Last Bond Movie You Watched? 2.0

Pleasence really only had the iconography going for him. After a strong lineup of villains in the first four films, Blofeld really is underwhelming and I just can't buy him as the guy that gave orders to previous villains. Like the film itself, he's too much of a Saturday morning cartoon caricature.

Control wrote:

Dry in many areas, fun in a few areas.

But enough about Helga, what did you think of the movie?

With the announcement of Spectre, I revisted YOLT. I've always loved the soundtrack for this film, especially Nancy Sinatra's track (my favourite of them all), and the set pieces are to die for. Connery's effort is laughable, but it's a fun Bond.

Did OHMSS yesterday. Such a great film! Aside from a couple of awkward lines from Lazenby, he did do a good job. He seemed to be in the moment quite often and for a first time actor that's difficult to do. Props to Hunt for eliciting such a good performance, but a lot of it probably has to do with the fact that Lazzer had a lot of the James Bond character in himself. Top notch cast, with Tracy being one of my favourite Bond girls, Telly being the best Blofeld, and Draco probably my favourite ally. Lots of great photography and the score is up there with the best. This film will struggle leaving my top 5.

Having a first time director and lead for OHMSS will come to be regarded as one of the most stupid decisions in film history.

Considering the praise Steven Soderbergh and others have heaped upon Peter Hunt's direction in recent years, I'm not sure that's likely.

Largo's Shark wrote:

Considering the praise Steven Soderbergh and others have heaped upon Peter Hunt's direction in recent years, I'm not sure that's likely.

Witnesses such as Soderbergh, who has an autographed photo of Lazenby hanging above his bed, are dismissed. Prosecution calls United Artists.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Having a first time director and lead for OHMSS will come to be regarded as one of the most stupid decisions in film history.

But why? The film certainly isn't the most stupid in the series, far from it.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Musically brilliant. The theme, the song, as Bond shimmies along the cable out from the cable car barn or Gumbold's Safe.
Locations.
The barn scene, the escape scene, the Bond and M scenes and the final scene. Though I half wonder if my favourite Bond moment might just be when Tracy skates up to Bond at the ice rink.
Personally I think it's as close to the book as any of the films and does it's best in that regard (such as the Samuden scenes). I guess having Bond sit in his room waiting for the chance to escape wouldn't have made for great cinema but otherwise it does it's best and the fights feel savage -aided by editing perhaps. Right up there with the Bond/Grant fight.

DN & FRWL

Haven't properly watched a Bond film in yonks. The above films are good for cinema-goers of all ages, unless you enjoy copious CGI, deep n' gritty Flemingianess, This-Bond-Girl-Is-Different, and This-Time-It's-Personal.

Also, just realised General Gogol is the SPECTRE chap.

I caught NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN on Netflix.

I like it more than OCTOPUSSY. It's stupid, but entertaining. Sort of like YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.

EON should have hired Edward Fox during his heyday.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Musically brilliant. The theme, the song, as Bond shimmies along the cable out from the cable car barn or Gumbold's Safe.
Locations.
The barn scene, the escape scene, the Bond and M scenes and the final scene. Though I half wonder if my favourite Bond moment might just be when Tracy skates up to Bond at the ice rink.
Personally I think it's as close to the book as any of the films and does it's best in that regard (such as the Samuden scenes). I guess having Bond sit in his room waiting for the chance to escape wouldn't have made for great cinema but otherwise it does it's best and the fights feel savage -aided by editing perhaps. Right up there with the Bond/Grant fight.

Yep, the hotel room punch-up is one of the series' best.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Hilly KCMG wrote:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Musically brilliant. The theme, the song, as Bond shimmies along the cable out from the cable car barn or Gumbold's Safe.
Locations.
The barn scene, the escape scene, the Bond and M scenes and the final scene. Though I half wonder if my favourite Bond moment might just be when Tracy skates up to Bond at the ice rink.
Personally I think it's as close to the book as any of the films and does it's best in that regard (such as the Samuden scenes). I guess having Bond sit in his room waiting for the chance to escape wouldn't have made for great cinema but otherwise it does it's best and the fights feel savage -aided by editing perhaps. Right up there with the Bond/Grant fight.

Yep, the hotel room punch-up is one of the series' best.

Yeah had the same feeling on my last viewing actually. Up at the top with Bond and Grant and Bond and Alec.

Control wrote:

I caught NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN on Netflix.

I like it more than OCTOPUSSY. It's stupid, but entertaining. Sort of like YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.

EON should have hired Edward Fox during his heyday.

Never Say Never Again got a few things decent that the official series didn't. I can't stand Robert Brown as M. He's Bernard Lee lite. He looks the part. But he's just a bland cardboard cutout. Just say the lines and give Bond a mission. The end. He looks half asleep all the time. Then again, M and Moneypenny scenes were pretty much that way for all of the 80s.

Personally, I think they would have been off keeping James Villiers from FYEO. He was far more interesting than Brown.

I've never liked NSNA. Prefer Octopussy by far.

We just bought a new 58' SMART TV. I actually played the pre-title to Skyfall in the dept store. Had a crowd of about 30 looking on

Now....should I get a PS4?

GOLDFINGER

That Tilly Masturbator has the most annoying accent. Like a blend of English toff and Kiwi.

I've probably asked this before, but why would Goldfinger have an elaborate wankathon of a presentation for the Hoods and then just gas the fuckers when he went out for a piss?

"Yer a woom'n of maneh ta'alents, Poosheh."

THUNDERBALL

Bond threatened to have a woman sacked if she didn't fuck him. This is why I need feminism.

CJB wrote:

Bond threatened to have a woman sacked if she didn't fuck him. This is why I need feminism

Hey, it happened to me. Seemed the lesser of two evils.

As is the way of British justice, I'm coming for her in 20 years.

CJB wrote:

I've probably asked this before, but why would Goldfinger have an elaborate wankathon of a presentation for the Hoods and then just gas the fuckers when he went out for a piss?

Because they were bloody well going to showcase that fancy pool table after the effort that went into building it no matter what, script logic be damned!

I'm currently sitting through CASINO ROYALE on TV. I'll try to watch the whole thing while I'm getting piss-drunk and waiting for family to arrive.

This is not a very good film. A lot of running, jumping, punching and sliding. Bond's more like a boneheaded mute for the first part of the film, rather than a 00-agent.

Although, in 2006, this was probably Craig's best work. Shame that Mendes didn't do this one. What a waste of a good story.

Control wrote:

I'm currently sitting through CASINO ROYALE on TV. I'll try to watch the whole thing while I'm getting piss-drunk and waiting for family to arrive.

This is not a very good film. A lot of running, jumping, punching and sliding. Bond's more like a boneheaded mute for the first part of the film, rather than a 00-agent.

Although, in 2006, this was probably Craig's best work. Shame that Mendes didn't do this one. What a waste of a good story.

It's funny. I used to rank that film in my top ten but I think Skyfall has kind of spoiled it for me so now it's more of a mid-tier Bond movie for me. Then again I always preferred to read the book over watching the movie, just seemed to be paced a bit better especially in the first half.

Strangways&Quarrel wrote:

Control wrote:

I'm currently sitting through CASINO ROYALE on TV. I'll try to watch the whole thing while I'm getting piss-drunk and waiting for family to arrive.

This is not a very good film. A lot of running, jumping, punching and sliding. Bond's more like a boneheaded mute for the first part of the film, rather than a 00-agent.

Although, in 2006, this was probably Craig's best work. Shame that Mendes didn't do this one. What a waste of a good story.

It's funny. I used to rank that film in my top ten but I think Skyfall has kind of spoiled it for me so now it's more of a mid-tier Bond movie for me. Then again I always preferred to read the book over watching the movie, just seemed to be paced a bit better especially in the first half.

First time around I rated 'Casino Royale' in my top ten, I think it was a welcome relief after 'Die Another Day' - Bonds usually improve on repeat but now as I actually can enjoy Brosnans swansong in a dumb ass fun kind of way, the poe faced and turgid debut for Craig bores the socks off me (and is a profoundly charmless affair)....bottom five contender now, indeed perhaps the only Bond I would struggle to bring myself to watch again.

Caught the last half-hour or so of From Russia With Love on TV after getting home from work. Once upon a time, ITV had a 'squeamishness' about some of the content in the films when they were showing them during the afternoon ... but to these eyes, the likes of the train fight looked to be intact.

Watched a few minutes of Moonraker on TV the other night. After my Young era Connery marathon a week or two ago, seeing James Bond fall out of the sky with a big dude hurtling after him to take a bite of his leg seems a bit... different.

Also did Drax not consider that killing a British secret agent on his estate might draw a tad too much attention?

You'd think but I don't think Drax gave a shit :)

Control wrote:

I'm currently sitting through CASINO ROYALE on TV. I'll try to watch the whole thing while I'm getting piss-drunk and waiting for family to arrive.

This is not a very good film. A lot of running, jumping, punching and sliding. Bond's more like a boneheaded mute for the first part of the film, rather than a 00-agent.

Although, in 2006, this was probably Craig's best work. Shame that Mendes didn't do this one. What a waste of a good story.

I'll give Campbell credit for actually directing decently with CR compared to GE which was pretty fucking bland and looked and felt like a generic 90s action film for most of the movie.