Last Bond Movie You Watched.

Licence to Kill.

The only thing I didn't fancy about this movie was the theme song. Otherwise it's been in my top 3 for the past 20 years.

Gritty, hardcore, ultra-violent for a Bond flick and some awesome stunts throughout. There hasn't been as exciting a finale since.

I miss Dalton.

Quite agree Miss. LTK sits right near the top of my rankings. The song feels mismatched with the film itself.

As for Golden Gun, fellas, I purposely avoided it in my Moore tribute viewings. Gone quite cold to it in recent years. At least after it, Sir Roger had some fine outings.

Tomorrow Never Dies. 

I still think this is the best Bond film in the last 20 years. It's such a refreshing change of pace from the personal, self-important films that started with CR. 

It's generally a universal opinion that the first half is superior to the second, and it's definitely something that I always believed. It's sleek, efficient and there's a smooth, Bondian, post-modern espionage feel to it. Spottiswoode staging the briefing scene in the car is a touch of genius, upping the stakes effectively. It lends the film an urgency that perhaps hadn't been seen since TB (at least in the opening act of the film - OP achieves this urgency in when the film reaches Berlin). 

That said, I love the cultural flavour in the second half. The bike chase moves the story along, with exceptional action, stuntwork and music, but it also takes us along the streets and rooftops of Saigon, helping to distinguish this as a Bond film, and not just a generic spy thriller. Again, Spottiswoode's idea to whisper to both Brosnan and Yeoh to drive the bike is a nice touch to raise the stakes and bump up the tension. 

After re-reading some of the TND threads, and the interview I recently posted, one of the things I paid closer attention to was the Brosnan/Paris relationship. Some felt that not enough is done with the idea that a past conquest returns to Bond's world, and is soon forgotten about after Bond kills Kaufman. There appears to be a dichotomy between wanting to escape the current trend of self indulgence and delving into the repercussions of deeper ideas. At every opportunity Paris is referenced after Bond discovers her dead - Kaufman's assassination seems darker than, say, Vargas' in TB, at Carver's Saigon HQ, in Wai Lin's Bike Shop and on the stealth boat. Not to mention there seems to be a more grounded cynicism to Brosnan's portrayal ("Well, you really are insane" and "no more absurd than starting a war for ratings" spring to mind. Also, "never argue with a woman, they're always right" seems to allude to his last conversation with Paris.) Bond celebrating a win during the life and death situation in the car chase doesn't dilute what's just previously happened in the scene before. I suppose it's keeping the balance between the joie de vivre and going just deep enough before it becomes self indulgent. And I strongly believe TND does strike the balance.

Spectre on Netflix, though I saw the cinema release in Hanoi.

Don't think I'd pay to see it again, either. 

Welcome to BAB! What did you think of SPECTRE?

I must admit I quite liked Spectre. In the cinema I couldn't really get into it as the audience of young kids lol were non stop on their mobile phones. I've never seen anything like it, hope it doesn't catch on in the UK.

I enjoyed it on Netflix, alone and in peace and quiet. The opening was good. Plenty of action. For such a good actor, the character for Blofeld was under used. Wanted him to be more terrifying, maybe the character will sway this way if he appears in the next one.

Kudos to you if you can enjoy it. It almost killed my interest in Bond. 

There might have been plenty of action but they weren't very good sequences, nor were they particularly Bondian (save for the opening, but even then it suffers from the 'see what sticks' approach to Craig's action sequences). And plenty of action doesn't necessarily equate to a good Bond movie - and this is from someone who rates TND as highly as I do!

But yes, Waltz was wasted though he does the best with the material he has to work with.

Would be great to see your ranking in the appropriate thread!

I do like TND, a good follow up to Goldeneye. Brosnan's last two films were quite weak.

I think GE, TND and TWINE are excellent, and DAD is in the bottom half. DAD is better than everything that has come after it, save SF.

having chosen some of its soundtrack to spur on my writing, I got round to Thunderball

In the past it was memorable for certain scenes and then lapsed, languishing in the lower reaches of my rankings as I grew tired of its pacing and general plot. Yet...yet since 2012 it has bubbled upwards and indeed this latest viewing did not have much in the way of quibbles.
From the off it is indeed the music (the Bond theme as Bond fights the colonel) and it's the locales, from England to Paris to Bahamas. I rate Fiona as the main villain, she is definitely the deadlier of the species. There's no messing about from the moment we see her (and what an introduction).
Always a fan of the Vulcan crash sequence (and we get some 'RAF in action' scenes at Bomber Command with good old Jack Gwillim). Yes, there are moments that lag perhaps and the underwater scenes get numerous (the SPECTRE vs US Marine battle at the end greatly aided by the music) but there is also the street chase. Outside of Bond's flight from Irma Bunt and the Piz Gloria crew in the town, rarely has Bond seemed quite so nervous perhaps at his plight. The look on Connery's face as, after he is wounded, he tries to flee Fiona and the SPECTRE goons. I especially noted his expression when Fiona cuts in on the dance. There's no Tracy to come to his rescue of course. This is another moment, musically that is genius -how Barry fades out the local music and ratchets up the tension (plus the use of the 007 theme during the chase itself). I like how the Bond/Fiona scenes are all in one night -no build up really, from the car through to the hotel room (and Bond being hoisted by his own petard) through to her death, it's constant more or less.

I don't even mind Felix this time round, once past the sore thumb outfit on the beach (might as well hold a sign saying 'I'm CIA') when you first see him and his idiot opening that Bond cuts short ("You almost said 007") Nutter isn't too bad. You sense more of a friendship perhaps with his Felix than Connery had in Goldfinger and then DAF.
Paula's death is shortly and sharply moving. Something about her taking cyanide and Bond's reaction. Perhaps it's the case of Bond's female allies don't usually have that option.

Usual thumbs up for the Royal Navy using the 'old fashioned' way at the end. I strongly suspect that was the most HMS Rothesay ever used her guns.

There are the moments that became ripe for parody and indeed, having watched Austin Powers the other week, such scenes of the SPECTRE meeting, the uniformed nature of Largo's goons and indeed, the goons firing back at the Royal Navy from the cocoon of the DV sort of seemed quietly absurd to my mind. (Always tickled by the sight of the office on the cocoon trying to get things going, clearly caught off guard by Largo's action).

I read that Young was asked to direct FYEO and indeed NSNA. I think it's as well he left Bond with this entry -for one, his later works were not highly regarded compared to say Dr No/FRWL but I think Young was best suited to sixties Bond.

Thunderball sits about third I believe in my Connery listings and for now, it'll stay up there.

I think TB is a good example of how you can show Bond in a vulnerable position without letting the 'personal' angle interfere. And it's all the more superior. 

Something that hadn't really occurred to me until now is that the Paula's capture must have turned to something else for her to warrant the cyanide. 

Didn't know Young was approached for FYEO. I thought it was only Hunt. That's interesting - a Young directed FYEO sounds excellent. Though John Glen had a way with action in FYEO that has rarely been surpassed, in my opinion.

Watched part of OP on TV tonight. I have to say that tension and suspense is sustained quite well even in the Indian portion. The sequence when Bond leaves his hotel room following the dinner with Khan and Magda proves it through the sneaking around, having a gadget fail on Bond, the lights turning on, Magda noticing him, the passes through the corridor while Bond tries to eavesdrop, almost getting caught by Gobinda, etc. I'd always maintained that it's in Germany when the drama picks up and has an excellent payoff, but I suppose the Indian section does in fact efficiently establish a solid grounding, enabling the German portion to capitalise on it.

OP was the last one I watched, too. Some cheese aside (particularly during the tiger hunt) and the feeling that this was the beginning of Moore's age being noticeable and that he really should've went out with this one, it held up pretty well.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

OP was the last one I watched, too. Some cheese aside (particularly during the tiger hunt)...

The gags are definitely what hold it back, though I just don't know if I'm annoyed that it doesn't reach its full potential, or if I love it now because the cheese adds a certain level of charm. I found myself smiling when the gorilla checked the time and when the crowd watch the tennis during the tuk tuk chase. 

Top half Bond film for me though. It also struck me how visually colourful the film is. Maybe the UE DVDs don't do it justice.

The tuk tuk sequence is an absolute gem. Naturally, within hours of Sir Rog's passing, Cuntfeed or some other such virtual sewage outlet couldn't resist highlighting how "problematic" Octopussy was. Frankly, they can get down on their knees and tikka my masala.

CJB wrote:

The tuk tuk sequence is an absolute gem. Naturally, within hours of Sir Rog's passing, Cuntfeed or some other such virtual sewage outlet couldn't resist highlighting how "problematic" Octopussy was. Frankly, they can get down on their knees and tikka my masala.

And I'm sure they highlighted how the gags that last a whole of two seconds and the fact that Bond disguises himself in a clown suit is the reason why it's the worst Bond film of the series, despite the fact the latter is both logical and ups the stakes. 

Amateurs.

Might as well put it here, Never Say Never Again

I rarely seek this out nowadays but seeing it was piled in the hinterland that was ITV4 I thought, well, why not. I dunno, maybe it was watching Thunderball last time out, or maybe it was the cold that's taking a hold of me but frankly, I'm not thrilled and haven't been for a while. McClory seemed to have a right bug up his arse about Thunderball, seemingly determined to remake it ad infinitum to the end of time. Would this have been something else with Hunt directing, as asked or Mankiewicz writing as asked? Who knows. It has its moments, yes (and the late Bernie Casey is one of them) such as Connery who does his best but otherwise, it sort of meanders and bobs along lacking the likes the original had -like a decent soundtrack. Legrand was a good composer but the score for NSNA feels lacking and the title song lacklustre.

Brandauer, a capable enough actor, grates at moments -probably that computer game that does for me. Carrera has her moments but again, something got under the skin and not in a nice way. Basinger...is no Claudine Auger.

Edward Fox is a muddling M and it's intriguing to think if he had played M say during the Dalton era (being a touch older and off-setting Dalton nicely). I'm a fan of Fox via A Bridge Too Far/Battle of Britain etc...
Valerie Leon is still a bit of alright even in this.

I only tweaked that Manning Redwood is in this, reappearing in VTAK as Bob Conley (his little bio on IMDB is interesting, seems he became quite the Anglophile).

And yet, it does have this film a line I like- when Fatima says she's gotten all wet and the response is: "Yes, but my Martini's still dry."

Otherwise, it is as someone once said, a film with a character named James Bond in it.





sorry folks.

Agree with virtually all of that. I probably watch it about as much as I watch Casino Royale (2006) nowadays. 

Basinger was wasted in NSNA. Her turns in LA Confidential and later, The Burning Plain are excellent. I wonder if she hadn't appeared in an Bond unofficial film, that she might have appeared in the official series at some point? Perhaps Stacey might have been more widely appreciated had she not been portrayed by Tanya Roberts (though I do like me my Tanya Roberts)? Or perhaps Pam in LTK (I could give or take Carey Lowell)?.

And "Yes, but my martini's still dry" should have been said in the official series.

Aye, something about it just properly rubbed me the wrong way. I dare-say that Basinger might've made the official series had she not done NSNA though as you say, latter series (VTAK to LTK range). Heck maybe in the Magda role in Octopussy.

I err away from replacing Tanya Roberts, because as I say, to borrow a 70s Show quote about her character once more -"We alllllllllll love Midge."

Pam, that's a tricky one. She was a ballsy chick and Lowell did well with her.

Were he still alive, I'd bet McClory would still be pushing for his own line of films or even one more. And this from someone who has mentioned the fact if only Brosnan could do an unofficial CR remake.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Aye, something about it just properly rubbed me the wrong way. I dare-say that Basinger might've made the official series had she not done NSNA though as you say, latter series (VTAK to LTK range). Heck maybe in the Magda role in Octopussy.

I err away from replacing Tanya Roberts, because as I say, to borrow a 70s Show quote about her character once more -"We alllllllllll love Midge."

Pam, that's a tricky one. She was a ballsy chick and Lowell did well with her.

Were he still alive, I'd bet McClory would still be pushing for his own line of films or even one more. And this from someone who has mentioned the fact if only Brosnan could do an unofficial CR remake.

Ooh or even Octopussy? Though I do like Kristina Wayborn as well. Not a great actress by any stretch but there is an aloofness to her I find rather sexy. And yes, we all love Midge. 

Never thought too highly of Lowell's Pam, but she has risen in my estimations recently. Probably because the Craig era Bond girls haven't amounted to all that much, Severine excluded. 

As much as I'd have loved to have seen Brosnan's CR, I don't think McClory would have been the right man for the job, sadly. I'd also want the Bond theme to pop up too.

NSNA struggles from the start ... instead of the gunbarrel opening and the Bond theme, we get several '007' logos coming towards us accompanied by a terribly insipid song.

The Living Daylights

after VTAK a return to form, indeed it's refreshing to see the lead do his own stunts. Not to take away from Sir Roger, just that I like to see that the actor himself in situations and Dalton on the roof of the jeep (even with some back projection) ticks the box.
TLD remains a top three film with the usual moments still lasting -Saunders' death, the Hercules fight, Bond's scene with Pushkin and so on. Even Kara's line about "Not now what about later?" still provokes a chuckle. Timothy Dalton IS James Bond.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

The Living Daylights

after VTAK a return to form, indeed it's refreshing to see the lead do his own stunts. Not to take away from Sir Roger, just that I like to see that the actor himself in situations and Dalton on the roof of the jeep (even with some back projection) ticks the box.
TLD remains a top three film with the usual moments still lasting -Saunders' death, the Hercules fight, Bond's scene with Pushkin and so on. Even Kara's line about "Not now what about later?" still provokes a chuckle. Timothy Dalton IS James Bond.

Hard to disagree with this. One of John Glen's better looking Bond films, too.

It looks like a proper Cold War film (as much as one could in the late 80s), chiefly the Bratislava scenes but then you have the Afghanistan scenes. Dalton's one-liners are neither here nor there, every time he says something -something is usually happening, the winding up of a window, looking away, animals or whatever. Glen has his detractors but he did alright with this coming after VTAK.

And musically, not a bad way for John Barry to go out.

Licence To Kill

this remains a film so high up my rankings that others smart at the idea. I recall on old MI6 doing a half decent job of defending the film (ooh, get him) that I shan't quite repeat it here. For its flaws production wise, this is Bond as Fleming intended perhaps or a late 1980s Fleming at least with a dash of swearing and gore thrown in.

Simply, Bond's best mate has been fed to the sharks, his wife raped and murdered and so Bond does what anyone would, go after the bastard that did all this. Out of character? Well, no because it's Bond. If the death of Tracy would've sent him into a tailspin, than probably one of two close friends he has and the wife to boot, would send him on a mission. I say all this, as in my book Sanchez is one of the best villains in a Bond film for his believability. He's real, like all the drug lords that made the news. He wouldn't have been out of place in Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger (a plot coincidentally, where men working for a big drug lord murder the president's best mate that triggers the president ordering the shutting down of these cartels with less than legal means). Somehow it works that Sanchez and Bond will be drawn into each other's orbits. Davi plays him well, I actually like how Sanchez rewards loyalty, he seems to have this sincere belief in the people who work for him (like when Bond ingratiates his way into the company). And not many men can say they played villains in TJ Hooker and James Bond (don't ask, I have a somewhat varied DVD collection).
A mention for Del Toro too. A creepy little shit whose "Honey-mooooon" still chills. Plays the role with a relish and probably the only Bond villain who seems to remember Bond from before. His death is particularly satisfying. As is Kilifer's to be fair (plus Sharkey's line).

(Just how did Pam smuggle the shotgun into the bar? Clearly she's sat with it cradled in a certain position. Though I guess as security goes that dive was pretty threadbare, one admires the dancer's dedication to her act as long as she does)

Dalton ups his TLD performance and then some. Forget the fact his hair has a life of its own (I was never that fussed by it, I recall others were on the old forum), Dalton gives a masterclass. I really noticed this time round the look on his face after he sees Sharkey hanging dead on the Wavekrest. In his face you see anguish, shock, horror then resolution and pissed. (Indeed, Sharkey is a brilliant ally. Because his death, like others before him, is shocking).

In a sense this is the sequel to OHMSS that never was -Bond singularly going down this route of rogue agent to get revenge. Dare I suggest that one could imagine Lazenby in some of these scenes with an early 1970s bent and a John Barry score? (Kamen does a good job, a shame the score never got a proper release and was peppered with songs as was).

Honourable mentions to Q (huzzar) and David Hedison's Felix, if only we had him for TLD too. I could imagine the way he delivers the WWIII line, a sort of low murmur in that distinctive voice of his. Pam is a worthy enough ally and lady to Bond. I'm never really convinced by Lupe but that's a small thing.

As action goes, love the stunts involved. And even some of the one-liners.

It's all a matter of watching the birdie.