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Rank the Bond films (detailed)
GoldenGun
Per ora e per il momento che verrà
Since the old thread is no longer around, just give your ranking of the Bond films. Feel free to enlighten your choices.
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Comments
1. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (subject to change,due to be watched)
2. CASINO ROYALE
3. THUNDERBALL
4. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (subject to change,due to be watched)
5. GOLDENEYE
6. OCTOPUSSY
7. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (subject to change,due to be watched)
8. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
9. LICENCE TO KILL
10.THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
11.A VIEW TO A KILL
12.THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
13.TOMORROW NEVER DIES
14.YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
15.FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (subject to change,due to be watched)
16.MOONRAKER
17.DIE ANOTHER DAY
18.GOLDFINGER
19.LIVE AND LET DIE (subject to change,due to be watched)
20.DOCTOR NO (subject to change,due to be watched)
21.THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
22.DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
If you want to sharpen your claws and have a go then DO IT ..
“Detailed” Bond Film Ratings
1. Casino Royale (2006) - 10/10
I somehow knew, even after seeing some Bond films drop and rise for this new list, that the battle for number one was still going to be between Goldfinger and Casino Royale. But in the end, by that much, Casino Royale retains the number one spot on my list. Firstly, there is Daniel Craig, who is second only to Sean Connery in my mind. From the very first frame we see him in, Craig simply is James Bond. But this Bond is a little tougher than the rest; Craig’s Bond is a true killer, one who almost seems to get a hint of pleasure from it. He doesn’t go into anti-hero territory, but it is enough to see there is a different kind of working going on in this Craig’s Bond’s mind. This trait is something I think only Craig possesses and is truly a phenomenal one. The believability in Craig’s Bond is something I also admire. Where some Bonds didn’t emasculate some of Bond’s traits, Craig nails all of them. But Casino Royale doesn’t stop at a fantastic Bond. The rest of the cast is great, as well. Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd is one of my favorite Bond girls in the series. Le Chiffre is played subtly by Mads Mikkelsen, but his last moments are incredibly menacing. Mathis is a strong “ally”, as well. The action scenes are not only some of my favorites in the series, but some of my favorite of all time, barring no film. And then there is that torture scene. I’ve noticed over the years that it often gets some bashing from people who would’ve preferred the book’s version. But to me, Casino Royale’s torture scene (despite being dissimilar from the book) takes the cake for my favorite scene in a Bond film. It’s brutal, terrifying and uncomfortably funny all in one; I truly can’t think of any other scene in any movie for that manner that has had me more on the edge of my seat. Casino Royale is not only my favorite Bond film, but my personal favorite film of all time.
2. Goldfinger (1964) - 10/10
Goldfinger is pure, classic Bond and memorable scenes are countless. The film has an immensely strong supporting cast with Gert Frobe as Goldfinger (one of the series’ best villains), Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore (one of the series’ best girls) and Harold Sakata as Oddjob (the series’ best henchman). And then there’s Sean Connery. What a Bond he was; the best, that’s for sure. What Goldfinger also had that some other Bond films botched was the exact right amount of camp. Yes, it’s preposterous that Oddjob can withstand a gold brick to the chest and Bond wears a tuxedo under a wetsuit, but it’s all in the film’s personality. Some Bond films (like Diamonds Are Forever or Moonraker) pushed camp into self parody, but for some reason Goldfinger’s camp is stylish to me. (The film’s personality is similar to that of Raiders of the Lost Ark). Accompanied by the franchise’s best score, that incredible Aston Martin, brisk pacing, and some of the best one liners in film (“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”) Goldfinger is not only the best classic Bond film, but one of the greatest films of all time.
3. From Russia With Love (1963) - 9.5/10
When the casual filmgoer thinks James Bond, they might not immediately think “realism”. But From Russia With Love is just that, a realistic spy thriller. And a thriller it is: Sean Connery is as great as Bond as he was in Dr. No. Bond girl Tatiana is a little more than a girl Bond picked up for the ride (like in Dr. No) which is a nice change. From Russia With Love had double the budge Dr. No had and it shows; the cinematography and locations are incredible. Kerim Bay should also go down as Bond’s best ally; his death is truly a powerful moment. Oh, and the fight on the Orient Express with Grant? Bond’s best fist fight of the entire series. Not only is From Russia With Love a fantastic Bond film, but a marvelous and thrilling spy caper as well.
4. Dr. No (1962) - 9/10
The first and subtlest James Bond film adventure is far from unexciting. First mention goes to Sean Connery, who is the best James Bond in my mind. He is so natural and smooth, one might think he was born to play such a role. (With his best scene in this film being the execution of the poor yet deserving Professor Dent). Villain Dr. No is also one of the series’ strongest villains; he is low key, but carries a chilling persona. Ursula Andress as the series’ first Bond girl is a success too. She is not just eye candy, and despite tagging along for the ride, she is very resourceful. The plot development of Dr. No is also very satisfying, what starts as missing persons case turns into a world threatening endeavor. I’ve always liked that evolution. Despite having a considerably lower budget than the rest of the Bond films, Dr. No has always been the little film that could in my mind and pushes far beyond what it should have been capable of, which makes me appreciate it all the more.
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) - 9/10
I had always convinced myself that George Lazenby was a substandard James Bond. But upon watching OHMSS again, I was surprised to see how wrong I was. Sure, Lazenby is not the best Bond; his acting ranges from serviceable to solid to great, but I can say I was actually fairly impressed with his performance. And the very last scene, with a dead Mrs. Bond lying in her husband’s arms may be the most tragic, emotional and powerful scene in Bond film history. Adding to that, the rest of OHMSS is near perfect; the supporting cast is one of the best casts in a Bond film (Tells Savalas as Blofeld and Diana Rigg as Tracy were spot on), John Barry’s soundtrack is phenomenal and the production values and cinematography shine. The editing of the movie is an acquired taste and some of it still baffles me, but that aside, OHMSS was the Bond movie I was most mistaken about.
6. Thunderball (1965) - 8.5/10
Sean Connery’s best Bond performance comes in Thunderball. Don’t get me wrong: from Dr. No to this film, he was spot on, but his Thunderball performance always stood above the rest for some reason. His mannerisms and lines (“Wait until you get to my teeth”) are delivered with stark perfection. Most of the supporting cast is strong too with a special nod going to Luciana Paluzzi’s femme fetal Fiona Volpe. Domino is only slightly less interesting, but still a good Bond girl nonetheless. Largo is a fine villain, and hey an eyepatch can make anyone look evil, right? In terms of plot, Thunderball is fairly standard with the topic being nuclear blackmail. But the investigation type of style Thunderball takes makes it quite interesting. The underwater scenes are actually very well shot and while the last underwater battle goes on for a little too long, a fist fight on a runaway yacht brings the energy right back in. Once again, a strong outing from Connery and the gang.
7. The Living Daylights (1987) - 8.5/10
For a long time, I had thought of The Living Daylights as routine and rather bland, but this recent viewing has proven how wrong I was. Daylights is a well paced film; just when you start to think the movie is slowing down, something else happens to jolt you back into the action. Speaking of the action, some of the best action pieces are featured in this film, with my favorite being the thrilling and unique cargo net fight. And then there is Timothy Dalton, who gives a strong first performance as James Bond. Dalton is good on the dramatics, adding some dark elements that Moore never had. And while Dalton balks an occasional throw away one liner, the rest of his performance makes up for it. Just the presence of a younger Bond in Dalton (as compared to his predecessor) adds energy that some of the later Moore entries (especially A View to a Kill) were missing. Then there is the rest of the cast, who are all strong (minus John Terry as Felix Leiter). Even the villains, who I thought I had a dislike of, work out fairly well. The plot jumps around a bit and remains low key throughout, but is not meaningless (like The Man with the Golden Gun) and not inane (As I had once thought). The one scene that has always irked me and perhaps prevents Daylights from being a spot higher on this list is that cello case sled scene. It has never sat with me right; I always thought it was a hangover from a Moore film. Apart from that slip, The Living Daylights is a superior, underrated Bond film that owes much of it’s strong suits to Mr. Timothy Dalton.
8. Quantum of Solace (2008) - 8/10
If there is any one thing Quantum of Solace owes everything to, it is Daniel Craig. He is not necessarily the film’s “saving grace”, but he does for sure help Solace in being a very good Bond picture. The fact is that Craig is simply great in the role. A special mention, I think, needs to go to the scene featuring Bond and Mathis on a plane to Bolivia. (A scene I think is criminally underrated.) This scene features James Bond who, for the first time in the entire series, is visibly inebriated. The scene is quick and Craig says little, but the exchange between Mathis and Bond is so pure and meaningful. Just looking at Bond in this scene gives you a sense of the pain that he has bottled up, and it makes for a powerful moment. The cast of Solace is above average; Camille is a fine girl, she isn’t really all too memorable, but she gets the job done, regardless. But I found that the character of Fields to be more of a worthy Bond girl. Had the roles been switched (with Fields being the main Bond girl and Camille having only 10 minutes of screen time), I feel that Solace’s leading ladies might have been stronger. Villain Dominic Greene goes the same way; he isn’t all menacing, but he does a good job portraying the man he is supposed to: a slimy, bent business man. The action scenes, when you are able to pay full attention to them, are strong too. Though none of them live up to the brilliant opening car chase that finishes four minutes into the film. Quantum of Solace suffers mainly for the overly subtle (is that an oxymoron?) plot. There just isn’t enough there for a Bond picture. The theft of Bolivia’s water is too down to Earth and too pedestrian for me. It hurts the film a good deal, but the rest of Quantum of Solace is very good, and too good to put any lower.
9. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - 8/10
Up until Moonraker was made, The Spy Who Loved Me easily had the most ludicrous plot. But despite venturing dangerously near self-parody, The Spy Who Loved Me, similarly to Goldfinger, uses its camp as a style (mostly). Roger Moore has vastly improved since The Man with the Golden Gun, and is even able to portray dark humor convincingly. (“What a helpful chap.” - Moore’s best moment as 007; but it also helps that the writers have finally started realizing Moore’s “strengths”.) As far as the rest of the cast goes, Stromberg and Jaws make a pretty good evil team. Barbara Bach, on the other hand is as mediocre as they come; she holds back this film from being great. But I can really appreciate The Spy Who Loved Me’s beautiful sets and environments. The interior of Liparus is as fantastic as it is grand, as is Atlantis, Stromberg’s massive underwater house. Bond’s new tricked out Lotus is also a truly worthy gadget and ranks among Q’s best. Oh, and Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” is the best Bond theme as far as I’m concerned. As silly as the film’s story is, The Spy Who Loved Me is great fun and realizes its own camp without being too overtly superfluous.
10. GoldenEye (1995) - 8/10
Ask me my opinion on GoldenEye a month ago and I would’ve told you it was one of my top four Bond films, without hesitation. So it comes as a surprise to me to see GoldenEye so “low” on my list. Let’s get a few things straight though: GoldenEye is still a strong Bond picture. The action is truly top notch, with a special mentions going towards the tank chase throughout St. Petersberg and the ending fist fight between Bond and 006. The supporting cast is strong throughout, too. Natalya is a strong, intelligent Bond girl and is very well played by Izabella Scorupco. Xenia Onatopp is a truly unique character as well; Famke Janssen is great in the role as she makes Xenia disturbing and attractive at the same time. And Sean Bean plays an excellent villain in Trevelyan. (One of my favorite villains in the Bond films.) But the one obstacle that holds GoldenEye from being a great, near perfect Bond film comes as a huge shock to me: Pierce Brosnan. Upon watching again, I found Brosnan stiff and rather bland. He didn’t really play the part like anything; Connery started off the role and was the established Bond, Moore was a sillier Bond, Dalton was a darker Bond and hell even Lazenby was unique in his mannerisms. Brosnan is just there; he rarely says his lines with emotion or flair of any kind in GoldenEye. It also doesn’t help that Sean Bean upstages Brosnan in every scene they’re in together. Apart from looking good in a tux and having some physicality, Brosnan is tragically (gulp) forgettable. GoldenEye is a good Bond film but...and I’d never thought I’d say this...Pierce Brosnan prevents it from being great.
11. You Only Live Twice (1967) - 7.5/10
Almost immediately upon viewing You Only Live Twice, you can tell some of the charm from his first four movies is missing from Sean Connery. That being said, Connery is still a strong Bond here and the movie itself gives you plenty to look at. While the rest of the cast is concerned, they got Blofeld mostly right with Donald Pleasance, and Bond’s ally Tiger is a worthy one. Some issues lie with the Bond girls, though. Bond’s first girl, Aki was only half interesting to begin with yet things pick up when she is unpredictably killed. We then get a replacement (Kissy Suzuki) who turns out to be the least memorable Bond girl of the series. It’s obvious the writers didn’t care much for her; she is in the movie for roughly thirty minutes and isn’t even named until the end credits. But most of the action is good, despite some laughable special effects. A note to filmmakers: if you need to fake the majority of an action scene, or any scene for that matter, it isn’t worth doing. (I speak of the “Little Nelly” helicopter fight and the scene where Blofeld’s rocket lands in his volcano, two scenes that have not aged well at all.) And yes, that volcano base is just ridiculous in nature, but I’ve always found it inventive; the set itself looks beautiful too. You Only Live Twice is preposterous and sometimes bloated, but come on: its still Sean Connery.
12. License to Kill (1989) - 7.5/10
As License to Kill is the first Bond movie I ever saw, I have developed a soft spot for the film. And while the film is very strong in certain parts, it becomes a little confused in others. The film begins off fairly brutally, with poor Felix Leiter being mauled by a Shark at the hands of Robert Davi’s brilliantly played villain, Sanchez. And while the next twenty minutes that follows is just as serious and dramatic, we then get a silly bar fight scene that kind of loosens tensions. This type of back and forth motion is repeated throughout the film. Secondly, but less of a detriment is the obvious lack of production value. I know the budget was lowered for License to Kill, but does that excuse something like the super boring cinematography? Bashing aside, there are, in fact, many positives in License to Kill. Timothy Dalton once again gives a good performance in his last turn in the role, Robert Davi (as mentioned before) plays a great villain, and his sidekicks (Krest and Dario) are also worthy henchman. Both Bond girls are serviceable, but Bond ends up with the right girl at the end so it all works, I guess. And of course the action is superior, with a special nod going to the ending tanker chase. Dalton for sure deserved at least one more Bond film, but License to Kill isn’t the worst picture to depart on and is still a fairly worthy entry.
13. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - 7/10
After watching Tomorrow Never Dies, I gratefully realized that Pierce Brosnan had improved over the bland character he was in the otherwise near perfect GoldenEye. But Tomorrow Never Dies, despite being mostly enjoyable, is on autopilot for nearly the whole film. The plot of the film takes an old recycled Bond plot and gives it a new, unique twist; a man attempts to start a war (yawn) to increase his cable TV ratings (Interesting!). And main villain, Elliot Carver, is played brilliantly by Jonathan Pryce; he is one of the best recent Bond villains for sure. The film’s Bond girls aren’t particularly memorable, but they get the job done regardless. The first half of Tomorrow Never Dies, which contains a brilliant execution of the quirky Dr. Kaufman by a vengeful Bond and a car chase with Bond in the back seat, is considerably better than the second half, which is small bits of plot followed by constant machine gun fire and explosions. What Tomorrow Never Dies lacked was substance. About halfway through the film, TND seems to ask the audience to turn off dtheir brains and shift attention to the fireballs. It’s a lazy fallback, and Tomorrow Never Dies ultimately ends up in shoot-em up territory. (Granted, the film does the shoot-em up thing as well as that genre can ever be done.) Overall, Tomorrow Never Dies is popcorn munching fun, but I usually expect a little more from a Bond film.
14. The World Is Not Enough (1999) - 7/10
I often find that The World Is Not Enough gets much criticism, and one that seems to be a constant complaint is something along the lines that Brosnan’s acting is “soap opera worthy”. But in all honesty, I never could see it. While Brosnan isn’t part of my top 3 Bonds, he is far better than his wooden interpretation of Bond a la GoldenEye. What The World Is Not Enough really suffers from the most are two things: Denise Richards and and the formulaic nature of the whole picture. The film starts off more than promising, with one of the best pre-title sequences in the series. The action scenes that follow, however, cannot match the excitement of that boat chase. It’s not only the action scenes that feel formulaic, though, the plot does as well. It all ultimately ends up featuring the villains attempting to nuke Istanbul to increase their profits. If that sounds kind of familiar, it should (See: Goldfinger, A View to a Kill). The World Is Not Enough does have its perks, though. I’ve always enjoyed something about the actual “look” to the picture itself, it is something I can’t really explain, though. Valentin is one of Bond’s greatest allies, and the idea to bring him back was great. Added to that, his death scene ends up being a powerful one. I don’t mind Elektra King; she’s not the greatest femme fetal or Bond girl for that matter, but she doesn’t come near Denise Richards, who is as unconvincing as she is busty. She is for sure one of my least favorite Bond girls. The World Is Not Enough is pure formula, and while I can enjoy that formula (being that it comes from my favorite film series), the film is a little too safe for its own good.
15. Octopussy (1983) - 7/10
Yet another surprise to me comes with Octopussy; a film I thought I vehemently disliked ended up being better than I remembered. Many things in this film work; Roger Moore, despite being noticeably old gives one of his better performances as Bond. It was smart for the producers to go with a slightly older Bond girl in Maud Adams; not only is she good in the role, but she is more believable being attracted to a 55 year old Moore. The villains are worthy and contrast each other well, with General Orlov being slightly over the top and Kamal Khan being much more subtle. What holds Octopussy back is the outright cheesiness and silliness which is, forgive the pun, at an all time high. The very first thing that comes to mind is the inexcusable inappropriate George of the Jungle wail when Bond vine swings through a jungle. (The hot air balloon was pretty dumb, too.) Yet while the rest of Octopussy continues to be more light hearted, most of the film is very solid. And a special mention needs to go to the scene where Bond (fully dressed in clown gear) defuses a nuclear bomb with seconds to spare. Crazily enough, that scene is one of the tensest in a Bond film. Not long ago, I would’ve thought anyone crazy putting Octopussy over For Your Eyes Only, but Octopussy ends up winning for having more of a personality, if anything. Octopussy is silly, but is somehow still enjoyable. My guilty pleasure.
16. Live and Let Die (1973) - 7/10
Roger Moore’s first film is an extremely dated, yet fairly solid picture. Jane Seymour as the naive Solitare is Moore’s best leading lady, and main villain Kananga is played with some nice flair by Yaphet Kotto. Tee Hee and Baron Samedi might be the most underrated lackeys of the series also. But I did have more of an issue with bumbling J.W. Pepper than I remembered. Every time he started to talk I silently prayed for him to shut up. He also half ruins an already too long boat chase (which was in dire need of more musical score backing it up). It was also during the boat chase where I felt Live and Let Die start to drag. And then there is Sir Roger. To me, he played the role conservatively, a neither here nor there affair. He isn’t poor by any means but some actors (Connery and Craig) established their superiority in their very first scenes. (Despite Moore’s complete Bond character not being fully present in LALD, we do get plenty of his trademark eyebrow.) So Live and Let Die has JW Pepper and runs long, but as a whole it is still a modestly entertaining piece.
17. For Your Eyes Only (1981) - 7/10
I was slightly disappointed after re-watching For Your Eyes Only. A movie that I thought was a clear cut above many, ended up being elementary. There is nothing seriously wrong with this film, it’s just that there’s nothing seriously fantastic about it, either. For Your Eyes Only is simply another Bond picture. That being said, the movie does have some advantages. Firstly is the stunt work and action, which is truly top notch. From Bond’s car chase in a Citroen to the thrilling ski chase, FYEO handles it’s chase sequences well. I also cannot help but love Bill Conti’s undeniably dated 80s score. And as the score is one of the few more unique things in the film (and series), I can enjoy it even more. The supporting cast is fine, overall. Melina as the main Bond girl works, but I’m not sure why Bond had to have sex with her at the end; not once in the film is there even the slightest hint to a love story. And while Julian Glover and Lynn Holly Johnson (especially the latter) seem out of place, Topol makes a good ally. For Your Eyes Only is no doubt better than the film it followed, but is too routine overall and nothing more than above average.
-------------------THE LINE OF SHAME-----------------------
18. Diamonds are Forever (1971) - 5.5/10
I think I know what the makers of Diamonds are Forever were trying to do: recreate Goldfinger. After all, Sean Connery was back and Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger, was back in the directors chair, too. DAF pretty much tells the audience “This movie is just like Goldfinger because it’s silly and witty! And look, its Sean Connery!” Diamonds are Forever is all about camp, something Goldfinger admittedly had. But while Goldfinger used camp as a style, Diamonds are Forever uses camp as a gimmick. OHMSS was such a different film from the ones that it followed that it may have scared the filmmakers and public to think Bond was going down some sort of different path. So the result was Diamonds are Forever; a film that thought it was going back to the “ throwback days of Connery”. What it really was, however, was a cartoonish caricature of that Connery era. Add that to bad acting from nearly everyone except Sean Connery and a bare bones plot you go pretty low. What even made it worse was the buzz kill this film generated after such an exciting end to OHMSS. The fight in the elevator between Bond and Franks is a good one, but other than that, Diamonds Are Forever is soulless and simply boring.
19. Moonraker (1979) - 5.5/10
The first half of Moonraker (barring the Bondola) is actually great. Classic scenes are aplenty: the centrifuge, Bond’s pheasant hunt and a truly chilling implied mauling of one of Drax’s female aides come to mind. Even Sir Roger Moore is at the top of his game, here. However, it goes without saying that once Jaws falls in love, the movie begins a giant downward spiral. By the time Bond rides a horse to the Magnificent Seven theme (I don’t get it, either), I was almost turned off completely. And while outer space is concerned: the way it was done was fine, but by the time space is presented in the film, it just adds another layer of silliness that I can’t handle. What really pains me is how great the first half was and how quickly it becomes lame. Yet ever since I’ve been a Bond fan, I’ve put Moonraker in dead last place, no exceptions. I’ve realized, though, I cannot simply ignore the strong first half of this film, and it is for that reason it has wedged itself about of the dreaded last place position. As you can see however, Moonraker is still fairly close.
20. Die Another Day (2002) - 5/10
I never have liked Die Another Day. So it was coming as a surprise to me while viewing that the first hour of the film was actually fairly solid. We get a cool pre-titles hovercraft chase, Bond is taken prisoner for 14 months and a kick-ass sword fight. For that one hour, I thought I had been mistaken about Die Another Day, and that my criticisms were unfounded. Then Halle Berry became a major character. Then came along the invisible car. And then the script becomes entirely comprised of one liners and puns. They’re not good ones liners and puns mind you, they are cringe worthy ones which pour out of every major character’s mouth. The only saving grace in Die Another Day’s second half is a fun gadget car battle. But apart from that action scene, the film’s second half might very well be the worst second half in a Bond film. Die Another Day simply gives up. But the film kicks you when you are down; the CGI is the worst I have ever seen in a professional motion picture. Coming from as big of a budget this film had, I find it fully unacceptable to have visual effects that quite frankly look straight out of a old generation PlayStation 2 game. And Halle Berry is just terrible. She, in my mind, is clearly the worst Bond girl of the entire series. Yes, Die Another Day does have some good scenes, but they all pretty much are eclipsed by an embarrassing, awful second half.
21. A View to a Kill (1985) - 5/10
Bless Sir Roger Moore for playing James Bond seven times over 12 years. But my God was he old looking in A View to a Kill. This was also the case (to slightly lesser extent) in For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy, but because those films were interesting enough (more or less) to pull your attention away from Moore’s age, and they get some slack. But there is nothing interesting in A View to a Kill. The movie itself seems as tired as Roger Moore probably did while filming. It feels so processed and manufactured, almost as if it were made by a machine. The cinematography looks bland, and the action is either super lame (the fire truck chase, the paris car chase) or fake looking (all of the fist fights). It doesn’t help that the stunt doubles are incredibly obvious, either. Moore is also twenty years too old for his leading lady, played by a very unconvincing Tanya Roberts. And that love scene between Bond and May Day still gives me shudders just writing about it. The two things that save A View to a Kill from the scrap heap is Christopher Walken, who plays a pretty good villain and makes the the scenes he’s in more bearable and John Barry’s excellent score. Apart from that, this film is lifeless, overtly silly and wholly unmemorable. Oh, and let’s not forget about that lame beach boys gag, too. (Sigh.)
22. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - 4/10
Upon viewing The Man with the Golden Gun, I was surprised to find that I actually disliked it more than previously thought. Apart from Christopher Lee’s fine portrayal of Scaramanga, nothing in the film works. Starting with the plot: it’s a mess. It has to do with the monopolization of solar energy...I think. And while Scaramanga was a bad person, was his mission really all evil? If I heard right, he was to shake down the gas companies with his solex device and sell solar power. And the result? Maybe he’ll increase the world’s gas bill by a few bucks. Oh my God, what a travesty. The Man With the Golden Gun’s plot is easily the sloppiest, least interesting plot in a Bond film. (Leagues under Quantum of Solace.) Roger Moore has actually gotten worse since LALD; he tries to be menacing in scenes, (the trigger-less rifle scene and twisting arm scene) but he just doesn’t sell it to me. Some of it even comes off as stiff and near amateurish acting. And oh yeah, J.W. Pepper returns. And oh yeah, Bond gives a sumo wrestler a wedgie. And oh yeah, that slide whistle with the car jump. (The worst moment in Bond film history.) There are so many lame scenes in Golden Gun with not one, single memorable scene to counteract. The result is the lamest, dullest and worst James Bond film ever made. I don’t think they even tried with this one.
The "line of shame" represents a large gap between the films above and below the line. For Your Eyes Only is just one spot above Diamonds are Forever, but the line of shame implies a far larger gap.
This is my newest list after my recent Bondathon in January and February. It was posted on the old threads but just in case you forgot.......
Cheers!