great one too!
  • Posts: 17,756
    Dr. No / Live and Let Die / The Man with the Golden Gun
    Watched these three through the weekend and tonight. All as enjoyable as I usually find them, however I'm starting to find the same enjoyment of TMWTGG as I used to as a kid. It makes a jump in my ongoing 2019 ranking because of this:

    1. Thunderball
    2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. For Your Eyes Only
    5. The Spy Who Loved Me
    6. Goldfinger
    7. Octopussy
    8. Live and Let Die/Diamonds Are Forever
    10. The Living Daylights
    11. Goldeneye
    12. The Man with the Golden Gun
    13. Dr. No
    14. Casino Royale
    15. Licence To Kill
    16. Quantum of Solace
    17. The World Is Not Enough
    18. A View to a Kill
    19. You Only Live Twice
    20. Moonraker
    21. Tomorrow Never Dies
    22. Never Say Never Again
    23. Die Another Day
    24. Skyfall
    25. Casino Royale (1967)
    26. Spectre
  • Posts: 12,473
    After watching TB again, I'm pretty certain it is in fact my favorite Connery film for the time being. It's just the whole package for me and is relentlessly entertaining (the parts I considered slow before I enjoy now). DN, FRWL, and GF are all stiff competition still. Been having an absolute blast with my current Bondathon - definitely one of my favorites I can recall.
  • bonspybonspy Virginia
    edited July 2019 Posts: 4
    Absolutely The Living Daylights is a cracking good initial film from Timothy Dalton. I, for one, think that Dalton's time as Bond was well spent and would love to have had at least one more film with him as Bond.
    Despite the rest of the public not being ready to handle a more Fleming-esque Bond, I was definitely ready. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed Sir Roger as Bond, however, as he aged, I was ready for another actor to take on the role and Dalton was the perfect choice, in my opinion.
    As for the most recent Bond film I have watched, it was today and the film was Quantum of Solace. As maligned as QOS has been in the community, I truly have enjoyed it more with each new viewing. I liked Olga Kurylenko's character quite a bit and Craig seems to carry a lot of anger in the film, which reminds me of Dalton in License to Kill. The rest of the cast were bloody good too, especially Jeffrey Wright and Giancarlo Giannini as Leiter and Mathis, respectively. The only casting that I question is Anatole Taubman as Elvis. There was not a shred of menace in his characterization as the henchman for my taste. I must admit that I do enjoy a good revenge plot and when Camille took Medrano down it was particularly satisfying to see.
    Overall, if there is one thing I would change it is to slow down some of the fast editing cuts to make it a bit less of an MTV music video, but, nothing is perfect in this world, is it?

    DJCLE84 wrote: »
    The Living Daylights... just a great Bond flick in my opinion - and one that a lot of people (the commoners) seem to forget - along with OHMSS.. because with them it seems to be either Connery, Moore, Brosnan or Craig.. they forget about poor Timmy and George :(

  • bonspybonspy Virginia
    Posts: 4
    The_Reaper wrote: »
    QoS on BD. My head almost exploded. It was awesome. :-bd

    I agree, 100%! QOS is a far better film than most think.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    AVTAK.

    Not one of my favorites but still quite enjoyable. Yes, in some part of the movie Moore looks too old but his style and commitment makes you forget about that. Zorin, Dr. Mortner and May Day are a great bunch of baddies. Loved the sequences at Zorin mansion. Loved all the action set pieces, beside the PTS. I hate when the PTS is not related to the main plot. It's something I don't like. Neither I like when at MI6 are left wondering where is 007, when turns out to be always in the same "spot". It's just stupid.
  • Posts: 2,165
    @matt_u I also watched AVTAK this weekend just gone, as all these Grace Jones Bond 25 rumours got me hankering for some Zorin Mayday action.

    Quite enjoyable in a silly way, great performances by Walken, Jones and MacNee.

    I do find it odd that Bond is dispatched to investigate the leak of microchip designs from Zorin Industries only to spend the first third of the film investigating Horse race rigging.
  • Posts: 7,430
    matt_u wrote: »
    AVTAK.

    Not one of my favorites but still quite enjoyable. Yes, in some part of the movie Moore looks too old but his style and commitment makes you forget about that. Zorin, Dr. Mortner and May Day are a great bunch of baddies. Loved the sequences at Zorin mansion. Loved all the action set pieces, beside the PTS. I hate when the PTS is not related to the main plot. It's something I don't like. Neither I like when at MI6 are left wondering where is 007, when turns out to be always in the same "spot". It's just stupid.

    But the pts is related to the main plot. Bond finds the OO agents body with a microchip inside a locket, and the chase is on. I also watched AVTAK at the weekend, it really is a Bond movie you have to be in the proper mood to watch. Still think Zorin and May day are a great double act, and the finale with the skyship is well staged, but it has to be said Moore looks really old and creaky, and that fire engine chase, meant to be the action highlight, is terrible!
  • Posts: 17,756
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    and that fire engine chase, meant to be the action highlight, is terrible!

    I absolutely love it. :-D
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    edited July 2019 Posts: 7,314
    From Russia With Love - Loved it, as always, but... for the first time in years I slightly prefer DN. There will be an interesting shakeup when I post my latest rankings, which I haven't done in three years!

    No real crimes committed here, just the usual suspects. The Gypsy Camp scenes always drag a bit for me. The shootout just doesn't always work for me. The boat chase is another repeat offender, as is the silly wave with the back projection at the end. All things considered, very minor gripes indeed.

    I was a bit awestruck with Connery's performance. As much as I love the other actors, and I adore Roger, it's hard to put anyone above Sir Sean in his first four outings. Loved the little touches such as his reflexes when Sylvia tossed his shirt and he quickly grabbed it before it hit the ground. Likewise, the backwards grab when Kerim threw him the flashlight.

    He had the perfect combination of style, rugged good looks, athleticism, sense of humor (which is vastly underrated by the way), intelligence and grace. Just look at the way he moves and how he wears those suits. Sure, the hairpiece is dated, but beyond that he's perfect. Anyway, I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. George tried to look like him. Roger was wise not to imitate him. Tim, Pierce and Dan all idolized him but found their own way. Connery is still the benchmark.

    John Barry's first effort sounded completely natural and added great atmosphere. The Blofeld scenes were fascinating, as we learn how the inner mechanisms of SPECTRE operate. I love the fighting fish analogy, but am I missing a hole in the wall that he is supposed to go through to eliminate the survivor?

    I didn't even touch on Shaw's masterful performance. I was impressed when he denied Bond the chance for a last cigarette. Blofeld take notes. Is he Bond's best adversary? Certainly in the conversation. I would be remiss not to mention the similarities to Craig's Bond. Hopefully he doesn't look too much like an "old man" for Bond 25.
  • Posts: 12,473
    OHMSS. A perfect Bond film.
  • pking_3pking_3 Punting under the Bridge of Sighs
    Posts: 33
    Die Another Day.

    I enjoyed myself, in part because it was fun to show my new bride, with whom I am binge-watching old seasons of 24, how it significantly inspired the set up of season 6.
  • Posts: 12,473
    OP. Probably won’t rank quite as high as usual, but I still love it! I think more than ever I love the Roger Moore era. Used to mostly just like 3 or 4 of his entries, but now I’m a big fan of almost everything really save for the off moment here and there. He truly was an excellent Bond.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    matt_u wrote: »
    AVTAK.

    Not one of my favorites but still quite enjoyable. Yes, in some part of the movie Moore looks too old but his style and commitment makes you forget about that. Zorin, Dr. Mortner and May Day are a great bunch of baddies. Loved the sequences at Zorin mansion. Loved all the action set pieces, beside the PTS. I hate when the PTS is not related to the main plot. It's something I don't like. Neither I like when at MI6 are left wondering where is 007, when turns out to be always in the same "spot". It's just stupid.

    But the pts is related to the main plot. Bond finds the OO agents body with a microchip inside a locket, and the chase is on. I also watched AVTAK at the weekend, it really is a Bond movie you have to be in the proper mood to watch. Still think Zorin and May day are a great double act, and the finale with the skyship is well staged, but it has to be said Moore looks really old and creaky, and that fire engine chase, meant to be the action highlight, is terrible!

    You are absolutely right. I watched AVTAK and OP back to back and I don't know why but I wrote this thing about the PTS thinking about OP while actually speaking about AVTAK. XD
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    FoxRox wrote: »
    OP. Probably won’t rank quite as high as usual, but I still love it! I think more than ever I love the Roger Moore era. Used to mostly just like 3 or 4 of his entries, but now I’m a big fan of almost everything really save for the off moment here and there. He truly was an excellent Bond.

    I rank OP like #3 or 4 out of 7 in the Moore entries. Beside the movie itself, I think is one of the best performances by Sir Rog as 007. I hated the jungle hunting scene, never liked Orlov or the fact that the movie has basically two finales. Also the PTS, which adds nothing to the plot even if the stunts are good as always. But I like the girls, the classy and exotic flavour of the movie, Q's active role, Khan & Gobinda, the circus imagery and obviously the floating island filled with babes.
  • AntiLocqueBrakesAntiLocqueBrakes The edge
    Posts: 538
    SP

    Forgettable entry. Really liked it at first. Was just happy that another Bond was released at the time. Was the last movie in my marathon last week.
  • Posts: 12,473
    TLD. I seem to enjoy this one more every time. Awesome watch!
  • Posts: 12,473
    LTK. Man I really love this one. Going to go back up in my ranking. Really a shame Dalton didn’t get at least one more; he really deserved it.
  • matt_umatt_u better known as Mr. Roark
    Posts: 4,343
    FoxRox wrote: »
    LTK. Man I really love this one. Going to go back up in my ranking. Really a shame Dalton didn’t get at least one more; he really deserved it.

    So true! I just love LTK. He really deserved his third outing, aka The Property of a Lady, but people didn't connect with his (amazing) romantic yet more violent Bond.

    I rewatched MR, man that was painful...
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