) I love it too, as a kid I pestered my big bro to tale me. Oddly it was
Because of the croc escape ( the set up was shown on TV clips) and
Roger Moore ( whom I loved as the saint and Lord Brett Sinclair ). I
Didn't know who James Bond was, or that it was a series of films. Only
That it was a Roger Moore film.
Wasn't until a few years later that I made the connection ( sometimes it
Takes me a while ) ) I also found Tee Her very frighting with his metal
Arm.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Ever wonder what happened after the end of some of those movies?
DN- Felix had to drive back & attach another line to Bond's Boat; asked him why he's so immature.
FRWL- Bond & Tatianna got stopped by police & cited for throwing trash in the water.
GF- It was fun under the chute, but the 20 mile hike back to civilization had Pussy cursing out Bond like a dock worker.
TB- Everyone was saddened by the discovery of Domino's broken neck.
TMWTGG- While Bond & Goodnight were getting busy, Nic Nack fell to his death through the cabin ceiling.
TSWLM- Triple X, in a fit of embarrassment, shot Bond anyway.
MR- The attempt failed because Bond never trained in zero-G.
FYEO- The PM sent Bond a covert love letter later saying she really would like to give him a kiss.
AVTAK- The robot went into the shower & electrocuted them.
TLD- A random bodyguard drew his weapon and demanded the Muhajideen disarm & the ensuing firefight killed most of the people in the room.
GE- A sexually frustrated Bond decided Wade was a dick.
TLD- Bond & Lin suffered second degree sun burns the next day waiting to be found.
CR- In grief, Bond drank himself to death.
Ever wonder what happened after the end of some of those movies?
DN- Felix had to drive back & attach another line to Bond's Boat; asked him why he's so immature.
FRWL- Bond & Tatianna got stopped by police & cited for throwing trash in the water.
GF- It was fun under the chute, but the 20 mile hike back to civilization had Pussy cursing out Bond like a dock worker.
TB- Everyone was saddened by the discovery of Domino's broken neck.
TMWTGG- While Bond & Goodnight were getting busy, Nic Nack fell to his death through the cabin ceiling.
TSWLM- Triple X, in a fit of embarrassment, shot Bond anyway.
MR- The attempt failed because Bond never trained in zero-G.
FYEO- The PM sent Bond a covert love letter later saying she really would like to give him a kiss.
AVTAK- The robot went into the shower & electrocuted them.
TLD- A random bodyguard drew his weapon and demanded the Muhajideen disarm & the ensuing firefight killed most of the people in the room.
GE- A sexually frustrated Bond decided Wade was a dick.
TLD- Bond & Lin suffered second degree sun burns the next day waiting to be found.
CR- In grief, Bond drank himself to death.
Nice ones!
DAD - While Bond puts the diamonds on Jinx's belly, he suddendly noticed the cut Miranda Frost had made on her stomach had completely dissapeared! His suspicions came to late, as it was revealed this Jinx was yet another villian who took the face altering therapy:
And she strangled Bond do death, which is why the reboot was needed
One thing that has always puzzled me, was Leiters jolly Attitude at the End of LTK. He seemed to have forgotten that his Wife is dead, and he is missing a Leg ?:)
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
Yes, a bit too much of a happy ending. although
The wife was well insured so at last he could get that Aston Martin
and missing a leg, he could park it where ever he wanted ! )
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
One thing that has always puzzled me, was Leiters jolly Attitude at the End of LTK. He seemed to have forgotten that his Wife is dead, and he is missing a Leg ?:)
They cut the short scene when Bond gets off the phone with him and Pam asks how he's doing and Bond says "Amazing thing, these modern pain killers!" )
DAD - While Bond puts the diamonds on Jinx's belly, he suddendly noticed the cut Miranda Frost had made on her stomach had completely dissapeared! His suspicions came to late, as it was revealed this Jinx was yet another villian who took the face altering therapy:
And she strangled Bond do death, which is why the reboot was needed.
Just thought I resurrect this thread I made a while back. Any members around who would like to share their reviews/ brief assessments / oppinions on the movies? I just always love hearing other peoples takes on these
Well, after reading my previous post on this subject, I'm going to do this again.
Dr No:
Connery is good, and the locations look fantastic. Dr No is a good villain to start with. However, I do find this one lacks the excitement or danger the latter films have.
6.5/10
From Russia With Love:
A dark, spy thriller, this film succeeds at wha it was trying to be. The scenes on the train are great, and after a recent re viewing I have ode died that I like this film a little more than I used to.
7.5/10
Goldfinger:
The classic. Everything is great, the car, gadgets, villain, girl. It's my favourite Connery film, and this is the direction the Bond films decided to go: big and beautiful.
10/10
Thunderball:
This one tries to replicate what was so good about Goldfinger, but fails. Boring, slow and just dull.
6/10
You Only Live Twice:
Much better than Thunderball. Everything is bigger, and is the equivalent of TSWLM in its size in terms of threat, villains and overall appearance.
8/10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service:
I really want to like this film, but I just find it slow until we get to Blofeld. Am I the only one who thinks Tracy is incredibly overrated?
7/10
Diamonds Are Forever:
A Moore film with Connery. That just sums it up completely. But that's not a problem for me.
8/10
Live And Let Die:
The villains are great, Moore is great, Seymour is great. I love this film and think it is one of the best debut films for a Bond actor.
9/10
The Man With The Golden Gun:
A Connery film with Moore in it. And a bit more over the top stuff. This film is just missing something, but is still enjoyable to watch from time to time.
8/10
The Spy Who Loved Me:
Overrated. I enjoy this film, but just not as much as everyone else. Howeve, its still a pretty good film.
8/10
Moonraker:
I love Moonraker. It's not too serious, and it acknowledges the absurdness of the situations, such as crowd reactions to the gondala. It's a very enjoyable watch.
9.5/10
For Your Eyes Only:
This film is great. It's not too serious, but it's not too over the top. An enjoyable watch, and quite fun.
9.5/10
Octopussy:
A great film. It's just so enjoyable to watch. It has everything a Bond film needs in my opinion: a strong female lead, fun allies, more Q, action sequences, car chases and a good villain and henchman.
10/10
Never Say Never Again:
It doesn't feel like a Bond film, but doesn't feel right as a stand alone film either. However, it does have a few good moments.
7/10
A View To A Kill:
A great way for Moore to go out. Granted, it is very strange, but it is still a laugh to watch.
9.5/10
The. living Daylights:
A great way to intrduce Dalton, and not too serious, but not too campy.
9/10
Licence To Kill:
This film is just great. It really is a good Bond film aand action film in general.
9.5/10
GoldenEye:
Great girl, villains, chase, PTS, and a great way to introduce new people in the roles of Bond, M and Moneypenny.
10/10
Tomorrow Never Dies:
A really enjoyable film, Tomorrow Never dies slows a bit halfway through but has a great finale on the stealth boat.
9/10
The World Is Not Enough:
The film starts off well, but slows down after the titles and is fairly boring until the helicopter scene at the caviar factory.
7.5/10
Die Another Day:
Whilst the film is a mix of seriousness and light heartedness, and is ultimately weighed down with bad CGI and some elements that are a bit too far even for Bond, it is still an enjoyable film from the scenes in Cuba.
7/10 for pure enjoyment.
Casino Royale:
It has some great scenes, but I am ultimately not that impressed with the film. It may appeal to some people, but I just don't find it very enjoyable to watch repeatedly.
7/10
Quantum Of Solace:
I've seen this film once. It may only be 100 minutes long, but it sure is a boring experience that goes on forever.
5/10
Skyfall:
Great film, combines the seriousness of Craig but allows for light hearted lines and a few jokes to make it an enjoyable experience similar to The Living Daylights.
10/10
I have to say I am on the same page as you on the majority of the movies here, including some remarkable ones like both wanting to like OHMSS more then we do, we even rank it in the same possition... We also both think QoS is one of the weakest in the franchise.. You do seem to like DAF, LALD and AVTAK a lot more than I do, but I can see where you're coming from with those. A major difference would be that I rank CR a LOT highter than you do.
Anyway, always nice to hear (read) others peoples thoughts, thanks for sharing! -{
Dr. No: Great intro to the franchise and James Bond as a character. Deserves a lot of credit for introducing a whole new style of action film, largely thanks to Terence Young, Ken Adam, and Sean Connery. 8/10
From Russia With Love: Pitch perfect. The definitive spy film and the best Bond film ever. This is where Connery embodies James Bond and becomes the ultimate Cold War hero. 10/10
Goldfinger: Hailed as the best Bond film by most, and deservedly so. A classic in 20th century cinema. If a bond film is only as good as it's villain, this one nails it. It's fantastic without being gaudily over the top. Connery is superbly confident in the role. 9/10
Thunderball: A wonderful follow up to Goldfinger. Locations are beautifully filmed, and the underwater scenes are brilliantly shot and executed. Connery rules once again. Probably the best performances from the girls thus far. 9/10
You Only Live Twice : Connery's performance is lackluster, a little obvious he's tired of the role. But he's still got it otherwise, and the Japan setting makes for a very singular Bond film. 7/10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Best bond film since FRWL. Brilliantly directed by Peter Hunt. George Lazenby makes a triumphant stamp on the role, plays Bond with a sort of posh arrogance that's further from Connery but closer to Fleming's Bond at times. Diana Rigg is fantastic. The marriage of Bond and the death of Tracy will forever change Bond. 10/10
Diamonds are Forever: Sean Connery gives a return-to-form performance, but other than that, the film fails to live up to the standard set by the series thusfar. The formula becomes tired here. 5/10
Live and Let Die: Grand introduction of Roger Moore as Bond. Where DAF failed, this film succeeds. Rather boldly establishes the tone of the Moore era, while also remaining a very singular Bond film due to the voodoo themes and settings (much in the same vein as YOLT). 8/10
The Man with the Golden Gun: One word: "Meh". There's something about this one that just hasn't stood the test of time. Everything about it feels lackluster. One of the real lowpoints of the whole series. 4/10
The Spy Who Loved Me: Bond is back! Best film of the Moore era. Though I prefer the more serious Bonds, this is fun, exciting, and Moore really comes into his own here. a triumphant chapter in the series. 8.5/10
Moonraker: I'm all for camp, but this is just too much. A ridiculous effort to cash in on the success of Star Wars. Worst film of the series, though once again Moore plays his Bond with clear confidence. 3/10
For Your Eyes Only: A return to form. Sets the tone for Bond in the 80's. A confident, but tempered performance by Moore that matches the back to basics tone of the film while remaining true to what he had established for the character. 7.5/10
Octopusy: Pretty solid, but easily forgettable. Has some great action scenes (most notably the train sequence). Some great locales, and Maud Adams is wonderful in the title role. Moore does his thing. 7/10
A View to a Kill: The best thing this one has going for ti is Christopher Walken. Other than that, a real dud. Moore is old and tired in the role, but still manages to have some fun. Grace Jones as May Day is a memorable henchman, if only for laughs. 5/10
The Living Daylights: Another triumphant return to form. Dalton gives a brilliant performance (even though he's not completely in his element yet). 8.5/10
Licence To Kill: An underrated classic, and a precursor to the Craig-era. Some scenes haven't aged well, and sometimes it feels a little too much like any '80's action flick, but the action itself is some of the best of the series (i.e. truck chase finale), the violence is bloody and Fleming-esque, and Timothy Dalton's performance is superb! And Robert Davi also gives us one of the greatest Bond villain performances of the series. 9/10
Goldeneye: A modern classic! Pierce Brosnan instantly makes the role his own. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that this was the finest debut performance of all the Bond actors thus far (the finest of all comes later -{ ). Great story, great villains, spot-on action, production design. A near perfect Bond movie. Not only that, it set the tone for Bond in the 90's. Too bad the rest of the decade didn't live up to the gold standard. 10/10
Tomorrow Never Dies: On the surface, it's got all the necessary components of a Bond film, and it pulls them all off. But still, something's missing. Still not sure what it is. There's just something that keeps it just shy of being a classic like GE was. In any case, this was the first Bond film I ever saw and it was love at first sight, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. P.S. Jonathan Pryce as Eliot Carver is one of the most underrated Bond villains! 7/10
The World Is Not Enough: Again, it's got most the right components, but it lacks the nitty gritty soul of the best Bond films. Also, Denise Richards is just terrible. Brosnan is good, but leaves something to be desired, which I fault the script for. At times Brosnan really shows hints of a vulnerable, complicated Bond in this one. Just goes to show you that Brosnan might possibly have been the best bond every had he been given better material to work with. 6.5/10
Die Another Day: Real shame that Broz had to go out on this one. The opening hovercraft chase is great, then it's all speedily downhill from there. Director Lee Tamahori embraces all the worst pitfalls of a bad Bond movie and the result is the same as every other lowpoint in the series: a cheap, bombastic parody of the real thing. 3.5/10
Casino Royale: What to say about this one that hasn't already been said. Not only does Craig give the single greatest debut Bond performance by rebuilding the character from the ground up, but he instantly becomes the best Bond in the franchise's history. Before Craig, every new Bond was compared to Connery. But with Craig there is no need. This man IS James Bond. Whether you call it a reboot, retcon, re"bourne" Bond, whatever; returning to the first Bond novel as source material was a stroke of genius on the part of Broccoli and Wilson. Having Campbell return was also a nice touch, as he embues the film with the same keen understanding of the character and his dark but glamorous world that he did masterfully with GE. All the other actors nail their parts (most notably Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green). The film not only looks, but FEELS like IAN FLEMING's JAMES BOND. A++ 10/10
Quantum of Solace: It's strange, but I really liked this one when it came out. I think it's because I was viewing it as the third act of CR. But on its own, the film is simply not that good. Daniel Craig is every bit as dedicated to his Bond as he was in Casino Royale, but there just isn't enough juice in the script or the film to sustain him. CR was inaccurately compared to the Bourne franchise upon its release, but QoS feels like an even blander imitation of a Bourne movie most of the time. But hey, the opening carchase is great 5.5/10
Skyfall: Mendes Mendes Mendes. Hiring him as director was probably the most brilliant move Barbara and Michael have made since they took over the franchise. Of all the Bond directors, Sam Mendes captured the spirit of Ian Fleming best, striking a near perfect balance between camp and seriousness, violence and elegance, rough and smooth. Craig gives his best performance as Bond yet, this time portraying the Bond we recognize in the later Fleming novels; cold, broken, and increasingly dependent on booze and pharmaceuticals as well as fine living and women to silence the pain of his job that he remains best at. Oh, and JAVIER BARDEM!!! A+++, now here's looking forward to Spectre! 10/10
Didn't realise this thread existed! So I thought I'd post my addition to the ultimate Bond ranking thread on here. Love writing about the Bond films!
24. Die Another Day (2002)
At the end of the day, this would have to be the only film in the series that I genuinely don’t like. No disrespect to those few in number who love this one, but it’s just guff isn’t it? For me, it feels like someone desperately trying to make a Bond film and failing miserably. Everything here feels fake, hammy, and cheap. The CGI is dreadful, the characters are as well, with Toby Stephens, (who I think is an otherwise fine actor), absolutely awful here. Not that it’s his fault, but for my money he is without exception the worst villain in the series. I don’t buy John Cleese as Q, and Halle Berrys ‘Jinx’ is cringe worthy. The infamous kite surfing tsunami sequence is, dare I say, one of the worst scenes in 21st century blockbuster cinema, and the story is in part a Diamonds are Forever rip off, which is not a solid basis to start your new Bond film on. Having said that, Pierce does his best and Rosamund Pike is great (shame she didn’t have the opportunity to be in a better Bond film) and the pre-title sequence is passable.
23. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
As much as I don't wish to add to the criticism of the Brosnan era, as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to see it as the weakest period in the series history. Not to say that I don’t like Brosnan or indeed 3 of his films, it’s just that I think his era has the most shortcomings. This one is a decidedly mixed bag. The villain and the plot are both quite weak, and I’m not crash hot on the 2 leading ladies. Though the first 40 or 50 minutes are quite good, with the Hamburg segment of the film being the best for mind. Particularly the stuff with Bond sneaking around the paper mill, and that car chase in the car park, which is a great little scene. Special mention to the superb David Arnold score.
22. The World is Not Enough (1999)
Sorry once again Pierce...I was actually hoping to have a bottom 3 which was not entirely comprised of Brosnan’s films but it’s just the way it’s turned out. Though there is plenty to enjoy in this one and I do actually get why some people consider this one of their very favourite Bond films. Funnily enough, when I was a kid it was close to my favourite film in the series and on paper it has everything a great Bond film should, but for me it just doesn’t click and it feels a bit cold and tepid. It lacks the warmth and excitement that a Bond film should have. I love Electra King though, she’s gorgeous and a worthy adversary. The pre-title sequence is quite good, it’s also nice to have Robbie Coltrane back and the score is once again great. The title song is also very good and I do like that action sequence in the nuclear bunker. That image of Bond sliding along the chains with the explosions going off behind him is a great shot. Brosnan is excellent in this and I would say it’s his best overall performance but ultimately the film still leaves me a little cold. It’s a shame he didn’t get a better tenure because he was a worthy Bond.
21. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
I used to really not enjoy this one but funnily enough over the last few years it is one of the Bond films that I watch the most. For me, this is without a doubt the weirdest Bond film of the alot. It’s just cooked. The villains are campy and zany (Wint and Kidd? Absolute lads), which is no more evident than the moment where Blofeld appears in drag. Ridiculous! And what is with that crazy zoo chick that morphs into a gorilla?!? Lunacy. Tiffany is a great Bond girl until the final reel when she has a similarly drastic transformation and becomes a complete idiot. Also, Connery is a little off-kilter and ironic in this one. It’s great to see him as Bond, but he’s not the same Bond anymore. What happened to the lean, mean, panther like Bond of the 60s! Still I enjoy seeing him here. Love the pre-title sequence, the song is a cracker and so is the score. John Barry is just the man. Special mention to the funeral parlour sequence where Bond ends up in a coffin, and Bambi and Thumper. Also love the sleazy production design and the 70s Las Vegas setting. A real moment in time. Lots to enjoy, but ultimately quite a weak entry.
20. Moonraker (1979) You know, in a way, I kind of feel that this is actually the second worst film in the series. The campy, self-parodying humour is taken to truly ridiculous and cringe-worthy heights. JAWS being back? Great. JAWS falling in love with a chick who looks like she should be standing in front of a joy division hut in Nazi Germany and then becoming a good guy as a consequence? Spare me. The Gondola sequence? Possibly the second worst moment in Bond history (go back to Die Another Day for the first). The endless, blatant product placement, the continuous miraculous escapes, the limitless slapstick jokes... it’s enough to make the head spin. Admittedly, this is quite similar to The Spy Who Loved Me, however where the two differ is that Spy is purely tongue in cheek, whereas Moonraker totally takes the piss. Yet, there is something very entertaining about Moonraker. It’s big time film production and I think that that is what I love about it. It’s a huge undertaking and there is lot to like as a result. In fact, Ken Adam’s sets and John Barry’s music are both so great that frankly, the film doesn’t deserve them. That pre-title sequence is awesome, (the stunt work is outta sight), Roger is in top form and I love all that stuff at Drax’s French chateau. Classic Bond. Drax himself is also a great villain. He’s dull and monotone but he does dull and monotone better than anybody. Has some great lines too. “Look after Mr Bond. See that some harm comes to him...” Brilliant. Bond girl: solid but not great. Also, Corrine is rather lovely, it’s a shame she meets such a sticky end. Moonraker is like fairy floss then. Junk food that’s fun to eat, but always leaves me feeling a little sick by the end.
19. A View To A Kill (1985)
Again, another one that I used to dislike, however have now come to be very fond of. And again, another one which I now watch quite often. I feel that the shortcomings of this film are obvious to everyone...Moore has probably gone one too many and looks a little past it, the storyline is essentially a riff on Goldfinger, and the humour is again a little cringe worthy (California Girls? Spare me.), Stacey is a weak, wingey Bond girl (even though she is quite, quite attractive) and if you play a spot the stunt double drinking game during this one you are guaranteed to be paralytic by films end. But! Having said all that, the film is incredibly entertaining and for once I feel that the films faults are actually part of its charm. We know that Roger is cooked at this point, but he is still great as Bond and I love him. We know that the formula feels a little tired and stale and is probably in need of a revamp, but everything feels so familiar, the ground so well-trodden that there is something about this one that is so warm and comforting. Also the villains are top shelf. Zorin and May-day are truly great villains. Duran Duran’s tune is one of the very best and that title sequence is eye catchingly great in a very sleazy, very 1980s way. Best action scene award goes to the Paris chase. Farewell Sir Roger, you are a legend.
18. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
This one has always copped quite a bit of flak, but I’ve long held a fondness for it. When I was younger I would watch this one quite a lot and still do. It’s a small scale Bond film and quite understated in the context of the series. It’s incredibly pulpy and zany, and in some ways it’s quite misogynistic and inappropriate, as it indulges in sexism, women beating, masochism, and casual racism. Truly, a Bond film Fleming would be proud of then. But all the same I like the feel of this one, it’s smaller scale makes it feel a little like a forgotten Bond film. Plus Scaramanga is a great villain. One of the all time greats. The island and fun house setting are very intriguing and Nic Nac is a nifty little henchmen. I like the 70s martial arts movie vibe too. Roger is at his most inappropriate in this one. So wrong, but so, so entertaining. Though it is a bit of a missed opportunity, as it should have been more of an assassin versus assassin film, but instead it deviates through unnesseccary subplots which takes away a bit of the tension. I do get why people don’t like it, hence why it’s at number 18, but I still think it’s a decent Bond entry.
17. Quantum of Solace (2008)
I’ve flip flopped on this one quite a bit. Initially I was completely underwhelmed, then I became very fond of it and rated it highly, and now I’m somewhere in between. I get the arguments of the detractors but I also think it is underrated. I love the urgency of this film. Everything happens quickly and rapidly. Craig is once again superb, and looks amazing in this one. He’s a hard, hard bastard and I love it. Camille is stunning and one of my favourite leading ladies, and that opera scene beats the band. The pre-title chase is pulsating and I enjoy seeing Mathis again. The production design is also top notch. Down points: the editing – frenetic and confused, works for some actions scenes but also kills others (the boat and plane chases respectively), storyline – undercooked. It is also too much of a sequel and would make zero sense to someone who hadn’t seen Casino Royale. Bond films shouldn’t be like that. I quite like the fact that this is the shortest film in the series. It’s tight and compact and it works well. I suppose they didn’t really have a script so it needed to be short. Still, I’m fond of this one. It’s status is growing.
16. Octopussy (1983)
A highly entertaining entry and one of the purest, most fun Bond films in the series. If it didn’t have ridiculous humour scattered throughout its runtime it would be higher on this list because, despite all its charms, I simply cannot look past the Tarzan yell, (actually, that entire safari sequence), the clown suit, the gorilla suit, and the circus performers palace raid at the films climax. If I could edit those elements out, it would be top rate Bond. Despite this, the film is still a thoroughly good entry. Roger is completely at ease in the role and owns it. Love the scene in the train carriage with Ourov. He shows great range and a sterner side in that moment. In fact, all the stuff in Germany bar the clown and gorilla suits is great, particularly the stunt work on the train. Maud Adams is a wonderful leading lady and her character is thoroughly intriguing. Kamal Khan and Ourov are a good double act and are both strong villains. Don’t love the pre-titles as much as many seem to, but there are plenty of great action sequences in this one. Another great Barry score. Bonus points for Magda and the outrageous Fleming title.
15. Spectre (2015)
And so, we arrive at the latest Bond entry, and I have to admit, I am a little surprised I have this as high as 15, because there is a good deal of it that I find frustrating. Firstly, the plot is patched together and underdone. It could have been great however it is one or two drafts away from being a solid script. Madeleine is a fine Bond girl, however they should have deleted the falling in love bit and just had her as a routine romance. The foster brother connection is also a shocker. Ah well...that aside and there is plenty here to like. In fact a lot of it is great. A thrilling and bombastic pre-titles, some fantastic stuff in Rome and a wonderful 30 minute segment spent in Tangier and the depths of the desert and I almost forget the films shortcomings. The cinematography and production design is wonderful. Craig is brilliant and is arguably doing his best Bond performance here. How people thought he was bored is beyond me. Bump off the ending in London, extend the fight scene at Blofeld’s lair and turn that into the climax and it would be pushing for the top half of the ranking. Heavily flawed, but brilliant in parts.
14. The Living Daylights (1987) Now we’re venturing into the realm of films that I love, and this one is no exception . Solid, often cracking entry in the series sees Tim don the tux in a leaner, meaner and more direct version of Bond. A breath of fresh air after the Moore era, and not because the Moore era was bad, but because change can sometimes give you a shot in the arm. This is case in point. Dalton is a great Bond, and underrated by too many. He gives the character a sense of urgency and danger. The film has weak villains, and the Bond girl is charming but altogether slight. Pushkin is a great character though and a good addition to the series. The first two thirds of this film are first class. Fantastic cold war era espionage with a suitably convoluted plot, atmospheric European settings, and a solid amount of spying and intrigue. However once the film switches to Afghanistan it loses some of its mojo. The tension goes out the door a bit. Probably would have been better to have kept it all in Europe but I have to say that the aerial fight scene on the Hercules is great. Barry’s last score, and it’s a blinder. The series will never be the same without him. Quite a fan of the Aston on ice chase, and I like the cello case chase as well. (try and say that 10 times!). Shout out to the end fight at Whittaker’s toy soldier room. I don’t know why, but I just really like this scene...there’s something about it that gets me. Anyways...you can’t go much wrong with this one.
13. Licence to Kill (1989)
Again, and I suspect like many, I never used to be partial to this one, however over the years it has grown to become a firm favourite. I find the Dalton films very equal in quality, however I have to give the edge to this one. It’s the darkest entry for my money, it’s violence, in the context of Bond, is quite shocking, and I think is ultimately a little over the top. Where in The Living Daylights the first half was the strongest, in Licence to Kill the film takes a little while to get going, not truly gathering steam until the thrilling sequence on Krest’s boat, however, after that it’s all guns blazing. Dalton is on fire in this one. This is truly his Bond film and I think his performance in this is one of the best in the entire series. Carey Lowell makes for a very good Bond girl and Sanchez is a brilliant villain. Truly menacing and a formidable opponent. The tanker climax is one of the finest Bond finales. Pulsating stuff. Unfortunately the first 40 minutes has a bit of a tacky, 80s American cop thriller look to it which grates on me a little bit. Bond can be left of field and gritty, but it should never look cheap. Though this is a minor criticism. There’s plenty of tension and drama in this one. Shout out to Q for his great role in the film’s second half. A fine Bond flick and it’s a damn shame Dalton never got to a third.
12. Dr. No. (1962)
In some ways, I actually prefer Licence to Kill, however the respect I have for this film is huge, and I love the fact that it feels like a Fleming novel come to life, and that’s why it just shades Licence for me in the rankings. It doesn’t have the big action scenes that would soon become engrained in the series, and is much more focused on the details of Bond’s investigation. He does plenty of detecting in this one and I appreciate this relatively loyal adaptation of Fleming’s book. Plus, it’s thrilling to see the first Bond film, to see the blueprint laid out before your eyes. I still don’t know how they came up with that gun barrel, with that amazing theme song, with those brilliant sets and that blush, decadent look that all 60s Bond films have. Connery is raw but brilliant and pulsates with charisma. Jamaica is a glorious location and Dr. No is a memorable villain, though more screen time would have been good. Honey Ryder is a stunner, Jack Lord’s portrayal of Felix Leiter is one of the very best, and all the stuff on Crab Key is great. Best moment – “Bond, James Bond” The greatest character introduction in cinema history. Period.
11. You Only Live Twice (1967)
I used to not pay this one at all, but now I love it. It’s completely bonkers in that unique, swinging 60s way and is riotously entertaining from start to finish. Sure, the story is preposterous, the whole tone is comic book and sci-fi, and that Japanese disguise is ridiculous and hilarious, but you gotta love it. Ken Adam is at the very top of his game in this one, the sets are monumental, and the whole design of the film is fantastic. Freddie Young is a legend and his cinematography is excellent. Connery is bored out of his mind and it irks me a bit, but he is still the ultimate Bond so I can somewhat forgive him this one. Bond girls are rather weak, Kissy being the best of the lot for my money. Tiger is an excellent ally, and the fight in Osato’s office with the Rock’s grandfather is a cracker. That little Toyota is a very nifty little number as well. Great theme song, and the film has an excellent climax. Bonus points for the amazing location of Japan in the 60s. Top shelf.
10. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
I have a soft spot for this one, mainly because it’s the film that made me a fan, but also because it is a cracking Bond thriller. Whilst some of the silly humour is still there (Maggie Thatcher? Mental),this is largely a more ‘down to earth’ type of Bond and it’s great to see after the excesses of Moonraker. Roger Moore is brilliant in this, for me it’s his best performance. He handles the more serious elements with aplomb whilst not losing his easy charm and humour. That eyebrow raise he gives during the Citroen chase is a classic moment. As is the whole night time raid on the warehouse which ends with the famous car kick of the side of the cliff. One of the best moments in the series. In fact, the action in this is first class all the way through, right from the thrilling (albeit, a tad silly) Pre-titles to the cracking ski chase, and the tense mountain scaling scene. Though I do think the film could have done without the submarine sequence, which is one action scene too many. The Bond girl is very good in this one, though her stare is a tad scary. As for Bibi...well...the less said the better. Love the identograph scene for some reason, and a shout out to Colombo, a top notch ally, and the music during the car chase that takes place after Melina crossbows the hit man. Tune!
9. Goldeneye (1995)
Brosnan’s moment of glory, and as exciting and as solid a Bond film you could ever wish to see. First class stuff all the way through this one, particularly the villains, which are all colourful and make for a fine ensemble, with Xenia being the most memorable. That women is outrageous on every level. Excellent pre-titles, and the tank chase is one of the best action scenes of the 90s. Also the climax fight between Bond and Alec is sensational. You feel every punch in that one. Judi Dench is an ingenious bit of casting for M and Valentin Zurchovsky is a legend. Loses points for the score, which is probably the worst in the series, and the plot is a little underwhelming, but who cares. Love the cold war vibe in this one. Russia should definitely be revisited in the future. Special mention to the brilliant Q scene. I love that man. A fantastic start for Pierce and a damn shame that his tenure never scaled these heights again.
8. Live and Let Die (1973)
I have an incredible soft spot for this one. It’s very unique in the Bond canon and has its own distinct favour. The early 70s, New York, blaxploitation vibe and the sometimes abrasive George Martin score make it one of the coolest films in the series. Roger sets his tone early and is off and running in fine form. Kananga is a classic villain and one of my favourites and Solitaire... my goodness. The most beautiful Bond girl bar none. What a little stunner. Love the crocodile farm, and that escape is brilliant. As is the boat chase, which even Sherriff Pepper can’t kill. Honestly, what a maniac of a character, though for some strange reason he kind of just works here. Fantastic titles, and Paul McCartney provides my favourite Bond theme. Love the ending on the train, and Baron Samedi is truly memorable but ultimately underused. Special mention to the villain’s plan, which is an interesting idea for Bond.
7. Thunderball (1965)
Classic, classic Bond, and probably the film that I watch the most. I love the films luxurious, leisurely feel, and I for one greatly enjoy watching Spectre’s plan unfurl, and the underwater sequences are truly exceptional film making, particularly that battle at the end. The Bond girls in this are off the charts and without question the best bevy of beauties in the series, with Fiona a great femme fatale, and Domino a great love interest. Largo is an adequate villain, who gets bonus points for having a shark invested pool and an eye patch. His home is a brilliant pad, which caters to a thrilling sequence where Sean dons black and goes stealth. Love it, and that fight in the pool is great. Magnificent, jazzy score. Awesome theme tune. Love the ridiculous pre-titles, and Nassau is close to my favourite Bond location. I do get the arguments of the detractors, but I don’t agree at all. This is the height of Bond for me. Special mention to Connery who is firing on all cylinders here. I honestly do not get the people that say he is bored here. He’s loving Bond and is in his element. Ken Adam’s Spectre meeting set is genius. Admittedly, the film does have a few faults, like the rushed editing and some dodgy back projection which does bring it down a touch, but a minor gripe. Final thought: “Would you mind giving me something to put on?” Bond's reaction... Genius.
6. Skyfall (2012)
At the end of the day, I think this is technically the second or third best film in the series, and the only reason I have it at number 6 is because I have spent much longer with the other films and putting this above them is not something I’m yet prepared to do. It’s not completely perfect, as many Bond fans seem to point out these days, yet overall the film is such a knock out I don’t care about a few plot holes. In actuality, it wouldn’t be Bond without a few story gaffes. Anyways, A tour de force film, highlighted by incredible cinematography (surely the best in the series) and superb performances. None more so than Craig (truly owning the role now) and Bardem (one of the finest ever adversaries). Also Judi Dench is stoic and heartbreaking in this one, and she truly shines. It’s probably the only Bond film that moves me on an emotional level, and that is a hard thing to do in this type of escapist cinema. Best moments: Pre titles (one of the very best), Bond in shanghai and the silhouette fight, Silva’s intro and the musket shoot off that follows (poor old Severine), the tube chase and the thrilling, Home Alone-esque climax. Sensational theme tune from Adele and the title sequence is stunning (Kleinman take a bow sir). Also the score is rather good, it’s just a shame that it was rehashed in Spectre. Overall, A brilliant bit of film making.
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
The ultimate Christmas Bond film, and a truly unique bit of epic British cinema. I don’t care if Lazenby is in it, it is one of the greatest Bond films ever made, without exception. Actually, let’s begin with Lazenby, who admittedly, is not great. Having said that, considering that he was a 28 year old model, he possesses a wealth of charisma and does quite a remarkable job. Most likely would have found his feet and could have definitely been a credible Bond had he done more. Diana Rigg is one of the top 2 or 3 Bond girls. A rather lovely looking lady and a fine actress who brings her character vividly to life. Draco is brilliant and close to my favourite ally in the series. What a charming, dapper gent. John Barry surpasses himself and his score is out of sight. Wonderful cinematography, and the ski chase is top 5 best Bond action scene material. Piz Gloria is close to the ultimate Bond location and Telly Salavas is charismatic and tough and my favourite Blofeld. Definitely has a slight psychedelic, late 60s vibe once we get to the ‘Angels of Death’ and the hypnosis, but it all adds to the appeal. Great little pre-title skirmish, and the proceeding shot of Bond in his Aston lighting a cigarette is wonderful. Moneypenny catching Bonds hat at the wedding is a brilliant touch, and of course, that ending is quite a heartbreaker. Special mention to the impressive avalanche footage. A bold, audacious action adventure.
4. Goldfinger (1964)
A game changing action film. All of its key elements are so well known, many of its scenes and lines so apart of the Bond lexicon that it’s hard to imagine a film ever taking its place as the most iconic Bond adventure. Connery is remarkable in this one. He is quite simply, the coolest, suavest man in cinema history and makes it look effortless. Goldfinger is an awesome villain who is rightly often recognised as the best in the series. Pussy Galore – One of the best Bond girls ever. That name is also disgraceful. Oddjob is a mute menace and a cracking henchmen. The score is another work of greatness, that pre-title sequence is top 5 in the series and I love the cat and mouse of the golf game. The highlight of the film for me has always been the sequence where Bond sneaks onto Goldfinger’s facility and ends up racing around the factories in the DB5 and ultimately ends up tied to the laser table. I always find that 15 minutes very exciting. Bond at its best. Shout out to Shirley Bassey who smashes out a classic tune and the other Shirley, who rocks gold paint.
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Roger’s crowing moment, and the greatest example of the cinematic version of James Bond. Which is, a completely over the top, slightly ridiculous, gadget laden, action packed, lavishly expensive and imaginative adventure film stuffed full of comical henchmen, a villain hell bent on world domination, numerous exotic locales and many beauties. I find this one endlessly entertaining. The plot isn’t exactly the most memorable, nor is the villain, but the formula just works so well here, and the slightly comic tone is pitch perfect. It may be silly, but it doesn’t go too far that it sacrifices the tension and the thrills, of which there are plenty. Greatest pre-title stunt ever. Amazing sequence. JAWS is brilliant in this one, and that whole section of Bond and Anya following him around ancient Egypt is excellent. Amazing work once again from Ken Adam, with that super tanker set being genius, and the shootout that takes place on it is ace. Truly, one of the best Bond battles. Great 70s score, and another excellent train sequence. Anya is a fine Bond girl and one of the best, though Bach’s performance is a little wooden with an accent that falters here and there which brings her down a touch for me. The Lotus is fantastic and this one contains one of the best Q lab scenes for my money, which is always a nice bonus. I first saw this film when I was 11 and it blew my mind. You Only Live Twice remake? Who cares. Favourite moment: Roger Moore riding on the top of the security camera ball whilst holding a bomb, and the Bond theme kicks in. Spine tingling.
2. From Russia With Love (1963)
The best example of Ian Fleming’s Bond onscreen in my opinion. What a sensational, taut and tense Cold War era espionage thriller this is. The intrigue is high and the action set pieces are kept relatively low, and in the context of this story that is a good thing. Connery has truly found his feet as Bond and gives the quintessential portrayal of 007, I honestly don’t think anybody can touch him from 62 to 65. The man is just a lad on all counts. And Red Grant...what a villain. Robert Shaw brings this guy to life and he is truly menacing. Obviously you know that Bond is going to win, but Grant is one of the only times where I feel that Bond is truly threatened by a villain. Which leads me to that train fight, which is just a classic, classic moment. In fact, that entire 30 minute segment of the film spent on the Orient Express is my favourite part of any Bond film. It’s exotic and adventurous , glamorous and intriguing, and has an atmosphere full of espionage . Everything a James Bond film should be. Kerim Bey is a mighty ally and maybe my favourite of the lot, Rosa Klebb is a nasty little thing and it’s great to see Blofeld in full evil mastermind, cat stroking mode. The film does wander a tad at the gypsy camp, but it still adds colour and the shootout that takes place there is a good one. Istanbul is a brilliant setting and I love the introduction of Q and the booby trapped brief case, one of my favourite Bond gadgets. In fact, all of the M and Moneypenny scenes are great in this one. There’s something so comforting about seeing Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell in the office. Special mention to the music that plays over the titles and the moment where Bond uses the flare pistol to blow up the fuel drums. Gets me every time. Classic.
1. Casino Royale (2006)
For me, there is now no question that this is the best film of the lot. Now, it’s certainly not the one I watch the most, but for me it is most definitely the finest film in the series. This one feels quite separate from the rest. Probably because it’s a hard reboot, and that it was so different to the Brosnan era. Even though it does deviate from the novel, there is the magic of Fleming in this one. You can feel it in almost every scene, none more so than when we get to the casino and gaming tables, which is where the film really takes off. These scenes are just thrilling. High stakes espionage conducted in a glamorous and decadent setting. Pure Bond cinema. No other franchise can do this type of thing. Also that black and white pre-titles sequence is brilliant. Just grabs you by the scruff of the neck. And that parkour chase is amazing and is probably my favourite action scene in the series. Fantastic titles, once again done by Kleinman, and the tune is a belter. Daniel Craig is simply phenomenal in this. I just love him. His Bond has evolved since this one and I love where his portrayal is at now, but here he is just so raw and on edge and dangerous. It’s just a great performance. Vesper is a believable love interest and one of the strongest Bond girl characters, and Mads Mikkelsen makes for a fantastic villain. Love the final scene. Makes me smile every time. Special mention to the cinematography and to Solange, what a stunner. Stone cold classic film. I sincerely hope that Craig can do another one as good as this.
Skyfall: Mendes Mendes Mendes. Hiring him as director was probably the most brilliant move Barbara and Michael have made since they took over the franchise. Of all the Bond directors, Sam Mendes captured the spirit of Ian Fleming best, striking a near perfect balance between camp and seriousness, violence and elegance, rough and smooth. Craig gives his best performance as Bond yet, this time portraying the Bond we recognize in the later Fleming novels; cold, broken, and increasingly dependent on booze and pharmaceuticals as well as fine living and women to silence the pain of his job that he remains best at. Oh, and JAVIER BARDEM!!! A+++, now here's looking forward to Spectre! 10/10
This is quite challenging, also because my ranking of Bonds (see signature) tend to shift all the time. The top 10 is pretty much written in stone, but below that, it tends to shift a lot. The bottom 3 are also written in stone though
Good, here we go:
1. Dr No.
This movie is growing on me once again. The book is one of my favorites and the movie is quite faithful to the book, which therefore is a good thing. What fascinates me is how right they got it from the first time onward: Sean's intro as Bond is amazing and will never be matched ever by anyone else IMO. The Bond theme. The gun barrel. The fast paced editing. The Bond girl introduction of Honey Rider. The kill of the professor. And of course the iconic set of Ken Adam. So yes, a very solid entry to the Bond franchise. Love it!
2. FRWL
Like Dr No, also this movie is very faithful to the excellent novel. This is probably the most realistic Bond movie and a real spy thriller. Which I adore. This and OHMSS fight for first place. For now I put it in 2nd place though. Love Tania, the Istanbul locations (which are still all there for us to visit and are mostly all located close to each other.) the train fight is iconic (without music: brilliant and intense), Kerim Bey is probably my favorite wingman. What I enjoy about this movie, is that it is very solid: many Bond films tend to drag in the 3rd act. This one however, remains brilliant all the way.
3. Goldfinger
Clearly iconic and in my top 3. The flaws here, is that Bond is actually quite useless in most of the movie: he gets captured a few times, knocked out a few times and the biggest contribution is actually only turning Pussy around. Yet there are so many highlights: The DB5, the golden girl, Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger himself, the laser beam castration and the plot itself. Lovely movie and a blueprint for the movies to follow.
4. Thunderball
Love this movie too, although it drags on a bit at the end. The underwater scenes are beautifully shot, but could have been shortened for a few minutes. But again so many highlights: the SPECTRE meeting room by Ken Adam, I like Largo as a villain, the most beautiful women and outfits in any Bond movies. And Connery again in fine form, who really seemed to be still enjoying himself here.
5. You only live twice
A guilty pleasure for me, since I lived in Japan; my favorite country in the world. And this is the movie where my fascination of Japan started. Clearly this movie has a lot of flaws: the plot is cartoonish, the make-over of Connery to become Japanese borderline ridiculous. But I prefer to stress on the highlights: the music is one of the best, including theme song. The locations obviously. Tiger Tanaka is another great wingman. And of course the introduction of Blofeld. It is over the top, cartoonish but such a fun ride. Just a world of difference with FRWL, which was launched only a few years earlier. Little off topic: In December I visited Tokyo again for business and stayed in the New Otani hotel in Tokyo; the headquarters of Osato chemicals. Still looks exactly the same!
6. On her Majesty's secret service
My favorite. Back to basic after the over the top fun of YOLT. The novel is probably the best of Fleming and this again is a faithful adaptation. Lazenby is wooden as an actor, however I do like his portrayal and he had more energy in the role than Connery in YOLT, which works for him. The soundtrack deserved an oscar, Savallas as Blofeld is great, Tracy is the best Bond girl, the location is amazing and a must visit at some stage. This movie to me is perfection and my favorite Christmas movie
7. Diamonds are forever
After the brilliant OHMSS, they really messed up with this one. Connery came back, which was nice, however you can clearly see that all the movie went into him, not into the production values, which was really cheap looking. but that is not the only flaw. I disliked the portrayal of Blofeld. I disliked Tiffany Case as a Bond girl. but most of all, I disliked the fact that they totally ignored what happened at OHMSS's end. This could have been a great revenge thriller, but instead we get a cartoonish movie without any class. The only good things where the soundtrack and the trip to Amsterdam; the city where I used to love and study.
8. Live and let die
Another new Bond; Roger Moore. I enjoyed this movie a lot actually, despite that it is also cartoonish. But with Moore it just works better and it is also a product of its time. The boat chase is great, I liked Seymour as a Bond girl, I liked the soundtrack, even though it was not John Barry. Moore, despite older than Connery, looked a lot younger and did a good job. Also nice to see NYC in the 70's: Harlem was considered a no-go zone in those days. Now I live there and can hardly afford the rent there
9. The Man with the golden gun
I enjoy this movie too, despite many flaws too. Moore tried to hard to be like Connery, which didn't work. The slapping of Ms Anders as best example. The return of JW Pepper is not a good thing. The infamous whistle which really f'ed up the great stunt with the car chase. The rubbish Mary Goodnight and officer Hip. But the good things: locations are great. I love Asia! Christopher Lee was fantastic of course. I always thought he would have made a great Blofeld too for some reason, with his black eyes. Overall, not the best movie but still enjoyable for me. Bit of a guilty pleasure I suppose.
10. The spy who loved me.
Probably Moore's best outing as Bond. If you ever had to show 1 Bond movie to a newbie to explain what Bond is about, then this and Goldfinger probably sum up all the key ingredients: gadgets, a villain with world domination plans, great henchmen, a ski chase, the best pre-title scene, my favorite Bond girl looks-wise. Yes, really love this movie! Only thing missing is John Barry for the soundtrack. Although Bond '77 is a kick-ass track!
11. Moonraker
Okay, this is a mix bag. I like it, despite the ridiculous plot and the obvious nod to Star Wars. But you can see the money on the screen with this one. Great sets, locations, soundtrack. A good villain with probably the best lines in any Bond movie. A smart Bond girl. The third act isn't great and too far fetched, but the first 2/3d's are pretty damn good.
12. For your eyes only
Bond, once again, goes back to basic. Highlights are the car chase with the Citroen, the ski chase in Cortina, Melina is a good Bond girl, Locque is an interesting villain, the dragging of Bond and Melina between the sharks is great and taken from Fleming. But there are also moments I do not like. Cristatos is the most boring villain. Bibi is awful. and there are moments that the movie drags on a bit, especially in the second half with the scenes with the countess and also with Topol. Also the end scene with Thatcher was unnecessary 'comic' relief.
13. Octopussy
Also a bit of a mixed bag with good and bad bits. The beginning is great. Pre-title scene is one of the best. The killing of 008(?) and the auction of the egg is great, taken from Fleming again. The India scenes are quite decent and liked Kamal Khan as a villain. Maud Adams was good as Octopussy and the locations was great. I didn't enjoy the scenes in Germany too much though. The clown suit was a bit too much, as was the Tarzan scene in India.
14. A view to a kill
Another example of a great first half and a lesser second half. I enjoyed the beginning of the movie, the horse race, the intro of May Day and Zorin, the jump from the Eiffel tower. It kind of fell apart when Bond came to the USA. For some reason, Bond in the USA doesn't seem to work that well for me., LALD excluded The firetruck chase was very generic and boring. Tracy Sutton was quite a rubbish Bond girl. And let's face it: Moore was really too old for the role here. This probably had the oldest cast, with also poor Lois Maxwell past her prime here for example. The best thing for the movie are May Day and Zorin: great villains.
15. The living daylights
The intro of Dalton in the role of Bond, which was actually supposed to go to Brosnan, but he was held to his contract of Remington Steele. I think Dalton did a good job. He clearly wanted to be the Bond of the novels, which was a good thing, although it didn't always work on the screen. The jokes for example (salt corrosion) did not work well, and he missed the charisma that Connery and Brosnan had. But the story kicked ass. It was Bond being a spy again, the cold war etc.. I liked it. However, the second half of the movie, once again, wasn't too great. The scenes in Afghanistan were a bit boring to me. The villains where pretty bad too, as was the Bond girl. The movie is high on my list, purely based on the flawless first half of the movie.
16. License to kill
Not a big fan of this movie. It felt too much like a generic American action movie to me. And this comes from a person that things Miami Vice is the best TV show ever. But I missed the Bond-feeling here. I miss the gentleman class of Bond, the sophistication and that's maybe one of the reasons why Bond in USA doesn't work too well for me. Davi did make for a great villain however, as did del Toro as henchman and it was great to see Q in a larger role than normal.
17. Goldeneye
The long awaited debut of Brosnan as Bond. Brosnan gets knocked around for his portrayal as Bond, but I like him. Goldeneye was clearly his best movie: great script, great villains, locations. Onatop was the best henchwoman together with Fiona Volpe. The class and fun was back again in this movie. The only bad thing about this movie to me was the soundtrack, which was terrible. But aside from that a modern classic Bond movie.
18. Tomorrow never dies
I enjoyed it, but it has its flaws too. It felt at some times like a generic action movie at a lot of times. I thought Paris Carver was a forgettable Bond girl and Elliot Carver showed little menace as villain. I did like the plot though, and this is probably more realistic today than we could have imagined in 1997. Brosnan looked the business in this movie. Great portrayal and what I love is the soundtrack. It brought back the Barry sound with a modern Jazzy soundtrack, done by David Arnold. Like many Bond movies, the 3rd act isn't too great again, which is a shame.
19. The world is not enough
A bit of a mixed bag again. A great pre-title scene, with the boat chase as a highlight. Great soundtrack once again. Brosnan again is really good as Bond and looked the business. Electra King is gorgeous and a great villain. The bad is however Renard, who is quite boring as a villain. And of course Christmas Jones is cringe worthy. Also the location's where quite boring: no places I would like to visit or am stunned about.
20: Die another Day
God I hate this movie. Especially because it had so much potential. The start is really good, with the capturing of Bond as a great idea. But the script is horrible, the CGI is amateur level and the story completely falls apart in the second half of the movie. Also Jinx and Gustav Graves where terrible. I felt bad for Brosnan, who thought he signed on for a character piece and ended up in a CGI nightmare. Totally blame Lee Tamahori for this turkey of a movie. Costed Brosnan the role of Bond.
21. Casino Royale
The intro of Craig as Bond. Kudo's to the producers to go back to basic. A gutsy move, because DAD, despite being a crap movie, was extremely profitable. But they went back to the novels and produced one of the best movies of the franchise. Craig was good as Bond, brought a new edge to the role, although I still believe that Brosnan could have delivered as well if he had the material that Craig had. Great soundtrack, great villains and they even made a card game look interesting. Vesper is one of the best Bond girls with a tragic ending. What a great movie, in my top 5!
22. Quantum of Solace.
Probably the Bond movie I saw the least. Never warmed up to this movie, which seemed like a Jason Bourne rip-off. The only great thing about the movie is the opera scene. There was a bit of Bond class again. But the rest of the movie was quite forgettable. I hardly remember the ending. The villain was also forgettable.
23. Skyfall
Great movie, although slightly overrated. A lot of fans see this as the best Bond movie. I am not quite at that level though, although I really enjoyed it. Craig is more comfortable in the Bond role, the pre-title scene is great, Bardem as a villain is very good too. Very interesting plot and never drags on. The ending is very tragic but was very pleased to see how the new-old M was introduced. Also the intro of the new Q is genius.
24. Spectre
I am one of the few, but I enjoyed Spectre more than Skyfall. I loved the return of the Spectre organization, I had flashbacks to the old 60's Bond movies with the Spectre meeting and having Blofeld back. I think the movie was quite flawless actually and nice to see M, Q and Moneypenny involved in the action, although in all honesty, this doesn't have to happen every movie in my opinion. really enjoyed the movie and hope to see Blofeld back in Bond 25!
"Discipline 007", that's what I'm thinking while browsing this thread...
Also, Dutchfinger I just wanted to drop by and tell you that I like your reviews but they are a bit too long for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I have watched them but I always had to find time to watch them. Just a concern, nothing more. Keep the Dutch end up!
"Discipline 007", that's what I'm thinking while browsing this thread...
Also, Dutchfinger I just wanted to drop by and tell you that I like your reviews but they are a bit too long for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I have watched them but I always had to find time to watch them. Just a concern, nothing more. Keep the Swedish end up!
The fact I created this thread 3 years ago had almost completely escaped me, it's fun reading new posts here! And thanks a lot, i'm glad you enjoy my work! The curious thing is, I get different feedback regarding the duration of my video reviews. I can see why they could be a bit long for your taste, 25 - 30 minutes for each episode is a fair amount! I also get feedback from people saying I rushed certain scenes and should take more time and not be afraid to always try and make them a certain length - they claim people can always stop watching in the middle and resume the viewing at a different moment.
So it's tough sometimes to figure exactly what a perfect duration for these episodes really is, as it's hard to satisfy everyone on that front. For now, i'm trying to keep up with my unwritten rule of 25 - 30+ minute for each episode.
I like the James Bond moveis but my english is not good enough to for me to write much about them. But I still like them and the Daniel Craig films the most.
Comments
Because of the croc escape ( the set up was shown on TV clips) and
Roger Moore ( whom I loved as the saint and Lord Brett Sinclair ). I
Didn't know who James Bond was, or that it was a series of films. Only
That it was a Roger Moore film.
Wasn't until a few years later that I made the connection ( sometimes it
Takes me a while )
Arm.
I am picturing a young kid making a suave escape on three pillows lying on the ground while his brother is tailing him
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Times with beer kegs !
hip for the 1950s, ..... shame it was the 1970s !
DN- Felix had to drive back & attach another line to Bond's Boat; asked him why he's so immature.
FRWL- Bond & Tatianna got stopped by police & cited for throwing trash in the water.
GF- It was fun under the chute, but the 20 mile hike back to civilization had Pussy cursing out Bond like a dock worker.
TB- Everyone was saddened by the discovery of Domino's broken neck.
TMWTGG- While Bond & Goodnight were getting busy, Nic Nack fell to his death through the cabin ceiling.
TSWLM- Triple X, in a fit of embarrassment, shot Bond anyway.
MR- The attempt failed because Bond never trained in zero-G.
FYEO- The PM sent Bond a covert love letter later saying she really would like to give him a kiss.
AVTAK- The robot went into the shower & electrocuted them.
TLD- A random bodyguard drew his weapon and demanded the Muhajideen disarm & the ensuing firefight killed most of the people in the room.
GE- A sexually frustrated Bond decided Wade was a dick.
TLD- Bond & Lin suffered second degree sun burns the next day waiting to be found.
CR- In grief, Bond drank himself to death.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
No, Quantum of Solace. lol
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
Back to London.
Nice ones!
DAD - While Bond puts the diamonds on Jinx's belly, he suddendly noticed the cut Miranda Frost had made on her stomach had completely dissapeared! His suspicions came to late, as it was revealed this Jinx was yet another villian who took the face altering therapy:
And she strangled Bond do death, which is why the reboot was needed
(Just came up with this
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Noticed the scar disappearing.
The wife was well insured so at last he could get that Aston Martin
and missing a leg, he could park it where ever he wanted !
You learn something new every day around here then
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#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
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Dr No:
Connery is good, and the locations look fantastic. Dr No is a good villain to start with. However, I do find this one lacks the excitement or danger the latter films have.
6.5/10
From Russia With Love:
A dark, spy thriller, this film succeeds at wha it was trying to be. The scenes on the train are great, and after a recent re viewing I have ode died that I like this film a little more than I used to.
7.5/10
Goldfinger:
The classic. Everything is great, the car, gadgets, villain, girl. It's my favourite Connery film, and this is the direction the Bond films decided to go: big and beautiful.
10/10
Thunderball:
This one tries to replicate what was so good about Goldfinger, but fails. Boring, slow and just dull.
6/10
You Only Live Twice:
Much better than Thunderball. Everything is bigger, and is the equivalent of TSWLM in its size in terms of threat, villains and overall appearance.
8/10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service:
I really want to like this film, but I just find it slow until we get to Blofeld. Am I the only one who thinks Tracy is incredibly overrated?
7/10
Diamonds Are Forever:
A Moore film with Connery. That just sums it up completely. But that's not a problem for me.
8/10
Live And Let Die:
The villains are great, Moore is great, Seymour is great. I love this film and think it is one of the best debut films for a Bond actor.
9/10
The Man With The Golden Gun:
A Connery film with Moore in it. And a bit more over the top stuff. This film is just missing something, but is still enjoyable to watch from time to time.
8/10
The Spy Who Loved Me:
Overrated. I enjoy this film, but just not as much as everyone else. Howeve, its still a pretty good film.
8/10
Moonraker:
I love Moonraker. It's not too serious, and it acknowledges the absurdness of the situations, such as crowd reactions to the gondala. It's a very enjoyable watch.
9.5/10
For Your Eyes Only:
This film is great. It's not too serious, but it's not too over the top. An enjoyable watch, and quite fun.
9.5/10
Octopussy:
A great film. It's just so enjoyable to watch. It has everything a Bond film needs in my opinion: a strong female lead, fun allies, more Q, action sequences, car chases and a good villain and henchman.
10/10
Never Say Never Again:
It doesn't feel like a Bond film, but doesn't feel right as a stand alone film either. However, it does have a few good moments.
7/10
A View To A Kill:
A great way for Moore to go out. Granted, it is very strange, but it is still a laugh to watch.
9.5/10
The. living Daylights:
A great way to intrduce Dalton, and not too serious, but not too campy.
9/10
Licence To Kill:
This film is just great. It really is a good Bond film aand action film in general.
9.5/10
GoldenEye:
Great girl, villains, chase, PTS, and a great way to introduce new people in the roles of Bond, M and Moneypenny.
10/10
Tomorrow Never Dies:
A really enjoyable film, Tomorrow Never dies slows a bit halfway through but has a great finale on the stealth boat.
9/10
The World Is Not Enough:
The film starts off well, but slows down after the titles and is fairly boring until the helicopter scene at the caviar factory.
7.5/10
Die Another Day:
Whilst the film is a mix of seriousness and light heartedness, and is ultimately weighed down with bad CGI and some elements that are a bit too far even for Bond, it is still an enjoyable film from the scenes in Cuba.
7/10 for pure enjoyment.
Casino Royale:
It has some great scenes, but I am ultimately not that impressed with the film. It may appeal to some people, but I just don't find it very enjoyable to watch repeatedly.
7/10
Quantum Of Solace:
I've seen this film once. It may only be 100 minutes long, but it sure is a boring experience that goes on forever.
5/10
Skyfall:
Great film, combines the seriousness of Craig but allows for light hearted lines and a few jokes to make it an enjoyable experience similar to The Living Daylights.
10/10
I have to say I am on the same page as you on the majority of the movies here, including some remarkable ones like both wanting to like OHMSS more then we do, we even rank it in the same possition... We also both think QoS is one of the weakest in the franchise.. You do seem to like DAF, LALD and AVTAK a lot more than I do, but I can see where you're coming from with those. A major difference would be that I rank CR a LOT highter than you do.
Anyway, always nice to hear (read) others peoples thoughts, thanks for sharing! -{
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From Russia With Love: Pitch perfect. The definitive spy film and the best Bond film ever. This is where Connery embodies James Bond and becomes the ultimate Cold War hero. 10/10
Goldfinger: Hailed as the best Bond film by most, and deservedly so. A classic in 20th century cinema. If a bond film is only as good as it's villain, this one nails it. It's fantastic without being gaudily over the top. Connery is superbly confident in the role. 9/10
Thunderball: A wonderful follow up to Goldfinger. Locations are beautifully filmed, and the underwater scenes are brilliantly shot and executed. Connery rules once again. Probably the best performances from the girls thus far. 9/10
You Only Live Twice : Connery's performance is lackluster, a little obvious he's tired of the role. But he's still got it otherwise, and the Japan setting makes for a very singular Bond film. 7/10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Best bond film since FRWL. Brilliantly directed by Peter Hunt. George Lazenby makes a triumphant stamp on the role, plays Bond with a sort of posh arrogance that's further from Connery but closer to Fleming's Bond at times. Diana Rigg is fantastic. The marriage of Bond and the death of Tracy will forever change Bond. 10/10
Diamonds are Forever: Sean Connery gives a return-to-form performance, but other than that, the film fails to live up to the standard set by the series thusfar. The formula becomes tired here. 5/10
Live and Let Die: Grand introduction of Roger Moore as Bond. Where DAF failed, this film succeeds. Rather boldly establishes the tone of the Moore era, while also remaining a very singular Bond film due to the voodoo themes and settings (much in the same vein as YOLT). 8/10
The Man with the Golden Gun: One word: "Meh". There's something about this one that just hasn't stood the test of time. Everything about it feels lackluster. One of the real lowpoints of the whole series. 4/10
The Spy Who Loved Me: Bond is back! Best film of the Moore era. Though I prefer the more serious Bonds, this is fun, exciting, and Moore really comes into his own here. a triumphant chapter in the series. 8.5/10
Moonraker: I'm all for camp, but this is just too much. A ridiculous effort to cash in on the success of Star Wars. Worst film of the series, though once again Moore plays his Bond with clear confidence. 3/10
For Your Eyes Only: A return to form. Sets the tone for Bond in the 80's. A confident, but tempered performance by Moore that matches the back to basics tone of the film while remaining true to what he had established for the character. 7.5/10
Octopusy: Pretty solid, but easily forgettable. Has some great action scenes (most notably the train sequence). Some great locales, and Maud Adams is wonderful in the title role. Moore does his thing. 7/10
A View to a Kill: The best thing this one has going for ti is Christopher Walken. Other than that, a real dud. Moore is old and tired in the role, but still manages to have some fun. Grace Jones as May Day is a memorable henchman, if only for laughs. 5/10
The Living Daylights: Another triumphant return to form. Dalton gives a brilliant performance (even though he's not completely in his element yet). 8.5/10
Licence To Kill: An underrated classic, and a precursor to the Craig-era. Some scenes haven't aged well, and sometimes it feels a little too much like any '80's action flick, but the action itself is some of the best of the series (i.e. truck chase finale), the violence is bloody and Fleming-esque, and Timothy Dalton's performance is superb! And Robert Davi also gives us one of the greatest Bond villain performances of the series. 9/10
Goldeneye: A modern classic! Pierce Brosnan instantly makes the role his own. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that this was the finest debut performance of all the Bond actors thus far (the finest of all comes later -{ ). Great story, great villains, spot-on action, production design. A near perfect Bond movie. Not only that, it set the tone for Bond in the 90's. Too bad the rest of the decade didn't live up to the gold standard. 10/10
Tomorrow Never Dies: On the surface, it's got all the necessary components of a Bond film, and it pulls them all off. But still, something's missing. Still not sure what it is. There's just something that keeps it just shy of being a classic like GE was. In any case, this was the first Bond film I ever saw and it was love at first sight, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. P.S. Jonathan Pryce as Eliot Carver is one of the most underrated Bond villains! 7/10
The World Is Not Enough: Again, it's got most the right components, but it lacks the nitty gritty soul of the best Bond films. Also, Denise Richards is just terrible. Brosnan is good, but leaves something to be desired, which I fault the script for. At times Brosnan really shows hints of a vulnerable, complicated Bond in this one. Just goes to show you that Brosnan might possibly have been the best bond every had he been given better material to work with. 6.5/10
Die Another Day: Real shame that Broz had to go out on this one. The opening hovercraft chase is great, then it's all speedily downhill from there. Director Lee Tamahori embraces all the worst pitfalls of a bad Bond movie and the result is the same as every other lowpoint in the series: a cheap, bombastic parody of the real thing. 3.5/10
Casino Royale: What to say about this one that hasn't already been said. Not only does Craig give the single greatest debut Bond performance by rebuilding the character from the ground up, but he instantly becomes the best Bond in the franchise's history. Before Craig, every new Bond was compared to Connery. But with Craig there is no need. This man IS James Bond. Whether you call it a reboot, retcon, re"bourne" Bond, whatever; returning to the first Bond novel as source material was a stroke of genius on the part of Broccoli and Wilson. Having Campbell return was also a nice touch, as he embues the film with the same keen understanding of the character and his dark but glamorous world that he did masterfully with GE. All the other actors nail their parts (most notably Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green). The film not only looks, but FEELS like IAN FLEMING's JAMES BOND. A++ 10/10
Quantum of Solace: It's strange, but I really liked this one when it came out. I think it's because I was viewing it as the third act of CR. But on its own, the film is simply not that good. Daniel Craig is every bit as dedicated to his Bond as he was in Casino Royale, but there just isn't enough juice in the script or the film to sustain him. CR was inaccurately compared to the Bourne franchise upon its release, but QoS feels like an even blander imitation of a Bourne movie most of the time. But hey, the opening carchase is great
Skyfall: Mendes Mendes Mendes. Hiring him as director was probably the most brilliant move Barbara and Michael have made since they took over the franchise. Of all the Bond directors, Sam Mendes captured the spirit of Ian Fleming best, striking a near perfect balance between camp and seriousness, violence and elegance, rough and smooth. Craig gives his best performance as Bond yet, this time portraying the Bond we recognize in the later Fleming novels; cold, broken, and increasingly dependent on booze and pharmaceuticals as well as fine living and women to silence the pain of his job that he remains best at. Oh, and JAVIER BARDEM!!! A+++, now here's looking forward to Spectre! 10/10
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24. Die Another Day (2002)
At the end of the day, this would have to be the only film in the series that I genuinely don’t like. No disrespect to those few in number who love this one, but it’s just guff isn’t it? For me, it feels like someone desperately trying to make a Bond film and failing miserably. Everything here feels fake, hammy, and cheap. The CGI is dreadful, the characters are as well, with Toby Stephens, (who I think is an otherwise fine actor), absolutely awful here. Not that it’s his fault, but for my money he is without exception the worst villain in the series. I don’t buy John Cleese as Q, and Halle Berrys ‘Jinx’ is cringe worthy. The infamous kite surfing tsunami sequence is, dare I say, one of the worst scenes in 21st century blockbuster cinema, and the story is in part a Diamonds are Forever rip off, which is not a solid basis to start your new Bond film on. Having said that, Pierce does his best and Rosamund Pike is great (shame she didn’t have the opportunity to be in a better Bond film) and the pre-title sequence is passable.
23. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
As much as I don't wish to add to the criticism of the Brosnan era, as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to see it as the weakest period in the series history. Not to say that I don’t like Brosnan or indeed 3 of his films, it’s just that I think his era has the most shortcomings. This one is a decidedly mixed bag. The villain and the plot are both quite weak, and I’m not crash hot on the 2 leading ladies. Though the first 40 or 50 minutes are quite good, with the Hamburg segment of the film being the best for mind. Particularly the stuff with Bond sneaking around the paper mill, and that car chase in the car park, which is a great little scene. Special mention to the superb David Arnold score.
22. The World is Not Enough (1999)
Sorry once again Pierce...I was actually hoping to have a bottom 3 which was not entirely comprised of Brosnan’s films but it’s just the way it’s turned out. Though there is plenty to enjoy in this one and I do actually get why some people consider this one of their very favourite Bond films. Funnily enough, when I was a kid it was close to my favourite film in the series and on paper it has everything a great Bond film should, but for me it just doesn’t click and it feels a bit cold and tepid. It lacks the warmth and excitement that a Bond film should have. I love Electra King though, she’s gorgeous and a worthy adversary. The pre-title sequence is quite good, it’s also nice to have Robbie Coltrane back and the score is once again great. The title song is also very good and I do like that action sequence in the nuclear bunker. That image of Bond sliding along the chains with the explosions going off behind him is a great shot. Brosnan is excellent in this and I would say it’s his best overall performance but ultimately the film still leaves me a little cold. It’s a shame he didn’t get a better tenure because he was a worthy Bond.
21. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
I used to really not enjoy this one but funnily enough over the last few years it is one of the Bond films that I watch the most. For me, this is without a doubt the weirdest Bond film of the alot. It’s just cooked. The villains are campy and zany (Wint and Kidd? Absolute lads), which is no more evident than the moment where Blofeld appears in drag. Ridiculous! And what is with that crazy zoo chick that morphs into a gorilla?!? Lunacy. Tiffany is a great Bond girl until the final reel when she has a similarly drastic transformation and becomes a complete idiot. Also, Connery is a little off-kilter and ironic in this one. It’s great to see him as Bond, but he’s not the same Bond anymore. What happened to the lean, mean, panther like Bond of the 60s! Still I enjoy seeing him here. Love the pre-title sequence, the song is a cracker and so is the score. John Barry is just the man. Special mention to the funeral parlour sequence where Bond ends up in a coffin, and Bambi and Thumper. Also love the sleazy production design and the 70s Las Vegas setting. A real moment in time. Lots to enjoy, but ultimately quite a weak entry.
20. Moonraker (1979)
You know, in a way, I kind of feel that this is actually the second worst film in the series. The campy, self-parodying humour is taken to truly ridiculous and cringe-worthy heights. JAWS being back? Great. JAWS falling in love with a chick who looks like she should be standing in front of a joy division hut in Nazi Germany and then becoming a good guy as a consequence? Spare me. The Gondola sequence? Possibly the second worst moment in Bond history (go back to Die Another Day for the first). The endless, blatant product placement, the continuous miraculous escapes, the limitless slapstick jokes... it’s enough to make the head spin. Admittedly, this is quite similar to The Spy Who Loved Me, however where the two differ is that Spy is purely tongue in cheek, whereas Moonraker totally takes the piss. Yet, there is something very entertaining about Moonraker. It’s big time film production and I think that that is what I love about it. It’s a huge undertaking and there is lot to like as a result. In fact, Ken Adam’s sets and John Barry’s music are both so great that frankly, the film doesn’t deserve them. That pre-title sequence is awesome, (the stunt work is outta sight), Roger is in top form and I love all that stuff at Drax’s French chateau. Classic Bond. Drax himself is also a great villain. He’s dull and monotone but he does dull and monotone better than anybody. Has some great lines too. “Look after Mr Bond. See that some harm comes to him...” Brilliant. Bond girl: solid but not great. Also, Corrine is rather lovely, it’s a shame she meets such a sticky end. Moonraker is like fairy floss then. Junk food that’s fun to eat, but always leaves me feeling a little sick by the end.
19. A View To A Kill (1985)
Again, another one that I used to dislike, however have now come to be very fond of. And again, another one which I now watch quite often. I feel that the shortcomings of this film are obvious to everyone...Moore has probably gone one too many and looks a little past it, the storyline is essentially a riff on Goldfinger, and the humour is again a little cringe worthy (California Girls? Spare me.), Stacey is a weak, wingey Bond girl (even though she is quite, quite attractive) and if you play a spot the stunt double drinking game during this one you are guaranteed to be paralytic by films end. But! Having said all that, the film is incredibly entertaining and for once I feel that the films faults are actually part of its charm. We know that Roger is cooked at this point, but he is still great as Bond and I love him. We know that the formula feels a little tired and stale and is probably in need of a revamp, but everything feels so familiar, the ground so well-trodden that there is something about this one that is so warm and comforting. Also the villains are top shelf. Zorin and May-day are truly great villains. Duran Duran’s tune is one of the very best and that title sequence is eye catchingly great in a very sleazy, very 1980s way. Best action scene award goes to the Paris chase. Farewell Sir Roger, you are a legend.
18. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
This one has always copped quite a bit of flak, but I’ve long held a fondness for it. When I was younger I would watch this one quite a lot and still do. It’s a small scale Bond film and quite understated in the context of the series. It’s incredibly pulpy and zany, and in some ways it’s quite misogynistic and inappropriate, as it indulges in sexism, women beating, masochism, and casual racism. Truly, a Bond film Fleming would be proud of then. But all the same I like the feel of this one, it’s smaller scale makes it feel a little like a forgotten Bond film. Plus Scaramanga is a great villain. One of the all time greats. The island and fun house setting are very intriguing and Nic Nac is a nifty little henchmen. I like the 70s martial arts movie vibe too. Roger is at his most inappropriate in this one. So wrong, but so, so entertaining. Though it is a bit of a missed opportunity, as it should have been more of an assassin versus assassin film, but instead it deviates through unnesseccary subplots which takes away a bit of the tension. I do get why people don’t like it, hence why it’s at number 18, but I still think it’s a decent Bond entry.
17. Quantum of Solace (2008)
I’ve flip flopped on this one quite a bit. Initially I was completely underwhelmed, then I became very fond of it and rated it highly, and now I’m somewhere in between. I get the arguments of the detractors but I also think it is underrated. I love the urgency of this film. Everything happens quickly and rapidly. Craig is once again superb, and looks amazing in this one. He’s a hard, hard bastard and I love it. Camille is stunning and one of my favourite leading ladies, and that opera scene beats the band. The pre-title chase is pulsating and I enjoy seeing Mathis again. The production design is also top notch. Down points: the editing – frenetic and confused, works for some actions scenes but also kills others (the boat and plane chases respectively), storyline – undercooked. It is also too much of a sequel and would make zero sense to someone who hadn’t seen Casino Royale. Bond films shouldn’t be like that. I quite like the fact that this is the shortest film in the series. It’s tight and compact and it works well. I suppose they didn’t really have a script so it needed to be short. Still, I’m fond of this one. It’s status is growing.
16. Octopussy (1983)
A highly entertaining entry and one of the purest, most fun Bond films in the series. If it didn’t have ridiculous humour scattered throughout its runtime it would be higher on this list because, despite all its charms, I simply cannot look past the Tarzan yell, (actually, that entire safari sequence), the clown suit, the gorilla suit, and the circus performers palace raid at the films climax. If I could edit those elements out, it would be top rate Bond. Despite this, the film is still a thoroughly good entry. Roger is completely at ease in the role and owns it. Love the scene in the train carriage with Ourov. He shows great range and a sterner side in that moment. In fact, all the stuff in Germany bar the clown and gorilla suits is great, particularly the stunt work on the train. Maud Adams is a wonderful leading lady and her character is thoroughly intriguing. Kamal Khan and Ourov are a good double act and are both strong villains. Don’t love the pre-titles as much as many seem to, but there are plenty of great action sequences in this one. Another great Barry score. Bonus points for Magda and the outrageous Fleming title.
15. Spectre (2015)
And so, we arrive at the latest Bond entry, and I have to admit, I am a little surprised I have this as high as 15, because there is a good deal of it that I find frustrating. Firstly, the plot is patched together and underdone. It could have been great however it is one or two drafts away from being a solid script. Madeleine is a fine Bond girl, however they should have deleted the falling in love bit and just had her as a routine romance. The foster brother connection is also a shocker. Ah well...that aside and there is plenty here to like. In fact a lot of it is great. A thrilling and bombastic pre-titles, some fantastic stuff in Rome and a wonderful 30 minute segment spent in Tangier and the depths of the desert and I almost forget the films shortcomings. The cinematography and production design is wonderful. Craig is brilliant and is arguably doing his best Bond performance here. How people thought he was bored is beyond me. Bump off the ending in London, extend the fight scene at Blofeld’s lair and turn that into the climax and it would be pushing for the top half of the ranking. Heavily flawed, but brilliant in parts.
14. The Living Daylights (1987)
Now we’re venturing into the realm of films that I love, and this one is no exception . Solid, often cracking entry in the series sees Tim don the tux in a leaner, meaner and more direct version of Bond. A breath of fresh air after the Moore era, and not because the Moore era was bad, but because change can sometimes give you a shot in the arm. This is case in point. Dalton is a great Bond, and underrated by too many. He gives the character a sense of urgency and danger. The film has weak villains, and the Bond girl is charming but altogether slight. Pushkin is a great character though and a good addition to the series. The first two thirds of this film are first class. Fantastic cold war era espionage with a suitably convoluted plot, atmospheric European settings, and a solid amount of spying and intrigue. However once the film switches to Afghanistan it loses some of its mojo. The tension goes out the door a bit. Probably would have been better to have kept it all in Europe but I have to say that the aerial fight scene on the Hercules is great. Barry’s last score, and it’s a blinder. The series will never be the same without him. Quite a fan of the Aston on ice chase, and I like the cello case chase as well. (try and say that 10 times!). Shout out to the end fight at Whittaker’s toy soldier room. I don’t know why, but I just really like this scene...there’s something about it that gets me. Anyways...you can’t go much wrong with this one.
13. Licence to Kill (1989)
Again, and I suspect like many, I never used to be partial to this one, however over the years it has grown to become a firm favourite. I find the Dalton films very equal in quality, however I have to give the edge to this one. It’s the darkest entry for my money, it’s violence, in the context of Bond, is quite shocking, and I think is ultimately a little over the top. Where in The Living Daylights the first half was the strongest, in Licence to Kill the film takes a little while to get going, not truly gathering steam until the thrilling sequence on Krest’s boat, however, after that it’s all guns blazing. Dalton is on fire in this one. This is truly his Bond film and I think his performance in this is one of the best in the entire series. Carey Lowell makes for a very good Bond girl and Sanchez is a brilliant villain. Truly menacing and a formidable opponent. The tanker climax is one of the finest Bond finales. Pulsating stuff. Unfortunately the first 40 minutes has a bit of a tacky, 80s American cop thriller look to it which grates on me a little bit. Bond can be left of field and gritty, but it should never look cheap. Though this is a minor criticism. There’s plenty of tension and drama in this one. Shout out to Q for his great role in the film’s second half. A fine Bond flick and it’s a damn shame Dalton never got to a third.
12. Dr. No. (1962)
In some ways, I actually prefer Licence to Kill, however the respect I have for this film is huge, and I love the fact that it feels like a Fleming novel come to life, and that’s why it just shades Licence for me in the rankings. It doesn’t have the big action scenes that would soon become engrained in the series, and is much more focused on the details of Bond’s investigation. He does plenty of detecting in this one and I appreciate this relatively loyal adaptation of Fleming’s book. Plus, it’s thrilling to see the first Bond film, to see the blueprint laid out before your eyes. I still don’t know how they came up with that gun barrel, with that amazing theme song, with those brilliant sets and that blush, decadent look that all 60s Bond films have. Connery is raw but brilliant and pulsates with charisma. Jamaica is a glorious location and Dr. No is a memorable villain, though more screen time would have been good. Honey Ryder is a stunner, Jack Lord’s portrayal of Felix Leiter is one of the very best, and all the stuff on Crab Key is great. Best moment – “Bond, James Bond” The greatest character introduction in cinema history. Period.
11. You Only Live Twice (1967)
I used to not pay this one at all, but now I love it. It’s completely bonkers in that unique, swinging 60s way and is riotously entertaining from start to finish. Sure, the story is preposterous, the whole tone is comic book and sci-fi, and that Japanese disguise is ridiculous and hilarious, but you gotta love it. Ken Adam is at the very top of his game in this one, the sets are monumental, and the whole design of the film is fantastic. Freddie Young is a legend and his cinematography is excellent. Connery is bored out of his mind and it irks me a bit, but he is still the ultimate Bond so I can somewhat forgive him this one. Bond girls are rather weak, Kissy being the best of the lot for my money. Tiger is an excellent ally, and the fight in Osato’s office with the Rock’s grandfather is a cracker. That little Toyota is a very nifty little number as well. Great theme song, and the film has an excellent climax. Bonus points for the amazing location of Japan in the 60s. Top shelf.
10. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
I have a soft spot for this one, mainly because it’s the film that made me a fan, but also because it is a cracking Bond thriller. Whilst some of the silly humour is still there (Maggie Thatcher? Mental),this is largely a more ‘down to earth’ type of Bond and it’s great to see after the excesses of Moonraker. Roger Moore is brilliant in this, for me it’s his best performance. He handles the more serious elements with aplomb whilst not losing his easy charm and humour. That eyebrow raise he gives during the Citroen chase is a classic moment. As is the whole night time raid on the warehouse which ends with the famous car kick of the side of the cliff. One of the best moments in the series. In fact, the action in this is first class all the way through, right from the thrilling (albeit, a tad silly) Pre-titles to the cracking ski chase, and the tense mountain scaling scene. Though I do think the film could have done without the submarine sequence, which is one action scene too many. The Bond girl is very good in this one, though her stare is a tad scary. As for Bibi...well...the less said the better. Love the identograph scene for some reason, and a shout out to Colombo, a top notch ally, and the music during the car chase that takes place after Melina crossbows the hit man. Tune!
9. Goldeneye (1995)
Brosnan’s moment of glory, and as exciting and as solid a Bond film you could ever wish to see. First class stuff all the way through this one, particularly the villains, which are all colourful and make for a fine ensemble, with Xenia being the most memorable. That women is outrageous on every level. Excellent pre-titles, and the tank chase is one of the best action scenes of the 90s. Also the climax fight between Bond and Alec is sensational. You feel every punch in that one. Judi Dench is an ingenious bit of casting for M and Valentin Zurchovsky is a legend. Loses points for the score, which is probably the worst in the series, and the plot is a little underwhelming, but who cares. Love the cold war vibe in this one. Russia should definitely be revisited in the future. Special mention to the brilliant Q scene. I love that man. A fantastic start for Pierce and a damn shame that his tenure never scaled these heights again.
8. Live and Let Die (1973)
I have an incredible soft spot for this one. It’s very unique in the Bond canon and has its own distinct favour. The early 70s, New York, blaxploitation vibe and the sometimes abrasive George Martin score make it one of the coolest films in the series. Roger sets his tone early and is off and running in fine form. Kananga is a classic villain and one of my favourites and Solitaire... my goodness. The most beautiful Bond girl bar none. What a little stunner. Love the crocodile farm, and that escape is brilliant. As is the boat chase, which even Sherriff Pepper can’t kill. Honestly, what a maniac of a character, though for some strange reason he kind of just works here. Fantastic titles, and Paul McCartney provides my favourite Bond theme. Love the ending on the train, and Baron Samedi is truly memorable but ultimately underused. Special mention to the villain’s plan, which is an interesting idea for Bond.
7. Thunderball (1965)
Classic, classic Bond, and probably the film that I watch the most. I love the films luxurious, leisurely feel, and I for one greatly enjoy watching Spectre’s plan unfurl, and the underwater sequences are truly exceptional film making, particularly that battle at the end. The Bond girls in this are off the charts and without question the best bevy of beauties in the series, with Fiona a great femme fatale, and Domino a great love interest. Largo is an adequate villain, who gets bonus points for having a shark invested pool and an eye patch. His home is a brilliant pad, which caters to a thrilling sequence where Sean dons black and goes stealth. Love it, and that fight in the pool is great. Magnificent, jazzy score. Awesome theme tune. Love the ridiculous pre-titles, and Nassau is close to my favourite Bond location. I do get the arguments of the detractors, but I don’t agree at all. This is the height of Bond for me. Special mention to Connery who is firing on all cylinders here. I honestly do not get the people that say he is bored here. He’s loving Bond and is in his element. Ken Adam’s Spectre meeting set is genius. Admittedly, the film does have a few faults, like the rushed editing and some dodgy back projection which does bring it down a touch, but a minor gripe. Final thought: “Would you mind giving me something to put on?” Bond's reaction... Genius.
6. Skyfall (2012)
At the end of the day, I think this is technically the second or third best film in the series, and the only reason I have it at number 6 is because I have spent much longer with the other films and putting this above them is not something I’m yet prepared to do. It’s not completely perfect, as many Bond fans seem to point out these days, yet overall the film is such a knock out I don’t care about a few plot holes. In actuality, it wouldn’t be Bond without a few story gaffes. Anyways, A tour de force film, highlighted by incredible cinematography (surely the best in the series) and superb performances. None more so than Craig (truly owning the role now) and Bardem (one of the finest ever adversaries). Also Judi Dench is stoic and heartbreaking in this one, and she truly shines. It’s probably the only Bond film that moves me on an emotional level, and that is a hard thing to do in this type of escapist cinema. Best moments: Pre titles (one of the very best), Bond in shanghai and the silhouette fight, Silva’s intro and the musket shoot off that follows (poor old Severine), the tube chase and the thrilling, Home Alone-esque climax. Sensational theme tune from Adele and the title sequence is stunning (Kleinman take a bow sir). Also the score is rather good, it’s just a shame that it was rehashed in Spectre. Overall, A brilliant bit of film making.
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
The ultimate Christmas Bond film, and a truly unique bit of epic British cinema. I don’t care if Lazenby is in it, it is one of the greatest Bond films ever made, without exception. Actually, let’s begin with Lazenby, who admittedly, is not great. Having said that, considering that he was a 28 year old model, he possesses a wealth of charisma and does quite a remarkable job. Most likely would have found his feet and could have definitely been a credible Bond had he done more. Diana Rigg is one of the top 2 or 3 Bond girls. A rather lovely looking lady and a fine actress who brings her character vividly to life. Draco is brilliant and close to my favourite ally in the series. What a charming, dapper gent. John Barry surpasses himself and his score is out of sight. Wonderful cinematography, and the ski chase is top 5 best Bond action scene material. Piz Gloria is close to the ultimate Bond location and Telly Salavas is charismatic and tough and my favourite Blofeld. Definitely has a slight psychedelic, late 60s vibe once we get to the ‘Angels of Death’ and the hypnosis, but it all adds to the appeal. Great little pre-title skirmish, and the proceeding shot of Bond in his Aston lighting a cigarette is wonderful. Moneypenny catching Bonds hat at the wedding is a brilliant touch, and of course, that ending is quite a heartbreaker. Special mention to the impressive avalanche footage. A bold, audacious action adventure.
4. Goldfinger (1964)
A game changing action film. All of its key elements are so well known, many of its scenes and lines so apart of the Bond lexicon that it’s hard to imagine a film ever taking its place as the most iconic Bond adventure. Connery is remarkable in this one. He is quite simply, the coolest, suavest man in cinema history and makes it look effortless. Goldfinger is an awesome villain who is rightly often recognised as the best in the series. Pussy Galore – One of the best Bond girls ever. That name is also disgraceful. Oddjob is a mute menace and a cracking henchmen. The score is another work of greatness, that pre-title sequence is top 5 in the series and I love the cat and mouse of the golf game. The highlight of the film for me has always been the sequence where Bond sneaks onto Goldfinger’s facility and ends up racing around the factories in the DB5 and ultimately ends up tied to the laser table. I always find that 15 minutes very exciting. Bond at its best. Shout out to Shirley Bassey who smashes out a classic tune and the other Shirley, who rocks gold paint.
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Roger’s crowing moment, and the greatest example of the cinematic version of James Bond. Which is, a completely over the top, slightly ridiculous, gadget laden, action packed, lavishly expensive and imaginative adventure film stuffed full of comical henchmen, a villain hell bent on world domination, numerous exotic locales and many beauties. I find this one endlessly entertaining. The plot isn’t exactly the most memorable, nor is the villain, but the formula just works so well here, and the slightly comic tone is pitch perfect. It may be silly, but it doesn’t go too far that it sacrifices the tension and the thrills, of which there are plenty. Greatest pre-title stunt ever. Amazing sequence. JAWS is brilliant in this one, and that whole section of Bond and Anya following him around ancient Egypt is excellent. Amazing work once again from Ken Adam, with that super tanker set being genius, and the shootout that takes place on it is ace. Truly, one of the best Bond battles. Great 70s score, and another excellent train sequence. Anya is a fine Bond girl and one of the best, though Bach’s performance is a little wooden with an accent that falters here and there which brings her down a touch for me. The Lotus is fantastic and this one contains one of the best Q lab scenes for my money, which is always a nice bonus. I first saw this film when I was 11 and it blew my mind. You Only Live Twice remake? Who cares. Favourite moment: Roger Moore riding on the top of the security camera ball whilst holding a bomb, and the Bond theme kicks in. Spine tingling.
2. From Russia With Love (1963)
The best example of Ian Fleming’s Bond onscreen in my opinion. What a sensational, taut and tense Cold War era espionage thriller this is. The intrigue is high and the action set pieces are kept relatively low, and in the context of this story that is a good thing. Connery has truly found his feet as Bond and gives the quintessential portrayal of 007, I honestly don’t think anybody can touch him from 62 to 65. The man is just a lad on all counts. And Red Grant...what a villain. Robert Shaw brings this guy to life and he is truly menacing. Obviously you know that Bond is going to win, but Grant is one of the only times where I feel that Bond is truly threatened by a villain. Which leads me to that train fight, which is just a classic, classic moment. In fact, that entire 30 minute segment of the film spent on the Orient Express is my favourite part of any Bond film. It’s exotic and adventurous , glamorous and intriguing, and has an atmosphere full of espionage . Everything a James Bond film should be. Kerim Bey is a mighty ally and maybe my favourite of the lot, Rosa Klebb is a nasty little thing and it’s great to see Blofeld in full evil mastermind, cat stroking mode. The film does wander a tad at the gypsy camp, but it still adds colour and the shootout that takes place there is a good one. Istanbul is a brilliant setting and I love the introduction of Q and the booby trapped brief case, one of my favourite Bond gadgets. In fact, all of the M and Moneypenny scenes are great in this one. There’s something so comforting about seeing Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell in the office. Special mention to the music that plays over the titles and the moment where Bond uses the flare pistol to blow up the fuel drums. Gets me every time. Classic.
1. Casino Royale (2006)
For me, there is now no question that this is the best film of the lot. Now, it’s certainly not the one I watch the most, but for me it is most definitely the finest film in the series. This one feels quite separate from the rest. Probably because it’s a hard reboot, and that it was so different to the Brosnan era. Even though it does deviate from the novel, there is the magic of Fleming in this one. You can feel it in almost every scene, none more so than when we get to the casino and gaming tables, which is where the film really takes off. These scenes are just thrilling. High stakes espionage conducted in a glamorous and decadent setting. Pure Bond cinema. No other franchise can do this type of thing. Also that black and white pre-titles sequence is brilliant. Just grabs you by the scruff of the neck. And that parkour chase is amazing and is probably my favourite action scene in the series. Fantastic titles, once again done by Kleinman, and the tune is a belter. Daniel Craig is simply phenomenal in this. I just love him. His Bond has evolved since this one and I love where his portrayal is at now, but here he is just so raw and on edge and dangerous. It’s just a great performance. Vesper is a believable love interest and one of the strongest Bond girl characters, and Mads Mikkelsen makes for a fantastic villain. Love the final scene. Makes me smile every time. Special mention to the cinematography and to Solange, what a stunner. Stone cold classic film. I sincerely hope that Craig can do another one as good as this.
Thanks for reading!
Good, here we go:
1. Dr No.
This movie is growing on me once again. The book is one of my favorites and the movie is quite faithful to the book, which therefore is a good thing. What fascinates me is how right they got it from the first time onward: Sean's intro as Bond is amazing and will never be matched ever by anyone else IMO. The Bond theme. The gun barrel. The fast paced editing. The Bond girl introduction of Honey Rider. The kill of the professor. And of course the iconic set of Ken Adam. So yes, a very solid entry to the Bond franchise. Love it!
2. FRWL
Like Dr No, also this movie is very faithful to the excellent novel. This is probably the most realistic Bond movie and a real spy thriller. Which I adore. This and OHMSS fight for first place. For now I put it in 2nd place though. Love Tania, the Istanbul locations (which are still all there for us to visit and are mostly all located close to each other.) the train fight is iconic (without music: brilliant and intense), Kerim Bey is probably my favorite wingman. What I enjoy about this movie, is that it is very solid: many Bond films tend to drag in the 3rd act. This one however, remains brilliant all the way.
3. Goldfinger
Clearly iconic and in my top 3. The flaws here, is that Bond is actually quite useless in most of the movie: he gets captured a few times, knocked out a few times and the biggest contribution is actually only turning Pussy around. Yet there are so many highlights: The DB5, the golden girl, Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger himself, the laser beam castration and the plot itself. Lovely movie and a blueprint for the movies to follow.
4. Thunderball
Love this movie too, although it drags on a bit at the end. The underwater scenes are beautifully shot, but could have been shortened for a few minutes. But again so many highlights: the SPECTRE meeting room by Ken Adam, I like Largo as a villain, the most beautiful women and outfits in any Bond movies. And Connery again in fine form, who really seemed to be still enjoying himself here.
5. You only live twice
A guilty pleasure for me, since I lived in Japan; my favorite country in the world. And this is the movie where my fascination of Japan started. Clearly this movie has a lot of flaws: the plot is cartoonish, the make-over of Connery to become Japanese borderline ridiculous. But I prefer to stress on the highlights: the music is one of the best, including theme song. The locations obviously. Tiger Tanaka is another great wingman. And of course the introduction of Blofeld. It is over the top, cartoonish but such a fun ride. Just a world of difference with FRWL, which was launched only a few years earlier. Little off topic: In December I visited Tokyo again for business and stayed in the New Otani hotel in Tokyo; the headquarters of Osato chemicals. Still looks exactly the same!
6. On her Majesty's secret service
My favorite. Back to basic after the over the top fun of YOLT. The novel is probably the best of Fleming and this again is a faithful adaptation. Lazenby is wooden as an actor, however I do like his portrayal and he had more energy in the role than Connery in YOLT, which works for him. The soundtrack deserved an oscar, Savallas as Blofeld is great, Tracy is the best Bond girl, the location is amazing and a must visit at some stage. This movie to me is perfection and my favorite Christmas movie
7. Diamonds are forever
After the brilliant OHMSS, they really messed up with this one. Connery came back, which was nice, however you can clearly see that all the movie went into him, not into the production values, which was really cheap looking. but that is not the only flaw. I disliked the portrayal of Blofeld. I disliked Tiffany Case as a Bond girl. but most of all, I disliked the fact that they totally ignored what happened at OHMSS's end. This could have been a great revenge thriller, but instead we get a cartoonish movie without any class. The only good things where the soundtrack and the trip to Amsterdam; the city where I used to love and study.
8. Live and let die
Another new Bond; Roger Moore. I enjoyed this movie a lot actually, despite that it is also cartoonish. But with Moore it just works better and it is also a product of its time. The boat chase is great, I liked Seymour as a Bond girl, I liked the soundtrack, even though it was not John Barry. Moore, despite older than Connery, looked a lot younger and did a good job. Also nice to see NYC in the 70's: Harlem was considered a no-go zone in those days. Now I live there and can hardly afford the rent there
9. The Man with the golden gun
I enjoy this movie too, despite many flaws too. Moore tried to hard to be like Connery, which didn't work. The slapping of Ms Anders as best example. The return of JW Pepper is not a good thing. The infamous whistle which really f'ed up the great stunt with the car chase. The rubbish Mary Goodnight and officer Hip. But the good things: locations are great. I love Asia! Christopher Lee was fantastic of course. I always thought he would have made a great Blofeld too for some reason, with his black eyes. Overall, not the best movie but still enjoyable for me. Bit of a guilty pleasure I suppose.
10. The spy who loved me.
Probably Moore's best outing as Bond. If you ever had to show 1 Bond movie to a newbie to explain what Bond is about, then this and Goldfinger probably sum up all the key ingredients: gadgets, a villain with world domination plans, great henchmen, a ski chase, the best pre-title scene, my favorite Bond girl looks-wise. Yes, really love this movie! Only thing missing is John Barry for the soundtrack. Although Bond '77 is a kick-ass track!
11. Moonraker
Okay, this is a mix bag. I like it, despite the ridiculous plot and the obvious nod to Star Wars. But you can see the money on the screen with this one. Great sets, locations, soundtrack. A good villain with probably the best lines in any Bond movie. A smart Bond girl. The third act isn't great and too far fetched, but the first 2/3d's are pretty damn good.
12. For your eyes only
Bond, once again, goes back to basic. Highlights are the car chase with the Citroen, the ski chase in Cortina, Melina is a good Bond girl, Locque is an interesting villain, the dragging of Bond and Melina between the sharks is great and taken from Fleming. But there are also moments I do not like. Cristatos is the most boring villain. Bibi is awful. and there are moments that the movie drags on a bit, especially in the second half with the scenes with the countess and also with Topol. Also the end scene with Thatcher was unnecessary 'comic' relief.
13. Octopussy
Also a bit of a mixed bag with good and bad bits. The beginning is great. Pre-title scene is one of the best. The killing of 008(?) and the auction of the egg is great, taken from Fleming again. The India scenes are quite decent and liked Kamal Khan as a villain. Maud Adams was good as Octopussy and the locations was great. I didn't enjoy the scenes in Germany too much though. The clown suit was a bit too much, as was the Tarzan scene in India.
14. A view to a kill
Another example of a great first half and a lesser second half. I enjoyed the beginning of the movie, the horse race, the intro of May Day and Zorin, the jump from the Eiffel tower. It kind of fell apart when Bond came to the USA. For some reason, Bond in the USA doesn't seem to work that well for me., LALD excluded The firetruck chase was very generic and boring. Tracy Sutton was quite a rubbish Bond girl. And let's face it: Moore was really too old for the role here. This probably had the oldest cast, with also poor Lois Maxwell past her prime here for example. The best thing for the movie are May Day and Zorin: great villains.
15. The living daylights
The intro of Dalton in the role of Bond, which was actually supposed to go to Brosnan, but he was held to his contract of Remington Steele. I think Dalton did a good job. He clearly wanted to be the Bond of the novels, which was a good thing, although it didn't always work on the screen. The jokes for example (salt corrosion) did not work well, and he missed the charisma that Connery and Brosnan had. But the story kicked ass. It was Bond being a spy again, the cold war etc.. I liked it. However, the second half of the movie, once again, wasn't too great. The scenes in Afghanistan were a bit boring to me. The villains where pretty bad too, as was the Bond girl. The movie is high on my list, purely based on the flawless first half of the movie.
16. License to kill
Not a big fan of this movie. It felt too much like a generic American action movie to me. And this comes from a person that things Miami Vice is the best TV show ever. But I missed the Bond-feeling here. I miss the gentleman class of Bond, the sophistication and that's maybe one of the reasons why Bond in USA doesn't work too well for me. Davi did make for a great villain however, as did del Toro as henchman and it was great to see Q in a larger role than normal.
17. Goldeneye
The long awaited debut of Brosnan as Bond. Brosnan gets knocked around for his portrayal as Bond, but I like him. Goldeneye was clearly his best movie: great script, great villains, locations. Onatop was the best henchwoman together with Fiona Volpe. The class and fun was back again in this movie. The only bad thing about this movie to me was the soundtrack, which was terrible. But aside from that a modern classic Bond movie.
18. Tomorrow never dies
I enjoyed it, but it has its flaws too. It felt at some times like a generic action movie at a lot of times. I thought Paris Carver was a forgettable Bond girl and Elliot Carver showed little menace as villain. I did like the plot though, and this is probably more realistic today than we could have imagined in 1997. Brosnan looked the business in this movie. Great portrayal and what I love is the soundtrack. It brought back the Barry sound with a modern Jazzy soundtrack, done by David Arnold. Like many Bond movies, the 3rd act isn't too great again, which is a shame.
19. The world is not enough
A bit of a mixed bag again. A great pre-title scene, with the boat chase as a highlight. Great soundtrack once again. Brosnan again is really good as Bond and looked the business. Electra King is gorgeous and a great villain. The bad is however Renard, who is quite boring as a villain. And of course Christmas Jones is cringe worthy. Also the location's where quite boring: no places I would like to visit or am stunned about.
20: Die another Day
God I hate this movie. Especially because it had so much potential. The start is really good, with the capturing of Bond as a great idea. But the script is horrible, the CGI is amateur level and the story completely falls apart in the second half of the movie. Also Jinx and Gustav Graves where terrible. I felt bad for Brosnan, who thought he signed on for a character piece and ended up in a CGI nightmare. Totally blame Lee Tamahori for this turkey of a movie. Costed Brosnan the role of Bond.
21. Casino Royale
The intro of Craig as Bond. Kudo's to the producers to go back to basic. A gutsy move, because DAD, despite being a crap movie, was extremely profitable. But they went back to the novels and produced one of the best movies of the franchise. Craig was good as Bond, brought a new edge to the role, although I still believe that Brosnan could have delivered as well if he had the material that Craig had. Great soundtrack, great villains and they even made a card game look interesting. Vesper is one of the best Bond girls with a tragic ending. What a great movie, in my top 5!
22. Quantum of Solace.
Probably the Bond movie I saw the least. Never warmed up to this movie, which seemed like a Jason Bourne rip-off. The only great thing about the movie is the opera scene. There was a bit of Bond class again. But the rest of the movie was quite forgettable. I hardly remember the ending. The villain was also forgettable.
23. Skyfall
Great movie, although slightly overrated. A lot of fans see this as the best Bond movie. I am not quite at that level though, although I really enjoyed it. Craig is more comfortable in the Bond role, the pre-title scene is great, Bardem as a villain is very good too. Very interesting plot and never drags on. The ending is very tragic but was very pleased to see how the new-old M was introduced. Also the intro of the new Q is genius.
24. Spectre
I am one of the few, but I enjoyed Spectre more than Skyfall. I loved the return of the Spectre organization, I had flashbacks to the old 60's Bond movies with the Spectre meeting and having Blofeld back. I think the movie was quite flawless actually and nice to see M, Q and Moneypenny involved in the action, although in all honesty, this doesn't have to happen every movie in my opinion. really enjoyed the movie and hope to see Blofeld back in Bond 25!
1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Moore
Also, Dutchfinger I just wanted to drop by and tell you that I like your reviews but they are a bit too long for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I have watched them but I always had to find time to watch them. Just a concern, nothing more. Keep the Dutch end up!
The fact I created this thread 3 years ago had almost completely escaped me, it's fun reading new posts here! And thanks a lot, i'm glad you enjoy my work! The curious thing is, I get different feedback regarding the duration of my video reviews. I can see why they could be a bit long for your taste, 25 - 30 minutes for each episode is a fair amount! I also get feedback from people saying I rushed certain scenes and should take more time and not be afraid to always try and make them a certain length - they claim people can always stop watching in the middle and resume the viewing at a different moment.
So it's tough sometimes to figure exactly what a perfect duration for these episodes really is, as it's hard to satisfy everyone on that front. For now, i'm trying to keep up with my unwritten rule of 25 - 30+ minute for each episode.
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