Dr. No (Sean Connery, 1963)
The first Bond film was a little rough around the edges, but I enjoyed the "basicness" of it. Dr. No does not rely on Bond gadgets or extreme campy humor to entertain -- it's a straight espionage film. Connery's first appearance as Bond is played more like a detective than British SS agent with a license to kill. I liked how low-key the film is. And Honey Ryder is one of my favorite Bond girls of the films I have seen. Dr. No was a good villain, both in the script and via Joseph Wiseman's acting. A very enjoyable film that set the bar very high for subsequent releases. Also, despite it being made 47 years ago, the film does not seem "dated", like some of the other 1960s-70s Bond films do.
From Russia With Love (Sean Connery, 1964)
My favorite Connery bond film, From Russia With Love has all the ingredients you want in a Bond film: Good villains (Robert Shaw as Red Grant; and the Russian female villain Rosa Klebb), good Bond girl (Tatiana Romanova) and fantastic scenes, like the action scene on the train near the end of the film. The plot is straightforward and simple and the script is regarded as one the best of all the Bond films. The movie moves at a relatively fast pace, which is remarkable because at this point, we still are not into all of the high-tech Bond gadgets. Another good thing about this film is that it is not saturated with corny humor or extraneous dialogue. Much like Dr. No, the simplicity of this film is a strength, not a weakness. Also, it is easy to see that Connery becomes much more comfortable as James Bond in this film. Another timeless classic.
Goldfinger (Sean Connery, 1964)
Ah...everyone's favorite. Goldfinger. I know this may seem like blasphemy to Bond fans, but I did not really enjoy this film as everyone else seems to have. And I can't really explain why. It has become the model for every Bond film after it in almost every aspect. Goldfinger and Oddjob are memorable villains. The action and death scenes are great (like the one where Bond is almost cut in half with Goldfinger's laser). The plot is stellar (Goldfinger taking over the U.S., Mint). The famous Aston Martin is here. This was the film where the Bond gadgets become a plot staple. And for God's sakes, Pussy Galore is in this film!! Even with all of these iconic moments, I still think it was lacking something, and like I said, I am not sure what. To me, the scene that sets up the showdown at the Mint, where the planes driven by Goldfinger's girls fly over and knock out the soliders with poison gas, took forever and seemed maddeningly slow to me. I am not a fan one of the main locations of the film, as the scenes at the stud farm near Fort Knox are weak compared to some of the many other exotic Bond locations in previous and later films. With all of this being said, I do recognize the historical significance of this film and I have plans to watch it again soon to take a "fresh" look.
Thunderball (Sean Connery, 1965)
This was really the film that brought the Bond gadgets to significance (his jet pack, for example). The plot it catchy (the terrorist group SPECTRE holds atomic bombs for ransom) and the film is known for it underwater, aquatic scenes, some of which are far too lengthy. But those underwater scenes were original for the time period and give this film unique character. The Bahamas locale gets a thumbs up, and the theme song by Tom Jones is one of the best. The villain (Largo) and Bond girl (Domino) are average at best. The pre-title sequence at the fallen British agent's funeral is very good. This is one film that doesn't have any really big downfalls, but its also not over-the-top excellent, either. Just a good, entertaining Bond film.
You Only Live Twice (Sean Connery, 1967)
From the start of this film where Connery fakes Bond's murder in Hong Kong (hence the title of the film), this is an excellent film and perhaps one of the more underrated in the series. I am a big fan of the locations and sets in this film, from Hong Kong to M's submarine office to Blofeld's hollowed-out volcano layer. Speaking of Blofield, this film features the best "Blofeld' in any Bond movie (the character was in several different movies played by several different actors). This is the film with "Little Nellie", the flying mini helicopter/airplace/weapon of destruction (pictured above in the film poster). I have read some reviews that bash this film for it's hard-to-believe plot, namely Bond being transformed into a Japanese man via a half-assed plastic surgery job. I tend to agree, as the film tends to get more ridiculous as it goes on (the extremely-long Japanese wedding scene is forgettable). But with that being said, overall despite being a bit dated, it's still very good, highlighted by very cool Blofeld and his volcano layer.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (George Lazenby, 1969)
George Lazenby was an Australian model who had never acted before. Sounds like a perfect replacement for Sean Connery, right? This film is not nearly as bad as some people claim. It's relatively gadget and low-budget humor free. What I like about this one is how unique it is compared to other Bond films. It doesn't have a happy ending (it's tragic actually), Bond gets married, quits the SS and this is the first Bond film to reference past films. Bond archenemy Blofeld is featured again here, as the plot revolves his attempt to release a plague on Earth via brainwashed women, who is training in the Swiss Alps under the guise of an allergy clinic...I know, it sounds really far out. But it works. This film features two incredible chase scenes: One between Bond and Blofeld and his henchmen down a ski slope, and the second between Bond and Blofeld on a bobsled track. Very creative. Lazenby was a very different Bond then Sean Connery, so I don't think they can be compared. Had Lazenby been given a chance to do multiple Bond films, his legacy would have been much different than it is. For a guy with no acting experience, he did fairly well and this plot in this movie makes it worth watching. Be warned: this film is very "dated" as it SCREAMS 1967.
Diamonds Are Forever (Sean Connery, 1971)
Of the 11 Bond films I have seen, this is my least favorite. Everything about this one is just off...from Sean Connery coming back to the series, looking like a bloated 55-year-old (he was just 41 at the time), to the cheesy, are they-or-are they not homosexual villains (Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd) and the forgettable performance by Jimmy Dean (yes, of the sausage fame) as Willard Whyte, the eccentric Las Vegas tycoon. Two Bond girls grace this film, Tiffany Case and Plenty O'Toole. OK but nothing spectacular. This was the last major appearance of the Blofeld character, and rightfully so because it had run its course. This is the first Bond fim to heavily feature that "campy" humor tone I keep mentioning. It doesn't work here as it does in some of Roger Moore's Bond films. For me, there are two memorable scenes in this film: The car chase in downtown Las Vegas where Bond's red Mustang ends up sideways on two wheels, and the scene where Mr. Wint and Kidd attempt to cremate an alive Bond trapped inside a coffin. Two good scenes, but not enough to save this essentially forgettable mess. Not a good way to end the Sean Connery Bond era.
Live And Let Die (Roger Moore, 1973)
Now we're talking. My favorite of the first 11 Bond films for so many reasons. The Bond girl (an amazingly-beautiful Jane Seymour, in her first movie, as Solitare, the tarot-card reading fortune teller), the locations (Harlem, New Orelans and the fictional island of San Monique, the villain (Mr. Big, Tee Hee Johnson), the awesome theme song (by Paul McCartney and Wings), the title sequence (burning skulls) and the voodoo theme. I thought Roger Moore's first performance as Bond was refreshing. The critics point to the film's racial undertones, drug-trafficking plot and the annoying Cajun Sheriff Pepper. Both criticisms are right, but who cares?? This is entertainment and should be viewed as such. Thisfilm goes places where no other Bond film had gone in terms of the supernatural and voodoo theme. Did I mention the chainsaw wristwatch? Or Bond escaping a crocodile pond by skipping over them? Talk about a cool action scene. To sum it up, this film has it all. And I'll mention her again: Jane Seymour is absolutely stunning in her role.
The Man with The Golden Gun (Roger Moore, 1974)
This film sticks out for me because of Christopher Lee's performance as the villain, Scaramanga (The man with the golden gun). He is a paid assassin who charges $1 million per golden bullet. Of the films I have seen thus far, Scaramanga is the most effective villain, and the casting of Lee was perfect. Scaramanga's island fortress was also well done, as was the fun house he uses to lure in his enemies (he uses a fun house because he was in a circus as a child, and has three nipples, which is unrelated but worth mentioning). The Bond girl, Mary Goodnight (smoking hot), is my No. 2 behind Jane Seymour's Solitare. Scaramanga's little-person henchman named Nick Nack doesn't really work for me. One of my favorites parts is the use of the derelict former Atlanic Ocean liner, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, which is used as a top-secret MI6 base in the Hong Kong harbor. The interior of the sunken ship is used for the remote offices of M, Bond's boss. It was a nice touch in a film that could have been so much better with more serious action scenes, more Chistopher Lee, less Nick Nack, less (or none) of the Cajun Sheriff Pepper and less campy humor. The most forgettable moment of the film: Bond taking on an entire Kung-Fu school (I believe Kung-Fu was a big craze in 1974).
The Spy Who Loved Me (Roger Moore, 1977)
I have mixed feelings about this film, which some say is the best Roger Moore Bond offering. I liked it about as much as TMWTGG but not nearly as much as LALD. What I liked: The opening sequence when Bond is skiing and goes off the cliff is pretty incredible. The Lotus Espirit Bond car that turns into a submarine is eye-popping. The use of Egypt and the Pyramids for part of the film's location was good. The Bond girl was nice (Triple-X, played by Barbara Bach, who is now Ringo Starr's wife). What I didn't like: the villains (Karl Stromberg, ruler of the underwater-hideout Atlantis) and Jaws, the metal-toothed giant who would reappear in the next film, Moonraker. The film seemed too long for me, but it was creative and the plot was easy to follow along with. And the humor was toned-down as the film had kind of a war-mission feel to it.
Moonraker (Roger Moore, 1979)
The James Bond film series' answer to the Star Wars craze that had just hit the nation, Moonraker was entertaining because it ventured where no other Bond film had touched on (as far as a main plot line): Space. Unfortunately, Jaws makes his return, and in a terrible moment in the film, turns into a good guy, falls in love and saves Bond. It's so bad it almost ruins the film, which returns to the humorous overtones last seen in TMWTGG. The Bond girl is memorable for her name: Dr. Goodhead. I enjoyed the work of French actor Michael Lonsdale as the villain, Hugo Drax, who attempts to create a super race of humans and destroy all life on Earth. Aside from the space locale, Rio de Janeiro is used as a setting, as is Los Angeles and Venice. None are really memorable. As far as unmemorable goes, a gondola chase scene in Venice is ended when Bond's gondola jumps onto the street and turns into a hovercraft. Lame. The plot is far-fetched because of that absurd moment as well as a handful of others. It's not a total swing and miss, but this is not a Bond film that has aged well at all.
To be continued..
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