I have seen all the official James Bond
films and have a love/hate relationship to this series. There is a great deal I enjoy about these movies through all their iterations and so much that is just so painfully bad. Throughout all this I have come to
appreciate him as a character and have fun playing around in his world. It is a very
entertaining series, even the bad ones, and there are bad ones, sometimes the bad ones make for some enjoyable hate-watching. Here are my
short thoughts on each film:
Dr. No 1962
The first Bond film sets a tone for the series which hasn't shaken (much) for almost 60 years. The films sets out all the expectations each Bond film will follow for the entire series. From its opening gun barrel introduction, the theme music, to seeing the spy playing cards in a casino, to flirting with a beautiful woman, to his interactions with Miss Moneypenny and M, No sets up just what we have come to see as Bond. Bond’s famous self introduction and his “shaken and not stirred line,” the Bond girl archetype, the colonialist biases, all of it a template for each film to come. The first half of the film starts out strong with its classic and straightforward telling the now expected Bond narrative, enjoyable now mostly for all the famous moments we recognize. But as it reaches it’s climax it descends into the sort of sixties silliness filled with rather racist tendencies that we’ve come to mock in a more post-modern age making it a bit of an ironic pleasure. If you haven't seen it but have seen Austin Powers you will be surprised at how close the films are. Mike Meyers didn't have to stretch his subject very far to get great laughs. Still there are things about No that are classic, the most obvious and memorable being Ursula Andress coming out of the water, and one could argue just for that scene Dr. No is worth seeing despite how painful her character is in the portrayal. But really it is about how the whole phenomenon gets started, a phenomenon which is one of the most influential on popular film culture. There are sillier films in this franchise and more racist ones, not that this is an excuse for the yellow face or cheesiness of the film. There are also much better films in the series which transcend what this film creates. Dr. No remains where it all begins.
From Russia With Love 1963
This film is far more my speed than Dr. No. It’s less over the top, less colonialist, less sexist. From Russia With Love is a more straightforward cold war spy story where the bad guys aren’t the Russians but terrorists who play polarized nations against each other making it feel far more realistic than the average Bond film. It is less flashy than most of this era’s Bond films but I think that’s the appeal for me. It still follows the formula laid out in No but with less kitsch. It is nowhere near the best Bond film and it suffers from a rather anti-climactic ending and some fairly typical and tired queer-coding, yet it manages to establish SPECTRE as a true adversary after only being mentioned in No which setts up future stories. It also starts the tradition of a theme song named after the movie, although this too will be done much better in future instalments. Despite any flaws it has, Russia offers a fun ride, on the Orient Express no less.
Goldfinger 1964
For many this is the quintessential Bond film. So many of the series’ most famous moments are here; the murdered girl covered in gold, Oddjob with his killer hat, “no Mr. Bond I expect you to die!”, Bond tied to the table with the laser aimed at his crotch, and of coarse the most famous Bond song of all time. It remains one of the most beloved in the series. But in my opinion the film doesn’t hold up well. The pacing is clunky and it is the least flattering to Bond himself. He’s portrayed as an ass, and not in the way we’ve romanticized him. He actually wrecks a woman’s car so that he can swoop in and save her. It reads as pathetic more than as suave and cool. Also there is a literal corrective rape perpetrated by Bond on Pussy Galore. I’ve always felt Pussy Galore is one of the better Bond Girls, despite the name, which I like to think she took on herself as a descriptor of her own conquests. She’s bisexual, an accomplished pilot, a great fighter who can hold her own with Bond and others, and a self-sufficient mercenary who chooses the right side in the end. I wish the film gave her more due.
Dr. No 1962
The first Bond film sets a tone for the series which hasn't shaken (much) for almost 60 years. The films sets out all the expectations each Bond film will follow for the entire series. From its opening gun barrel introduction, the theme music, to seeing the spy playing cards in a casino, to flirting with a beautiful woman, to his interactions with Miss Moneypenny and M, No sets up just what we have come to see as Bond. Bond’s famous self introduction and his “shaken and not stirred line,” the Bond girl archetype, the colonialist biases, all of it a template for each film to come. The first half of the film starts out strong with its classic and straightforward telling the now expected Bond narrative, enjoyable now mostly for all the famous moments we recognize. But as it reaches it’s climax it descends into the sort of sixties silliness filled with rather racist tendencies that we’ve come to mock in a more post-modern age making it a bit of an ironic pleasure. If you haven't seen it but have seen Austin Powers you will be surprised at how close the films are. Mike Meyers didn't have to stretch his subject very far to get great laughs. Still there are things about No that are classic, the most obvious and memorable being Ursula Andress coming out of the water, and one could argue just for that scene Dr. No is worth seeing despite how painful her character is in the portrayal. But really it is about how the whole phenomenon gets started, a phenomenon which is one of the most influential on popular film culture. There are sillier films in this franchise and more racist ones, not that this is an excuse for the yellow face or cheesiness of the film. There are also much better films in the series which transcend what this film creates. Dr. No remains where it all begins.
From Russia With Love 1963
This film is far more my speed than Dr. No. It’s less over the top, less colonialist, less sexist. From Russia With Love is a more straightforward cold war spy story where the bad guys aren’t the Russians but terrorists who play polarized nations against each other making it feel far more realistic than the average Bond film. It is less flashy than most of this era’s Bond films but I think that’s the appeal for me. It still follows the formula laid out in No but with less kitsch. It is nowhere near the best Bond film and it suffers from a rather anti-climactic ending and some fairly typical and tired queer-coding, yet it manages to establish SPECTRE as a true adversary after only being mentioned in No which setts up future stories. It also starts the tradition of a theme song named after the movie, although this too will be done much better in future instalments. Despite any flaws it has, Russia offers a fun ride, on the Orient Express no less.
Goldfinger 1964
For many this is the quintessential Bond film. So many of the series’ most famous moments are here; the murdered girl covered in gold, Oddjob with his killer hat, “no Mr. Bond I expect you to die!”, Bond tied to the table with the laser aimed at his crotch, and of coarse the most famous Bond song of all time. It remains one of the most beloved in the series. But in my opinion the film doesn’t hold up well. The pacing is clunky and it is the least flattering to Bond himself. He’s portrayed as an ass, and not in the way we’ve romanticized him. He actually wrecks a woman’s car so that he can swoop in and save her. It reads as pathetic more than as suave and cool. Also there is a literal corrective rape perpetrated by Bond on Pussy Galore. I’ve always felt Pussy Galore is one of the better Bond Girls, despite the name, which I like to think she took on herself as a descriptor of her own conquests. She’s bisexual, an accomplished pilot, a great fighter who can hold her own with Bond and others, and a self-sufficient mercenary who chooses the right side in the end. I wish the film gave her more due.
While the idea of a millionaire rigging the
economic system so he can profit while the world suffers should be timeless,
the titular villain often comes off cheap. He starts the movie cheating at
cards, hardly a global threat… then again a slobby, dumb, orange, egomaniac
with bad hair and the temperament of a toddler has turned out to be one of the worst threats to democracy so
maybe Bond was on to something. Maybe spoiled rich white men are the enemies of
humanity after all.
Thunderball 1965
Thunderball is the highest grossing Bond film when adjusted for inflation making it the most successful of the series. It is returns to being more straightforward and less over the top than the previous film Goldfinger, yet it is also less memorable. Little in Thunderball is as iconic as the previous films. It does introduce the eye patched villain #2 and really sets the standard for Bond’s wardrobe. But even with all the underwater mayhem (Bond swimming with sharks!) which really does go on for far too long, and lots of Connery beefcake, the film feels a little less important. It is as solid little story but I felt it turned out better when another studio remade it as Never Say Never Again about 20 years later. The saga of all the legal battles over this film and the rights to the story is more interesting than the movie itself. One downside the theme song by Tom Jones is probably the corniest of all the Bond themes, and that’s saying a lot.
You Only Live Twice 1967
This may be my pick as the worst Bond film ever. The film starts off with a horribly racist scene where Bond contemplates why Chinese women “taste so good.” It doesn’t get much better than that, especially as it adds levels of sexism which were never quite as explicit in previous films as they are here. Shockingly Twice was written by famous author Roald Dahl who threw out the plot of the novel (as do many of the Bond films) and made up a new story featuring Bond and some of the characters from the book. But there is no excuse for the film’s approach to Asian characters. The series has always had racist and sexist elements but never quite as explicit as this film. The plot is also subpar compared to the other movies. Bond finally meets Blofeld, who should be the biggest threat he's ever faced, and the result is rather underwhelming. Sure this is the film that introduces the trope of the evil volcano lair, but that is basically it’s lasting contribution to pop culture. Other than that the whole film feels cringey. No wonder Sean Connery wanted out after this film.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service 1969 George Lazenby proved you could replace the star of a popular action franchise and still have a hit, making future Batman producers very happy. While Lazenby wouldn’t be Bond again and Connery would get a big payday to return to the series after this film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service remains a solid story while being cleverly snarky and self-aware. Ironically for a film which changed its star, the story here (which sticks closer to the novel’s story than Connery’s often did) attempts to build legacy for Bond (even showing flashbacks to previous films in the credits) building themes running through the series like Bond’s quest for Blofeld, who, as portrayed by Savalas, is the most threatening I think he’s been in the whole series, both as mastermind and as physical advisory for Bond. Service sets up Bond’s great tragedy to help shape who he is, a tactic that doesn’t really return until Daniel Craig’s run. Diana Rigg remains one of my favourite Bond girls, not only because she is a stunningly beautiful woman but because of her character’s darker edge and her desire to get right into the fray. Bond actually turns to her to save him and she does. It’s no wonder she captures Bond’s heart. And this might be Lois Maxwell's best turn as Moneypenny. The film truly shows what makes her invaluable. Overall this remains one of my favourite instalments in the entire series. Also, this is the film where Bond finds out his family motto is “The World is not Enough.”
Diamonds Are Forever 1971
Sean Connery came back for this film to mark his last (well… never say never...) time as Bond. Twice is critiqued for being campy (which it is) but I find it an entertaining story which explores the international diamond trade, an area perfect for a story about evil scheming organizations. Forever appears to be a chance for Connery to have some fun one last time in classic Connery Bond style, wrapping up his battles with SPECTRE, giving us another Shirley Bassey Bond song, fighting classically Bond appropriate villains such as Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, as well as classically named Bond girls like Bambi and Thumper. There are Bond girls galore here. My favourite is Tiffany Case, a great early Bond girl who holds her own against Bond both sexually and on the adventure side, but it's Plenty O'Toole who has the most hilarious name. The film also brings back the racism, sexism, and homophobia rampant in Connery's time as the spy but it is all a little muted compared to some previous films. Regular Bond allies Felix Leiter, Moneypenny, M, and Q are all here for the final Connery turn. Forever is a send off of all the things that defined the Connery era, good and bad. Goodbye Sean, it's been fun? Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Live and Let Die 1973
Roger Moore’s first turn as Bond starts off boldly, with what many feel is one of the best Bond themes ever (although I have a few I like a lot more), but also with a series of caricatures of African American culture that range from silly to menacing, all of it clearly racist to today’s eyes. Made at the height of the blaxploitation trend, this feels like a strange choice. The film makers wanted to introduce their new Bond and his more irreverent, flippant take on the character, yet also insert him into a trending genre which didn’t really fit. For me the whole thing is a misfire. Especially with how racist the film is with its portrayal of non-white characters. Mr. Big and Baron Samdi are wasted villains with so much more potential than they get to show here. Plus it features one of my least favourite Bond girls, played unfortunately by one of the bigger stars to take on the Bond girl roles, Jane Seymore. As Solitare she does nothing interesting but sit around and wait to be saved. Similarly Rosie Carver, heralded as the first black Bond Girl, is played as incompetent, and is discarded easily for the vanilla girl. Straying significantly from the novel, this film is high on my list of Bond stories which would benefit from a remake.
The Man With the Golden Gun 1974
Moore's second outing isn’t a whole lot better than his first but it has a little more going for it. Christopher Lee remains one of the best Bond villains as the title character and he gives Bond a real run for his money. Maud Adams (who has played 2 different Bond girls) is one of the sexier Bond girls and her appearance in the shower is one of the raciest scenes in any Bond film. Too bad the other Bond girl, Tiffany Case, is such a bumbling moron. The Man With the Golden Gun suffers from the same racist problems with representing Asian culture as most other early Bond films. As Live and Let Die tried to capitalize on the popularity of blaxploitation films, Golden Gun tries to exploit the trend of martial arts films but doesn’t get it right.
The Spy Who Loved Me 1977
This is the first James Bond film I ever saw (at a sleepover as a tween on VHS) and remains a high point in the series for me. In many ways it is this film that defined Bond for me for many years and has remained my favourite Moore Bond film. It has so much going for it that put it above and beyond his other outings. It features one of the best Bond songs and the first not to share a title with the film itself, a feature which would be characteristic of many of my favourite Bond themes. It has one of my favourite Bond girls ever, codenamed Triple X, a spy who is an equal to Bond in every way, including her exploits in the bedroom. It has the Lotus Esprit submarine/car which is just effin cool. Stromberg is a great (if silly) villain complete with underwater villain lair and threatening henchman, Jaws. Has all the campy joy of early Bond but without the blatantly over the top racism of previous Bond films (just little dashes of hit here and there). Plus this is the first time Bond’s sexism is pushed back against. Progress! A lot of Bondish assumptions are challenged here. There is good cold war attitude critique throughout. Bond has attempted to modernize itself over the years. This is the first attempt and probably the reason I didn’t give up on the series entirely.
Moonraker 1979
Many of Roger Moore’s Bond films feel like attempts to capitalize on trends. Martial arts films, blaxploitation films, and now the sci fi kick most notably the huge success of Star Wars. This leads to what is truly one of Bond’s silliest outings. The plot is truly ridiculous. It includes skydiving, octopus attacks, speeding gondolas (both the boat and mountain kind), hang gliders, snakes… and then Bond goes into space! They throw everything at us AND the kitchen sink. CIA agent Holly Goodhead, intended to be an equal rival to Bond like XXX from the previous film, is dull as can be, as is the theme song. The return of Jaws, a cool henchmen in the last film, here is played for silly comic relief that just feels pathetic. Moonraker isn’t that offensive like some previous Bond films; it’s just on the dumber side.
For Your Eyes Only 1981
Due to legal wrangling, the Bond films couldn’t use Blofeld and SPECTRE any longer. So they chose to kill him off quickly without officially naming him. The opening sequence to this film is unfortunately a rather poorly handled send off for the villain, intended to be so important to the series. I think I would have preferred they just didn’t mention it all. Perhaps including this reference was signalling the series’ move back to its roots. For Your Eyes Only is more like traditional Bond than most of Moore’s run. It is a more old fashioned Bond spy story without too much of the kitsch we’ve become accustomed to. However for me there isn’t a lot that stands out in For Your Eyes Only. Despite the great title song performed onscreen by Sheena Easton it remains one of the less remarkable takes on Bond.
Octopussy 1983
Perhaps because this film was coming out around the same time as a rival Bond story (Never Say Never Again) which was exploring the idea of an aging Bond directly, Octopussy also takes a stab at addressing Bond getting older but does so in the series’ usual cheeky, wink wink manner through his interactions with women (Moneypenny specifically) dismissing his aging as irrelevant. But that fits the tone of Octopussy, one of the sillier Bond films which has most of the cheesy hallmarks of the Moore era. Octopussy herself is a bit of a conundrum as I find Maud Adams' portrayal (her second Bond girl) weak for a character that should be stronger. She is the lesbian leader of an organization of women agents but ends up needing to be saved by Bond and succumbs to his charms??
Perhaps because this film was coming out around the same time as a rival Bond story (Never Say Never Again) which was exploring the idea of an aging Bond directly, Octopussy also takes a stab at addressing Bond getting older but does so in the series’ usual cheeky, wink wink manner through his interactions with women (Moneypenny specifically) dismissing his aging as irrelevant. But that fits the tone of Octopussy, one of the sillier Bond films which has most of the cheesy hallmarks of the Moore era. Octopussy herself is a bit of a conundrum as I find Maud Adams' portrayal (her second Bond girl) weak for a character that should be stronger. She is the lesbian leader of an organization of women agents but ends up needing to be saved by Bond and succumbs to his charms??
Never
Say Never Again 1983
This is a remake of Thunderball, sort of. The
story behind the making of this film is long and interesting, but I won’t get
into that now. While not officially part of the Bond series, personally I enjoy this telling of the tale better than
the first take. It’s also my favourite Connery Bond film. I like its more serious take on the Bond mythos, its exploration of an aging icon and his struggles to
remain relevant, and director Irvin Kershner’s (The Empire Strikes Back) more artful direction than we’re used to
in a Bond film until the next millennium. Most often I find the portrayal of
SPECTRE and the comic bookish Blofeld to be trite but here Max von Sydow makes
him a real threatening villain, as is Klaus Maria Brandauer’s Largo, a truly
vile man. And Never features Rowan
Atkinson so that in itself makes it worth a watch. While I find Basinger’s version
of Domino rather bland, Carrera’s Fatima Blush is full of dangerous femme fatal
glee who exceeds her Thunderball counterpart
by being a true match for Bond. Pamela Salem’s Moneypenny doesn’t hold a candle
to the classic Lois Maxwell but Bernie Casey is the coolest Felix Leiter ever,
and my second favourite version of the character after Geoffrey Wright. While
it suffers from some of the same clichés the mainstream Bond movies do, it remains, for me, one of the better Bond films
until later in the series.
A View to a Kill 1985
This is Roger Moore's last outing and I can’t say I’m sad to see him go. He is pretty much my least favourite Bond (despite how much I love The Spy Who Loved Me). The film starts with a ski chase (already done in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and The Spy Who Loved Me) and focuses on horse racing (already done in Goldfinger) so a lot of this film feels tired. But on the other hand it bursts into the most 80s Bond film ever with a black light title sequence featuring Duran Duran, Grace Jones in her new wave glory, a boombox, and a microchip/computer plot. Overall the film is over the top, cheesy, and indulgent, from Jones diving off the Eiffel Tower to Bond driving over buses and boats while chasing her, to Christopher Walken having so much fun as a megalomaniac, he’s almost as good as he is as Max Shreck in Batman Returns. Bond is to take a serious turn after this but silly Bond had one more shake of the martini, and it’s a ridiculous doozy.
The Living Daylights 1987
This was the first Bond film I saw in cinemas but I was too young to enjoy it. I certainly remember from the adults I was with that there was real excitement about a new Bond, perhaps a more modern one. At this point Bond was perhaps beyond his expiration date and needed a rejuvenation. Despite not being a reboot they recast a younger Moneypenny and Felix Leiter to go along with the younger Bond. But in the end audiences maybe weren’t ready for Timothy Dalton's take on Bond which was criticized for being humourless and dull. But watching it now it doesn’t appear too different from previous Bond films, remaining a bit over the top and much of the action is still on the silly side. What the film does do is bring less overt sexism and racism to the role, especially in the jokes. Maybe that’s what the audiences were missing but just didn’t want to say it. For me The Living Daylights does feel rather average and almost generic, not finding a way to make what people find special about Bond in his new iteration.
This is Roger Moore's last outing and I can’t say I’m sad to see him go. He is pretty much my least favourite Bond (despite how much I love The Spy Who Loved Me). The film starts with a ski chase (already done in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and The Spy Who Loved Me) and focuses on horse racing (already done in Goldfinger) so a lot of this film feels tired. But on the other hand it bursts into the most 80s Bond film ever with a black light title sequence featuring Duran Duran, Grace Jones in her new wave glory, a boombox, and a microchip/computer plot. Overall the film is over the top, cheesy, and indulgent, from Jones diving off the Eiffel Tower to Bond driving over buses and boats while chasing her, to Christopher Walken having so much fun as a megalomaniac, he’s almost as good as he is as Max Shreck in Batman Returns. Bond is to take a serious turn after this but silly Bond had one more shake of the martini, and it’s a ridiculous doozy.
The Living Daylights 1987
This was the first Bond film I saw in cinemas but I was too young to enjoy it. I certainly remember from the adults I was with that there was real excitement about a new Bond, perhaps a more modern one. At this point Bond was perhaps beyond his expiration date and needed a rejuvenation. Despite not being a reboot they recast a younger Moneypenny and Felix Leiter to go along with the younger Bond. But in the end audiences maybe weren’t ready for Timothy Dalton's take on Bond which was criticized for being humourless and dull. But watching it now it doesn’t appear too different from previous Bond films, remaining a bit over the top and much of the action is still on the silly side. What the film does do is bring less overt sexism and racism to the role, especially in the jokes. Maybe that’s what the audiences were missing but just didn’t want to say it. For me The Living Daylights does feel rather average and almost generic, not finding a way to make what people find special about Bond in his new iteration.
License to Kill 1989
Considered one of the least Bond films, I actually think License to Kill shows Dalton coming into his own as the famous Spy. This instalment takes Bond in a new direction by making Bond less chauvinist and focuses on (somewhat) more realistic action sequences. It also connects to the film series' history by focusing on Bond's relationships like his friendship with Felix Lester and his dead wife in a way Bond films before had tended to avoid. It starts out with a rather bad opening sequence, but picks up after that. The problem is it feels somewhat cheap. The story takes some short cuts, the set pieces feel smaller. A young Benicio Del Toro appears as a villain but his character is a bit thinly drawn. Bond girl Bouvier starts out good as a strong agent but her schoolgirl jealousy turned me off. Still, between Dalton's two appearances, I think this one is actually the strongest. It still isn’t where the Bond series should get to but it feels like it is on its way. Instead they give up on this take and get there with Brosnan.
Goldeneye (1995)
In many ways Goldeneye does what The
Living Daylights was trying to do, reestablish Bond for a new generation. Goldeneye is like James Bond 101,
employing all the elements set to introduce exactly who this character and his world
is for a new audience, doing so quite successfully. Brosnan sets himself up as
classic Bond, all that Connery was, he is a sexy cad but well meaning, a
“dinosaur” from another era who may still have relevance, his motivations feel
far more fleshed out than had been attempted before, making him feel more like
a real character than a superhero. He says all the famous lines and goes
through the typical Bond style adventure all to the sounds of one of the most
classic sounding Bond songs ever (written by Bono and The Edge, sung by Tina
Turner channeling Bassey). Judy Dench is introduced as M making the adventure
feel more modern and act as a foil for the return of the classic Bond. Also
classically timed, Goldeneye is set
right at the end of the cold war and is obsessed with that change in world
dynamics. Goldeneye does all it can
to bring back the golden age of Bond and succeeds.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
With the cold war over, Bond needed a good
new villain and a corporate media type was perfect for this era. Jonathan Price
is delightfully over the top, so far over that he's up there with Goldfinger,
and he’s a bit too on the nose for my tastes. In the intervening years we’ve
seen his villain is actually fairly prescient and didn’t need to be as cartoony
as he is here. In fact if he
wasn’t so Snidley Whiplash the movie would be one of the best Bond films. The
story and action are good and the film features one of the best Bond girls of
all time, Michelle Yeoh as the remarkable Wai Lin, who could kick Pussy
Galore's ass. Despite all the modern trappings, Brosnan continues to pay tribute
to the Bond of the past.
The World is Not Enough (1999)
For me Enough should have been a lot better than it is. The story idea is good, Renard is not a bad villain, and introducing John Cleese as the new Q is a great idea. But for some reason much of the execution just isn’t up to snuff. Christmas Jones and Electra are some of the worst Bond girls in any film, bad choices for actors cast in the roles making them almost intolerable. Poor pacing and eye rolling jokes makes the film rather dull. Enough is less than enough for me. It is my least favorite of Brosnan's episodes.
The World is Not Enough (1999)
For me Enough should have been a lot better than it is. The story idea is good, Renard is not a bad villain, and introducing John Cleese as the new Q is a great idea. But for some reason much of the execution just isn’t up to snuff. Christmas Jones and Electra are some of the worst Bond girls in any film, bad choices for actors cast in the roles making them almost intolerable. Poor pacing and eye rolling jokes makes the film rather dull. Enough is less than enough for me. It is my least favorite of Brosnan's episodes.
Die Another Day (2002)
Die Another Day takes a lot of flack but I actually enjoy it quite a bit. It has a grittier plot than previous films (perhaps foreshadowing the direction Daniel Craig’s take on Bond would lead the franchise), but maintains the fantastic elements of the series such as incredible gadgets and remarkable locations/lairs. It has a cool villain in the diamond studded Zao, and Graves who is one of the better megalomaniacs who have taken on Bond. There is a fun, cheeky cameo featuring Madonna (who also provides the Bond theme, a techno infusion which is one of the fresher songs to feature in these movies). Halle Berry as Jinx and Rosamund Pike as Frost are two of the best actresses to ever play Bond girls (Oscar nominees both). Sure there is some poor CGI but for me it’s the story focusing (again) on the older Bond adapting to a new world, a device I enjoy quite a bit. After multiple viewings Day ends up being my favourite of Brosnan’s Bond films. It ends up being a goodbye to the original world of Bond and it does this by being devoutly reverent to the series and all it was, references to all 20 films included. Day sums up so much about what we've come to know about Bond and sends out this version, overblown and stylish, out with a bang.
Casino Royale (2006)
For me the approach taken with Bond during Daniel Craig’s run (commencing here) is the most compelling. By finally adapting Ian Flemming’s first Bond novel, the producers used this as an excuse to “reboot” the character, rebuilding him from the ground up for a 21st century audience. Craig plays Bond as an ambitious and bold but less experienced agent, cocky but uniquely talented. Bond cuts his teeth here, both professionally and personally. The film doesn’t actually get to the novel’s story until after an hour in, but director Campbell and his screen writers have embellished an origin story not only true to the book but fleshed out to make a spy character modern audiences can believe, explaining who Bond is and why. His womanizing, his gadgets, his arrogance, his capabilities, are all given background. He isn’t fully formed (as in Dr. No), we see him becoming. This is the first time I had seen Bond as a compelling character. The theme You Know My Name by Chris Cornell is my favourite Bond song ever, bar none.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Quantum gets a bad rap and is often dismissed unfairly. It has some of the
best action set pieces of any movie, starting off with two masterful, edge of
your seat sequences (a car chase then a foot chase) and there is another in the
middle juxtaposed with an opera scene that is stunning. The most violent film
in the entire series, that violence is well used not only to drive the plot but
to build the characters. Quantum does
world building, setting up that Bond becoming a 00 and Vesper’s revelations
have tipped off MI6 (and subsequently the western world’s intelligence
community) to a large conspiracy organization which we’ll learn more about over
the next few films, but here are still left wondering about. We witness Bond
building the scar tissue that makes him the uncontrolled yet purposeful and
detached protagonist we know him to be. M is shown to be brilliant with a
history and her relationship with Bond is tested and built. Camille Montes is
one of the most kick ass Bond girls and there is no need for her to have a
romance with Bond which is refreshing. Instead the two share a journey through
revenge seeking catharsis which develops both of them. Oh, and Jack White and
Alicia Keys perform another one of my personal favourite Bond themes.
Skyfall (2012)
For me Skyfall is the perfect Bond film. It is the culmination of everything I would want in a Bond movie. This is the reason I am a fan of the series, despite all the worst. What Royale and Quantum built is executed here to deliver the kind of action movie that has a richness and gravitas to it that few films of its ilk manage. It encapsulates all the characters, plots, and references and Bond-ness I want in these movies from the relationship between Bond and M to introducing dynamic and fascinating versions of characters like Q and Moneypenny who are so much more than the two dimensional cameos they were before. But besides that it simply a remarkable film. It is gorgeously filmed, astutely written, and features some of the best action sequences in any film series. It is filled with layered and developed performances and a story that is both entertaining and leaves you feeling its impact. If this was the only Bond film, I would be happy with it, but it is even better with the lead in from Royale and Quantum, and the history of the series behind it.
Spectre (2015)
I don’t know if it was planned from Casino Royale, but by the time we get to Spectre all Craig’s movies have built up to this. The interconnectedness of the Craig films culminate in a story that reveals everything that happened was part of a long plan, a larger story, one that is inspired by the classic Bond lore of the past. While Spectre gets some bad press, for me it is both the best kind of fan service in how it ties in ideas, characters, themes, from across the Bond oeuvre but also pays off the specifics of the plots woven through the last three films. It is visually and narratively riddled with references to the series, train ride like From Russia, the alpine spa like in Secret Service, Bond tied and tortured like in Goldfinger, and of coarse Spectre and Blofeld himself. While repeating these themes has felt tired in the past, here I find them quite well used to evoke the right amount of nostalgia without compromising story. The themes built in this arc touch on how world events and power can be shaped by personalities and their relationships. Dave Bautista’s Mr. Hinx is reminiscent of Oddjob. Lea Seydoux’s Dr. Swann is the first Bond girl doctor I believed to be an actual scientist, and she kicks butt too! I do wish Blofeld’s story wasn’t compressed as much as it was here but I liked just how much this film attempts to bring everything together.
Skyfall (2012)
For me Skyfall is the perfect Bond film. It is the culmination of everything I would want in a Bond movie. This is the reason I am a fan of the series, despite all the worst. What Royale and Quantum built is executed here to deliver the kind of action movie that has a richness and gravitas to it that few films of its ilk manage. It encapsulates all the characters, plots, and references and Bond-ness I want in these movies from the relationship between Bond and M to introducing dynamic and fascinating versions of characters like Q and Moneypenny who are so much more than the two dimensional cameos they were before. But besides that it simply a remarkable film. It is gorgeously filmed, astutely written, and features some of the best action sequences in any film series. It is filled with layered and developed performances and a story that is both entertaining and leaves you feeling its impact. If this was the only Bond film, I would be happy with it, but it is even better with the lead in from Royale and Quantum, and the history of the series behind it.
Spectre (2015)
I don’t know if it was planned from Casino Royale, but by the time we get to Spectre all Craig’s movies have built up to this. The interconnectedness of the Craig films culminate in a story that reveals everything that happened was part of a long plan, a larger story, one that is inspired by the classic Bond lore of the past. While Spectre gets some bad press, for me it is both the best kind of fan service in how it ties in ideas, characters, themes, from across the Bond oeuvre but also pays off the specifics of the plots woven through the last three films. It is visually and narratively riddled with references to the series, train ride like From Russia, the alpine spa like in Secret Service, Bond tied and tortured like in Goldfinger, and of coarse Spectre and Blofeld himself. While repeating these themes has felt tired in the past, here I find them quite well used to evoke the right amount of nostalgia without compromising story. The themes built in this arc touch on how world events and power can be shaped by personalities and their relationships. Dave Bautista’s Mr. Hinx is reminiscent of Oddjob. Lea Seydoux’s Dr. Swann is the first Bond girl doctor I believed to be an actual scientist, and she kicks butt too! I do wish Blofeld’s story wasn’t compressed as much as it was here but I liked just how much this film attempts to bring everything together.
No Time To Die (2021)
Daring in its ending but bogged down in its attempts to tie up all the loose ends and complete a single narrative, No Time To Die is intense and truly scary with a nice emotional punch at the finale, but often feels like it is cramming everything in. I have appreciated Craig's run in what it does for the series but this isn't the strong ending I'd hoped for. Still it gets more right than wrong and the theme is one of the best songs of the bunch.
And it leaves me unable to wait to see what is going to happen next...
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