TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck_ does the Bond films

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Apart from Casino Royale, I'd never seen a Bond film in its entirety. So now I'm on a bit of a marathon.

Dr No 4

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It's the first review so let's start with the first film. Sean Connery has the perfect mix of suaveness, decency and callousness. You can tell by watching the film that something big was going to happen. And that theme tune is banging.

Ursula Andress is suitably beautiful as Honey Ryder and started a trend for bikinis. She comes off as pretty and young rather than a bimbo, which works.

My fear was that it would be really cheesy as it was made in the sixties but it actually stands up very well. It's very entertaining and the suspense scenes don't go on too long. It's even topical with that threat of nuclear weaponry. It's a good start for my Bond marathon.

[genesis_pig]

Nice, excited to see the rest of the reviews.

[TylerDurden99]

I don't know, I found Dr. No boring in parts, vastly preferred the follow up From Russia With Love.

[PeterVincent]

I love the bit with the spider on the bed.

I always laugh when the music matches his strikes however.

[honeykid]

It's Bond, but it's not Moore. Therefore, I don't really care for it.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Goldeneye 3_5

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IN THE FIFTH PARAGRAPH I GIVE AWAY WHO THE BADDIE IS SO DON'T READ THAT ONE IF YOU CARE ABOUT SPOILERS.

I watched this one next because it had Sean Bean in :)

In his first Bond film, Piers Brosnan doesn't quite put his stamp on the character in the way that Connery did. He's very much a friendly jokey Bond with a bit of a schoolboyish charm. I didn't dislike it but I'll have to watch the other ones to see whether he grows into the character. The gadgets are fun.

Clearly the best person in this is Judi Dench as M. It was a masterstroke to cast her because she has that no-nonsense female authority. This is one woman that Bond won't be charming. I enjoyed her description of Bond as a "misogynistic dinosaur"- it helped to keep the franchise modern for a nineties audience and added a humour slightly more witty than Bond's flirting. She's not in it nearly enough though so hopefully she plays more of a part later.

Izabella Scorupco is a Bond girl with a bit of sense. However, I preferred Famke Jansson's crazy sadist. The scene where she is wrapping her legs round Bond and trying to strangle him is great.

My second favourite is Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan, the baddie. Bean adds a bit of complexity to the character rather than simply making him evil. I still can't get over Bean not using his natural Northern accent but it's a testament to his acting skills that I can buy him as a rich boy.

As for the song, I think it's quite catchy. There's links back to the sixties/seventies style of having a strong female singer but it sounds modern.

Finally, the plot. It's all about computers and hacking and the Soviets. It might not be the most original plot but it's still very enjoyable. The reason to watch the film though would be for the acting: Alan Cumming and Robbie Coltrane add humour in supporting roles. Oh, and Minnie Driver has a fun cameo as an awful singer.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

The Spy Who Loved Me 3

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This one had to be next because "Nobody Does It Better" is my favourite Bond song and the people on this forum recommended it as an example of Roger Moore's Bond.

The good points about Moore: he's suitably English and can handle that sexual innuendo wonderfully, leading to some of the most quotable lines in Bond history, particularly THAT closing line. The other jokes are a bit like your grandad trying to be funny but the innuendo is spot on. The bad point about Moore is that he looks like a well-preserved sixty. I felt that I'd need to get him a chair to sit down and rest after all that fighting.

Barbara Bach is a bit bland as Agent XXX. She does a bit of fighting but she's still very much a soppy Bond girl clutching to Bond when things get a little bit scary. I don't quite buy her as a Russian secret agent, certainly not a rival for Bond.

As for the story, it's Soviets, submarines and blowing up the world- typical Bond and not particularly exciting. At least they go to Egypt for a bit.

The Bond villain is fine but no match for his henchman Jaws (Richard Kiel). Jaws is properly terrifying and that scene where he's wrestling the shark is fabulous.

So, worth watching for some great scenes and hilarious lines but drags a little in places and doesn't quite live up to the promise of the songl.

[honeykid]

That's as good as Bond gets. I'd quit now if I was you. However, as you seem determined to carry on, I'd recommend The Man With The Golden Gun, next.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

That's as good as Bond gets.

I just find Moore a bit too old to buy as an action guy.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Tomorrow, I will be exploring George Lazenby in his only Bond outing: On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

[honeykid]

That film has a small, but hardcore following who'll tell you that's the best/among the best Bond films.

[rauldc14]

Don't watch all the good ones at once! Oh wait, you saw a Brosnan film at least. Oh yes, this summer aside from Goldfinger, a couple goofy Brosnans, and Casino Royale I watched them all for the 1st time.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

That film has a small, but hardcore following who'll tell you that's the best/among the best Bond films.

I watched part of it- continuing the rest today. I really like it. I don't know if I can call it the best yet because it's a bit of an oddity.

[Masterman]

Ive only ever seen Daniel Craig as bond. Are these movies actually worth my money?? They have the bond collection on sale for £50.

[MovieMad16]

I'm enjoying different opinions on Bond. Still doing mine and after I finish the boxset, I'll set for the cinema and Skyfall.

[MovieMad16]

Ive only ever seen Daniel Craig as bond. Are these movies actually worth my money?? They have the bond collection on sale for £50.

Yes do see them. Even if you don't like them, Its worth seeing all the different styles of Bond done in the past.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Finally!:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3_5

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Although it's a good action film, it's atypical Bond. A bit more Bond-ness might have pushed it to 4.

The filmmakers had a tough job trying to fight the memory of Sean Connery. Sean Connery is Bond, as all the posters say. George Lazenby is not. Not that he does a bad job in the film: he's probably the most likeable Bond. He doesn't have larks going around and killing people; he's actually quite tender and funny. Lazenby introduced the possibility that Bond is capable of affection and doubt and it works in this film but he was never going to be James Bond.

There's no Bond song unfortunately but the main theme is actually pretty cool, as are the opening titles, showing shots from Dr No running through an hourglass. They are far from the cringiness of TSWLM's opening titles. The whole score's quite good actually so top marks for the music.

And there's a plot! No Soviets or nuclear weapons for once. We're in Switzerland and Blofeld (Telly Savalas) is stroking a white cat and running an allergy clinic, attended by a bevy of beauties. But something evil is afoot. The gang of girls provide some comedy as Bond disguises himself as a baronet "unused" to ladies. Lots of intrigue and some nifty skiing.

Diana Rigg is one of the strongest Bond girls and one of the few that Bond falls in love with. She plays Countess Teresa (AKA Tracy), hurt by love in the past but transformed by Bond's love.

The ending is not typical Bond at all and yet it works. Although Lazenby's performance is average, the film stands up well.

[genesis_pig]

Woohooo, another OHMSS lover around here.
Also, don't forget the meta-fictional humorous opening (pre-credit) of this film, that makes the movie even more special.

One of my greatest Bond regrets is not seeing Lazenby in another film, would have been nice to see him playing Bond in a new setting with a new director.
Another Bond regret for me is not seeing Clive Owen as Bond, I like Craig, but I would have loved to see Owen as Bond. (Please don't mention Pink Panther)

Speaking of Clive Owen, his character in Shoot 'em up reminded me a lot of Lazenby's Bond.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Woohooo, another OHMSS lover around here.
Also, don't forget the meta-fictional humorous opening (pre-credit) of this film, that makes the movie even more special.


I loved that bit :D

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

So, my last Bond is Timothy Dalton. I enjoyed him in the BBC version of Jane Eyre so we'll see how he does. I think I will go for The Living Daylights, as I like aHa :)

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I'm part way through The Living Daylights. Am liking Timmy D :D

[genesis_pig]

I'm part way through The Living Daylights. Am liking Timmy D :D

Everyone who thinks Daniel Craig revolutionized Bond should know that Timothy Dalton had already shown us a serious Bond in the 80s.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

The Living Daylights 4

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Yep, I'm giving it a controversial 4-star. I don't know why people don't seem to like Timothy Dalton as Bond when Craig is a similar type of Bond. For my money, Dalton is second to Connery (bear in mind that I've only seen one film of each bond though). He's a classy leonine Byronic Bond, a complete contrast from Roger Moore, which is why some people reacted against him. People have argued that Dalton is humourless but I disagree. He's witty rather than saucy- he's kept those Bond characteristics but added a bit of polish to them. Brosnan has the polish but not as much of the depth.

We're back to the Soviets but they're more convincing this time. I do love the KGB dude who poses as a milkman. So Bond goes to Czechoslavia and then to Afghanistan, where he meets an opium dealer (Art Malik, better known to us Brits as Hari Kumar from epic miniseries Jewel in The Crown) who's selling it to a crazy American dude with lots of guns.

The opening titles are pretty cool- very eighties, as is the title song by aHa. It's a good song but not a classic Bond song, though it works nicely as part of the score. Maryam D'Abo plays our Bond girl, a talented cellist.

Anyway, like Dalton or not, you have to love the action scenes which are my favourite Bond action scenes so far. There's no stunt that makes you gasp but there are some brilliantly plotted car chases and pacy action. Now we're in the eighties, technology has got more convincing and the fights are more exciting. There's no more running about a nuclear power station/lab/whatever and shooting at each other.

[TylerDurden99]

I don't like this Bond very much, but Dalton was a terrific Bond. Definitely check out License To Kill, which is my favourite Bond and features more Dalton intensity.

[genesis_pig]

[B]I don't know why people don't seem to like Timothy Dalton as Bond when Craig is a similar type of Bond.

These are the people who have probably never seen his Bond movies, due to the movies being not very popular & him having done just 2 films unlike others, makes him by default the worst Bond in the books of the ignorants.
Now you must be thinking about what the ignorants think of George Lazenby? They go "who's that?"

I know many people who have no idea of the existence of OHMSS.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

So, here are my thoughts on the Bonds based on what I've seen from them (in chronological order):

- Sean Connery: Every woman wants him; every man wants to be him. Typical sixties beefcake who doesn't mess about. Number 1 on my Bond list.

- George Lazenby: Women don't really want him; men don't want to be him. Ordinary but pleasant chap. An interesting take but not entirely successful. Perhaps best that he didn't do another Bond film, though he's not as bad as everyone says. Number 6 on my Bond list.

- Roger Moore: Old men want to be him. Suave(ish) older man with more innuendo than a schoolboy. Permenantly bedding woman to disguise the fact that he couldn't fight a crippled fly. Provides a bit of camp but for people who think Bond is sexist, they'd be referring to Moore. Number 5 on my Bond list.

- Timothy Dalton: Men don't want to be him; women would like you to be him. Has a wolfy charm, classiness, serious but not entirely humourless. He pioneered the dark interpretation of Bond. Number 2 on my Bond list.

- Piers Brosnan: Schoolboys want to be him; women fancy him. Has Dalton's suavity but lacks his depth. Still, there's a certain boyish charm to him and he's suitably dashing. Number 4 on my Bond list (although I've heard his other films aren't as good as Goldeneye so he's on parole)

- Daniel Craig: Men want to be him; women want him, despite the fact that he's more rugged than an eroded cliff. Carries on Dalton's seriousness but has some of Connery's muscles. Gets himself into dangerous spots and gets a bit vulnerable. As for humour, well, there is none. He is a grumpy disillusioned Bond for the 21st century. Good mix of old and new. Number 3 on my Bond list.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I shall resume my Bond marathon at the weekend! What film should I watch next? :)

[genesis_pig]

I am guessing you have already seen From Russia With Love, try Moonraker or Man with the Golden Gun.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I am guessing you have already seen From Russia With Love, try Moonraker or Man with the Golden Gun.

Nope. My Connery one was Dr No. I've had enough of soviets and nuclear weapons for the moment so would like a Bond film that doesn't feature those (big ask).

[gandalf26]

Goldeneye and Spy Who Loved Me deserve higher scores imo. Probably 2 of the best.

[rauldc14]

I say Brosnan is the worst bond. But you hit it right on with Connery at #1

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Goldeneye and Spy Who Loved Me deserve higher scores imo. Probably 2 of the best.

Goldeneye was very good but it was quite long (well, most Bond films are I guess). The Spy Who Loved Me was a bit disappointing. As a period piece it is amusing but I don't think that it holds up as well as the other Bond films I've seen. Even OHMSS stands up.

[genesis_pig]

Nope. My Connery one was Dr No. I've had enough of soviets and nuclear weapons for the moment so would like a Bond film that doesn't feature those (big ask).

Than please do watch From Russia With Love, It's the best Bond film there is.
& this movie is actually the one where Bond is an actual spy, unlike other movie where he blows his cover without hesitation.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Than please do watch From Russia With Love, It's the best Bond film there is.
& this movie is actually the one where Bond is an actual spy, unlike other movie where he blows his cover without hesitation.

Bond, making an attempt at secrecy? Sounds intriguing :D

[Gabrielle947]

I've had enough of soviets and nuclear weapons for the moment so would like a Bond film that doesn't feature those (big ask).

Goldfinger?A View To a Kill(Christopher Walken is there!)?Tomorrow Never Dies?

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I might have to save Goldfinger as it sounds like it's going to be fun. What's that Roger Moore one where he's undoing the girl's zip without touching her and he says "Sheer magnetism"? That sounds cringy.

[genesis_pig]

I think that's Live & let die.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I think that's Live & let die.

I might have to pass on that film. The scene was just a bit too creepy.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Hmm, I feel in the mood for some Roger Moore sauciness/lechery. It's a toss-up between A View to A Kill and For Your Eyes only.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Finally I got round to seeing it:

Skyfall 2_5

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For all the supposed emotional moments in this film, I didn't feel much emotion. This is a case of cinematography overload. I was constantly distracted by the nice composition or the interesting use of colour. Skyfall was being presented as a work of art when that just isn't the purpose of Bond. Bond is not meant to be arty. Yes, the exotic locations have to be shot nicely but they don't have to be so superficially composed. Clearly the filmmakers were gunning for the only Oscar they were likely to get (aside from best original song).

I'm getting a bit sick of Craig's constant portrayal of Bond as being vulnerable. Yes, it was interesting in Casino Royale but you can portray a human version of Bond without having to be so explicit. Lazenby (yeah, I know his performance was not typical Bond) and Dalton both managed it. Bond has to be a bit of an enigma- he's a spy after all. Probably the world's worst spy but still.

The screenplay was weak and the humour didn't work- it just came across as creaky. Leave the one-liners to Connery and Moore.

I was also very disappointed at the villain, who looked like something from the 1970's. Haven't we got past the whole camp-and-gay-is-evil villain yet? I'm not saying this because they made a villain gay but because his threat is explicitly linked to his homosexuality. He's hardly a threatening villain. Saying this, the homoerotic scene with Bardem and Craig was probably the highlight of the film. I was kind of wishing Bond to give it a go, it being his birthday and all. To all those people who were morally outraged at Bond's quip, believing that it suggested that Bond was gay, seriously? It's clearly intended to be a comeback in order to show Bardem's character that he's not threatened, despite homosexuality being the biggest threat to Bond.

The premise is ill-conceived. Bond's mid-life crisis might neatly parallel the life of the average Bond viewer and indeed the state of the series but it just highlighted Craig's aging looks and made Bond seem irrelevant to the modern era. Bond has always been modern and always adapted to his times- that's the main attraction. He's cool- men want to be him, women want him. How many people can say that of Craig now? It doesn't help that he's sitting next to Judi Dench, making them both look like dinosaurs.

Dench is brilliant in this- far more guts than wussy Bond. The supporting cast are also very good- I really liked Rory Kinnear (even though his part is small), Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw as an anorak-wearing nerdy Q (not sure about the lack of a decent gadget though). Albert Finney looks a little lost as the caretaker of Bond's country pile (yes, we had loads of Freudian crap about Bond's traumatic childhood).

The title song is actually not too bad- a clear throwback to the days of the seventies. A major improvement on the last one.

[mark f]

I haven't seen it, but Craig looks like a dinosaur at 44?

[Cobpyth]

I've seen all 24 Bond films (did a marathon with my sister 3 years ago and since then, I rewatched some of them) and my top 3 is:

1. Goldfinger
2. Dr. No
3. The Spy Who Loved Me

But they were all enjoyable! I'm a really big fan of Bond.

Good luck and have fun with your marathon!

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I haven't seen it, but Craig looks like a dinosaur at 44?

He looks more like he's in his late forties. It's not just about age- it's about how the character acts. As I recall, Brosnan, Dalton and Moore all started their films in their early forties and they don't come across as dinosaurs.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

Licence To Kill 3_5

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"It's *Ms. Kennedy*. And why can't you be *my* executive secretary?"

This had the lowest box office takings of any Bond film and you can sort of see why (luckily they didn't call it Licence Revoked as intended, otherwise it probably wouldn't have made anything). Although I watched it on TV in an afternoon slot intended for family films, this isn't one for Aunt Edna.

Out of all the Bond films, this is the darkest, even darker than Craig. The darkest moment has to be when a character is tortured and their head explodes (they cut the rather gory shot of blood out of the TV version) but there's plenty of torture, with some sharks nom-noming people's legs, someone being shredded, and much other unpleasantness.

The premise is actually quite cool. This time it's a personal mission for Bond as he goes after evil drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) who maims and tortures Felix Leiter (David Hedison) and kills his pretty young bride. So partly out of revenge for Felix and partly because years earlier Bond's wife was also murdered, Bond goes rogue and his licence to kill is revoked. Of course, that doesn't stop him and off he goes on his mission. On the way he meets Sanchez's girlfriend Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto) and alpha Bond girl Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell). Lupe is just an easy shag but Pam's actually quite a good Bond girl, who can handle things just as well as Bond. She's probably one of the first of the action Bond girls, now mandatory in a modern Bond film.

The villain Sanchez is a typical Bond villain, apart from the fact that he's gonna dominate the world through drugs rather than a crazy scheme. However, drugs are not a satisfactory replacement for the Soviets.

The film's downfall is really the locations. South America just doesn't have the appeal of Jamaica or even Europe. It looks suitably gritty and corrupt but I like exotic locations. Also, the film's clearly targeted more towards an American audience in its emphasis on violence and drugs and the fact that every character is either American or South American, apart from the regular Bond characters, who get barely any screen time at all.

The exception to that is Q (Desmond Lllewellen) who probably gets the most screen time that he's had in any Bond film. He provides welcome comic relief and heart to the film and the gadgets are pretty nifty as well.

So, how is Timmy D in his second and final outing as Bond? I love his mix of niceness and darkness. You sort of want Bond to be your mate but then again, you don't. He's also a conspicuously lonely Bond in this film, which works well although it made me quite sad. Dalton's also a more unpredictable Bond than other Bonds- you don't know when he will snap. In a sense he fits better into The Living Daylights, which is a cuter film. Handsome as he is, he looks a bit awkward in his shirtless eye candy scene, which doesn't pull in the women. All the other Bonds were more than happy to be eye candy (more like eye cough drops in the case of Roger Moore), particularly Sean Connery, and this was perhaps Timmy D's undoing. He wasn't a humourless Bond but at times he could be a little uptight.

All in all, I think Licence to Kill is a pretty good film but it just needed better locations and more of a Bond feel. I mean, there are Bond elements there but they feel too Americanised.

[TylerDurden99]

License To Kill is my second favourite Bond film. Tim is the darkest Bond yet, which I like and I love the great action set pieces of this film.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I will say that the title song is quite catchy but it's a bit middle-of-the-road, as is the song over the end-credits, although I do have a fondness for that song.

[TylerDurden99]

I forgot to mention the title song. It's extremely catchy, I constantly find myself humming it's opening.

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I forgot to mention the title song. It's extremely catchy, I constantly find myself humming it's opening.

I do find myself crooning along to the chorus. However, it does feel a bit ordinary.