^True! Imagine how he must have aged after the shark nearly ate him!
A James Bond Fan Reviews the Franchise
- Thread starter Admiral Shran
- Start date
I didn't know that. But then again, I've only read a little bit of Casino Royale.
I'm going to have to find the James Bond novels to be able to follow this discussion!
From Russia With Love (*****)
Now this is an excellent Bond film. It's got all the elements that made Dr. No great and fixes the one problem that movie had - SPECTRE's motivations are clearly established. They want to get the West and the East fighting amongst themselves while they sit back and wait to take out the weakened victor. They also have the side-plan of making a profit from selling the Lektor Decoder back to the Soviets after they themselves stole it in the first place. And, this is all established fairly early in the movie. Very well done.
It's also good to see Bond putting his detective skills to use again, though in a much more limited manner than in the previous film. Mostly he only does it in his scenes in his hotel rooms. I guess a lot of this had to be cut to make room for the action scenes, and there are a lot more of those this time. However, I'm not complaining because the action is just right. It doesn't overwhelm the story or distract from anything. And again, it isn't an adrenaline bath.
Again, the movie sets up a slow and methodical atmosphere. There's a lot of technical information (such as the dealings with the Lektor) and a lot of scenes where the atmosphere is being set and nothing more (like Bond and Kermin Bey's trip through the underground reservoir and the Gypsy Camp). Even the scene with Q is well done and not overblown. As much as I love Desmond Llewelyn as Q, his scenes later in the franchise did tend to become rather absurd, here (in his first appearance) the scene is bare-bones. He gives Bond his equipment briefing and that's it - no banter between the two and no eye-rolling inducing jokes or puns. Excellent, just what it should be.
And, of course, I have to mention Kermin Bey - another great sidekick for Bond. I really like this guy, probably more so than Quarrel. He's not just a sidekick; he's every bit Bond's equal. How can you not like a guy whose biggest problem (when he lives a life of espionage and intrigue) is that he thinks making love to a gorgeous woman is like working in a salt mine.
I wish I had that problem. It's a shame they killed him off as well.
Other than that - very good performances from all the actors. Even the guy who plays Blofeld delivers a chilling and menacing performance - even if all he really does is sit in a chair and pet his cat and we don't see his face.
Overall, Bond is off to an excellent start with these two films.
That's Amore: 6
Bond slept with two Gypsy girls and Tatiana Romanova. He also slept with Sylvia Trench again, but I'm not counting her as she was counted in Dr. No.
Body Count: 24
Bond killed eighteen people this time!
He shot four men at the Gypsy Camp, strangled Grant, blew up two men in the helicopter, and blew up/burned eleven men in the boats.
Now this is an excellent Bond film. It's got all the elements that made Dr. No great and fixes the one problem that movie had - SPECTRE's motivations are clearly established. They want to get the West and the East fighting amongst themselves while they sit back and wait to take out the weakened victor. They also have the side-plan of making a profit from selling the Lektor Decoder back to the Soviets after they themselves stole it in the first place. And, this is all established fairly early in the movie. Very well done.
It's also good to see Bond putting his detective skills to use again, though in a much more limited manner than in the previous film. Mostly he only does it in his scenes in his hotel rooms. I guess a lot of this had to be cut to make room for the action scenes, and there are a lot more of those this time. However, I'm not complaining because the action is just right. It doesn't overwhelm the story or distract from anything. And again, it isn't an adrenaline bath.
Again, the movie sets up a slow and methodical atmosphere. There's a lot of technical information (such as the dealings with the Lektor) and a lot of scenes where the atmosphere is being set and nothing more (like Bond and Kermin Bey's trip through the underground reservoir and the Gypsy Camp). Even the scene with Q is well done and not overblown. As much as I love Desmond Llewelyn as Q, his scenes later in the franchise did tend to become rather absurd, here (in his first appearance) the scene is bare-bones. He gives Bond his equipment briefing and that's it - no banter between the two and no eye-rolling inducing jokes or puns. Excellent, just what it should be.
And, of course, I have to mention Kermin Bey - another great sidekick for Bond. I really like this guy, probably more so than Quarrel. He's not just a sidekick; he's every bit Bond's equal. How can you not like a guy whose biggest problem (when he lives a life of espionage and intrigue) is that he thinks making love to a gorgeous woman is like working in a salt mine.
I wish I had that problem. It's a shame they killed him off as well.Other than that - very good performances from all the actors. Even the guy who plays Blofeld delivers a chilling and menacing performance - even if all he really does is sit in a chair and pet his cat and we don't see his face.
Overall, Bond is off to an excellent start with these two films.
That's Amore: 6
Bond slept with two Gypsy girls and Tatiana Romanova. He also slept with Sylvia Trench again, but I'm not counting her as she was counted in Dr. No.
Body Count: 24
Bond killed eighteen people this time!
He shot four men at the Gypsy Camp, strangled Grant, blew up two men in the helicopter, and blew up/burned eleven men in the boats.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE probably has the most believable plot of a Bond film, and it's easily my favorite film with Connery as the character (as much fun as GOLDFINGER can be, it's pretty silly).
The Helicopter chase is either a reference to the crop-duster scene in Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST, or just an outright lift. Either way, that movie is worth seeing--it's the closest look we have to how Cary Grant would have played James Bond as you'll find (and it's a real shame he was too old for the part by the time the films were in production).
The Helicopter chase is either a reference to the crop-duster scene in Alfred Hitchcock's NORTH BY NORTHWEST, or just an outright lift. Either way, that movie is worth seeing--it's the closest look we have to how Cary Grant would have played James Bond as you'll find (and it's a real shame he was too old for the part by the time the films were in production).
An excellent film--with a LOT of great stuff. Fun, sexy (the scene where Bond first meets Tanya is one for the ages), and suspenseful (the sequences on the train is very pulse-pounding).
However...the helecoptor and speedboat scenes seem a bit too conventional and ordinary, to be honest--Bond lighting up the river by igniting the gas tanks notwithstanding.
Frankly, it WOULD have been more spectacular had they gone with the original plan and filmed the speedboat scene at night. And...I was under the impression that speedboat chases were supposed to be fast. Ah, well....
(Also...a bit more score during the action scenes--such as the fight with Grant--would have been nice. It seems like John Barry was still working things out with this one.)
Interesting note: in the book, Klebb actually DOES managed to get Bond with the poison-tipped shoe--and Bond doubles over as the book comes to a close. This is probably what the line in Dr. No (which was published after "Russia", book-wise) refers to, when M notes that Bond spent 6 months in a hospital.
Of course, the movie Dr. No came first, so they had to rewrite the ending and have Tania shook Klebb in time--and so Bond quips, "She had her kicks."
However...the helecoptor and speedboat scenes seem a bit too conventional and ordinary, to be honest--Bond lighting up the river by igniting the gas tanks notwithstanding.
Frankly, it WOULD have been more spectacular had they gone with the original plan and filmed the speedboat scene at night. And...I was under the impression that speedboat chases were supposed to be fast. Ah, well....
(Also...a bit more score during the action scenes--such as the fight with Grant--would have been nice. It seems like John Barry was still working things out with this one.)
Interesting note: in the book, Klebb actually DOES managed to get Bond with the poison-tipped shoe--and Bond doubles over as the book comes to a close. This is probably what the line in Dr. No (which was published after "Russia", book-wise) refers to, when M notes that Bond spent 6 months in a hospital.
Of course, the movie Dr. No came first, so they had to rewrite the ending and have Tania shook Klebb in time--and so Bond quips, "She had her kicks."
That would have, indeed, been more pulse-pounding. However, I think the one thing above all that makes this film so great is the fact that it's so down-to-earth. The slowness of the action only adds to that. One of my main criticisms of Brosnan's movies was that they tended to let the action overcome everything else. From Russia With Love doesn't have that problem.
Goldfinger (***½)
For a lot of people this is the quintessential James Bond movie. It doesn't get any better than this. So naturally I gave it a five-star rating, right? Well, not quite.
This is a very enjoyable movie, and it does have a lot going for it. 1.) It's probably the best scripted/written of the three movies so far - the dialogue is superb and the comedy and action are just right. 2.) We also have some truly great performances. Harold Sakata as Odd Job in particular gives a very memorable one. He has no lines, yet manages to come across as pretty menacing. Gert Frobe as Goldfinger also does a very good job, especially considering that they had to dub over his lines due to his thick accent. 3.) It also gives us a lot of iconic scenes - the girl painted gold, the laser cutting scene, etc.
However, there are several things that drag the movie down for me. First, I don't care for the way Bond seems to act more as a commando than an intelligence operative, especially in the mini-mission at the beginning of the film. Second, Bond literally forces himself onto Pussy Galore. Up to this point, he has been manipulating women into bed (most notably with Miss Taro in Dr. No), but he's never before forced himself on them like him does here. Very off-puting.
However, the biggest thing that harms this movie is Pussy Galore herself. I simply do not see what the attraction is with this character. She has the personality of, for lack of a better term, a bitch. I simply find her unappealing. And, from a purely superficial standpoint, while Honor Blackman is an attractive woman, she is not Helen of Troy. Other than her name, I'm hard pressed to see why so many people find her so appealing.
Now, if you don't mind, I need to find a hiding place from all the people who will probably try to lynch me.
That's Amore: 8
Bond slept with Jill Masterson and Pussy Galore. He may have slept with the woman in the mini-mission and Dink, but I can't be sure. So, I won't count them.
Body Count: 31 (+9)
For a lot of people this is the quintessential James Bond movie. It doesn't get any better than this. So naturally I gave it a five-star rating, right? Well, not quite.
This is a very enjoyable movie, and it does have a lot going for it. 1.) It's probably the best scripted/written of the three movies so far - the dialogue is superb and the comedy and action are just right. 2.) We also have some truly great performances. Harold Sakata as Odd Job in particular gives a very memorable one. He has no lines, yet manages to come across as pretty menacing. Gert Frobe as Goldfinger also does a very good job, especially considering that they had to dub over his lines due to his thick accent. 3.) It also gives us a lot of iconic scenes - the girl painted gold, the laser cutting scene, etc.
However, there are several things that drag the movie down for me. First, I don't care for the way Bond seems to act more as a commando than an intelligence operative, especially in the mini-mission at the beginning of the film. Second, Bond literally forces himself onto Pussy Galore. Up to this point, he has been manipulating women into bed (most notably with Miss Taro in Dr. No), but he's never before forced himself on them like him does here. Very off-puting.
However, the biggest thing that harms this movie is Pussy Galore herself. I simply do not see what the attraction is with this character. She has the personality of, for lack of a better term, a bitch. I simply find her unappealing. And, from a purely superficial standpoint, while Honor Blackman is an attractive woman, she is not Helen of Troy. Other than her name, I'm hard pressed to see why so many people find her so appealing.
Now, if you don't mind, I need to find a hiding place from all the people who will probably try to lynch me.
That's Amore: 8
Bond slept with Jill Masterson and Pussy Galore. He may have slept with the woman in the mini-mission and Dink, but I can't be sure. So, I won't count them.
Body Count: 31 (+9)
I agree with the comments on 
Galor...she wasn't exactly among the hottest of all Bond girls.
Frankly, when I first saw it, I was like, "So...Bond loses the extraordinarily hot Jill Masterson...and gets her?"
Like Bond himself grumbles upon meeting Galor..."I must be dreaming...."
Why does Jill only have a few minutes? She was probably one of the greatest high points of the Connery films!
Now, I actually love the bantering kind of "bromance" between Q and Bond. For all the bickering, we get the idea that they are, in fact, good friends. Bond knows just how to drive Q nuts...and Q just sighs and shakes his head, playing the "straight man". Almost O'Brien and Bashir, to be honest.
And of course, who can forget--
"You expect me to talk?"
"NO, Mister Bond, I expect you to DIE!" 
Galor...she wasn't exactly among the hottest of all Bond girls.Frankly, when I first saw it, I was like, "So...Bond loses the extraordinarily hot Jill Masterson...and gets her?"
Like Bond himself grumbles upon meeting
Galor..."I must be dreaming...."Why does Jill only have a few minutes? She was probably one of the greatest high points of the Connery films!
Now, I actually love the bantering kind of "bromance" between Q and Bond. For all the bickering, we get the idea that they are, in fact, good friends. Bond knows just how to drive Q nuts...and Q just sighs and shakes his head, playing the "straight man". Almost O'Brien and Bashir, to be honest.
And of course, who can forget--
"You expect me to talk?"
"NO, Mister Bond, I expect you to DIE!" 
Hey if James Bond can be a timelord so can Felix
Felix- the shark ate my legs but thankfully i'm 14 hours into my regeneration....
Excellent post AS! Read through your 3 reviews so far and I thoroughly enjoyed them. It does bring back my memory on those films and will discuss them also in detail...
My B.R.S. (Bond Ranking System) goes as this,
Connery>Brosnan>Moore (before adding WAY too much humor)>Dalton>Lazenby...Haven't sat through Craig totally so I don't count him so he is dead last...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086006/
My B.R.S. (Bond Ranking System) goes as this,
Connery>Brosnan>Moore (before adding WAY too much humor)>Dalton>Lazenby...Haven't sat through Craig totally so I don't count him so he is dead last...
BTW, It has been done like that in Never Say Never Again, with Bernie Casey playing Felix.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086006/
I agree with the comments about the 'speed'boat chase in FRWL, not the highlight of the film, but overall the film is very, very good, and by far the most realistic Bond film (one might even argue the only realistic Bond film
)Once upon a time I'd have said Goldfinger was one of my favourite Bond films, but these days...I dunno, I think I've just seen it too many times. Maybe it's a pacing issue as well but I find Connery films somewhat laborious these days (although I still love OHMSS so maybe it's just that I don't like Connery!)
I generally think FRWL coupled with Goldfinger was the height of the Bond series. There will be several films to come in the same league, but they are not to be topped.
Connery is my favorite Bond but after that I have trouble ranking them. They each have pros and cons in their performances and in the films themselves. It's ok though, it gives me the option of watching a camp fest Moore entry or Quantum of Solace and still get my Bond fix.
Connery is my favorite Bond but after that I have trouble ranking them. They each have pros and cons in their performances and in the films themselves. It's ok though, it gives me the option of watching a camp fest Moore entry or Quantum of Solace and still get my Bond fix.
Agreed. The "bromance" is quite good (except when taken to extremes like they did in the later movies). And, of course, Desmond Llewelyn is perfect in the role. I won't say much more about Q, as I'll save that for the later reviews, but I do think that the movie which best shows that the two are indeed good friends is License to Kill.
BTW, It has been done like that in Never Say Never Again, with Bernie Casey playing Felix.
I've never seen Never Say Never Again. But Calvin Hudson from DS9: The Maquis played Felix?!
I just might have to watch it now.I agree with the comments about the 'speed'boat chase in FRWL, not the highlight of the film, but overall the film is very, very good, and by far the most realistic Bond film (one might even argue the only realistic Bond film
I don't think it's the only realisitic one; there are a few others sprinkled throughout the franchise. However, FRWL is up there amongst the best.
^You're not missing much on Never Say Never Again. It has some good moments...but by and large, it's just mind-numbingly dull.
agreed. its worth watching once, but in the end its just an inferior remake of Thunderball.
You beat me to it...
I also seem to recall that there were legal issues that surrounded it prior to it being made. This site supports my theory:
http://www.mjnewton.demon.co.uk/bond/nsna.htm
