Is there a Bond film which is your favourite but everyone else doesn't
James Suzuki
New ZealandPosts: 2,406MI6 Agent
Is there a Bond film you like but others don't. Look I have a favorite which is For your eyes only. But all the others like Goldfinger, Goldeneye, From Russia with love, OHMSS etc. I'm not saying all of them are bad, they are brilliant but do you like a Bond movie which isn't one of the popular ones, or the real bad ones but you like it because it makes you click. My one is For your eyes only. What is yours if you have one?
“The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. "
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
Comments
AVTAK, hated by many but I enjoy it.
Moonraker, also hated, remember watching it in the cinema as a kid still have a soft spot for it.
TMWTGG, One of the weakest, but still has its moments, car jump, Britt, C Lee, and some beautiful locations.
DAF, The script is LOL Funny some great one-liners.
Dalton is my least favourite Bond but Licence to Kill is still a great movie.
For me, The Man With The Golden Gun is without a doubt one of my favorites that everyone apparently hates. Sure it has one or two painful moments (and the unnecessary return of Sherriff J.W. Pepper), but it has a great script by Tom Mankiewicz, a great villain in Christopher Lee and a confident performance in Roger Moore. Maud Adams and Britt Ekland are ridiculously gorgeous, Herve Villechaize is an inspired choice for Nick Nack, the theme song is catchy, and the pre-credits sequence is one of the best in the franchise. Everyone gives it a 2 out of 5 but I'd say it's a solid 4 out of 5.
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
I didn't like The Spy Who Loved Me because I thought it was starting to get too ... cheesy. A Lotus Esprit submarine? I mark this film as the beginning of when Bond gadgets get out of hand. The plot is fine, but the execution is not. Barbara Bach was very unconvincing as a member of the Russian Army and as a secret agent. And finally ... "Agent XXX" ... is there a more original code name that the writers could come up with? I'd give TSWLM 2/2 for plot. 0.5/3 for execution.
Secondly, Goldeneye. Maybe it's just my traditionalist point of view, but I couldn't get over the fact that they updated the classic Bond theme with a more upbeat version. The original Bond film is a classic and should not change, ever. The Goldeneye theme song itself was great. Another thing I couldn't get over is another 00 agent turning against his own country. There has been traitors in the past, double agents in Fleming's novels, but never a 00 agent. The 00s are the ones sent to dispense with the traitors. It was a passable performance by Brosnan and Bean, but Bond became more of an action hero than a spy. Brosnan also badly needed a hair cut.
There are a few films that I rank reasonably highly - although not my favourite by any stretch of the imagination - but they're not well liked by others: Diamonds are Forever and You Only Live Twice, for example. But my absolute favourites also seem to be a lot of other Bond fans' favourites: From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Goldfinger, and Dr No.
I like the fact that the first James Bond film is rough around the edges. Connery is rough around the edges, too, but he delivers a confident, commanding, discerning performance. He was never more lean, deadly, bemused and sardonic than he is in Dr. No. It's obvious that a lot of thought and planning went into how the character of James Bond should be depicted and portrayed. He is a fully-rounded and fleshed-out character without making a point of it. There had never been a character anything like him in the movies before. The script is literate and extremely well-plotted. It operates on many levels. I love how it pushes realistic action and suspense to the edge of surrealism, and then pulls back just before stretching believability. Terence Young directs with impeccable style and aplomb. He knew how to tell these stories. He knew how to direct an action-adventure without losing sight of the underlying drama. Note how he keeps tongue-in-cheek humor in cheek and never lets it deteriorate into buffoonery or slapstick.
Dr. No was quite an achievement in 1962, and it holds up extremely well today. It has a vitality and spontaneity the later films are lacking. It remains one of the cinema's greatest action-adventures.
I'm very fond of it.
Richard
http://apbateman.com
My only complaints - Dalton was totally humorless (but I much prefer no humor to the overall jokiness of the Roger Moore era) and a weak leading lady in Maryam d'Abo.
I think TLD is entertaining (there are some excellent action scenes) but overall there is something a little...underwelming about it. Maybe its because the central villains (Koskof and Whitaker) are rather forgettable.
I actually enjoyed AVTAK, although I know its regarded as one of the weaker films.
I think thats the key to a Bond film...the villain. AVTAK had a good one in the shape of Christopher Walken, as did Licence to Kill - Robert Davi. They held your attention...you felt the sense of menace.
Goon: "Sorry to hear about your brother, Mr. Franks"
Moronic Goon(played by Sid Haig!): "I had a brother once"
melancholy James Bond: "Small world"
And I think Sean Connery's performance is fine. He doesn't come off as cool, energetic or assured here, but considering this is following OHMSS and James has just lost the love of his life, his introspective and melancholy acting style fits so well. I think people forget how much the characterization changed in the previous film. I also think Charles Gray was a fine Blofeld. Sad he had to play such a tame version of the character, but he was a great actor.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I question whether or not it was intended too. But I think it works out better that he is rather soft-spoken and melancholy because its follows OHMSS. : ) And does anyone think this film is better than YOLT? I really thought that was Connery's most unenthusiastic appearance. Something about that film just strikes me as really anticlimactic. Maybe because it abandoned a lot of cool parts from the book and didn't replace them with anything really valuable, besides a nice over-the-top volcano fortress.
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
Moonraker was my favourite for many years, but steadily increasing age and experience have pushed it down my personal top 5 (heck, I'm not even sure where it stands on my AJB profile list). Love the locations, cinematography, casting, score, wit. There's daftness for sure involving lasers in space, but up until that last real its one of the most suspenseful of the Bonds. Our Rog is on pretty good form and this is the last of his films where he appears just young enough to cut it ...
As for TMWTGG, I'm not even sure if AJB still has all my threads about this. In many respects it's a dreadful film - appearing low budget, low morals, but I love it. Its old and ropey, but characterful. Another great score, the cast is good and the premise strong. It could have been the best but its flaws make it unique. It represents all that is great and terrible about the 70s (in or out of the UK). It is Bond's 3-day-week, but it is endearing because of its faded glamour. Bond could have so easily floundered after this film, but it didn't. In saying all of this, I'd love to see a DC remake of this with a fabulous script and without the misogyny ...
I love, love, love the music and the opening sequence....a montage of Bond immersed in his work. I never tire of it.
I love his greater vulnerability in the film and the clear effort it takes to do the heavy fighting scenes. I love his mature sex appeal. I also appreciate the complexity of the villain, including his sadistic elements.
And although many consider it cheesy, I enjoy the clash of Bond with 80's culture. I like to see him quietly defend his martinis and red meat against herbal teas and colonic irrigation.
www.007jamesbond.dk
http://thedangermen.com/
For me the best action sequences out of all of Brosnan's films and quite funny too. While the producers missed a trick by having JUST 2 agents destroy a whole stealth boat (where were the SBS when you needed them? BB and MGW clearly learnt nothing from the less than satisfting climax to GE) it's by far my favourite from the '90s. Top 5 or 6 overall for me.
1. People who hate things.
2. Irony.
3. Lists.
I agree. For me, Tomorrow Never Dies is Brosnan's best film.
At last! I thought I was the only one who thought this! I feel I can finally start the party {[]