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
@ 4Ever- And I thought my review was funny! I cracked up more than once reading your comments, just brilliant. Us guys have nothing on you in the humor department. Your locations score was surprising as you noted, but nothing else other than the villains made me raise much of an eyebrow. Most of us seem more sympathetic to the women, in particular Clery, than I am. I wouldn't have referred to Clery as a "pretty girl" for sure, but I'll suppose that's just my personal taste in that situation.
@ Kerim- Very surprised you rated MR higher than both DAF and TMWTGG until I stop to think that MR was intended to be quite the spectacle on film with all the money Cubby spent, which in this case Cubby spent like a drunken sailor on leave compared to previous efforts. He spent $14 million US on Spy and $34 million on MR and I think Spy in scope had that same exact high dollar glossy sort of feel to it. I can't understand what exactly justified the spending difference for the same result. Your 33 is the new individual high score for the film barring a future 7th review from DB5 or a new steady reviewer. And to answer your question about the Bondola and pigeon, no one here seemed to be amused by it. My son, who just turned 12, first watched the film when he was 10. He's seen it several times now and he doesn't find it funny either. He finds OP far more funny in comparison, which I'll get to this weekend as I see some similarities to MR there regarding the humor. No, only Moore die hards seem to be able to enjoy and justify the level of goofiness MR shows. I'm thinking they must have inhaled too much orchid gas on their way to space, which I agree was a huge mistake. But honestly, MR was bad for me mostly all of the way between the emasculation of a arm flapping Jaws surviving yet again and the mess that really started in Venice, which made both the MR California scenes and sinking Venice real estate in 2006 look brilliant in comparison.
I'm starting to see a pattern with the Drax character, something I'd considered on my own but wasn't sure what others would think. It seems the reason people like Drax, because we're all in agreement that Lonsdale himself stinks, is his dialogue/lines. That I can understand, compared to Stromberg he certainly did have some far more memorable ones. But I still have to go with a villain who conveys genuine menace over actual dialogue, which is why I prefer Jurgens and hence Stromberg. That opening scene with his secretary and Markovitz and Beckman alone outdid any of Drax's deeds. You never get to see any reactions with Drax, and he doesn't seem nearly as passionate about his plans as Stromberg when you can compare the two. Again, advantage Stromberg for me, who I find to be far more effective when comparing two megalomaniacs of equal bent.
1. Goldfinger (6/7 reviews)- 4.32
2. From Russia With Love- 4.17
3. Thunderball (6/7 reviews)- 4.15
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (6/7 reviews)- 4.05
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (6/7 reviews)- 3.98
6. For Your Eyes Only (4/7 reviews)- 3.90
7. Live And Let Die (6/7 reviews)- 3.83
8. You Only Live Twice- 3.76
9. Dr. No- 3.53
10. The Man With The Golden Gun (6/7 reviews)- 3.13
11. Moonraker (6/7 reviews)- 2.97
12. Diamonds Are Forever (6/7 reviews)- 2.91
If anyone ever has a question about the accounting since everyone knows GF stands at #1 with me personally, which I don't truthfully expect, my rating files are based on what is written right here in this thread. Always remember that your personal ratings are what they are. Once we've completed all 22 films (we'll do Skyfall in time of course), we can discuss the results versus our personal ratings and have fun comparing them.
As usual, below is a list of who hasn't reviewed a particular film, so you know which ones you have done and which you haven't. As always, you are under no obligation to do so, but it would be great if you could do each film when you can so we have a complete picture of how we all collectively feel. Also, please try to review your prior scores for different categories for the sake of consistency. If anyone is going away or has decided to drop out, kindly let me know. At this point, DB5 hasn't done a film since DAF so he knows where he stands. It increasingly looks like he isn't returning and a replacement will be needed. If any original reading this is interested in doing all the films, please let myself or Nic know. You don't have to go into great detail if time is your concern, just give a score by category and a brief explanation. That's all DB5 did and it's fine. I would of course love to have DB complete his mission, but there's nothing more I can do if he doesn't want to answer with a decision.
GF, TB, OHMSS, DAF- Nic is working on those
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY- No votes from Kerim and 4EverBonded.
Tomorrow I will review and release the thirteenth entry, "Octopussy". Thanks again to everyone who's hung in there and contributed, I truly appreciate your participation and look forward to lots of great reading!
That film Q Planes was a spy thriller with Olivier playing the main protagonist, Agent McVane. He has a partner who wears a bowler and carries an umbrella ( remember TV's the Avengers? John Steed was pattened after this character)
In 1939 the manned bomber was considered the "doomday weapon" in the film some foreign power hijacks bombers and their crews. The foreign power is never mentioned by name but the bad guys apper to be all German.
The planes are stored in a large ocean tanker and McVane frees the captured crews and they wage a big battle against the tanker crew. Sounds familiar?
FOR YOU EYES ONLY
Young Lust
BOND - Suave, with Countess Lisl, check. Wit, throughout the Spanish Villa, check. Resourcefulness, avoiding fatal diaster during the mountain climbing, check. Integrity, turning down Bibi's advances, check. Voice of reason, cooling Melina's heels, check. Ruthlessness, ...Roger, ruthless? Oh yeah, kicking Locque off the click was Roger's badassness at its finest. Roger dusted off his TMWTGG coldness and brought it in spades in avenging Luigi's death. Roger is at his finest thus far in FYEO. (5)
WOMEN - Funny thing about Melina and Bibi, they're both the same real life age. Melina is the most vengeful Bond girl we've seen to date. Where other women were helpless, in the way or annoying, Melina is ready to throw down, gravedigging be damned. She avenges her parents killer, chomps at the bits to get her some more, and she does. Underwater sunken ship expedition, St Cyril and the unique way she and Rog were tied together. Melina has the looks and action skills. Good choice with Caroline Bouquet. I'm not down on Bibi as much as others may be. Bibi has a good side story and Lynn Holly Johnson actually does a good job playing the hormonoly confused adolescent. The former Mrs. Pierce Brosnon plays her role as Countess Lisl well also, and her screen death sequeues well into the setup of the Columbo alliance. Solid job by the ladies. (4)
VILLAINS - Looks like we have another less the charasmatic villian with Kristatos. THis time though, it's not a bad thing. Unlike other lead villians, Kristatos plays to both sides (The Brits and the Soviets) and for a while, successfully. Julian Glover is effective as the turn coat. Eric Kreigler is the main henchman, and no one will ever confuse him for Oddjob or Jaws. Basically, he's all muscle. Emile Locque was a very good side villian. The silent, but deadly dove efficiently creates mayhem before meeting his maker over a cliff. I guess we have to count Walter Gottell as the bad guy in this one. As much as I would like to give Glover's and Michael Gothard's fine efforts a four, the return of Blofeld loses a point. (3)
HUMOR- Toned down, but still well used with Bibi, the Spanish Villa chase, the confession to Father Q and Max the Parrot. But oh my god!, did we really need the return of Blofeld and the "cameo" by the Iron Lady. (2)
ACTION- The action is solid throughout. Let's skip past the PTS and review the escape from the pool party. Excellent use of archery in a time when archery wasn't popular. The escape through the Spanish orchards and villa were excellent. Bond and Melina survive grabbing the ATAC and the submarine escape only to meet Kristatos on the yacht. A very kinky tie up ensues as Bond and Melina are thankful for coral reefs and avoid the obligatory shark. An excellent and suspenseful sequence of events. We culminate with the thrilling climb up St. Cyril and the monastary invasion which ended with detente. Actionwise, this is the best of Roger's first five. (5)
SADISM- When things become more serious, the sadism steps up, with surprisingly Roger being the most sadistic. Again, Roger kicking Locque's car off the cliff was Roger's finest sadistic hour. It doesn't take a mellow mind to tie up two people as shark bait for a swim. Kristatos has his borderline child abuse moment by backhanding Bibi. There are better ways to go than to be a diving archery target. (4)
MUSIC- Nothing against Sheena Easton, but I rather would have had Deborah Harry do the title song. The soundtrack leaves no doubt that FYEO is an 80s movie. (3)
LOCATIONS- Once again, good locations with the Italian Alps, the Greek Isles and the Spanish countryside. Roger seemed to have gotten the better deal with locations. (4)
GADGETS- The instograph was the primary gadget in identifying Locque. I forget the type of car used, but the self destruct mechanism came in handy. Always good to have a mini-sub handy. (3)
SUPPORTING CAST- Sadly, we lost Bernard Lee before the release of FYEO. He tried to make a go of it as M one last time, but just couldn't do it. The right decision was made not to have M in FYEO as a tribute to Bernard. Desmond was effective as Q. Loved him as the priest. Geoffry Keen had his best performance as the MD. James Villers didn't do much for me as the Chief of Staff, but he didn't muck up his role. Max the Parrott was probably the most useful animal in any Bond film by disclosing the location of the ATAC. Never did a double take and didn't hang out with those dirty pigeons. Luigi was a solid ally as was Columbo. Topol delivered an excellent performance as Columbo and was the best ally this side of the psychadelic era. (4)
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- 37. Take a deep breath. What's that you smell? A breath of fresh air. Instead of an over elaborate plot to wipe out humanity and repopualte from an inhabitable place, we get a mission to recover an ATAC and keep it from falling into the Soviet's hands. Which really could have happened. FYEO brought back the realism abd the grittiness back to the fold. Sorry escapist fans, but you're going to have to wait until the late 90s. Yet, there's still the silly humor. Eliminate the PTS and Madge's call with a parrot, and you would have had a classic, but after the 70s, we'll take it. Our dad's Bond is back.
MVP: Topol (Columbo)
Running Rankings:
1. From Russia With Love (45, MVP: Pedro Armedariz)
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (45, MVP: Diana Rigg)
3. Thunderball (42, MVP: Luciana Paluzzi)
4. Dr No (38, MVP: Sean Connery)
5. For Your Eyes Only (37, MVP, Topol)
6. Live And Let Die (37, MVP: Yaphet Kotto)
7. You Only Live Twice (37, MVP: Tetsura Tambo)
8. Goldfinger (36, MVP: Harold Sakata)
9. The Spy Who Love Me (36, MVP, Roger Moore)
10. Moonraker (33, MVP: Bernard Lee)
11. Diamonds Are Forever (32, Co-MVP's Bruce Glover and Putter Smith)
12. The Man With The Golden Gun (31, MVP: Christopher Lee)
Max the Parrott was probably the most useful animal in any Bond film by disclosing the location of the ATAC. Never did a double take and didn't hang out with those dirty pigeons.
Breath of fresh air indeed, after the disappointing MR. My review is coming later today.
Here comes the next weekly review :)
"So...you're the mysterious Octopussy"
The year is 1982. Fresh off of now 3 highly successful box office hits since the departure of Harry Saltzman, storm clouds begin to brew over the franchise. The initial issue revolves around current Bond Roger Moore, who after the prior film had expressed the desire to retire from the role. Both his eventual replacement as Bond, Timothy Dalton, and American actor James Brolin were being heavily considered to come aboard as his replacement when issue #2 happens. Rival studio Warner Brothers announces that they would release a James Bond adventure of their own, a rehash/remake of the 1965 Bond classic "Thunderball" now retitled "Never Say Never Again" sold to them by inveterate Broccoli/Fleming hater Kevin McClory, to compete with the next official Bond film, and that original Bond Sean Connery would reprise the role despite years of strong claims he'd never again play the character, hence the coy title. Convinced that only the well established, popular, and successful Moore could counteract the hype over Connery's return and win him the battle of the box office, Broccoli persuades Moore to make his record tying 6th appearance in the role. After fellow operative 009 is murdered in East Germany after heisting a phony Faberge jeweled egg, and the real egg comes up for auction in London. MI6 assumes the Soviet government is up to something and assigns Bond the mission of discovering who is stealing jewels and relics from the Soviets and selling them for profit. This leads him to a group of villains that include a wealthy Afghan prince named Kamal Khan, his associate, a woman known only as "Octopussy", and a deranged Soviet general named Orlov, who is plotting to detonate a nuclear weapon in order to force unilateral disarmament in Europe and then start a war of conquest.
Based on Ian Fleming's 14th and final James Bond effort, released posthumously in 1966 as a collection of 4 short stories, the plot used elements of 2 of the stories (Octopussy and Property Of A Lady) plus some original ideas from screenwriters Richard Maibaum, George MacDonald Fraser, and Michael G. Wilson (who also produced). Directed again by John Glen, principal filming began on August 10th, 1982 with England doubling for the PTS location somewhere in Cuba/Latin America and well as for German locations. The majority of the film was shot on location in never before used India, and concluded in January 1983. Budgeted for 27.5 million, just 500,000 dollars less than it's predecessor, the film was released on June 6th, 1983 and earned a very profitable 187.5 million gross at the box office while winning the "battle of Bonds" in earning 27.5 million more than it's rival, much to the delight of Broccoli, MGM/UA, and everyone involved at EON, proving that the Bond character itself brought to us by Broccoli was ultimately more important to the public than the actor portraying him.
THE CAST-
- Roger Moore as James Bond
- Maud Adams as Octopussy
- Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan
- Steven Berkoff as General Orlov
- Kabir Bedi as Gobinda
- Kristina Wayborn as Magda
- Vijay Amritraj as Vijay
- David and Anthony Meyer as Mischka & Grischka
- Robert Brown as M
- Desmond Llewellyn as Q
- Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
- Geoffrey Keen as Fredrick Gray
- Walter Gotell as General Gogol
- Douglas Wilmer as Jim Fanning
- Albert Moses as Sadruddin
- Michaela Clavell as Penelope Smallbone
- Andy Bradford as 009
BOND- Right from the PTS Moore is noticeably back into a lighter tone, already angling for a later Miami rendezvous with a Latina whose legs I'm still climbing, and making wisecracks when he's caught planting a bomb in what is hinted as Cuba. The more I think about it, this performance was one of two halves. The first half is "Bond Lite" and unfortunately too reminiscent of Moonraker with sight and sound gags returning to cheapen what is on screen. Even the backgammon scene with Drax from the MR novel is recreated here, but it also shows how superior the novel was to that film because that scene is very well done and one of the early highlights of Moore's performance here. It's not until his Indian ally Vijay gets killed that Moore gets back into the Bond we see in For Your Eyes Only while heading into East Germany. He's all business then, even in a clown suit, and it totally works. Just not enough of the better Bond early on to raise the score but the character is strong when needed which helps the score to at least be average. Plus Sir Roger was at this point really pushing it age wise- 3/5
WOMEN- Swedish actress Maud Adams makes her 2nd appearance, this time promoted into the lead as Octopussy. A strong yet mysterious figure who is a mostly legitimate businesswoman and a guru of sorts to an army of women, she's not above smuggling for a few extra bucks and that brings Bond to her. Unlike her business associates, she already knows of Bond's reputation and is smart enough to try to keep him friendly and away from her business. I've always felt that Maud looked even better here than in 1974, and she clearly shares an excellent chemistry with Moore as she turns out to not just a lover but an ally when she sees proof that her associates want her dead. Even better, she is much more age appropriate and their romance thus more credible. Although initially she appears to be on the wrong side, she portrays her interest in Bond as one of a personal rather than adversarial nature, and I could never consider her as a villain. As in 1974, Maud gets another fellow Swede and a former Miss Universe contender in Kristina Wayborn, who came to the producers attention for her portrayal of screen legend Greta Garbo. Here she is cast as Magda, working as a sort of liaison between Octopussy and her criminal partner Kamal Khan. No doubt she is gorgeous, but I find Wayborn's performance to be not very compelling. She seems rather wooden and her mouth doesn't move around a lot which makes her character's personality hard to judge. Bond beds her too, and in the end she joins team Bond for the same reasons as Octopussy. They are joined by Michaela Clavell in a one off appearance as Penelope Smallbone, Moneypenny's new assistant, Tina Hudson as the lovely Latina girl Bianca, and a wide variety of assorted beauties including Octopussy's army and the women at his hotel-4/5
VILLAINS- It's difficult to determine at times which bad guy is in charge, but based on screen time it would have to be one of France's best known and most loved actors, the legendary Louis Jourdan. He plays Kamal Khan, an Afghan prince so bad that he was exiled from his homeland. Khan is colorful yet suave thanks to Jourdan's elegant manner and holds your interest, but there's little doubt he's a killer of Byzantine bent who thinks nothing of eliminating someone for personal gain and greed including his own allies and servants. He's also a typical male from that part of the world, he sees women including Octopussy as inferior and servient which leads to trouble for him later on. Like other villains in the series he also feels he is above doing most of his own dirty work. That he tasks to his main henchman, a hulking, physical, quiet type named Gobinda in the mold of Oddjob and Jaws, played by native Indian Kabir Bedi. He isn't anything you haven't seen before, unfortunately. They are joined by one of the very best Bond villains ever in English actor Steven Berkoff as Soviet General Orlov, who is dealing his country's art treasures to Khan in exchange for Khan slipping an armed nuclear device onto an American air base in West Germany in order to get the West to disarm, and thus satisfy his personal desire for war and the conquest of Europe. Orlov could definitely be classified as having quite a few personal issues that need psychiatric attention and in that vein, Berkoff's flamboyant portrayal is perfectly OTT when it needs to be, and quietly sinister at other times. A masterful performance by one of the most underrated actors of his time. The English Meyer twins, David and Anthony, fill out the cast nicely as Mischka and Grischka, two knife throwers in Octopussy's circus who are also disloyal to Octopussy and kill at Khan's request, and finally a host of native Indians in Khan's employ including one that uses a very sharp sawblade like a yo-yo. Magda can also be considered here as a female villain for her deeds despite her later change of heart. A solid crew that lives in the memory and carries the film along nicely- 4.5/5
HUMOR- As I mentioned earlier, the sight and sound gags have unfortunately returned in this adventure and drag the movie down a bit as a result. Mostly in the Indian chases featuring motorized carts and Bond's escape from Khan's clutches, there are such gems as a not very subtle nod to a supporting actor's legit background as an international tennis star, nailbeds, hot coals, sword swallowers, tigers, snakes, spiders, crocs, a disgusting dinner scene (note to MGW, gross humor doesn't work for Bond films then or now), Tarzan yells, and inside jokes that only a British viewer at that time would understand. But there is a bright side this time in that Moore gets off some hilarious one liners "Here, you may need this to play with your asp" while making contact with Section I, and another "No, madam, I'm with the economy tour" after escaping Khan. Magda's "I need refilling" while drinking champagne after sex with Bond is also cute. The circus humor was what you'd expect and a good contrast to the dire seriousness of a ticking nuclear bomb counting down to zero. Due to the good one liners and attempts to balance the gags in ways that Moonraker ignores, it's an improvement but like Bond and the film in general this is also a bit schizophrenic- 2.5/5
ACTION- Right from the thrilling PTS where Bond uses a one man jet plane to outwit Cuban planes and anti-aircraft missiles while still accomplishing his initial mission, it's another thrilling ride for the most part. The fight on top and with Bond hanging on for dear life outside of Octopussy's moving train is fantastic, the stalking of 009, the attempt on Bond's life from the "yo-yo man" at Octopussy's palace, Bond sliding down the bannister at the Monsoon palace and the rest of the action there during the finale is great stuff. Unfortunately, the tension of the car and jungle scenes are ruined by gags and Moore Bond at that age holding on to Khan's plane especially while upside down, and then Gobinda climbing up to join him while managing not to be blown off is just a little too unrealistic, but kudos to the stuntmen who showed it could be done and gave me some thrills- 4/5
SADISM- The guy with the yo-yo blade is the standout here. It's a shame they didn't show the aftermath of his work on Vijay, who at the least had part of his head sliced off. Later he becomes a meal for a crocodile. I think showing us Khan eating a sheep eye was plenty sadistic and didn't lend well to my popcorn, Raisinets, and drink I "had" been enjoying. Khan's description of what he intended to do to make Bond spill his guts should he not be willing to volunteer information sounded rather nasty. Mischka and Grischka also like to throw knives at live targets other than themselves. Overall, very little to be seen and to be scored- 1.5/5
MUSIC- John Barry is back, and from the first strains of "Bond Look-Alike" in the PTS, I just knew I was in for another sonic treat. For the title theme "All Time High", with lyrics from Broadway master Tim Rice, country/pop star and multiple Grammy Award winner Rita Coolidge is chosen for the vocal duties. There is a little bit of a country ballad feel to this one that has little to do with Coolidge's vocals, which are thankfully not typical hillbilly twangy in this instance, yet this performance doesn't overwhelm me either. It's a nice song and melody but not one that lives overly long in the memory. But in traditional Barry style, the song's strict instrumental "That's My Little Octopussy" is simply out of this world and blows the vocal version out of the park. It's amazing how simple flute and strings featuring a little echo can be so lush, sensual, and romantic, and that's part of the genius of Barry, who is second to none in this category. It's revisited again as part of "Bond Meets Octopussy" and makes the love scenes here really go. Another standout track heard during a Khan visit to his business partner is "Arrival At The Island Of Octopussy", where the flute is again featured but some dark elements such as African drums and even a gong are effectively mixed in to add to the mystery, as to this point we still haven't seen Octopussy's face. Then there's action tracks such as the brilliant compilation of "009 Gets the Knife/Gobinda Attacks", and "Death Of Vijay" that work very well. Great tension is built in Germany with "The Chase Bomb Theme" and concludes with the rousing "The Palace Fight" (also featured in "Yo-Yo Fight") complete with all the Bondian overtones that even have a little of the old brass for the final confrontation. Another great effort from Barry that I often enjoy when in the mood- 4.5/5
LOCATIONS- For some reason, the script backs off from the myriad locations of the previous entries and concentrates on India, a place where the series had yet to go at that point. As a result, the Indian people are big fans of the film as you might figure, and I'm told it is still shown frequently there. There are indeed some visually pleasing scenes such as Octopussy's island and personal quarters, Khan's "Monsoon Palace" set high upon a large hill, dense jungles, and even scenes showing the grinding poverty of an overcrowded country where the difference between the haves and have-nots is very evident. As mentioned, England is used to double for Germany and just doesn't convey the divisions of the time between the democratic West and communist East to me the way they had hoped. Even the "Cuban" scenes aren't anything too special. Just average this time out- 3/5
GADGETS- Bond's mini jet that can be stored in a horse trailer is first seen. Other than the now obligatory visit to Q's local lab, he presents Bond with the usual goodies. First is a pen that is loaded with both a highly corrosive acid and a listening device for a tiny transmitter planted in the Faberge egg, Bond's watch has a homer for the device and is equipped for liquid crystal TV transmissions, and finally there's his stealth alligator sub. It all works and should score well- 4/5
SUPPORTING CAST- Veteran British actor Robert Brown assumes the role of M. Now, no one can be the definitive M for me like Bernard Lee, but Brown does a fine job in his debut and should get some credit for this. He gives a little smile when he sees Bond is efficiently on top on the suspect's whereabouts and saves him from giving those same orders, but at times he tends to be more demonstrative than Lee. He would only get better in later adventures. Q is his usual cantankerous self away from the comforts of his MI6 lab, and Moneypenny is good too. Tennis star Vijay Amritraj stars as Bond's assistant Vijay, he's green but did OK. He seems more in charge than Sri Lankan Albert Moses as Sadruddin, head of Section I. Douglas Wilmer is entertaining as well as Jim Fanning. MI6's art expert. His expressions when he sees Bond swiping the original egg are humorous and he certainly looked like he needed an antacid or two. Especially powerful is Walter Gotell as General Gogol, his scenes are top notch in his big argument with Orlov in their debut scene. Geoffrey Keen escapes humiliation this time around as Minister Frederick Gray, so I guess the joke got old. And the guy they got to play then Soviet chairman Leonid Brezhnev was quite the dead ringer for the real thing much like the Thatchers in the previous film- 4/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- To say that this movie was a very important entry in the summer of 1983 would be an understatement. The entire franchise and everyone involved in the film was under tremendous pressure to outdo Connery and the NSNA project not just artistically, but the timing of the NSNA release was intended to also hurt Cubby and EON financially. If ever there was a time that I was disappointed with Connery, it was for holding a grudge against a man who made him a big star. His performance in the rival film didn't matter to me and Moore outdid him anyway with a superior script and performance when it really counted. The movie was personally divisive as McClory and his cronies intended as for the first and only time when my Dad was alive, the choice of Moore and the real Bond movie versus the Connery rehash sent them in one direction for NSNA and myself to see this one by myself. This alone was reason for me to consider McGlory a piece of garbage even in death and that will very likely never change. On to more important thoughts, I had a good time and they came out more or less complaining, so I felt vindicated then and the next weekend when they went to see this one while I decided to wait for NSNA to come on cable where I didn't have to pay to see that abortion. Years later, Octopussy is a film that gives me mixed reactions compared to my son, who loves this one in particular. The movie like Moore's showing is one that I see as a film of two halves much more so than many seem Moonraker and Die Another Day, except here the movie loads the excesses in the front rather than throughout and thus ends on a much stronger note. I'll always think much more of Octopussy as a result, it scores 35 out of 50 points for me, or an average of 3.5
BOND 5 Roger turns in a great performance. His wit, action hero, delivery of lines, great ladies man. All righ on here.
Women 4 Maud Adams returns in the title role as they wanted an actress who was closer to the aging Moore in age. This Swedish beauty captures the maturity and sexiness of the title character, the mysterious Octopussy. Krisina Wayborn another Scandanavian beauty is well cast and has a lot of sexuality. Is she Kamal Khan's mistress? anyway I was glad to see her not killed off as the sacrificial lamb.
Villains 4 another solid 4 in this department. I thought principal villain Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan is well casted. he has the charm and wit as well as evil. The way he delivers his lines I found very refreshing. "Mr. Bond is a rare breed, soon to become extinct". "You have the annoying habit of surviving." and my favorite: "Octopussy, Octo-Pussy". His heavy henchman is a Sikh named Gobinda. He is a menacing and bad looking mother. With that turban and those light brown eyes...creepy. Orlov is sometimes over the top but fun to watch. Steven Berkoff does a bang up job. The knife throwing twin were originally scripted for MR but they do well and fitted in with this film.
Humor 4 I thought the blend was good and fun at times but it did get kinda stupid with the Tarzan yell as bond swings thru the vines to escape Khan and Gobinda hunting him like a tiger. I really enjoyed the scene when he was wrapped in that body bag and the grunt he made when the guys tossed him in the wagon with the rest of the dead bodies. When he rose up and made a ghost like sound and burst out as the handlers were running..Cute. No where over the top like MR, and now the gorilla suit. I laughed my ass off when he went to check his writstwatch.
Vejay playing the James Bond theme charming the snake as Bond walks by and then says, "thats a catchy tune". Well timed nevertheless and eased some tension.
Action 5 this film delivers on all fronts. the chase thru the streets in the 'company car" the chase at the East German border, the battle at Octopussy palace and finally the showdown aboard Khan and Gobinda's plane. Very good. The PTS is also very good. does not measure up to MR 's PTS but a good way to start this film.
Sadism 4 We have to remember that this is a Bond movie despite the humor. The murder of 009 by the twins in opening scene, him being chased thru East Berlin...the death of the sacrificial lamb Vejay by Khan's man with the yo yo. this was shown off camera but I remember my date covering her face as the scene approached.
Music 3 nothing to write home about. But okay. The theme song was fine.
Locations 5 not so much globe hopping. It mainly stays in India with some side trip to Germany (East and West) but the locations and scenery are well utilized.
Gadget 3 I give it a three because not all the gadgets contribute to the narrative. The rubber alligator was stupid and just there for laughs, Vejay's "company car" okay. I did like the villain's yo yo though.
Supporting Cast 5 we meet the replacement for Bernard Lee's M, Robt Brown and he would play M for the rest of the films directed by John glenn. He is very good and he has that dislike for Bond that Bernard Lee had as well. Lois Maxwell though getting long in the tooth is always on her game. Seeing Q in the field is always fun. Vejay is a very likable character.
Overall 42 out of 50
I have a special soft spot for OP. I saw this film during the summer a few weeks after its initial release and I really enjoyed this romp. It has more humor than the previous film but it was tastefully done and the cast was up for this one. everyone does a great job and even Moore shows no signs of slowing down despite the fact that he is starting to look his age. Would a 55 year old ride on the back of Khan's plane like that? He must have been sore afterwards because the R&R with Octopussy was well deserved. Great Job Bond.
I rank Moore's sixth as his best and my favorite among the Roger Moore adventures. Am looking forward to seeing it in Blue Ray or on the big screen this fall.
Octopussy
BOND- 3.5. Sir Roger's take on the Bond character reverts to his lighter Bond, but with flashes of the previous film's best Bond performance. Unfortunately there are two many silly moments, though he does deliver his bon mots with his usual charm and style. Probably his second best performance as Bond, but he really should have left the role after this (I'd have preferred if FYEO had been his swan song).
WOMEN- 4. Octopussy herself is gorgeous, age has been kind to Maud who looks even better here than in her first Bondage. I have the film brochure and there is a great picture of her in her silk dressing gown, showing a lot of leg, a great picture of a sexy woman. Her performance is great and she is a strong character in her own right. Kristina is gorgeous too, though I find her kissing style a little odd, and her exit from Bond's boudoir is classy. And with Octopussy's entourage of girls there is a high totty factor in this film.
VILLAINS- 4. Lousi Jordan is smooth, sauve and threatening, a great role for him, a sort of Scaramanga character to me, though he get's others to do his dirty work. Gobinda is certainly a force to be reckoned with, visually striking, but it is shame that the film makers decided to remind us of Oddjob by having him crush the load dice! Assort henchmen, especially the deadly yo-yo make for a good cast of villains.
HUMOR- 2.5. There is plenty of good humour without resorting to the silly sight gags, which in my opinion make this a good Bond where it could have been great. Most of it is in the tiger hunt chase - Tarzan yodel, 'sit' to a stuffed tiger (only the British audience would have got that reference!), etc. Plus of course the silly Gorilla suit business, how on earth did he get into it unseen and out of it in a split second? Shame.
ACTION-4. Plenty of good action, and some quite tension filled moments, on the train and on the plane! The PTS is great, and there is a good, if not great, finale with Q in a balloon and Octopussy's girls have a good go at it.
SADISM- 4. Being sliced up with a saw-bladed yo-yo is quite sadistic, just the thought of what it would do is enough. Plus the mad general's plan to detonate a nuclear device.
MUSIC- 4. Barry's score is good, if not truly memorable, the theme song, again, is nice but doesn't set the world alight.
LOCATIONS-4. Set mainly in India the globe-hopping of the previous three Bond has been toned down, and I for one like that. More locations doesn't make for a better film. The India location is well used and it is nice to stay in one location for longer than a few minutes (one of the problems of QoS).
GADGETS- 3. The yo-yo's a good (if nasty), gadget, and there is the usual Q's lab bit, nothing too memorable. No bad thing.
SUPPORTING CAST- 4. New M, Robert Brown gives an okay performance, but for me he would become M until he starred opposite Tim Dalton. Q, Moneypenny and the rest of supporting cast are up to standard, good villains and totty, with a nice turn by Vijay and of course Berkoff as Orlov is great value for money.
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS-37 or 3.7. Mmm, either I've miscalculated or something has let this film down - the sight gags! To my mind probably Moore's second best performance as Bond, let down by the earlier part of the film and some awful, unnecessary humour. The silliness could have been trimmed out without effecting the running time too much. A nice feature on blu-ray would be a 'Your Own Edit' - you could take out bits and see the film as you would like, that would be fun!
Overall I think is is a good Bond and I remember quite enjoying it in the cinema - not quite as good as FYEO, because of the silliness, but with it's cold war theme - the last to have it -and good supporting cast, bits from Fleming's stories, The Property of a Lady and Octopussy, a strong female character who is more suited to Sir Roger's age, a great location and a few tense moments, some good stunts and overall a Bond that is worth viewing again. When Bond50 gets here I'm sure I'll enjoy it all over again in high-def. Now if I could just get it loaded with 'Your Own Edit' it'd be great!
Moore's OP performance on reflection I don't think belongs in the "Bond Lite" category of Spy and MR. I think it's a unique performance now, due to it being part "Bond Lite" and partly more Bond in a classic sense. I do feel the term "schizophrenic" does fit this, the humor, and the general movie though in the sense that it feels like two separate films thrown together. Any thoughts from anyone on that?
I know 4Ever will have her review of FYEO up here shortly, and in that vein no one seemed to pick up on an early tip as to why Kristatos turned out as the villain. When Bond leaves the ice rink after first meeting him, Kristatos shakes his hand and ignores Ferrara's attempt to do the same, like he was a flunky. And compared to Bond, he would be right. But this gesture struck me as rather odd when I first saw it and made a lot of sense later. Anyone have thoughts on that as well?
BOND
Traits of sexism and snobbery snake their way through the character of James Bond, but that’s how we understand the man to be so how can we possibly knock it?
Bond’s complete and unwavering confidence in his abilities to charm even the most resisting of women (and let’s face it Tilly and Pussy seem determined to keep him at arms length for as long as possible) is so impressive one can only look on in awe. There are times that Connery is so damned rugged and charming that it’s hard not to laugh out loud and burst in to applause.
Yet, when faced with a clear danger (the laser) his controlled panic and fear are palpable. It’s moments like this that show how good an actor Connery is, but the dangerous cool of Bond’s usual persona, the one that later Bond actors tried and failed to replicate is a master class in cinema acting. 5/5
WOMEN
Whilst I’m no fan of the grating Pussy Galore in this film I’m still an admirer of her incredible gravity defying figure. Gill the blonde sex pot who helps Bond and pays the price (the legendary ‘golden girl’), plus her sister Tilly another sacrificial lamb. I imagine the father of these girls would be keen to meet this James Bond fellow who helped both of his daughters to the afterlife.
Dink is the busty masseuse in Miami and Bonita is the dancer who gets clubbed over the head in the pre credit scene.
There is also Pussy’s pilots who inspired the angels in the Captain Scarlett TV series.
Never has a group of Bond girls had quite such a 60s feel about them. Curvacious and glamorous, independent yet aware of their femininity and willing to use it as and when required. 4/5
VILLAINS
Auric Goldfinger who is more than happy to admit his love of gold, and his henchman Oddjob who kills with his steel rimmed bowler hat. Rarely has a pair of villains in a Bond film become as iconic as these two. Goldfinger’s piggy eyed stare could turn a man to stone. There are other less important villains including an old lady toting a machine gun (as Prince would put it), but the overall impression left by the two mains is sufficient to tie up a top notch 5/5
HUMOUR
Bond’s witticisms start to take shape (‘Shocking…’), plus we have some sight gags that inspired a generation of film makers – the gadget laden Aston Martin had the audiences whooping, the old lady with a machine gun, the bowler hat, Bond tricking his way out of the cell etc etc. Goldfinger was laced with so much delicious humour, which has diluted over the years as less accomplished productions copy it. 4/5
ACTION
The film starts with a superb pre credit sequence, a mini film in it’s own right. The film moves along fluently but eventually the action stagnates and the film drags itself through the middle third. There is a sudden burst as we see the car chase and the laser beam sequence, and then nothing much until the climax. The action is great when it happens, but it’s poorly paced and the film loses much having Bond occasionally on the periphery of the action. 3/5
SADISM
One can not ignore the terrible death Jill Masterson suffered, nor the pleasure Oddjob takes from killing Tillie or Solo. Even Bond’s proposed death by being sliced in half is rather gruesome. Plenty of sadism to be sure. 4/5
MUSIC
Difficult to mark this down even a notch, as the big brassy Bond sound is born. John Barry hits the mark every time including the wonderful title song, the first few notes of which identify with the character of Bond every much as the 007 theme itself.5/5
LOCATIONS
Switzerland, Kentucky and Fort Knox, Miami (sort of). Some fine photography but later films will make use of the locations a little better 3/5
GADGETS
The Aston Martin ensured nothing would ever quite be the same again. The trend for fancy gadgety cars started here and has never been bettered.
The moment the guard was flipped out of the car’s roof ensured that nothing in the Bond world would ever quite be the same again and it was the moment that Ian Fleming’s novels would start to become less of a necessity, and more of a rich resource to be occasionally plundered. The film series had finally found it’s own feet.
And Oddjob’s hat. 4/5
SUPPORTING CAST
The character of Q was properly established in this film, and it remains arguably the finest Q/Bond scene ever, unburdened by audience expectation this was a beautifully played scene. Later Bonds never quite captured the spark, the undercurrent of a relationship built on grudging respect between two people who belong to different worlds.
Leiter returns looking ten years older, 6 inches shorter and 20 lbs heavier.
And M and Moneypenny, always spot on.
The problem is the lack of an interesting collection of other characters apart from the girls and the villains. The film overall is well cast though 3/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTION
40/50.
Although I can fully understand the nay sayers and critics of this film ('Goldfinger' has reached maybe undeserved heights amongst critics who haven’t seen the film for years), it’s still fair to say that the film defined the series as a real cinematic big hitter. As the influence of Fleming would recede (as it had to) so Eon began to understand the needs of it’s audience. When they laughed at the flip top car and gasped at the laser and Oddjob’s hat the audience gave out a clear message, and Cubby and Harry were never ones to miss a trick.
As a little one my uncle took me to see a double bill of Bond films. And all I remember is being deflated and disappointed because I didn’t see the Aston Martin (One of the films was FRWL and I assume the other was DN).
I did see it on the big screen a few years ago when it was re-released for a week nationwide. It was fantastic.
And now? Well everything it brought to the series has been done on a bigger, better scale since, but we must never lose sight of where it all began.
Yes Goldfinger drags in places, yes it suffers from pacing issues, yes Bond appears to be a prisoner for a good third to a half of the film. But that does not and should not detract from the fact that the film has more iconic characters, moments and pieces of dialogue than any other Bond film with the exception of you Only Live Twice.
Is it overrated by the critics? Since it's my #1, I'd say no, not at all. But at the same time, there are other Bond films that are brilliant and deserve equally lavish praise.
The pacing and Bond's imprisonment is often identified by detractors as an issue. But I have never seen a significant difference between this pacing and other Bond entries from the 1960's. TB's vast amount of underwater scenes by far trump the amount of drag time Bond spends in a jail cell in Kentucky. DN, FRWL, and OHMSS all have similar issues at times. But that's what makes the 60's films the classics they are, the action augments the storyline instead of the other way around, which is what we got too much of in the Brosnan era and unfortunately that got revisited in the last film in the absence of a complete script. In the imprisonment issue, I think people tend to think the scriptwriters didn't have any better idea of what to do. But there is a story being told with that, sorry if I'm being redundant on this point. Bond could have easily made an escape attempt after surprising the guard, but he chooses to first stick around because he has no idea what Goldfinger is up to and thus nothing to report. That's just good old fashioned spying to me. And it's a good thing because he also uses the time to turn Pussy. It seems to be that he could have probably escaped then as well, it wasn't an impossible situation by his standards. But by now Goldfinger, who is pretty sharp aside from his moments as a sore loser, knows that Bond is extremely resourceful and letting him escape is not in his best interests. Bond lets him think he's got the upper hand and people who are bored are overlooking what he's doing, which is the job as best as he can do it. The scene under the Fort Knox model and Goldfinger's revealing of the full extent of Operation Grand Slam are some of the best in the entire series, and Bond totally suckers Goldfinger all the way. It's extremely well done as the end result is Bond and the CIA are now one step ahead of him thanks to Pussy's change of heart, and the audience is generally unaware of these deceptions until the bomb is activated and we see a game of possum has been played on Mr. Goldfinger. Bond is more than just an action hero by the end, he's a "superspy" and the entire package obviously played better to the audiences than the first two films.
But that's what makes the 60's films the classics they are, the action augments the storyline instead of the other way around, which is what we got too much of in the Brosnan era and unfortunately that got revisited in the last film in the absence of a complete script.
I'll take story anytime. And while Goldfinger is not my top Bond (that's FRWL) it is the first one I saw, and as such has a special place in my heart. I don't find the pacing slow and it is one film I can revisit frequently. My son loves the car! If I put on a Bond he always asks, Is it the one with the car?. Goldfinger is timeless.
THUNDERBALL (1965)
Terence Young’s final film with the Bond franchise.
BOND
My favourite Connery performance. Some of Bond’s most notable one liners especially with his taunting of Largo. Here Bond is a man who appreciates traditional values to the point where he is suspicious of a woman opening a car door without assistance. And rightly so.
Charismatic to a degree mere mortals could only dream of. And the old saying that ‘no man looks good in shorts’ should actually read ‘no man except Sean Connery looks good in shorts’. 5/5
WOMEN
The blonde beauty Pam who enjoys some kinky play in the bed, Paula who assists Bond even though it’s unclear if they actually get it on (yeah right, just because they don’t show it), Fiona the gorgeous femme fatal who seduces Bond..or does she? And Domino our heroine who helps Bond to avenge her brother. Four rich characters, none surplus to requirements, and all drop dead gorgeous. 5/5
VILLAINS
SPECTRE operative Largo wears an eye patch and keeps his other eye firmly on Bond, Blofeld is there again hidden from view but his menace is present and correct. Count Lippe who tries to dispatch Bond at the health farm, Fiona again who dispatches Lippe, and a few minor heavies of whom Vargas is the best known thanks to the way he meets his maker (‘I think he got the point’).
Plenty of villains but after two exceptional collections of villains this one takes a slight down turn 3.5/5
HUMOUR
Another splendid collection of one liners expertly delivered by Connery. No other actor could respond to the line ‘What am I going to do with you?’ with ‘Funny you should mention that’ and make it so funny. This is where some later actors tripped up, the understated one liner.
TB lacks some of GF’s clever visual jokes and runs out of anything remotely amusing quite early on.
3/5
ACTION
This is a long film and the action suffers partly because of that and partly because so much is set underwater. The climax works to some degree but there are few if any genuine full scale action sequences throughout the film. And while we suffer having to watch the capture of the missiles in monotonous detail we really want a chase sequence or something to break it all up. The junkeroo sequences are good, but overall 3/5
SADISM
The obvious (but unshown) torture of Paula is quite unpleasant, and Largo’s use of human bait to feed his sharks quite gruesome yet typical of your average Bond villain. Lippe and Bond get down and dirty at the health spa, and Largo again tortures Domino with a lit cigarette.. All in all quite good on this front 4/5
MUSIC
John Barry’s familiar melodies enhance TB as it does many other films in the series. Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 007, Thunderball theme and the Bond theme remain amongst the most famous Bond music. 5/5
LOCATIONS
In 1965 one could only dream of visiting the Bahamas, but the impact has dimmed somewhat over subsequent decades. This is no globe hopping Bond adventure, so apart from some shots of the English countryside and some Paris scenes we have little to admire 3/5
GADGETS
A bit more Aston Martin action, a guiger counter, a breathing thing and a tape recorder in a book. At least Blofeld gets to play with an electric chair. After GF it’s all a little bit meh. 3/5
SUPPRTING CAST
M, Q, Moneypenny and Leiter are all here, but it’s hard to remember too many of the other characters. The cast doesn’t sparkle as the previous three did. 3/5
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS 37/50
One of the film’s problems is not really addressed in the scoring and that is the slow pace of the film and the poor editing (it was clear that more time was needed to produce Bond films).
Thunderball is chock full of isolated moments that simply do not add up to a satisfying whole, but it still stands head and shoulders above some later films in the series.
One of the few Bonds I have not seen in the cinema.
It's pretty clear after the full 7 reviews that most of us feel this is Connery's best outing among quite a few great ones. No wonder he and Bond immediately became my cinematic idols, I saw his best performance first.
All of the first 4 films and OHMSS drag in places. There's little that can be done about that when it involves scoring. I look at it this way. When it comes to action, whether it's too slow such as this one, or too fast (QOS an example), you can best address pacing issues there. I had my action at 4 for TB due to that. GF I also gave an even lower score due to the same reasons. If there is enough action mixed with dialogue, the pacing never suffers. Otherwise I don't think it will have a large effect on the scoring.
I may have a crack at OP next, the most 'soft focus' Bond since OHMSS.
AVTAK struck me as a remake of GF . . . only with better writing. It was easy to see that Moore was ill during part of the shoot. Still, he gave it his all. And Christopher Walken was first rate.
For Your Eyes Only
BOND - 5 out of 5 A completely delightful, commanding performance from Roger Moore. Some more serious story to work with, but with humor, too; this movie gave him a whole range of emotions to play and many different kinds of scenes (from a quiet moment of reflection at Tracy's grave to kicking a killer off a cliff in a car ... to calming and romancing a strong-willed intelligent Bond girl to surviving being tied and dragged along underwater for shark bait ... and more) and he was superb. Gone was the brain fluff that was Moonraker. Moore was focused, intense, playful, and very much a well rounded James Bond in this outing. FYEO and TSWLM are my favorite Moore films. Top form throughout!
WOMEN - 4 out of 5 A stellar cast here; I find it hard to find fault with the casting. Carole Bouquet is startlingly beautiful, yet in a natural way (very little make up, no fussy hair). The close-up of her eyes early on in the film captures the essense of her character: a strong, passionate, determined woman hellbent on revenge for the death of the parents she clearly loved. Carole's young looks are balanced by her intelligence, good acting, and the maturity of her character. It does not seem a stretch to me that she is with Roger, even though the age difference is not small. She is a great Bond girl; adept at hanlding a mini-sub, directing a yacht's crew, hiring a detective then striking out on her own to kill a killer, outwardly calm yet passionate underneath. And don't get in the way of her crossbow! Countess Lisl (Cassandra Harris) is played with elegance and warmth. I also like Jill Bennet (Coach Brink) who seemed to me like a real coach, and Lynn-Holly Johnson as the comic foil Bibi Dahl. I don't consider Bibi a serious Bond girl but really a funny character and I like that James rejects her and not beds her (rejects in a gentlemanly way, too). I thought Johnson played her just right. I actually count Coach Brink and Bibi in the supporting cast category more.
VILLAINS - 4 out of 5 Julian Glover is very fine as Kristatos, so cool and at first the "good guy" we think - but his lying and scheming come to the fore. Not over the top or dead in the water, his is a good performance. We also have the hit man Gonzales who kills Melina's parents and gets his own back in the pool, and the henchmen Kriegler and Loqcue. I thought Loqcue (Michael Gothard) was a creepy villain; so happy to see him hoping to have Bond lend a hand to save him, and then get himself kicked down a cliff. Satisfying villains all around in this movie; well played.
HUMOR- 3.5 out of 5 Aside from the perhaps questionable death of "Blofeld" in the opening, the humor here was just right - no overt, extreme silliness. Better script all around and lots of nice moments. Unlike some fans, I even enjoyed the very silly but fun ending with Max the parrot and "Maggie" Thatcher.
ACTION -5 out of 5 This movie is just one of the best for action! Tense scenes, good fight scenes (I especially like the warehouse shootout) with ski chases, bob sled chase rather uniquely done with Bond on skis in the bobsled run (I thought that looked like fun!), underwater villains, scary and tense moments - I mean this story hummed along, and there was appropriate (not stupid) and often great action throughout this entire movie. Very well paced - so well done! The climbing up Mt. Cyril's at the end is one of my favorite Bond scenes. Intense, beautiful, and memorable.
SADISM - 4 out 5 From machine-gunning Melina's parents to dragging Melina and Bond around the coral sea hoping the sharks tear them to bits, the running over Countess Lisl and slitting nice Ferrara's throat, etc. - there is plenty of sadism in these villains.
MUSIC- 2.5 out of 5 Bill Conti gets credit for making his own kind of music and not trying to copy Barry. But the disco sound does turn me off. and it dates the film. I don't like it during the chase scenes. However, the use of the theme song throughout is quite well done. It suits the quieter, romantic moments very well. The music is rather a mixed bag, yes. I think the theme song saves the film.
LOCATIONS - 5 out of 5 Simply stunning - this movie offers an array of dazzling locations, well used that fit into the storyline seemlessly. The Greek isles, the Mediterranean, the Italian alps, St. Cyril's - this film really draws you in and carresses you in beauty, while still moving the plot forward realistically. Enough time is spent in each area to give you a feel for it. Highest marks for this one.
GADGETS - 3 out of 5. Not a lot but appropriate gadgets, well used. Including the mini sub, Bond's radio watch, and the now lovingly recalled Identigraph from Q.
SUPPORTING CAST- 5 out of 5 Yes, we all missed Bernard Lee's M. I feel it was right not to replace him right away. But other than that, the entire supporting cast here is top notch. #1 favorite is of course Topol playing Bond's ally, Colombo. So much personality percolating there, and a really nice camaraderie with Bond. Perfect casting. But all else are very fine indeed - Q, Moneypenny both in great form, I like Ferrar very much, Gogol appears breifly and appropriately, and I am including Coach Brink and Bibi in this part of the rating. Everybody fits this story.
OVERALL - what a joy! A fun, adventurous, tension-packed action thriller harkening back to cold war days, with a revenge plot centering on a young woman, a strong Bond girl who is a formidable and intelligent;, stunning scenery, memorable villains, some nice humor, a well paced and superior Bond movie. Thank you, Roger, for TSWLM and FYEO. And thanks to the producers and director for coming off the Moonraker carnival ride and bringing Bond back to earth with a grittier, very well made Bond film. Also kudos for casting Carole Bouquet, who could act and who did not look in any way like a disco 70's fluffy haired actress. I can watch this film again and again. What a relief as we head further into the 80's.
:)) The better writing part makes me laugh. But I agree with you regarding Walken for sure. A great Bond villain. Kudos to Moore for pressing on, but honestly we should have had a new Bond by then, preferably Dalton.
@ 4Ever- a great review for a great Bond movie, 41 points, nice. Looks like most of us are pointing at Sir Roger's performance here as the best in his tenure. FYEO is well worth the watch at any time.
That'll wrap FYEO until DB or a new reviewer willing to do all 22 films comes aboard. Great job everyone =D>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2012/sep/27/favourite-bond-diamonds-are-forever
My favourite Bond film: Diamonds Are Forever
The glamour has lost its sparkle and Sean Connery's 007 is jaded and woozy, but that only makes the seventh Bond a rough Diamond
Let's get the caveats out of the way first. Judged against the usual checklist of what makes a great James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever is not a great James Bond movie. Sean Connery's last official outing as 007 lacks the radioactive virility of his first three assignments. Nor, for that matter, does it possess the playful snap and panache of the first three Roger Moore vehicles that followed. Diamonds is the Bond series' unlucky number seven: punch-drunk and paunchy, wanton and woozy. I think it may be my favourite.
Diamonds are Forever
Production year: 1971
Country: UK
Cert (UK): 12
Runtime: 120 mins
Directors: Guy Hamilton
Cast: Charles Gray, Jill St John, Sean Connery
More on this film
Connery thought he was out but the studio pulled him back in – offering a then-unheard sum of £1.25m (equivalent to £20m today) to re-engage the actor's services and thereby salvage a stuttering franchise. And yet Connery clearly does not want to be there. He shuffles through the motions like some ageing heavyweight showboater, flirting with disaster, his toupee slipping. When Bond is not fighting for his life and banging his elbows inside a cramped Amsterdam elevator, he's being kicked to hell by a pair of self-regarding girl acrobats in the Nevada desert. He's knackered, out of shape, halfway through the exit door. Legend has it that the very last scene Connery actually filmed was the one at the crematorium, in which Bond is knocked senseless, dropped inside a coffin and pushed towards the flames.
But the genius (intentional or otherwise) of Diamonds Are Forever is in the way it takes its lead from Connery's bruised, jaundiced performance. The later Roger Moore missions (Octopussy, A View to a Kill) made the mistake of variously disguising or compensating for Bond's advancing decrepitude and wound up looking ludicrous. Diamonds, by contrast, matches the star's tone and tempo quite beautifully.
Fittingly, the plot seems to drift in and out, like ground-fog or the frequency of a long-distance radio broadcast. Bond is on the trail of diamond smugglers and the trail leads him first to obligatory Bond girl Tiffany Case (Jill St John), who keeps changing her hair colour, and thence to the upper-crust Blofeld (Charles Gray), who plans to hold the planet to ransom and auction nuclear supremacy to the highest bidder. "The satellite is at present over Kansas," he explains, eager to demonstrate the power of his outer-space warhead. "But if we destroy Kansas, the world may not hear about it for years."
The film comes into its own during its extended middle portion, played out amid the casinos, circuses and funeral parlours of Las Vegas. This is an upside-down, hall-of-mirrors landscape in which an elderly hoodlum is booked to perform a standup show at 6pm and where a pair of dubious gay killers skip hand-in-hand through the desert beyond town (007's sexual politics are as ossified as ever). Much of the action pivots around the invisible figure of Willard Whyte, a thinly-veiled Howard Hughes, gone to ground in the penthouse suite of the palatial "Whyte House" and apparently running business from a bank of phones while sitting on the toilet – much as Lyndon Johnson is reputed to have done. "This is not the real White House and he's not the president," cautions Bond at one stage. The reminder, though, only adds to the suspicion that it is and he is – and that we are basically adrift in a corroded parallel America in which Vegas plays Washington DC and the moon landings are mocked up on a neighbouring sound-stage.
Is this the western democracy that 007 is fighting to preserve? If so, his mission appears fatally hobbled from the opening credits. If so, moreover, nobody around him gives much of a damn. After stumbling across the moon-landing set, our hero boosts a car and lights out across town with the Vegas cops in hot pursuit. In the midst of the chase, director Guy Hamilton suddenly, devilishly, opts to cut away to show the chase from the gloomy interior of a Fremont Street arcade. Inside, under glass, the tourists are lined up like zombies at the slot-machines, utterly oblivious to the screeching tyres and wailing sirens just yards from their heads.
No doubt each era gets the Bond it deserves. Cubby Broccoli's franchise started out in the early 60s fired by a sleek moral certitude, prowling a world of clearly defined good and evil before slipping into jokey self-parody during the mid-to-late 70s. Diamonds, though, is the missing link, the crucial transition; ideally placed at the turn of the decade and implicitly haunted by noises off in the nation at large. Here is a Bond film in which the old glamour has lost its sparkle and the resolute hero has lost his way. It's jaded, uncertain and disillusioned. It's vicious, mordant, at times blackly comic. It's oddly brilliant, the best of the bunch: the perfect bleary Bond film for an imperfect bleary western world.
Favourite line: I do like "Alimentary, Dr Leiter" (Bond's neat response when asked the whereabouts of the diamonds on Peter Franks' body). But my real favourite is Jill St John's caustic rejoinder to the little boy at the water-balloon stand: "Blow up your pants!"
Favourite gadget: The electronic voice machine that enables Sean Connery to speak in a flawless American accent. If only he could have taken it away with him.
BOND
Good to see Bond back in a casino for the second film on the trot. Also good to see Bond doing some proper spying and secret agent stuff, from the business at Sotheby’s through to him dropping in on the villains’ conversation via a bugged Faberge egg. Sadly he loses a mark for ditching his previous unerring appreciation of fine food and comes across as a pie and chips sort of man who wouldn’t touch a local delicacy simply because it’s sheep’s eye. Also it’s rather uncomfortable to see Bond as a little jingoistic with his ‘keep you in curry’ remark. However, and despite the fact Moore is aging rapidly he gives a fine performance 4/5
WOMEN
OP is packed tight with lovelies. Octopussy herself is the beautiful heroin cum unsuspecting villains accomplice, Magda her circus performing right hand lady, and a more knowing accomplice to Kamal Khan. We have a whole island full of lovely young ladies who see Octopussy as a guru. And let’s not forget Penelope Smallbone the impressionable young assistant to Moneypenny who immediately falls for Bond’s charms despite Penny’s warning.
Nice to see a couple of slightly ‘older’ ladies for Bond to grapple with. 5/5
VILAINS
Kamal Khan who is in cahoots with General Orlov the mad Russian who wants to lead Russia to a glorious new era by overrunning the rest of Europe (and when he and his plans are dismissed by his superiors he slumps in his chair, pouting like a school boy who has been told off for running around in class). Khan’s elegance and grace is in nice contrast to the unhinged Orlov, they clearly tolerate one another simply as a means to an end.
Gobinda is Khan’s silent sidekick who crushes Bond’s casino dice in the same threatening manner as Oddjob dealt with the golf ball but seems averse to climbing onto the roof of the aeroplane in mid flight to dispose of Bond (for some reason!)
And the knife throwing twins who are effective and surprisingly menacing as the film’s assassins
I’m rather taken by this bizarre mix of villains 4/5
HUMOUR
Barely subtle in all but a few isolated instances, the humour on occasion enters Moonraker territory, especially during Bond’s jungle pursuit. OP never pretends to be anything but an engaging romp leaning more towards light hearted fun, but the MR jokes are not particularly funny for non-Bond fans and are excruciating for hard core fans. So it’s lose-lose really. Mind you Q surrounded by adoring girls is amusing, as is Bond’s juvenile antics in the Q lab. 3/5
ACTION
After FYEO where Glen bedded in as a new director and took the route of dropping in
plentiful action with barely a break OP is allowed to breathe. The action is interspersed with sumptuous photography and makes allowances for the plot to be developed.
The action includes some exciting fight scenes on a moving train and the buzz saw killers as well as the usual impressive stunt work at the start and end of the film.
A mark off for the chase sequence which follows the casino scene. Like a left over from MR it seems inspired by that films bondala sequence, and for that it deserves the fate of the fast forward button. The business around the bed of nails defies belief.
I have always found the action in OP to be engaging, and exciting and for that 4/5
SADISM
Vijay is sliced and diced by the buzz saw but apart from that the film seems too good natured to be really sadistic. 2/5
MUSIC
Rita Coolidge sings ‘All Time High’ presumably because ‘Octopussy’ was too difficult to build a lyric around.
John Barry provided the sort of lush music we would expect, and with this being the most romantic looking Bond movie since OHMSS it’s only right that the master should be involved. 4/5
LOCATIONS
Mainly India, as well as London and various German locations.
Really OP settles in India for large parts of the film and it’s difficult to fault it despite Moore’s later misgivings about the way the country and more appropriately the people were portrayed. The country however was shown in the most soft focus and romantic of lights.
4/5
GADGETS
From the horse trailer and micro jet through to the fake crocodile OP teases with plenty of outrageous but not necessarily ridiculous gadgets. After this the gadgets would start to be toned down but in OP they are still enjoyable to watch. 4/5
SUPPORTING CAST
A new but certainly not improved M, Q is in India playing with Indian flavoured gadgets, Moneypenny of course, Gogol as well. Ermmmm, Vijay, Bond’s contact in India. Look, he was a fair to middling tennis player in the 80s but doesn’t rise to those dizzy heights as an actor. This was a rare slip on the part of Eon, casting a non-actor as a way of heightening interest in a film.
Fanning is the art expert who accompanies Bond to Sotheby’s. He is probably the most entertaining character on show, and certainly offers most of the less heavy handed comic moments. Apart from him this is all slightly disappointing 3/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS 37/50
Usually this film comes out as my favourite Moore Bond. It’s a good natured romp with so much exceptional stunt work. The only problem I have with OP is that for the life of me I still struggle to understand what on earth is going on. Everytime I see the film I have forgotten what it’s about with forged Russian jewels being smuggled about, and how it attaches itself to Orlov’s plans. I almost yearn for the days of simply blowing the world up.
The last word goes to the film’s most annoying character. Whether this story is true or not I don’t know, but according to legend just before Wimbledon 1983 was due to start a group of tennis pros went to see OP at the cinema. One particular player had failed to make the cut and was not taking part in the prestigious tennis tournament. Then when real life tennis star Vijay Amritraj was killed in the film the unlucky player leapt to his feet and yelled ‘I’M IN’.
Like I say this may not necessarily be true but it’s the most amusing Bond-linked story I have heard so I sincerely hope it is.
1. Goldfinger- 4.27
2. From Russia With Love- 4.17
3. Thunderball- 4.09
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (6/7 reviews)- 4.05
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (6/7 reviews)- 3.98
6. For Your Eyes Only (6/7 reviews)- 3.90
7. Live And Let Die (6/7 reviews)- 3.83
8. Octopussy (4/7 reviews)- 3.77
9. You Only Live Twice- 3.76
10. Dr. No- 3.53
11. The Man With The Golden Gun (6/7 reviews)- 3.13
12. Moonraker (6/7 reviews)- 2.97
13. Diamonds Are Forever (6/7 reviews)- 2.92
Always remember that your personal ratings are what they are. Once we've completed all 22 films (we'll do Skyfall in time of course), we can discuss the results versus our personal ratings and have fun comparing them.
As usual, below is a list of who hasn't reviewed a particular film, so you know which ones you have done and which you haven't. Also, please try to review your prior scores for different categories for the sake of consistency. If anyone is going away or has decided to drop out, kindly let me know. If any original reading this is interested in doing all the films, please let myself or Nic know. You don't have to go into great detail if time is your concern, just give a score by category and a brief explanation.
OHMSS, DAF- Nic is working on those
OCTOPUSSY- No votes from Kerim and 4EverBonded.
Tomorrow I will review and release the fourteenth entry, the final film of the Moore era, "A View To A Kill". It's hard to believe we've come this far, but in just a week we'll begin one of my favorite times to be a Bond fan, the Dalton era! Thanks again to everyone who's hung in there and contributed, as always I truly appreciate your participation and look forward to lots of great reading!
Two Suns in The Sunset
BOND - Roger entered into a Battle of The Bonds with Octopussy against the former king, Sean Connery. Sean returned after a 12 year hiatus in Thunderball IINever Say Never Again. Octopussy needed Roger at his best. And he was. Roger scaled back slightly on the seriousness, but kept his usual charm, wit and charisma. Roger equaled his performance in FYEO. With Octopussy's sense of urgency, Roger did what he needed to do to stop a possible World War III from taking place. He was tongue and cheek in India, but all business in Germany. If you said Roger's best performance was in FYEO or in OP, I would not disagree with you. (5)
WOMEN - Andrea Anders' older sister takes the lead in OP. Roger and Maud Adams really are two of a kind. The two work well off of each other and go together like peanut butter and jelly and yin and yang. Maud delivers her best of the two performances. Despite being a low profile character, OP develops a solid relationship with Roger, without entirely yielding her principles. Until the circus scene, Maud left doubt as to whether she would work with Bond or not. Maud Adams delivered a fine performance as Octopussy and left her indelible mark along with the other Bond girl legends. As with TMWTGG, the Swedish lashes dominated the fair sex. Kristina Wayborn was very effective as the Magda character. Magda played the intermediary character between Bond and Kamal Khan. Magda also joins the side of righteous at the moment of truth. Magda's hair however was freaky even for the 80s. Bianca was stunning in the PTS. Penelope Smallbone was a looker also. Octopussy's girls were a step up from the Perfect Specimen's of MR. Very hard to find fault with the ladies of OP. (5)
VILLAINS - Not since FRWL have we had the concept of co-villians. Let's start with Louis Jordan as Kamal Khan. The Khan character was brilliantly deadpan. Khan was stiff at times, but Jordan made it work. Khan delivered great lines such as "...soon to be extinct and you have a nasty habit of surviving". Despite the straightforwardness, Khan still had the air of menaceness and he was going to be a thorn in the side of Bond. Khan was considered the lead villian, but Steve Berkoff may have stole the show as General Orlov. Berkoff, while slightly over the top, expertly played the rogue Soviet general. Berkoff worked well with Bond, Gogol and Khan. Orlov wanted to run roughshod on Europe, innocent people be damned. The Orlov character captured its time well as the world in 1983 was pretty tense with the threat of nuclear terror being at its highest since 1962. Gobinda was a very formidable henchmen. Crushing dice, chasing people with a big sword and disrupting Indian street life. He did look like a lost puppy when he had to go out on the plane. Three solid villians here. (5)
HUMOR- The silly humor still leaked out in the 80s. The humor was effective when toned down, but loses its shine with the jungle chase and the Indian street chase. (3)
ACTION - OP's action itself may not justify a 5, but the tense setting raises the bar. The Acrostar is a great PTS entry. The Indian street chase's comedy keeps it from being effective. The raid on Octopussy's Palace was nicely done. The nuclear bomb scene at the circus was as tense as they came, but with allowance to exhale (guy in the cannon). Even Q gets into the action with the Monsoon Palace raid climaxing with the airplane sequence. A very strong (4).
SADISM - Bladesaw Man actually makes Khan create a facial expression. The Monsoon Palace dinner inspired Steven Speilberg a great idea for The Temple of Doom. Hiding in a freezer with other frozen stiffs is not the most comfortable way to avoid capture. (4)
MUSIC- Nothing bad, but nothing really special here. All Time High isn't bad, but falls short compared to previous entries from female singers. The Indian and German themes are OK. The Bond Theme by a snake charmer was cute. (3)
LOCATIONS - Hate to say this, but India is at the bottom of my list for places to visit. If nothing else, the visit to India inspired Roger to work with UNICEF. Nice shots of the German/English countryside. The Taj Mahal and the former Berlin Wall were nice touches. (3)
GADGETS - The cool gadgets consisted of the Acrostar, the bugged fabrege egg, hot air balloon and the watch with the extreme close up camera. The alligator sub was not a cool gadget. (4)
SUPPORTING CAST- Please welcome Robert Brown as M. He'll be staying with us for the rest of the decade. Robert had a tough act to follow, but did well in his first time out as M. Desmond makes a hell of a field agent. Great to see him get some significant field time. Lois sadly did not age well. Penelope was a find diversion. Walter Gottell gave his best performance as Gogol in OP. Gogol and Orlov played well off of each other. Vijay was a solid alley. Too bad he lost his head in playing his character. (4)
OVERALL - (40) 1983 was an interesting year. There was the cold war buildup, the Battle of the Bonds and the year I graduated high school. When I told my mom I was going to see Octopussy, she thought I was going to see a porn film and highly objected to me going. I told her I was going to see the less revolting Porky's instead. Ended up seeing both. What a magical time. I feel Octopussy, better than most Bond films captures its time well. India was considered exotic back then. Octopussy was the run away winner in the battle of Bonds. Octopussy had the maturity, of the Moore era which transcended into the next phase of my life. Octopussy has always been one of my sentimental favorites. After each watching, Octopussy keeps getting better with time. A time also where innocence was still there, yet the dangers of the world were waiting.
MVP: Steven Berkoff (General Orlov)
Running Rankings:
1. From Russia With Love (45, MVP: Pedro Armedariz)
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (45, MVP: Diana Rigg)
3. Thunderball (42, MVP: Luciana Paluzzi)
4. Octopussy (40, MVP: Steven Berkoff)
5. Dr No (38, MVP: Sean Connery)
6. For Your Eyes Only (37, MVP, Topol)
7. Live And Let Die (37, MVP: Yaphet Kotto)
8. You Only Live Twice (37, MVP: Tetsura Tambo)
9. Goldfinger (36, MVP: Harold Sakata)
10. The Spy Who Love Me (36, MVP, Roger Moore)
11. Moonraker (33, MVP: Bernard Lee)
12. Diamonds Are Forever (32, Co-MVP's Bruce Glover and Putter Smith)
13. The Man With The Golden Gun (31, MVP: Christopher Lee)
"I propose to...end the dominance of Silicon Valley"
The year is 1984. Although clearly still planning to retire from the role, Cubby Broccoli convinces the then 57 year old Roger Moore to return for a record 7th appearance and begins plans for the 14th James Bond adventure, "A View To A Kill". Director John Glen returns as do screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson, who is now producing as well alongside his stepfather. The plot begins with Bond sent to Siberia to locate the body of 003 and recover a microchip that he had stolen from the Soviets. Discovering the chip to be one especially resistant to electromagnetic pulse and made by a trusted government contractor, M assigns Bond the task of investigating Zorin Industries and it's founder, Max Zorin, to find out how the Soviets came into possession of it and to stop the security leak. Bond soon finds out that his adversary is both crazy and deadly in a manner he has seldom encountered.
The title of the screenplay originates from Ian Fleming's 1960 short story "From A View To A Kill" but otherwise has nothing else in common as Broccoli elects to have Maibaum and Wilson write an original screenplay. Production began on June 23, 1984 in Iceland, where a portion of the PTS was filmed. Just 4 days later the "007 stage" at Pinewood Studios accidentally burns to the ground, but Broccoli amazingly manages to have it rebuilt and ready to go one month later. The film also uses San Francisco, CA, Switzerland, and France as additional locations. Once again riding some momentum from the title song, penned by John Barry and rock group Duran Duran and the first and only Bond theme to reach #1 on the top 40 charts, the film is also the first not to premiere in London, instead debuting in San Francisco on May 22, 1985. The British debut occurs three weeks later. The film, budgeted for $30 million, would go on to gross $152 million at the box office despite critical reviews mostly being negative regarding Moore's age and some calling the film in general "the worst in the series". The film also marks the final appearance of Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny.
THE CAST-
- Roger Moore as James Bond
- Christopher Walken as Max Zorin
- Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton
- Grace Jones as May Day
- Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett
- Patrick Bauchau as Scarpine
- David Yip as Chuck Lee
- Willoughby Gray as Dr. Karl Mortner
- Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova
- Manning Redwood as Bob Conley
- Alison Doody as Jenny Flex
- Robert Brown as M
- Desmond Llewelyn as Q
- Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
- Geoffrey Keen as Fredrick Gray
- Walter Gotell as General Gogol
- Daniel Benzali as W. G. Howe
- Dolph Lundgren as Venz
BOND- First of all, it's even more clear as time went by and the box office began dropping that Sir Roger had stayed one film too long. The script practically screams for someone younger with a physical presence to be on equal footing with the rest of the cast, but Cubby ignores this for some reason only known to himself and EON insiders. Second, Moore's charm and wit, which he still retains, can no longer hide his physical limitations he has in both face and body. Because it's the third of his "Bond Lite" trio, the ever present suave personality is still good for fans of his lighter styling when he can get away with not being physical, but for a farewell performance the previous film would have been a much better way to go out. I guess somehow Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" message wasn't heard over the "cha-ching" of lots and lots of pounds dropping into his bank account, and I was truly sorry to see a legacy such as his reduced to this, his worst in the role- 1.5/5
WOMEN- Oh brother. Not good. Not at all. To start, the choice of former "Charlie's Angel" Tanya Roberts as love interest Stacey Sutton, a woman who at 29 years old was half Moore's age, further exposes the need for a new Bond as an issue that needed to be dealt with before this. To complicate matters further, Roberts is a lousy actress. The positives are that Roberts is Bond girl beautiful in both face and body and I've always wanted to hear her sexy, smoky voice purring in my ear. Her character at least knows her subject. But I need a lot more than that past my own personal jollies. Her acting as usual for her is barely passable, but her clingy character screaming "JAMES!" and more for non-sexual reasons is highly annoying and just makes me unsympathetic to whatever happens to her. And the things Tanya she said about Sir Roger following filming (before she realized later that there was a future paycheck to be had) being a sissy and not a real man in her eyes are reason to dislike her even more. Even if he has never done much of anything to dispel that sentiment, it was uncalled for. She'd have never said that about Connery, Lazenby, or Dalton. Next up (I am shuddering over here) is Jamaican actress/model Grace Jones as May Day. Here I have to strictly react to her as a woman and say WHY, WHY, WHY in the name of all that is holy was a love scene with her and Bond or Zorin something we needed to see? Even my son shuts his eyes during these parts. Whoever hired her as a model and thought men would like this vision of Halloween horror must be legally blind. Matter of fact, if I put a likeness of her ugly, snarling, teeth knashing mug out on my front doorstep this or any Halloween, every kid on the block would be too scared to come and get their candy. And I didn't even get to that hairstyle, but knowing Jones she came in with her own and the hairstyle artist here was saved the job of having her physically restrained, or a getting a black eye at the least. Next up is English actress Fiona Fullerton as KGB agent Pola Ivanova. Love the look on her face when her and Gogol realize Bond's had her in more than one way. Not much else and an awful haircut revisited all too often in the 1980's ruins her for me as far as personal taste. Even worse is the haircut perpetrated on Irish actress/model Alison Doody as Zorin henchwoman Jenny Flex. Nooooooo! Alison was the hottest woman here and I thought she would really class up the cast, but what is normally chicken cordon bleu for me had officially become chicken s**t in this instance thanks to "happy scissors" giving her a mullet! I'm not even getting into how butt ugly Papillon Soo Soo is as another henchwoman. The previous low of 1979 has just been equalled- 1.5/5
VILLAINS- Ahhhhhhhhh, now here is the best part of the entire film. American actor Christopher Walken is in the lead as Max Zorin, and like Berkoff before him he puts on a tour de force performance. Other villains have been hinted at as insane but Zorin, the product of steroid experiments conducted on pregnant women in concentration camps during WWII, really is. He has both an extremely high IQ and a permanently psychotic personality as a result. He's also a former KGB agent in his mind, which leads the Soviets to go against him as well when he refuses to be controlled by them. He truly enjoys killing and mayhem as a true psychopath would, he's manic unhinged, and he is pure entertainment in every scene because he finds his actions to also be a source of amusement. Thanks to Walken's brilliance, you can make a strong case for Zorin to join Scaramanga and Orlov as the best Bond villains in Moore's tenure. His chief hench person in his army of remorseless killers is Jones as May Day. While a complete failure as a Bond girl, her facial expressions and general demeanor as a villain in defending Zorin and his interests are actually very good. She brings a real menace to the role. You want to see her get hers for more reasons than saving your eyesight and that's a good job done when that happens. Next up is the late English actor Willoughby Gray as Zorin's father figure, Dr. Karl Mortner. Affectionately known as Dr. Hans Glaub during his days as a quack Nazi doctor, he's a pioneer in steroids and basically Dr. Frankenstein to his monster Zorin. Gray is as great as Zorin here. Patrick Bauchau rounds out this bunch of loony tunes as Zorin's security chief Scarpine, with Doody and Soo Soo part of the package. A cast of villains for the ages and one that makes the film worth a watch- 5/5
HUMOR- Liberally sprinkled with Moore's usual one liners, but just not as good as usual. A little slapstick in the Paris car chase, but I admit I found the French cabbie's reactions to Bond destroying his car block by block very amusing. Zorin gets in a few good lines himself but it's a dark murderous humor. The sequence with Bond and Ivanova is amusing as well. More slapstick of sorts in the San Francisco fire truck chase, Mortner and Scarpine playing hot potato with a few sticks of dynamite was funny, but overall the humor feels too forced and just doesn't work judging by prior standards- 2.5/5
ACTION- Some great ski work in the PTS leads to more action in Paris including May Day's fantastic jump from the Eiffel Tower and a humorous car chase to follow before Zorin corners Bond after a steeplechase. The San Francisco sequences culminating in the destruction of the Main Strike mine and the finale with Bond and Zorin fighting to the death on top of the Golden Gate bridge were a great way to end both the film and Moore's tenure- 4.5/5
SADISM- Well, Zorin and his crew enjoy their work. Zorin delights in his plan to kill millions, he tries to drown Bond and later incinerate him and Stacey, and his sadism really shows up full force as he openly laughs while watching his loyal crew of miners getting electrocuted as he machine guns them to death. Not to mention having a KGB agent shredded alive at his rig. What Mortner did in his past and to horses in the modern day speaks volumes for how sick he is. May Day is quite good at flycasting poisonous butterflies and likes to strangle people. A very sadistic bunch of maniacs, I have to give them the maximum- 5/5
MUSIC- The story for the film's title theme starts when one John Taylor, both the bassist of 1980's English rock band Duran Duran and a lifelong Bond fan, meets Cubby at a London party and having had a few drinks boldly asks "When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?". This leads to a collaboration between the band and John Barry, back in the composer's chair for the 10th time, that produces not only one of the best known and well loved songs in the series, but is the only one to have reached #1 on the U.S charts as well as a #2 on the British charts, also a record. Barry's full genius comes into great focus when the seemingly straight rock song becomes yet another hauntingly romantic instrumental in "Wine With Stacey", complete with solo flute passages, acoustic guitar, and lush strings that expand on the change in style we heard expanding and growing in his prior Bond soundtrack. It's a short but fantastic piece. The use of electric guitar introduced here also moves well in action tracks such as "He's Dangerous" that is used in part in other action scenes and the big brass is getting more use as well in all this as well as in "Bond Underwater". This piece I find quite interesting as you can hear the same type of brass work 20 years earlier in Thunderball, but I find this much less Godzilla-like in it's brashness and well tempered with other instruments to differentiate. Even a presence of a Goldfinger-like marching beat becomes a backdrop. The only thing that thus far separates the 80's efforts from the 5 star efforts of the Connery period, in my musically trained mind, is a little laziness in the tendency to overuse existing action themes instead of adding one more composition to balance it, but it's minor because, well, he's Barry. A very unique soundtrack overall, save the unnecessary PTS addition of "California Girls"- 4.5/5
LOCATIONS- Back to the nicer locations. The film is primarily filmed in San Francisco, and everyone knows it is a beautiful and scenic city. The then mayor really went all out to make sure the production went well and met it's schedule, and the results are excellent. Zorin's estate located in France rivals Drax's in 1979, and the Parisian shots capture a feel for the city better than previous efforts. Switzerland looks fine for the filming of the Siberian ski chases in the PTS. Bonus points for Cubby and Pinewood in getting the 007 stage back up and running in time for filming- 4/5
GADGETS- Q provides a homing device to locate the body of 003 and a getaway boat disguised as an iceberg in the PTS, and although we never see him provide them, a device that reads impressions left on paper, a camera ring, and a credit card that doubles as a lock opener. Otherwise most of what we get is a silly little surveillance robot. I wonder if it cleans carpets?- 1.5/5
SUPPORTING CAST- Sadly, this was the final performance by Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. I knew it would happen as soon as Moore stepped down, she was also too old and flirting with Dalton would have been impossible. Neither of her replacements to date have been remotely suitable in my opinion, but that's for a later discussion. She goes out on a high note, her racetrack line "Come on Fluke, move your a" as she forgets her manners for a moment is hilarious. Q is home for this one and on the happy side, getting in a few cracks of his own. Robert Brown is steadily improving as M, good marks for the regular crew. Nothing special from Geoffrey Keen this time as Minister Gray, but Walter Gotell's scenes here with Zorin, Ivanova, and at the end are excellent. And then we get to the really bright spot in Avengers star Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett, MI6's resident horse expert and a wannabe spy. His repartee with Bond is hilarious, and Bond delights in letting him know he's out of his depth right up until his untimely end at May Day's hands. The rest of the cast doesn't do much. David Yip is nothing special as CIA agent Chuck Lee, nor is Manning Redwood as Zorin's oil expert Bob Conley. Daniel Benzali as Stacey's boss Mr. Howe fits right in. Jean Rougerie is amazingly even more annoying than Stacey as French detective Achille Aubergine, a pathetic specimen who thinks with an overinflated ego he's got no right to have. I'm sure the butterfly girl wouldn't touch that old perv even if he paid her. His best lines are his death gasp. Future action star Dolph Lundgren makes an early film appearance as a KGB agent/Gogol bodyguard, not much else to say past Macnee and the regulars- 3/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- When Sir Roger was announced as returning for a 7th time, I must admit to mild disappointment. I felt then that both not only was he too old for the role, but he had gone as far as he could have with the character in a believable fashion. I next remember driving around in my old Firebird and first hearing the title song before the film's release. Despite Duran Duran not exactly being my type of music, they were good at what they did and I knew before the end of the song that it was their best effort to date (and coincidentally their last recording before their breakup) and had the potential to be a rock classic, which it became. As far as the movie though I think it's got a reputation that it doesn't entirely deserve due to Moore's age and a poor casting of women, because there are things to like. The villains and their brand of mayhem shine like stars in a clear winter sky, a memorable soundtrack plus a great finish save the film from being a Moonraker-like disaster, but the series had gotten stale and cliched by then as the next Bond would later note, and thankfully change was on it's way. This film scores 33 out of 50 points for me, or an average of 3.3
Thats a superb description of the AVTAK sound track. It is a joy isn't it? I love the full lush score as they approach the Golden Gate bridge to shake Bond off.
Classic.
Every now and then I drop in to this thread, it's always nice to hear the original fans opinions. Keep up the good work chaps and chapette...