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Comments
1. FRWL
2. TB
3. CR
4. TSWLM
5. DN
6. SF
7. OP
8. OHMSS
9. GE
10. LTK
11. LALD
12. FYEO
13. TLD
14. TMWTGG (yes, I know - I rank it higher than most here)
15. QoS
16. GF (yes, I know - I'm one of the few who doesn't think too highly of it)
17. SP (it can drop below TND easily but will likely stay above all the rest)
18. TND
19. DAF
20. YOLT
21. MR
22. AVTAK
23. DAD
24. TWINE
23: Die Another Day
22: The Man With the Golden Gun
21: Moonraker
20: A View to a Kill
19: Tomorrow Never Dies
18: Quantum of Solace
17: Goldfinger
16: You Only Live Twice
15: Live and Let Die
14: For Your Eyes Only
13: Thunderball
12: Dr. No
11: The World is Not Enough
10: Octopussy
9: SPECTRE
8: From Russia With Love
7: GoldenEye
6: Skyfall
5: The Spy Who Loved Me
4: Licence to Kill
3: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2: The Living Daylights
1: Casino Royale
2. CR
3. OHMSS
4. DN
5. TB
6. GF
7. LTK
8. TLD
9. LALD
10. SF
11. SP
12. FYEO
13. TSWLM
14. QoS
15. YOLT
16. NSNA - Connery and Fleming story.
17. GE
18. OP
19. DAF
20. TMWTGG
21. AVTAK
22. TND
23. MR
24. TWINE
25. DAD
1. CR
2. FRWL
3. TSWLM
4. SF
5. GE
6. OHMSS
7. GF
8. OP
9. TB
10. DN
11. FYEO
12. LTK
13. YOLT
14. TLD
15. LALD
16. TND
17. SP
18. QoS
19. TWINE
20. DAF
21. AVTAK
22. TMWTGG
23. MR
24. DAD
Thanks. I like TLD, as I don't have quite as many problems with it as some others (I like the theme song very much, for instance). However, I do share their complaints of the loss of steam once it hits Afghanistan, though my biggest complaint is still the lack of character development and menace regarding the villains. I rank LTK higher just because it's slightly more in tune with what Dalton would've wanted (but the excessive grit also detracts from the atmosphere of Bond). I kind of feel sorry for Dalton, since he never got a film that meshed completely with how he wanted to play Bond.
For TB and SF, recent rewatches has reminded how great the aesthetics are in each. Craig and Connery are also fantastic in each, both physically and just acting in general. The score is very powerful in TB, with an ominous version of the Bond theme that I used to hate but have come to be more accepting of. The visuals are obviously impressive in both. SF's score isn't on the same level as TB's, but the villain is certainly better (the supporting cast as a whole is, and is probably the best out of any Bond movie).
Yes, the villains of TLD have no real menace at all (but Necros makes up for it) and their exits are anticlimactic. They are at least somewhat amusing. I don't necessarily agree that TLD 'runs out of steam' - at least not seriously - once it hits Afghanistan (even though everyone says that on this forum). Some other films 'run out of steam' in a much worse way than TLD.
With how Dalton was never able to play Bond how he really wanted, I blame that mostly on John Glen and people's expectations for Bond at the time. It just wasn't going to happen, sadly...
1. That is true, but I don't have TLD as one of the worst films, I have it near the middle. If you question any Bond film being above it on my list, I should be able to provide a solid reason(s) for why. Of course, that's something anybody should be able to do with their lists.
2. Yes, Glen was much more fit for directing Moore's films than Dalton's, who really could've benefited from Martin Campbell.
Well I see entirely what you are saying about pace and direction and I do think that generally Glen's films are well-paced (AVTAK is slow and boring in its first half though, and some people think that TLD goes flat in Afghanistan, though I have no idea what they are talking about). And I do see what you are saying about action scenes going on too long. But that is observable in Glen films as well. The AVTAK slaughter scene probably goes on too long, and it is completely mindless anyway. LTK's tanker chase also goes on waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long.
I agree about everything said about Dalton in TLD and LTK. His failings in LTK aren't serious, but he is at his best in TLD.
1. Goldfinger
2. From Russia With Love
3. Casino Royale
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
5. GoldenEye
6. Skyfall
7. The Spy Who Loved Me
8. Dr. No
9. Licence to Kill
10. For Your Eyes Only
11. You Only Live Twice
12. The Living Daylights
13. Tomorrow Never Dies
14. Thunderball
15. Quantum of Solace
16. Spectre
17. Octopussy
18. The World is not Enough
19. Live and Let Die
20. Diamonds are Forever
21. A View to a Kill
22. Die Another Day
23. The Man with the Golden Gun
24. Moonraker
Well, your certainly right with the tanker chase. The mine massacre, it is a matter of taste. But I denfinately see why people don't like it.
Another issue that I like in JG films is suspense. I mean even though some of the films (the early three) are a little campy at times they have some of the most suspensefull moments in Bond history. Octopussy is full of such sequences (009 being haunted, the sequneces in the Monsoon Palace, the whole bomb sequence). The same aplies to the Living Daylights (especially in the first half). FYEO is also very sunspensefull (the underwater scenes, parts of the ski chase or the climbing scens). And even AVTAK has plenty of suspense in it (Death of Tibbet in the car wash, burning elevator, Bond in the car underwater, the bomb..). All these sequences are very wel directed because they are really thrilling without any action or any special effects. I don't really find such kind of suspensefull moments so often in the other Bond films.
Top Ten Gold
1. TLD
2. LTK
3. TND
4. QOS
5. DN
6. GF
7. GE
8. SP
9. FRWL
10. TB
The Rest
11. TMWTGG
12. TWINE
13. YOLT
14. CR
15. OHMSS
16. OP
17. FYEO
18. LALD
19. DAD
20. DAF
21. TSWLM
22. SF
23. AVTAK
24. MR
:-bd
\m/
I think that also Barry is to be mentioned in this context. I like his suspensefull tunes. With regard to AVTAK: I find that the film has a somewhat darker atmosphere with some suspensefull moments. Not as suspensefull as Octopussy but still there are some (car wash, stables, diving, horse track and Bond riding through the forest spotting the Rolls Royce..) But one cold certainly debate about this selection.
And he's why i hold the middle three Glen films in higher regards, despite where they sit in my rankings
1. Casino Royale
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. Goldfinger
4. GoldenEye
5. Skyfall
6. Dr. No
7. The Spy Who Loved Me
8. Licence to Kill
9. From Russia with Love
10. Spectre
11. Thunderball
12. For Your Eyes Only
13. Live and Let Die
14. Quantum of Solace
15. The Living Daylights
16. The World Is Not Enough
17. You Only Live Twice
18. Tomorrow Never Dies
19. The Man with the Golden Gun
20. Octopussy
21. Diamonds Are Forever
22. Die Another Day
23. A View to a Kill
24. Moonraker
Most likely change in the next Bond-a-thon is OP moving up; TMWTGG is dangerously close to the bottom five. Otherwise, for the moment, any other changes would be a little surprising.
Was it the salt corrosion?
But for MY part, I am a Brosnan defender of the realm. ;)
However it is firmly in my top ten on account of one thing - which SP imho does not have. That is 'charisma'. It is an extremely charismatic film, like OP and some of the others. It may be OTT (which imho, Bond should be) but the characters are memorable and pop. TND as an example is a far more polished production, but doesn't have that charisma to me.