Last Bond Movie You Watched? 1.0

Python wrote:

FYEO has been going up and down for me so much I'm not sure where I'll place it until after my viewing tonight.

As with LALD I'd put it as a prime candidate for the Just Another Bond Movie Award. But it moves along nicely and has good action.

And hell, these days I kinda yearn for Just Another Bond Movie. Bond gets a mission, fights baddies, has sex with lovely ladies, a car explodes, etc. No soul searching or metasymbolism.

Did you know Bond's hobbies now include resurrection? It used to be just plain erection.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I will say that I don't mind the Thatcher scene. Sue me. But it would interesting if the Blofeld PTS hadn't been done. If we'd started with the sinking of the St. George's, with some bloke screaming from electricution and another not able to reach the lever to destroy the ATAC, and then.... sssshhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuu BOM. The song starts. Love the song, by the way. One of my favorites. And this is just about my favorite of Binder's title sequences.

I propose that the pre-titles should end with the closeup of Melina's eyes. The rising score, the change of shock to grief to blinding RAGE. Then, as you said, sssssshhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuu BOM.

GOLDENEYE

Sharky's comments earlier in this thread about GOLDENEYE are apt. The entire film poses the question "Is Bond still needed in a post-Cold War world?". He is constantly put down by allies and enemies as an out of place relic and he counters by doing what Bond does best. Namely, killing people, causing general mayhem, and fucking. You can't help, but smile when Brosnan drives a tank through St. Pete with the Bond theme blasting through all channels. Speaking of Pierce, he comes off rather well. He's lacking in the subtitles that Dalton brought, but has the look, charisma, and wit of a good Bond. What might be his best moment of his whole tenure comes with the Statue Park confrontation with Alec. Bond still keeps his composure, but you can see him break down through his eyes as he realizes that his best friend not only isn't dead, but also bitter and attempting to kill you.

I just realized that the SE DVD menu uses Serra's unused score for the tank chase as a theme. I love that piece.

1. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
4. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
5. GOLDFINGER
6. GOLDENEYE
7. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
8. DR. NO
9. LICENCE TO KILL
10. OCTOPUSSY
11. LIVE AND LET DIE
12. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
13. A VIEW TO A KILL
14. MOONRAKER
15. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
16. THUNDERBALL
17. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
18. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN

It's all downhill going forward.

Tubes wrote:

The entire film poses the question "Is Bond still needed in a post-Cold War world?".

Now that I think about it, I ought to try and work GE into this Int'l Relations essay I have to write...

For Your Eyes Only (1981)





I can imagine the more avid Bond fans in 1981 were a bit relieved when FYEO brought things back to earth. The 70s Bonds were a hoot, but it was definitely wise for Cubby and Wilson take the series to a new direction more reminiscent of FRWL. There should have been a new actor like Dalton introduced for this but Moore does a very admirable job playing it a bit more straightforward, despite starting to look like he's in his 80s. As I was watching the flick I was wondering whether I should put it above or below MR, but it's ultimately the decision to ground the series that really appealed to me. They could have easily made more absurd adventures as they were huge hits but decided to take this risk. John Glen isn't really remarkable, and I am not crazy about the use of diffusion lens by Hume. And there's the silly stuff like Bibi, which could have easily been scrapped from the flick. Still, like all of Glen's films there's solid performances to elevate things and the Maibaum/Wilson team-up helps.

1. From Russia with Love
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Thunderball
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Moonraker
8. Diamonds Are Forever
9. Live and Let Die
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
11. You Only Live Twice
12. The Man with the Golden Gun

I think like MR, FYEO would have made a fine final entry for Moore, but I understand EON would use Moore once again so they could go up against a legend like Connery instead of throwing some n00b in a tux.

Tubes wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I will say that I don't mind the Thatcher scene. Sue me. But it would interesting if the Blofeld PTS hadn't been done. If we'd started with the sinking of the St. George's, with some bloke screaming from electricution and another not able to reach the lever to destroy the ATAC, and then.... sssshhhhhhhhhhuuuuuuuu BOM. The song starts. Love the song, by the way. One of my favorites. And this is just about my favorite of Binder's title sequences.

I propose that the pre-titles should end with the closeup of Melina's eyes. The rising score, the change of shock to grief to blinding RAGE. Then, as you said, sssssshhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuu BOM.

I dunno, I think it would maybe be too long a PTS. It would be easy enough to do a fan edit and see, though.

Octopussy

I love this movie. I just do. Action-wise, it's got just about EVERYTHING. A mini-plane? Check. Safari adventure? Check. Car chase? Check. Car chase on rails? Check. Train top fight? Check? Knife throwing? Check. Commando raid? Check. Dude hanging on to a plane in flight? Check. Race against time to stop a nuke? Check. It's even got an fing circus, and the whole movie is almost like a circus.

Okay, the villain ain't the most notable. And the cinematography ain't the best. But it's got a terrific story, I think. Way above the usual. It's plotted nicely, and Bond has reasons to go places and do things, as opposed to traipsing around the world for no reason. And it actually has some suspense in the German portion. Octopussy and her island are intriguing. Orlov is fun. That Russian briefing room set is great.

1. GOLDFINGER
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
4. DR. NO
5. THUNDERBALL
6. OCTOPUSSY
7. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
8. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
9. MOONRAKER
10. LIVE AND LET DIE
11. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
12. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
13. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN

Hmm, I'm wondering where I'll put OP after I see it. From the gut right now I might prefer FYEO, but maybe OP on blu will sway me.

Python wrote:

Hmm, I'm wondering where I'll put OP after I see it. From the gut right now I might prefer FYEO, but maybe OP on blu will sway me.

It's a little less straight-faced than FYEO. However much you can call FYEO "straight-faced". With OP, I think the storyline is what really elevates it.

But I don't mind the strange mix of tension of silliness. I roll with it.

How does Bond get in and out of a gorilla suit so fast? I roll with it.

It's more plausible than the mannequin trick in TMWTGG, so there's something.

Diamonds are Forever yesterday and You Only Live Twice the day before.

These films actually flow nicely together - the first time I have watched them back to back - they are the epitome of Bond at its most earnestly fun and uninhibited. Previous reservations I may have held about Connery in these productions have been washed away by this viewing, I found him absolutely terrific in both cases no trace of boredom nor did he seem excessively older or out of condition. In terms of action and classy moments DAF has the edge it's dialogue rippling with creativity and wit, although the Moonbuggy sequence is a tad too ridiculous and the climax is a pale shadow of the awesome Volcano assault of YOLT. John Barry is at his peak for both pictures with many memorable cues, from the epic pull back of the rooftop fight at Kobe to the simple but creative mesh of the classic Bond theme with DAF's signature tune every moment is lifted above the norm.

Experiencing them on Blu-ray was also something of a revelation, as expected both look beautiful - the gorgeous scenery of YOLT really popping albeit with just a few moments of soft focus/aged footage intruding however DAF was consistently out of this world, the tone and balance of the picture along with the terrific contrast detail really made what used to seem a cheaper Bond look very rich indeed. The value and class of the set deisign is also evidenced in spades here. The only downside to the picture is the way it emphasises the back projection and cheaper visual effects of the movies.

Standings based on 2012/2013 viewings

1. Diamonds are Forever
2. You Only Live Twice

lachesis wrote:

Experiencing them on Blu-ray was also something of a revelation, as expected both look beautiful - the gorgeous scenery of YOLT really popping albeit with just a few moments of soft focus/aged footage intruding however DAF was consistently out of this world, the tone and balance of the picture along with the terrific contrast detail really made what used to seem a cheaper Bond look very rich indeed. The value and class of the set deisign is also evidenced in spades here. The only downside to the picture is the way it emphasises the back projection and cheaper visual effects of the movies.

The walls in Blofeld's penthouse look iffy to me on Blu.

A View To A Kill

I find it a little shaky but entertaining. Yeah, Moore is way too old now. His only physical abilities are walking slowly or sitting down. I half expect the MATLOCK theme to kick on at any second. Even some of the henchmen seem older. I guess they had to be.

1. GOLDFINGER
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
4. DR. NO
5. THUNDERBALL
6. OCTOPUSSY
7. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
8. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
9. MOONRAKER
10. A VIEW TO A KILL
11. LIVE AND LET DIE
12. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
13. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
14. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN

LALD is probably the better movie, but I enjoy a lot of things about AVTAK more. The story, the locations, the characters, the action. It was a tough call.

Superb score, too. I may prefer TLD's score by a hair, but otherwise it's not been matched by a long shot in the series since.

Octopussy (1983)

Well, looks like I wasn't quite swayed. I enjoy it for the most part, it's a fun ride and Roger Moore is very good. Love the casino scene where he doesn't even look when he says "double sixes, fancy that".

1. From Russia with Love
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Thunderball
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. Moonraker
8. Diamonds Are Forever
9. Live and Let Die
10. Octopussy
11. The Spy Who Loved Me
12. You Only Live Twice
13. The Man with the Golden Gun

Python wrote:

Love the casino scene where he doesn't even look when he says "double sixes, fancy that".

Agreed. One of Moore's finest moments.

TOMORROW NEVER DIES

My first Bond film. I still have memories of when I saw it in the winter of 97. The explosive pre-titles, still among my favorites. My mother attempting to cover my eyes when Bond strips Paris. The profound disappointment upon seeing Carver's bloodless demise, especially after seeing RAIDERS a few months before. I watched TND in theaters, then didn't see it again until I purchased the first SE box set in the winter of 02. By that point, I'd already known the Connery films by heart. I was a different fan then and I'm a different fan now.

TND still tickles my nostalgia bone and has some quality moments in it. On the whole, however, it's a let down. It's the only Brosnan film that doesn't try to be some special profound Bond film. It's the standard formula and it's a breath of fresh air for a Bond film to admit that now. TND just has a terrible script and expects Bond to do things that are ridiculous even for him. The Stealth Boat climax is a wreck.

On the other hand, TND is easily the leanest Bond since Hunt left. I'll probably miss such frantic editing after watching the next two films.

1. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
4. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
5. GOLDFINGER
6. GOLDENEYE
7. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
8. DR. NO
9. LICENCE TO KILL
10. OCTOPUSSY
11. LIVE AND LET DIE
12. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
13. A VIEW TO A KILL
14. MOONRAKER
15. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
16. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
17. THUNDERBALL
18. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
19. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN

I have successfully worked over my nostalgia for both BATMAN FOREVER and TOMORROW NEVER DIES. Excuse me while I bury my childhood.

Tubes wrote:

The profound disappointment upon seeing Carver's bloodless demise, especially after seeing RAIDERS a few months before.

My fist Bond film too. Being a eleven years old and having grown up with flicks like Indiana Jones, TND definitely felt rather tame when I saw it. Heck I think the 60s films had more of an edge to them.

A View to a Kill (1985)



Moore shoulda quit while he was ahead. It's got some good stuff going for it and with a few alterations it might have made a solid Bond film. But boy, the flaws bring it down for me. John Glen should have been fired after this entry. The old belief that a Bond film is only as good as its villain didn't apply to TMWTGG and it doesn't here. Walken is great as Zorin, and Grace Jones has a genuine presence that I find more compelling than Tanya Roberts, who probably would have been better suited with a non-speaking role, still she's damn hawt. Plot of the movie is serviceable, heck maybe the screenplay to. For the 80s, the team up of Wilson and Maibaum really helped ground the series. I'd say if you had Dalton in the lead, the gags scrapped, the action better executed, John Glen NOT directing, no Tanya Roberts, it might have made a pretty good debut for Dalton. Overall, what it actually is feels flat to me.


The Living Daylights (1987)

Oh, why did they have to keep John Glen? Despite that, it's the best of the 80s and the best looking too. Looks just fantastic on blu. Funny how the movie has even weaker villains this time, yet the film for the most part is just flat out better. "Bond film only as good as its villain" my eye! I think they could have made the plot less convoluted. Arms deal, diamonds, opium, Koskov defects, Koskov is a traitor, wut wut wut? But that's not too bad because Dalton is just fucking compelling. Cubby did the right thing going with Dalton's idea of having Bond more written in line with Fleming's interpretation instead of continuing the unflappable super cool agent Connery, Lazenby, and Moore did for the most part. I always call this the true beginning of the Modern Bond era as opposed to the start of Brosnan's tenure. That makes Classic Bond 1962-1985, or at least in interpretation.


1. From Russia with Love
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Thunderball
6. The Living Daylights
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. Moonraker
9. Diamonds Are Forever
10. Live and Let Die
11. Octopussy
12. The Spy Who Loved Me
13. You Only Live Twice
14. A View to a Kill
15. The Man with the Golden Gun

You Only Live Twice

it's a film I've never minded but I tend to prefer looking at than taking any seriously. For its failings Japan looks quite something on screen and accompanied by a superior John Barry score. It has a good Bond ally and alright woman in Aki. Yet it doesn't feel all that beyond these points. It's Bond-does-Japan, moves along at a pace until he submerges in volcano. It does have one of the better shots in a Bond movie, the Kobe dock rooftop sequence.
One moment that produced a chuckle that shouldn't is that you have early on the archive footage of Houston Mission Control (or some such at NASA) with actor voices over. There's a chap with a mike who is 'dubbed' well and in line with what happens but when Ed Bishop et al is saying about the enemy spacecraft approaching and 'Houston do you copy' malarkey it cuts to mission control, the mike holder simply shrugs his shoulder in a 'not my business to worry about' manner.
As for what comes next, maybe Connery could've produced his A-game for Tracy etc but I wonder, Lazenby feelings aside, would he have been able to pull himself up considering his feelings to Bond in 1967. Maybe if OHMSS had come in 1967 as intended. Certainly would've made YOLT in 1969 interesting.

but that's not for the here and now. It's yet to come.

score, 6.5/10

Shane Rimmer's Bondathon counter thingymajig

1) From Russia With Love
2) Dr No
3) Thunderball
4) Goldfinger
5) You Only Live Twice (last score 7/10, last ranking 10th)

Quote :

As for what comes next, maybe Connery could've produced his A-game for Tracy etc but I wonder, Lazenby feelings aside, would he have been able to pull himself up considering his feelings to Bond in 1967. Maybe if OHMSS had come in 1967 as intended. Certainly would've made YOLT in 1969 interesting.

Well, aside from the Japanese paparazzi, the massive inclusion of gadgets irritated Connery. So, if they went with a director like Hunt and continued in the same direction they took with OHMSS as we know it, Connery would have been much more enthusiastic I think.

FieldsMan wrote:

Quote :

As for what comes next, maybe Connery could've produced his A-game for Tracy etc but I wonder, Lazenby feelings aside, would he have been able to pull himself up considering his feelings to Bond in 1967. Maybe if OHMSS had come in 1967 as intended. Certainly would've made YOLT in 1969 interesting.

Well, aside from the Japanese paparazzi, the massive inclusion of gadgets irritated Connery. So, if they went with a director like Hunt and continued in the same direction they took with OHMSS as we know it, Connery would have been much more enthusiastic I think.

Who knows. He would've played Bond for seven years by then, there was the fear of typecasting and all the rest. Anyone would've been tired of it by and large.

Python wrote:

Tanya Roberts, who probably would have been better suited with a non-speaking role

None-screaming role.

It sounds like a slaughterhouse.

I'd have settled for Tanya Roberts non-stop in the film speaking or otherwise but if speaking, sultry things that would've jumped the certificate to a 18+.

Because...we all like Midge

The Living Daylights (1987)

A grand Bond adventure. I just wish the villains had more bite. There are a number of THIRD MAN references, and I wish Koskov had been more in the direction of Harry Lime than how Krabbe played it. Get an actor a bit more Bondian, and believable as a Russian General. A heroic one. One with more presense, who we'd actually remember exists when he's not on screen. Wish Whitaker wasn't as goofy either. And I wish a new director was at the helm.

But Dalton is terrific. I watched this with a friend once, and he asked why Bond looked so pissed in the defection sequence, and I said that Bond in the books doesn't like killing. He does it like a boss, but he doesn't like doing it. I like d'Abo. Barry's on top. Great ending. The whole Saunders subplot is great, with it's own beginning, middle, and end.

1. GOLDFINGER
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
4. DR. NO
5. THUNDERBALL
6. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
7. OCTOPUSSY
8. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
9. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
10. MOONRAKER
11. A VIEW TO A KILL
12. LIVE AND LET DIE
13. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
14. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
15. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN

On a rainy day I'd probably sooner watch OCTOPUSSY, but TLD's great points put it above it for me. But I do have more fun watching OP. *dodges bullets*

CJB wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Pinball Wizard takes to the Casino for a Mad Magazine photoshoot, eh?

I did see a bit of that SNL show Craig hosted and I dug that he had a sense of humor about himself. Pretty refreshing to see him attempt more humor. Too bad the show is filled with hack writers.

Licence to Kill (1989)



This is so difficult. I always enjoyed LTK for the longest time. Not so much now. Dalton is still great and I enjoy the cast (except Soto), and such... But I felt very empty after it. John Glen's presentation is so fucking cheap, maybe worse than in AVTAK. For the kind of story LTK was going for, it was MANDATORY they get someone else to helm it. No wonder Dalton hates Glen.This is very difficult to rank. I always kept it in the top 10, looks like that won't be for now.I will say this, LTK has never looked better. I remember the old DVD from 1999 had the worst picture quality and for a long time I was used to it. Then the remastered version came out and it was almost like watching a brand new film. Pretty nifty. And yet, even in HD it looks so much cheaper than The Living Daylights (probably the best looking Bond film since Moonraker). I know they used Mexican film stock, it's a shame they had to resort to that.

Biggest offenders:

John Glen - By this point, when you do James Bond revenge film with influences by Yojimbo and Sergio Leone films, it's absolutely MANDATORY you hire a new director for this. John Glen seems more inspired by 80s Cannon action films. No wonder Timothy Dalton hated working with him.

Alec Mills - Not sure what the fuck happened. His work in TLD look great (not all of it, but better than Alan Hume's). Here? The guy uses way too much hard light. Maybe it's because of the film stock used. I'm not sure, I just know that Peter Lamont made some brilliant looking sets like the casino but then Mills uses so much excessive light that it makes the sets look cheaper than they should be.

Talisa Soto - "I love James, SO MUCH!" "I did something wrong *werid eyebrow movement* made him angry.", and everything else.


Aaaaand that's it. This movie could have been easily salvaged if they hired the right director and DP to make this a really gritty but also stylish Bond film about revenge in South America. QOS seems to be the opposite, great looking film but with an undercooked script and too much action.

But I love a lot of the interactions in the film, namely the scene where Bond meets Sanchez posing as a dishonored agent looking for work. I love the way he laughs after he calls his profession "problem eliminator". That's mostly sold by Dalton and Davi. Sanchez I think was a pretty good villain and especially Dario. Carey Lowell is great and works well for Dalton's Bond. Only scene I don't like her in is when she becomes a jealous school girl during two brief scenes. And that 80s teen movie ending with Dalton turning down the cheerleader for the more tomboyish girl who secretly loves him. What?

It's a shame Dalton never got his third outing. Who knows what might have happened if he got a chance. Overall, if it had a different director, it might have shot up. The way it is? It doesn't succeed on its own terms like the films above it.

1. From Russia with Love
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Thunderball
6. The Living Daylights
7. For Your Eyes Only
8. Moonraker
9. Diamonds Are Forever
10. Live and Let Die
11. Octopussy
12. Licence to Kill
13. The Spy Who Loved Me
14. You Only Live Twice
15. A View to a Kill
16. The Man with the Golden Gun