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
1) FYEO
2) TLD
3) OP
4) AVTAK
5) LTK
Sometimes TLD and OP can swap places, but the others are set in stone.
2. FYEO
3. AVTAK
4. TLD
5. LTK
2. OP
3. TLD
4. FYEO
5. AVTAK
I miss the Glen era.
2. LTK
3. FYEO
4. OP
5. AVTAK
Although if based purely on action, then LTK is #1 (same for for the series on the whole).
I concur.
I can even rank them, which I don't feel like doing when looking at the entire Bond catalogue.
1. Op
2. TLD / LTK
3. AVTAK
4. FYEO
Curious, does the FYEO lowest rank have anything at all to do with the soundtrack?
Not at all. I love that score.
The ranking of these five films is quite close for me anyway. They're rather even in quality. And they have a similar style.
I find that, by being "of its time", the score provides a healthy contrast to Barry's work, which was more timeless.
Digging that Bee Gees song as I write this.
Extended version. I dig it also.
That’s because they’re all directed by the unsung genius that is John Glen.
I totally agree. The 80s was an awesome decade for Bond. Okay so AVTAK was a little disappointing but it’s still far more entertaining than anything from the 90s.
Glen had a very consistent and highly entertaining style. Even though most of them aren’t ‘big’ in the TSWLM me sense they’re all well crafted with great action, excellent dramatic moments and obviously 2 of the best Bond actors.
An unsung and under appreciated decade for Bond. If only we had that consistency and entertainment value now instead of ponderous and unconvincing character studies and leaden action.
After the 60s I’d say the 80s were Bond’s greatest decade.
For me - the easy winners here are TLD and FYEO - both classy spy-thrillers.
OP and LTK are solid also, the only real duffer is AVTAK, but even this has it moments (thanks to the solid supporting cast).
Glen was great at action and pacing. The area he occasionally fell down (for me) was humour (TLD, FYEO and LTK perhaps needed just a little more, whereas OP, AVTAK had far too much - and it was often slapstick).
2. Licence to Kill
3. Octopussy
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. Any one of Glen's non-Bond films
6. A View to a Kill
Yes, a consistent and entertaining decade. The 80s films have a very satisfying mixture of a serious spy feel (more serious than the 70s films, anyway) with a sense of larger-than-life adventure, plus some imaginative and highly exciting action scenes.
Agree. What I often miss in todays films is suspense. The 80s films were very suspensefull and they had a dark atmosphere. They also used the locations very well. Instead of pointless globe trotting we were brought to interesting locations like the Greek islands, Vienna, Berlin, Bratislava which were all very relevant to the Cold War and therefore added to the authentic spy atmosphere.
Another thing is pacing. For me the Glen films have never get boring. There is usually a good mixture of action, story and drama. The plots are more complicated but still easy enough to follow. James Bond himself is more serious than in the 70s and 90s but his personal involvement is not exaggerated as it is unfortunately in the Craig era.
I agree that the use of slapstick does not work at all. Glen certainly was not very good at bringing humor into his films. The one liners are mostly bad and out of place. But apart from that his films are very well made.
2. For Your Eyes Only; Octopussy; The Living Daylights; Licence To Kill
Good old fashioned film making. Solid plots, well crafted screenplays, and great pacing.
Like you say, the suspense in those 80s films is brilliantly handled. For all the stick it gets, the clown outfit Bomb-defusing scene in OP is more suspenseful than anything we've had during the Brosnan or Craig eras.
Isn't Glen still alive as well? Forget bringing back Campbell. Bring back Glen!
I'd second that!
1) For Your Eyes Only
2) Licence To Kill
3) The Living Daylights
4) Octopussy
5) A View To a Kill
Just, y'know, reverse the order.
Or not.
;)
FYEO has always been my favorite John Glen film. I love it’s ties to OHMSS, and how it feels like a throwback to the early 60’s Bond films. But I will say that up until recent watching, I found The Living Daylights superior to Licence To Kill. I think the more I watch LTK, the more I come to respect it as a film, and become more appreciative of what it does and how it subverts the standard Bond formula. As much as I love TLD, I have to say I watch, and enjoy LTK more nowadays.
TLD and LTK get equal watch for me! Adore both.
Still have fond memories of seeing Dalton for the first time in TLD in the cinema. Left the cinema elated. Didn't have that feeling again until Craig made his debut in CR!
2.TLD
3.LTK
4.AVTAK
5.OP
2.The living daylights
3.For your eyes only
4.A view to a kill
1. Licence to Kill
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. The Living Daylights
4. A View to a Kill
5. Octopussy
LTK is the most unique of these and to me stands out in a good way in the series; the personal angle was handled perfectly and never felt melodramatic. Had one of the series' best villains, great action scenes, a terrific finale, and IMO Dalton's best Bond performance. Using Felix the way they did this time around was just a great idea.
FYEO is noteworthy for being Roger Moore's most down to earth, stripped back Bond film - and it works very well. I think Moore's best Bond performance came out of this film, and it also features a good story and a great Bond girl (I'm talking about Melina, of course). I like the villains too, even though they aren't the best in the series. Only thing that really holds it back is the soundtrack, which does have its moments but is collectively one of the series' weakest.
TLD has one of the series' best PTSs and best soundtracks, and generally a very good first two-thirds. Dalton is decent as Bond, but I think he does better in LTK. Kara is okay. The villains are pretty weak I think (Necros is the best but I'd still say only okay). The last third of the film drags it down. Overall a good Bond film for sure but some flaws hold it back.
AVTAK has one of the best Bond villains (Max), but also one of the worst Bond girls (Stacey). Moore's age is a little distracting at times, but he still does fine overall. It has some bad corny moments and isn't one of the best-made Bond films by any stretch (it’s probably the most flawed of Glen’s films), but it does have a certain charm to it and is definitely memorable. The action is some of the series' weakest. One more thing I should mention though is that the title song and soundtrack are awesome.
OP is still a good Bond film, but currently I have it ranked last of Glen's films. Moore is good, the villains are good, the Bond girls are okay. I think this one has a pretty weak finale though, save for the fun scene on the plane. I'm not crazy about the PTS or much of the film's second half (it does have some great bits still like the train and plane scenes). It has its moments for sure and is pretty fun but lately I haven't been as happy with it as I used to be.
I'd say I love LTK and FYEO, and like TLD, AVTAK, and OP. They're all pretty memorable, fun Bond outings for my money. Glen is one of my favorite Bond directors, somewhere close after Terrence Young and Martin Campbell.
Second would be TLD.
"Have a nice fright?"
I have to admit this is the best Moore film IMO. I actually love the PTS a lot. Ties it into OHMSS nicely. But the Dalton films are where my heart lies...
Good man. As do mine! Marvellous pair of Bond films!
FYEO
AVTAK
OP
LTK