Last Bond Movie You Watched

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  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited August 2017 Posts: 23,883
    GE

    A perennial favourite of mine since its release 22 years ago, this film didn’t disappoint tonight. In fact, it's one of the most consistently entertaining and enjoyable Bond films for me. I always come away with a renewed sense of optimism for the franchise, its history and its future after a viewing. I suppose that’s because GE, like TSWLM before it, is a sort of celebration of the best of cinematic Bond. It gets the big things right for me: The swagger, flair, glamour, style & class are all there. So is a tight plot, which moves with reasonable momentum from start to finish with little unnecessary filler. The dialogue has punch to it, with the requisite level of campiness. The characters are charismatic and all the performances are memorable across the board, especially by Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Sean Bean, Gottfried John & Tcheky Karyo. The action set pieces are very well put together by Martin Campbell. I always enjoy the opening dam jump, the library escape, the tank sequence & the finale atop the satellite dish in particular. The visceral and kinetic OO6/OO7 fight is one of the best in the series. Brosnan is very good in his first outing as James Bond. He’s still finding his feet here, and is a bit stiff & unsure. However, in this film at least he looks the part, delivers the lines well and has an effortless suaveness & nonchalance that was missing from Dalton imho. Campbell is able to keep Brosnan's known acting excesses in check, and the film is the better for it.

    Ultimately, GE is a nice blend of the old and new. It respects the franchise’s cinematic history, while neatly reimagining Bond for the post Cold war environment. I like how the film recreates some of the old style aesthetically too, which I felt was missing during much of the Glen years. I believe Brosnan was the right man for this film, because his youthful good looks give the entry a welcome freshness, and also ensures he doesn’t appear like the dinosaur that he is described to be here.

    This remains a top 10 entry of mine, and I’m strongly inclined to move it up a few notches in my ranking on the back of this most recent enjoyable viewing.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited August 2017 Posts: 8,400
    Well done both, great summaries.

    I always thought Jack Wade was a bit useless in the end, since his main job is to take Bond to Valentine who Bond already knows anyway. He could have arrived at the airport and cut straight to Valentines fine establishment.

    Something else I noticed is that Bond doesn't really do anything important in the first scenes of the film, after the PTS. The story is basically focused on Xenia stealing the helicopter. Bond didn't didn't really even need to be there, we could have watched her seduce the admiral, bang the life out of him, take out the pilots and steal the helicopter. It would have been quicker, and we would have gotten to know her a bit better IMO. Bond was an unnecessary framing device at that stage. We could have picked up with him at MI6, but I guess has to driveva Aston, wear a tux, visit a casino and say "Bond, James Bond" at some point in the story.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited August 2017 Posts: 23,883
    I agree @Mendes4Lyfe. Wade is a bit of comic relief imho. I quite liked his character, although he's no Felix. The interaction between Bond and him at the airport shed light on Bond's character (the way he forced Wade to show him the rose to break the ice was a nice touch).

    I agree on Bond being technically useless in the earlier part of the film as well. I think Campbell inserted him in those earlier scenes to establish Brosnan's iteration of the character though, and I think it went a long way towards making me comfortable with him in the role. The Monaco scenes are among my favourites from any Bond film.
  • I enjoy all of the Brosnan films. GE obviously is great. TND isn't as good but it's solid if a bit generic. TWINE is brilliant and underrated, a worthy follow up to GE. DAD is awful but it's so stupid, over the top and fast paced/watchable that I can't help but find it enjoyable, and it does have some genuinely good bits going for it.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    Oh look, it's Sunday afternoon, and ITV have put LTK on. I think putting it on, and butchering it for a pre-watershed viewing is worse than not showing it. If they want to screen a Bond film at this time of the day, show Goldfinger. I should be happy that my 2nd favourite Bond is on tv every few weeks. But it is a bittersweet joy, as they always show it at a moronic time of the day, causing them to cut the film to shreds.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,400
    Major Major, I'm watching it on ITV as we speak. I swear this Bond movie gets more screen time in the middle of the day then any other. Strange since its the most dark violent.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    Major Major, I'm watching it on ITV as we speak. I swear this Bond movie gets more screen time in the middle of the day then any other. Strange since its the most dark violent.

    That's why I brought it up now, I have it on as well. Look, I am overjoyed that it gets so much airings on ITV/2/3 (considering the treatment it has had over the years), it really is on every few weeks, but always at the wrong time. A 9 o'clock screening would be perfect. That way, they can show the film uncut.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Maybe its status as an unpopular film is the reason why it is shown at daytime?
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    bondjames wrote: »
    FRWL

    All this Bond talk recently gave me a craving for something exceptional. There could only be one choice. This viewing solidified the film as my #1 Bond outing. The atmosphere, simple suspense driven espionage plot, locations, humour, dialogue, chilling Barry score, characters and acting are all first class. The only elements that I am not all that keen on are the lengthy gypsy village shootout, the helicopter sequence & the boat chase, but I'm nitpicking. Connery is perfection. What's remarkable about him is his demeanour and natural ability to be credibly lethal while still being roguishly charming and suave. It's a privilege to see him in his prime & at the top of his game.

    Hear, hear. The benchmark Bond.
  • Posts: 12,474
    MR. I think it will remain my least favorite of the official 24 films. I still don't hate it; it has its entertaining moments, but the entire premise of bringing Bond to outer space alone really does not work for me. I think it's also probably Moore's weakest performance; seems like his most autopilot performance so to speak (which doesn't make it bad - just less good). Both this and DAD are my least favorite ones - particularly because of their second halves. I will probably give DAD a slight edge in my ranking but they are nearly tied pretty much at the bottom.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited August 2017 Posts: 13,978
    Maybe its status as an unpopular film is the reason why it is shown at daytime?

    Possibly, but why not put Goldfinger on in the afternoon, instead? There is nothing that needs cutting there. Well, a few morons might get upset at "man talk". Typically, ITV did their usual hatchet job on Licence To Kill. Given how enthusiastic they are with cutting, I was expecting a Sam Mendes job on the gun barrel, thankfully that was intact. LTK is my third Bond viewing of the year, I feel in the mood for some Tomorrow Never Dies next...
  • Posts: 12,474
    GF. Not a favorite around here, but it has always been one of my all-time favorites and remains so. I find it to be the perfect in-between of DR+FRWL and TB+YOLT for Connery's era. I'll be rewatching TB and DN to finish my out-of-order Bondathon that has happened over the last couple months.
  • Posts: 12,474
    Birdleson wrote: »
    FoxRox wrote: »
    GF. Not a favorite around here...


    You would think that from the complaining on here, but it never comes in lower than fourth (maybe 5th once) in any of our member surveys.

    Maybe it's just outspoken members against it. I don't really know. For me personally, Connery's first 3 are his best (all in my Top 10), even though both TB and YOLT are also pretty good.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    I've enjoyed it @FoxRox -- keep it coming!
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    I'm enjoying GOLDFINGER.... IIIIII-CONNNNN-ICCCCCCC
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    Watching GF, it's clear that Q Branch was cool in the 60s and 70s; to me, less so in the 80s and 90s...; is not needed in the new era-- no matter how much I love Q and Q.2... CR and QoS proved that... So did SF and SP inso far as his role meant nothing, really to the story that they couldn't have done without him
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Birdleson wrote: »
    FoxRox wrote: »
    GF. Not a favorite around here...


    You would think that from the complaining on here, but it never comes in lower than fourth (maybe 5th once) in any of our member surveys.

    I think understandable criticism is different than random complaining. I've not read a GF criticism here that wasn't credible or with a grain of logic to the complaints. We still appreciate and respect it in some ways, but I don't think it's unreasonable to speak out where it fails as a film and how it stands out as the ugly duckling of its era in many ways. No Bond film is immune to criticism, and that is the way it should be.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Birdleson wrote: »
    My point (ugly duckling is subjective; I don't see GF that way and it always out performs DN and TB on any survey we have on here, so I assume many others agree with me) was in response to the comment that it's "Not a favorite around here...", when our polls show that it very much is a favorite on these boards.

    I absolutely agree with your second point (largely because it's fact) such that, when I read that post, I said, "No, I'd say GF is quite favored" in my head. One only has to look at all those who come to defend the film from criticism to see that it will always have its main audience in hold.

    It's also a bit of a misunderstanding I see from some (not saying you here) that those who find issues with it are treated as really not liking it, which isn't the case for any I've seen. Less GF haters, and more those who find it disappointing in some areas despite greatness in others.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,016
    Birdleson wrote: »
    My point (ugly duckling is subjective; I don't see GF that way and it always out performs DN and TB on any survey we have on here, so I assume many others agree with me) was in response to the comment that it's "Not a favorite around here...", when our polls show that it very much is a favorite on these boards.

    GF will always be top of the pile for me.

    The quintessential Bond film.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,400
    Even though GF has some silly elements which occasionally grate depending the mood you're in, and even though the film lags slightly in the middle, its still better than the two surrounding it IMO. TB is a bit of a slog, and FRWL fizzles out after Grant dies. GF is strong scene after strong scene with no exceptions barely. That in itself makes it a more satisfying and rewarding Bond experience. That being said, Connerys truly greatest adventure is Dr No.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Even though GF has some silly elements which occasionally grate depending the mood you're in, and even though the film lags slightly in the middle, its still better than the two surrounding it IMO. TB is a bit of a slog, and FRWL fizzles out after Grant dies. GF is strong scene after strong scene with no exceptions barely. That in itself makes it a more satisfying and rewarding Bond experience. That being said, Connerys truly greatest adventure is Dr No.

    I prefer both the films either side of GF by a long way,FRWL and TB are more solid entries.
    GF is brilliant until we hit Baltimore and 'Auric Stud',after that it's a borefest until the end credits.

  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,589
    Spectre.

    It had been 6 months since my last viewing. I stopped it right when Bond and Madeleine meet Blofeld in the meteor room. I never realized how bizzare it is. It feels out of place in the Bond universe and Craig, while putting a good performance in, seemed bizzare in it as well. Do I enjoy it? Yes i do, but it just felt odd
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Spectre.

    It had been 6 months since my last viewing. I stopped it right when Bond and Madeleine meet Blofeld in the meteor room. I never realized how bizzare it is. It feels out of place in the Bond universe and Craig, while putting a good performance in, seemed bizzare in it as well. Do I enjoy it? Yes i do, but it just felt odd

    Bizarre is the word I think of when I ponder Fleming's work, so is this meant as a compliment? ;)
  • BBCWORLDALERTSBBCWORLDALERTS CLIFTON NJ 07011
    Posts: 3
    WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    It's also a bit of a misunderstanding I see from some (not saying you here) that those who find issues with it are treated as really not liking it, which isn't the case for any I've seen. Less GF haters, and more those who find it disappointing in some areas despite greatness in others.
    Yes, sometimes we go off on parts of films and it would seem by that that we actively dislike the whole film when in reality we love the movie itself but are just waxing critical for the fun of it.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited August 2017 Posts: 9,020
    .
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    I have watched 82 Bond films since February 29th, 2016.

    Damn, I've only seen 25. Where do I find the rest?

    All kidding aside, that's a lot of viewings. I couldn't manage that, not only because of time but I just couldn't muster up the energy.

    I hope you enjoyed DAF!
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    I love trivial pursuit. And drinks. Sounds like a great time.

  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,150
    SPECTRE this film seems to get worse on every rewatch
  • QQ7QQ7 Croatia
    Posts: 371

    SPECTRE this film seems to get worse on every rewatch

    Morocco scenes are unwatchable.
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