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Reviews
Skyfall (2012)
Brilliant Bond
Skyfall feels like the rebirth of Bond. Not just because of how poorly received Quantum of Solace was (it was poor), but we're also reintroduced to some new/old characters such as Q and Moneypenny as well as the ushering in of a new M. It truly feels like a new chapter for Bond.
Our villain this time around is Silva, a former agent played by Javier Bardem who feels like he was betrayed by M (Judi Dench) and is hellbent on getting his revenge on her. It's a very personal motive for this films villain as we're used to someone simply wanting to rule the world, Silva just wants M.
It's a good story and threaded together with some fantastic action sequences - the opening scene alone if breathtaking and by far the best a Bond film has seen to this point. After the awful over editing camera work of QoS that made action scenes hard to follow with a hint of motion sickness, I didn't have any problem with any of it this time around.
Casino Royale (2006)
Bond doesn't get much better than this.
Daniel Craig's debut as Bond is a smash and hands down one of, if not the absolute best.
The Bond we see in this movie is again unique to the ones before his. He's a lot more driven and willing to do absolutely anything to complete his missions, even if it means using those closest to him to do so. It's hinted through the entire film as a sort of a prophecy that you'll kick yourself for not seeing the why sooner.
That being said we see the more resolute Bond soften opposite his Bond girl for this instalment played by the beautiful Eva Green. When she witnesses a man die before her she's visually shaken, and rather than tell her to get her self together as we would expect from 007 instead we see a more compassionate and understanding side to him that I don't think we have had before.
Action sequences are exhilarating and even the poker game which takes up a bulk of the screen time is fascinating when it could have so easily come across as boring.
Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre is brilliant casting and its clear he and Daniel Craig have so much chemistry whilst on screen together which is what makes the Poker game so engrossing.
A fantastic cast supported by the best Bond script to date makes it really hard to pick out any faults. The perfect Bond film. Flawless, exciting, engrossing, timeless.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Character development but not much else.
Quantum of Solace feels very much like a filler movie - which is good for the entries to follow but for the film itself it doesn't feel like it moves us anywhere.
Daniel Craig's Bond sees himself go through more of an internal conflict with himself rather than battling with other men this time around.
Haunted by the betrayal of the woman he loved, 007 is blinded by his rage and becomes more unorthodox as he goes against MI6 to get what he wants by any means necessary.
The villain Dominic Greene is a downgrade on what Mads Mikkelsen gave to us. I know we can't always have someone to that standard but Mathieu Amalric fails to captivate.
The story is very much directed towards character development and laying ground for the larger plot across all five films - which would have been fine if it was strung together with some amazing action sequences but unfortunately we're robbed of that as well with some over edited camera work. Every half a second is a different camera angle which makes things harder to follow and at times made me feel a bit uneasy.
An average film but a necessary sacrifice for the Daniel Craig arc.
Casino Royale (1967)
Casino Royale dragged itself along so that Austin Powers could walk
Its hard to find any positives about this early James Bond spoof. Despite its fairly impressive casting, the film relies on slapstick humour and a poorly written script void of anything even remotely funny.
However if you're on this page anyway I would recommend swerving the movie but the trivia section is by far much more interesting than the film itself so give that a read.
David Niven was Ian Fleming's choice for the Bond movies in the early 60's before production and he was pissed off when Sean Connery was cast instead. After watching this it's easy to say Mr. Fleming got that terribly wrong. Half the cast also hated each other and refused to work together on some scenes so it looks a bit off. And on top of all that everything just feels like a knock-off Austin Powers.
Anyway. Not worth the time.
A View to a Kill (1985)
Bond holding on to get that retirement package
A View to a Kill says goodbye to Roger Moore, but his swan song it far off the mark. Don't get me wrong, Christopher Walken is a brilliant cast to star opposite 007 and I really what he does with the role, but a lot of the heat comes from Grace Jones who doesn't exactly shine through.
Roger Moore was 57 or something during the filming of this. So maybe I was expecting too much from him in an action film. But it's all just middle of the road. There's no standout action sequences, he's still a weird horny old fella, and the villains never get out of first gear to build any excitement.
A forgetful Bond. But a brilliant theme song from Duran Duran!
Die Another Day (2002)
A disappointing sign-off from Brosnan.
Die Another Day sees us say goodbye to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in what we can safely say is one of the worst Bond films to date.
We're treated to the worst opening credits scene as Bond gets seven shades beat out of him while Madonna gets all ElectroPop on us - alright, it's a meh start but surely it picks up?
Okay, it picks up a little bit. I mean the movie isn't terrible and has some redeeming feature such as the sword fighting between Bond and Gustav Graves, the double-agent surprise, and the intimidating sub-villain Zao who could have done with being a bit more prominent throughout.
But that's it. From there on out the film is as outlandish as Moonraker. When Bond goes too close to science fiction it loses a lot of what makes it a believable spy flick. An invisible car, and artificial sun laser satellite, cosmetic surgery with lasers, a fortress created entirely of ice. It's just too much.
Add to that the fact if Halle Berry was dropped from the film nobody would have noticed. For so much screen time she offers very little. She can't be entirely to blame as I think she got the role off the back of winning an Oscar so she's more than capable.
A disappointing end to an okay/good reign as Bond for Pierce. You can see why he was dropped and Daniel Craig's era when in a new direction.
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Action packed but patched together with lazy writing
The World is Not Enough is another action packed entry into the Bond catalogue but the support characters are exceptionally bland. Nothing to do with the casting; Robert Carlyle is fantastic, Sophie Marceau is dangerously beautiful, and Denise Richards was the lasting memory for many a young man watching this for the first time.
The issue is the scrip doesn't allow for any real character development. And it's a shame because Carlyle's character is captivating and we know how good an actor he is.
But it's a common occurrence throughout. Excitingly fast paced action sequences sewn together with rather lazy script writing.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Michelle Yeoh steals the spotlight a little..
Tomorrow Never Dies sees 007 take on a media mogul that plans to instigate war between China and Britain in a bid to gain exclusive coverage rights.
It's an outlandish plot but it's a different take on the Bond villain and Jonathan Pryce plays the part perfectly. Whats more impressive is this instalments Bond girl - in Michelle Yeoh 007 finally has a woman by his side capable of kicking the snot out of people just as much as he can.
They've also really upped the stunts for this action packed film - especially the scenes with Bond and Wai Lin trying to operate a motorcycle whilst handcuffed together, seeing them jump over the moving propellers of a chopper before seeing the same propellers mow their way through a busy market district. Really impressive stuff.
I think Tomorrow Never Dies is one of the more underrated films. I loved it and it's one of only a few from my childhood that comes to mind as being a fun Bond-movie.
GoldenEye (1995)
All the Bonds, shaken and stirred into Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan's debut as Bond sees him perfectly blend the believable secret agent laid out by Timothy Dalton, the cool calm and collectiveness of Sean Connery, and the one liners of the every horny Roger Moore. He is the perfect fit for a mid-90's Bond, but how does Goldeneye stand up?
It's big, and it's bold. Sean Bean is a brilliant addition as Bond's latest antagonist that leads to an exciting finale between them both. The part with the tank chase through the streets of Russia is iconic and unique, you can't help but laugh at how 007 has evolved since Connery.
But it had to, because Goldeneye had to bring in a new audience as the older generation who grew up on Moore and Connery were turned off by Dalton - but it's fair to say Goldeneye succeeded in doing so. In part to a movie tie-in video game that targeted the younger generation.
Goldeneye is one of the best Bond films to date. A solid debut for Brosnan with three very different, but very interesting villains, a good believable plot and a non-too-fantastical super weapon. Standout.
Licence to Kill (1989)
Timothy Dalton is underrated as Bond
Licence to Kill is blow for blow slightly weaker than it's predecessor The Living Daylights but it's still a strong addition to the 007 catalogue and cements Timothy Dalton as the most underrated of all the Bonds.
Again we see a more believable James Bond, he's sympathetic, cool, collected and at times it's obvious he's calculating as he goes along with the plot, sometimes he's erratic and sometimes he makes mistakes, something we don't see often. It's a very different Bond than we're used to, especially when he comes across as charismatic without becoming sleazy and creepy.
Add into it a somehow rare love triangle the film at times becomes more about who we think Bond should be with when the movie ends rather than focusing on the actual story being told.
Dalton is probably my favourite Bond and it's a shame his run didn't go on longer as I think I would have preferred him in the films that followed rather than Pierce.
The Living Daylights (1987)
Dalton's Debut is a taste of things to come
The Living Daylights see Timothy Dalton debut as 007 in a more true to book James Bond than we've seen so far.
Gone are the tongue in cheek jokes, the need to shag anything with a pulse, and ridiculous plots. Instead Dalton gives us a more believable Bond - focused, serious, sympathetic, and importantly charismatic. As we watch Bond take on the Soviets, we also watch him also put up with one of the most infuriating, clueless, and at times stupid Bond Girls to date (that's really saying something). Poor James is really battling on all fronts.
His Bond debut is nothing short of a success and serves to be the blueprint for all Bond films from this point onwards, but some may also see it as the turning point, and the death of "Classic Bond".
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Maybe when he said never again, he should have meant it.
Never Say Never Again see fan favourite Sean Connery back as James Bond in a sort of non-cannon remake of Thunderball.
Ignoring the disputes that lead to the remake of what was already a fairly slow, and at time boring Bond film, Never Say Never Again certainly tries to stand out from the original and be different. The differences being Sean Connery looks like he's made from wax, no 007isms or catchphrases (I suppose because of copyrights etc), the distinct absence of the iconic James Bond score and theme tune, and trying to see how naked they can have the female cast without showing a nipple.
As a stand-alone film it's fairly uninspiring. If you start comparing it to the other films in the James Bond anthology it becomes a challenge. Other than it having Sean Connery in and he's calling himself James Bond it just doesn't feel authentic.
It went head to head with Roger Moore's A View To A Kill which isn't one of his finest - but if you were pitting them against one another then it would be Roger Moore 1 - 0 Sean Connery. Even though A View To A Kill wasn't exactly fantastic, it still felt like a mid-80's blockbuster whereas Never Say Never Again felt very dated.
Octopussy (1983)
The names Bond *honks clown horn*, James Bond.
Octopussy is an odd entry for the Bond series. It has a brilliant plot that's a little more of a simple plot to follow which is somewhat welcomed as I find a lot of Roger Moore's Bond movies have ridiculously over complicated narratives. This one is simple, hunt down the bomb and stop it from setting off.
What makes Octopussy a great film though are some of its action sequences. The knife fight on the outside of a mid-flight plane is breathtaking. The scaling along the outside of a speeding train equally as astonishing. Octopussy is definitely able to hold its own against the heavy weight action titles of the 80's.
What brings the movies rating down though for me is that it's unnecessarily stupid. Bond dressing up as a Clown. The chase through the jungle where Bond is out of all luck as he runs into every imaginable animal you can think of - including a Tiger which he gets past by simply commanding it to "sit". And the beyond daft Tarzan scream he makes when swinging through the trees.
Fantastic action film, but insists on making 007 look like an literal clown.
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
A great way of forgetting Moonraker ever happened
For Your Eyes Only is a step up from the disappointment of the ridiculousness of Moonraker.
Roger Moores performance is back to its best as he plays a more well loved 007 relying more on his brains and wit rather than cracking far too many jokes. After the over the top plot of Moonraker this stripped down story is a welcomed switch of direction with an anxious and exhilarating climax to the film. Bond is back!
The only let down I feel is the beginning. It does well to help link On Her Majesty's Secret Service to the series referencing the death of Bond's wife, but the final showdown and climax to his rivalry with Blofeld is rather disappointing and deserves more than 10 minutes at the start of the film. It's not even a decent ending, it's cringe if anything. Disappointing.
Moonraker (1979)
Good film, but over doing it.
Moonraker is a fairly enjoyable film, but as the title suggests there's just too much going on. Bond in space, spacemen with laser and jet packs battling in space, shagging anything with a pulse, and by far the most perplexing - the redemption and love story of one-time Bond villain, Jaws.
If you're able to get your head around James Bond doing a bit of Star Wars, the sudden sub plot of Jaws and his lover is completely random, dumb, and I guess sort of funny. But it just doesn't fit in. None of it does.
What we do get is a new Elon Musk type villain with more money than brains, but he's calm and calculating and Drax is probably the next best super villain so far since Blofeld.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
A walking tour of Egypt
A rather bland entry into the Bond franchise sees Roger Moore do a lot of walking to different landmarks throughout Egypt for no purpose other than a ploy to increase tourism in the area or something.
I'm not sure how much inspiration it takes from the book but this movie seems to take a lot from previous Bond films without any initiative or excitement.
We have Stromberg who is essentially Blofeld if he was ordered from Wish. He's just non-threatening, boring, and urgh.
The Spy Who Loved Me also introduces the most ridiculous villain in the franchise, Jaws. I'm not sure what's worse - getting past the fast the fella has metal jaws/teeth and gets by fine, or the robotic action sequences in dire need of some lubrication. He offers nothing more than an intimidating looming presence.
Middle of the road. Not the worst, but nothing spectacular.
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
One of the more interesting Bond villains
The Man with the Golden Gun offers one of Bond's most interesting villains to date. Portrayed by the legendary Christopher Lee, Scaramanga is a different antagonist than we've seen in previous movies as this one is obsessed - even an admirer - with James Bond.
One of the best Hitman's in the world, Scaramanga has been hired for $1m to kill James Bond, whilst at the same time James is trying to hunt down his hunter in regards to a missing solar weapon that can harness the power of the sun - the ultimate golden gun.
It's an exciting tale of cat-and-mouse as Bond and his hitman are both hunting down one another whilst at the same time trying to remain out of reach. An underrated Bond and for me it has to be up there with the best - one of the best showdowns when they ultimately meet one another.
Live and Let Die (1973)
Bond Reborn into the 70's
Roger Moores debut Bond film has him off on a solid start. The debate between who was the best Bond (Connery or Moore) seems fairly redundant when watching his first one as he is very much a different sort of Bond.
Where Connery was always calm and calculating, Moore portrays a more placid "let's just see how it goes" approach. And it works - almost instantly you're no longer trying to draw comparison you're just enjoying the movie.
Live and Let Die throws Bond into the 70's as he takes on a gang lord in New Orleans that deals in heroin and voodoo. There's a ramp up in adrenaline from the series so far with more chases and action. It's definitely not Moore's best film, but it's a brilliant introduction.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Back on track.. but a little meh
And just like that Iron Man clicks his fingers and Sean Connery is back as Bond. I'm not so sure anybody does it better than he does, certainly not George Lazenby - and this film makes its predecessor feel even more out of place.
The plot is a bit all over the place making it quite easily to lose track of what's going on if your focus drifts for a second. And despite taking place in the lights of Vegas it is almost completely void of any tenacity and excitement. Bond is back, but somebody left a decent story behind somewhere.
It all builds up to an epic showdown with Bonds on/off nemesis which is everything you'd like to have seen spread through the film rather than just pooled in the end, but we'll just have to make do.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
George Lazenby's Only Outing as Bond
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is thankfully George Lazenby's on Bond film.
Following Connery who had at this point made James Bond very much his own it was always going to be a very difficult task to come in and put your own stamp on things.
George's Bond seems less assured, hasty, and overall a little less experiences than his predecessor. It's important to remember also that despite being released after You Only Live Twice the story is set prior to it. Otherwise it's a bit confusing.
Along with trying to get used to a new Bond, the look and feel of the film is all over the place. Some scenes have been artificially sped up, some unusual clippings, and rather messy.
It's hard to imagine the direction Bond would have gone in had George completed the 7 films he was contracted for - it's hard to imagine it would have been as popular without the return of Connery and eventual Roger Moore era.
You Only Live Twice (1967)
A fever dream cooked up by the fantastical world of Roald Dahl
You Only Live Twice is a solid film and arguably the most iconic of the movies with its secret volcano base, the baddie with a cat in his lap, and physical transformation to become Japanese. Yeah that actually happens.
It's not a bad film - the opening section has a lot of action and exhilarating car chases and lays out a fairly good plot, whilst the ending of the film displays one of the most impressive sets used for the final showdown with Dr Evil.. erm I mean Blofeld.
But the middle of the film is a bit of a fever dream as we witness Bond transform into a Japanese man in order to marry a Japanese woman and train to become a Ninja. Seriously. He dons rediculous prosthetic eyebrows to narrow his eyes, his body is completely shaven, he's given a weird haircut and develops a hunch to appear shorter. It's honestly one of the weirdest peices of Bond cinema.
Can't help but think Roald Dahl was given too much leeway writing this screenplay.
Thunderball (1965)
A real let down following Goldfinger
Goldfinger is arguably one of the best loved Bond films and one of its most successful - but Thunderball struggles to build on that and at times really drag.
The danger this time is on a global scale - probably the first film in which we see 007 trying to save the world after a number of nuclear weapons are stolen and hidden in the Caribbean.
The premise is alright, and Emilio Largo is a great villain with his iconic shark pool. But a large portion of this film takes place in and around the water and it takes the fun out of the action sequences. It's dark, slow, and honestly really really boring especially when the film is building to its crescendo ending it just feels a bit flat.
It's not an awful film by any means, but if you've watched the other Bond movies up to this point you may feel a little disappointed because there was a lot of potential to unlock here.
Goldfinger (1964)
Gamechange for James Bond
Goldfinger feels like the blueprint for James Bond movies from this point onward. Flashy cars filled with gadgets, multiple love interests, a weird almost super-human sub-villain, unforgettable one liners, and probably the first film to have the perfect balance between suspense, mystery, and action. It's an iconic film with arguably some of the most loved characters in Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, and Oddjob.
Considering its predecessor, From Russia With Love, was a slower paced story diving more into the undercover-behind-enemy-lines side of James Bond, Goldfinger switches the pace dramatically which is a nice change for those who maybe struggled with FRWL (myself included!) as he tackles the enemy head on as he strives to stop Auric Goldfinger and his plans to infiltrate Fort Knox and its gold reserves.
Goldfinger certainly walked so that the rest of the Bond movies could run. It easy to see why Goldfinger is one of the most loved and favoured of the Bond movies.
Hocus Pocus 2 (2022)
Poorly approached sequel to a much loved spook
When watching Hocus Pocus 2 you can't help but feel like Disney have completely missed the point of why a sequel was desired.
My understanding was that the call for a sequel was heavily pushed online by fans of the original film who are now in their 30's or 40's and were hoping for a continuation of the spellbound story, complete with original cast.
Disney however have essentially rebooted the film, aiming it at children with small hints to the original, but with new cast and characters. Of course the Sanderson Sisters return and are portrayed by their original actors, but I don't feel like the film has much appeal or enjoyment for those kids who are now in their 30's and beyond that campaigned for their sequel.
The humour is tailored for kids, half the original cast is missing, the story is lazy, it's a quick cash grab from Disney which is becoming far too common.
Stick with the original, I would give this one a miss.
Dr. No (1962)
The perfect introduction to Bond, James Bond
Dr. No is the perfect introduction to the man we'll affectionately come to love as 007 - the first film in what is to become a thrilling franchise exhibits everything that we will come to love and expect from James Bond films; beautiful locations, stunning women, and an exciting mystery to unravel.
Sean Connery is my favourite Bond, and this film examples exactly why. He's confident, collected, in control, charming, handsome, and commanding. He is exactly how you would imagine a secret agent for MI5 to look and act like, and his fantastic portrayal by Sean Connery ensures that the films build up the following needed for the largest movie franchise still going.
It's a no frills experience for those purists who don't like the silly gadgets, the all-out action and when the films become more outrageous you can't help but look back and reflect on films like Dr. No and acknowledge that THIS is how a James Bond movie should be. Certainly one of my favourite in the franchise.