Last Bond Movie You Watched? 2.0

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Good write-up, Blunty. I'm working my way through it in bits what with work. Ignoring the PTS it's not a bad film, well, even the PTS has its moments (almost like John Glen had fallen asleep after 1969 and only woke up in 1980). That scene with Bibi where she kisses him, half wished for a look to camera afterwards as he follows her out. Though I wonder if like that outtake from VTAK, Moore made a joke afterwards.

Cheers, kind sir.

Thank Jeebus that even back then, they realised that Bond slipping between the sheets with Bibi would just have been really creepy.

Torn between which of the Daltons to revisit next, although I think LTK will ultimately win out. I kinda like how it was the 'transitional' film to Bond never being certified PG again.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

So long as it wasn't a Mr Softee.

Rog doesn't go soft.

l dunno, he's 88 now ...

Sir Roger never goes soft. So I've heard.

--

Lurching onto the last of the Moore films, sort of done them piecemeal. Started on them in turn and moved as best as we can. So...on with the show. (Bear with me, as always the thoughts collide like bergs in the South Atlantic)

I would laugh were my heart not so heavy...

For Your Eyes Only

If you look at Bond films as a Bond purist and all that, FYEO is Moore's best. The gags are at a premium, the one-liners even more-so. There are gadgets but nothing in the way or too noticeable. It's Moore's Bond as he never could be between LALD and Moonraker. Until now Moore's Bond hasn't really been confronted with the death of an ally as Bond had been in From Russia With Love (Kerim Bey), Goldfinger (Tilly) and Thunderball (Paula) for example.
In FYEO he loses Ferrera, who though not the most notable ally has something about him that when he dies there is a tinge there. Then in short order Bond beds Countess Lisl of Liverpool only to see her mown down brutally by Locque and his "Goodbye, Countess" is poignant. We barely knew her, and yet it's tragic all the same.
Then we have Colombo. Always liked him and always from the moment you see him on screen. Like Draco and Kerim Bey before him, he is played with such warmth and charisma that he is instantly likeable and dare I say, like Bond, we quickly come to trust him. Because Kristatos on the other hand is instantly suspect. Slimey and creepy.
Melina, I've never felt negative towards her. Carole Bouqet might be off-key on and off but miles above Tanya Roberts and others. Also, it's unique in that she's a Bond girl that Bond does not get intimate with until the very end of the film.

Little bits that I like still are the drive in the country line or indeed Moore's nod to camera. Also how Bond is when he first meets Ferrera, bemused (the Italian's looking about, stopping when someone walks past) and humourous. The 'runaway' scene. Sure, Bond flying down a bobsled run is a bit much maybe but the music ties in well and somehow, Bond's face being covered, makes it feel like it is Roger Moore as usually you can easily recognise his stuntman...Foolish statement but there we go.

And of course, Locque's death. Funny how he doesn't have a single line (in fact I think his only sound is when Bond shoots him just before the car crashes over the cliff-edge) and yet you build up a dislike of him.

Musically, not bad but I found myself thinking (though I'm no film composer) that certain scenes could've done with some music and others needing something a bit different. Of the non-Barry Moore scores it probably stands the test of time better but marginally.

I know Moore played Bond as only he could and for laughs or a wink and a nod but if only he did it more than here and...

...Octopussy

As I say I am more or less certain this was the first Bond film I remember watching fully (bits and bobs of other Bond films collide in the memory from before) and so it has a certain place in my heart. This being said I've always liked it. Next to FYEO it's as close to perfect Moore got as Bond but a tad later than it should have been with Moore starting to look his age (if not older quite honestly).

Succinctly, Bond has another ally we feel the death of, poor Vijay (in his scenes with Bond, the partnership feels both like a mentor/protege but older brother/younger brother with the winking and nodding when with Q). I prefer Maud Adams here in all senses than in TMWTGG. Corrr
Even Berkoff I don't mind. He has the right level of egomania really. I mean in his first appearance on screen at the Soviet meeting he goes from quiet to rant in a second. (Always note how when the table turns round, Gotell has his legs splayed and no one else does.)
"BOTH OF YOU!"
Yes, there's bits that still sort of cringe. Bond's tarzan yell chiefly but otherwise there are still a couple of bits I chuckle at: Bond scaring the Indians who were carrying his 'corpse' and his economy tour delivery to the American woman. (Oh, and his reaction to "that's my little octopussy"...even Moore's Bond has no answer).
As I said on old MI6 and here, dressing as a clown never bothered in the sense like 009 before him, Bond had to get in somehow though you do wonder with a bomb about to explode, Bond can have the time to go to that effort. (As for 009, from childhood that moment was always spinetingling. For one how the whole scene looks, dark and gloomy, then him crashing through the window).

Couple of bits: the start of the Bond theme as the assassin drives the blade into Bond on the taxi and Bond's "that's for 009" line.

Don't know, I've always liked it and it feels sometimes you shouldn't. It helps to have John Barry back.

A View to A Kill

like the previous, I saw this earlier in the year after the death of one of its stars but we revisit it again. The PTS tires me out. At first you have Arctic surroundings and Bond creeping about then you notice the lines on his face, the dodgy back projection when on the snow-ski and then California Girls (as much as I like the Beach Boys) and finally, seducing the sub pilot.
Still, it has a guilty pleasure vibe. It's my birth year film, it's got San Francisco (under utilised), Tanya Roberts I find attractive in spite of her shortcomings ("We all liiiike Midge"/"Yeah, Midge has nice jugs"), Walken is a decent Bond villain even if he feels a bit wasted in this swansong hash of a movie (though the exchange in City Hall is always good to watch), Macnee is a decent ally (his interplay with Bond is a delight. That moment where Bond says he'll help him out and removes the umbrella as he carries luggage every time raises a smile), Mayday curiously I don't mind and the music good.

Ah well, that was Moore. Onto Dalton.

FYEO, 8/10 -Octopussy 8/10 and VTAK- 6/10

My God Man there's a Bomb in there-athon

On Her Majesty's Secret Service
From Russia With Love
Dr No
Thunderball
For Your Eyes Only (last rated 8/10, placing 7th)
Octopussy (last rated 8/10, placing 8th)
Goldfinger
Diamonds Are Forever
Moonraker
You Only Live Twice
Live and Let Die
The Spy Who Loved Me
A View To A Kill (last rated 6/10, placing 20th)
The Man With The Golden Gun

My selection process for which Moore to revisit ran as follows -

LALD - no, watched it after Geoffrey Holder's death by way of tribute

TMWTGG - no, watched it after Christopher Lee's death by way of tribute

TSWLM - no, watched it after Richard Kiel's death by way of tribute

MR, OP and AVTAK all too iffy. FYEO it is!

Outside of Bondathon season I'd go with your selection process Blunty or indeed press Octopussy into action.

But VTAK has a favourite moment, Bond on the ladder with Stacey. Helped by John Barry.

"I'm James Bond with the British Secret Service."
"Is he?"
"Are you?"
"You must believe me..."
"Yeah and I'm Dick Tracy..."

The stuff in the City Hall elevator is admittedly pretty good ... Moore and Roberts look to be in the middle of something genuinely dangerous.

Agreed BI - hence why I don't dislike Stacey. Anyone in her position would probably be scared out of their brains.

She kinda blows it later by having to be told that an airship is sneaking up on her, though.

Harrods, a Godsend!

taken three instalments to finish the film but...

The Living Daylights

little can be said but let's try. Dalton remains my favourite, dare I say like Lazenby he did enough in one film here to leave a favourable impression. It's as close, personally, to seeing Fleming's Bond on the screen. Favourite moments tend to remain his confrontation with Pushkin, Barry's music lends a menacing air to proceedings and for the first time in a while, you see Bond the professional. Men are dead and it's time to finish the job. The ice chase largely to see the Aston Martin in action (apparently, according to the Telegraph yesterday, the V8 Vantage was seen as being faster than the latest Ferrari), the whole airbase sequence (the music for the jailbreak, that bastard of a guard, the "Now? What about later?" line, the fight, the Herc'...)
Saunders' death still packs a punch. Initially you are tempted to dislike him as he's being a bit bitchy to Bond ("Koskov's defection is my baby") but then in Vienna you warm to him. Bond is trusting him, asking favours, Saunders is keen to do his bit and that kind of smile he gives Bond as he heads out of the cafe. And Bond's face when he reaches Saunders' body...
As faces go, Bond's when Koskov appears at Whitaker's at the very end. A lesser man might have mullered Koskov there and then. And in that Koskov is a brilliantly portrayed character. Insufferable little shit though you have to laugh at his "You'll blow up the plane!" and his idiot mate.

A mention to Three-Four who fought Necros at the safe house. Always sounds like he's either stilted or dubbed but what a mensch.

As has often been said, great to see John Barry cameo. This is a favourite film for sure but I was wrestling over whether it's better than FRWL. Was going to bump the score to 9.5/10 but for now we'll stick to 9/10

"Death to spies, Minister"-athon

On Her Majesty's Secret Service
From Russia With Love
The Living Daylights (last rated 9/10, last ranked 3rd)
Dr No
Thunderball
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
Goldfinger
Diamonds Are Forever
Moonraker
You Only Live Twice
Live and Let Die
The Spy Who Loved Me
A View To A Kill
The Man With The Golden Gun

By and large I am with you on TLD, the only thing that holds it out of my top 5 is Whittaker and that final confrontation - somehow I just hoped for more threat from the guy and a more satisfying face off.

But, as you note, Dalton alone is just so effortlessly 'right' for the role it really elevates everything around him, and he achieves this without the pretentious and self aware elements that, imo, increasingly come to taint the series from '99 onwards.

Whatever happened to the guy in the windbreaker who voiced concerns over a third iteration of the respective events of 1914-18 and 1939-45?

Licence To Kill - and lo, so it came to pass that a Bond film would never be certified PG again. Timothy Dalton's proto-Craig take on the part led to a story that went to dark 'n' gory places (which the franchise wouldn't go near to the same extent again until Casino Royale) as Bond goes rogue (still a novel idea back then) to exact revenge on the coke-dealing bastard Sanchez (magnificently played by Robert Davi) who hospitalised Felix Leiter and murdered his new bride.

Despite these tweaks to the formula, the usual Bond mayhem is present and correct (but shorn of the 'cheese' and cringingly obvious stunt-doubling of the lead that plagued the last two Moore flicks) ... instead, the humour is largely provided by 'Q' turning up 'in the field' to give 007 a helping hand (Desmond Llewellyn in absolutely sparkling form) and Dalton can be seen throwing himself into the action with gusto (particularly during the climactic tanker-truck chase).

A solid series entry, and I can't help but wish that another 2 Dalton Bonds had followed in '91 and '93 ... 4 would've been a decent tenure. Ah well.

lachesis wrote:

By and large I am with you on TLD, the only thing that holds it out of my top 5 is Whittaker and that final confrontation - somehow I just hoped for more threat from the guy and a more satisfying face off.

But, as you note, Dalton alone is just so effortlessly 'right' for the role it really elevates everything around him, and he achieves this without the pretentious and self aware elements that, imo, increasingly come to taint the series from '99 onwards.

Agree on Whitaker. Almost a pointless villain other than to have someone who Koskov hangs out with until he goes back out to Afghanistan and the final confrontation is tacked on. Maybe it's just to show Dalton's Bond as 'the most dangerous Bond'.

CJB wrote:

Whatever happened to the guy in the windbreaker who voiced concerns over a third iteration of the respective events of 1914-18 and 1939-45?

I sort of tuned him out. Might as well digitally insert someone else over his moments.

And yes Blunters, agree whole heartedly on LTK. I think some people forget that what Daniel Craig is doing or done started with Dalton. LTK is how it should be done or at least, that's how a Bond 'in crisis' looked like. Hate to say it but I think a Dalton Bond reaction to Vesper's death would have been quite different. Well, maybe.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Hate to say it but I think a Dalton Bond reaction to Vesper's death would have been quite different. Well, maybe.

That's an interesting thought. Seeing Dalton's Bond in a faithful adaptation of CR - and Vesper's death particularly - would have been great!

I was thinking again last night of what a missed opportunity it was to not have Catherine Zeta Jones as a Bond girl back in her prime. Her as Vesper would have excellent. Opposite Brosnan in 2004 or in an alternate reality with Dalton.

Re: Dalton in CR, I guess I'm thinking more of the visual reaction. Some reason I see his Bond being steely eyed but there being some hint to the gaze of his sorrow. But something 'hard' leading right into a perfect delivery of: "Yes, 'was', the bitch is dead." Similar tone to how Dalton said: "I got the message" after Saunders' death.

And Zeta Jones opposite Brosnan would have been interesting. Alas, these worlds of what might have been.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Re: Dalton in CR, I guess I'm thinking more of the visual reaction. Some reason I see his Bond being steely eyed but there being some hint to the gaze of his sorrow. But something 'hard' leading right into a perfect delivery of: "Yes, 'was', the bitch is dead." Similar tone to how Dalton said: "I got the message" after Saunders' death.

Yeah there would have been restraint. As opposed to this:

https://youtu.be/Xc6EKJ-TVys?t=1m58s

I feel that bit Craig does is closer to how Bond reacted in the novel over Vesper's suicide. All it's missing is "one harsh obscenity". Craig really coveys all the anger and confusion boiling.

I guess but the image of Dalton is tantalising.


Bless your heart...

Licence To Kill

remains a very solid movie in my book and I can but shadow what Blunters said above. I seem to remember saying stuff on MI6 about this back in the day and Khanners being in support so emboldened by past glories, I'll repeat and say that it tended to make sense Bond going after the man who did something horrific to Felix and his wife. Or that Sanchez is one of the best villains purely for being as 'real' as a Bond villain could be. Davi has such a charm to his role that one can see how Sanchez elicits loyalty in his people.
I don't care if the film looks like Miami Vice or whatever else has been levelled at it. What is within it is enough for me. Though I tend to skip the song. It jars against the rest of the movie somehow. However, I found myself wishing for some expanded score release. Certain bits like the Bond theme as Lupe drives the boat out and other bits would be good to have.

-Dario's "honeymooooon" line remains quite chilling, Del Toro has the right mix of psychotic and creepiness. Also, Dario is one of the few Bond villains to recognise Bond from before or at least put two and two together. I confess to a grin when Bond headbutts him and eventually, his most satisfying death. Della avenged. Felix's mutilation is equally chilling and again, Kilifer's death is satisfying after betraying Felix (and a nice line by Sharkey accompanying Bond's look before hand of: Are you serious?)
I'd aimlessly go on but wrap up with how Sharkey's death is on par with Vijay's for example and thus Bond's "Compliments of Sharkey" akin to "That's for 009".
Lupe is not the best Bond girl, certain moments cringe but I tolerate her. Pam is a perfect match for Bond though I swear she was more 'hard' with the long hair and somehow went south with the shorter hair.
Anthony Zerbe, always a delight.
The ninja moment was a little annoying until swiftly replaced by the moment with the Isthmus SIS agent.
"This is the property of Her Majesty's Government, where did you get this?"
"Piss off."
One note, in the base when Sanchez catches Heller, after Heller walks off that little flick of the eyes to his henchman. Perfect. And love the moment when Bond gets out of the lorry cab to face down Sanchez, a sense of this is it: revenge at last.

And you end the film bitterly disappointed Dalton did not return. In two films he elevated Bond onto a higher plane. Maybe I'm exaggerating but in LTK Bond was Bond. As close to the literary Bond as possible and with his other moments such as after all the death and destruction is past and he sits on the rock head bowed for a moment. Job done.

9/10

thusly Goldeneye

the film's upped in my rankings recently but no thanks to me tuning out the music. I commit treason by saying I've never much cared for it, though parts don't seem as bad, but Ladies First and other bits just sit there. On their own probably okay. Zhukovsky and even Wade aren't bad, the former always a delight. Natalya I swing back and forth on. Yes, better than most but I've never warmed to her as much. My main liking of the film is Ouromov. Shame he went as early in the film and didn't stick around to the end.
Boris, I could do without.
Trouble is this time round I kept trying to picture Dalton in most of the scenes. I imagine the 'I gave him the limp line" done like the pipeline to the west line, that initial look then the double-take almost to camera.
I know, I know.
Still, Goldeneye edges what came after though personally from LTK to Skyfall feels lacking.

6.5/10

Jimbo-thon

On Her Majesty's Secret Service
From Russia With Love
The Living Daylights
Licence To Kill (last rated 9/10, last placed 4th)
Dr No
Thunderball
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
Goldfinger
Diamonds Are Forever
Moonraker
You Only Live Twice
Live and Let Die
Goldeneye (last rated 7/10, last placed 13th)
The Spy Who Loved Me
A View To A Kill
The Man With The Golden Gun

The World Is Not Enough - hard to escape the feeling that a potentially great Bond film is buried somewhere within this not-bad one. Robert Carlyle as a can't-feel-pain anarchist terrorist should be one of the most intimidating enemies 007's ever come up against but he just ISN'T, the locations are mostly used in a drab and colourless fashion, the action sequence with the parahawks is insipid, the gadgets are feeble retreads of predecessors from the franchise's recent history (a rappelling watch instead of the rappelling belt from Goldeneye and another remotely-controlled car that is less impressive than TND's ... in EVERY way. Convertible BMWs instead of Astons? Oh, DO fuck off. And don't even get me started on the 'survival pod' coat) and although she looks mighty fine, Denise Richards is about as convincing a nuclear scientist as I am (but I guess we can put that down to 'Bond film-ness').

Brosnan and Marceau are fine (apart from a few horrible line deliveries), Robbie Coltrane's Zukovsky makes a welcome return, Desmond Llewellyn's final 'Q' scene is poignant and the rest of the action is serviceable. But overall, feels like a missed opportunity.

I think if you took out Denise Richards, the film would be at least 25% more enjoyable.

Probably Brosnan's most intelligent film. What a waste of talent, too, with Carlyle and Marceau.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

thusly Goldeneye

the film's upped in my rankings recently but no thanks to me tuning out the music. I commit treason by saying I've never much cared for it, though parts don't seem as bad, but Ladies First and other bits just sit there. On their own probably okay. Zhukovsky and even Wade aren't bad, the former always a delight. Natalya I swing back and forth on. Yes, better than most but I've never warmed to her as much. My main liking of the film is Ouromov. Shame he went as early in the film and didn't stick around to the end.
Boris, I could do without.
Trouble is this time round I kept trying to picture Dalton in most of the scenes. I imagine the 'I gave him the limp line" done like the pipeline to the west line, that initial look then the double-take almost to camera.
I know, I know.
Still, Goldeneye edges what came after though personally from LTK to Skyfall feels lacking.

GOLDENEYE has a very interesting look and feel. I like the set design, especially in Russia.

I enjoy the score, but "Ladies First" sounds like shit. Tux once compared it to the sound R2D2 would make while having sex.

Brosnan's properly angry and threatening 'CALL HIM OFF!', 'You wouldn't kill me ... you'd miss me', *BANG*, 'I never miss' and his moment of 'Damn you, why'd you have to make me do that?' moment over Electra's body is a fine, fine scene. It deserved to be within a better film.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Brosnan's properly angry and threatening 'CALL HIM OFF!', 'You wouldn't kill me ... you'd miss me', *BANG*, 'I never miss' and his moment of 'Damn you, why'd you have to make me do that?' moment over Electra's body is a fine, fine scene. It deserved to be within a better film.

One of the best scenes of Brosnan's Bond era, from what I can remember.

That and the scene where he's sitting in his hotel getting cocked on vodka before he gives Paris a ride.

I feel like the Elektra-getting-her-internal-orgrans-shredded-by-hot-lead scene was missing one key component: Brosnan munching on the corpse's shoulder.