Your Review of all Bond movies

DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
Best thing of Bond fandom to me is hearing (reading) other peoples reviews and thoughts on all the movies. What better way to make one thread for this? (Probably going to end up being one filled with large posts if people are in the mood) Here are mine:

1. Dr No.

A great start to the franchise that still seems to be very close to the novels. Sean Connery, while still being an unknown, immediatly proofs he's the coolest man alive in '62. To me, this man is James Bond. He's got everything down: the walk, the talk, the looks his self confidence. Brilliant! I am still amazed how good he managed to immediatly portray the character on his first go. He's the strongest factor of this movie. The movie is however also filled with weak points, the lower budget really shines through. While the car chase might have been exhilarating stuff in '62, I just can't help but always finding it absolutely hilarious when I watch that scene today. The score is pretty terrible as well, in some scenes reminds me of the music of a Tom & Jerry episode. The climax to me also was a little bit dissapointing. DN's big sceam is a bit 'meh'. To be fair, they did update his sceam to fit the times as the cuban missile crisis was still going on at the time. And I guess it was more intresting than the bird **** plot of the novel...
Fortunatly, the movie is also filled with strong points. Like the scene where Bond kills Prof. Dent, still one of my favorite moments in the series. Ursula Andress emerging from the sea, and call me mysgenonist, but Bond using Miss Taro for sex even when he knows she's a bad chick is still absolutely awesome! All in all, a classic. I can absolutely see why this was such an succes back in it's day.

2. From Russia With Love

Here's a great example of a Bond movie that arguably has the best plot out of all of them, yet a plot alone doesn't make it the best Bond movie for me. I constantly seem to rank it higher in my list as the movie is growing on me, with each viewing I tend to appreciate it more. Sean Connery is once again brilliant, the story is top notch, and pretty much all other cast members are all very strong too. I really like the realistic cold war setting this movie has. SPECTRE seems genuinly threatening, when Red Grant tells Bond: "We're pros mister Bond' I simply believe him. We are still far away of the cartooniness SPECTRE, that it would become later... The attache case is another example of the realistic feel that the movie has. You could really inmagine spies would have an attache case like that during the cold war.
It falls short on other moments that date the movie. The Bond theme playing when Bond is simply in his hotel room is a bit dull. The rear projection on the canals of Venice is dated too, and the waving away of the film in the water is a bit silly. Looking at it as an indepent film, not part of the Bond movies, it is one of the best - defenitely plotwise! But looking at it as part of the Bond franchise, there are just a lot of movies I still favor above this one.

3. Goldfinger

Probably the one I have seen the most! Also the one that is often claimed to be overrated. To me, it's not. I do have to admit though, the movie doesn't have a plot half as good as FRWL. But, this just proofs a Bond movie doesn't necessarily have to relie on a strong plot. This is where the Bond blue print was born. It just has it all: The Aston Martin DB5, the Golden girl, the classic villians, oddjobs hat, the laser, the brilliant Fort Knox Ken Adam film set. Amazing! I just find myself always enjoying every second of this movie!
Sure, just like the previous ones it has it's weaker points as well. I often hear Bond doesn't really do much of real use in this one. While I could agree with those people, I think I just appreciate this movie to much to really fault it for that. I've said this before, to me it's simply a 24 carat-masterpiece!

4. Thunderball

Thunderball is the one that tried to be the biggest Bond of all, I don't think it beat Goldfinger but It is defenitely another classic! What I like about Thunderball so much is how 'big' the movie and the mission itself seems. Because the movie shows us M and the ministers in London being concerned all the time it defenitely gives you the impression Bond is dealing with something really important here. Though we already know who took the bombs, how it's done and we're they are, it doesn't get tedious to me.
What does get tedious however is the big underwater battle near the end and the climax on the Disco Volante is just the weakest point of this movie. That stupid sped-up rear projection completely ruins the suspense... But, those are only among my few problems of the movie. Also, the line-up of Bond girls in this movie are simply the hottest. Paula, Fiona and Domino ;% yes sir!

5. You Only Live Twice

This is where a lot of people say the franchise reached it's first low point. I disagree. I admit the plot is far away from realistic and half of the movie is ridiculously outlandish, but this is pure sixties prime time and I love it! The movie shares a 'feel' of another great sixties show: Thunderbirds, of which I'm also a huge fan. So having an outlandish base in an hollowed-out volcano is one of those things I just absolutely adore about this and the times that you could still get away with having that in a movie. I also love the Little Nellie. And I'm not even bothered by Connery's 'bored' performance he often is claimed to have.
I do however find his Japanese make-over to be stupid. It doesn't go anywhere and he even looks completely normal when he's captured by Blofeld so that is just something I could do without. But it's an absolute classic on all other fronts in my book!

6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

I always feel like i'm the only Bond fan on this forum that doesn't praise and love this movie as much as it is loved and praised. I simply haven't found myself enjoying it much yet. Lazenby is one of the reasons I think this movie is bad. Lazenby is wooden, he misses the Bond factor, he can't pull off the oneliners and having him dubbed half of the movie doesn't help either... Then there's Blofeld's plot. It's so weird! - hypnotising beautiful girls to cause infertility around the world. I never got how destroying Pizz Gloria prevented that from happening anyway. It's just weird... I also don't like that Bond is supposed to be in love, yet he goes along banging half of the girls in the clinic...
What I do like about the movie is Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and Gabriele Ferzetti. They are all terrific and lift the movie a bit for me. The ending of Tracy getting killed is pretty emotional and well done (also from Lazenby). I only wish they didn't pan into the Bond theme for the credits after that, but that's just minor nitpicking... I am still far- far away from liking it. I think it would have been SO much better had Connery still been Bond in this one.. I still have to read the novell so that also might bring it higher into my list.

7. Diamonds Are Forever

The worst movie in the franchise in my opinion. It's such a shame, because it had all the potential to become a great follow up to OHMSS. But Bond's wife isn't even mentioned in this movie, as if this just carries on from YOLT and pretends the previous movie didn't happen. Even if i'm not a fan of the previous movie I would have atleast liked if it was acknowledged that his wife was shot... The movie is just full of rediclious stuff, like the mouse trap in Connery's pocket in the PTS, the elephant with the slot machine, BLOFELD in DRAG! X-( Charles Grey is just completely wrong for Blofeld, way to posh and unthreatening. I can get along with the moonbuggy, although why there even was a moon film set on that facility raises more confusion.. Plenty's death doesn't make sense either, but that's because an entire essential scene of her got deleted causing the movie to have a major plothole. There's so much more stuff I could complain about in this movie, and I will not do that. To me, It's simply the low point in the franchise.

8. Live and Let Die

A good start for Roger Moore, yet probably my personal least favorite of his films. It's a mixed bag, there's lots of stuff I like and dislike in this movie. I don't really like the whole voodoo theme the movie has, I had the same thing with the original novel. It has weird moments were Baron Samedi constantly seems to die and live again, bringing Bond into supernatural territory that I find out of place... Mr. Big's inflating death is another major dislike. Not a big fan of Rosie Carver either. On to the stuff I do like:
I like Roger Moore's different take on Bond a lot. Immediatly proofing his great sense of humor here. Him tricking Solitaire into bed is something I find absolutely hilarious too :)) - the boat chase is awesome. Mr. Big and Teehee are good villians and I guess Sherrif Pepper brings some humor too.. The movie is okay, but ít's far away from being one of my favorites.

9. The Man With The Golden Gun

Where my opinion on OHMSS is controversial for disliking a movie that is otherwise really liked. Here I might be controversial for liking a movie that is mostly disliked.
TMWTGG feels like a low-budget production, but it's guilty pleasure at the same time. Christopher Lee is first and for most one of the strongest things the movie has to offer. I really like the concept of Bond going up against a world-class assassin with a golden gun. His island is another high point, I would to visit the place in Thailand one day!
My number one complaint that I'm sure you all share is the slide-whistle. One of the biggest shames in Bond history. Otherwise a movie I tend to enjoy from start to finish! It's far from being one of the best, but it's defenitely far from being the worst too!

10. The Spy Who Loved Me

Quite simply another brilliant Bond movie and easily my favorite Roger Moore one. This movie is Roger Moore's Goldfinger for the simple reason that it's filled with classic elements with a plot that isn't even that strong. There's the awesome ski leap with the parachute, jaws, the Lotus Esprit, a very hot Bond girl, the atlantis underwater base. I can't really find much stuff I dislike about this movie to be honest. I also absolutely adore the Bond '77 score! - it's awesome!
Solid entry, classic and highly entertaining!

11. Moonraker

Much like TMWTGG this movie often gets claimed to be the worst in the franchise and I would disagree. Just like YOLT this movie is over the top, and yes, probably even 10 times more over the top than YOLT was. But the production value of this movie is something I really like too, you can see the money went to the screen. It has so much stuff to like as well. Sure it has the double take pidgeon and Jaws falling in love, it also has people falling out of a plane without a parachute, amazing film sets by Ken Adam, stunning special effects (for it's time) by Derrick Meddings (another hero from the Thunderbirds show) great boat chases. I think it was also the first Bond movie I ever saw so it might hold some sentiment. I recognize the terrible moments, Bond going into space is indeed a step to far. But it is not the worst in the series by any means.

12. For Your Eyes Only

Probably my second favorite Roger Moore movie. Especially when viewing this after Moonraker the appreciation for this movie rises. It's the Roger movie with the most serious tone (apart from the weird PTS) and that is something great to expierence in a Roger Moore movie. It's good to depart from outlandish gadgets for a while and actually see Bond return to his roots. I love how they threw in the scene from the LALD novel where Bond and the girl get tied up behind the boat. The mountain climbing bit was quite tense as well. Bibi is annoying, but I think that's exactly how her character was written. I like the plot twists the movie has too, like Kristatos turning out to be a villian, the parrot suddendly having the key information stuff like that. It's a Bond movie that might even be underrated by some.

13. Octopussy

Very entertaining Bond movie you can just simply put on and enjoy. The movie starts very strong with a great action filled PTS and manages to keep you entertained throughout. Roger Moore with Kamal Kahn's fixed dices still is one of my favorite parts of the movie "It's all in the whrist" :)) - Him not looking at the dice makes it that much more Bondian, always gets me! Bond and Q entering with the airballoon and him reaching the island in the crocodile stuff seems miles away from the original Bond character, but it's stuff I can enjoy. I do however hate the Tarzan yell... It's one of those Bond movies that simply ranks in the middle. Far from my favorite and far from my least favorites!

14. A View To A Kill
Roger should have left the role in Octopussy. Here it's painfully evident he's way to old to be Bond now. Maybe it's the facelift he got before this movie, as I wasn't bothered to much about his age in the previous ones. I start with the strong points of this movie: the villians: Chris Walken and Grace Jones, very memorable! The climax at the golden gate bridge is pretty cool too.
Unfortunatly the movie feels very 'been there - done that'. Especially when viewing these in order. Everything just feels tired out and in desperate need for something new. Bond is old, Moneypenny is old, the gags are getting old, the plot doesn't bring much new stuff either being so similar to Goldfinger. Atleast Roger is still very good with the humor: "What's serving Whiskas?" :D - But other than that, it's one of his weakest movies.

15. The Living Daylights

Enter Timothy Dalton, and welcome breath of fresh air that was desperatly needed at this stage! Dalton is very good as Bond, he really sells that he is a dangerous man that you don't want to take on. I liked Caroline Bliss as the new Moneypenny too, just a sidenote but I think Loix Maxwell also needed replacement. It's also good to see Bond with one Bond girl for a chance.
Still, the movie has some weak points as well. First of all the villians. Jeroen Krabbé, while being Dutch and while sharing the same name as me isn't a great villian. Whitaker isn't particularly memorable either, I liked him more as Wade in GE and TND. Another problem the movie has is that it tends to sink in at the ending. Everything pre-Afghanisthan keeps me entertained, then it kind of starts dragging a bit... It's a great fresh movie, has a lot to like. But I think the next one was far superior...

16. Licence To Kill

I'm sure most of you know this is my favorite one and there are to many reasons to name why I think it's so darn good. Especially when watching this after the tired out Roger Moore era you come to realise how brilliant this is. Coming after the slide whistle jump, the tarzan yell and the general kid friendly feel of the Moore movies it's quite a big jump to see a women getting beat up, Felix Leiter getting fed to the shark and his wife (presumably) getting raped! Robert Davi is quite simply of of the best things of this movie, easily my favorite out of all of Bond's villians. He's brilliant in the role, the accent, the charm, the menace, his loyality thing.
The movie is also very original in it's story. Another strong point that makes this stand out above all other Bond movies. Bond going on a personal revenge to avenge his friend, as a roque agent using his brains. I love how Bond uses Sanchez's loyality thing against him to ultimately bring him down and get him more paronoid to the point where he doesn't trust anyone anymore. (Notice Davi's look near the end climax when he takes a look at one of his goons thinking he got ripped off again, the one that kills with the forklift. You can see he slowly starts to doubt everyone around him, brilliant acting!) The Bond girls are both (yes Talisa Soto too) good (and hot too).
Despite the story seeming far from a standard Bond adventure there are enough elements that are very Bondian in this. (Bond waterskieng behind the plane is badass as hell for example! Q coming along to give Bond gadgets also was a good move to bring some more Bond elements into the mix and a giving Llewelyn a chance to do more.
It's dark, smart, thrilling and quite simply a brilliant Bond movie! -{

17. Goldeneye

Another great Bond movie. It's a shame to see that Dalton only did two Bond movies, but Brosnan is the first since Connery that brings back that "I want to be this guy" feel. There are so many elements in this movie to like. Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp springs to mind first, - Pure Dutch Pride there! Also liked the concept of Bond going up against 006, a friend of his past. The movie also succeeds into bringing Bond into the modern world while acknowledging the cold war. The tank chase is one of the highlights, Natalya Simonova is one of the best Bond girls and Boris makes for some nice comic relief. It has a great climax too.
I know the jumping after the plane in the PTS is a bit much, but I think the movie got away with it fine. There isn't much I dislike about this movie, it's defenitely top five worthy and easily Brosnan's best!

18. Tomorrow Never Dies

Feels a lot like a movie that could be directed by Lewis Gilbert, just without the outlandish Ken Adam's filmsets. The plot of a third party secretaly trying to put the world powers against eachother has been used so many times by this time now and feels a bit tired out. But luckily TND brings a lot of other fresh stuff to the mix that make this worth while. Mainly the actions scenes are all really good, the PTS, the BMW carchase in the carpark, the bike on the rooftops and Bond and Wai-Lin jumping off te Carver Media building are all top notch.
I think the weak point lies in it's climax, must like TLD the movie sinks in near the end and gets a bit dragging. Bond goes overboard with all the machine guns and explosions that seem to become signature to the Brosnan movies. That is the scripts fault, not Brosnan, who I think was an excellent underrated Bond.

19. The World is Not Enough

I think the filmmakers recognized that Bond was missing some character in the previous movies and they tried to incorporate that more into this one. (Arguably Brosnan had a hand into that himself?) TWINE does it's best to achieve this but seems to be afraid to go all the way. For example: Bond breaks his arm, it's mentioned a couple of times but doesn't really go anywhere. We have a villian that doesn't feel pain: it's shown a few times but doesn't really go anywhere... Such a shame.
Elektra King was good, and the plot was atleast a lot more engaging than the previous movie's plot was. The best action scene is in the PTS. Denise Richards was, as pointed out by the entire world, terrible as christmas Jones. I would have actually loved if the cigar girl was the main Bond girl, good god was she hot!! :D It's a pretty good Bond movie that had potential to be even better than it already is.

20. Die Another Day

I haven't really meat much people that actually liked this one and i'm not one of them either. But atleast the first half of the movie was kind of descent. The PTS is actually really promising! Bond getting tortured and captured is actually pretty good! But much like TWINE they don't dare to go all the way with it. It doesn't go anywhere or leave any scares. He shaves in the hotel and all is forgotten... Then Hale Berry comes into the mix. The dialoque was pretty terrible, but I don't think I hate Jinx THAT much as others. She was atleast hot and she isn't he one writing her own dialoque....
Of course the second half of the movie is where it goes overboard and becomes unforgiving. The CGI tsunami is the worst part of it all. The robocop suit from Gustav Graves, the CGI plane, we seemed to have gone far-far away from what Bond once was. But I'm not saying anything new here, these complaints are heared so many times.
I don't think it's the absolute worst movie though, the first half of the movie is still pretty enjoyable which prevents this movie to be at the very bottom and the cars on the ice was actually pretty cool.

21. Casino Royale

Once again Martin Campbell is a director saving the franchise! Casino Royale is brilliant. It's hard to see it as a part of the same movie franchise when comparing it to the previous one. I didn't like it when Daniel was chosen as the next Bond, but he convinced me wrong in this brilliant entry. The reboot makes sense too, and I really like how this movie feels like it's really part of a whole new start, almost as if it's part of a new series. At the same time it still shows that it's part of the same franchise, it has the DB5 and the brilliant "The names Bond.. James Bond" before the credits role.
This is another one of those Bond movies that doesn't seem to have much weak points. Vesper Lynd is good, the chemistry between her and Bond is great and far-far better than the corny dialoque between Bond and Jinx in the previous movie. They now went all the way, Bond gets tortured. Bond shows feelings, Bond shows he's human, not a superman. I remember being dissapointed when there was no gunbarrel, yet when I first saw that gunbarrel I did feel this was something unique here. Easily a top 5 worthy Bond movie!

22. Quantum of Solace

SUCH a shame that one of the best movie is followed by one of the worst. I think only Diamonds was worse, but just like that movie this once again had potential, they just didn't do much with it...
This could have been a great follow up, but we got a very confusing movie, It's like they don't even know where the story is going themselves. When I heared there was a writer strike later things started to make more sense, because that is so vividly apparant in this movie! I remember walking out of the cinema, not even being able to admit to myself how terrible the movie was, and that I didn't get the whole story... It was just, confusing. The movie starts of promising, with a good PTS (although the camera work is way to fast, it doesn't immediatly ruin the movie) then we teased that there isn't much we know about Quantum, leaving us with the feeling we're going to find that stuff out when we go along with the movie. But we don't!!!! - we learn NOTHING about Quantum. Mr. Greene tells Bond all he wants to know about Quantum, but not to US! how STUPID is that!! X-( - The movie just throws all these actions scenes at us. They were descent, but it felt tiring, I wanted more story development. Even DAD was atleast better in it's storytelling than this! Olga Kurlyenko seemed like a great choice beforehand, but her character wasn't engaging at all. Even if they tried to make it emotional and stuff, she just didn't pull it off. She was way better in the November Man with Pierce Brosnan.
What a waste. Terrible Bond movie...

23. Skyfall

Following up the disapointing Quantum we finally got another brilliant Bond movie that managed to immediatly exceed all my expectations! I immediatly ranked this very high in my personal list and inmaged that I was biased because it was my first viewing. But now that it's been two years since it's release, it managed to stay at that spot, it just didn't go down! Which is a good thing of course.
It was the fifty year anniversary but it didn't go into massive hommage stupidity like they did with the 40 year anniversary. Instead they stuck to their plot, which was very engaging. (Also more than welcome after QoS) Everyone in the cast seemed top notch, Bardem seemed like a very refreshing villian that brought elements that were never seen before. I liked how he tried to make Bond uncomfortable by touching him 'that' way. Severine was extremely hot, one of the hottest Bond girls in years! It's a shame she got killed off rather quickly... :( I was genuinly suprised to see that Eve was actually Moneypenny, I didn't know that beforehand and I'm glad I didn't. Because that ending pretty much left me cheering and made me very proud to be a Bond fan! - BOND WAS BACK! Was the feeling I had in my stomach when I drove back home. Here's hoping that Sam Mendes can pull this off again in SPECTRE! -{


So these are my reviews, feel free to comment on mine and/or leave your own reviews ! :)
Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
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Comments

  • MilleniumForceMilleniumForce LondonPosts: 1,214MI6 Agent
    edited December 2014
    Here's my short reviews:

    Dr No:
    An average spy film, let alone a Bond film. However, accepting the budget and the fact it was 1962, I can let it off. However, the film seems fairly boring compared to Goldfinger, TSWLM etc.
    6/10

    FRWL:
    Definitely an improvement on Dr No. A typical bond film, one that only comes across interesting to me due to the villains.
    7/10

    Goldfinger:
    The most iconic bond of them all, this entry has unique ideas, and Gert Frobe plays an excellent villain. The best of Connery's, and is very enjoyable to watch.
    10/10

    Thunderball:
    Trying to create the same feeling as Goldfinger of iconic shots and more memorable scenes, Thunderball just doesn't have the charm of Goldfinger, and the underwater battles are not as impressive as they may look.
    6.5/10

    YOLT:
    It's boring, not as enjoyable as Goldfinger, and also lacks the charm of Goldfinger. However, the addition of Blofeld is very welcome. But...
    6/10

    OHMSS:
    ...Blofeld could have been saved for this one. As the longest of the films before CR, OHMSS is a good bond film, but does not hold up as a stand alone film to me. Lazenby isn't as good as Connery, but he could have improved over time. An extra point for being brave enough to end with a sad ending.
    7/10

    Diamonds are Forever:
    One of Connery's best, DAF is enjoyable to watch, and feels like a Moore film, but that's not a problem for me.
    8/10

    LALD:
    Moor e's first outing feels unique for it's all-black villain cast and Solitaire being 'supernatural'. The film is enjoyable, but I save it for when I'm watching multiple Bond films.
    7/10

    TMWTGG:
    Moore still has some parts of Connery's Bond in this film, shown in the way he treats Andrea in the hotel. However, Christopher Lee makes for a great villain, and extra points for 360 car jump (and take half a point off for whistle).
    7.5/10

    TSWLM:
    With a good villain, extravagant sets, gadget filled car, and one of the most iconic henchmen in Bond history, this is Moore's Goldfinger.
    9.5/10

    Moonraker:
    My favourite Moore film. Moonraker is essentially TSWLM in space, but the craziness of going into space, a great villain, the return of Jaws, and some of the most iconic scenes in Bond history (some not for the right reasons cough double take pigeon cough), this one really is an enjoyment to watch as a spy and sci fi film.
    9.5/10

    FYEO:
    Moore's.....eh film. This one is like Moore's FRWL. It's overated by non-bond fans, and comes across as pretty boring film. However, a Blofeld cameo is very welcome.
    7/10

    Octopussy:
    The film, whilst not having an impressive villain, is still an enjoyment to watch due to its train sequence, Tuk-Tuk chase, and mini jet sequence.
    8.5/10

    AVTAK:
    The weirdest of all the entries, Moore was too old for this role, but this is still an enjoyable film due to Christopher Walken as a villain, and the film seems enjoyable because it is based in San Francisco, which just feels like a good place for bond to cause chaos to stop a bad guy causing worst chaos.
    8.5/10

    The Living Daylights:
    Now this is what I consider the first reboot of the series. It feels like a Connery film, but also a Brosnan GoldenEye style film. The chase sequences are good and the fight on the plane is very enjoyable to watch.
    8.5/10

    Licence to Kill:
    A thrilling pre credit sequence, and a thrilling closing chase. Nothing much happens in the middle, but it's worth it for the opening and the truck chase and Milton Krest getting his head blown up (always good).
    7/10

    GoldenEye:
    Sean Bean is a good villain, Famke Jahansen is a good villain, the DB5 is back, Boris is a good villain, a great, underated Bond girl, the final act is fantastic, and the best part of the movie: the tank chase.
    10/10

    Tomorrow Never Dies
    Mixing Dalton with Brosnan, TND is enjoyable, and has the classic bond gadgets, and Michelle Yeoh makes for a strong, good Bond girl, and Jonathan Pryce is a good villain. The pre title sequence is one of the best, and the car chase is great as well.
    9/10

    The World is Not Enough:
    Almost the same as TND in style, TWINE is good for the plot causing M to be kidnapped, and the boat chase is fantastic. The idea of Elektra being the villain is risky, but ultimately works.
    8/10

    Die Another Day:
    CGI tsunami surfing with an invisible car. It's so bad, so OTT, it is very enjoyable to watch, and I must admit, Zao is one of my favourite henchmen and the car chase is excellent.
    6/10

    Casino Royale:
    A great reboot with some great action scenes, but I prefer less Nolany dark bond movies.
    7/10

    Quantum of Solace:
    Nothing screams Bond to me, and this could pass off as a standard, but forgettable, action flick.
    5/10

    Skyfall:
    Thank you, Mr Mendes. This combines all of the Bonds. The feeling of Brosnan's films, the darkness level of TLD, some funny lines, and a memorable villain, and a sad ending with one of the highlights of the series, Judi Dench as M, leaving the franchise. Finally, the tube chase sequence is one of my favourite chase sequences in any action film. And the scene of Bond and Silva heading to the courtroom with M reading the poem and her speech, very dramatic, and the courtroom shootout is a great way to end this sequence. Oh, and the DB5 is in this one.
    10/10
    1.LTK 2.AVTAK 3.OP 4.FYEO 5.TND 6.LALD 7.GE 8.GF 9.TSWLM 10.SPECTRE 11.SF 12.MR 13.YOLT 14.TLD 15.CR (06) 16.TMWTGG 17.TB 18.FRWL 19.TWINE 20.OHMSS 21.DAF 22.DAD 23.QoS 24.NSNA 25.DN 26.CR (67)
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Here are my brief assessments.

    Dr. No (7/10) -
    Drags early on, but the tension gets real during the last third. Pretty good start for the series.

    From Russia With Love (7/10) -
    Slow pacing for short film, but the train part was well worth it.

    Goldfinger (9/10) -
    Excellent villain, all-around quality movie. The standard other Bonds would follow.

    Thunderball -
    N/A

    You Only Live Twice (6/10) -
    Interesting settings, but feels a little stale compared to previous films.

    On Her Majesty's Secret Service (9/10) -
    A more emotional story-driven 007 movie with a good performance by Lazenby.

    Diamonds Are Forever (4/10) -
    If Connery was slowly turning into a log over the years, he's completely ossified by now.

    Live and Let Die (6/10) -
    Interesting, bizarre, funny, spooky, totally stupid and naive, but fun.

    The Man With The Golden Gun (5/10) -
    Has interesting concept of dueling assassins, but the rest of the movie is conflicted.

    The Spy Who Loved Me -
    N/A

    Moonraker (3/10) -
    Was pretty much a breadcrumb trail of random boring scenes leading up to semi-decent finale.

    For Your Eyes Only -
    N/A

    Octopussy (8/10) -
    Absolutely love it. It's clever, witty, full of comedy, great action bits. It's a case for "campy"ness.

    A View to a Kill (6/10) -
    Great villain and amazing final fight, but the rest of the movie is pretty standard.

    The Living Daylights (8/10) -
    Cerebral story, Dalton's energetic Bond and it's good to see 007 lay off the womanizing.

    License to Kill (8/10) -
    Non-stop unrelenting action. Bond at his darkest and closest to Fleming's work.

    Goldeneye (7/10) -
    Modern, and self-conscious, it breaks the 4th wall and provides a quality refined experience.

    Tomorrow Never Dies (6/10) -
    A mindless popcorn action flick with some really thrilling gadgetry and lots of bullets.

    The World is Not Enough -
    N/A

    Die Another Day -
    N/A

    Casino Royale (10/10) -
    The pinnacle of the series, portraying Bond at his absolute strongest and most vulnerable.

    Quantum of Solace (5/10) -
    Not bad but it tried to be a political visionary film when it was really an unneeded sequel.

    Skyfall (8/10) -
    Forget the swiss-cheese story. This is cinematic Bond at its best, full of great moments!
  • FiremassFiremass AlaskaPosts: 1,910MI6 Agent
    Goldfinger:
    The most iconic bond of them all, this entry has unique ideas, and Gert Frobe plays an excellent villain. The best of Connery's, and is very enjoyable to watch.
    10/10

    Goldfinger proves that a 60's Bond film can be highly entertaining from start to finish. (all the while remaining faithful to the Fleming novel)

    If the other Bond films from the same decade seem slow or boring it's their own dang fault…not just because of their age.
    My current 10 favorite:

    1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
  • broadshoulderbroadshoulder Acton, London, UKPosts: 1,363MI6 Agent
    My quick review of the James Bond films..

    1962-1989 The Classic films. Everyone a gem - yes, that includes Moonraker

    1995-2002 The Brozz years. Everyone not a gem - yes, that includes Goldeneye

    2006 onwards - The second coming
    1. For Your Eyes Only 2. The Living Daylights 3 From Russia with Love 4. Casino Royale 5. OHMSS 6. Skyfall
  • King KamalKing Kamal Posts: 85MI6 Agent
    What I do like about the movie is Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and Gabriele Ferzetti.
    -{ These 3 never get the credit they deserve
    Draco is such a cool character. You kind of feel like you should hate him after sending his goons after Bond and basically trying to sell his own daughter but he's just so badass and ready for action that he wins you over. (Kind of like an improved version of Columbo in FYEO). Very similar to Blofeld in that they'll both get their hands dirty to get what they want so kind of a shame we never saw them meet in the film.
  • Kent007Kent007 Posts: 338MI6 Agent
    Dr. No > From Russia With Love < Goldfinger > Thunderball < You Only Live Twice >OHMSS > Diamonds Are Forever < Live And Let Die > TMWTGG < The Spy Who Loved Me > Moonraker < For Your Eyes Only = Octopussy > A View to a Kill < The Living Daylights = Licence to Kill < Goldeneye > Tomorrow Never Dies = The World is Not Enough > Die Another Day < Casino Royale > Quantum of Solace < Skyfall

    Hoping I've got all my < and > in the right place :))
    "You are about to wake when you dream that you are dreaming"
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    King Kamal wrote:
    What I do like about the movie is Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and Gabriele Ferzetti.
    -{ These 3 never get the credit they deserve
    Draco is such a cool character. You kind of feel like you should hate him after sending his goons after Bond and basically trying to sell his own daughter but he's just so badass and ready for action that he wins you over. (Kind of like an improved version of Columbo in FYEO). Very similar to Blofeld in that they'll both get their hands dirty to get what they want so kind of a shame we never saw them meet in the film.

    +1 {[]
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    OHMSS, has a great cast. They also seemed to spend more time
    On the Characterization. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    OHMSS, has a great cast. They also seemed to spend more time
    On the Characterization. -{

    A very wise decision in the absence of Sean Connery to have a strong supporting cast around George Lazenby. Without them the film might possibly have sunk without trace at the box office.

    It appears to me that Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas are often singled out for credit, Gabriele Ferzetti less so. As King Kamal stated, You feel you should hate his character Draco but he wins you over. He is such a "lovable rogue".
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

    I always feel like i'm the only Bond fan on this forum that doesn't praise and love this movie as much as it is loved and praised. I simply haven't found myself enjoying it much yet. Lazenby is one of the reasons I think this movie is bad. Lazenby is wooden, he misses the Bond factor, he can't pull off the oneliners and having him dubbed half of the movie doesn't help either... Then there's Blofeld's plot. It's so weird! - hypnotising beautiful girls to cause infertility around the world. I never got how destroying Pizz Gloria prevented that from happening anyway. It's just weird... I also don't like that Bond is supposed to be in love, yet he goes along banging half of the girls in the clinic...
    What I do like about the movie is Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and Gabriele Ferzetti. They are all terrific and lift the movie a bit for me. The ending of Tracy getting killed is pretty emotional and well done (also from Lazenby). I only wish they didn't pan into the Bond theme for the credits after that, but that's just minor nitpicking... I am still far- far away from liking it. I think it would have been SO much better had Connery still been Bond in this one.. I still have to read the novell so that also might bring it higher into my list.

    You are not the only one who does not share the same praise and love that it generally receives in these parts. For many years On Her Majesty's Secret Service was almost a complete turn off for me. Not a complete turn off because of things like John Barry's magnificent score and the excellent ski chases, they were just too good to ignore. I just could not get around George Lazenby's acting and his voice/dubbed voice. Gradually over time Lazenby became less of a distraction, to the point where I now appreciate his acting in certain scenes, and also appreciate more the physicality he brought to the role.

    The dubbed voice remains a negative. As do other things, such as the Piz Gloria sequence. It is too long and not very interesting for the most part, only enlivened when Bond escapes. Still, OHMSS is a considerably more palatable experience these days.
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    I spent an hour writing reviews only to have it all lost as my effing cats distracted me.

    But it all boils down to FRWL & LTK being the best two ever.
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) I've trained them well ! ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    :)) I've trained them well ! ;)
    And my Wife won't let me shoot them with my airsoft PPK.... yes, your plan has worked efficiently. X-(
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :D Although your shortened review is very fair as Both
    FRWL and LTK are in my top five Films. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    DN- No PTS or actual Barry score, but a WOW debut for OO7. A
    FRWL- Tight plot & great follow-up to the first. A+
    GF- Iconic but imperfect. A-
    TB- Impressive but slow in spots. B
    YOLT- What it lacks in believability it more than makes up for in sheer fun. A
    OHMSS- Overrated but well executed. B
    DAF- Clever & funny. C
    LALD- The Saintly new guy. C+
    TMWTGG- Shaken when it should be stirred. C-
    TSWLM- Pure fun. B
    MR- Star Wars/kiddie retread of TSWLM. D
    FYEO- Nice comeback. C+
    OP- Again, pure fun. B
    AVTAK- Was pushing it. C-
    TLD- Breath of fresh air. A
    LTK- Absolutely badass. A+
    GE- The RemingtonSteeley Bond. B
    TND- Underrated YOLT for the Nineties. B+
    TWINE- Daring & mostly successful. B
    DAD- The Superman III of Bonds. C
    CR- Exciting reboot. B+
    QOS- Hit & run Bond. B
    SF- Overrated, contrived, yet very pretty. B-
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
    Thanks for sharing your opinions guys! :)

    Chrisisall, you really need to tell me what you like about QoS so much one of these days! I'm pretty much aboard with you with the rest, except maybe you like Diamonds more than me..
    Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
    YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Chrisisall, you really need to tell me what you like about QoS so much one of these days!
    Dan is great in it, excellent soundtrack, great Bond girl, a villain I love to hate, awesome action, straightforward story, & possibly the best ending to any Bond movie.
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
    chrisisall wrote:
    Chrisisall, you really need to tell me what you like about QoS so much one of these days!
    Dan is great in it, excellent soundtrack, great Bond girl, a villain I love to hate, awesome action, straightforward story, & possibly the best ending to any Bond movie.

    Amazing how devided fans can be on that perspective. I can only really agree on Daniel, the soundtrack and the awesome action. To me the story was anything but straightforward, the villain was just weak, and the Bond girl (not Olga's fault) was a character I just couldn't care enough about... (And we were intended to care for her backstory). Ohwell, to each their own -{

    I am doing sort of a marathon, and it's been a while since my last time I saw it. And I am always hoping the Bond films I don't like to grow on me...
    Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
    YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    I didn't know where to post this & didn't want to start a new thread. just to say it is absolutely ages since I watched any of the Sean Connery Bond films but they have been showing them on TV every day over the holidays (Thunderball today). I must say up to now I've enjoyed every one, really good solid adventure yarns. The ones I thought were mediocre when last seen have been viewed with a fresh perspective & thus I have been pleasantly surprised.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    stag wrote:
    The ones I thought were mediocre when last seen have been viewed with a fresh perspective & thus I have been pleasantly surprised.
    I used to not like Dr. No or FRWL very much. Fresh perspectives are a good thing!
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
    chrisisall wrote:
    stag wrote:
    The ones I thought were mediocre when last seen have been viewed with a fresh perspective & thus I have been pleasantly surprised.
    I used to not like Dr. No or FRWL very much. Fresh perspectives are a good thing!

    Say Chrisisall, just out of curiousity, did you have the same expierence of not liking OHMSS at first, and then growing to love it? Because to be honest, while not liking it I do hope it will grow on me. OHMSS seems to be the movie in the franchise that first 'needs to grow' on you. I rarely saw any Bond fans that absolutely adored it on very first viewing...
    Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
    YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :)) You only reach true enlightenment as a Bond fan
    When you " get" OHMSS. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Say Chrisisall, just out of curiousity, did you have the same expierence of not liking OHMSS at first, and then growing to love it? Because to be honest, while not liking it I do hope it will grow on me. OHMSS seems to be the movie in the franchise that first 'needs to grow' on you. I rarely saw any Bond fans that absolutely adored it on very first viewing...
    OHMSS was my 'lost' Bond movie. In the 80's I bought a video disk of it and finally saw it, and I actually loved it at first viewing- but remember, those were the MOORE years, so a solidly serious (for the most part, anyway) Bond movie discovery was like finding gold.
    I don't 'love' it now, but I still enjoy it immensely every time. -{
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
    :)) You only reach true enlightenment as a Bond fan
    When you " get" OHMSS. :D

    I remember you yourself explaining you didn't like it at first either. But yes, it does feel like I am still yet to get to the part where I like it... I still have some years ahead of me luckily :))
    Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
    YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    I still have some years ahead of me luckily :))
    Time enough to ponder why you like SF SO much? You asked me so I'll ask you, what's SO great about it? ?:)
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :D , Yes I too didn't like it at first, Like Chrisisall. I'm a child of the Moore era.
    So it was very different to what I was used to. Although from reading the Books
    and wanting, a little better story line etc, it soon became a favourite. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    :D , Yes I too didn't like it at first, Like Chrisisall. I'm a child of the Moore era.
    So it was very different to what I was used to. Although from reading the Books
    and wanting, a little better story line etc, it soon became a favourite. -{
    I would hold OHMSS in SO MUCH higher regard if it had been properly followed up with the killing of Blofeld instead of the jump into camp that DAF offered. I guess that's why I like the PTS of FYEO so much now; it's a morsel of resolution... 8-)
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DutchfingerDutchfinger Holland With LovePosts: 1,240MI6 Agent
    chrisisall wrote:
    I still have some years ahead of me luckily :))
    Time enough to ponder why you like SF SO much? You asked me so I'll ask you, what's SO great about it? ?:)

    Well, first and for most I stated most of my reasons in this very thread in the review itself. :D
    But to add to that review. I think I usually measure a Bond film to the previous Bond film. Casino Royale is a massive step forward coming after DAD. TLD is very refreshing coming after AVTAK etc etc.
    To me, Quantum brought Bond back from a, 'yeah the latest movie really wasn't that good' kind of status. (Atleast in my eyes, I know you did like it.) Then there was the long four year gab and then Skyfall came along and brought Bond right back where he belonged!

    Loved Craig (once again) in it. Loved the villian (also very refreshing), the general plotline (for me a lot easier to follow and above all more satisfying than Quantum's story.) Severine was great and hot, the part where M was reading the poem while Bond was running to the court room had me with a big proud smile on my face in the theaters. Where you thought Quantum had one of the best endings in any Bond film, to me that's Skyfall! I was almost cheering at that ending! (Partly because I didn't know Eve was actually Moneypenny at all, I did pretty much guess that Ralph Fiennes was the new M, we all did I guess.. But still, Bond standing in that classic M's office, with the secret mission folder, the leather doors, the desk, the Bond tune coming on proudly followed by the gunbarrel fading into the the 50 year anniversary logo. Brilliant!! Especially because I didn't like Quantum much, this gave me that inmensely proud feeling to be a Bond fan! It's simply one of the best Bond films out there!
    Better known as DutchBondFan on YouTube. My 007 movie reviews: Recapping 007
    YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    You love SF and I love QOS....
    At least we BOTH love LTK! {[]
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I've found that my favourite Bonds are the ones where I feel he's
    The most Human. ( once again only my opinion) ;) in OHMSS,
    CR, SF and LTK. Bond is flawed, vulnerable, at times seemingly
    Broken. So has to overcome his own inner turmoil to win through.
    These films may not be the most action packed, ( some have complained
    That FRWL, is a bit slow) but they are filled with Story ! {[] very much
    Fleming or at least in the spirit of Fleming.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
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