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Great post.
Meanwhile it is my No 2. So many great scenes. Bibi however will probably forever keep it from being my No 1.
With all the posts here recently on FYEO, I felt like watching a Glen Bond film. AVTAK it is.
As a very proud and strong supporter of Sir Roger Moore- particularly in this film, whenever I want a fun filled entertaining popcorn Bond that takes me back to my days as a kid- I'll often pop in AVTAK.
One thing I discovered on this viewing is how much like The Saint this film feels like. The chateau sequences look like something straight out of a later color episode of The Saint. Especially with Moore in his blue track suit sneaking around at night.
It's great to see Sir Roger's rapport with Patrick MacNee here. Two sixties television espionage icons together!
I love the horse steeple chase along with Barry's score that acompanies it. Walken is one of my favorite Moore villains- second only to Scaramanga. Mayday is an iconic henchwoman.
What used to be one of my least favorite Bonds is now far from it. Nearly every time I watch this one it climbs a step higher up my Bond ladder
Glad to See some Love for AVTAK
I really love this movie. Each time i see it even more.
now the plot is a bitt difficult to follow but not impossible just requires more attention than other Bond flicks.
The Bond introduction at the casino never gets old and has one of my favorite villains in the franchise EON did a great job starting the franchise with Dr No
I've had the opposite reaction to QoS you have (I loved it when I first saw it, and have experienced diminishing returns in subsequent viewings) but we definitely agree on Fields.
I'm definitely due for another Bondathon here soon, or at least I'm due to finish up my current one (which I "paused" almost a year ago and never finished after making it about 1/3 of the way through).
edit: @ToTheRight Always love to see some AVTAK praise. Maybe the weirdest and kookiest Bond film of them all and I love it for it. Walken as Zorin is my favorite Bond villain as well, and I think villain quality is a huge factor in the overall quality of most Bond films. I totally understand why some hate it, but it's weird factor and charm gets me every time.
Decided to kick back and watch TWINE. Hadn't seen it in years. Later Brosnan is a real blind spot for me.
TWINE could have been Bronsnan's dark and tragic film. Elements of it survive - but the makers don't quite have the hutzpah to follow through, instead hedging their bets with traditional elements such as fighting a villain over a nuclear threat in the climax followed by explosions, gadget laden Q scenes and the introduction of R (if they had dialled back Cleese a little on his performance he could have worked - his immediate antagonism toward Bond feels forced and predictable. His delivery in his final scene when he shuts the heat sensor computer down is the right level of performance rather than his broad comedy.)
Robbie Coltrane is a welcome presence - his role works as comic relief but also an untrustworthy element - he could help or betray Bond. He is an opportunist and this makes him dangerous because his allegiances can be easily swayed through simple profit. His vivacious demeanour means he is like a Kerim Bey, Colombo or Draco and he has good chemistry with Brosnan.
Robert Carlyle is excellent as Renard. A tragic figure - the one-two punch with Marceau's Elektra is unusual for the series and the best combination of villains in the Brosnan era. It's actually their backstory which lends the weight of any real emotion in the film. His first clash with Bond is very good. Both in dialogue and suspense. Although Renard's actual introduction is a little ordinary. Reminiscent of Alec Trevalyan emerging from the shadows in Goldeneye and given the old 'kill-the-other-guy' trick so popular with Spectre in the 60s. Carlyle is nuanced in his performance, and believably ready to embrace death. Misunderstood and mistreated even by his accomplice Elektra. He is a unique Bond villain.
Denise Richard is miscast - but the role isn't that awful. I think if you put Rosamund Pike in this role (and some less spring-break/tomb raider clothing) she could have been decent. Especially if they'd given her a couple of things to do that require expertise and ratcheted up the tension - in the submarine or chasing the bomb in the pipeline. There's a line that hints at how they could have expanded on her character - Bond asks - 'What's your story? What are you doing here in Kazakhstan?' and she says - 'Avoiding those kind of questions just like you.' This suggests a past and as far as I can tell, it is never expanded on. It wouldn't have been difficult to tie something in with her past and her current job. So that there was a purpose and drive to her character. But Christmas Jones existence is problematic for the Brosnan 'dark and tragic film' I suggested it could have been...
Because the real missed opportunity here is for Bronsnan to have his own Vesper Lynd character in Elektra King. The idea that Bond is fooled and seduced is actually quite well played - even if the fact she is the true villain is telegraphed a little in the dialogue early on between the two. Elektra is a damaged woman in the Fleming tradition. Her Patty Hearst style kidnapping and conversion is a good departure for the series. Brosnan's interactions with her are when his acting is at his best. His reaction when Renard repeats the line she said earlier is among his finest work. Often an uncertain, surprised Bond is the actor's best performances - Moore when he gets out of the centrifuge system is desperate and upset even refusing Holly Goodhead's help - uncertain if she had anything to do with what happened. Likewise Dalton's look of venom after Saunders' death as Kara innocently asks whether he had heard from Koskov and he replies 'yeah, I got the message'. And of course many moment's from Craig in Casino Royale but even in Spectre when Blofeld looks up and says 'hello James', he looks shook up and uncertain. It's a great moment. And this is where TWINE works so nicely is these moments. In the gaps of certainty in their relationship. The way Brosnan kills Elektra and then the, frankly disturbing, way he leans over her corpse is an unusual scene - and it doesn't quite work with the surrounding film. But if this had been the thrust of the film - in the same way that Casino Royale has the confrontation with Le Chiffre and then finishes with the betrayal of Vesper - then TWINE would pay off emotionally a bit more. But instead it feels the need to have a traditional Bond versus villain final fight in a nuclear submarine no less. If this sequence had come first - with subtle hints from Renard's behaviour rather than dialogue that things were not quite as they seem then it might have paid off later to have Elektra betray a smitten Bond - so nastily too rather than reluctantly like Vesper did.
Instead the ending with Renard fight, exploded submarine and M tracking Bond with everyone saying '007!' aghast as he makes it with Jones and that final punchline feel like traditional Moore era Bond mixed in with Dalton-esque Elektra double cross and emotional investment between characters. It is an awkward mix - not so much in tone but in delivering audience satisfaction.
Aside from the boat chase PTS - the action in this film is largely forgettable. Although the tension as Brosnan meets Renard for the first time, then chases him through the tunnel and then retreat on the chain swing with Christmas Jones opening and closing doors is the best suspense sequence in the film.
Brosnan-era more than any other seemed plagued by pandering to the U.S. Market with its casting of Teri Hatcher, Denise Richards and Halle Berry in three successive films. The Bond leading women from America - Jill St John to Lois Chiles to Tanya Roberts and Carey Lowell have always been a little bland for the Bond series. And this mixed with traditional elements of Q and gadgets and dodgy puns and traditional endings meant that Brosnan's era is more a patchwork of Bond than something trying to strike out on its own like Craig or Dalton. Brosnan himself often talked about wanting to do a tougher Bond film and this film - above all his other 007 adventures would seem the best fit for that. The filmmakers would have been better served to follow their instincts and make a harder edged Bond. It didn't need to be brutal and dark like LTK or physical and rebooted like Casino Royale. TWINE could easily have played to Brosnan's strengths within his portrayal of Bond.
Overall I think it's the most interesting of Brosnan era Bond films - although far from his most successful. Goldeneye still has this beat for me by some margin for entertainment and suspense. But The World Is Not Enough has in it a blue print for how they would approach future films in the Craig-era - personal stories with M also having a personal investment in the mission and seeing Bond's morality and emotions being tested. But TWINE only flirts with these concepts rather than fully committing to them.
Moonraker ★★★
There is a scene in "Moonraker" that serves as a perfect metaphor for the whole film: in a Venice glass museum, Roger Moore is spying on a group of tourists while looking through a glass vase that enlarges his own head. You would think: worst spy ever. And you would be right.
By 1979 James Bond was nowhere near the spy genre anymore but the ludicrous nature of the 11th entry is almost too hard to grasp. Providing some plot points is superfluous, it doesn't make sense anyway. The few aspects that do make sense are largely ripped-off from its immediate predecessor, "The Spy Who Loved Me". That's right, that's how lazy they have come by this point: steal the plot from the previous film.
The rest of "James Goes to Space" is ridiculous beyond belief. There is the infamous scene in which 007 literally drives a hover-gondola, aka a Bondola (!), over Piazza San Marco. Again, worst spy ever. Furthermore, Jaws, the steel-toothed giant from "The Spy Who Loved Me", is given a love interest here. Which turns out every bit as cringe-worthy as it sounds. And that's all before they shoot Bond into space and have a laser space battle. I am not joking. Apparently the filmmakers described "Moonraker" as "science fact". I am still not joking. But despite all its ridiculousness, "Moonraker" is never boring and quite franky it's fairly entertaining.
However, there are three major quality boosts as well. Firstly, Michael Lonsdale is an amusing villain with lines such as: "Mr. Bond, you appear with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season." Secondly, John Barry's film score is so epic and stylish that you argue he's been misinformed about the tone of the movie. Thirdly, good old Ken Adam graces this madness with gloriously futuristic sets.
"Moonraker" is not anywhere near the top 10 best Bond films, it is nevertheless entertaining enough if you're in for some zany, visually impressive escapism. Don't forget to switch your brain off on your way in though.
MR has a lot to like. It's an intentional (imho) yang to TSWLM's yin. The comedic twin. Looked at in this way, the two films make for a very entertaining, but tonally different, double bill.
I really liked Moore in this. Yes, he's definitely past his prime, but he's still got the wit, charm and style to pull it off. Plus, I love it when he rises to the occasion in some of the dramatic moments. I was surprised by how angry he looked after avenging 009.
The first half does drag a little, but it's a wild ride to the finish once that bomb is on the train. I'm not sure that I completely buy into the whole Octopussy cult, but I do enjoy the chemistry between Adams and Moore. The villains were great, as were Bond's confrontations with them.
Have I mentioned before that the two guys who put the jewelry on Orlov's helicopter ended up being the dead guys that Bond finds in the freezer? Why were they killed? It seems like it was discussed in the questions thread but I can't remember now.
Anyway, I had a very positive experience with this tonight. It has surprisingly risen a few spots in this year's rankings. Can't wait to see the final results.
Been a couple years since I watched this one. For years almost decades, TB held my number one spot, but is still standing tall in my top 5. Sean Connery exudes cool throughout TB much like he does in GF. Largo is a classic, timeless villain, Domino still holds my number one spot as favorite Bond Girl in the Connery era, and Van Nutter is a great Felix Leiter. TB makes such great use of Nassau and The Bahamas, future Bond films could learn from this film.
The underwater battle climax is iconic. It ranks alongside the YOLT volcano climax, the Piz Gloria attack, and the Supertanker battle as my favorite Bond endings. I'd LOVE to see Bond and Leiter lead another troop of soldiers in battle at the end of a future outing.
I thoroughly enjoyed TB this time. Makes me want to watch another Connery Bond immediately . Which one to pick...............
Welcome to the club!
Continuing my Brosnathon I watched his much maligned sign off to the series.
I hadn't watched this in a long time. Thanks to my sister I attended the New Zealand premiere of DAD which included a red carpet walk from director Lee Tamahori and the actor portraying Mr Kill. Then I saw it when I bought the 50 year blu ray box set in 2012 so before today I'm going to guess I have seen this film a grand total of two times which is definitely an unmatched low in my Bond viewing patterns.
The film suffers from structural issues. The first thirty minutes is simply background build up. Devoid of a true narrative drive for any of the characters including Bond. When the film gets to Cuba and the much denigrated Jinx character is where the story actually starts to blossom. Bond and Jinx interplay is cringe worthy but their individual storylines are more intriguing and the film works best when they're separated in these sequences investigating the clinic. While the film has pace to it in the action scenes - it doesn't in the dialogue. The dead air in the opening conversation between Bond and Jinx only lets the poorly written innuendos fall further and flatter.
John Cleese gives a more measured performance as Q in this film than as R in TWINE. He and Brosnan have good chemistry - Brosnan especially good at delivering the line 'perhaps you've been down here too long' when Q reveals an empty platform as a new form of transport.
The sword fight with Graves is good fun - but surprisingly free of banter in the actual swashbuckling - and perhaps mercifully - considering the quality of the other one-liners in this movie. Toby Stephens as Graves is given the lion's share of awful lines in the film. Bad puns, ham-fisted threats and awkward word play that may have read ok on paper but sink like a lead balloon on screen. His hatred of Bond doesn't quite add up, their brief PTS interaction seems disproportionate to his motivation of basing his 'character' on all the apparent horrible symptoms of British hypocrisy and elitism that Bond manifests.
Both Zao's off screen attempt at disrupting the Chinese negotiations and Miranda Frost's on screen seduction of Bond don't make sense. There is no benefit in saving Bond from being captured and holding off his investigation. It's sole purpose is so there is an Mi6 triple cross reveal when Bond finally confronts Graves.
Rosamund Pike is an excellent presence - but her character only highlights the complete stupidity of Mi6. Not realising that she was on the same fencing team as Tan-Sun - seems absurd especially seeing as the most rudimentary background check would reveal this. Also Frost's sudden turn from ice queen to seducer unable to resist Bond only telegraphs her betrayal even more.
Also - for the third consecutive film Brosnan lingers over the body of a dead woman in an unsettling way. The first time was Paris Carver, so his tenderness is understandable. The second time was Elektra King and it doesn't work - because she is a villainous mastermind who committed patricide and just moments before killed Zukovsky, tortured and attempted to kill Bond, his boss and wants to detonate a nuclear bomb. But at least the film made some attempt to craft a romantic relationship between the two earlier and Bond seemed quite taken with her. This time around - he has no connection with Frost, the plane is going to crash and he doesn't know where Jinx is - yet he takes time to mourn over Frost's corpse. It is a strange choice - and one that never sits well with the silliness swirling around the character.
And that wanton silliness that pervades the film is in step with the action films of the time. As is the awful green screen work of Jinx's dive or Bond's surfing the tsunami. In fact - watching the awkwardness of this sequence I'm surprised that it wasn't cut. But I also suspect we may have been more accepting of these dodgy effects fourteen years ago than we are today.
At the heart of this is Brosnan - there are moments when you can see him strain to draw the drama out of the scene. Particularly from his reunion with M after being released from the Korean prison. But they feel like first takes. He falls back in to an Irish accent, points to himself when he says 'me' and to M when he says 'you'. This is where Tamahori is derelict on duty as a director. He could have moulded this scene more carefully. A dramatic scene where two central characters of the franchise are trading in mistrust and suspicion layered with hurt. We have one decent actor in Brosnan and one great actor in Judi Dench and yet the scene barely raises a pulse.
Speaking of raising pulses - Brosnan's escape from here is laughable. Slowing down a heart rate to flat-lining levels through concentration is cartoonish even for Bond. But the DNA replacement therapy while ridiculous has a Diamonds Are Forever ring to it. With it's albino Zao, rainbow sleep mask and changed Graves. It reminds me of Blofeld's voice changing boxes implanted in throats and clone conversion mud pools. So 'out there' it's almost to be applauded. So maybe Die Another Day just needs time to become the weird campy mess that DAF became celebrated for?
In honor of Monica Belucci's birthday, and Daniel's upcoming interview, I thought I'd pop in SP. I enjoy it more with each viewing, though it's far from such classics as FRWL or OHMSS.
I have always considered this film a classic and part of the much coveted Moore trilogy. I love the 70's funk, Bond being a fish out of water in Harlem, and being the one made fun of, a brilliant inversion of the Novel. The whole voodoo angle gives this film an extra dimension that other films in the series lack. Between the spooky, almost scooby doo like plot and the 70's flare, this film achieves the perfect level of cheesiness, only occasionally going over the top (inflatable villain). Even the supposed "bad" parts I don't mind. Sheriff Pepper is a treat to watch, and much more appropriate here than in TMWTGG. If I had to suggest a negative it would be the film does sag slightly in the middle. There is a chase involving a plane and a bunch of cars driving on a runway. It's not very inspired and nor is the accompanying comic relief between Moore and Mrs. Bell. Snip out that 5 minutes or so and the film would be truly stellar.
8.5/10
one of the most purely enjoyable Bond films there is.
I've been quite vocal with my disappointment with this film and so I wanted to give this another watch to see if I was being overly harsh and critical.
The film is most definitely not garbage but it's just annoying to watch. When you consider the 3 year gap and all the things that took place during the preproduction stage and this ended up being the final result, it really upsets and puts me off as a fan.
Most things about this film did not feel organic or sincere. The best parts of this movie were the shared scenes between Bond and Mr.White, the secret SPECTRE meeting and Bond vs Hinx on the train. Everything else I didn't care for. This is by far Craig's weakest Bond performance overall, Mendes doesn't know how to utilise Bond girls, the big action set pieces bored me and quite frankly sucked, particularly the snowplane action. The car chase in Rome was pathetic, Bond's torture scene and escape from Blowfeld's HQ was jarring and completely took me out of the film and the less said about the finale in London the better. Even the pts which was good felt neutered. The aerial acrobatics of the chopper needed the camera to linger a little longer and the by the time Bond pulls the chopper up from almost crashing and decimating people below, the music kicks in a little too late.
Waltz is a capable actor but I feel he's overrated and his role in this film was wasted. The same could be said for Seydoux too. Poorly utilised and utterly wasted thanks to SP's below par material.
Thinking about the rest of the characters again all wastes; particularly Denbigh. This film had a lot of potential and there are some great ideas but the execution was just off in a big way and the film felt like a sequence of wasted scenes strung together. Personally, I can't advocate this movie and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It was a real chore to get through and making Bond films clearly aren't for Mendes. After watching SP, I felt like needing to watch another Bond film to remind me why I'm a Bond fan in the first place. I needed to watch a good film that didn't need to hide behind pretentiousness and useless "homages". So I'll be watching either FRWL, OHMSS or CR later today.
In a nut shell I don't like SPECTRE and for me, it was a monumental missed opportunity to do something incredibly interesting with Blofeld/spectre and to really capitalise on the goodwill that SF had set up. As it stands SP is one big giant misstep and as such ranks in my bottom 6.
While it's hard to judge Brolin's performance I will say I think he might of done ok as 007. Clearly Cubby saw something in him and I will say he doesn't do a horrible job. I watched it a few weekends ago and forgot to do a review. I feel I should talk about it because remember had NSNA never happened Brolin would of been bond in Octopussy. he was cast. Cubby loved him. but fearing an American actor couldn't compete with Connery returning (though in a few weeks I will get down to why I disagree with that) Cubby gave Moore what he wanted a small chunk of change and apology to Brolin and there we go. I plan on watching Die another Day tonight as doing the math I realize that while I will continue my pattern there is a surprising number films that without the mid week or when my wife is home watching it most of Brosnan Craig and possibly some Dalton will all be next year rather then this year so...
plus if we really want to be technical Daniel Craig is the 7th official actor to sign to play 007 in the Eon series and 9th overall (I count only David Niven as 007 in that god aweful film I never want to see again as long as I live thought the teleplay with Barry Nelson is quite nice) as it really does go
(official series only)
Connery
Lazenby
Connery
Moore
Brolin (for 2 -3 months but then NSNA threatened EON and well)
Moore again
Brosnan (for 5 seconds then Remington steele well yeah)
Dalton
Brosnan finally get his turn
Craig
1. Quantum of Solace
2. Licence to Kill
3. From Russia with love
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. On her Majesties Secret Service
6. Live and let die
7. Skyfall
8. Goldeneye
9. Spectre
10. Dr. No
11. Thunderball
12. The Spy Who Loved Me
13. Goldfinger
14. You only live twice
15. The man with the golden gun
16. Diamonds are forever
17. Moonraker
18. James Brolin's Octopussy (before people think I am nuts Brolin does a better job then Nelson or Niven and the few scenes we have comprise of a great fight and excellent one liner a great reenactment of From Russia with love's scene and a half way decent scene from the then new movie Octopussy that gives a bit more info on Kahmel khan)
18. Casino Royale 1954
19. Casino Royale 1967
up next tonight Die another day and Saturday Octopussy (which I need to go to FYE and buy a new copy of NSNA as my copy cuts out half way through annoyingly)
I remember being crushingly disappointed with this when i saw it in the cinema at Christmas 1983. Octopussy released earlier that year beat it hands down, (and still does!)
I rarely watch it now, but i have to say i enjoyed viewing it this time, maybe because it looks great on blu-ray, and it seemed pacier than i remember!
No gunbarrel or Bond music at the start does jar (Why didn't messrs Forster and Mendes learn from this?) but the opening training exercise is entertaining, though why they put the titles and that awful theme over is a mystery. (Writers Clement and LeFrenais were baffled!)
Connery was instrumental in the casting, some decisions were good, some awful (Hello Rowan Atkinson!). Edward Fox as M was a bit of a caricature, but he does have one great moment. When trying to figure how Petachi got the Presidents eye identity for to arm the stolen bombs, 007 suggests a false eye could have been used, "Oh do come along Bond....!"
Alec McKeown is amusing as Q (or Algernon to give him his screen name! Algernon??) and this is a nicely written scene between him and Bond. Though its just impossible to see anyone else in Q's part except Desmond! The actress playing Moneypenny, who's name escapes me (for good reason!) is just awful!
The villain casting is much better! Klaus Maria brandeur is a fine actor, though he just doesn't have enough menace, maybe its down to his Dad dancing or whistling, not quite the same as torture with ice and cigars!! Max Von Sydow is wasted as Blofeld, you cant help feeling he would have more impact with more scenes (I think they shot extra scenes, but cut them out!) Barbara Carrera is much better. Wonderfully sexy, but barking mad, she owns all her scenes (Famke janss
I remember being crushingly disappointed with this when i saw it in the cinema at Christmas 1983. Octopussy released earlier that year beat it hands down, (and still does!)
I rarely watch it now, but i have to say i enjoyed viewing it this time, maybe because it looks great on blu-ray, and it seemed pacier than i remember!
No gunbarrel or Bond music a