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That was easy.
Seen as this year celebrates my 20 year obsession with 007, I’d though it would be rather grand to view them in order in which I collected them on VHS.
I was committed to buying the entire Bond series, but I was an 8 films in, however. My pocket money was starting to run low. Luckily a friend from school offered to sell me The Man With The Golden Gun, You Only Live Twice, For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy! Marvellous! On the cheap as well. There was one thing however - all four of the movies were the Warner Brothers VHS's, from the 80’s. Which mucked up my beautiful set from the late 90’s. No matter, I thought, it’s the films themselves that matter, not the packaging. (Come post Christmas, and with all the extra pocket money available, I decided to buy all four again. This time in the correct set.)
(My WB VHS edition had the a silhouette of Bond, with the films poster - Scaramanga loading his golden gun, aimed at Bond, with two lovelies, blonde and a red head beside him - inserted in the middle. I think it’s the 1989 version, but I’m not sure)
The Man With The Golden Gun, 1974
We interrupt this potentially thrilling car chase in order to bring you the comedy stylings of Sheriff J.W. Pepper, with added gurning. Includes the special guest, the slide whistle!
Still, there is an awful lot to enjoy in Commander Bond’s 9th cinematic adventure, such as Moore's performance – we get to see the nasty side to his persona, coupled with the terser* interpretation that Moore gives Bond - it's almost as he is being haunted by the spectre of Scaramanga; the scenes between Messrs Bond and Scaramanga are uniformly superb; Andrea Anders is an interesting character, truly tragic; stunning cinematography; the flavours of the locations seep through; the way in which Bond tracks down Scaramanga is quite novel, there’s a real mystery element to this passage; Hamilton keeps the pace up throughout and Mary Goodnight has a magnificent abdomen.
*Perhaps the more terser aspects of Moore’s performance is that he had do stunts and running. Quite possible the most physical performance of Moore’s tenure. Not too shabby. Even if he does appear like a stiff giraffe more often than not, bless him.
Apart from the unfortunate interludes with a vacationing Pepper, Golden Gun is a remarkably straight laced, serious Bond film, focusing instead on the cat and mouse game between Bond and Scaramanga.
I had a real blast watching this one again. The memory of Golden Gun, I find, is biased towards the negative elements, but watching it, one forgets how much there is going on and the sheer fun of it all.
I wonder if the film makers were trying to ape the first two Bond pictures? Dr. No and Live and Let Die has the Jamaican setting and the paired down plot. Whilst Golden Gun features Andrea pitting Bond and Scaramanga against each other, in a similar vein to SPECTRE playing the British and Soviets in From Russia With Love. The majority of the film, especially the first 30 minutes or so, has this FRWL intrigue about it, that I found diverting. The divergent plots of the Bond/Scaramanga duel and the energy crisis married up more smoothly than I had remembered.
Bond’s hunt for Scaramanga’s island is beautifully shot and the music by John Barry has this foreboding air. Bond is about to meet his fate. Wonderful stuff, probably my favourite scene in this movie. Golden Gun hits an all time high in my rankings!
2020 Bonadthon Rating -
1. From Russia With Love, 10
2. Dr. No, 9
3. The World Is Not Enough, 7
4. Tomorrow Never Dies, 6
5. The Man With The Golden Gun, 6
6. GoldenEye, 6
7. A View to a Kill, 5
8. Diamonds Are Forever, 4
9. Live and Let Die, 3
*Disclaimer -
I’ve been having a gander at Joseph Darlington’s YouTube channel, in which he reviews the Bond movies. He’s got a good method of reviewing them, which I’m going to shamelessly steal. He rates his least favourite as 1 out of 10, his favourite as a ten, and the rest fits in between, kind of like grading on a curve. The Bond films are a genre unto themselves, and I shall be ranking them as their own little genre. Naturally, if I was rating them against other films, they would be high on the 1 – 10 scale. But, for this little game, I’m going to do something rather different.
James Bond will return in You Only Live Twice
I’ve reached the end of the golden age with OHMSS, which has been one of my all-time favorites for a while now. Though I hate seeing the 60s era come to an end when I marathon these, it does so in spectacular fashion. I got to enjoy yet another marvelous watch of this classic entry, which I normally enjoy around Christmas, but I saved it for this Bondathon.
A lot of people wish Connery had gotten to do OHMSS, but I’m more than satisfied with George Lazenby in this film. After seeing the lack of enthusiasm from Connery in YOLT, I doubt he would have delivered a particularly great performance. In any case, I would not take the opportunity if given to replace Lazenby with anyone else in this movie. Many fans, especially more casual ones, don’t give Lazenby a lot of credit, but I love his James Bond performance. He's often funny, clever, a tough fighter, and also very human. Bond weeping over Tracy at the end is truly heartbreaking and moving every time for me. Despite only getting this one film, I currently rank Lazenby as my third-favorite Bond actor, and I truly wish he had gotten at least one more film.
There is an absolutely excellent lineup of characters in this film. Tracy is still the Bond girl - the very best - and Diana Rigg does a beautiful job playing this troubled character. Telly Savalas is the very best Blofeld for my money - cool, intelligent, and convincingly threatening both behind the scenes and in the action. This Blofeld is not afraid to get his hands dirty; the fight scene between him and Bond on the bobsleds is simply incredible. It's so satisfying to finally see an epic, physical confrontation between the archenemies - something we never got before or since. Draco is among my favorite Bond allies; he's got an interesting personality and story going on. Irma Bunt is at least as great a henchman - incredibly creepy and directly responsibly for killing Bond's wife. One particularly excellent element with the characters is Bernard Lee's M performance, which I think might be his best in the series. The icy tensions between him and Bond were done tremendously well in this film. Q and Moneypenny once again deliver, and get nice little touching moments at the wedding.
OHMSS features one of my favorite stories in the series; the hunt for Blofeld while Bond falls in love is just dramatic excellence. I consider OHMSS’s soundtrack to be John Barry’s magnum opus - simply a tremendous effort all around. The memorable, instrumental title song is a classic favorite. Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All the Time in the World” is nice too, but I’m glad they went with the instrumental theme for the title credits, which feature a neat montage of the first five films to let us know Lazenby is indeed the same guy as Connery. The PTS is solid; I particularly enjoy the mystery aspect, like how Lazenby is revealed as Bond and leaving the audience with all the questions regarding who Tracy is. There is a real suspense factor to the film, like when Bond sneaks into Gumbold's office or creeps around Piz Gloria. The spy feel is alive and well with this one! The action is superb, from the fistfights to the vehicle spectacle (Bond vs. Che Che, the ski chase, the car chase, the shootout at Piz Gloria, the bobsled battle - it's simply wonderful!). Even the gunbarrel is my personal favorite in the series! What else can I really say - OHMSS fires on all cylinders, and it's a treat every time. For me personally, along with CR, this is the closest to perfection a Bond film has ever achieved.
I love everything about OHMSS, and I’m glad it has gained so much more appreciation over the years. It’s the ultimate Bond love story and Bond vs. Blofeld + SPECTRE story. Along with FRWL, I consider it the most faithful adaptation of the Fleming novels, which certainly benefits it a lot too. I really do wish we could have gotten a second Lazenby entry instead of Connery’s DAF, but alas, this is about what we have, and not what could have been!
FoxRox’s 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. You Only Live Twice
Always loved TMWTGG. Even though it is flawed, the stuff that is good is often overlooked.
Connery's last performance (not counting NSNA of course) isn't near as remarkable as his first four, though he does seem a little more interested here than he was in YOLT. It's clear from the first few seconds that the crew is going for a more campy, comedic tone with DAF, and Connery's results with that are... mixed. I will say I did laugh a little more than usual at the intended comedic moments (my favorite moment: "...still haven't found out!"), though I still don't think this style is well-suited for Connery's Bond (kind of like how they go for a lighter tone for Craig in SP, which isn't to my liking). There are some good moments though, particularly the elevator fight and the duel with Wint and Kidd at the end. Connery himself does fine mostly, but the campy material doesn't blend as well with his Bond as it does for Roger Moore's. It's an awkward farewell, because the film's tone is so wildly different from all his other films, but Connery still delivers multiple times throughout the affair.
The supporting cast is so-so. Personally I don't really like Tiffany Case; her first few scenes aren't so bad, but by the film's end she just feels so useless. Much more interesting character in the novel. Plenty O'Toole doesn't do anything for me. I also don't care much for Charles Gray's Blofeld, who is just too campy for me to take seriously at all; going from the previous Blofelds to this is just so jarring. I appreciate each one for being unique, but for my personal taste Gray's Blofeld just doesn't cut it. Norman Burton is kind of a forgettable Felix Leiter. What I love most about this film is Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd - two of the series' best henchmen. They are absolute scene-stealers and manage to balance the camp and sinister sides perfectly. Moneypenny's line about the ring is so awkward coming off OHMSS. Q and M get great turns, though I do wish M had gotten another scene or two in this one. Other characters I enjoy are Peter Franks, Willard Whyte, Bambi, and Thumper; the scene where they go to Willard Whyte's is a highlight for sure.
The plot is fine I suppose; I like the concept of having more Connery Bond vs. Blofeld than ever before, but Connery is not in his prime and Gray's Blofeld is possibly my least favorite incarnation of the character. Still, I do enjoy some of their moments together, particularly when Bond kills the fake Blofeld. That leads me into a brief tangent... I've had a little theory for a while that all the Blofelds in this film are fake (for sure assuming "Blofeld" is indeed killed in the explosion at the end of this film, which is a murky moment - probably on purpose), and the real one disappeared from OHMSS until FYEO. Just a thought of mine. The PTS is pretty silly, what with the "C-C-Cairo!" editing and Bond's mousetrap; it does undeniably establish the tone for the film. Shirley Bassey's title song is good. John Barry's score is okay, though in my opinion probably his least good Bond score. The action is kind of good and kind of meh. I really love the fights with Peter Franks and Wint and Kidd as I mentioned above, and the scene where Bond is nearly burned in the casket is great, though there are also less good bits like the moon buggy chase and the finale at the oil rig.
DAF has been a struggle for me to watch for a long while, though I must admit I was into it a lot more than usual for the first half or so. It absolutely has its moments, but suffers from a really weak third act and a tone that doesn't always play to Connery's strengths. I have my doubts it's going to advance in my rankings, but I will say I got a little more enjoyment out of it than usual. I try to watch it as its own entity rather than a follow-up to OHMSS, but even then I do feel disappointed often with it. DAF isn't without some upsides, but it's an obvious call to put this one last for now. At the end of the day though, a weaker Bond film is still way better than any other weak film!
FoxRox's 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. You Only Live Twice
7. Diamonds Are Forever
Seen as this year celebrates my 20 year obsession with 007, I’d though it would be rather grand to view them in order in which I collected them on VHS.
You Only Live Twice, 1967
I forgot to mention in my The Man With The Golden Gun piece, that there are some similarities with YOLT, namely; the sumo and the kick boxing; shots of martial artists; Thai dancers and the Japanese wedding, giving a flavour to the locales, something I wish the film makers would do on the later films and even Bond not liking the local drink, “PhuYuck?” and “Siamese Vodka?”.
I’m waffling. Because I don’t want to dissect YOLT. If I do, the grand epicness of this movie starts to fall down. This is a technical triumph. Shame the screenplay and plot are rather…. lacking.
Some say that Sean Connery is bored in YOLT. Others say, that’s nonsense. He’s just so comfortable in the role that he makes everything look so gosh darn easy.
I tend to fall in the latter camp. Though, as has well been documented, Connery was beyond sick of the role at this stage. The only instances that Connery, in my opinion, of course, was on autopilot is during his scenes with M and Moneypenny. Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell had starred in “Operation Kid Brother”, an Italian Bond spoof, featuring Neil Connery, Sean’s brother. Maybe Connery felt that by starring in that film, Lee and Maxwell were undermining both the official series and Connery as an actor.
The screenplay doesn’t give Connery much to do, to be fair. It’s great fun to see Connery in Japan. And I do believe that Connery had the role of Bond down pat by this stage, he is so comfortable, letting his natural grace and presence carry the role. Connery is very laconic in YOLT, a departure from his more… energetic performances before. One could see Sir Rog being completely at home in this film. (Well he was in The Spy Who Loved Me!)
Connery Bond’s reaction to Aki’s death, however, is a lesson in the economics of drama. No fuss, no overt musical score. Just Bond looking out the window.
And the lines -
“Mr. Osato believs in a healthy chest”
“Really?”
and
“He wouldn't touch that horrible girl.
You wouldn't, would you?”
“Oh, heaven forbid.”
are just underplayed wonderfully by Connery.
What a woman Kissy is! First she goes diving with the rest of the Ama girls before slipping away with Bond at dawn. Then Kissy climbs the volcano. She descends it in a hurry. Then she swims back to Tiger, all the while evading a SPECTRE helicopter. Then she climbs back up the bloody volcano again, with Tiger and his ninjas. She saved Tiger’s life inside of the base. And, finally, she flees from the exploding volcano. Mie Hama is just delectable in the role.
Pros -
• John Barry provides one of his finest scores. Haunting, romantic and suitably thrilling. Superb.
• The cinematography by Freddie Young is just exquisite.
• Lewis Gilbert’s direction is stylish and innovative.
• Although I ragged on his plot, Roald Dahl’s script is both funny and macabre.
• The cast of allies is utterly charming.
• The sets by Ken Adam are absolutely mind blowing.
• The action scenes are good as well. Special mention for the unbelievable aerial shots by Johnny Jordan.
• “This is the big one 007”. You can say that again M. What a spectacle!
But perhaps, it’s too spectacular, too gadget laden, too fantastical. I always try to judge a Bond film by Fleming’s mantra - “Go beyond what is implausible, but never the impossible.” I think YOLT just about skirts this mantra, on the good side.
This film benefits from seeing it chronologically, observing both Bond’s and SPECTRE’s journey throughout the first four Connery pictures;
- Bond has gone from a blunt instrument (Dr. No) to the fully formed and competent agent (Thunderball). His arc is complete.
- SPECTRE has gone from a shadowy organisation interested in toppling American rockets to an organisation that is capable of stealing a nuke. Their arc is complete.
Thus You Only Live Twice is a culmination of these two opposing forces. Bond vs SPECTRE. The fate of the world is a stake! Lovely stuff.
2020 Bonadthon Rating -
1. From Russia With Love, 10
2. Dr. No, 9
3. The World Is Not Enough, 7
4. You Only Live Twice, 7
5. Tomorrow Never Dies, 6
6. The Man With The Golden Gun, 6
7. GoldenEye, 6
8. A View to a Kill, 5
9. Diamonds Are Forever, 4
10. Live and Let Die, 3
Alas YOLT is a mite too spectacular for its own good. 7 is a fine score, nevertheless.
*Disclaimer -
I’ve been having a gander at Joseph Darlington’s YouTube channel, in which he reviews the Bond movies. He’s got a good method of reviewing them, which I’m going to shamelessly steal. He rates his least favourite as 1 out of 10, his favourite as a ten, and the rest fits in between, kind of like grading on a curve. The Bond films are a genre unto themselves, and I shall be ranking them as their own little genre. Naturally, if I was rating them against other films, they would be high on the 1 – 10 scale. But, for this little game, I’m going to do something rather different.
James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only
Roger Moore is a very different Bond from Connery and Lazenby. He has an almost aristocratic air about him, and he certainly isn't as rough around the edges as his predecessors. His nonchalance in the face of odd and threatening circumstances is really fun to watch. He's incredibly smooth and witty; each one-liner feels perfect when he says one. I don't favor Moore's interpretation of Bond over his predecessors, but I greatly appreciate it and enjoy it. He made the role his own entirely while still keeping the essential Bond characteristics, such as the suave appearance, fun action heroics, and taste for carnal pleasures. Moore is the funniest of all the Bonds, and he kicks off his era with a really solid performance. I consider LALD to be the single funniest Bond film as well, in part thanks to Moore. He started proving right here the series could have longevity without Connery. He is also a much better fit for the sillier tone the series began to take as well than Connery was in DAF.
There is a great lineup of characters in this adventure. Solitaire would land somewhere in my Top 10 Bond girls - a really interesting character with a unique conflict helping the baddies. Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big is one of my personal favorite villains; I love his dual identity and master plan, and he's just a joy to watch in all his scenes - Yaphet Kotto gave it 100%! The side villains are all memorable and fun to watch as well; I consider Tee-Hee and Baron Samedi top-tier henchmen, and even the minor ones like Adam and Whisper are very good. We also are treated to really good allies, such as David Hedison's Felix (probably my second-favorite just behind Jeffrey Wright) and Quarrel Jr., who is a great addition to the film universe, especially given the timeline / circumstances of what happens in the novels. Rosie and Caruso are decent minor Bond girls. M and Moneypenny are good as always, though it's a bit sad to see Q get left out this time around. I should mention J.W. Pepper as well, because he is quite memorable. I must admit, I find him really funny in this film, and get a kick out of almost all his moments!
I really enjoy LALD's story, and the black magic elements really give it flavor. I like that we're starting to move beyond SPECTRE (yes, the first time was GF, but here is when they really began their serious break) and see standalone ideas and villains. I love SPECTRE - they're the the classic Bond threat, but this feels fresh and I like that it went this direction until the Craig era. The first Bond-less (well, sort of, if we don't count FRWL) PTS offers up some good intrigue. I probably wouldn't rank it particularly high among other PTSs, but it's still cool and distinctive. This is beating a dead horse, but the title song by Paul McCartney is one of the series' all-time greats and an eternal favorite. I do find the action to be a little on the mixed side; I really enjoy the on-foot action (like the crocodile farm escape, all the climax stuff, and Bond's battle with Tee-Hee on the train), but the vehicle action left me a little cold this time (not crazy about the bus or boat chase bits, until the very end for the boat chase + the moments with J.W.). George Martin does an admirable job with the soundtrack; his 70s-tastic score remains one of my favorites in the series not composed by John Barry.
I did consider putting YOLT above LALD for a moment, but it just didn't feel right. LALD is still a little more enjoyable for me despite YOLT's recent rise in admiration from me, if for no other reason than that Moore's performance greatly outshines what Connery did in YOLT. There are a lot of tight spots in my ranking as I love nearly all these films! LALD is a really good debut for Roger Moore as Bond, and though it's been a while since it's cracked my Top 10, this was a really good watch of this classic!
FoxRox's 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. Live and Let Die
7. You Only Live Twice
8. Diamonds Are Forever
That stuff rarely ever bothers me. In fact, in the case of the Kananga balloon, I get a kick out of it and it adds to my enjoyment! I first saw all these films (DN-DAD) when I was 10-12, so that may be a factor for me too not being bothered by that. The one explosion with the submarine in DAF was particularly ugly this last watch though. It depends from effect to effect, but for the majority they do not take away from my enjoyment much if at all.
Seen as this year celebrates my 20 year obsession with 007, I’d though it would be rather grand to view them in order in which I collected them on VHS.
For Your Eyes Only, 1981
I viewed You Only Live Twice on Sunday. On Tuesday I watched For Your Eyes Only. Two films with a completely different vibe. Yet, all with that Bondian DNA. I do love the variety that this series gives you.
FYEO starts the Glen Era. The budgets were tighter, and the films themselves got into a formulaic procedure. Safe, predictable, yet oddly comforting. The world may have been tumultuous at times, but one can take refuge in the sanctuary of the Glen films. At least for a couple of hours, at any rate.
After the fantastical 70’s, it was refreshing to return to a more grounded style. While the 60’s pictures have that iconic and chic feel to them, the 80’s films were rather conservative in their style.
John Glen provides a steady, no fuss mantra in his debut as director. Whilst lacking the sumptuous cinematography that The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker had, Alan Hume does a bang up job. Though, it must be said, that Glen has this perfunctory approach to the more travelogue-ish elements that are found in the Bond movies. Still, Glen hasn’t completely eliminated them - I do adore Bond and Melina’s date, through the Greek market. Shame it was over so soon.
Bill Conti’s score is enjoyable if dated. Conti serves up a quite touching, romantic rendition of the main title song. The music of the gun barrel is really top notch, as well.
The action is very good, though having the extended submarine scrap and the ice hockey kerfuffle is rather redundant, and just screams of padding. Full marks, however, go to Remy Julienne for the terrific 2CV chase, Willy Bogner for his icecapades and Rick Sylvester for his vertigo inducing and bloody tense rock climbing scenes. (Oh, and how cool does Sir Rog look when catching the hammer whilst rock climbing?)
As James Bond, Roger Moore is on fine form here. Less of the international playboy, more of a world weary gentlemen, as benefiting his advancing years. His steely determination is offset wonderfully by his general compassion. Bond’s utterance of the Chinese proverb, to “dig two graves” is not hypocritical; he knows the cost of killing, and he desperately does not want Melina to carry that burden.
Carole Bouquet plays the cross bow wielding Melina to great effect. She and Moore have a subtle, tender relationship. I enjoy the Bond films that have this romantic aspect to them.
As the big bad of the picture, Julian Glover depicts Kristatos well, as debonair and menacing, if slightly colourless. A fact that can be attributed to the villains as a whole, to be fair. More luck is to be found with Bond’s ally, the engaging Topol as the wonderfully rapscallion Columbo.
One important cast member is Lynn-Holly Johnson as the spoilt teenage ice skater, Bibi Dahl. She is important for eliciting reactions from Kristatos and Bond. For the former, when he gets teary eyed when describing his wish on hoping to see Dahl reach the gold medal, and for the latter when Bond refuses to sleep with her, despite her proximity to the villain. Although somewhat out of place in a Bond film, Dahl at least established a little humanity for Kristatos and Bond.
The plot is a welcome return to the espionage thriller, as Bond goes in search of the ATAC tracking system. (The sinking of the St. George's is harrowing, BTW). The story itself, has foundations in the works of Ian Fleming – the heroine is from FYEO; the rivalry between Columbo and Kristatos is from Risico and the superb keel hauling segment is an unused passage from Live and Let Die.
1. From Russia With Love, 10
2. Dr. No, 9
3. For Your Eyes Only, 7
4. The World Is Not Enough, 7
5. You Only Live Twice, 7
6. Tomorrow Never Dies, 6
7. The Man With The Golden Gun, 6
8. GoldenEye, 6
9. A View to a Kill, 5
10. Diamonds Are Forever, 4
11. Live and Let Die, 3
For Your Eyes Only benefits from an assured directorial début from John Glen; a great primary cast; an assertive portrayal by Roger Moore; a strong screenplay and plot; a touching romance between Bond and Melina and plenty of Ian Fleming material.
*Disclaimer -
I’ve been having a gander at Joseph Darlington’s YouTube channel, in which he reviews the Bond movies. He’s got a good method of reviewing them, which I’m going to shamelessly steal. He rates his least favourite as 1 out of 10, his favourite as a ten, and the rest fits in between, kind of like grading on a curve. The Bond films are a genre unto themselves, and I shall be ranking them as their own little genre. Naturally, if I was rating them against other films, they would be high on the 1 – 10 scale. But, for this little game, I’m going to do something rather different.
(I wonder if Julian Glover and Charles Dance ever chatted about their experiences of this film when shooting Game of Thrones?)
James Bond will return in Octopussy
Oh, I'm glad that LALD lived up to your exceptions @FoxRox after your disappointing viewing of DAF!
Roger Moore is really fantastic as Bond in TMWTGG. In equal doses he is hilarious and threatening, and he has lot of great lines throughout the film. I hadn’t considered before just how solid a Bond performance it is, but Moore really does a lot of excellent work here; nothing beats his scenes with Scaramanga. I do also particularly love his scenes with Anders and Goodnight.
Francisco Scaramanga is one of the all-time great Bond villains - and movie villains, for my money, and it couldn’t have happened without Christopher Lee. He is the perfect dark version of Bond, and I love the direction they took his character in the film more than the novel. I used to not be as crazy about Nick Nack, but I’ve come to find him to be an excellent henchman and he adds a lot of great character to the film. Anders is a very good Bond girl who was sadly doomed, and Goodnight has grown on me. M, Moneypenny, and Q (welcome back!) are all good. Minor characters like Lieutenant Hip and Hai Fat are also good. J.W. isn’t quite as funny as he was in LALD, but he still brings the energy. I have to say on that note though, I laughed a lot more than usual throughout this viewing of TMWTGG. Maybe I was just in a really good mood, or the charm has finally gotten to
me?
There’s the solar power aspect of the story, but the main attraction of Scaramanga wanting to kill Bond one-on-one is welcomingly awesome. This is possibly the smallest-scale Bond film we got after DN, and I love it for that. I really enjoy the PTS; the introduction to Scaramanga, his island, the funhouse, and everything else is great. My favorite part of the film is the third act; Scaramanga’s island is one of my favorite Bond locations / villain lairs, and the interactions + duel with Bond and Scaramanga are sublime. John Barry returns here with a solid score; I don’t consider it one of his best, but it’s still very good. I’m afraid I’m still no fan of the title song by Lulu though - just doesn’t work for me. I also have to say I’m not crazy about most locations used outside of Scaramanga’s island (which does still count for a lot). The boat chase after the karate school scene is a bit of a lowlight. Overall though the problems I have had with this movie seem to have been greatly reduced, at least for the time being!
I can hardly believe it myself, but I’m putting TMWTGG over LALD for this newest ranking. First big upset in the rankings this marathon! I love them about equally, and objectively I’d probably still say LALD is a better Bond film (more consistently solid elements), but man is TMWTGG fun! Despite any shortcomings and past weaker experiences, TMWTGG sure delivered for me tonight!
FoxRox’s 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with the Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. The Man with the Golden Gun
7. Live and Let Die
8. You Only Live Twice
9. Diamonds Are Forever
Countdown to No Time to Die
Seen as this year celebrates my 20 year obsession with 007, I’d though it would be rather grand to view them in order in which I collected them on VHS.
Octopussy, 1983
Ah, Octopussy, Octopussy!
The screenplay of OP is superbly varied, from the deadly serious (Bond and Orlov’s confrontation on the train), subtlety heartbreaking (“No more problems now”, Vijay leaves a genuine impression as the sacrificial lamb) to gloriously daft (“Fill ‘er up please”), giving Sir Rog opportunity to display all the facets of Bond.
The villains are a right treat. Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan is subtly menacing; Steven Berkoff as General Orlov is overtly menacing and Kabir Bedi is menacing, full stop. The polite battle of wits and jibes between Moore and Jourdan is a pleasure to watch. I do enjoy Jourdan’s performance, very smooth and composed. The confrontation between Orlov and General Gogol, on the revolving platform, is marvellous. The Bond team were lucky to have Walter Gotell as Gogol. He gives as good as he gets in that scene, being well paired with noted stage actor Berkoff.
Maud Adams is great as Octopussy, she and Moore have a delightful chemistry. I would like to think after he’s retired from service, that Moore’s Bond would settle down with Octopussy. Magda is a throwback to Bond girls of old. And I would like to shatter Bianca’s pout, roughly. Plus camel toe ahoy from Octopussy’s girls.
Director John Glen builds on his good work with FYEO, delivering a more comfortable and polished film. While FYEO had the appearance of action scenes, interspersed with some dialogue, Glen manages to form a fully formed idea with OP - the action/drama flowed more coherently. The action is inventive, the story is engaging enough to have rewatchability, the John Barry musical score is, of course, wonderful and the segments in India are a feast for the eyes. The humour is much more controlled than other Bond films, but the gags in the Tuk – Tuk chase and the Tarzan yell grate.
1. From Russia With Love, 10
2. Dr. No, 9
3. Octopussy, 8
4. For Your Eyes Only, 7
5. The World Is Not Enough, 7
6. You Only Live Twice, 7
7. Tomorrow Never Dies, 6
8. The Man With The Golden Gun, 6
9. GoldenEye, 6
10. A View to a Kill, 5
11. Diamonds Are Forever, 4
12. Live and Let Die, 3
*Disclaimer -
I’ve been having a gander at Joseph Darlington’s YouTube channel, in which he reviews the Bond movies. He’s got a good method of reviewing them, which I’m going to shamelessly steal. He rates his least favourite as 1 out of 10, his favourite as a ten, and the rest fits in between, kind of like grading on a curve. The Bond films are a genre unto themselves, and I shall be ranking them as their own little genre. Naturally, if I was rating them against other films, they would be high on the 1 – 10 scale. But, for this little game, I’m going to do something rather different.
Half way through my Bondathon. OP is like chicken soup for the soul. As I’m currently under the weather, it seems fitting. An enjoyable romp from Uncle Rog and team.
James Bond will return in Licence to Kill, 1989
The order in which I first watched them on VHS. Or near to.
I am with you on that.
Though he was always on the lighter side than Connery, I compare Moore's progression as Bond a little with Connery's. In their first two films we see a bit more of the dark, edgy sides of the character, and then they start to go a bit lighter with their third and fourth films. Moore's performance in TSWLM is a perfect encapsulation of his portrayal Bond; he's very funny and charming, but also should be taken seriously when the times arrive (best serious scene I can think of is when he admits to Anya he killed her lover). He's got a lot of great puns in this one; one of my favorite moments of dark humor is the "Out of Order" sign placed on Kalba. Once again, I'll state I don't prefer Moore's take on Bond over Connery's, but he's still awesome and so much fun to watch, and he gives it his all in TSWLM.
On to the side characters. Bernard Lee's penultimate appearance as M is very good, and Q gets a nice turn too (I like that both have parts of their real names revealed). Moneypenny's appearance is particularly brief. General Gogol is nicely introduced here as the Russians team up with the British; he does well in all his appearances. but this is my favorite of them. Anya Amasova, or Triple X, is one of my favorite Bond girls. She especially has grown on me even more this latest watch; I absolutely adore the chemistry she and Bond have throughout the picture. Stromberg is a good villain - I think a little unfairly bashed around the boards. I'll admit not one of the series' very best, but a good megalomaniac nonetheless! Naomi is a really good side villain; the annoyed looks from Anya when Bond gives Naomi looks is priceless. Jaws is one of the best and most iconic henchmen of the series, of course. Though I prefer his initial scary scenes in Egypt versus his silly recoveries, he's always a joy to watch either way! I think the fight with Bond on the train is a nice action highlight.
Speaking of action, this film is packed with awesome content: the PTS (one of the series' finest), the encounters with Sandor and Jaws in Egypt, the epic car chase, and the explosive climax at sea. The story is classic epic Bond material with the villain trying to wipe out the world, and Bond coming in clutch to prevent catastrophe. Of Lewis Gilbert's 3 Bond films, all of which are very much of the epic nature, I think his best work came here. Two big reasons for that are because of Moore's impressive performance and an awesome set of locations - one of my favorites in the franchise. Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" is a wonderful ballad that stands as one of the series' nicest songs. Also, I really love Marvin Hamlisch's groovy score; Bond 77, Ride to Atlantis, and the instrumental "Nobody Does It Better" are a few favorite tracks of mine.
I absolutely love TSWLM, though it did not quite break past any of Connery's first four + OHMSS for me. It threatens DN and GF a bit, but not ready to leap past them this time around. TSWLM has a lot of nostalgia and magic for me, and so watching it is a blast every time!
FoxRox's 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. The Spy Who Loved Me
7. The Man with the Golden Gun
8. Live and Let Die
9. You Only Live Twice
10. Diamonds Are Forever
I’ve gone on record several times saying this is my least favorite of Roger Moore’s Bond performances, as I feel he’s in his most “autopilot” form, but he is still fun to watch throughout. There are a lot of silly moments and jokes, but I wouldn’t want any other Bond at the center of it than Moore. One of my absolute favorite bits is his futile punch at Jaws after the struggle with the snake. He and Jaws are great together always. Though I stick to my belief it’s Moore’s least good performance (at least as of now), he’s still entertaining and delivers the laughs and action we expect.
Drax is a solid villain with big ambitions. Never has a villain’s plot been so big before or since in the series, trying to eliminate the whole planet and start over! He is quite intimidating and a great counter to Moore’s Bond. Holly Goodhead has grown on me; though I don’t consider her one of the greatest Bond girls, she is capable and interesting enough. Corrine and Manuela are solid minor Bond girls; Corrine’s death is a particularly good scene, though disturbing. Bernard Lee goes out nicely as M here - tragically his final film in the series. Moneypenny and Q are fine (I do love Q’s “re-entry” line :))). Chang is a good henchman, but Jaws steals the show. I must say, I’ve really warmed to the silly Jaws; while I prefer the ominous side seen more in TSWLM (there is the creepy parade scene where he stalks Manuela here though), the silly Jaws is quite a laugh for me these days. I’ve even softened my stance on the whole girlfriend / turning good thing, even though it’s probably not the direction I would have chosen.
The PTS really kicks things off well, and I’m personally a big fan of Shirley Bassey’s title song. John Barry’s score is quite excellent! The film is one of the most beautiful-looking in the franchise too. Oh, and the action is awesome! We get the free-fall scene in the PTS, the excellent centrifuge scene, the duel with Bond and Chang, the cable car run-in with Jaws, the river boat chase, and the insane finale in space. The main thing I’ve bashed this film in the past for is just being so silly, which at a couple points does still hinder the experience a tad (a double-take pigeon? I don’t think that one will ever grow on me), but looking past that and other issues has led to a really fun time. I also have mentioned I didn’t really like the idea of Bond going into space, but I’ve sort of softened on that too; it’s not something I would have chosen, but being such an over-the-top, epic experience, I’m okay with it as a one-off here.
The key to unlocking the joy of MR is to go along with it - embrace all the silliness and outlandishness, and the entertainment will follow. While I still wouldn’t go as far to rank this among elite Bond films, my enjoyment of it has skyrocketed lately, peaking tonight. The second big ranking upset is here - MR sneaks just above YOLT!
FoxRox’s 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. The Spy Who Loved Me
7. The Man with the Golden Gun
8. Live and Let Die
9. Moonraker
10. You Only Live Twice
11. Diamonds Are Forever
Nice read btw ;)
It is unapologetic fun done perfectly well. Does only slightly miss the ball with Jaws' stupidity at times. But there are moments of brilliance one almost never finds in a film that goes for 110 % pure entertainment.
Seen as this year celebrates my 20 year obsession with 007, I’d though it would be rather grand to view them in order in which I collected them on VHS.
Licence to Kill, 1989
Right from Michael Kamen’s ominous gun barrel music and “might be able to grab the bastard”, one can tell this is not your average Bondian adventure. The whole look and feel to this film is different, even from the other 80’s Bond movies. Less glamours, more mundane.
The direction from John Glen is kinetic and streamlined, and less of the pedestrian establishing shots. The most egregious example of this type of shot, is when Bond escapes from City Hall in firetruck in A View to a Kill. Several shots, and fire fighter tell us that the “ladder isn’t locked”, when one or the another could do.
The whole tone of LTK is a mite more serious than we’ve had previously. The violence level has been stepped up, sure, but whatever humour there is in LTK, isn’t used to deflate the tension, with a gag or a quip. Leading to LTK have more urgency. Yet, it is shocking after the more genteel romps with Uncle Rog.
The cinematography by Alec Mills is earthy, as befitting the more grounded tone, and I expect the film stock in Mexico isn’t quite of a high of standard as dear old Pinewood. Peter Lamont’s production design is decent, yet the stand out location, the stunning locale of Professor Joe’s sanctuary is a real life destination.
The music by Kamen’s is dark and foreboding, certainly in the first half of the film, where by he tends to overscore the picture. Still, Kamen provides the requisite action and romantic cues, and I enjoy his rendition of the Bond theme. But with Kamen also providing the scores to such films as Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, LTK’s score does seem rather generic.
The action is superb, from the fishing of the plane in the PTS, to the excellent Wavekrest escape and to the climatic tanker chase. Top notch efforts from all concerned.
The heavies are a treat, the best rogues gallery since Live and Let Die. Special mention has to go to Robert Davi’s big bad, Franz Sanchez, who is equally charming and terrifying. Give the villain heroic traits and the hero villainous traits, and one has an involving dynamic.
Carey Lowell’s Pam Bouvier is one of Commander Bond’s better comrade in arms and Talisa Soto Lupe Lamora flits engagingly from one powerful man to the other.
Timothy Dalton once again is excellent as James Bond. Though, having a one track, mission focused screenplay, deprives both Dalton as an actor and the audience, of the variety of seeing all of Commander Bond’s reactions/emotions. See Octopussy - from the deadly serious (Bond and Orlov’s confrontation on the train), subtlety heartbreaking (“No more problems now”) to gloriously daft (“Fill ‘er up please”), giving Sir Rog opportunity to display all the facets of Bond.
1. From Russia With Love, 10
2. Dr. No, 9
3. Licence to Kill, 8
4. Octopussy, 7
5. For Your Eyes Only, 6
6. The World Is Not Enough, 6
7. You Only Live Twice, 6
8. Tomorrow Never Dies, 5
9. The Man With The Golden Gun, 5
10. GoldenEye, 5
11. A View to a Kill, 4
12. Diamonds Are Forever, 3
13. Live and Let Die, 3
LTK then is a courageous Bond film. I’d rather see a film, that plays with the formula, like LTK or TWINE, that doesn’t quite have the gumption to execute it, than a standard formula film.
And talking of formula…..
James Bond will return in Goldfinger
*Disclaimer -
I’ve been having a gander at Joseph Darlington’s YouTube channel, in which he reviews the Bond movies. He’s got a good method of reviewing them, which I’m going to shamelessly steal. He rates his least favourite as 1 out of 10, his favourite as a ten, and the rest fits in between, kind of like grading on a curve. The Bond films are a genre unto themselves, and I shall be ranking them as their own little genre. Naturally, if I was rating them against other films, they would be high on the 1 – 10 scale. But, for this little game, I’m going to do something rather different.
What is your opinion on Truman-Lodge btw? One of those overlooked, but hilarious side characters I've always liked.
Thanks @GoldenGun. I like him. Quite an usual character to find in a Bond film. A yuppie, Yankee, snivelling type. Sanchez has the best gang. His frustration at Franz for blowing the money is a treat to watch.
I'd second that about the plot. It develops nicely throughout the movie, 007 infiltrating the cartel, and using Sanchez code, plants suspicion and betrayal and smashes the group from within! It may not be as visual pleasing as other Bonds, but when the characters and storyline are as strong as this, it's a minor gripe. I also think that Sanchez henchmen are a memorable group though they say little or nothing!
So tonight I got to enjoy For Your Eyes Only, a film that was one of my least favorites when I first got into the series, but I now hold in high regard. I remember as a young kid thinking this film was dull and weak among other Bond adventures, especially of the colorful Moore era, but the older I've grown the more I love it. FYEO certainly dials things down coming off of MR!
Roger Moore was comfortable playing Bond from the get-go in LALD, and he is fun to watch in all his outings, but I think FYEO marks my favorite of his performances. We see a very tender side of Moore's Bond with Melina, a melancholy side at Tracy's grave, and a vengeful side against Blofeld and Locque. Moore delivers his most varied and Fleming-esque Bond performance while still maintaining his signature playful style too, and I love it. There are so many great moments to pick from, but the car kick / killing Locque certainly is the one I come back to the most. I loved seeing Moore's Bond get that dark! Moore's FYEO performance is one of my favorites in the series; he's brilliant in every scene!
Melina Havelock is one of my favorite Bond girls; she's got an interesting story, an awesome weapon, and a genuinely nice romance with Bond. Countess Lisl von Schlaf was good as a minor Bond girl. She meets a really nasty end that is always brutal to watch. The less said about Bibi Dahl, the better! Milos Columbo is one of the series' best allies, bursting with personality and a force to be reckoned with in action scenes. Ferrara is a decent minor ally too. While I don't consider him a top tier Bond villain, I like Aris Kristatos as a bad guy. I like that he's kind of plain - without physical abnormalities or too crazy of a plan; I think it just fits well with the grounded tone the film goes for. Same with Locque; not one of the greatest henchmen of the series, but he fits well for the movie. He does have the quirk of leaving dove pins with his victims! Kriegler and Gonzales are fine, though not quite as interesting. Moneypenny and Q are good as always; I particularly enjoy Q's scenes in this film (recreating Locque's face and "that's putting it mildly, 007!" stand out). It's unfortunate there's no M in this entry, but I am very glad that no one was rushed in to replace Bernard Lee out of respect for his sudden passing. He was a wonderful M, and I think of him being part of this film still when they mention he's on leave, still existing in some form for one more movie (the filming had begun after all while he was still alive).
The plot has a nice throwback feeling about it, with Bond having to find the ATAC before the KGB gets it. I sort of consider FYEO like Moore's FRWL, and think of the ATAC as a sort of Lektor-type thing. Both films are certainly very spy-thriller, Fleming-esque entries! Speaking of Fleming, I love all the moments adapted from the books here, like the shootout at Kristatos's warehouse (Risico) and the keelhaul sequence (Live and Let Die). Of course there's also the FYEO novel inspiration with the Havelocks. The PTS gets a lot of flack, but I'm a big fan of it; I much prefer this conclusion between Bond and Blofeld than what we got with DAF. From the somber start of Bond visiting Tracy's grave to him gaining control of the helicopter and finally disposing of Blofeld - creatively - it's all awesome to me. The action is consistently solid, with the standout moments for me being the ski chase, the warehouse shootout, and the finale at St. Cyril's. I enjoy Sheena Easton's title song, though I'm not too crazy about Bill Conti's score with the exception of a few tracks.
FYEO is the odd one out among the Roger Moore films, taking a more serious and traditional approach than the other ones, and I love that about it. Yes, there are still silly gags here and there (ex: Max the Parrot), but it's noticeably more straightforward and grounded on the whole. FYEO threatened TSWLM more than usual for the spot of my favorite Moore Bond film, and though I'm keeping it a spot below, I have a lot of admiration and love for this movie!
FoxRox's 2020 Bondathon Ranking
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. Thunderball
3. From Russia with Love
4. Goldfinger
5. Dr. No
6. The Spy Who Loved Me
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. The Man with the Golden Gun
9. Live and Let Die
10. Moonraker
11. You Only Live Twice
12. Diamonds Are Forever
Countdown to No Time to Die
Seen as this year celebrates my 20 year obsession with 007, I’d though it would be rather grand to view them in order in which I collected them on VHS.
As one has noticed I’ve had collected the Bond VHS in a rather haphazard way. From the classic thrillers of Dr. No and From Russia With Love, to the quirky duo of Diamonds Are Forever and Live and Let Die, to the slick action of the Brosnan trio, I’ve experienced all aspects to the world of Bondom. Except one – the classic films, that defined the Bond formula – Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Goldfinger, 1964
Yesterday I watched the immortal Goldfinger. In fact I had to check my hype and put Goldfinger out of my mind for a while. It is the film itself that I'm watching or its reputation?
Goldfinger is about as overt as I want my Bond movies too be. Any further into the humour elements, we’ll be in danger of camp. Still, this is the film that characterized the Bond formula. A mini adventure of the PTS; big brassy song and score; a larger than life villain; stunning gals; a sophisticated quippy 007; a few larfs and gadgetry up the waazoo.
My top four Bond films are set in stone. Then a bit of a gap ‘till the rest. My top untouchable four will henceforth be known as my top untouchable five. Yes, that’s right friends, Goldfinger (at last some might say!) has joined them.
Goldfinger represents an artistic turning point for the series. Compared to its forebears, it lacks that slightly callous and hard edge. Then again it hits a sublime balance between the world of Fleming and the cinematic Bond. The tone of Goldfinger is more stylised than the Terence Young's films that bookend it - the filmic Goldfinger took its cue from Fleming's novel which, for me at least, is his most laid back and expansive. In the novel we get an iconic set of characters brought straight to the screen, not to mention Bond's first spy car and an extra emphasis on the hardware. Of course the way the film utilises these is really the difference between the cinematic and literary Bond's, but the spirit of Fleming's writing is retained, even if the context has been altered.
Still, Goldfinger has just the right proportions of escapism, coolness, sexiness, danger, tension, romance and espionage. In short, Goldfinger is one of the most perfectly balanced films in the canon; we get a superb Bond/M exchange; golden roles fleshed out by some great casting and Barry and Adam get into their stride. I adore the 60’s Bond movies because of these two geniuses. I can't say enough about Sean Connery's performance as 007 who is in magnificent form. Every line, every movement is perfect. In Goldfinger, Connery is really a pleasure to watch.
Luckily I wasn't afflicted with the most serious of diseases, "Goldfinger fatigue", which is brought about seeing Goldfinger too many times on TV, or on ones home entertainment system, where by one is overdosing on the film. I had it in the past. But recently I've been recovering. I always appreciated Goldfinger for its iconography, and what it has done for the series, but I've come to appreciate the film itself, again.
The thing that stood out to me this run through, was the sparkling dialogue between Goldfinger and Bond. Frobe/Collins really nail the role of Goldfinger. Just take this moment – Pussy and Auric are relaxing on the porch with their mint juleps. Auric makes a move on Pussy, touching her hand, which Pussy rejects. Auric taps the table. A superb characterisation.
Goldfinger is really quite mad. He’s been planning operation grand slam for 15 years. He’s an egomaniac. He’s such a showman, that he designed his rumpus room for his grand standing in front of the gangsters. That room is only designed to be used once. Auric doesn’t even need to discuss his plans for Grand Slam – he could just gas the gangsters and be done with it. But no – Goldfinger is a showman. “So did I”. Just delicious.
One thing that has always bothered me is the dialogue between the gangsters. “What’s that map doing there?”, is my particular favourite. Just awful. I'm glad they were gassed.
1. From Russia With Love, 10
2. Dr. No, 9
3. Goldfinger, 9
4. Licence to Kill, 8
5. Octopussy, 8
6. For Your Eyes Only, 7
7. The World Is Not Enough, 7
8. You Only Live Twice, 7
9. Tomorrow Never Dies, 6
10. The Man With The Golden Gun, 6
11. GoldenEye, 6
12. A View to a Kill, 5
13. Diamonds Are Forever, 4
14. Live and Let Die, 4
GF, then, is an iconic romp, with stellar contributions from Connery, Frobe, Blackman, Lee, Adam, Barry et al. An all almost perfect formula film. Perfection is realized with the next picture I’ll be, erm, reviewing….
James Bond will return in The Spy Who Loved Me
*Disclaimer -
I’ve been having a gander at Joseph Darlington’s YouTube channel, in which he reviews the Bond movies. He’s got a good method of reviewing them, which I’m going to shamelessly steal. He rates his least favourite as 1 out of 10, his favourite as a ten, and the rest fits in between, kind of like grading on a curve. The Bond films are a genre unto themselves, and I shall be ranking them as their own little genre. Naturally, if I was rating them against other films, they would be high on the 1 – 10 scale. But, for this little game, I’m going to do something rather different.