Gothamite
Well-Known Member
Right, that's it. There needs to be a James Bond Discussion thread. I'm too tired to write anything worth discussing now, but I'll have something worth discussing, tomorrow. In the mean-time, I'll let you guys get the ball rolling with the obvious question: Which is your favourite Bond movie?
Comment on your favourite actors and books (if anyone has read any of them), as well.
EDIT: A poll can't be done, since there are only 20 options allowed and there are 25 Bond films altogether (if you count the spoofs and the unofficial ones). So, just specify your favourite one of the following:
NELSON
Casino Royale (Climax! Episode)
CONNERY
Dr. No
From Russia, With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds Are Forever
Never Say Never Again
NIVEN
Casino Royale
LAZENBY
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
MOORE
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octo*****
A View to a Kill
DALTON
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
BROSNAN
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough
Die Another Day
CRAIG
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
My personal favourites:
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
No, seriously. Yep. That's right. Go and watch it again. It's one of the most human, realistic and heartbreakingly romantic of any of the 007 films and certainly the bravest. Connery had left at this point and instead of just taking Lazenby (who they made into essentially Connery's clone) and making a 'safe' gadgets-guns-and-girls movie, they made a realistic thriller with an excellent romantic subplot and the best ending of any of the films.
2. Casino Royale
Basically the perfect amalgamation of what made the early Connery films great, what made OHMSS great, what made the Dalton films great, what made the Ian Fleming books great; combined with the generally good idea that exists a lot in Hollywood today, to tell the story of an established character's roots. As Planet-Man has said a number of times, Craig is basically the best Bond, ever.
3. Here's the tough one. I can never figure out what to put in here. Depending on my mood, it's either one of the following:
--From Russia, With Love
Arguably Connery's best, with a rich, inventive plot that builds on the novel and still stays faithful to it, with Bond as a cold and threatening killer as well as a suave gentleman. Not a lot of action, but a whole lot of suspense and Connery is at his best, here.
--Goldfinger
The first of the films to use sassy humour and high-tech gadgetry and it works so well. Bond is truly larger than life, the music is superb and you just can't go wrong with the villain.
--The Spy Who Loved Me
The tagline was 'Bond and Beyond' and it shows. This movie is basically what the Roger Moore era was all about; in the best possible way. The jokes work, Jaws is awesome, the action is immense and the generally light feel of the movie makes for perfect rainy-day viewing.
--The Living Daylights
After the fantasy, whimsy and constant penis-jokes that either gifted or besieged Roger Moore's twelve-year run, Bond was literally back with a vengeance in this intelligent Cold War thriller, where 'the darkest Bond ever' (even by Craig's standards) is easily 'just as bad as them' (in Dalton's own words). Definitely the most under-rated of all the movies and a truly excellent outing. Better than all of the Brosnan movies, by far.
4. Licence to Kill
Basically a typical 80s action-revenge movie...except it's James Bond, which makes it more badass. It's not perfect, but it's still very, very good and Dalton is once again, superb. Some of the stunts in this one are unreal and make you want to stamp on the face of the guy who invented CGI.
5. Again another tough spot. Brosnan's run is a difficult one to rate as his Bond movies can look like sheer out-of-this-world excellence or bottom-of-the-barrel crappiness depending on one's mood. Some Bond fans really dislike him, describing him as the worst combination of Moore and Connery. I could never bring myself to dislike him, since he was the Bond I grew up with. These two are my favourites though and are in the running for the number 5 spot.
-- Tomorrow Never Dies
Basically Bond-vs-Rupert Murdoch, with all of the usual elements one would expect from a Bond movie. Pierce is more at ease in this one and he looks more like Bond, having gained a bit of weight. The scene with Teri Hatcher is probably the highlight of the entire Brosnan era and it's such a pity they cut her part short in favour of Michelle Yeoh's infinitely less interesting character. Some great action, as always and an excellent 'gadget-car' sequence. The reason why this installment is so dear to me though, is the inspired use of the James Bond theme throughout the movie. It's used more than usual in the score and as a result, the whole score is fantastic. Unfortunately, Sheryl Crow's song is uninspired and crappy. Stay for the end credits for a far more Bondian song in kd Lang's 'Surrender'.
-- Die Another Day
One of the most maligned James Bond films, ever, I was one of its staunchest haters for a brief period in the run-up to Casino Royale, when it was cool to call this film the worst James Bond film ever made. Now that Craig has starred in two very good, realistic 007 thrillers, this one is really quite enjoyable as a silly, guilty pleasure 'turn your brain off' film. It's basically a send off to the 'OTT sci-fi silliness Bond' and the only way they could go from here was to make a super-serious Bond film, which they did. The scale of this film was so ridiculously large and there was such a sense of finality to it (Bond makes out with Moneypenny in a fantasy sequence at the end) that there was no way Brosnan could ever have made another one after it. Plus, it has the most epic car-battle/chase of any Bond film. :rockon:
Are you ****ting me?! WE CAN'T SAY THE COMMONLY USED NICKNAME FOR A CAT?!?!
Comment on your favourite actors and books (if anyone has read any of them), as well.
EDIT: A poll can't be done, since there are only 20 options allowed and there are 25 Bond films altogether (if you count the spoofs and the unofficial ones). So, just specify your favourite one of the following:
NELSON
Casino Royale (Climax! Episode)
CONNERY
Dr. No
From Russia, With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
Diamonds Are Forever
Never Say Never Again
NIVEN
Casino Royale
LAZENBY
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
MOORE
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octo*****
A View to a Kill
DALTON
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
BROSNAN
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World is Not Enough
Die Another Day
CRAIG
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
My personal favourites:
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
No, seriously. Yep. That's right. Go and watch it again. It's one of the most human, realistic and heartbreakingly romantic of any of the 007 films and certainly the bravest. Connery had left at this point and instead of just taking Lazenby (who they made into essentially Connery's clone) and making a 'safe' gadgets-guns-and-girls movie, they made a realistic thriller with an excellent romantic subplot and the best ending of any of the films.
2. Casino Royale
Basically the perfect amalgamation of what made the early Connery films great, what made OHMSS great, what made the Dalton films great, what made the Ian Fleming books great; combined with the generally good idea that exists a lot in Hollywood today, to tell the story of an established character's roots. As Planet-Man has said a number of times, Craig is basically the best Bond, ever.
3. Here's the tough one. I can never figure out what to put in here. Depending on my mood, it's either one of the following:
--From Russia, With Love
Arguably Connery's best, with a rich, inventive plot that builds on the novel and still stays faithful to it, with Bond as a cold and threatening killer as well as a suave gentleman. Not a lot of action, but a whole lot of suspense and Connery is at his best, here.
--Goldfinger
The first of the films to use sassy humour and high-tech gadgetry and it works so well. Bond is truly larger than life, the music is superb and you just can't go wrong with the villain.
--The Spy Who Loved Me
The tagline was 'Bond and Beyond' and it shows. This movie is basically what the Roger Moore era was all about; in the best possible way. The jokes work, Jaws is awesome, the action is immense and the generally light feel of the movie makes for perfect rainy-day viewing.
--The Living Daylights
After the fantasy, whimsy and constant penis-jokes that either gifted or besieged Roger Moore's twelve-year run, Bond was literally back with a vengeance in this intelligent Cold War thriller, where 'the darkest Bond ever' (even by Craig's standards) is easily 'just as bad as them' (in Dalton's own words). Definitely the most under-rated of all the movies and a truly excellent outing. Better than all of the Brosnan movies, by far.
4. Licence to Kill
Basically a typical 80s action-revenge movie...except it's James Bond, which makes it more badass. It's not perfect, but it's still very, very good and Dalton is once again, superb. Some of the stunts in this one are unreal and make you want to stamp on the face of the guy who invented CGI.
5. Again another tough spot. Brosnan's run is a difficult one to rate as his Bond movies can look like sheer out-of-this-world excellence or bottom-of-the-barrel crappiness depending on one's mood. Some Bond fans really dislike him, describing him as the worst combination of Moore and Connery. I could never bring myself to dislike him, since he was the Bond I grew up with. These two are my favourites though and are in the running for the number 5 spot.
-- Tomorrow Never Dies
Basically Bond-vs-Rupert Murdoch, with all of the usual elements one would expect from a Bond movie. Pierce is more at ease in this one and he looks more like Bond, having gained a bit of weight. The scene with Teri Hatcher is probably the highlight of the entire Brosnan era and it's such a pity they cut her part short in favour of Michelle Yeoh's infinitely less interesting character. Some great action, as always and an excellent 'gadget-car' sequence. The reason why this installment is so dear to me though, is the inspired use of the James Bond theme throughout the movie. It's used more than usual in the score and as a result, the whole score is fantastic. Unfortunately, Sheryl Crow's song is uninspired and crappy. Stay for the end credits for a far more Bondian song in kd Lang's 'Surrender'.
-- Die Another Day
One of the most maligned James Bond films, ever, I was one of its staunchest haters for a brief period in the run-up to Casino Royale, when it was cool to call this film the worst James Bond film ever made. Now that Craig has starred in two very good, realistic 007 thrillers, this one is really quite enjoyable as a silly, guilty pleasure 'turn your brain off' film. It's basically a send off to the 'OTT sci-fi silliness Bond' and the only way they could go from here was to make a super-serious Bond film, which they did. The scale of this film was so ridiculously large and there was such a sense of finality to it (Bond makes out with Moneypenny in a fantasy sequence at the end) that there was no way Brosnan could ever have made another one after it. Plus, it has the most epic car-battle/chase of any Bond film. :rockon:
Are you ****ting me?! WE CAN'T SAY THE COMMONLY USED NICKNAME FOR A CAT?!?!
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