Last Bond Movie You Watched? 1.0

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I'll take one Ruby please, and show her my four balls.

You ought to see a doctor about that.

Hilly wrote:

The White Tuxedo wrote:

I'll take one Ruby please, and show her my four balls.

You ought to see a doctor about that.

An occulist, mayhap.

IT'S TRUE!!!

Can't count Irma out. She has such a sexy giggle.

Diamonds Are Forever

I've always been entertained. Love the kitsch, the camp, the lines, the music, the sets, the locations. Though it does run out of steam on the oil rig. My opinion. The control room is extremely underwhelming, too. After seeing that amazing penthouse.

But I love Vegas '71.

1. GOLDFINGER
2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
4. DR. NO
5. THUNDERBALL
6. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
7. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

I can't type out massive reviews like the first 5 films, so here's the quick and dirty version.

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

When I heard about WHERE EAGLES DARE, this is what I imagined it would be. A high octane alpine adventure and a technical masterpiece. Lazenby is unjustly underrated as Bond and filled the role admirably. Connery could only be a detriment as he lacked both Lazenby's physicality and enthusiasm at the time.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

A fun, quirky film let down by it's mediocre climax. Sean found his mojo for the last (maybe) time. Film reeks of 1971, complete with excessive sideburns. Easily John Barry's best score.

1) ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
2) FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3) GOLDFINGER
4) DR. NO
5) DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
6) YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
7) THUNDERBALL

I can't help, but feel bad for ranking THUNDERBALL so low.

Tubes wrote:

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

When I heard about WHERE EAGLES DARE, this is what I imagined it would be. A high octane alpine adventure and a technical masterpiece. Lazenby is unjustly underrated as Bond and filled the role admirably. Connery could only be a detriment as he lacked both Lazenby's physicality and enthusiasm at the time.

I always believe that if Connery had worked on OHMSS he would have had more enthusiasm for it. His problem with YOLT was how it traded in characters for gimmicks and that just bored him, so OHMSS would have been a refresher in comparison because he'd finally get to do something new and different. Heck his enthusiasm certainly rose when he was working with Makniewicz's script (then again there was the paycheck).

After his experience shooting YOLT, Sean needed to be as far away from Bond as possible for his own sake. He was a half step away from killing reporters when YOLT wrapped. Even when he came back for DAF, he still looked tired and worn (although that could be because he didn't sleep at all while he was shooting in Vegas).

Despite that, I think that spark that was absent in YOLT returned in DAF. Maybe not all of it, but there was a substantial amount. In the end this is one of those great what ifs of the Bond films, right there with Dalton's third entry and Lazenby not quitting.

I'd be more than open to someone other than either Lazenby or Connery. Lazenby was too young for that story, and performance-wise was nowhere near what the film needed. Why some people think he's the best Bond is beyond my comprehension.

And of course Connery played Bond as practically having been lobotomized in YOLT, so no telling what he'd have been like in OHMSS. Better than Lazenby for sure, and at least more right for the part. Connery, lazy or not, would have have simply known how to act in a movie and could have been a good match for Rigg. Rigg utterly blows Lazenby off the screen.

That last sentence could have been phrased better.

Tubes wrote:

I can't type out massive reviews like the first 5 films, so here's the quick and dirty version.

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

When I heard about WHERE EAGLES DARE, this is what I imagined it would be. A high octane alpine adventure and a technical masterpiece. Lazenby is unjustly underrated as Bond and filled the role admirably. Connery could only be a detriment as he lacked both Lazenby's physicality and enthusiasm at the time.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

A fun, quirky film let down by it's mediocre climax. Sean found his mojo for the last (maybe) time. Film reeks of 1971, complete with excessive sideburns. Easily John Barry's best score.

1) ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
2) FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
3) GOLDFINGER
4) DR. NO
5) DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
6) YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
7) THUNDERBALL

I can't help, but feel bad for ranking THUNDERBALL so low.

So true.

Python wrote:

Tubes wrote:

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

When I heard about WHERE EAGLES DARE, this is what I imagined it would be. A high octane alpine adventure and a technical masterpiece. Lazenby is unjustly underrated as Bond and filled the role admirably. Connery could only be a detriment as he lacked both Lazenby's physicality and enthusiasm at the time.

I always believe that if Connery had worked on OHMSS he would have had more enthusiasm for it. His problem with YOLT was how it traded in characters for gimmicks and that just bored him, so OHMSS would have been a refresher in comparison because he'd finally get to do something new and different. Heck his enthusiasm certainly rose when he was working with Makniewicz's script (then again there was the paycheck).

I believe Seanery was simply burned out on Bond by doing five films in six years. He would have been positively catatonic in OHMSS (hell, he was in YOLT). The four-year haitus allowed him to recharge his batteries for DAF.

I should clarify that not only would Sean be a detriment to OHMSS due to his Bond burnout, but also that Lazenby is a damn good Bond. He has all the physical charisma that Connery had in the early 60's and more. Half of Bond is how good you look and move and Lazenby had that swagger down.

Everything that the general public loved about Craig's Bond was pioneered by Lazenby. Not just the emotional bits, either.

Tubes wrote:

I should clarify that not only would Sean be a detriment to OHMSS due to his Bond burnout, but also that Lazenby is a damn good Bond. He has all the physical charisma that Connery had in the early 60's and more. Half of Bond is how good you look and move and Lazenby had that swagger down.

Everything that the general public loved about Craig's Bond was pioneered by Lazenby. Not just the emotional bits, either.

Took the words right out of my fingertips.

As Lazenby should be remembered, a pioneer.

I thought Lazenby was a weak and I totally disagree that he had any charisma close to Connery in his prime. He tried, I'll give him that. Heck that's more admirable than Brosnan's schizophrenic Bond.

Python wrote:

I thought Lazenby was a weak and I totally disagree that he had any charisma close to Connery in his prime.

He does when he keeps his mouth shut. That said, he has got some swagger in his delivery later in the film - i.e. the phone call to Draco.

imo Lazenby was much better than he is generally credited for, his inexperience does show but he certainly works very well in the most critical scenes. All in all, he's probably better than Connery would have been at that time in his career, though I would have hoped the quality of the script and cast would have inspired something better than his YOLT appearance. The Connery of TB in the OHMSS of 1969 would have been phenomenal.

Lazenby should have remained for other films. I'm certain he would have improved a lot. Like Brosnan, he had potential.

Hell, it's a different portrayal, with a different director. IDK what Connery would have done working with Hunt. Each viewing the film gets better and even with my theory that each film provides a different portrayal from each actor, Lazenby gives us one of the best cinematic Bonds of all.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)

Had me some sushi and DAF (seeing as sushi and YOLT would be racist).

A real gem of a film. Connery makes for a great laconic bastard. A secret agent past his physical prime who uses the job to have fun and get women. An admirable pursuit. He's certainly not bored here either.

Wint & Kidd are undoubtedly the series' most underrated characters. Creepy and hilarious at the same time. Wouldn't see a pair like that in a Bond film these days. Not just because of political correctness, mind you, but because every character of at least the last four Bond films belongs in a funeral parlour. Purvis and Wade suck giant matzah balls (actually the problem is they don't... time to get a Semite behind the 007 typewriter again).

And I don't care what people say about Gray's Blofeld, he was a magnificent bastard.

Lana Wood's tits. That is all.

CJB wrote:

Purvis and Wade suck giant matzah balls (actually the problem is they don't... time to get a Semite behind the 007 typewriter again).

How about.... posting a thread demanding EON to hire you?

I'll wait for them to beg me like the peasants begged Ivan Grozny.

I honestly think Connery would have given a performance akin to what he provided in his prime (DN-TB) because of Hunt's direction and the minimised focus on gadgetry. He said by TB, things got gimmick, but had massive respect for Young. Hunt followed in Young's footsteps, and the love story would have challenged him more than the other outings had.

Moonraker

The comedy works, but again, it's not what I'd expect from a Bond film. A great art direction and cinematography and love the music. The shot of Jaws in the clown outfit walking toward Manuela is brilliant - as is the entire cultural atmosphere. When Bond returns to Italy, I want them to take advantage of Carnivale. The masks would add a great touch of Benign Bizarre (an idea shelved from an original TND screenplay).

Aside from that, the usual: Holly annoys me, Corrine is great, Drax is so much better than Stromberg, and love the espionage feel to the first half. Some great work, but the flaws are great detriments.

Also, a note on costuming - a lot of criticism is here about Craig Bond's attire. It's not as if Bond never assimilated to popular trends in each era. I mean, Moore has worn flares throughout the 70s!

2012 Ranking:

From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Thunderball
Dr.No
Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice
Live and Let Die
The Man With The Golden Gun
Diamonds Are Forever
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker

CJB wrote:

I'll wait for them to beg me like the peasants begged Ivan Grozny.

Only if you'll impale Babs' foot with your royal staff.

Casino Royale - the first hour or so is amongst the finest in the series ... thrilling action, wry humour, and the lovely Ms. Green. But somewhere around the poker game, pacing problems kick in (even though it's interspersed with the stairwell fight and the poisoning attempt on Bond, it still feels too bloody long). Things do pick up again, but they never feel quite as well-judged as that aforementioned first hour.

It's why I ultimately prefer QOS ... it's actually on ITV in the background as I type. Bourne-aping the opening car chase may be, but by God it quickens my pulse ... Craig looks like the fucking BUSINESS to me here; sharp-suited, throwing the Aston through those corners like a rally driver, gritting his teeth against flying bullet-impact debris, machine-gunning the opposition off the road. YES.