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Comments
Goldfinger, 1964
“But it’s your honour sir!?”
I miss this about the earlier Bond films. Eccentric characters played by good character actors.
There is a malaise regrading this picture. Some esteemed people have called it “Goldfinger’s fatigue”, where by one is literally and figuratively exhausted by Goldfinger, whether you like the film or not. With three Goldfinger viewings in the past two years, I feared that I would come down with this most dreadful syndrome.
I needn't have worried. Goldfinger is still as awesome as it ever was. The filmmakers were having a bit of fun with the formula. Goldfinger oozes charm, playfulness, class and sophistication. It’s one of the better balanced Bond films, very rarely does one get the almost perfect blend of humour, danger, sex, tension and thrills. And this is the Bond film that Connery went from Flemingesque/cinematic Bond to cinematic/Flemingesque Bond.
The Hoodlum’s convention and the lack of punch in Raid on Fort Knox maybe a slight mar - it hurts the pace on repeat viewings - but it worked well enough for my first showing. The filmmakers could hardly of anticipated this movie would be viewed dozens of times by an overly critical douchebag.
What ever small flaws this film has, is more than compensated by the sparkling dynamic between Messrs Goldfinger and Bond.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Dr. No
3. Goldfinger
Thunderball is the first film to sacrifice story for spectacle. Take the PTS for example, it’s only purpose is to show off the jet pack. And seen as this was the underwater Bond movie, why not have the DB5 with water canons, no matter how impractical they are. And with spectacle, one gets an inevitable bloat – a few quick edits would help Thunderball enormously. There are some continuity/dubbing issues as well. Delving behind the scenes, you realise how up against it, namely the time constraints, the filmmakers were. A little more time in post production would have sorted it out for sure.
Yet Thunderball is a marvellous picture. Connery reaches his virile best with this film; Largo and Volpe are a fascinating and deadly pair of villains; the underwater photography is eye popping; the locations sumptuous; Young instils a bit of lethality to the proceedings; the dialogue is sparkling and Thunderball features a bevy of beautiful women, maybe the best in all of Bondom.
And what a woman that Fiona Volpe is! Played with delicious vivacity and playful deadliness by the gorgeous Luciana Paluzzi. Every time she appears on screen it’s simply electric. Wonderful part, portrayed by a wonderful actress.
I enjoyed this viewing of Thunderball so much, I’m ranking it above Dr No - truly a shock!
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. Dr No
4. Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice, 1967
With YOLT, one has to suspend disbelieve to such an extent that I found it somewhat difficult to fully buy into the storyline. If this was just a movie, it wouldn’t be so bad, but with a Bond film, it’s a tad too much. As Fleming said “go beyond the probable, but not, I think, beyond the possible.”
This was the first film, thus far, to jettison much of Fleming’s novel. But both the film and the book have this great travelogue-y feel to them. A win for the filmic YOLT then! I do like the Japanese setting and cast, Adam’s work is expectational and Barry’s music is immense. And it’s all sprinkled with the magical 60’s dust, that ineffable charm, the earlier Bond films had in spades. YOLT almost managed to make this whole spectacle hang together. Almost.
Very good, but not top tier.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. Dr. No
4. Goldfinger
5. You Only Live Twice
Yes, it's always crazy to me how iconic the film is in so many ways, how many objectively brilliant things it manages to pull off but still remains one of my least favorites from Connery and one of my lesser favorites of the series. Like a couple of other installments, I hope it just clicks for me one day and I fully realize how great it is.
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. Skyfall
3. Licence To Kill
4. Dr. No
5. Quantum of Solace
6. You Only Live Twice
7. The Living Daylights
8. Octopussy
9. The Spy Who Loved Me
10. Thunderball
11. The World Is Not Enough
12. Live And Let Die
13. For Your Eyes Only
14. The Man With The Golden Gun
15. Moonraker
16. Spectre
17. A View To A Kill
18. Tomorrow Never Dies
19. Die Another Day
20. Diamonds Are Forever
Majesty’s is the best written and best directed movie since FRWL. It also has some of the finest action, cinematography and music in the entire series. And the cast! Probably the best ensemble cast thus far. And the look to this picture! The film has a sumptuous 30’s style glamour to it, quite unlike anything we’ve seen in the Bond series to date.
And yet… Without such an engaging presence as Connery, I struggled to be immersed as I should have been. Old George is a brave but underwhelming successor to Connery. And, as a result, Majesty’s has lost the No. 2 spot, which it has held for 15 years or so in my rankings, to TB, of all movies.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Goldfinger
6. You Only Live Twice
We say goodbye to the 1960’s. It has been neat. And on to the 70’s. Things are about to get weird.
Diamonds is often a sloppy film - “Ca, Ca, Cairo!” - and has little tension. Yet, as a film, this one intrigues me. The 60’s has ended, and Bond is thrust into almost a fever dream of the 70’s. Bond’s club land values are looking a little passé. The gaudy nature of 70’s Vegas contrasts nicely with Bond’s world. If you look at Diamonds as a bizarre noir type of film, with dark and outlandish humour, it works better than as an underwhelming way to follow up Majesty's. The interactions between Connery/Lee, Connery/St John and Connery/Grey are superb.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Goldfinger
6. You Only Live Twice
7. Diamonds Are Forever
Lacking a male role model or father figure, I learnt how to shave with Sir Rog.
While there is a case for film critic Alexander Walker’s observation, “that having Roger Moore replace Sean Connery was like the head prefect taking over for the school bully”, Moore does so with smooth aplomb, freeing the franchise from Connery’s shadow. As Tom Mankiewicz astutely noted “Moore was the Etonian dropout that Fleming had envisaged”. Indeed as Moore arrived at the JFK concourse, his outfit screamed Fleming.
LALD is having something of a renaissance for me. It’s refreshing, well paced, well acted, some delicious lines and has a good and simple plot. Like DAF, we get to see an American city, frozen in time. Seeing 70’s Harlem and Moore being completely out of his depth is a real treat.
You know, I’ll think I will place LALD ahead of YOLT. Better villain and less suspension of disbelieve, gives it the edge.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Goldfinger
6. Live and Let Die
7. You Only Live Twice
8. Diamonds Are Forever
I’m conflicted with this film. I enjoyed it immensely, but there are some glaring flaws. I’m taking my cue from Golden Gun itself, as it is also conflicted. Sometimes the movie plays like a smutty Carry On film. Other times it’s a slapstick comedy. But when Golden Gun is at its best, it focuses down on the cat and mouse game between our terse hero and our charming antagonist.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Goldfinger
6. Live and Let Die
7. You Only Live Twice
8. Diamonds Are Forever
9. The Man With The Golden Gun
;)
Seriously, regarding TMWTGG I agree with the point about how frustrating it can be. But I find that true of several Roger films. At times imperious but always prone to winking at the camera and launching into the world of Tom & Jerry.
Yet somehow this is what defines his era, and as time passes we don't hold it against him, we embrace it.
In some quarters, Spy is dismissed as a “greatest hits Bond film”, rehashing the skiing from Majesty's, the train fight from Russia, the gadget laden car and the hulking henchman of Goldfinger, the plot of Twice and the underwater sequences from Thunderball. And while that is true, in part, I say poppycock to that notion.
Sure it has some similarities to Bonds of old, but the context and verve with which Spy serves them up is quite delicious, and the conflict and dynamic between Bond and Anya is all new, enlivening the process with its romantic sub plot. And of course Cubby, in his first venture as solo producer, was going to play it safe. This is the first Bond film since the 60’s heyday, to fully embrace being a Bond film. And to that, I say bravo. A wide screened and glamourous treat to ones eyes!
Moore is superb in this movie. A more polished and charming portrayal, yes, but under that sheen of sophistication, one can still find the deceptively cynical and callous nature to his Bond in his first two outings. Moore has a subtle authority, that works really well. Befitting a man of his stature and rank.
Moore’s performance as 007 is the best since Connery’s in TB. And Spy as a whole, is a damn near perfectly balanced film, the best in that regard since GF, featuring of all prerequisite thrills and spills. Is it too fantastical? Maybe. More fantastical than an obsessive trying to irradiate America’s gold supply or a shadowy criminal organisation stealing an A-Bond or two? Debatable. Regardless, Spy has some brilliant introspective moments to balance the fantasy, such as
Major Anya Amasova: Commander James Bond, recruited to the British Secret Service from the Royal Navy. Licensed to kill and has done so on numerous occasions. Many lady friends but married only once. Wife killed...
James Bond: [interrupts her] Alright, you've made your point.
Major Anya Amasova: You're sensitive, Mr. Bond?
James Bond: About some things.
or
Major Anya Amasova: The man I loved. He was in Austria 3 weeks ago. Did you kill him?
James Bond: When someone's behind you on skis at 40 miles per hour trying to put a bullet in your back, you don't always have time to remember a face. In our business, Anya, people get killed. We both know that. So did he. It was either him or me. The answer to the question is yes. I did kill him.
If you can’t tell I adore this picture. Also Scott Tracy teaming up with James Bond, marvellous stuff!
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. Goldfinger
7. Live and Let Die
8. You Only Live Twice
9. Diamonds Are Forever
10. The Man With The Golden Gun
Moonraker, 1979
There are three pet peeves of mine, when I’m appraising a Bond film, that being silly humour, excessive gadgetry and the film being too fantastical. MR has those three things in spades. Yet MR almost makes me not care about my prejudices. Almost. When one turns it up to 11, what made the prior film so successful, one ruins the balance.
Regardless, MR is a technical triumph. This may be the best looking movie in all of Bondom, at least until SF. The locations, the cinematography, the sets, the set dressing, the models and miniatures and even the outfits are just stunning. ‘tis a pity that the supreme efforts of the crew are undermined by the whole spectacle that is MR.
A quick word on Sir Rog. Sure, he’s doesn’t get a lot to do, apart from being his usual charming and suave self, but a couple of moments did stand out. First after he is freed from the centrifuge, quite undapper, sans quip no less, as Bond figures out whether his body is still working, and, who to trust.
Secondly, when Bond says “thank you” to Corinne. It’s such a genuine moment between the two characters, devoid of any pretence from Bond. As Bond watches her go, one gets the felling that Bond knows that he has signed her death warrant.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. Goldfinger
7. Live and Let Die
8. You Only Live Twice
9. Moonraker
10. Diamonds Are Forever
11. The Man With The Golden Gun
I plan to @Thunderfinger. I haven't reached burnout yet. Just half the films to go.
For Your Eyes Only, 1981
The cinematic Bond enters his third decade. And it was time for a little reset. I don’t know if it was viewing this straight after MR, but FYEO is a breath of fresh air. Does FYEO really mark a return to the more grounded Bonds, or does it seem like so, compared with MR? On reflection, yes. The filmmakers goals to have grounded Bond is achieved. Exacerbated, maybe, on my viewing MR and FYEO so close together.
Not since the 60’s have I felt, while watching a Bond film, that I’m observing real people, with real motivations. I do like the subtle sense of intrigue, surrounding this film. Take the opening Gogol scene.
Gogol -
“Oh, of course, comrade. There will be no direct involvement...but if it comes on the market, we should not lose such a remarkable opportunity. With that in mind, I've already contacted our usual friend in Greece.”
Then the picture cuts to Sir Timothy.
I do feel that Glen, Wilson and Maibaum et al, where trying to produce a coherent film. Glen made a fine start to his directing career, though the movie doesn’t flow as well between dialogue and action, but he would get better a making a more complete picture as his tenure when on. The movie as a whole could do with a slight bit of trimming, but all in all, this is a thrill ride, with plenty of action-y hi-jinks. I do admire Glen’s sense of geography, however. Maybe that was down to his use of storyboards in his previous role as editor and 2nd Unit Director; it’s well plotted out.
In his fifth appearance as Jimmy Bond, Sir Rog has an air of steely determination, recalling his first two outings. Moore has adopted a slight world weariness, and this combined with his laconic humour, really offsets Moore’s advancing age marvellously. Moore’s whole demeanour here, the quiet resoluteness and subtle authority, are hallmarks to Fleming’s Bond. And what a treat to have so much Fleming in this film. Bonus points for that.
Carole Bouquet is stunning as the woman with a cross bow. No wonder Glen is so obsessed with her eyes - they are mesmerising. She and Moore have a great romantic chemistry. I believe their romance. With Conti’s romantic rendition of the main theme, I believe it even more. (A quick note of Conti’s score, dated sure, but I dig it)
Despite the ages of Bouquet and Lynn-Holly Johnson being quite similar, the way the characters are written belies that fact. With Bouquet’s character being written as more mature and worldly, and Johnson’s character being little more than a teenager. Personal growth for Bond! He doesn’t sleep with Bibi, despite her closeness to the villain. A far cry from his caddy nature towards Solitaire. Though I guess that Bond didn't know that Uncle Ary is a villain at this stage of the movie. Still, growth!
I so thoroughly enjoyed my viewing of FYEO, perhaps artificially boosted by seeing it so close to MR, that I’m bumping it up my rankings.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. Goldfinger
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. Live and Let Die
9. You Only Live Twice
10. Moonraker
11. Diamonds Are Forever
12. The Man With The Golden Gun
Octopussy is chicken soup for your soul. It’s like a big, fluffy blanket, an ideal film in the midst of formula film making. Charles “Jerry” Juroe said when Moore vacated the role of 007, that Moore has a couple more films in him. I always thought that Jerry was being diplomatic. Yet, while viewing OP, it’s comforting watching Uncle Rog and his band of merry film makers taking us on another enjoyable romp.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. Goldfinger
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. Octopussy
9. Live and Let Die
10. You Only Live Twice
11. Moonraker
12. Diamonds Are Forever
13. The Man With The Golden Gun
Octopussy is quite a "feel good" Bond film, and a good deal of that does have to do with Moore's avuncular warmth.
A View to a Kill, 1985
This could be the most schizophrenic film in the series. Old vs young, 70’s spectacle vs 80’s conservatism etc. But it doesn’t lean in to that fascinating dynamic. Instead we have a nice and pleasant movie, which we get to see Uncle Rog defeat the marvellously oddball villainous pairing, of Zorin and MayDay. And isn’t it all rather lovely and agreeable? Sure it’s too silly at times, but the series had been that way since DAF. And anyway, the silliness is balanced out with the more serious and conservative tone that the Glen’s have adopted.
Glen’s style… Take these two scenes for example. MayDay has hoisted Bond up in her fishing rod. You get a wide shot of Bond untangling himself. Then you get a close up shot with Bond’s hands releasing the hook.
The second example, being the fireman shouts “that ladder is unlocked!”, then one gets a close up of said ladder being unlocked. Add of all extraneous shots up… and you get a film that isn’t particularly kinetic. Still, Glen does have a great sense of tension. Even danger. Especially with Bond and Zorin’s interactions. There’s a real needle between those two.
Dynamism and kinetic hey? Brings me on rather neatly to Sir Rog. Sure, he doesn’t have the… energy one usually associated with Bond, but as a last hurrah, I can forgive him. He has enormous fun playing the eccentric upper class Englishman at Zorin’s shindig. And when he is called to play the role seriously, he nails it.
I’ve had a great deal of pleasure hanging out with Sir Rog over the past week. Moore was at the helm of the good ship Bond, when the movies were at their most inconsistent, batting away the charged political landscape and changing fashions with a haughty and laconic charm.
Even Barry seemed to have been affected. “Wine With Stacey”, is perhaps the most beautiful and haunting romantic music cue in Bond. Yet it’s beautifully melancholic as well. As if too say goodbye to Moore.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
6. Goldfinger
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. Octopussy
9. Live and Let Die
10. A View to a Kill
11. You Only Live Twice
12. Moonraker
13. Diamonds Are Forever
14. The Man With The Golden Gun
Some thoughts:
CASINO ROYALE
- My best viewing yet, at least since the day I saw it for the first time in cinemas.
- It’s now my favourite post-1990 entry, taking over from GE.
- Eva Green is a top 3 Bond girl.
- I liked the Venetian climax too, I’d even say it’s the best climax since LTK.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE
- My favourite Craig performance.
- Great PTS. Phenomenal opening shots.
- Arnold’s best Bond score.
- Shame it’s a bit rushed at times, though I love those arty touches that it has.
SKYFALL
- I like the dialogue and the acting.
- Favourite moment: ‘Agent down.’
- Not a big fan of the locations in this one, I find the film lacking in atmosphere.
- Too much digging into Bond’s childhood. Leave it alone and keep the mystery.
SPECTRE
- Again, leave those childhood plots alone, this is Bond, not Batman.
- Apart from that though, this one has what I sorely missed in SF: mysterious atmosphere, great locations and fantastic Bond girls in Bellucci and Seydoux.
- Another ‘Best viewing yet’, I expect this one to rise considerably in my next rankings.
- Personally I liked the cinematography and the music score better than in SF, I know I’m probably alone on that.
Overall a big like for three out of four Craig entries. I was especially suprised how much I enjoyed SP this time(@DarthDimi will approve ;) ). I had it dead last for quite some time, I think it will crack my top 15 next time out…
You're not alone GoldenGun, in preferring SP cinematography to SF! And I think QOS beats both of them! Agree too that SF lacks atmosphere, rather stagey in its settings for me!
That's rather how I feel about SF when it comes to its atmosphere. Even the action feels so heavily choreographed, not at all fluid or free-flowing or natural.
I approve. 😉
I enjoy all four Craig movies, with CR being the cream of the crop.
The Living Daylights, 1987
The Bond series, and me, have fallen into a comfortable stupor. A pleasant and complacent way of doing things. Luckily Timmy D is here to rescue the series from its languor. My, isn’t he good? I forgot how good. Dangerous and with an edge to him, yet with understated humour and charm. The sniper scene and the interrogation of Puskin are series highlights. Like Fleming’s Bond up on screen. Dalton’s arrival seems to have reinvigorated the entire film making team. A top movie.
Viewing the Bonds chronologically has had an impact – I missed Connery’s presence in Majesty's; the glorious pomp that was Spy, after the hesitant Hamilton films; the grounded Eyes Only after the excessive Moonraker. Now, TLD resuscitating the series after AVTAK.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Living Daylights
6. The Spy Who Loved Me
7. Goldfinger
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. Octopussy
10. Live and Let Die
11. A View to a Kill
12. You Only Live Twice
13. Moonraker
14. Diamonds Are Forever
15. The Man With The Golden Gun
Glad to hear you had your best viewing of CR in nearly 15 years.
I just finished my Bondathon and CR seems to get better every time I watch it. I even really enjoyed the climax this time after thinking it was middle of the pack prior to this viewing.
I'm trying to put together my rankings before NTTD and am seriously debating if I want to put it at #3 because this recent viewing was so great for me. My 3-5 are OHMSS, FRWL, and CR and they're all so close.
Licence to Kill, 1989
LTK is a brave movie. It tries to shake the Bond formula up. And it’s all about our protagonist and our antagonist. Sure, the action is amongst the best in the series; it’s probably Glen’s finest job at directing; there’s a lack of class to this film – no doubt missing the talents of Richard Maibaum; the look to the film is earthier than prior Bond epics and the storyline, on first glance a simple tale of revenge, against the big bad of the late 80’s, the drug lord, has some wonderful subterfuge nuances.
Yet, at the heart of it, LTK’s story is about Jimmy and Franz. Give the hero some villainous traits and the villain some heroic traits, and one has an engaging dynamic. Sanchez has this roguish charm to him. He values loyalty… but one wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him.
Della’s murder must've stirred up some latent memories for old Jim. Now wonder he goes off the deep end. The personal nature to the story clouding his judgment. Bond is frazzled. Quite a body count James is racking up, Sharkey, Hong Kong narcotics operative, the MI6 agent… It is only when Pam reveals the stinger missile affair, than Bond is able to treat this as a mission. His aim becomes clearer. Then we see the old Bond come back. Now we see Franz becoming frazzled. His paranoia gets the better of him. Bond strips Sanchez’s operation down, little by little.
The tone. I would argue that this was the endgame of the 80’s Bond pictures as a whole. The grounded villain. The increased use of violence. LTK does not, however, have the sheen of sophistication, or use a quip, to undermine said violence. Violence is bad. Murder is ugly. Look at Bond’s ungainly sniper rifle from TLD.
I always get sad when the end titles pop up. Just two films with the fantastic Mr. Dalton.
Rankings -
1. From Russia With Love
2. Thunderball
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. The Living Daylights
6. Licence to Kill
7. The Spy Who Loved Me
8. Goldfinger
9. For Your Eyes Only
10. Octopussy
11. Live and Let Die
12. A View to a Kill
13. You Only Live Twice
14. Moonraker
15. Diamonds Are Forever
16. The Man With The Golden Gun
I know the feeling. But there's a nice sense of closure in this movie and it works as a final film. I wish his third had been in between TLD and LTK.
In one sense, I do view this as the last "real" Bond movie. Aside from the myriad personnel changes that followed this film, Brosnan was clearly a soft reboot (maybe a medium reboot), and Craig's era obviously stands apart.
Basically, no Bond movie released after this one is as much a Bond film as this one is for me, even if one happens to be better on some level.