It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
^ Back to Top
The MI6 Community is unofficial and in no way associated or linked with EON Productions, MGM, Sony Pictures, Activision or Ian Fleming Publications. Any views expressed on this website are of the individual members and do not necessarily reflect those of the Community owners. Any video or images displayed in topics on MI6 Community are embedded by users from third party sites and as such MI6 Community and its owners take no responsibility for this material.
James Bond News • James Bond Articles • James Bond Magazine
Comments
With your negative comments above, it sounds surprising that it was even your 2nd choice. Perhaps the limpness as you describe it comes from watching the film too much ;) :P
My opinion of it is it should be above average in my rankings...however, it gets very crowded in the top 10...
Leaving the Moore era behind, I now take a step into the Dalton's rather short era, beginning with 1987's THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.
After nearly 22 years of seeing the two same faces in the role of Bond, Connery and Moore with only a short interval with Laz in '69, I suppose it was refreshing for a lot of fans at the time to see somebody new to take the Walther PPK. And it was for me, at this point in my Bondathon. I find it exciting, and fascinating, to watch the transition from Moore era to the Dalton era.
Dalton is superb. I've definitely warmed to him in recent years, and with this viewing, I know why- he's lethal, a blunt instrument, there's no p*ssing around with this Bond, and I think it was the righ time to take the character in such a direction: and that's me saying that as a Moore fan. Then again, my tastes regarding the Bond films have always been varied- I love both the lighter, OTT affairs and the films that took a decidedly darker route. This has what has kept the Bond series alive, this back and forth of tone and direction. This is also why I am a Bond fan.
TLD gets of to a great start with yet another fantastic PTS, and after another of my favourite theme songs by A-ha, the film is full steam ahead with many an excellent scene- Koskov's defection and transfer to Austria (I even love Rosika Miklos, she's hilarious), the coup at Blayden House and that brutal fight between Necros and Green Four, the escape from Czechoslovakia in the Aston Martin, even the cello case chase, and the death of Saunders at the fair cafe. All good, in my book.
I love the Q scene as well, even though it is marred somewhat by Caroline Bliss' dreadful performance as Moneypenny (gosh, she's bad).
I really liked Kara Milovy this time around, too, as I usually find her irritating. She also has nice chemistry with Dalton's Bond, and I like how the romance blossoms in the fairground, if it is a bit soppy.
The villains are a mixed bag- General Koskov is a slimy villain, and quite enjoyable to watch. He's a bit like a camp version of Kronsteen in that he's playing the British and Russians off each other, and they're none the wiser. There's a great scene on the aeroplane to Afghanistan where Bond and Koskov exchange "sayings".
I'm not digging Whitaker, though. He's a bit of a lame villain for the Bond films. Also, I could do without the final confrontation with Whitaker at the end, especially because of its silliness (shoot him torso goddamit!). The scene is a bit of a chore, really.
The scenes in Tangier are also very good, with Bond's interrogation of Pushkin and his subsequent sham assassination being highlights. However, the pace comes to halt when Bond gets into the car with Leiter's girls. God, the scene with Felix Leiter is such a bore. As well as Terry's awful performance as Leiter, I felt myself pondering as to why Leiter is even necessary in this film. The answer is, he's not.
Anyway, the third act in Afghanistan starts of slow and gets a bit soapy when Milovy starts crying and whacks Bond with a pillow, but the action is rather good, great even. Of course, the action on the C-130 is as good always, what with that awesome stunt on the net outside the aircraft.
I dislike the ending scene, however, with Mujahideen coming to see Milovy at the concert- completely unnecessary. A that cringeworthy whistling as well, which has been more than overused by now.
So the film goes out on a fizzle rather than a bang, but that doesn't stop the film as a whole from being a thrilling ride. Boasting a final magnificent score by Barry, a superb performance by Dalton, a good Bond girl and many great action sequences, I think TLD will certainly end up being a top ten entry.
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
-ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
-FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981)
-THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)
-FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
-GOLDFINGER (1964)
-OCTOPUSSY (1983)
-THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987)
-LIVE AND LET DIE (1973)
-A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
-DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
-THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1974)
-THUNDERBALL (1965)
-YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)
-DR. NO (1962)
-MOONRAKER (1979)
I don't like AVTAK much, but for whatever reason I find that funny. I sometimes display a terrible sense of humour, FYI.
At last! Real characters and a plot. I felt in Moore's last 4 entries we never saw much of him because he was busy getting overshadowed by the action. This time all the main characters are involved in a tense if unspectacular plot...in the last few movies there was never any real sense of danger but here you can feel the tension and the punches. The main letdown is Conti's score which is mostly serviceable but is terrible during the skiing scenes.
It will reside above DN this time.
1. OHMSS
2. FRWL
3. FYEO
4. TSWLM
5. DN
6. MR
7. DAF
8. GF
9. YOLT
10. TB
11. TMWTGG
12. LALD
Next up is OP, which has always been a top 7 for me. What it gains is a better cast of villains and John Barry. I predict it will stay around the top.
Another fine Dalton entry, but for the first time, I felt that I enjoyed THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS more.
I've always thoroughly enjoyed LTK, and commend it for taking a much darker route, something we haven't seen in the Bond films until this point. The violence and gore make this a unique entry in the series.
Robert Davi is fantastic as Sanchez, who is another of my favourite Bond villains. I love how he becomes increasingly paranoid throughout the film, as Bond starts to sabotage his operations and frames many of Sanchez's trustees.
Del Toro as Dario is also a highlight, being both quite creepy and downright deplorable- an excellent henchman, and again, one of my favourites.
I like both of this films Bond girls (I'm perhaps one of the few to actually like Lupe), with Pam being the better of the two. She's particularly good in the scenes with Professor Joe Butcher (speaking of which, he's one of those characters in the Bond films, like Klaus Hergesheimer and Mrs Bell of before, who just really stand out and end up being unintentionally hilarious).
Elsewhere, the action is superb (with a plethora of impressive stunts) and the violent scenes, such as the death of Milton Krest, are highlights. The Barrelhead bar fight is a guilty pleasure, I must admit. Yes it's goofy, but I can't help but find myself amused at all the antics going on (like the dancer still dancing while all the chaos goes on around her).
The film is let down by a disappointing and, at times, annoying score- I think this will become a common complaint from here on, what with TLD being Barry's last Bomd score.
I also find myself left bemused by the sudden ninja angle that film takes about half way through. Those scenes where Sanchez's army raid the house in which Bond is being prepared to be sent back to London, topped with a bloody ninja woman screaming whilst firing a machine gun, are awful and could have been handled much better in order to set up the scenario for the subsequent scene.
LTK used to be a top five entry for me, it's dropped somewhat with this viewing, but I find that the pros outweigh the cons. It's a bit unspectacular, but I feel that this only adds to the films appeal.
And with that rather short lived Dalton era (I sorely wished that he had done at least one more between 1989 and '95), we move on to what I consider the modern era of James Bond with Pierce Brosnan filling the boots of 007.
Goldeneye
Yet another casualty in this Bondathon so far, this viewing of Goldeneye was a disappointment. Like A VIEW TO A KILL, GOLDENEYE's place in my top ten has always been assured. Yet it's decline in my estimation is even more pronounced than that of AVTAK.
GOLDENEYE has a marvellous trio of villains in Trevelyan, Ouromov and Xenia, has some great stunts, and excellently introduces the new Mi6 faces in Judi Dench as M and Samantha Bond as Moneypenny. Yet I kept thinking to myself at times throughout the film that it's all a bit lacklustre. Dare I say, I even felt a little bored at times.
There are still many classic scenes, nonetheless- the PTS, if spoiled a little by going OTT at the end, and exciting car race between Bond and Xenia (I didn't think it possible, but the soundtrack to this grew on me), any scene where Xenia is the screen is immensely entertaining (I feel myself getting a bit hot under the collar when she kills the admiral with her thighs), the scene with M is one of my favourites, there's a nice scene with Moneypenny (Samantha Bond is a vast improvement on Caroline Bliss), the Q scene is marvellous, the scenes on the armoured train are tense and the fight with Trevelyan is energetic and brutal- Brosnan's best fight scene.
Brosnan is good as Bond, nothing spectacular, but he is very charming and good in his action scenes. I think I prefer his performances as Bond in later films.
However, the film is marred by dodgy effects and the scenes involving Boris with computers have dated so quickly. The shots of the Goldeneye satellites in space are tragic- compare them to the space scenes in MOONRAKER, and it's hard to believe that Goldeneye was made in 1995.
There are some nice shots during the tank chase (such as the statue falling onto the police cars), but it goes far too overboard and I find myself being bored by it all. Same with some of the action in Trevelyan's base in Cuba.
Amongst over things that irked me is the soppy beach scene with Natalya, the fact that the BMW is not ulilised at all and the scene with Jack Wade and the Marines at the end.
I actually like the score by Serra, with its metallic edge and great version of the Bond theme. It's perhaps the last Bond film score to have any sort of individuality about it, as I find most scores from here onwards to sound very similar.
I still find it to be a fun film that's great to pass a couple of hours, but it didn't do very much for me with this viewing despite my previous fondness for the film.
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
EDIT: after further contemplation and to let my feelings sink in, I've moved AVTAK ahead of LALD.
-ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
-FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981)
-THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)
-FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
-GOLDFINGER (1964)
-OCTOPUSSY (1983)
-THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987)
-A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
-LICENCE TO KILL (1989)
-LIVE AND LET DIE (1973)
-DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
-GOLDENEYE (1995)
-THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1974)
-THUNDERBALL (1965)
-YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)
-DR. NO (1962)
-MOONRAKER (1979)
Same here. Thankfully the space stuff in GE is relatively short. I think some of the early shots are models though.
I always like that they got Derek Meddings back to do one last Bond film before his death. That adds a bit of poignancy.
TOMORROW NEVER DIES is an entry that I usually don't really care for, often finding itself in the bottom five of my ranking. But that has changed with this viewing, moving up considerably in my estimation, and for the first time surpassing its predecessor, GOLDENEYE.
It was a breeze really, an easy watch, and I found that the action in the second half didn't bore me nearly as much as it did with previous viewings. From the PTS right up until the meeting with Dr Kaufman, it's all excellent (apart from the scene where Bond tests drives the remote control BMW, which I found a bit gratuitous). I even like Paris Carver, and her death with the news report playing in the background is chilling. A really effective scene. I love Jonathan Pryce as Elliot Carver, who is brilliant both as a media mogul and megalomaniac villain, and I nominate his death as one of the best villain deaths in the series. Wai Lin is a serviceable Bond girl who's good when she's with Brosnan's Bond, but a little dull in other areas. I don't care for her karate, either, such as the scene when Chang's men attack her after the bike chase. Mr Stamper is a generic henchman, whose only shining scene is when he mows down the HMS Devonshire survivors (reminiscent of Zorin). His final scene with Bond is anticlimactic.
Action wise, it's pretty good. The PTS gets the film off to a strong start, the sinking of the Devonshire sets the story up well, the car park chase is a lot better than I remember (up until the saw comes out of the car's bonnet which happens just to be the right height to cut the wire, and Bond becomes reckless when he drives the car off the roof into the shop below) and the bike chase as well as the stunt over the helicopter is good (bar the excessive machine gun fire and going a little OTT towards the end). The action on Carver's stealth boat is uninspired, however, and Bond using two guns at once is irksome. But surprisingly, it kept my attention for the most part.
Brosnan's performance is an improvement over GOLDENEYE, and I particularly like him during his first meeting with Carver (it reminds me of the casino scene in Thunderball with Bond and Largo), "I'd be lost at sea...adrift", and the scene with Dr Kaufman. Not too keen on his delivery of the "you found the right...decadent, corrupt western agent as a partner" line, though.
A vast improvement for TOMORROW NEVER DIES, currently sat at 12th position with only five films to go.
Next up- THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
I'm still a bit indecisive about AVTAK's position. Moved it below LTK.
-ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
-FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981)
-THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977)
-FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
-GOLDFINGER (1964)
-OCTOPUSSY (1983)
-THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987)
-LICENCE TO KILL (1989)
-A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)
-LIVE AND LET DIE (1973)
-DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
-TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997)
-GOLDENEYE (1995)
-THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1974)
-THUNDERBALL (1965)
-YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)
-DR. NO (1962)
-MOONRAKER (1979)
I remember watching this movie for the first time back in 2012, and having low expectations due to the negative reviews I had found on the Internet and due to the fact that I found Gardner's novelization boring. I was so pleased when I watched the movie, though, that I ranked it second place (back then GoldenEye was first place). Three years later, my feelings for LTK have not changed (although not my second favourite in the series anymore). Dalton definitely feels much more confident in the role than he did in TLD, Kamen made a great score and I love the dark tone of the movie.
Rankings:
01. OHMSS
02. FRWL
03. LTK
04. TLD
05. DN
06. FYEO
07. TMWTGG
08. TSWLM
09. GF
10. MR
11. OP
12. DAF
13. TB
14. LALD
15. AVTAK
16. CR '54
17. NSNA
18. YOLT
19. CR '67
Actors ranking:
1. Roger Moore
2. George Lazenby
3. Sean Connery
4. Timothy Dalton
I've loved this film since opening night in theaters and that has never changed, it's one of my favorites. It's a great revenge-driven, brutal, grounded plot with lots of entertaining action. Sure, it goes from action scene to action scene, but it's a nice change of pace for the movies. Craig is damn good and driven in his second outing as Bond, Camille is a wonderful ally (her relationship with Bond in this is both unique and beautiful), Greene plays a wonderful psychotic, and I love the beginning to end events that transpire. The only bit that drags on for me is the airplane sequence. Still, I love it! It's hard to decipher whether I like it more or a little less than DN, so that could be edited, as well.
2015 Bondathon Ranking:
1.) GE
2.) FYEO
3.) CR
4.) DN
5.) QoS
6.) LALD
7.) FRWL
8.) TSWLM
9.) OP
10.) OHMSS
11.) LTK
12.) TWINE
13.) AVTAK
14.) TB
15.) TLD
16.) GF
17.) TND
18.) DAF
19.) YOLT
20.) DAD
21.) TMWTGG
22.) MR
So far:
2015 Ranking
1. The Living Daylights
2. Tomorrow Never Dies
3. Thunderball
4. For Your Eyes Only
Sadly, my entertaining Bondathon has to end on a rather disappointing note. The reason I can never get into this movie is because it lacks fun in any way, shape, or form: too dark and depressing, nothing that jumps out as fun or exciting for me, a lack of inventive/entertaining action sequences, wayyyy too many issues and plotholes (a new problem I have with the movie: they try to highlight Bond's issues with the wounds he sustains in SF, and just a few days after we see him struggling, he's throwing around a (roughly) twenty pound briefcase to take out bad guys. Makes sense.
So, it's most certainly one of my least favorite Bond films by far: the PTS, Silva's ridiculously 'The Dark Knight'-esque plan, the finale, nearly the movie in its entirety. That'll be controversial to most (especially since I rank it below the likes of DAF, which some seem to hate) and I'm sure there are some who may agree, as well. In the end, the only thing the movie has going for it is beautiful imagery and great cinematography, but when that's spread atop glaring issues, plot holes, things that don't make sense, a lackluster plot and an overall emotionally draining time, it's hard to revisit it, for like I said, there's nothing fun here for me.
2015 Bondathon Ranking:
1.) GE
2.) FYEO
3.) CR
4.) DN
5.) QoS
6.) LALD
7.) FRWL
8.) TSWLM
9.) OP
10.) OHMSS
11.) LTK
12.) TWINE
13.) AVTAK
14.) TB
15.) TLD
16.) GF
17.) TND
18.) DAF
19.) YOLT
20.) SF
21.) DAD
22.) TMWTGG
23.) MR
I really enjoyed following your reviews and rankings - especially this last one (agreed with a lot of points on TWINE). Probably the most similar taste on this site to my ranking - can't wait to see where Spectre ranks for you.
Love
- Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of Bond. Yes it is a mix of previous Bonds, but what is wrong with that? I see it as well rounded rather than unoriginal. I rank this on par with his performance in GE
- Dr. Kaufman. What a scene that was, one of the most quoted by my friends and I.
- Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin kicks so much ass! I had her at #6 on my latest fav. Bond girl list.
- Gadgets and technology were a nice upgrade from GE. Love his phone/car remote. Carver's HQ party was great.
Like
- I've always enjoyed Teri Hatcher's role as Paris, brief but effective. When Bond finds her murdered is one of the most emotional moments in a Brosnan Bond as well as the series as a whole.
- Elliot Carver is so over the top hammy and it is a treat. I will always enjoy a return to the OTT villains.
Okay
- Stamper was fine. A rehash of other henchmen, but I enjoyed how other characters interacted with him more.
- Plot and story were just fine, the finale was on the weaker side but I didn't necessarily dislike it.
- Sheryl Crow's theme song ranks in my bottom 5 of themes. It's fine, but I agree with the many who say Surrender was superior.
Disliked
- Use of settings. Many of the action pieces felt studio bound and I didn't feel immersed in the locations.
Overall: A very generic Bond flick. This is not a negative statement. It checks all the boxes that a Bond film needs and very solidly in some areas.
Moose's 2015 Bond Rankings
Films
1.) Dr. No
2.) Tomorrow Never Dies
3.) The World Is Not Enough
Villains
1.) Elliot Carver
2.) Dr. No
3.) Elektra King
Bond Girls
1.) Wai Lin
2.) Honey Rider
3.) Christmas Jones
Henchmen
1.) Professor Dent
2.) Renard
3.) Stamper
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and TOMORROW NEVER DIES seem to have swapped places. Whereas TND really appealed to me this around, TWINE just came across as a bit of a visual bore, unfortunately. To be honest, this Bondathon has surprised myself- I never would have thought that TND would end up being my favourite out of Brosnan's films.
It's got some things going for it, such as a marvellous PTS, an interesting if not convoluted plot and a great villainess in Elektra King, but I found myself feeling bored for a large part of the picture, notably most of the uninspired action sequences in the ski chase and caviar factory shoot out.
This is my favourite of Brosnan's performances, who excels in scenes such as the killing of Elektra and the PTS. He's very good with Elektra, too, and his dialogue with M ("don't make this personal"- "I'm not...are you?"). The film also marks the last appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q in a real heartfelt last scene with 007. Perhaps the highlight of the film.
However, the real sore point of the film is of course Denise Richards as Christmas Jones. A horrible character with no real purpose- could have easily been written out all together. I don't buy her as a godamn nuclear physicist, and her acting is tragic.
Overall, I don't have much else to say but my general feeling of the film being "meh".
Onwards with DIE ANOTHER DAY.
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
2. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
4. From Russia with Love (1963)
5. Goldfinger (1964)
6. Octopussy (1983)
7. The Living Daylights (1987)
8. Licence to Kill (1989)
9. A View to a Kill (1985)
10. Live and Let Die (1973)
11. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
12. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
13. Goldeneye (1995)
14. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
15. Thunderball (1965)
16. You Only Live Twice (1967)
17. Dr. No (1962)
18. The World is not Enough (1999)
19. Moonraker (1979)
Unlike DAF which is a guilty pleasure, I have no shame in saying OP is one of my favourite Bond films. The theme song is a sore point, but the instrumental of it and soundtrack (Chase Bomb theme etc) is one of the best. The cast of villains is among the best in the series, Khan gets some of the best lines (and delivery) of the series, Octopussy is given a backstory and Magda is great eye candy. The action is funny and plentiful. I don't care what others think of this, but I love the tennis bit, Bond looking at his watch in the gorilla costume, the jungle hunt sequence, aerial stunts, every action scene is fantastic.
Apart from the theme song, my only other gripe is I have no idea what the plot is?
That aside, I'm very tempted to put it in 1st after 13 films, it's certainly the most rewatchable up to this point.
1. OHMSS 2. FRWL 3. OP. These three are so close and love each for different reasons
4, FYEO
5. TSWLM
6. DN
7. MR
8. DAF
9. GF
10. YOLT
11. TMWTGG
12. TB
13. LALD
MOONRAKER has beautiful cinematography, one of Barry's finest scores and impressive Ken Adams sets. DIE ANOTHER DAY, well, has some good scenes in the first half and Miranda Frost. I know which I prefer.
The PTS is good. The fencing scene is good. Parts of the car chase is good. Oh, and Raoul is a colourful character. Everything else is deplorable. The Vanquish is a stunning car- why would you want to make it invisible?
Apart from the usual suspects, another scene that really frustrates me is the sex scene between Jinx and Bond. If you're going to do a love scene in a Bond film, do it properly. In Bond films of before, the scene cuts just as Bond begins to do the deed, and that's what makes those scenes so effective. I'm thinking Bond and Tania, Bond and Solitaire- I don't want a cheesy scene with horrid one liners and exaggerated moans from Jinx. It just seems gratuitous.
I won't be watching this film outside of Bondathons from here on out, as for the first time watching this film, I felt myself wanting to lob the remote at the screen.
Moving on to CASINO ROYALE.
Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015: The run-up to SPECTRE
Moved TMWTGG up two places.
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
2. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
4. From Russia with Love (1963)
5. Goldfinger (1964)
6. Octopussy (1983)
7. The Living Daylights (1987)
8. Licence to Kill (1989)
9. A View to a Kill (1985)
10. Live and Let Die (1973)
11. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
12. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
13. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
14. Goldeneye (1995)
15. Thunderball (1965)
16. You Only Live Twice (1967)
17. Dr. No (1962)
18. The World is not Enough (1999)
19. Moonraker (1979)
20. Die Another Day (2002)
1. OP
2. FRWL
3. OHMSS
4, FYEO
5. TSWLM
6. DN
7. MR
8. DAF
9. GF
10. YOLT
11. TMWTGG
12. TB
13. LALD
Having watched all Bond movies chronologically I now reached the Craig-era.
CR currently stands at No 4 in my Bond ranking (before this re-watch).
From the very first second, when the MGM logo appears in black and white, it becomes clear that this isn't just another James Bond movie.
The brutality of the restroom scene that gets thrown in in flashbacks clearly indicates that the times of suave mannered James Bond is over.
The fight is well-choreographed and riveting and this James Bond is brutal, blunt and relentless.
Still, this is the worst pre-title sequence ever, needlessly shot in black and white, that has the gun-barrel at the wrong end.
The title sequence is one of the best ever. It feels more animated than computer generated which is a good thing and the music of David Arnold and singer Chris Cornell fits this sequence like a glove.
In the first act of the movie we get to know Le Chiffre. To have the villain appear so early on in the movie is a good thing.
We see Bond in his first mission with 00 status in Madagascar. Beautifully shot and we get a truly great and memorable chase sequence with Bond and a bad guy through the streets, construction sites and a gigantic building crane, ending in a foreign embassy. Literally explosive and breathtaking accompanied with a remarkably good score from David Arnold.
Sadly, when running up the crane and jumping distances it is too evident that it is a stuntman and not Craig, but that's a minor issue.
The Madagascar scene would have made a perfect pre-title sequence, a great opportunity missed there.
Back in London we get to know the new? old? M played by Judi Dench. M talks about an agent called Bond, doing miserably in his mission as a new 00 agent. That feels odd, too odd. Of course it's common knowledge this is a reboot.
But already after 15 minutes the reboot gets reduced to absurdity. I adore Judi Dench, but it just doesn't work to have the same M as in four previous James Bond movies when this movie so clearly wants to be a reboot and different time-line.
Luckily that's about it with the complaints. The gun-barrel at the wrong end of the pre-title sequence, the unnecessary and distracting black and white sequence and a rebooted M that is still the same as before is a shame but it is quickly forgotten with all the good stuff ahead.
The first non-action scene with Daniel Craig as James Bond follows and it is one of the great moments in the movie. The confrontation of Bond with M in her flat.
This time it doesn't feel so odd anymore to see the "old" M acting as the "new" M.
Judi Dench saves the day. The dialogue between her and Bond is fantastic and makes one forget the minor complaints of before.
Then follows the first Bond-esque moment for Craig. Arriving in exotic and beautiful Nassau at the airport Bond sports a tailor-made grey suit, sunglasses and moves like Bond, James Bond. I am convinced now, he is Bond.
Many very Bond-esque moments follow, Bond at a beautiful hotel (Ocean Club), doing fun stuff like involuntarily parking a Range Rover for a hotel guest which redefines backing into a parking space.
Bond doing a Honey Ryder moment showing off his muscles and his very flashy swimwear which must be the most self-ironic moment ever in a Bond movie.
The first Bond girl, the beautiful Italian actress Caterina Murino as Solange acts as appetiser before the main attraction of the movie, Eva Green, will enter the stage.
Bond goes to Miami. The first elaborate action sequence of the movie takes place at Miami airport and is a nice bridge to the main location of the film, Montenegro and its famous Casino Royale.
Enter Eva Green: Green accompanies Bond to Montenegro as accountant who will supervise the money and observe the poker game.
From the very first word she speaks, she practically steals the movie. There is no doubt, that casting her as Vesper Lynd was solid gold!
The dialogue between her and Bond is priceless, intelligent, eloquently written and sheer pleasure to watch.
The Casino has much to offer, a breathtaking fight to the death between Bond and some badasses on the stairways, a riveting game of cards in which Bond brings LeChiffre to the end of his tether. Needless to say that Mads Mikkelsen who plays LeChiffre is one of the more memorable villains.
Jeffrey Wright who plays Felix Leiter who helps Bond at the casino is a bold choice of casting but it pays off. This version of Leiter seems to be the perfect fit for this Bond.
And off we go to the last stop, Venice. Yet another beautiful location. Now it's time for the big finale in the decrepit building. No villains lair...but Vesper's watery grave.
In the end Bond goes after the by now famous Mr. White.
My name is Bond, James Bond are the last words we hear, then the credits roll.
Resume: Casino Royale could easily have been the best James Bond movie ever.
In the end when the movie is over, it's evident that some things are missing.
The familiar feeling of the gun-barrel at the beginning or no Moneypenny or Q may seem like a minor thing, but those are distinguishing marks that should not be taken away from Bond. Daniel Craig is not better or worse than any of his predecessors, and he seems to be a little one-dimensional, the feelings he obviously had for Vesper don't show on screen. Craig delivers in the action and fighting scenes. There he is even more convincing than Connery.
Still, Casino Royale is near perfect and deserves 9 out of 10, the last tenth got lost with all the reboot nonsense, which is a shame and still angers me.
My ranking of the Bond movies
1. Goldeneye
2. The Living Daylights
3. OHMSS
4. Casino Royale (tempted to lower it below OP, but for now it stays where it was)
5. Octopussy
6. From Russia With Love
7. Goldfinger
8. Licence To Kill
9. Tomorrow Never Dies
10. Die Another Day
11. The Spy Who Loved Me
12. Moonraker
13. Dr. No
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. The World Is Not Enough
16. Thunderball
17. You Only Live Twice
18. A View To A Kill
19. Live And Let Die
20. TMWTGG
21. Diamonds Are Forever
next: QOS and the last one SF
This is one of my guilty pleasures. I like many parts of it. But as a whole it is quite a mess. In the past the positives of the film have clouded my judgement:
- The wedding crasher scene "Congratulations!"
- The car chase (liking it less and less now)
- Any scene with Zorin in it
- Firetruck chase (again, my like for it is diminishing, harks back to the poor Hamilton car chases)
- Finale
Cons
- The Paris scene is cringeworthy, particularly that intro shot with the couple and Eiffel tower, looks/sounds like an 80's tourism ad. Not an uncommon complaint about Glen films.
- Chuck Lee is totally forgettable
- "Does anyone else want to drop out" scene is stolen from GF
- Uninspired action scenes apart from the end
- "He's Dangerous" is fantastic, one of the best, but the other cues seem lacking and as a whole the score is as of just then one of my least favourite Barry ones - see Paris scene above
- AVTAK mostly feels cheaply done.
- Stacey Sutton
- Pathetic warehouse fight
- Scarpine's distinguishing mark is a....scar on his left cheek!
Despite the above cons, I don't dislike it, but it is definitely a bottom tier placing.
2015 Bondathon (up to 1985)
1. Octopussy (1983)
2. From Russia with Love (1963)
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
4. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6. Dr No (1962)
7. Moonraker (1979)
8. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
9. Goldfinger (1964)
10. You Only Live Twice (1967)
11. A View To A Kill (1985). Almost tied with...
12. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
13. Thunderball (1965)
14. Live and Let Die (1973)
Next up is The Living Daylights, a favourite. I'm expecting it take gold, but I really liked Octopussy this time around....I like both for similar reasons.
2015 Bondathon (up to 1987)
1. The Living Daylights
2. Octopussy (1983)
3. From Russia with Love (1963)
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
5. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
6. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
7. Dr No (1962)
8. Moonraker (1979)
9. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
10. Goldfinger (1964)
11. You Only Live Twice (1967)
12. A View To A Kill (1985). Almost tied with...
13. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
14. Thunderball (1965)
15. Live and Let Die (1973)
I see this word a lot here. There is nothing indicating Greene or any other villains are psychotic. Most of them are clearly psychopathic, though.
I've only just begun to watch the original Man From U.N.C.L.E. series, so I'm in no position to comment on a film based on the series made almost 20 years later.
...I've never seen Never Say Never Again...