Recommend a 1st Bond film to a Newbie to the Series

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Comments

  • It seems like many who aren't Bond fans in the slightest have been drawn to theaters for Skyfall. Who knows how many new fans it has made.
    I'm one of those new fans!
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    It seems like many who aren't Bond fans in the slightest have been drawn to theaters for Skyfall. Who knows how many new fans it has made.
    I'm one of those new fans!

    It is good to hear my statement has weight to it.
  • edited June 2013 Posts: 4,622
    I'd recommend anything with Sean Connery in it.
    Then hopefully they are compelled to watch the first 7 films in order and get the proper grounding in the classics.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Well, I think I'd recommend in order:

    FRWL
    GF
    TSWLM
    FYEO
    TLD
    GE
    TND
    CR
    SF
  • hullcityfanhullcityfan Banned
    Posts: 496
    Well lots of my mates have seen Skyfall and the newer one's so maybe my first one Tomorrow Never Dies.
  • Any of the first three, but mostly Dr. No and Goldfinger. The Spy Who Loved Me would be a good choice, as would GoldenEye, Casino Royale, and Skyfall.

    The first three are the standard-setters. Dr. No is the obvious choice because it's first. From Russia With Love has a more developed Bond feel, but it's between the originality of Dr. No and the full development of Goldfinger. Goldfinger is the iconic Bond movie. It is the standard. It has the top (or at least first rate) Bond, villain, girl, henchman, pre-title sequence, gadget, cars, gimmicks, song, Q scene, the list is almost endless. The Spy Who Loved Me is another iconic Bond adventure with top flight cars, girls, and henchmen. GoldenEye is an updating story with classic elements, albeit one whose updating has become a bit dated. Casino Royale is first in the timeline, as it's Bond's first mission, and has all the other great stuff. Skyfall is when the modern and classic eras meet up.

    Other movies like On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Licence to Kill should be watched soon, but they shouldn't be the first one. They require an understanding of the Bond universe to appreciate (or reject, for that matter).
  • Posts: 5,634
    I'd recommend one from each decade to those who are strangers to the series

    1960s - On Her Majestys Secret Service

    1970s - The Spy Who Loved Me

    1980s - The Living Daylights

    1990s - The World Is Not Enough

    2000 + - Casino Royale
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    60's From Russia With Love.

    70's Moonraker.

    80's Licence to Kill.

    90's GoldenEye.

    00's Casino Royale.
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    Posts: 1,812
    For a youngster I'd say go with a Brosnan or Craig film. Those are the ones with the most action and will probably keep their attention the most.
    Really it comes down to the individual; the film that got me into Bond was Goldfinger and I was about 15 years old when I saw it.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    For a youngster I'd say go with a Brosnan or Craig film. Those are the ones with the most action and will probably keep their attention the most.
    Really it comes down to the individual; the film that got me into Bond was Goldfinger and I was about 15 years old when I saw it.

    If action is what you want to show a newbie, I'd say show them the Moore films. While the Craig era films can be action-packed, the Moore era is more filled over with action in my opinion. They are full of action spectacle.
  • MartinBondMartinBond Trying not to muck it up again
    edited August 2013 Posts: 860
    I'm going to introduce my girlfriend to Bond tomorrow, as she figured it was time (hér suggestion. Sorry fella's, Í'm marrying this one ;) ) because she has never seen anyhing Bond. I'm struggling between the following:

    Dr. No:

    Pro: The beginning. It's the foundation of everything we know and love.

    Con: It's dated in the sense of music, the action is not very spectacular by later Bond's standard, and it's a bit slow, even I think it's a little bit of a bore at times. X_X

    The Spy Who Loved Me:

    Pro: It's like a greatest-hits album. big villian, great Bond with tons of humour, locations are beautiful (the Nile boat scene), action is superb (PTS, Lotus, Liparus fight).

    Con: It's so stereotypical Bond, that it might give her the impression all the Bond's are as over-the-top as this one is, though in the best way possible.

    Tomorrow Never Dies:

    Pro: A modern Bond, very big on action, 2 beautiful women, one of which almost classifies as a female Bond, locations are great, it's got stealth elements during the Hamburg scenes, and a big all-out finale as well. And I'm very mutch in love with that E38 BMW :x

    Con: It's a very nineties Bond, in a way that it's a generic hollywood blockbuster with no real Bond-plot, and here goes the same as for 'spy': it might give the wrong impression.

    Casino Royale:

    Pro: Very up-to-date, Bond as a very agressive, but very emotional man underneath.
    It benefits from a great cast with superb locations and camerawork, and as a remake of the very first novel written by mr Fleming, it's kind-of Bond 101.

    Con: though a very entertaining film, it's quite long, and to be honest, it lacks the "olives" of the Bond-Cocktail: The Gadgets, Bond getting the girl, and the classy, sophisticated Bond-figure.

    Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

    A quick edit: as she is more biased towards humour, my current choice would be Sir Roger's finest.
  • Posts: 169
    MartinBond wrote:
    I'm going to introduce my girlfriend to Bond tomorrow, as she figured it was time (hér suggestion. Sorry fella's, Í'm marrying this one ;) ) because she has never seen anyhing Bond. I'm struggling between the following:

    Dr. No:

    Pro: The beginning. It's the foundation of everything we know and love.

    Con: It's dated in the sense of music, the action is not very spectacular by later Bond's standard, and it's a bit slow, even I think it's a little bit of a bore at times. X_X

    The Spy Who Loved Me:

    Pro: It's like a greatest-hits album. big villian, great Bond with tons of humour, locations are beautiful (the Nile boat scene), action is superb (PTS, Lotus, Liparus fight).

    Con: It's so stereotypical Bond, that it might give her the impression all the Bond's are as over-the-top as this one is, though in the best way possible.

    Tomorrow Never Dies:

    Pro: A modern Bond, very big on action, 2 beautiful women, one of which almost classifies as a female Bond, locations are great, it's got stealth elements during the Hamburg scenes, and a big all-out finale as well. And I'm very mutch in love with that E38 BMW :x

    Con: It's a very nineties Bond, in a way that it's a generic hollywood blockbuster with no real Bond-plot, and here goes the same as for 'spy': it might give the wrong impression.

    Casino Royale:

    Pro: Very up-to-date, Bond as a very agressive, but very emotional man underneath.
    It benefits from a great cast with superb locations and camerawork, and as a remake of the very first novel written by mr Fleming, it's kind-of Bond 101.

    Con: though a very entertaining film, it's quite long, and to be honest, it lacks the "olives" of the Bond-Cocktail: The Gadgets, Bond getting the girl, and the classy, sophisticated Bond-figure.

    Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

    A quick edit: as she is more biased towards humour, my current choice would be Sir Roger's finest.

    I think your current choice is a good one. Otherwise, with the right disclaimers beforehand, the others are also good. One problem with the older films is that some people see them as corny, slow, or both. I tried to get my wife to watch OHMSS with me but she quit after the first twenty minutes or so. The only Bond films I can get her to watch are the Craigs.
  • Probably The living Daylights, but only because it's my favourite!
  • JrW_008JrW_008 The North
    Posts: 112
    I would generally recommend viewing them chronologically. That is how I typically watch film series. However starting with Casino Royale would be to benefit as it of-course the first Fleming novel and the film tries to stick to it.
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    Posts: 814
    How about six movies, 1 for each Bond actor:

    Connery: From Russia With Love
    Lazenby: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (duh)
    Moore: The Spy Who Loved Me
    Dalton: The Living Daylights
    Brosnan: Goldeneye
    Craig: Casino Royale
  • Posts: 6,396
    I guess it would all depend on the age of the person in question. Below the age of 11 I would perhaps recommend more of the fantstical adventures such as GF, TSWLM or OP. If they were in their mid teens or older then DN, FRWL, TLD, CR would be certainties to begin with.

    I'm not sure OHMSS and LTK would necessarily be the right choice of film on your inital forray into the Bond universe but they're certainly two films which would cement your interest in Bond once you've watched a few of the others first.
  • Posts: 15,106
    A consideration: what kind of women they find attractive? One can find the most suitable movie depending of the Bond girl.
  • edited August 2013 Posts: 15,106
    Wrong thread, darn phone.
  • LicencedToKilt69007LicencedToKilt69007 Belgium, Wallonia
    Posts: 523
    As a first watch, I'd recommend either Goldfinger either FRWL.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Ludovico wrote:
    A consideration: what kind of women they find attractive? One can find the most suitable movie depending of the Bond girl.
    Ludovico wrote:
    Wrong thread, darn phone.

    Funnily enough, that comment fits here too, mate! :)

  • Posts: 15,106
    Ludovico wrote:
    A consideration: what kind of women they find attractive? One can find the most suitable movie depending of the Bond girl.
    Ludovico wrote:
    Wrong thread, darn phone.

    Funnily enough, that comment fits here too, mate! :)

    No, I meant another comment that I wrote right after, trying to comment on another thread.

    But yes, judging a movie by the Bond girls, I'd recommend TB, easily. It remains my favorite Bond, partially because of this.
  • edited August 2013 Posts: 4,622
    I recommend Diamonds Are Forever, if only for the pts's visceral excitement conjured by a determined Connery on violent rampage, culminating with the campy tense brilliance of the Blofeld-lair battle, followed by the spooky cat screech transition to Bassey's haunting main theme.
    And it just gets better and better. My favourite Bond film........great way to move from the classic era into the colourful new decade.
    Sean is middle-aged Bond brutal awesome.
  • Posts: 5,634
    I believe that's the first time I've ever seen Diamonds are Forever as anyone's favorite Bond release. At least it has some supporters, and to be fair, it's nowhere near as bad as some make it out to be, in that it has a few redeeming qualities. But that should of been Lazenby's second outing with a fitting storyline, not a greedy ex-Bond clearly inappropriate for the part and with a bizarre plotline
  • edited August 2013 Posts: 23
    Obese Non Sufficit a.k.a, The world is not enough !. ;;)
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    Posts: 814
    Obese? Sounds like Fat is not Enough.

    Thought it was Orbis Non Sufficit.

    Anyway, to me, even though it isn't my favorite Bond movie (though definitely in my top 5), From Russia With Love is an excellent choice for first Bond movie for a newbie to watch. It has action, but it's not ridiculously loud and explosive like some of the '90s Bond movies. It has a great, severely attractive Bond girl. It has a gadget or two, nothing over the top, no %$#& invisible cars or laser beam watches. It has the best fight scene (between Bond and Grant) in Bond history, or at least until CR. It has a strong story. And it's Sean Connery, the best of the best. What more could you want?
  • WHOOPS !. I of course I meant Orbis !. ;;)
  • It's funny, because my instant reaction would be to say Skyfall, especially with today's audiences, but I think you have to be familiar with Bond to really appreciate it. I'd say From Russia With Love or Goldfinger would be the two best to introduce someone to the franchise.
  • Posts: 52
    Bond is so famous alot of people seem to have an opinion on it even if they've never actually seen a Bond film. I actually know a couple of people who had no time for Bond because of a cliched and ill informed point of view they had until they saw Skyfall because of the current cool and more serious image the Craig films have. They admitted it was excellent and they'd now probably watch the older films.

    If the person was someone who maybe had little time for Bond before and you were trying to convince them of Bond's greatness then I'd start with Casino Royale.

    If it was someone enthusiastically wanting to see a Bond movie (probably a younger person) then I'd start with an obvious Connery or Moore film. Probably Goldfinger or TSWLM.
  • edited August 2013 Posts: 4,622
    I think Bond is best experienced for the first time around age 10-12. That way you discover Bond on film, all on your own without knowing too much ahead of time.
    That's how it was for me and as far as I can gather, many others on this board.
    Any one of the 23 films should give the impressionable adolescent viewer a good sense of the Bond phenomenon and draw him in for life, if he is genetically predisposed to Bond obsessiveness. The first viewing triggers this latent gene.

    ===Yes young girls too, but the initial Bond experience might resonate differently for femmes. I don't know. I am musing from a male perspective.
  • Posts: 479
    Quantum of Solace, as an example of everything a Bond film shouldn't be.
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