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The last movie of my Bondathon, Skyfall just popped into the Blu-ray player.
I decided to watch this tonight (although I will watch some horror flicks afterwards I've never seen).
Skyfall is the one movie I have only seen 4 times of which 3 times was at the cinema.
QOS is the other one I haven't seen that much (6 times) a 7th time once I do the Bond my numbers thing on it.
Skyfall currently stand at No 13 in my ranking. I'm a bit nervous actually. It's the first time I see this since it was released on Blu-ray.
I have my quarrels with this movie, and I think it either will go up in my ranking or go down considerably. No 13 feels somehow not right anymore now that I've seen all other Bond movies.
I'm starting now so I'll be finished in 3 hours roughly. I'll post my final ranking of the Bond movies then.
Before watching it at No 13 in my ranking.
In a nutshell: I've always been highly critical of Skyfall because it has too many things that are downright wrong. Those things stand in contrast to the many things that are downright awesome. Maybe that's why I have such a hard time with this movie.
No other Bond movie seems to have those contrasts. Most are either overall good to very good or overall mediocre or not so good. With every Bond movie having one or two things that stick out negatively or positively.
So tonight I was watching it for the 5th time.
PTS: Again no gun-barrel, but I've grown accustomed to that now, even if it is still impertinent of EON to toy with that, probably most, iconic feature.
The whole sequence is clearly the best PTS in the Craig-era. The score works really well in that PTS. Although the train sequence is a bit too much copied of Mission:Impossible it still works.
The titles are as usual impeccable and Adele's Skyfall works well in those titles.
Miraculous resurrection: The first of sadly many plot idiocies. No explanation at all how he survived when he was shot twice (once by a speeding bullet none the less) and fell to his certain death (water is as hard as concrete when falling from such heights).
Drowning, how could he not drown. To be sarcastic. I think mermaids.
Anyway to hell with it and I accept it.
30 minutes of more or less nothing remarkable except maybe the dialogue between Q and Bond.
Finally at minute 44 the Shanghai sequence begins and boredom gets expelled.
And now I have difficulties not to use too many superlatives.
The sequence in the skyscraper might just be the most beautifully shot scene of all of the Bond movies. And the score works wonders. I really begin to appreciate what Newman has done for Skyfall.
The stunning visuals continue with the mandatory Casino scene. Now I have shivers go down my spine, the Bond feeling hits full throttle.
Severine, can't remember seeing a Bond girl actress that is that good. The dialogue between her and Bond is great and once again it is a scene between Craig and an actress where the actress steals the show.
The visuals continue to impress, now it's the villain's lair, an abandoned island with a ghost town. Visually breathtaking and this could have been the best lair ever if only they had used it for a showdown. Probably greatest opportunity missed in the movie.
After 70 minutes into the movie I feel I was totally wrong about Skyfall and ranking it at No 13 seems like a major mistake.
A lift comes down in a vast factory hall, Bond is tied up to a chair. The suspense is almost unbearable.
Enter Silva. Very good introduction speech from him.
But then happen the most cringe-worthy moments ever in the franchise. Compared to what comes next, no CGI surfing, Yo Mamma, double take pigeon or Team America puppet on a jettisoned speedboat can make up to it.
"Mommy was very bad" starts it and some of the worst acting I've seen in a long time takes place with Bardem giving the homoerotic treatment to Bond. Then he finally released us and Bond from the external shame by untying James.
Unbelievable that this same actor has won an Oscar some years ago.
Talking about CGI, when Silva takes his prothesis out of his mouth some really bad CGI occurs in his face, it looks fake, totally fake. Why can't they just spare us such things.
The rest of his Hannibal Lecter moment in the glass cell is quite enjoyable and now Bardem shows that he actually can act. Still, the first 15 minutes of Bardem are quite annoyingly bad. I wish they had done it differently.
And now for the most ridiculous thing in the whole movie: Silva gets psychic, he has already foreseen that he would get captured on the island. That's kind of acceptable story-wise, but now he can foresee the future and knows exactly when to bottom up his prison suit as he is about to get released, and of course he has foreseen imbecile Q to connect Silva's laptop to the MI6 computer system. That's just lazy and stupid writing and should get punished.
Trying to forget the last 20 minutes I continue watching and to my surprise the next sequence in the movie makes up for the mistakes that just happened. The subway scene, the chase, the shooting in the court are bloody great and very exciting. The grand masterplan of Silva gets some scratches now when not able to shoot M.
Enter Scotland and Skyfall: Almost the rest of the movie plays out in breathtakingly beautifully shot Scotland and the Skyfall mansion. Bond and M driving in the classic Aston Martin is a real treat and a stroke of genius (ha! now I used a superlative but it's earned).
The 30 minutes in Scotland are stunning, suspenseful, filled with action and quite emotional at the end. The flashlight incident being the only thing that is a minor but cringe-worthy flaw.
Bardem now gives his best in showing how schizophrenic and crazy Silva is. Bond being crushed by M's death in the chapel may be a tad too melodramatic but it works anyway. I admit I remembered that scene quite wrong. Later more to that.
The very last sequence back in London is a real treat. Every second is Bond at its best and one of the most satisfying scenes ever in any Bond movie and of course probably the best ending ever except maybe for OHMSS.
Final verdict in a nutshell:
I was wrong I admit it. There are some things that kind of ruined the experience for me back in 2012 even when I watched it three times.
I needed the 2 year gap between watches to realise that the things that derailed me are not that bad after all and are not damaging the movie as much as I remembered.
Q, Silva's sexual advances to Bond, Silva foreseeing occurrences, his CGI face, M's melodramatic demise. It doesn't seem much but it was enough for me to downgrade the movie to rank 13 back then and being quite cross with the writers.
I feel a bit stupid now, I should have re-watched Skyfall a year ago, but instead kept moaning about those things.
Having said this I still feel the writing is weak, Silva's plot and how it unfolds is quite convenient, in other words lazy writing. Kind of unforgivable because without that flaw Skyfall could have been the best Bond movie.
It's still not easy to rank Skyfall but after thinking about it and writing all this I made my final decision:
Here is my new ranking with indication of which movies went up and down and some quick explanations:
1 Goldeneye
2 The Living Daylights
3 OHMSS
4 Casino Royale
5 Octopussy
6 From Russia With Love
those 6 are immovable unless some future film will be really, really good.
7 Skyfall (+6 places up from 13)
8 Licence To Kill
9 Tomorrow Never Dies
10 Die Another Day
11 Moonraker (+1 just because Drax is better than Stromberg)
12 The Spy Who Loved Me (-1, see above)
13 Goldfinger (-6 places down from 7, pure coincidence that it exchanged places with Skyfall, I always knew I have rated Goldfinger too high, probably out of respect to its legacy)
14 Dr. No
15 For Your Eyes Only
16 The World Is Not Enough
17 You Only Live Twice
18 Thunderball
19 A View To A Kill
20 Quantum Of Solace
21 Live And Let Die
22 The Man With The Golden Gun
23 Diamonds Are Forever
When I rank the movies anew there are mostly minor changes. This time the real shake up is Skyfall and Goldfinger as I have explained.
Not likely to happen again in the future.
Connery nails it again as Bond, turning in a third straight amazing performance. Auric Goldfinger is a decent villain, but Oddjob is the real highlight, indisputably one of the series' greatest henchmen and bad guys in general. Cec Linder is serviceable as Felix, while Desmond Llewelyn really shines in his one scene as Q (it may be brief, but I think the one scene is the perfect representation of Q). I find Pussy Galore to be an average Bond girl; not particularly good, but far from the worst of the series either.
I honestly much prefer the film's first half, where I find just about every scene to be great, the best including the PTS, golfing with Goldfinger, and the drive in Switzerland. Admittedly there are a few less interesting scenes in the second half, but the actual finale inside of Fort Knox is very good still to me. The one-sided fight with Oddjob always amuses me, since Bond normally has his way with any villain in a fist-fight. Though it's pretty simple, I liked the soundtrack a lot too; the instrumental version of the Goldfinger theme always appealed to me. The main reason I enjoy this film so much I think is because it is the Bond with EVERYTHING: the famous intro (Bond, James Bond), a great PTS, a memorable main song title, a classic over-the-top villain and plot, a great henchmen, the Aston Martin, Q, Moneypenny, Felix, and the martini line.
I've always been annoyed with the complaints "Bond sits in jail for half the film" and "Bond doesn't even save the day". For the first, Bond is only in jail for a small portion of the film, and even while he's there, he makes a brief escape, so he's always still trying to do something. As for the second, Bond turning Pussy to his side indirectly allows the others to even be able to disarm the bomb; he also takes down Oddjob, who wasn't about to let anyone disarm it. Just had to address those...
Anyways, I freely admit Goldfinger isn't flawless, but it's so darn entertaining it more than makes up for its shortcomings in my case. Dr. No is VERY close, but I'm still going to give Goldfinger the edge. So, it gets to stay as my go-to Connery flick; I know @Birdleson would be proud.
FoxRox's 2015 Bondathon Ranking
1. Goldfinger
2. Dr. No
3. From Russia with Love
Maybe so, but I read that Lazenby used to train military personel in hand to hand combat. May not mean much, of course.
I bet you could take them both, though.
Now that M is gone, thankfully there will be no more mommy issues that have punctuated the last few films. Purvis and Wade's repetitive themes are present throughout this film, and Craig's era too. People have commented on SF's similarities to TWINE. The Craig era also borrows a lot from DAD too. And for the few who have ranked all of Craig's films in the bottom 3, I can see where you are coming from.
- The "no use to anymore" theme (DAD recuperating/abandoned station, CR storming into embassy, QoS Fields in oil, SF played out)
- Insubordination - present through many Bond films but it's more prominent in the last few
- Falco cleaning house / CIA putting Bond down
I've yet to rewatch the Craig era but it feels like the Bond/M relationship is repeated from TWINE onwards without any progress (TWINE off active roster then reinstated, DAD rinse and repeat, CR bury head in sand then he's suddenly sent to play poker, QoS surrender 00 status then immediately trusting Bond, SF not trusting Bond in the PTS then feeling sentimental about him).
I don't have much different to say about DAD than what most people think. The last hour shits on the great, and sometimes record breaking, stuntwork done throughout the series history.
1. The Living Daylights
2. Octopussy
3. From Russia with Love
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
5. Goldeneye
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Tomorrow Never Dies
8. Dr No
9. The Spy Who Loved Me
10. Moonraker
11. Licence to Kill
12. Diamonds are Forever
13. Goldfinger
14. You Only Live Twice
15. A View to a Kill
16. The Man with the Golden Gun
17. Die Another Day
18. Thunderball
19. The World is Not Enough
20. Live and Let Die
Some observations:
- Octopussy has always scored high but I had not expected it to be 2nd
- GE suffers mainly from the score. Campbell's direction is great
- Enjoyed FYEO a lot this time around, same with Dr No
- Can't separate TSWLM and MR
- Never liked the Hamilton films. Didn't expect LALD at the bottom
I've never been the biggest Craig fan- don't get me wrong, I very much enjoy Craig and his films, but in past Bondathons, his films end up ranking in the middle of the pack. The enthusiasm for his era isn't quite what it is for Connery, Moore or Dalton.
But this Bondathon continues to turn out surprises, with Casino Royale flying into my top ten, succeeding both AVTAK (!) and the Dalton entries. It still surprises me to this day that the film preceding CASINO is DIE ANOTHER DAY...
Needless to say that the stars aligned and I loved it this time around. So many great scenes (Bond meets Vesper on the train, the PTS, the parkour chase), a magnificent Bond girl in Vesper, Le Chiffre has become one of my favourite villains, the film looks stunning (on par with OHMSS and MR), Craig is great and refreshing with his take on Bond (at his best during the torture scene), the action is palpable.
My only problem with CR is the climax in the sinking house, which goes a bit overboard. It detracts from the impact that Vesper's death should have had, although, granted, it's still rather saddening. I'd have rather it had stuck closer to the novel.
So CASINO ROYALE comes in at no.7. I think my top 6 will be set in stone from now on.
Interesting to note that there is at least one film from every Bond actor's tenure in my top ten, bar Brosnan, which I find a little disappointing. I hope that GE or TND manages to break my top ten sometime. Probably the former will do.
Next up: 2008's QUANTUM OF SOLACE.
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. Casino Royale (2006)
8. The Living Daylights (1987)
9. Licence to Kill (1989)
10. A View to a Kill (1985)
11. Live and Let Die (1973)
12. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
13. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
14. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
15. Goldeneye (1995)
16. Thunderball (1965)
17. You Only Live Twice (1967)
18. Dr. No (1962)
19. The World is not Enough (1999)
20. Moonraker (1979)
21. Die Another Day (2002)
First up, Dr. No....
From here, the film moves along at a great pace with one great sequence after another: Koskov's defection (with the main Bond girl getting straight into the action); Bond and Saunders' prickly relationship; attack on Bladen's safe house; Bond and Kara's escape from Bratislava. The film takes a slight downward turn here with the utilisation of the cello case as a sledge. This is clearly a by-product left over from the Moore era and Dalton looks uncomfortable filming this.
From here we move to Vienna and see a more human side to Bond, romancing Kara on the ferris wheel, attending the opera, and then Bond's anger at Saunders' assassination.
From here, we can see that the most effective villain of the film is Necros, rather than Koskov and Whitaker.
Perhaps the single best moment in Dalton's films (or any Bond film for that matter), is Bond holding Pushkin at gun point in his hotel room. The scene bristles with authority, tension and it is beautifully written.
Another highlight of the film is John Barry's final contribution to the Bond series; he goes out with a bang with one of his most effective scores which incorporates the main title song in often beautiful melodies.
There are a couple of disappointments in the film. The new Moneypenny is poor and almost tries too hard to vie for attention in her scenes and the inclusion of Felix Leiter is absolutely pointless as he does nothing to drive the plot at all.
These things aside, this is a fantastic film and it is very hard for me to conclude which is the best Dalton Bond as I love them both. I think LTK just pips it for me, though Dalton looks much better in Daylights without any dodgy hair styles!
This is Bond with more realism - a clear improvement over much of the Moore era.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. The Living Daylights (1987)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6. Dr No (1962)
7. Goldfinger (1964)
8. A View to a Kill (1985)
9. Octopussy (1983)
10. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
11. You Only Live Twice (1967)
12. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
13. Live and Let Die (1973)
14. Die Another Day (2002)
Next up in the Bondathon is.... FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
There's lots to enjoy about this film. Firstly, from the get go we have a terrific gun barrel with the best rendition of the Bond theme - there's an urgency and excitement to it as soon as it comes on screen.
The pre-titles sequence - pretty forgettable and laughable, particularly if this is supposed to be Bond's arch nemesis being dispatched in such a flippant, played for laughs fashion. The only truly good bit about the pre-titles is Bond putting flowers on Tracy's grave; a wonderful nod back to OHMSS and a reminder that this is always the same Bond we are seeing on screen.
The title song has never really bothered me that much - a little forgettable, as well as Maurice Binder's largely uninspiring titles. This can be said for all of the title designs of the 1980s - where is the originality of titles like YOLT, LALD and Spy?
The Chief of Staff replacing the late Bernard Lee is also another low point in the film; his frustration with Bond is overplayed to the extreme in most cases.
Here is also another film from the 80s (see Living Daylights) that doesn't have a strong central villain - it is Locque who is much more actively villainous in this film than Kristatos.
Bibi Dahl and the slow pacing of the first half of the film round up all the negatives.
From the moment Bond enters the casino (the first and only time Moore's Bond is seen in such a setting), and we meet the great ally Columbo, the film runs along at a strong pace with some great Fleming style sequences such as the raid on the warehouse, kicking Locque's car off the cliff (a highlight for Moore's Bond), and the mountaintop finale which is downbeat in comparison to the last few preceding films in the series but full of tension.
Melina Havelock is the most beautiful Bond girl in the series since Domino and Fiona in Thunderball 16 years earlier. She and Moore work well together on screen and for once this isn't a forced relationship between Bond and the main girl. Havelock is a key ingredient in relation to the story.
The keelhauling sequence, lifted directly from Fleming's Live and Let Die, is also a welcome addition.
John Glen's first outing as director in the series is very competent. This and Spy are definitely the best we get from Moore's 007. I do however remember the film being better throughout.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. The Living Daylights (1987)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6. Dr No (1962)
7. Goldfinger (1964)
8. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
9. A View To A Kill (1985)
10. Octopussy (1983)
11. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
12. You Only Live Twice (1967)
13. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
14. Live and Let Die (1973)
15. Die Another Day (2002)
Next up in the Bondathon is..... THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
A disappointment coming after the superb CASINO ROYALE, I can't help but feel a little deflated after watching QOS. It's got a lot going for it in some genuinely exquisite scenes (the Tosca scene, the PTS, the climax in the Eco-hotel), but it's marred by its convoluted plot and its breakneck pace, which leaves it hard to follow much of the intricacies of the plot (for example, they plough through the explanation of the money notes found in Mitchell's apartment, leaving me utterly confused- same with the whole Slate business). The editing doesn't bother me much; only is it during Mr White's escape and the following scenes and the boat chase does it annoy me.
I like Greene as this film's villain- he's suitably creepy and reminds me of Max Zorin (puts on a respectable facade for most of the film, but turns maniacal during the climax, not to mention that he tries to kill Bond with an axe). Rather underrated, if I might say so.
Kurylenko as Camille is very much a different kind of Bond girl, if I can even call her that. She's very well developed as a character, and Bond's equal in many ways (but in a good way, better than the likes of Wai Lin and Jinx). Not my favourite female lead, but undeniably a great character.
Craig is good as Bond. A bit humourless, but I suppose that's a given considering the events of CR.
Other scenes that I thought were very good other than those mentioned is Bond's confrontation with Yusef, Mathis's death and the Bond vs Mitchell sequence, bar some nauseating editing.
The problems come from a convoluted plot- not so much Greene's scheme to become Bolivia's sole water supplier, but everything that's lead up to it (the whole US non-interference affair, Slate being sent to kill Camille). It's pretty simple in essence, but the film isn't very good at selling it.
I'm also not very fond at all of the almost sci-fi touchscreen table thing that's used throughout the film by MI6- it's almost as if it came out of DAD. Was it really necessary to even revamp the MI6 HQ interiors? Glad it's back to the status quo in SKYFALL, and presumably SPECTRE.
Some of the action sequences I don't care for either, such as the boat chase and the dog fight with the horrible parachute jump, both of which leave me bored. And both are completely unecessary. I know the runtime is short as it is already, but both of these sequences could be cut altogether.
Unfortunately, QOS enters my bottom five for the first time with only one film to go, SKYFALL (2012).
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. Casino Royale (2006)
8. The Living Daylights (1987)
9. Licence to Kill (1989)
10. A View to a Kill (1985)
11. Live and Let Die (1973)
12. Diamonds are Forever (1971)
13. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
14. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
15. Goldeneye (1995)
16. Thunderball (1965)
17. You Only Live Twice (1967)
18. Dr. No (1962)
19. Quantum of Solace (2008)
20. The World is not Enough (1999)
21. Moonraker (1979)
22. Die Another Day (2002)
I've started all my mini-reviews so far talking about how great Connery is as Bond; honestly, I think he is at his absolute best here. Domino Derval is one of my personal favorite Bond girls, and Fiona is an ideal femme fatale. Rik Van Nutter was always one of my least favorite versions of Felix, and that didn't change unfortunately. As for the villain, Largo would probably rank somewhere in the middle of Bond villains for me; I didn't think he was exceptional, but not bad by any means. Q was amusing in his appearance; I always get a kick out Connery's "oh no" when he sees him.
I loved the PTS in the film; yeah, the jet pack is totally silly and random, but it doesn't bother me that much. After all, I believe it was Terrence Young's attempt at a more over-the-top Bond film than his first two, so it kind of set the tone. I know it's a cliche critique, but a couple of the underwater scenes dragged for me; in the long run though, it was a minor issue. Generally, I found the film's third act to be the weakest part, but the actual battle on the boat was pretty good. John Barry delivers a terrific soundtrack, and Tom Jones gives us a decent Bond song (not bad, but not a favorite).
So yeah, there's a couple problems, but nothing major. This was probably the best viewing I've ever had of the film, and I'm really glad it's gone up in the rankings. These first four movies are all candidates for my Top 10, with 1 and 2 virtually being locks for it. I'll always remember Thunderball as my first Bond film, and I don't regret it at all.
FoxRox's 2015 Bondathon Ranking
1. Goldfinger
2. Dr. No
3. Thunderball
4. From Russia with Love
Pre-titles sequence is the strongest, most action heavy probably in the whole series – 14 mins long – Bilbao – MI6 – Q, M, Moneypenny, Robert King, Thames – Cigar girl, Bond. A lot is introduced in the pre-titles very well.
The creativity in Brosnan’s Bond films tends to go into the pre-titles and title designs. Another evocative title design from Daniel Kleinman and a title song from Garbage with a similar effect.
Desmond Llewellyn’s prophetic last Bond scene in the series turns out to be just that. A fitting end to the character. John Cleese seems a little oddly cast however.
Sophie Marceau – one of the most beautiful Bond girls in the series and a strongly written character.
Denise Richards as Dr Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist. One of the strangest pieces of casting in the series? Nevertheless, a hot Bond girl!
The whole of the bunker sequence is one of the best sequences in the film, however,
action set pieces aside, this seems to be a very run of the mill film. Whilst some of the characters are well played, like Robert Carlyle as Renard, and Zukovsky is back for comic relief, it just seems like a very average film in the series.
Brosnan is serviceable as Bond – I always used to hold him in fairly high regard, but his portrayal of Bond seems distinctly average in terms of character these days.
That's about all that needs to be said of TWINE. It's certainly not the weakest in the series but I hold it in much less regard than I remember when I first saw it as an impressionable 12 year old in cinemas back in 1999 when I was first getting introduced to 007.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. The Living Daylights (1987)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6. Dr No (1962)
7. Goldfinger (1964)
8. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
9. A View To A Kill (1985)
10. Octopussy (1983)
11. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
12. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
13. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) *
14. You Only Live Twice (1967)*
15. Live and Let Die (1973)
16. Die Another Day (2002)
* - Golden Gun and YOLT have changed places in the rankings because generally I feel that Golden Gun now has a little more going for it than YOLT.
Next up in the Bondathon will be..... THUNDERBALL
The film's pre-title sequence gets the film off to a bad start with nonsensical action and another reference within three films alluding to the death of James Bond. The Jet pack sequence looks extremely dated when watching the film 50 years on and the back projection on Connery doesn't help this scene at all.
We segue from there into a classy title design from Maurice Binder, returning after a break after Dr No, and a showstopper of a song from Tom Jones. It's no Shirley Bassey but it's still a classic track.
Thunderball is a film with a fairly convoluted plot for a series like this. You feel as if you need to watch attentively in case you miss anything, and I think my biggest problem is that I find myself dipping in and out of the film where I find it most and least interesting.
Some positives for the film:
A good Felix, closer to Connery's age again, like Jack Lord in Dr No. Gets involved in the story much more than Goldfinger's Felix.
The Bond girls are probably the most gorgeous in the whole series and Fiona Volpe is a captivating character and screen presence. Her scenes always make the viewer pay attention. She almost steals the limelight from Connery in a couple of moments.
Humour had certainly become a trademark by this point and it can be found in abundance here. Connery tosses one liners around like anybody's business but he gets away with it because it's done in a classy flippant manner.
As for Connery as Bond, I've never really regarded him that highly in this film but watching it again you certainly see the animal in him - the womaniser, the charmer, the secret agent. Connery plays Bond brilliantly in his first 4 films.
The action sequences, when not laboured by too many underwater scenes, work very well and there is certainly the most at stake of all the Bond films to this point.
The Q scene is excellent though very brief - first time Q joins Bond on location (in the Bahamas).
Largo is also a satisfying villain, and probably the most sadistic up to this point.
The film boasts huge spectacle and it largely delivers. There are some problems with the film that stop it being perfect but it's Bond from a classic era.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (2963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. The Living Daylights (1987)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6. Dr No (1962)
7. Goldfinger (1964)
8. Thunderball (1965)
9. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
10. A View To A Kill (1985)
11. Octopussy (1983)
12. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
13. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
14. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
15. You Only Live Twice (1967)
16. Live and Let Die (1973)
17. Die Another Day (2002)
Not too many more to go now. Bond will return in.....MOONRAKER
Let's go from the beginning and I'm going to be honest and say I really dislike the pre-titles sequence. Yes, there is some terrific stunt work on show from B J Worth and Jake Lombard who contributed a lot to Bond, particularly during the late 70s and 80s, but the entire pre-credits just seems like a carbon copy of Spy, which does it all much better and in a much classier way.
The pre-titles of both Spy and Moonraker are almost identical – losing the submarine in Spy and losing the Moonraker here. Then cut to M and Moneypenny with Moneypenny’s quips about Bond with a woman – cut to Bond with a woman before being rudely interrupted. Then cut to big action sequence to conclude the pre-titles. A sign of lazy writing and construction.
The appearance of Jaws in the sky diving sequence, whilst menacing in shots, is there as a cheap gag and does nothing to make me enjoy the sequence. One of the weaker pre-credits sequences in my opinion – Spy’s is far superior.
After such a brilliant title song for Spy, here’s where the comparisons temporarily end between the two films; this song is not memorable at all and it’s clearly the weakest Bassey Bond song.
Some positives: There are some terrific sequences early on in the story, in particular the centrifuge scene where Bond is clearly in peril (something we don't often see, particularly in Moore's Bond films); Corinne's death by the dogs is also a chilling sequence shot brilliantly and combined with John Barry, is one of the best sequences in the film.
I've never been a fan of Drax as a villain until watching the character carefully this time around. He's an intellectual mad man, and he and Bond are constantly trying to outwit each other until Drax's brilliant death sequence. The character has definitely gone up in my estimation. I think it's the way that Michael Lonsdale underplays the character that makes Drax more menacing.
Holly Goodhead is a good intellectual and physical match for Bond but Manuela is the beautiful Bond girl of this film.
Richard Kiel must have felt a little angry that his once menacing Jaws has been reduced to this - a parody of himself.
Bond is constantly being chased in this film - mainly by Jaws - and it gets a little irritating after a while. That said, it's better than turning Jaws into a sentimental character.
The film is ultimately very up and down, a mix of good and bad. To say that I'm actually going to put it above Live and Let Die in my ranking is a first and something I didn't foresee before starting this Bondathon. For all the negativity, this is actually a fun, brainless film to watch in the series. Whilst nobody really wanted to see Bond venture into space, when he does, you just accept it and go along for the ride. Quite rightly though, the producers decided to return Bond to earth for FYEO.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. The Living Daylights (1987)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6. Dr No (1962)
7. Goldfinger (1964)
8. Thunderball (1965)
9. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
10. A View To A Kill (1985)
11. Octopussy (1983)
12. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
13. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
14. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
15. You Only Live Twice (1967)
16. Moonraker (1979)
17. Live and Let Die (1973)
18. Die Another Day (2002)
Next up in the Bondathon is..... SKYFALL
One concern I do have for the film (certainly in the first half) is that Daniel Craig’s Bond is definitely showing his age in this film. That’s certainly the point of the narrative but concerning for the actor playing a suave secret agent. I just hope he looks more youthful in SPECTRE because it looks as though the next film will be even more physically demanding. That said, Craig is terrific as Bond and makes you feel for the character in a way that we haven't really done since Dalton over two decades earlier.
It's fantastic to see the return of a new Q for a new age and Whishaw is already great in the part. Also introducing Eve and revealing her to be Moneypenny at the end is an inspired choice. In terms of the rest of the casting, Ralph Fiennes is superb as Mallory and I can't wait to see what he brings to M. Judi Dench gives her best performance as M in the series and her finale is the biggest emotional tug on the heart strings since Vesper and Tracy.
For me, the standout however is Javier Bardem. He is not only a great, flamboyant villain in the series but he gets under Bond’s skin. He comes from the same background as Bond – as an MI6 agent gone bad. What sets him apart from Alec Trevelyan is that Sean Bean played it straight and you couldn’t really class him as a villain in the same vein because he and Bond had previously worked together. The dynamics are very different. Bardem feels like he is going to go down as a classic Bond villain in the future.
Albert Finney is inspired casting as Kincade and the whole finale in Scotland is up there for me as one of the best in the series.
There are so many gems in this film and subtle nods to the 50th anniversary with the return of the DB5 and the Komodo Dragons (CGI that's never bothered me, unlike other fans), which of course are a direct link back to LALD, a favourite in the series of Mendes and Craig. The best scene in the film, however, is the enquiry speech from M and Bond running to M’s rescue. Thomas Newman’s brilliant score adds to the scene immeasurably as does the inclusion of a piece of classic Tennyson.
There are many people who will read this and ask why I haven't mentioned the incogruities of the plot and why the macguffin (the list of agents) is never tied up, but this is Bond - it's escapist fantasy and you're never going to please everyone. For me, Skyfall is still one of the most all round satisfying experiences in the series. Based on this, I can't wait for SPECTRE.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. Skyfall (2012)
5. The Living Daylights (1987)
6. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
7. Dr No (1962)
8. Goldfinger (1964)
9. Thunderball (1965)
10. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
11. A View To A Kill (1985)
12. Octopussy (1983)
13. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
14. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
15. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
16. You Only Live Twice (1967)
17. Moonraker (1979)
18. Live and Let Die (1973)
19. Die Another Day (2002)
Film 20 in my Bondathon will be.... QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Some observations:
Short snappy pre-titles sequence – frenetic car chase with crazy editing.
The title design from MK12 is a disappointment after the brilliant titles for the Bond series of late. The experimentation went wrong, particularly with Jack White and Alicia Keys’ horribly unmemorable title song over the top.
The film is an adrenaline rush from the get go, not giving the audience a moment to breathe.
The foot chase – Bond chasing after Mitchell – is actually one of few effective action sequences in the film.
The most brutal hand to hand fight in the series is when Bond knifes Mr Slate in the neck in the hotel. This action sequence has a lot to thank the Bourne series for.
Dominic Greene has probably the blandest entrance of a Bond villain in the series and, moreover, is one of the most ineffective villains in the series.
Elvis, Greene’s henchman, is one of the weakest villain henchmen in the series to date.
Bond and the Bond girl mid fight on a boat in the middle of a chase harks back to FRWL. This scene just feels like an unnecessarily long action sequence in a film with little substance thus far. This sequence is largely saved by David Arnold’s rousing score and the gentle strings of the Bond theme at the end of the sequence.
The Tosca sequence is the most impressive in the film and has a look to it that is unique to the Bond series.
Bond speaking Spanish and impressing Miss Fields with the hotel upgrade is a small moment of delight in a bland film.
The finale in the burning hotel is well realised but the film has a lack of any substance - it seems to go from scene to scene with little coherence - and this is also evident at the end of the film where we are expecting the typical bombastic Bond finale.
I appreciate that this is a film that is supposed to reflect Bond's state of mind after the events of Casino Royale so from a narrative point of view, that is acceptable, but the film as a whole is a big mess with very little to entertain or excite the audience.
Aside from the Tosca sequence, my other favourite scene in the film is more about character: Bond waiting for Yusef in his flat. Craig epitomises Bond in that scene alone - a figure of authority - it harks back to Dalton's Bond holding Pushkin at gun point in TLD and this scene alone almost makes up for the rest of the film for me.
With the writers' strike in the middle of production and the fast release after Casino Royale, I think the producers were starting to lose their thread a little with Craig's Bond. Luckily the 4 year wait for Skyfall would result in classic Bond once again.
Quantum isn't the worst film in the series, but it is close to the bottom of my rankings on this viewing.
My rankings so far:
1. From Russia with Love (1963)
2. Licence to Kill (1989)
3. OHMSS (1969)
4. Skyfall (2012)
5. The Living Daylights (1987)
6. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
7. Dr No (1962)
8. Goldfinger (1964)
9. Thunderball (1965)
10. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
11. A View to a Kill (1985)
12. Octopussy (1983)
13. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
14. The World is not Enough (1999)
15. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
16. You Only Live Twice (1967)
17. Moonraker (1979)
18. Live and Let Die (1973)
19. Quantum of Solace (2008)
20. Die Another Day (2002)
I have been watching these films, as you know, in an entirely random order, with the film names randomly coming out of a hat. As it turns out, the Daniel Craig films have all come out together near the end of the marathon in reverse ascending order, so the 21st film to review will be.... CASINO ROYALE.
I really like Largo's slimy, smooth way of talking. He's both cool and repulsive at the same time.
Rik Van Nutter actually came off as a bit better than I had remembered when I rewatched TB a few weeks ago. Still not great though. He sounds kind of sleepy.
Watching TWINE in 2015, one thing that struck me is that it's got some very awkward (and sometimes downright poor) dialogue:
"He caught a bullet instead of a plane"
"You can't kill me...I'm already dead"
"marching toward my own death"
"do you want to put that in English for those of us who don't speak Spy"
"welcome to my nuclear family"
"chill out James"
"I can't help thinking...I'm next"
Possibly the best two lines in the film though:
"shadows stay infront or behind...never on top"
"I never miss"
Most of the good stuff is in the first half an hour.
Awkard? That's one of the best lines in the movie.
I never had a problem with it before but hearing it now it doesn't sound like something a person would actually say if confronted with a gun (even if they had somehow cheated death).
It sounds too...scripted.
I like it too!
Two other good lines:
"My executioner!?"
"overpraised i'm afraid"
:)>-
Like many others have pointed out, Connery just isn't the same here; he's not as energetic as usual, and he does look bored some of the time. I don't think it's a bad Bond performance, but obviously it could have been a lot better given his earlier works. I thought the Bond girls in the film were fairly forgettable, and the weakest in the series to this point; Kissy Suzuki lacked personality, and Helga Brandt was essentially a cheap knockoff of Fiona from the last movie. It's notable for being the first time we see Blofeld's face, and I still enjoy the reveal honestly. Donald Pleasance isn't my favorite actor to play the role, but it was suitable for the over-the-top nature of the film. Anyways, he's still a good villain in my book.
I must admit the music was very enjoyable. Nancy Sinatra provides a good title song, and Barry's score is also great. The PTS of the film is probably one of my least favorites in the series; until Bond's "death", I wasn't very hooked. And I know this one's been re-hashed to death, but the whole Bond turning Japanese thing is just ridiculous. As for other things I did like, I thought Tanaka was a solid supporting character. The volcano lair and entire finale was pretty well-done. Really, you can tell just by the way I've been going back and forth, I find this to be a very hit-and-miss Bond film.
It used to be as high as my third favorite Connery Bond film, but it has slipped in my rankings through the years. I really do still enjoy this film; it's classic, over-the-top Bond, and simple entertainment. It has its obvious problems, but that doesn't stop me from liking it. Still, I firmly consider it to be the lowest point of the golden age Bond films.
FoxRox's 2015 Bondathon Ranking
1. Goldfinger
2. Dr. No
3. Thunderball
4. From Russia with Love
5. You Only Live Twice
All that needs to be said.