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Last Bond Movie You Watched

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  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    The Man With The Golden Gun

    This is the first Bond film that I have watched in 2015. I was going to hold off until the Dalton double-bill later this month. I hadn't intended to hold out so long. For most of this year, I just have not felt like watching a Bond film. Then I heard about the Vue double-bill, and though that the Bond film I would watch in the cinema, would be the first Bond film that I would watch in 2015.
    But following the passing of Sir Christopher Lee, I thought that I would change my plans. Still one of my least favourite Bond films overall. But there are two things that TMWTGG has going for it. The first being John Barry's score, and the second being Lee as Scaramanga.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Never Say Never Again. Yes it has it's flaws, but it has Connery, who is still a class act.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Shark_0f_Largo wrote: »
    Live and Let Die - one of my favourites of Roger Moore.

    His best film alongside FYEO.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited June 2015 Posts: 15,718
    Just finished DN as part of my new Bondathon.

    This time, I am focusing on the dialogue quality and how the mission in question is handled. So, in DN, the dialogue is fantastic. There is not one line I would remove from the film. It may not be the most quotable movie, but each time I watch it, I am captivated by the dialogue, helped no doubt by the expert acting by all concerned, especially from Connery. As for the way for mission is handled, it is very well done here. The M briefing scene, the first in the franchise, may quite possible be the best. There is more insight of the relationship between Bond and M than in almost all the other outings put together. The mission itself, plays much more down-to-earth spy-like than the rest of the franchise (save for OHMSS and FRWL), but with a touch of detective-style, as during the entire movie, Bond (and the audience) patch together the bits of information to uncover the problem in hand. So IMO DN has one of the best script, dialogue and plot in the whole franchise. The movie itself may be a bit 'rough around the edges' as it's very low-budget, and it was the first outing, but I must applaud all involved for a brilliant script that keeps the movie very interesting and exciting, despite having the most of the action bits at the end.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited June 2015 Posts: 17,801
    Yes, this is one I never tire of mainly because of the quality of the writing.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Birdleson wrote: »
    that zip, intelligence and sharp humor of the original four films has yet to be equaled.
    I thought it was equaled in Dalton's films, but that may just be my appreciation of Tim's delivery and not the actual writing...
    ;)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I just don't see that at all.
    Sorry, mega-Dalton fan here.
    :)>-
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Agreed on both accounts.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    edited June 2015 Posts: 1,874
    Dr No and Goldfinger - double bill at Vue Cinema Plymouth. Damn good to see these oldies on the big(ish) screen. Although I'd seen Goldfinger in a cinema before, this was a first for Dr No. Really enjoyed it. Just wish FRWL was in this Best of Bond re-release.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Watched LALD, love it. It was a big hit with me as a kid. I remember watching
    The " Drink milk" adverts, and I loved Roger from the Saint and the Persuaders
    and pestered my big Brother to take me. :) so I'll always have a soft spot for it.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Just finished FRWL. Again,the dialogue here is absolutely wondeful, even if it isn't one of the outings I quote the most. Bond, Kerim and Grant steal most of the great lines, and when they interact with each other (Bond/Kerim and Bond/Grant), it's as if you are watching a tennis match: they just repond to each other with an endless succession of golden lines, helped even more by a masterful Connery, a hugely charismatic Pedro Armendariz and a magnetic Robert Shaw. Now, as for the mission, this one is one of the best in the franchise. The opening 15 minuts of the movie introduces the whole plan from the villains' perspective, so for the rest of the movie, we watch Bond as he tries to decipher the plot and there is palpable tension as the audience knows Grant poses a big threat on Bond. And the film ends in a hugely satisfying manner, as we witness Bond beating SPECTRE at their own game. However, the movie loses a bit of traction once Grant dies, and the final few action scenes seem a bit tackled on, but not to the point of ruining an otherwise stellar outing.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited June 2015 Posts: 15,718
    GF. I should start by saying that when I was younger I had a lot of trouble liking this film. But, the older I get and the more I see I, my appreciation for it increases. It is a total blast from start to finish. 'Bond' with a capital B. The dialogue is very good, and contains some of the most iconic lines in the series ( 'I must be dreaming', 'Do you expect me to talk?', 'Shocking, positively shocking.'). But, some of the one-liners are starting to get more juvenile than in the previous 2 outings. Also, this is the first outing that is hit with what I call the 'video game cut scene' dialogue. Which brings me to the plot angle of GF. When Leiter introduces Bond to the mission in Miami, he appears to be as excited as he would be in reading the phone book, and I did think that the actor could be related to Sam Worthington: they both are less charismatic than a block of wood. The mission itself takes a while to get going, a thing I noticed in GE too. When the entire deal is revealed, it makes for one of the corniest, convenient and silly scenes in the entire series: when Goldinger tells his plan to the gangsters. They all exchange a series of platitudes that they really ham up, and the whole thing is just there to have Bond uncover the plot, since all the gangsters involved are killed a few minutes after being informed of the mission. So while the mission is interesting and the movie is highly entertaining and epic, the way the plot is handled leaves a lot to desire when it is analysed more closely. IMO it feels like the script was written with less care than DN and FRWL.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited June 2015 Posts: 15,718
    @Birdleson I agree that GF is a highly entertaining film, butwhile taking a closer look at the missions and the dialogue, it seems to make me notice some of the silliness more than if I were to sit back, switch off my brain and enjoy the ride. It's always interesting to analyse certain aspects of the films, because it makes me see that some of the outings I prefer more have problems that other installements don't. Which I don't know if it's a good thing or not, since if I prefer the films with more problems, it means that I find them more entertaining and satisfying despite these issues (which in a way is a big plus).
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    GF has always been the early Connery one that hasn't really done it for me. I liked it more when younger.

    I've held back on seeing a lot of Bond films in anticipation of a Bondathon closer to SP's release, so am looking forward to seeing if my opinion of this film has changed when I get round to it.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I watched TLD last night. Tim's first time is one of my favorites.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    So, my mom wants to watch a Bond film tonight, but not a Connery outing (which is where I'm at in my Bondathon with TB). Octopussy it is!
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    You can't go wrong.
  • CrzChris4CrzChris4
    Posts: 463
    Tomorrow Never Dies

    Here's a film that I want to like...but in the end, I just really cannot. The setup for the plot is great; we're introduced to numerous people in rapid succession and we watch Carver's plan fall into place. When Bond arrives at HQ with the newspaper declaring that the British were murdered, it feels very tense and everything escalates quickly from there with the Admiral wanting to send the British fleet to China to start WWIII and giving the Secret Service very little time, having from then until the time the fleet arrives to investigate.

    But things never really get this tense afterwards. I feel that once Bond arrives in Hamburg, the film immediately begins to lose steam from the previous scenes. I don't feel as if there is any tension for Bond to discover what is going on (at least You Only Live Twice had the US and Russia's tension escalating each time one nation launched a new rocket). Carver really isn't that interesting of a villain and the idea of him starting a war strictly for ratings and broadcasting rights is not really that engaging. Stamper is neither menacing or interesting and Bond's car is rather boring as well. The whole film has a "been there, done that" sort of feeling to the entire thing that I don't really care for and don't get me started on the finale. I have always thought that this was Arnold's weakest Bond score, too.

    - From Russia With Love
    - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    - Goldfinger
    - Casino Royale '06
    - Dr. No
    - GoldenEye
    - Licence To Kill
    - The Living Daylights
    - The Spy Who Loved Me
    - Quantum Of Solace
    - Octopussy
    - Thunderball
    - You Only Live Twice
    - For Your Eyes Only
    - Live And Let Die
    - A View To A Kill
    - The Man With The Golden Gun
    - Moonraker
    - Tomorrow Never Dies
    - Diamonds Are Forever
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Just finished OP. My mom had an absolute blast, and for me the film was even better than before, no doubt due to watching it with someone who kept cheering and clapping at Sir Rog's badassery!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Funny coincidence. My Mom is visiting me this week, and right now she is reading OCTOPUSSY (I'm reading YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE).
    Your MOM is READING Octopussy??? You must have one of the COOLEST Moms of ALL TIME!
  • CrzChris4CrzChris4
    Posts: 463
    Birdleson wrote: »
    @CrzChris4 , I'm right with you on that one. But I do prefer DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

    They're both bottom of the barrel to me...I guess I can at least appreciate Tomorrow Never Dies for attempting to be a serious action film, whereas everything in Diamonds feels tired or unispired. Although Barry's score trumps Arnold's massively.

  • SoundofthesinnersSoundofthesinners
    edited June 2015 Posts: 3,236
    Watched From Russia With Love on Friday. I've never watched the series in order before, so it's fascinating to watch the formula develop, as bits of the classic OTT Bond formula (most notably and lovably, the SPECTRE training grounds) creep in while the movie remains a fairly grounded espionage thriller, with an actual plot! It strikes me, in many ways, as a superior Dr. No, always keeping itself active and never slowing down, the way DN can. The performances all around are superb, and Bond's fight with Grant is of course the best in Bond history, if not all cinema.

    Its chief weakness is the needless helicopter scene that they threw in because of North by Northwest and the accompanying boat chase (one of the first examples of the henchmen being utter dolts). I'm about to start Goldfinger, which I still regard as the superior movie, but both are fantastic and worthy templates for the series.

    EDIT: Having posted this, I see my reflections and those of @DaltonCraig007 nicely align. I shall see how Goldfinger goes.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,400
    CrzChris4 wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    @CrzChris4 , I'm right with you on that one. But I do prefer DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

    They're both bottom of the barrel to me...I guess I can at least appreciate Tomorrow Never Dies for attempting to be a serious action film, whereas everything in Diamonds feels tired or unispired. Although Barry's score trumps Arnold's massively.

    Actually Diamonds is superior. It is at least vibrantly farcical and features some sparkling dialogue. TND is by the numbers 90's action, with the Bond elements distilled to the point of staleness. Terrible, cliched villain lacking any subtlety or nuance, worst gadget/car of the series, Bond girls that enter and exit the script in such a way that makes them appear entirely perfunctory, Bond at his Hammy, one-liner spewing lowest...

    TND looks, feels and behaves like a Bond film with all the creative talent removed, something thrown together quickly to take advantage of the good will the series had with audiences post GE. DAF is an entirely different set of circumstances. DAF gave the people what they wanted after the relative commercial failure of OHMSS. It was a move that, while most deride, saved the series and allowed for the subsequent critical successes.
  • CrzChris4CrzChris4
    edited June 2015 Posts: 463
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    CrzChris4 wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    @CrzChris4 , I'm right with you on that one. But I do prefer DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

    They're both bottom of the barrel to me...I guess I can at least appreciate Tomorrow Never Dies for attempting to be a serious action film, whereas everything in Diamonds feels tired or unispired. Although Barry's score trumps Arnold's massively.

    Actually Diamonds is superior. It is at least vibrantly farcical and features some sparkling dialogue. TND is by the numbers 90's action, with the Bond elements distilled to the point of staleness. Terrible, cliched villain lacking any subtlety or nuance, worst gadget/car of the series, Bond girls that enter and exit the script in such a way that makes them appear entirely perfunctory, Bond at his Hammy, one-liner spewing lowest...

    TND looks, feels and behaves like a Bond film with all the creative talent removed, something thrown together quickly to take advantage of the good will the series had with audiences post GE. DAF is an entirely different set of circumstances. DAF gave the people what they wanted after the relative commercial failure of OHMSS. It was a move that, while most deride, saved the series and allowed for the subsequent critical successes.


    I agree 150% with your issues with Tomorrow, specifically with how stale the whole thing feels. Tomorrow Never Dies is very "by-the-numbers," but still, I can appreciate certain aspects of the production, namely the slick looking cinematography, special effects and the editing.

    Diamonds is such a mixed bag. I really want to like this one but everything is just so underwhelming. Is it worse than Tomorrow Never Dies? I wouldn't necessarily say that. However, I can say that it definitely is the more disappointing entry.

    Also, I don't think "commercial failure" describes OHMSS properly; it was still the second highest grossing film of 1969... maybe a disappointment after the grosses of YOLT but I still wouldn't call it a failure by any means, especially when the lead was not an established actor.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited June 2015 Posts: 8,400
    CrzChris4 wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    CrzChris4 wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    @CrzChris4 , I'm right with you on that one. But I do prefer DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER.

    They're both bottom of the barrel to me...I guess I can at least appreciate Tomorrow Never Dies for attempting to be a serious action film, whereas everything in Diamonds feels tired or unispired. Although Barry's score trumps Arnold's massively.

    Actually Diamonds is superior. It is at least vibrantly farcical and features some sparkling dialogue. TND is by the numbers 90's action, with the Bond elements distilled to the point of staleness. Terrible, cliched villain lacking any subtlety or nuance, worst gadget/car of the series, Bond girls that enter and exit the script in such a way that makes them appear entirely perfunctory, Bond at his Hammy, one-liner spewing lowest...

    TND looks, feels and behaves like a Bond film with all the creative talent removed, something thrown together quickly to take advantage of the good will the series had with audiences post GE. DAF is an entirely different set of circumstances. DAF gave the people what they wanted after the relative commercial failure of OHMSS. It was a move that, while most deride, saved the series and allowed for the subsequent critical successes.


    I agree 150% with your issues with Tomorrow, specifically with how stale the whole thing feels. Tomorrow Never Dies is very "by-the-numbers," but still, I can appreciate certain aspects of the production, namely the slick looking cinematography, special effects and the editing.

    Diamonds is such a mixed bag. I really want to like this one but everything is just so underwhelming. Is it worse than Tomorrow Never Dies? I wouldn't necessarily say that. However, I can say that it definitely is the more disappointing entry.

    Also, I don't think "commercial failure" describes OHMSS properly; it was still the second highest grossing film of 1969... maybe a disappointment after the grosses of YOLT but I still wouldn't call it a failure by any means, especially when the lead was not an established actor.

    Another big difference between the two is that diamonds has that Mankiewicz class when it comes to the dialogue, especially the humour. Loadsa of funny asides, quips, word play (alimentary, Dr. Leiter) really help make for a fun ride of a film. Compare that to TND and, well, there is no comparison. Instead of pushing the film along on it's intended course, TND delivers some inexplicably perverse and (dare I say) smutty dialogue. The cunning linguist line was just awful, not to mention Mr Pryce's 'complex orifice.' Just disturbing.

    To be Honest, along with Moonraker and DAD, TND is one of those Bond's I haven't gone back too in a very long time. Every time I think of sticking it in player for a reappraisal, the thought of sitting through it again, even after many years, turns me off.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    I will be watching TND again soon and will report back. I've always enjoyed it for its larger than life fun, but it's not one of my favourites. I'm curious to see how my perception may have changed, since it's been many years since I've watched it.

    Agree on the dialogue. No comparison. DAF has brilliant lines delivered with real class by Connery. I watched it recently and was so impressed with the dialogue and delivery of lines. I had previously underrated this performance of Connery's due to his porky appearance & bad toupee. This was a mistake.....he's having a whale of a time in it.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,217
    TND has one of my favorite pre-title sequences.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    talos7 wrote: »
    TND has one of my favorite pre-title sequences.

    Agreed. The pretitles is excellent.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    And one of David Arnold's best tracks.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    TLD, LTK, GE, TND... four solid gold lightning strikes in a row. It was a fair time, a time we shan't see again soon...
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