James Bond | Quit Your Day Job

The best Bond ever… really?

November 18th, 2008

I was reading somewhere that there are some who are calling Quantum of Solace the best Bond film ever!? I mean I haven’t seen it yet but the reviews I’m reading aren’t that good and frankly my impression of the whole thing doesn’t move me to expect the best Bond film ever.

I want to see the film too, really badly, we’ll probably head out this weekend to see it (and hopefully the new Star Trek trailer on the big screen too) but first I’ll take the advice I’ve read in a couple of forums and watch Casino Royale again to make sure I’m on the same page.

The thing is though and I’ve made my position pretty clear in the past on movie reviewers, but there is one reviewer who whilst I don’t always agree with I certainly do respect his opinion and he makes some really good points about the Daniel Craig Bond films…

No Q, no fancy gadgets, No Moneypenny, no new super car, and the biggest disappointment was the villan was just a man. He didn’t have diamonds in his face, he didn’t walk with a limp or have a slave yeti bodyguard or anything crazy. He was just a greasy, sniveling little man who was unimpressive and seemed like a lame match against James Bond. This movie was nothing more than a Borne movie, or some action movie about Spy’s. It was a just an empty shell of the old bond movies. Casino Royale was also less like a bond movie, but still had some elements of the old movies, and was good enough to not notice as much. Quantum Of Solace was not good enough to not notice.

I worry that the makers of Bond have seen the success that the Bourne films have had and are hoping to move Bond into that arena. Craig is great as Bond, he even looks like the James Bond that graces some of the original paperbacks so I have no problem there. I’m not asking for a return to the nutty days of killer yo-yos but I’d like a little flavour in my Bond villains.

Another point that needs to be made because often the argument is that they are making these new films closer to the novels is that in the novels there are no sports cars and expensive equipment, MI6 is running on fumes from an oily rag. The movie franchise moved well away from the books a very long time ago and I have them separate in my mind.

As I say though I’m looking forward to seeing this, it’ll be a fun action film I suspect and probably a strong addition to the Bond franchise, it will have to do a lot to convince me of the Best Bond Film title though.

If you’ve seen it what did you think?
If you haven’t are you looking forward to it?
What Bond film do you think is the best?

Popularity: 2% [?]

Categories: Movies | Tags: bond film, bond villains, Casino Royale, daniel craig, James Bond, Quantum of Solace, star trek trailer | 7 Comments

Dr No - a template for Bond films to come

March 31st, 2008

Poster for Dr No I’ve always been a fan of the James Bond films, but nothing ever fanatical, I preferred Moore to Connery simply as it was the era I was born into. I then went on to prefer Brosnan thanks to Goldeneye, I played the game, but never bought the movie or any other Bond movies for that matter, certainly not on DVD (may have bought a video as a present actually).

So when they announced that the deluxe special editions were coming out I admit I was interested, if not vaguely curious about the older films. I looked on longingly as they released the box set, in a briefcase I think and about a month back I caved in and got the Casino Royale total box set which comes in a casino motif box on sale (not as cheap as they are advertising as of yesterday grrrrr).

Bloody hell it’s heavy.

Mainly, as I discovered when I got home thanks to poker chips in the middle which I suspect I’ll never use.

So last weekend I finally got around to watching the first movie; Dr No and absolutely loved it. I think I enjoyed it as much for the storyline and the acting for its wonderful retro feel, which of course at the time wasn’t retro and was probably quite modern.

Sean Connery as James Bond

There are a lot of mistakes in this film, to be absolutely fair, but I think they are all forgiven. The driving sequences would probably feel wrong if it wasn’t done with the stationary car and the film running in the background simulating the driving (did they have green screen back then?).

The scene where the spider crawls up Bond’s arm is great despite the obvious glass that Connery is pushed up against. Everyone picks on Raiders of the Lost Ark for the cobra reflection in the glass but I figure I wouldn’t let a spider crawl on me and I certainly not sitting in front of a cobra unprotected.

Joseph Wiseman as Dr No

I know they cleaned it up for the DVD but Dr No looks crisp and clean, not only in the film quality but even in it’s production design. Dr No himself is very sharp in his clothing, and has the shiny black robot hands, Bond is always extraordinarily well dressed and the first movie is certainly no exception.

In fact Dr No is actually the perfect template for a James Bond story, meglomaniac trying to take over the world, banter with Moneypenny, some gambling, the immortal ‘Bond, James Bond’ and of course the beautiful Ursula Andress in that iconic scene coming out of the ocean and getting caught up in the world of international espionage.

Ursula Andress as Honey Rider

Something I didn’t know about Ursula Andress is that she is the only Bond girl to be referenced directly in an Ian Fleming Bond novel, someone points the actress out in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The other thing I didn’t know is that her voice was completely dubbed over except for the singing by a voice actress named Nikki van der Zyl, another woman did the singing.

Light on the gadgets which personally I don’t mind too much, I like the scene where he uses ‘no tech’ means to work out if someone has been in his room. The ‘dragon’ is pretty low tech itself but I love the dudes dressed in sci fi radiation suits running around doing henchmen things.

The music in Dr No is as iconic as the movie, and because this is the first one we are treated to it throughout the film. I wonder if they were aware how endearing and ageless the music would be?

An evil lair as shown in Dr No bwahaha

It was a real treat watching Dr No and I realised whilst watching that I had never completely watched it from start to finish, I had seen scenes here and there but never the entire film. I’m sure all the Bond fans reading this are jealous of me being able to watch it with fresh eyes!!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Categories: Movies | Tags: Casino Royale, Dr No, Goldeneye, Ian Fleming, James Bond, Nikki van der Zyl, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Pierce Brosnan, Roger Moore, Ursula Andress | 2 Comments

Top 10 Movie Cars - 6 - Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me

December 12th, 2006

There have been numerous James Bond vehicles but the one that will always stick out in my mind has to be the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me. I guess because at the time it was an epitome of the 80s sports cars. That and the freaking thing goes under water and turns into a submarine. I think this car represents the height of the customised ’spy’ cars. Of course many would rate the Aston Martin higher and believe me if someone comes around handing out Bond cars I will happily wait in line for one. The Lotus though especially in submarine mode is the first thing that comes to mind vehicle related when I think James Bond. Strangely enough it’s the image of Roger Moore on the jetski which is the second!