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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.
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.
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.
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.
Hear, hear. The benchmark Bond.
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...
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.
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.
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.
GF will always be top of the pile for me.
The quintessential Bond film.
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.
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? ;)
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!
Morocco scenes are unwatchable.