Is there a Bond film which is your favourite but everyone else doesn't

James Suzuki

Is there a Bond film you like but others don't. Look I have a favorite which is For your eyes only. But all the others like Goldfinger, Goldeneye, From Russia with love, OHMSS etc. I'm not saying all of them are bad, they are brilliant but do you like a Bond movie which isn't one of the popular ones, or the real bad ones but you like it because it makes you click. My one is For your eyes only. What is yours if you have one?

Thunderpussy

Some of my guilty pleasures are,
AVTAK, hated by many but I enjoy it.
Moonraker, also hated, remember watching it in the cinema as a kid still have a soft spot for it.
TMWTGG, One of the weakest, but still has its moments, car jump, Britt, C Lee, and some beautiful locations.
DAF, The script is LOL Funny some great one-liners.

SpectreBlofeld

License to Kill gets a fair amount of flak among Bond fans but it's one of my favorites.

AdamOmega

SpectreBlofeld wrote:

License to Kill gets a fair amount of flak among Bond fans but it's one of my favorites.

Dalton is my least favourite Bond but Licence to Kill is still a great movie.

For me, The Man With The Golden Gun is without a doubt one of my favorites that everyone apparently hates. Sure it has one or two painful moments (and the unnecessary return of Sherriff J.W. Pepper), but it has a great script by Tom Mankiewicz, a great villain in Christopher Lee and a confident performance in Roger Moore. Maud Adams and Britt Ekland are ridiculously gorgeous, Herve Villechaize is an inspired choice for Nick Nack, the theme song is catchy, and the pre-credits sequence is one of the best in the franchise. Everyone gives it a 2 out of 5 but I'd say it's a solid 4 out of 5.

DEFIANT 74205

Actually, for me it seems to be the other way around - I dislike the Bond films that people seem to like. Two of my least favourite Bonds include The Spy Who Loved Me, and Goldeneye.

I didn't like The Spy Who Loved Me because I thought it was starting to get too ... cheesy. A Lotus Esprit submarine? I mark this film as the beginning of when Bond gadgets get out of hand. The plot is fine, but the execution is not. Barbara Bach was very unconvincing as a member of the Russian Army and as a secret agent. And finally ... "Agent XXX" ... is there a more original code name that the writers could come up with? I'd give TSWLM 2/2 for plot. 0.5/3 for execution.

Secondly, Goldeneye. Maybe it's just my traditionalist point of view, but I couldn't get over the fact that they updated the classic Bond theme with a more upbeat version. The original Bond film is a classic and should not change, ever. The Goldeneye theme song itself was great. Another thing I couldn't get over is another 00 agent turning against his own country. There has been traitors in the past, double agents in Fleming's novels, but never a 00 agent. The 00s are the ones sent to dispense with the traitors. It was a passable performance by Brosnan and Bean, but Bond became more of an action hero than a spy. Brosnan also badly needed a hair cut.

There are a few films that I rank reasonably highly - although not my favourite by any stretch of the imagination - but they're not well liked by others: Diamonds are Forever and You Only Live Twice, for example. But my absolute favourites also seem to be a lot of other Bond fans' favourites: From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Goldfinger, and Dr No.

Richard--W

Dr. No.
I like the fact that the first James Bond film is rough around the edges. Connery is rough around the edges, too, but he delivers a confident, commanding, discerning performance. He was never more lean, deadly, bemused and sardonic than he is in Dr. No. It's obvious that a lot of thought and planning went into how the character of James Bond should be depicted and portrayed. He is a fully-rounded and fleshed-out character without making a point of it. There had never been a character anything like him in the movies before. The script is literate and extremely well-plotted. It operates on many levels. I love how it pushes realistic action and suspense to the edge of surrealism, and then pulls back just before stretching believability. Terence Young directs with impeccable style and aplomb. He knew how to tell these stories. He knew how to direct an action-adventure without losing sight of the underlying drama. Note how he keeps tongue-in-cheek humor in cheek and never lets it deteriorate into buffoonery or slapstick.

Dr. No was quite an achievement in 1962, and it holds up extremely well today. It has a vitality and spontaneity the later films are lacking. It remains one of the cinema's greatest action-adventures.

I'm very fond of it.

Richard

thesecretagent

I like The Living Daylights. Most non-affionados don't like Dalton, or this film. I think it's got a lot of good points, but compared to most it's a bit rubbish I supose, but I can't help liking it for some reason...

Blackleiter

I'm with you. I found TLD to be a thoroughly enjoyable Bond film that has been a severely underrated addition the series.
My only complaints - Dalton was totally humorless (but I much prefer no humor to the overall jokiness of the Roger Moore era) and a weak leading lady in Maryam d'Abo.

thesecretagent wrote:

I like The Living Daylights. Most non-affionados don't like Dalton, or this film. I think it's got a lot of good points, but compared to most it's a bit rubbish I supose, but I can't help liking it for some reason...

mrbain007

thesecretagent wrote:

I like The Living Daylights. Most non-affionados don't like Dalton, or this film. I think it's got a lot of good points, but compared to most it's a bit rubbish I supose, but I can't help liking it for some reason...

I think TLD is entertaining (there are some excellent action scenes) but overall there is something a little...underwelming about it. Maybe its because the central villains (Koskof and Whitaker) are rather forgettable.

I actually enjoyed AVTAK, although I know its regarded as one of the weaker films.

I think thats the key to a Bond film...the villain. AVTAK had a good one in the shape of Christopher Walken, as did Licence to Kill - Robert Davi. They held your attention...you felt the sense of menace.

Tobias

I liked OHMSS as it is a very good james bond film for me that is l liked the action scenes and it stands out differently to the other films.The Living Daylights is ok tim Dalton is ok in that one l did not like LTK as it did not seem right to be a james bond film.l like most of the Roger moore films.I also liked you only live twice as it is another good one.

SpectreBlofeld

I thought License to Kill was quite Bondian - the framework of the story was more or less comprised of unused novel elements - the shark-mauling of Leiter and Bond's revenge, Bond's anti-drug work mentioned in Goldfinger and featured in Risico, etc.

JamesBondJunior

I love Diamonds are Forever. It gets really slow at the end of the 2nd act and never really recovers. And save for the elevator fight, the action is sort of dry. But the soundtrack is impeccable. I could listen to the title track everyday and never tire of it. The pre-title sequence is hard to beat in summing up Bond's unique brand of cold-hearted, yet charming heroism. The women are scrumptious (I'd kill for more Plenty O'Toole). And Wint and Kidd are my two favorite henchmen ever. I love the clash of James Bond in 1970s Las Vegas and all its hilariously sleazy characters. The script is the wittiest of them all. I recall a bit of dialogue like this...
Goon: "Sorry to hear about your brother, Mr. Franks"
Moronic Goon(played by Sid Haig!): "I had a brother once"
melancholy James Bond: "Small world"

And I think Sean Connery's performance is fine. He doesn't come off as cool, energetic or assured here, but considering this is following OHMSS and James has just lost the love of his life, his introspective and melancholy acting style fits so well. I think people forget how much the characterization changed in the previous film. I also think Charles Gray was a fine Blofeld. Sad he had to play such a tame version of the character, but he was a great actor.

Napoleon Plural

Yeah, I love DAF. The music and Connery's comic timing is impeccable and Vegas gives it a unique signature. I don't buy into how Connery's manner has anything to do with Tracy's death, I don't think it's intended to follow on at all, however. This is a superb romp, not unlike Ocean's 11 and in a way the finale of the sequel in front of the Bellagio would have been great for a Bond film imo, though Vegas sure don't look that glamorous in real life (the hotels seems to be built on shopping malls with all the charm of the duty free shop at an airport).

Ricardo C.

DAF is very enjoyable as a seedy adult comedy. The dialogue was razor sharp and is actually better than most Bond films in that respect. I think it had a lot to do with Tom Mankiewicz.

JamesBondJunior

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Yeah, I love DAF. The music and Connery's comic timing is impeccable and Vegas gives it a unique signature. I don't buy into how Connery's manner has anything to do with Tracy's death, I don't think it's intended to follow on at all, however. This is a superb romp, not unlike Ocean's 11 and in a way the finale of the sequel in front of the Bellagio would have been great for a Bond film imo, though Vegas sure don't look that glamorous in real life (the hotels seems to be built on shopping malls with all the charm of the duty free shop at an airport).

I question whether or not it was intended too. But I think it works out better that he is rather soft-spoken and melancholy because its follows OHMSS. : ) And does anyone think this film is better than YOLT? I really thought that was Connery's most unenthusiastic appearance. Something about that film just strikes me as really anticlimactic. Maybe because it abandoned a lot of cool parts from the book and didn't replace them with anything really valuable, besides a nice over-the-top volcano fortress.

Dalkowski110

I confess to liking DAF. I can see why people wouldn't like it (Charles Gray and bad release timing are two that I'll agree with...), but I myself have always liked it. Totally agree about the dialogue being very well done and the adult comedy angle.

Q and M

i loved license to kill, basically bcause there was a villian u cud absolutly dispise. Bond was at his best, doing anything 2 ensure justice wud b done. desmond lleyellyn was brilliant in this film also. brilliant all round

James Suzuki

gotta agree with you there

JamesBondJunior

LTK is one of my favorites ever since I was a boy. It really proved to me that Bond could face really dark, violent, personal missions as well as the swanky, surreal ones. I especially cherish it because Q has so much screen time. Carey Lowell was my favorite Bond girl for years. And who doesn't love all the imaginative violent deaths in this one??

James Suzuki

What?

Paperbill

TND not fav, but up there

Q and M

i liked a view to a kill, but it wasnt a moore film. if it had been dalton it would have had a higher rating as he would have done most of his own stunts, unlike moore who at 58 hardly did any stunts. there must have been at least five times in that movie when you cud actually c a stuntman visibly instead of moore. still i thought it was a gud adventure

Predator

Two spring to mind for me, Moonraker and TMWTGG.

Moonraker was my favourite for many years, but steadily increasing age and experience have pushed it down my personal top 5 (heck, I'm not even sure where it stands on my AJB profile list). Love the locations, cinematography, casting, score, wit. There's daftness for sure involving lasers in space, but up until that last real its one of the most suspenseful of the Bonds. Our Rog is on pretty good form and this is the last of his films where he appears just young enough to cut it ...

As for TMWTGG, I'm not even sure if AJB still has all my threads about this. In many respects it's a dreadful film - appearing low budget, low morals, but I love it. Its old and ropey, but characterful. Another great score, the cast is good and the premise strong. It could have been the best but its flaws make it unique. It represents all that is great and terrible about the 70s (in or out of the UK). It is Bond's 3-day-week, but it is endearing because of its faded glamour. Bond could have so easily floundered after this film, but it didn't. In saying all of this, I'd love to see a DC remake of this with a fabulous script and without the misogyny ...

pussygalore

I like "Never Say Never Again," which most Bond fans don't even consider to BE a Bond film.

I love, love, love the music and the opening sequence....a montage of Bond immersed in his work. I never tire of it.

I love his greater vulnerability in the film and the clear effort it takes to do the heavy fighting scenes. I love his mature sex appeal. I also appreciate the complexity of the villain, including his sadistic elements.

And although many consider it cheesy, I enjoy the clash of Bond with 80's culture. I like to see him quietly defend his martinis and red meat against herbal teas and colonic irrigation.

Ricardo C.

It's not my favorite but count me in as another who enjoys The Man With The Golden Gun. I think it's Roger Moore's best film by miles simply for the dialogue. Despite the campy nature of the film, Moore does act rather ruthless enough to convince you he could be a secret service agent out to find a assassin that easily put a golden bullet in his head.

ics

The Man With The Golden Gun has grown on me though time – very very fascinated with Scaramanga and all the information you get about him… ohhhh perhaps it also has some importance that it is my character in DOC

chrisno1

Tomorrow Never Dies

For me the best action sequences out of all of Brosnan's films and quite funny too. While the producers missed a trick by having JUST 2 agents destroy a whole stealth boat (where were the SBS when you needed them? BB and MGW clearly learnt nothing from the less than satisfting climax to GE) it's by far my favourite from the '90s. Top 5 or 6 overall for me.

007

I really enjoy QoS.

DEFIANT 74205

chrisno1 wrote:

Tomorrow Never Dies

For me the best action sequences out of all of Brosnan's films and quite funny too. While the producers missed a trick by having JUST 2 agents destroy a whole stealth boat (where were the SBS when you needed them? BB and MGW clearly learnt nothing from the less than satisfting climax to GE) it's by far my favourite from the '90s. Top 5 or 6 overall for me.

I agree. For me, Tomorrow Never Dies is Brosnan's best film.

blueman

007 wrote:

I really enjoy QoS.

Me too. Also DAF and TMWTGG, both for reasons others have already stated eloquently. Just looking at those three titles, they all seem to catch something of Bond (warts and all) not readily found in most other Bond films. DN too, probably captures the feel of the base novel better than any Bond film IMO, those rough edges (again, already pointed out {[] ) feel more Fleming to me then later films' slickness.

chrisno1

DEFIANT 74205 wrote:

chrisno1 wrote:

Tomorrow Never Dies

For me the best action sequences out of all of Brosnan's films and quite funny too. While the producers missed a trick by having JUST 2 agents destroy a whole stealth boat (where were the SBS when you needed them? BB and MGW clearly learnt nothing from the less than satisfting climax to GE) it's by far my favourite from the '90s. Top 5 or 6 overall for me.

I agree. For me, Tomorrow Never Dies is Brosnan's best film.

At last! I thought I was the only one who thought this! I feel I can finally start the party {[]