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The most consensual Bond movie

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  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,800
    I never really got why they brought in another director when Young's work was so excellent...
  • ShorelineShoreline
    Posts: 251
    FRWL is even loved by small animals and aliens ....it wins hands down.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Die Another Day would seem a decent bet to attract most people's wrath, but I've seen Moonraker tally up it's fair share of detractors ever since it's release. 'James Bond in space, the over the top humor, ridiculous set pieces' etc, but I still think it's a great release. Even A View to a Kill gets a lot of praise and 'Moore does a fine job', which is absurd - because half the time you only see Moore's stunt double, and the overall release is sub-standard to say the least

    Most say Goldfinger is a fine watch and 'one of the best', but I always fail to see that, in that's it's simply a poor and dull viewing, totally devoid of movement or action. If that's not the peoples favorite, then Dr No, From Russia With Love, OHMSS for example would have to join in, or take over. All about age perspective and your actual level of enthusiasm for the James Bond franchise and all it entails, I guess

    I don't like MR and find it poor, however I can give him praise in some aspects: Longsdale, some scenes are genuinely chilling, for instance. But yes it is miles better than DAD and is certainly not as universally disliked.

    Goldfinger may be the general's public consensual Bond movie, but when it comes to both fans and critiques, I say FRWL, who is also praised by people who were or are involved in making Bond movies.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    A thought: LALD might also be very consensual among Bond fans, as it does not have many detractors (unlike DAF, MR or DAD), but neither does it have many huge number admirers (unlike DN, FRWL, etc.). I have never seen anyone loathing it, as far as I remember, but never saw any Bond fan yet, even Moore Bond fans, hailing it as one of the best.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Ludovico wrote:
    A thought: LALD might also be very consensual among Bond fans, as it does not have many detractors (unlike DAF, MR or DAD), but neither does it have many huge number admirers (unlike DN, FRWL, etc.). I have never seen anyone loathing it, as far as I remember, but never saw any Bond fan yet, even Moore Bond fans, hailing it as one of the best.

    I think that LALD is universally identified as being average. I certainly view it as that.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    LALD came up No. 8 in my latest Bond ranking. Highest it's ever been, and rarely do I see anybody rank it higher than that.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    LALD came up No. 8 in my latest Bond ranking. Highest it's ever been, and rarely do I see anybody rank it higher than that.

    And I doubt you'll find many people to disagree with you on LALD, whether they consider it rather good or rather bad.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    Thinking about it, as an average Bond movie, LALD may be the most consensual Bond movie of all.
  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    Posts: 3,236
    Ludovico wrote:
    Thinking about it, as an average Bond movie, LALD may be the most consensual Bond movie of all.

    Live and Let Die is one of the "so okay it's average" movies. I'd put Tomorrow Never Dies, Octopussy and maybe Thunderball or You Only Live Twice in there too. There are some outliers who love and hate each of them, but for the most part you'll find them residing solidly in the middle.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Soundofthesinners wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Thinking about it, as an average Bond movie, LALD may be the most consensual Bond movie of all.

    Live and Let Die is one of the "so okay it's average" movies. I'd put Tomorrow Never Dies, Octopussy and maybe Thunderball or You Only Live Twice in there too. There are some outliers who love and hate each of them, but for the most part you'll find them residing solidly in the middle.
    g

    Agreed. All of those releases are in the middle of my ranking.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    Soundofthesinners wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    Thinking about it, as an average Bond movie, LALD may be the most consensual Bond movie of all.

    Live and Let Die is one of the "so okay it's average" movies. I'd put Tomorrow Never Dies, Octopussy and maybe Thunderball or You Only Live Twice in there too. There are some outliers who love and hate each of them, but for the most part you'll find them residing solidly in the middle.

    Yes but both TB and OP have also strong admirers (me among them) and in TB's case many find it up there in quality with the early Bond. So it is a more controversial Bond movie. Same with TND, which has its admirers and its detractors, who think the Brosnan tenure started going wrong with it. LALD has never as far as I know stirred passions here on anywhere else. First of the Moore Bonds, not his best, somewhat faithful to Fleming but pale compared to the novel, and overall nobody seems to think much of it.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,582
    I only know of one member here who speaks very highly of LALD, but there may be others. I love the film, but as far as Roger's tenure goes, I still rate Spy and FYEO higher (only just, though). It's somewhere near the middle for me- but definitely in the top half.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    Not many people love it or hate it. It is more a case of finding it good or finding mediocre. And I can find valid arguments for both and wouldn't get into a heated debate over LALD.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    I enjoy Live And Let Die a great deal. One of the better Bond films.
  • hildebrand_rarityhildebrand_rarity
    Posts: 316
    Everytime I watch LALD, I find myself liking it a lot less than I want to. It has a great theme (though I actually hate the song, I would be an idiot if I didn't acknowledge its objective value), an easy top 5 Bond girl in Solitaire (who may well be one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived), yet it's just...boring. This is the only Bond that takes me effort to watch all the way through. It has Sheriff Pepper, which easily knocks it down a lot of notches. It's all over the place, from voodoo to drug dealers to blaxploitation to this to that and I get the notion that they didn't know how to present Moore and thus had no idea how to carry out the intriguing plot that was in place.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Even DAD has its share of fans, so surely CR67. Does anyone like this film?
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    I must admit that I own both CR67 and NSNA the latter I can take or leave but I do have a soft spot for CR67 it's always good for a laugh .
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I guess it is impossible to find a film everyone agrees upon. CR67 is still better than DAD, IMO.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    Thunderfinger wrote:
    Even DAD has its share of fans, so surely CR67. Does anyone like this film?

    They are off series, but both CR67 and NSNA are pretty much universally hated, at least by the fans.
    hildebrand_rarity wrote:
    Everytime I watch LALD, I find myself liking it a lot less than I want to. It has a great theme (though I actually hate the song, I would be an idiot if I didn't acknowledge its objective value), an easy top 5 Bond girl in Solitaire (who may well be one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived), yet it's just...boring. This is the only Bond that takes me effort to watch all the way through. It has Sheriff Pepper, which easily knocks it down a lot of notches. It's all over the place, from voodoo to drug dealers to blaxploitation to this to that and I get the notion that they didn't know how to present Moore and thus had no idea how to carry out the intriguing plot that was in place.

    It is the other way round for me: I always end up enjoying it much more than I thought and more than I think it objectively deserves. There are some great moments, some impressive stunts, but it is very, very, very flawed. That said, I can't help but love the B movie feel.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    LALD seems to creep steadily upward in my esteem, too. And unlike many, I really love JW in this one. He provides some of the greatest comedic moments in cinematic Bond history, although he is nowhere near as successful in Gun.
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    I love LALD, for me it's a very memorable entry and has always seemed quite popular in general, perhaps not here though.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    identigraph wrote:
    I love LALD, for me it's a very memorable entry and has always seemed quite popular in general, perhaps not here though.

    Has it? It always struck me as one of the most forgotten Bond movies.
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    Ludovico wrote:
    identigraph wrote:
    I love LALD, for me it's a very memorable entry and has always seemed quite popular in general, perhaps not here though.

    Has it? It always struck me as one of the most forgotten Bond movies.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I've always got the impression it is fairly well remembered, the theme song being a big help of course.

  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    ^But that is exactly it. You could ask somebody if they have seen LALD, and the probable response would be, "oh, the one with the McCartney song?", but once you begin to ask them about the plot and scenes within the film, the responses become vague or negligent.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    identigraph wrote:
    Ludovico wrote:
    identigraph wrote:
    I love LALD, for me it's a very memorable entry and has always seemed quite popular in general, perhaps not here though.

    Has it? It always struck me as one of the most forgotten Bond movies.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I've always got the impression it is fairly well remembered, the theme song being a big help of course.

    Around here it seems to be very well remembered. If I got a nickel for every time someone said it was their first Bond film, I'd be a rich man. It obviously has a lot of nostalgic appeal for fans because of that, and since it was Roger's first with an eerie, voodoo inspired plot, it has a very new feeling to it as Bond enters the 70s in true form.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    MayDayDiVicenzo wrote:
    ^But that is exactly it. You could ask somebody if they have seen LALD, and the probable response would be, "oh, the one with the McCartney song?", but once you begin to ask them about the plot and scenes within the film, the responses become vague or negligent.

    Exactly. In the general public everyone remember the song and thus the title. But that's it. It remains under the radar otherwise. A shame because it has a lot going for it and in many ways I prefer it to Moore's more famous ones. But it is pale compared to the novel.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    In all fairness, I'm guessing the general movie-going public's knowledge of specific Bond films is hazy at best. Everybody knows DN (Honey's bikini scene, Bond's casino introduction), and about GF with Oddjob, Jill painted gold and the laser table. At a stretch, some will recall Atlantis and the Aasgaard jump from Spy. They may recollect Bond's space adventures in MR. They may remember the general awfulness of DAD. And because the films are so recent, most people can tall you something about CR and SF. But in general, movie-goers know the franchise, not the specific films.
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,123
    True, but still, LALD really has one element that the public remember: the song. Compared to others it is.less. but anyway, how many have it in.their top ten? Or bottom ten for that matter?
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,473
    Don't know about a #1, but in general, the most consensual Bond films are probably: From Russia with Love Goldfinger, GoldenEye, Die Another Day, and Skyfall.
  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    Posts: 3,236
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    In all fairness, I'm guessing the general movie-going public's knowledge of specific Bond films is hazy at best. Everybody knows DN (Honey's bikini scene, Bond's casino introduction), and about GF with Oddjob, Jill painted gold and the laser table. At a stretch, some will recall Atlantis and the Aasgaard jump from Spy. They may recollect Bond's space adventures in MR. They may remember the general awfulness of DAD. And because the films are so recent, most people can tall you something about CR and SF. But in general, movie-goers know the franchise, not the specific films.

    There's a thread made by yours truly on this: http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/6934/general-public-perceptions-of-bond/p2#Item_40

    Other than your list, people remember the volcano lair in You Only Live Twice, that Bond was married in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Brosnan's jump in Goldeneye and possibly the evil 00 and Elektra King as the female villain. Casino Royale has the freerunning sequence and Bond tied to the chair. QoS has the apartment complex at the end, and Skyfall has Silva's introduction and the Tennyson run.
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