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lol, Goldeneye just embarrasses MR. Bros' finest Bond moments are in that picture.
Isn't that the pitcure where Jaws falls in love?
Acting isn't MR's strongpoint:
You showed Bond the safe in my study.
No I...I didn't
Wow...really convincing :p
Despite the cheap look in places I'm still going with GE.
Dalton's portrayal just keeps moving up my list. Absolutely superb as Bond in this one. Oodles of confidence and very convincing. Such a shame this man only did two.
The pretitles are tremendous (and I think that oft-debated headbutt did connect actually, if only lightly, on the delicate area of the nose - that's my story and I'm sticking with it) with a superb score by Barry. I actually like the ending too ("If only I could find a real man"). Dalton's physicality really set the pace here, and it's refreshing to see him in action after so many years of a 'past-it' Moore.
I love Aha's song (I'm probably the only one in the world) due primarily to Barry's arrangement.
The scene post pretitles in Bratislava are very FRWL-esque for me, with Saunders standing in for Kerim. Dalton again amazes with some superb Bondian lines ("bring the chair", "steel tipped", "lovely girl with the cello", "go ahead, tell M if you want. If he fires me, I'll thank him for it", "Our man here!" etc. etc.). These early scenes in Bratislava overall really were done well and are my favourites. Just the right amount of humour combined with that 'espionage' feel/flavour. A throwback to the Connery feel last seen only during certain Egypt parts of TSWLM IMO.
The London scenes at the country safehouse are very memorable, including the Necros/Mi6 agent fight (one of the better ones in the series). I also liked Caroline Bliss as MP (much better than Samantha Bond's abrasive later one IMO) and I liked Dalton's interactions with Q (which seemed genuine and lower key - not forced and box ticked). It was good to see Dalts with a cigarette in his hand (again living up to the character, rather than the later PC nonsense lambasting the admittedly bad habit).
Enjoyed the 'return to Bratislava' scenes and the escape from the Russians in the Aston. Very Bondian IMO. The only bit that should have been dumped is the 'cello ride', an unecessary throwback to Moore humour in this movie.
Vienna was done very well too, with good location photography, and I like the fact that they took the time to incorporate a play and visit the Prater amusement park. You have to do that in Vienna! I was disappointed Saunders was killed here, but his death was a particularly memorable, and gruesome one in the series. Dalton's reaction to Saunder's death reconfirms this man knows how to play Bond. Just the right amount of restrained anger, and his behaviour towards D'abo's Milovy during this time is particularly Bondian..
Tangiers was also done extraordinarily well. Again, Dalton's confrontation with Pushkin demonstrated how convincing he is as 007. Loved the way he distracted Pushkin's thug using his girlfriend. John Rhys-Davies is a great actor, and was very well cast as Pushkin. I wasn't too keen on Felix's girls or the actor who played Felix in this one (a little generic) but they were small parts.
I thought the fight scene in the cell in Afghanistan with the Russian guard thug (which introduced us to Art Malik's Mujahideen Kamran Shah), the escape and the subsequent introduction in Shah's home were well done. "I work for the British Government" always gets a chuckle out of me too in this context, like it did out of Shah's men.
It's after that, when they return to the air base, that everything collapses for me. I actually wanted to fast forward from here up to the Necros fight on the plane. A good 20 to 25 minutes of pure boredom that could have been spent elsewhere. The fight on the plane is excellent though, and the cinematography is amazing. The escape from the plane was also superbly done by Glen (note to those idiots who made the similar CGI fest ending in DAD - this is how you do it).
Now, a quick comment on the villains. Loved Necros. Very memorable villain and I like the way he kept changing accents during the Mi6 safehouse attack. Koskov was good too, in that 'comical' Bond villain kind of way, and I was actually quite happy he was not killed in the end. He seemed too much of a harmless schemer to meet a more gruesome end on film. Whittaker is the main problem in my mind. Joe Don Baker was not the right man for this part and it was poorly written, although they had some good ideas (like having his face embedded in all the statues in the foyer). His lair should have been a little more extravagant, and the character should have been more 'chilling' as the mastermind behind it all. Having said that, it's tolerable.
I wasn't a fan of Olivia D'abo either. A little too damsel in distress for me and she was also a little slight physically. I would have preferred someone like Daniela Bianchi (physically, for obvious reasons), or even Isabella Scoroupco, but then I'm very biased in this regard, as these two beauties are near my all time tops. I can agree that D'abo played the role she was given quite well.
Anyway, in the end it's always sad to watch a Dalton film, because you realize that he could have gone on for so long in the role, grown in it, and been more appreciated by casual fans. He had it......just some bad luck at play, and idiots making decisions along the way.
Great movie. 7/10 (let down only by Afghanistan).
An entertaining film and Moore does a solid job here.
It's all about Barry's instrumentation and arrangement. I was humming Barry's TLD for ages after!
Onto For Your Eyes Only. What a film!
The cinematography is not as good as lets say MR, (but its still damn grand!) but, unlike that film, it doesn't need any "crutches" - FYEO has a story. A damn fine one at that. The characters in FYEO are refreshing real, which is in a complete contrast to the 70 films, with their heightened reality. I enjoyed FYEO's pace. It's not slow or lugubrious, but it takes its time to tell a story. Shame about the PTS and the Thatcher scene.
*Moore was terrified of heights, but he still had the presence of mind to catch his hammer, whilst abseiling. Cool as a very cool thing.
I think FYEO is Moore's finest Bond, with many great moments and an undertone of seriousness that definitely comes through. Yes, it has a wonky PTS that made me flinch (not along the same line as MR again!!) and a silly final ending (but I did enjoy it, it does not bug me). Inside of those scenes, that questionably frame the film, is a rock solid Bond adventure with a heart, thrills, fine acting, very memorable ally, and a great Bond girl.
I think, overall, Spy is still my fav of the Moore efforts. And FYEO and OP duke it out for second place.
royale65, I rank TSWLM higher than FYEO, but I do love both.
I agree @Sark. I had forgot that bit at the end with the Mujahadeen and when I saw it yesterday it seemed a little too much. There was also a bit of 80's cheese in both of Dalton's movies, but that was just due to when they were made probably.
What struck the most was how good Dalton was as Bond. Saw LTK recently and was similarly impressed with his performance and the movie. I could really see him doing a great job with GE, which I think was originally written with him in mind. Oh well...
But in '87 to '89 I look upon Dalton as a brief gift given to us. And I am SO thankful for that.
My comments follow below:
Firstly, Barry's score, as if it needed any further applause, is absolutely superb. Probably his best work, although TLD is a close second for me. Outstanding.
The movie itself is a bit of mixed bag to me. It starts off very strongly, with the great beach fight (very physical), and I like how Lazenby was introduced (including breaking the 4th wall). I enjoyed the following casino scenes, the great fight with Draco's henchman in the hotel, and the Bondian dialogue between Bond & Tracy in the hotel. I also liked Bond's first encounter with Draco, and enjoyed the Fleming based conversation in this scene (although it seems almost out of place after the YOLT's excesses - almost dated). I really liked how they handled the Bond/Tracy romance angle too. Rather than laying on excessive schmaltz, they let Lois Armstrong's great song basically do the talking, combined with some scenes showing the romance develop onscreen. Very effectively done. I really liked the Gumbold safe break-in at Bern too - shades of FRWL....
For me, the scenes atop Piz Gloria are where the movie slows down quite a bit, and gets quite boring, despite being beautifully shot. I found it dragged on here, and the part introducing & covering the Angels of Death, while necessary, has dated IMO (particularly the black lady eating her bananas). Hillary Bray was pretty annoying, as was his accent. I found myself waiting for this whole bit to be done with. As soon as Bond escapes and gets on his skis, the movie comes back to life for me. The ski scenes are well filmed, the accompanying title theme is excellent, and I truly love the chase/fight scenes at the village of Lauterbrunnen, including the Tracy meet. I've visited little villages like that in Germany/Switzerland, and they are beautiful.
The finale atop Piz Gloria again was not one of my favourites. Too 'by the numbers' and a little boring to say the least. Only once the lair explodes (and it was quite a poor model that blew up/collapses) and Blofeld jumps on the bobsled was I interested again. The bobsled chase was very well done.
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The outdoor cinematography during the Switzerland scenes in the helicopter on the way to Piz Gloria are absolutely fantastic though, as are the location shots at Piz Gloria itself.
Diana Rigg's performance has grown on me. When I saw the film for the first time as a kid, I found her a little plain Jane (sacrilege for some, I know) but now I truly appreciate what she brought to the film. From the first time we see her running towards the water to her final moments in the Aston, she truly is stunning and played the part perfectly. A troubled soul but not a damsel in distress - no wonder Bond falls for her.
Lazenby. What can we say about Lazenby? Well, he really stepped up to the plate and gave a very serviceable performance doing the impossible, namely following the star of the decade. Supremely confident, and very dapper, he did his best, and his best was very good indeed. A little wooden maybe, but also tender while never melodramatic (quite a feat), keeping suitably cool throughout. Very good physique, and quite aggressive in the fight sequences. My favourite part of his performance was his look at MP after the wedding, and the subsequent wave. Understated, knowing class and very well acted. The parts with Tracy at Lauterbrunnen were also highlights. I would have liked him to have done one more, just to see how he developed in the role.
Savalas - I may be in the minority, but I did not like him as Blofeld. I know him as Kojak, and Kojak he will always be to me, not Blofeld. Perhaps it was the American accent, I don't know but I was not a fan of his performance, which seemed quite flat. Having said that, I have not liked any of the Blofeld interpretations to hit the big screen to date, including Pleasance in YOLT and Gray in DAF. I don't think they've got this character right yet, so I look forward to his possible return in SP with keen interest. Maybe the 4th time's the charm.
Ilse Steppat - loved her as Bunt. Suitably butch and scary. I certainly wouldn't want to find her hiding under the sheets in my bed.
My overall rating - 7/10. It's good, but a lot of that is due to Lazenby/Rigg, the ski sequences and the early bits IMO. It does slow down and drag in parts but then it's based on the novel so it's to be expected.
What I really liked:
- The cinematography (just astounding and probably the best of the series);
- The PTS (the best action scene in the movie, and probably the only typical “Bondian” one);
- The Title sequence (both the music from Adele and the design by Daniel Kleinman);
- The cast, absolutely PREMIUM (from Judi Dench, Albert Finney and Ralph Phiennes to Daniel Craid, Javier Bardem, Ben Wishaw etc);
- The “Tennyson” speech by M. This is probably one of the best scenes in the entire series. Epic, strong, engaging.. Inspiring!
- Silva! Maybe, in fact, one of the best villains of the series. Sinister, funny, challenging and just superbly played by Javier Bardem;
- Although I would like to see a different overall “tone” for the music in Spectre, for Skyfall the Thomas Newman OST works just fine and is indeed very good.
What I didn’t like so much:
- Apart from the PTS the following action scenes are all very short and not as memorable. The climax in Skyfall is very well made and well built in terms of suspense and climax but it just doesn’t look like something from a Bond movie.
- The too serious tone throughout the movie (but I guess this is one of the hallmarks of this particular movie and makes it distinctive from all others).
So, all in all, is clearly a Top 10 James Bond movie and a very good movie, in general.
No doubt that Sam Mendes but some quality in terms of the general cinematography of the film and directing actors.
This a strong character driven (and a good one) movie, that deviates a bit from the typical James Bond films formula, but is a hell of an entry in the Franchise.
It isn’t even so,and in my opinion, the best James Bond movie ever as many seems to think.
http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/10577/bond-movie-meter-2015#latest
Does it bother you that in the previous film Bond cracked a safe with something that fit in his pocket and took about 20 seconds and two years later he needs one the size of a suitcase that takes long enough for Bond to rub one out?
That's actually a very good point. I always look at OHMSS as a sort of soft-reboot though, like GE, & it is much more Fleminesque, so I don't mind it at all. An alternate universe if you will. As I mentioned in my comments, the initial Bond/Draco conversation sort of stood out to me as being odd for the times, reminds me of the book, and seems almost out of place given what had come before in the Bond universe.
I also think that the other films that came before them were also so comparatively bad that these seem much more well-made.
Hi @patb ! small world indeed. And i watched it after putting my son into bed!! Different generations, same passions!
In relation to your remarks and regarding the end.
I did enjoy the ending and feel it was a distinctive mark of this movie, and helped it work, in general, so well.
But it was indeed somehow diferent from what we were used to.
How do i want it evolving for the future? Tough question.
You have to understand i grew up watching the Roger Moore Bond movies, that i fell in love with. For better undestanding, Octopussy is like a very special movie for me (i have an emotional with this movie that is the first i remmember seing in cinema - i was then 9 years old).
So i really got used to that over the top, escapist movies and seeing Bond as this suave secret agent with a debonair attitude etc etc
On the other hand it also matters the state of mind, the mood, even the stage in life you're going through when you see a particular new Bond movie. As we speak more then anything else i want to be entertained, and get away from reality and more serious plots. But dont get me wrong: i can clearly see (and appreciate) the upgrade in terms of quality moviemaking the Craig's era brought to the franchise.
Regarding the plot holes i agree with you.
That Silva issue and others. I think some scenes were cut from the final movie, which could explain a bit this situation.
For instance there is no explanation whatsoever regarding the shooting of the guy buying the painting in Shangai. Why was he being shot at all?
Then, another scene that seemed rushed in was the miraculous escape from the iced lake in Scotland by Bond. He was supposed to steal the machine gun from Silva's guy and shoot through the ice, right? ... and so on.
I'll start by saying this is. This film is incredible, given when it was made, and how it stands up, pacing wise, today. The pacing is ridiculously good given it's age. Much better in this respect than FRWL, which is the only other Bond film from that era that stands up to this. I don’t think GF holds a candle to TB, or FRWL, but that’s me. It's also a very iconic film with some very memorable scenes.
The opening brilliant pretitles sequence, from battling Jacques Bouvar in the chateau, to the jetpack, to the Aston squirting water, is one for the ages. I love the speed with which the pretitles unfolds. Dare I say, this is the first Bond to feature crazy cutting & editing in action sequences (something that was to be taken to ridiculous extremes 45 years later in QoS!).
I love Tom jones song and delivery – immense –he really belts this one out, particularly at the end “so he strikes…….like ThunderbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAL”
The movie itself is pure magic. The opening SPECTRE meeting in Paris, where their plan is hatched, features another incredible Ken Adam set. The plan itself is brilliant and suitably grandiose & diabolical. A precursor to other plots of this type in future Bond films.
The whole Shrublands retreat was very well done and suitably scenic. Bond gets up to some spy espionage action here and it’s great to see. His scenes with Lippe are particularly enjoyable. Molly Peter’s Patricia Fearing and mink still gets me to this day.
The introduction of the villainous Fiona Volpe is suitably chilling, as she doesn't bat an eyelid as the man she has just bed (Derval) is killed and impersonated. We realize right away what an absolute total 'b' she is. The filming of the stolen Vulcan is well done, as is the crash in the sea (the models were reasonably realistic for 1965).
Bond’s first encounter with Domino in Nassau is fantastic. It has echoes of Cary Grant, Grace Kelly & the cat thief in Cannes in To Catch A Thief, one of my favourite movies of all time.. His first encounter with Largo is also great, thrashing him at chemin de fer to raise his ire. The underwater scenes when Bond attempts to find out what the Disco Volante hides were very well filmed for their time. Bond’s roaming about Largo’s villa at night was also nicely filmed, and Barry's score suited the scenes on screen, including his near doomed shark pool escape (I always wondered how they filmed that as a kid…could not figure out the obvious use of a glass partition!). Bond’s first meet with Fiona in Nassau and the drive in the Mustang is a particularly iconic scene, homaged briefly with Caterina Murino in CR. His encounter with her in the hotel room is also very memorable, including the infamous washroom scene. I loved the whole Junkanoo bit, and the music that plays throughout, including when Volpe is shot. I even enjoyed the underwater finale. Sure, it’s long, but I found it more exciting than the Piz Gloria OHMSS finale that was voted so highly for on this forum. I also enjoyed the Largo/Bond final fight, but I would have preferred better editing (as I said, a precursor to QoS!)
Soundtack – magnificent, dreamy, watery, makes you feel like you’re drowning and actually enjoying the experience. Absolutely outstanding work by the Master.
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Connery’s machismo is intoxicating. The man oozes confidence. Charismatic to the core, he is silky smooth in this one. The definitive Bond IMO and close to the definitive portrayal in this film, perhaps only topped by FRWL.
Emilio Largo – terribly charismatic actor and an intimidating thug to look at. Ruthless. I believed he could thrash Bond. As a kid watching this for the first time, I actually feared for Domino's safety at the end.
Claudine Auger – what can I say really. Beautiful, amazing figure, and stunning in a bikini. I find the French Bond girls are the best, so I'm really looking forward to SP. I find myself wanting to visit France due to her.
Luciana Paluzzi – the original bad girl (I don’t count Lotte as a girl really given obvious reasons and orientations). Super sexy and smart too. Way ahead of her time and still to be topped in the Bond universe IMO, 50 years later. I’m planning to visit her birthplace of Rome later this year, and hopefully am comparably enamoured.
Guy Doleman – loved him as Count Lippe. Iconic encounter between him and Bond at Shrublands.
Molly Peters, Martine Beswick – both stunning side characters/
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This film has absolutely beautiful cinematography, the movie truly has a vacation feel. You feel relaxed after watching it, somewhat like Baywatch!
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The lines are phenomenal and delivered with such class by all concerned. The key is they fit the scenes & characterizations, and do not seem tacked on:
“Do you think she’s worth going after?- I wouldn't put it quite that way, sir.”
“Most girls just paddle around, you swim like a man.- So do you.- Well, I've had quite a bit of practice”
“Your name's James Bond and you've been admiring my form?”
“Perhaps we could lunch by the pool.- How about your urgent appointment?”
“Have some of my conch chowder.-You read the wrong books, Mr Bond.-About conch chowder?-Being an aphrodisiac.-It just so happens that I like conch chowder.”
“What sharp little eyes you have.-Wait till you get to my teeth”
“No, some men just don’t like to be taken for a ride”
“I thought I saw a spectre on your shoulder”
“Well, I’m not what you’d call a passionate man”
“Well, you can’t win them all”
"My dear girl, don't flatter yourself. What I did this evening was for Queen and country. You don't think it gave me any pleasure, do you?"
"But of course, I forgot your ego, Mr. Bond. James Bond, the one where he has to make love to a woman, and she starts to hear heavenly choirs singing. She repents, and turns to the side of right and virtue..."
“My dear Colonel Bouvar, you shouldn't have opened that car door by yourself!”
The movie also has several iconic scenes that we see for the first time in the Bond universe, and which we will see many times afterwards, ie:
- Shark pool,
- festivals (like Junkanoo),
- underwater scenes,
- female henchwomen you’d actually want to bed (so Lotte does not count)
- moving vehicle with hidden trap door (if you don’t count the Aston from GF),
- goodie group vs. baddie group in finale, both wearing their individual colours while shooting at each other so you can conveniently tell who is who,
- underwater 2 person submarine,
- SPECTRE plan to destroy major cities is the first of the megalomaniacal plots that would become a staple of the movies
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This is perhaps my favourite Bond film, given when it was made. Absolutely bloody marvelous. 9.5 /10