Last Bond Movie You Watched? 1.0

Hilly wrote:

I'm sure Laze will agree on your "In order to enjoy OHMSS, you must try and accept the fact that George Lazenby is James Bond".

When something is FACT, there's really nothing left to accept.

And yep, it's truly great to have SJK back, and I particularly agree with his comments about "Sir Hilary's Night Out".

The White Tuxedo wrote:

If Baker had been in CHARLEY VARRICK mode....

It would still work with the whole "booted out of West Point" thing. It could be a major stciking point for him. He could be some half-psychotic wannabee warlord or something, who sells weapons. He could have been a more intimidating and completely mad character. Instead he's kind of a doofus.

That's funny, just watched VARRICK last night. Early going on that movie is well-nigh perfect. Yeah, Baker should have been all kinds of crazy, but I imagine he may have been undermined by the direction he got.

The World Is Not Enough

An anemic blend of awkward action setpieces and lousy drama.

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. GOLDENEYE
12. A VIEW TO A KILL
13. LICENCE TO KILL
14. LIVE AND LET DIE
15. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
16. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
17. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
18. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
19. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

I'm putting it even below TND. At least Brosnan was okay in that one, and while that film had a thin plot, at least Bond and M did their jobs well. This film even manages to drag Bond and M down with it. It may look and feel better than TND, but I'd say it's more damaging to the characters.

A great title wasted.

Watched a double bill of YOLT and DAF tonight. TWICE was half-assed sh**e as usual, save the odd good set, some nice shots and a few classy music cues, while DIAMONDS was surprisingly fun, given that I thought I'd overwatched it a long, long time ago. Still not great or anything though, which is why I'm sticking OHMSS on before I hit the hay.

Watching DAD. The infamous parasurfing sequence is utterly hilarious in Hi-Def.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

James. C wrote:

Watched OHMSS on the big screen with CJB tonight. Also got Rachel Grant's number.

Good fun.

Say what!?

He won't admit it, but I'm sure he stole some cheesy pick-up lines from the films. Perhaps "I've been known to keep my tip up." ;)

The star himself, George Lazenby, was there too. Total class act. There was a Q&A session with him and Rachel before the screening and boy did he have some hilarious stories about his journey to landing the role of Bond. M-rated stuff you won't hear on the DVD extras, let me tell you.

Oh yeah, and OHMSS is brilliant on the big screen. The UE DVD's do not do it an iota of justice. From the alps to Lazenby's ass-chin, it looks marvellous. One downside of the picture clarity is that the dummy skier that falls off the cliff looks ridiculous. The audience was in hysterics. Nevetheless, a fantastic film that deserves to be enjoyed in theatres. The ending really packed a punch. It was almost as if I'd never seen the movie before.

Die Another Day

Trash, but trash that I find more entertaining than TND and TWINE.

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. GOLDENEYE
12. A VIEW TO A KILL
13. LICENCE TO KILL
14. LIVE AND LET DIE
15. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
16. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
17. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
18. DIE ANOTHER DAY
19. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
20. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

Had the whole film lived up to the first half, it might have jumped the GUN as it were. Alas, the second half is a complete trainwreck. But I'll watch a campy, colorful trainwreck over TND and TWINE. At least I don't find the film depressing, as I do those.

It's a shame about this film. After the utterly generic and soulless TND and the po-faced parade of **** that was TWINE, what the Bond series needed (IMHO) was another GOLDFINGER-style film. A big, fun, globe-trotting epic. And for all it's many, many faults, I find DAD to be Bond's most jovial adventure since OCTOPUSSY.

I think there is the DNA, no pun intended, of the right kind of Bond film in this heap. A loose MOONRAKER adaptation was the perfect road to go down. If only they had hired a director with more taste and skill. Not to mention hire a writer who is neither Neal Purvis nor Robert Wade. A more light-hearted adventure with a hefty does of genuine humour, tailored to Brosnan's strengths (I'd say he's a lover, not a fighter) would have been the way to go.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Die Another Day
I find DAD to be Bond's most jovial adventure since OCTOPUSSY.

I think there is the DNA, no pun intended, of the right kind of Bond film in this heap.

I agree. That definitely shows in places during the first half. For me, it's the only time during Brosnan's tenure where that DNA seems to be genuinely present rather than forced or poorly "replicated".

But yeah, the second half of this film should have warranted a lifelong ban for the two writers and a written apology to the paying customers from the producers.

I'm watching it myself this week on Blu Ray. *shudder*

RE: second half of DAD. Was it the writers or Tamwhorey that turned it into James Bond On Acid/Red Bull?

I recall talk of the original ending featuring an indoor beach. Sounds kinda cool.

I remember the original concept being that it would simply be Bond searching for the mole in MI6. And then Tamahori came and decided it wasn't enough, or something. Then there was Jinx who was supposed to be the villainess, with Miranda Frost (originally Gala Brand) being the Bond girl, but once Halle Berry got the role she demanded they change it to the main Bond girl, thus Miranda became the bad girl instead.

The World is Not Enough (1999)



Tux was right. It is more boring. It's also poorly set up. The whole set up for the boat chase makes no fucking sense. Bond should have immediately suspected Elektra was behind it all when the parahawks were attacking HIM instead of her, yet after that sequence they still pretend they came to attack her. Then the rest is like a bad soap opera. "HOW DARE YOU!" *SMACK*

Also, I think I may pronounce the buzzsaw helicopter piece the WORST action sequence ever. It feels more like a Universal Studio amusement park stage all the way through. And so much potential for the story "Bond girl is the mastermind behind it all", but they fuck it up BIG TIME. And most of the actors seem to be at their weakest. Dench played M in the first two like she was a no-nonsense kind of boss. Here she plays it like a distraught grandma, wearing her emotions on her sleeve "Get me out there Tanner!"

Fuck this movie, it remains at the bottom.

1. From Russia with Love
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Thunderball
6. The Living Daylights
7. GoldenEye
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. Moonraker
10. Diamonds Are Forever
11. Live and Let Die
12. Octopussy
13. Licence to Kill
14. The Spy Who Loved Me
15. You Only Live Twice
16. A View to a Kill
17. The Man with the Golden Gun
18. Tomorrow Never Dies
19. The World is Not Enough

Python wrote:

I remember the original concept being that it would simply be Bond searching for the mole in MI6. And then Tamahori came and decided it wasn't enough, or something.

This seems to happen a lot recently. Someone develops a simple plotline to drive the film and someone else drops a giant mound of subplot and action sequences to bloat the film up.


"Lets make the next Bond a subdued adaption of Casino Royale"
"Nah, not enough. Lets have Bond chase the villains through a construction site, a busy airport, and a collapsing Venetian house. And lets have Bond be the direct cause for Le Chiffre's game, otherwise audiences will have no clue what's going on."
"Fuck it, why not."

"Lets make the next Bond a sequel where Bond works his way through Quantum"
"Nah, not enough. Lets make the lead villian a slimy capitalist who's exploiting a country's water supply for personal gain. And have M breath down Bond's neck for the entire mission. And have Bond kinda go rogue, yet not."
"Fuck it, why not."

Continuing my 23 day Bond-a-thon with....

Diamonds Are Forever from the Bond 50 blu-ray set.

Here is the real first surprise of this Bond marathon for me - I actually semi-enjoyed Diamonds Are Forever, perhaps the most I've ever enjoyed it. I'm not saying that it is a superior Bond adventure in any way, but maybe after all these years, I realize I may have misunderstood what it took to tolerate Diamonds Are Forever. Let me explain.

Sean Connery no longer looks the part of James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever, and that is quite clear based on the very first frame we see him in. Not too say he looked 100% in You Only Live Twice, but his physical appearance had hit a new low in Diamonds. What half-makes up for this, however, is Connery's regained charisma for the role. He is indeed a less lethal and dangerous James Bond than he was in Dr. No or From Russia With Love, but unlike YOLT, he is not unmotivated beyond reason. He plays the role slightly lighter, and dare I say, more like Roger Moore. The difference here is that I believe Connery plays the 'Moore' Bond better than Moore himself did (if that makes any sense). Connery is also far more physically convincing than Roger Moore (as proven by Bond's great fight with Peter Franks). A lot of people say that Moore should have done Diamonds Are Forever, and while he may have looked the part more than Connery did in 1971, I'm convinced that Connery would've wiped the floor with Sir Roger from a performance standpoint. I prefer Connery's performance in his earlier films tenfold, but seeing Connery having a bit of fun in DAF is a welcomed sight after YOLT.

The supporting players in Diamonds Are Forever are mostly stereotypes and caricatures, but some of them fit with the film's flippant methods. Tiffany Case starts out more appealing than she ends up. When we are first introduced to her character, she is a sassy and somewhat competent criminal, but by film's end she has turned into a ditzy dunce. (This is particularly evident during Bond's final fight with Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.) Speaking of Wint and Kidd, this was the first time I've ever watched DAF and had fun with their characters. They are cooky and strange beyond reason (and perhaps offensive if you ask the right person), but they are probably the film's best secondary characters. I'm indifferent to Charles Gray's Blofeld. I think he makes a very good sinister and calculating bad guy, but was he right for Blofeld? I'm not completely convinced.

Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz's script is a finely polished piece of poppycock. I must admit that I was laughing with the film throughout; the dialogue is witty and sharp, and sometimes is quite hilarious (the script is greatly aided by Connery's easygoing yet keen performance). The actual plot seems trivial by today's standards, but smuggling a bunch of diamonds in hope of creating a deadly space laser of doom is half interesting (in DAF's own little way, I suppose). The progression of the story is often messy and unclear, but I don't think that was ever Diamonds Are Forever's focus. The film knows it's a joke and often times asks you to sit back and relax. Not every plot hole slides in Diamonds Are Forever, but the script usually is there with some funny piece of writing to make you forget about how Saxby knew to kill Jimmy Dean when Blofeld talked to Bond imitating Saxby...not to Saxby himself. (This plot hole issue seen with Mankiewicz gets much worse and even sillier in The Man with the Golden Gun if I recall correctly.)

There are also some inane instances where the film crosses the line into flat out self-parody. People may say that Roger Moore was the first Bond to introduce lame sight gags, but people often forget about the elephant winning at the slot machine in Diamonds Are Forever. And what the hell was that woman changing into the gorilla about at the casino in Las Vegas? Then there is the infamous scene of Charles Gray's Blofeld in drag (no doubt a precursor to Gray's Rocky Horror Picture Show stint). I've read some DAF fans attempt to defend this one, but it's just stupid. Surely there was another way to lure Tiffany into the car?

I was surprised how much John Barry's score affected me. I always knew the score was good, but I often found myself toe tapping to much of Barry's incidental music (the opening cue of "Bond Meets Bambi and Thumper" is pure classic Bond). Shirley Bassey's theme is elegiacally wonderful, and the title sequence makes great use of it, too. Barry and the gang continue to impress, and I'm sure I'm going to miss them when I watch Live and Let Die tomorrow.

Diamonds Are Forever is not to be taken seriously, and if you're expecting it to be a lethal and sexy Sean Connery Bond film from the early 60s, then you will not like it. In order to like Diamonds Are Forever, you pretty much have to forget OHMSS even happened (it's admittedly hard to do). I used to despise DAF for not being a direct sequel to OHMSS. While I'm still convinced a direct sequel with Lazenby would have been an infinitely better film, Diamonds Are Forever occasionally entertains as a carefree standalone adventure. I do think it's still one of the lesser Bond films, but I'm going to give it one point higher than my original rating.

1. From Russia With Love (1963) - 9.5/10
2. Goldfinger (1964) - 9/10
3. Dr. No (1963) - 8.5/10
4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - 8.5/10
5. Thunderball (1965) - 8/10
6. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - 6.5/10
7. You Only Live Twice (1967) - 6/10

James Bond, in the form of Roger Moore, (and my reviews) will return with...Live and Let Die.

Python wrote:

Also, I think I may pronounce the buzzsaw helicopter piece the WORST action sequence ever. It feels more like a Universal Studio amusement park stage all the way through.

Yeah, I can't think of a more cumbersome, ineffective way of trying to kill someone. Their target was a slow-moving fat man and they still couldn't get him.

Quote :

...with Miranda Frost (originally Gala Brand) being the Bond girl, but once Halle Berry got the role she demanded they change it to the main Bond girl, thus Miranda became the bad girl instead.

Well, at least they didn't screw around with Gala Brand so they can still use her in a future flick.

Dr. NO from my new Bond50 box set. Yes, it's old and it's slow sometimes but it has a lot of simple charm and looked lovely on bluray. 8/10

Tubes wrote:

Python wrote:

I remember the original concept being that it would simply be Bond searching for the mole in MI6. And then Tamahori came and decided it wasn't enough, or something.

This seems to happen a lot recently. Someone develops a simple plotline to drive the film and someone else drops a giant mound of subplot and action sequences to bloat the film up.


"Lets make the next Bond a subdued adaption of Casino Royale"
"Nah, not enough. Lets have Bond chase the villains through a construction site, a busy airport, and a collapsing Venetian house. And lets have Bond be the direct cause for Le Chiffre's game, otherwise audiences will have no clue what's going on."
"Fuck it, why not."

"Lets make the next Bond a sequel where Bond works his way through Quantum"
"Nah, not enough. Lets make the lead villian a slimy capitalist who's exploiting a country's water supply for personal gain. And have M breath down Bond's neck for the entire mission. And have Bond kinda go rogue, yet not."
"Fuck it, why not."

I actually like that.

Same here, I like that their card game is basically a rematch but now face to face. I think they could have trimmed part of that first act, given more time for the third so it could breathe more easily.

Tubes wrote:

Python wrote:

I remember the original concept being that it would simply be Bond searching for the mole in MI6. And then Tamahori came and decided it wasn't enough, or something.

This seems to happen a lot recently. Someone develops a simple plotline to drive the film and someone else drops a giant mound of subplot and action sequences to bloat the film up.


"Lets make the next Bond a subdued adaption of Casino Royale"
"Nah, not enough. Lets have Bond chase the villains through a construction site, a busy airport, and a collapsing Venetian house. And lets have Bond be the direct cause for Le Chiffre's game, otherwise audiences will have no clue what's going on."
"Fuck it, why not."

"Lets make the next Bond a sequel where Bond works his way through Quantum"
"Nah, not enough. Lets make the lead villian a slimy capitalist who's exploiting a country's water supply for personal gain. And have M breath down Bond's neck for the entire mission. And have Bond kinda go rogue, yet not."
"Fuck it, why not."

By and large I agree with this, the films feel cluttered and/or laboured to no positive end, ultimately it comes across like the film-makers are ashamed of their core material and are trying to distract the audience way from what really matters.

The White Tuxedo wrote:

Watching DAD. The infamous parasurfing sequence is utterly hilarious in Hi-Def.

I'd like to see how well it would cut into a seaQuest DSV episode. Pretty much the same level of visual credibility.

lachesis wrote:

Tubes wrote:

Python wrote:

I remember the original concept being that it would simply be Bond searching for the mole in MI6. And then Tamahori came and decided it wasn't enough, or something.

This seems to happen a lot recently. Someone develops a simple plotline to drive the film and someone else drops a giant mound of subplot and action sequences to bloat the film up.


"Lets make the next Bond a subdued adaption of Casino Royale"
"Nah, not enough. Lets have Bond chase the villains through a construction site, a busy airport, and a collapsing Venetian house. And lets have Bond be the direct cause for Le Chiffre's game, otherwise audiences will have no clue what's going on."
"Fuck it, why not."

"Lets make the next Bond a sequel where Bond works his way through Quantum"
"Nah, not enough. Lets make the lead villian a slimy capitalist who's exploiting a country's water supply for personal gain. And have M breath down Bond's neck for the entire mission. And have Bond kinda go rogue, yet not."
"Fuck it, why not."

By and large I agree with this, the films feel cluttered and/or laboured to no positive end, ultimately it comes across like the film-makers are ashamed of their core material and are trying to distract the audience way from what really matters.

I was thinking more along the lines that they couldn't flesh out their initial idea enough, so that add another one on it. In DAD, the example would be not having enough material for a full movie based only on the MI6 Mole storyline, so they added DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER to the mix. It's especially obvious when you look at Bond's dialog through the film.

QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Commits some of the same sins that TND is guilty of, namely the shabby plot and rushed feel. The characters are far more fleshed out, however, and interact with each other more naturally than most of the Brosnan films. QUANTUM also manages to be the first Bond in quite a while to have action sequences that don't outstay their welcome. With a better script, QUANTUM would have been a classic. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

This viewing was the first one where I realized the similarities between Dominic Greene and Max Largo. It's almost as if QUANTUM is what NSNA should have been.

Final rankings with changes:

1. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE 0
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE 0
3. CASINO ROYALE +3
4. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY -1
5. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS +5
6. GOLDFINGER -2
7. GOLDENEYE +5
8. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME +1
9. DR. NO -1
10. LICENCE TO KILL -3
11. OCTOPUSSY +6
12. LIVE AND LET DIE +1
13. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER +1
14. QUANTUM OF SOLACE +2
15. A VIEW TO A KILL +6
16. MOONRAKER -1
17. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE -6
18 THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH +1
19. TOMORROW NEVER DIES -1
20. THUNDERBALL -14
21. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN +1
22. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN -2
23. DIE ANOTHER DAY 0

Die Another Day (2002)

A very conflicted film. It doesn't know whether it wants to be a serious spy adventure or a colorful romp, so it's kinda both. Except for the hovercraft chase and Jinx's appearance, the first half is very solid and Brosnan has never better. Then once it goes straight to Iceland that's when it just goes downhill and never resurfaces. This film seems like an answer to many of the blockbusters that came out after TWINE: The Matrix, Mission: Impossible II, X-Men, ect. An over the top spectacle with a sci-fi kind of element. It's pretty deliberate when they get the editor who regularly worked with Michael Bay, casting actors who younger viewers would be more familiar with like Halle Berry and Rick Yune (just coming off The Fast and the Furious).

Either way, I don't mind if they did a total romp, I do mind if it's done right. Moonraker was absurd but it knew it was and had fun with it. The first half of Die Another Day feels like the kind of film EON is really eager to make. Shaking things up by sending Bond to Korean prison to be tortured, then going out rogue on a vendetta. Ballsy! But it's clear EON feels like they're obligated to make Bond films for the masses and weren't confident of going all the way like they did with Craig's films, so DAD ends up compromised in a very odd way. I feel bad for Brosnan entering Bond during those post-LTK years. EON wants to do more of what the Dalton films did but at the same time weary over how audiences (especially US) reacted. I think all the Brosnan films had solid premises, even the latter three, problem is those three films only scratched the surface. Imagine in TND where Carver uses his media influences to label Bond as a loose cannon, paints him as the murderer of Paris, puts his face all over the news. Bond can't go anywhere without seeing his face on the cover of a magazine, he's cornered, how will he get out of this mess? In TWINE, Bond falls in love with the villain and doesn't realize it until it's too late and in the heat of the moment uses his licence to kill on her. But instead she's a one night stand, with little development. Then DAD, where Bond is searching for the MI6 mole, working for M but unofficially "lucky for me I'm on the outside", works fine until the film side steps to Gustav Graves and the film loses focus. Oh well.

I will say this for DAD, it never comes off as dull and generic as TND and TWINE. It's more ballsy and colorful, for better or worse, and I enjoy the first half of the film for the most part.

1. From Russia with Love
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
4. Dr. No
5. Thunderball
6. The Living Daylights
7. GoldenEye
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. Moonraker
10. Diamonds Are Forever
11. Live and Let Die
12. Octopussy
13. Licence to Kill
14. The Spy Who Loved Me
15. You Only Live Twice
16. A View to a Kill
17. The Man with the Golden Gun
18. Die Another Day
19. Tomorrow Never Dies
20. The World is Not Enough

It's the constant self-references, inadequate actresses and Lo-Fi CGI that cripple DAD for me.

Full marks for product placement by Antonov, though.

Well, I just rewatched:

Goldeneye

A bloody great modern Bond film. Fantastic mix of espionage and the benign bizarre and ultimately lending something rather reminiscent of what Fleming may have conjured up. I love it. The villains, the babes, the cinematography, the score, the action. And the same thing with:

Tomorrow Never Dies

Stuff you all - I LOVE THIS MOVIE! :)

I always have so much fun with it. I've argued to death why I love it so much, just as you all have argued against it. But I find it to be a classic - like Goldeneye, like From Russia With Love, like Dr.No, like On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I'm surprised some of you don't like it on the basis that it doesn't try to be anything else other than a fun Bond flick, especially in light of the recent films the series has delivered.

Oh well, I enjoy it. Still at the top of the list for me.

Edit:

2012 Ranking:

Tomorrow Never Dies
From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Thunderball
Dr.No
Goldeneye
For Your Eyes Only
The Living Daylights
Goldfinger
A View to a Kill
You Only Live Twice
Octopussy
Live and Let Die
Licence to Kill
The Man With The Golden Gun
Diamonds Are Forever
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker

Live and Let Die followed by The Man with the Golden Gun the following night

These seem the logical choice after my YOLT/ DAF pairing of the previous week, but whereas they seemed to breathe with new life on Blu-Ray these, equally impressive conversions ended up underwhelming like never before.

LALD has its moments, there are some nice pieces of dialogue, a robust musical score, some interestingly varied action and Moore and kotto fit their parts reasonably well. However the script is just too trite and contrived for its own good, support performances dreadful and the pay off to the action absent altogether.
Unfortunately moving on to TMWTGG all of those issues become amplified and the odd positives evapourate altogether, the dialogue - so much a redeeming factor of the previous two films is borderline inept "I'm dreaming of a Solex agitator" somehow it even manges to nullify both Moore's charisma and Christopher Lee's presence. More often than not the film fizzles just when it looks set to spark, the climax in particular redefines the concept of 'cheap and underwhelming', and even then the film refuses to end dragging us throuogh two more even less involving events. At the end of the day only the location work and Barry's score offered any solace for enduring the movie.

Standings based on 2012/2013 viewings

1. Diamonds are Forever
2. You Only Live Twice
.
Chasm
.
3. Live and Let Die
4. The Man with the Golden Gun