So in April, I decided to watch every Bond film from "From Russia with Love" to "Spectre". I had already seen Dr. No for a english assignment last year and while I enjoyed the film didn't feel the need to rewatch it. So here are my thoughts:
Dr. No - A great start to the Bond franchise that is introduces a lot of the classic elements, including "Bond, James Bond", Girls and cold kills. The film is quite quaint by modern standards but is still fun to watch. I will say the second half of the opening is just plain odd though, why after the James Bidn theme am I hearing bongos?. I will say that I wish we saw more of Dr. No than we do in the actual film, as, but otherwise Jospeh Wiseman gives a great performance. Overall 7.5/10
From Russia with Love - Okay this one just got better as it went along. While the pre-title sequence isn't bad we don't actually get to bond for a bit of the film and it does drag a bit. I also love that in the second movie we're already trying to play with the fact that Bond loves to sleep with women. I also find it funny that Robert Shaw looks awfully similar to Daniel Craig. Even with that though Red Grant still delievrs a codl performance that leads to one of the best fight scenes in cinema Overall 8.5/10
Goldfinger - I love this one so much. From a great villain to the DB5 to the iconic imagery and the brilliant henchman in Oddjob. This film gets nearly everything right and I have very few problems with the film as a whole. My only qualm is the barn scene where it appears that Bond may have raped Pussy galore, but that really didn't hinder my enjoyment very much as all. Where my love for the films was truly cemented for the film was for this quote "Did you expect to me to Live?" "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die".Also my favourite character is introduced in this film: Q. The way Desmond Lleweyn plays this character is perfect and I really did not want anyone to replace him. Goldfinger is almsot flawless 9/10
Thunderball - This is where the franchise really went downhill for me. What really annoys me about this film is the first half hour is a complete waste of time that we didn't need. We could have easily started just at scene where Bond is meeting with leaders of the world and M and it still wouldn't affect your understanding of the film. Even after that, so much of the film just feels like wasted potential. The only good part of the film are probably about half the girls, Sean Connery and the one Q scene. The Underwater scenes are just boring and I didn't care. Altough this film does have on e the best title sequences. This will seem harsh to some but honestly this film gets a 4/10
Casino Royale(1967) - Yes I made sure to watch "every" James Bond film (although that wasn't really worth it in the end). What the fuck happened in this film. Honeslty this film is just random scenes together stuck together with a plotline. I remeber David Niven playing some game with Ursula Andress( If I remember correctly). I remember Bond's daughter stuck in a mze like berlin in the cold war. I remember peter sellers going up against Le Chiffre. But the films comes together like a Sandwhich made of Jello and Glue. It's awful. But it's also hilarious to think about. Honestly the story behind the film is more interesting than the actual film. Oh and how lazy is that ending, my God. 3.5/10
You Only live Twice - Alright I knew going in to this some of the films would be dated but I thought that was going to eb about the attitudes towards Women. I did not expect Sean Connery to be badly put in makeup to make him "look Asian". Also the final "Blofeld" reveal is somewhat disappointing, not necessarily bad just somewhat disappointing considering how he was bulit up in From Russia with Love and Thunderball. Although I honeslty didn't have a problem with Connery's performance that much. While it's not great, it wasn't enough to have an impact on my feelings towards the films. Overall not bad. 7/10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Alright this one is hard for me. I didn't enjoy the film very much but it's clearly great. Why is it great? Well it gave me Captain America: Civil War which is a film I sometimes don't enjoy but know it is a great film regardless. I was probably just in the wrong mood for this film. As for Lazenby, he's not bad but I think he might have just needed a bit more direction on what to do. Although while it's a gutpunch I love the ending. I'll just give it a 7 now, but I might come back to this one.
Diamonds are Forever - This one is quite weird. From Blofeld to drag to having scenes set in Vegas to Connery weirdly looking too old depsite only being in his 40s. But it can also be a sort of fun weird as well. But then it's not great either. Also I blame this film for the stupid moon landing conspiracy theories. 6.5/10
Live and Let Die - This is a decent start to the Roger Moore Era. Moore feels like Bond but not like Connery which I think was a slight problem with Lazneby trying to be a little too much like Connery. Dr. Kananga is a good villian and Jane Seymour as Solitaire is one the best bond girls. Also Sherriff J.W Pepper is silly but helps us understand how the Roger Moore Era will feel. Overall 7.5/10
The Man with the Golden Gun - "THAT FUCKING SLIDE WHISTLE". Seriously though the slidew whistle over the car flip represents the whole film. Good Idea that were unfortunately done wrong due to horrid execution. However, this makes the film one of the best to enjoy ironically. Scaramnage and Nick Nack are probably the only things done well in the film. Just for ironic enjoyment I'm willing to give this film a 6/10
The Spy Who Loved Me - For the longest time this was my favourite Bond Film. It had my favourite Bond girl in Anya, One the best henchmen in Jaws, Moore at the top of his game, and one the best ending scenes battles in all of Bond. My only problem comes from Stromberg, who's just a bit one note. Overall 9.5/10
Moonraker - I had bad experience watching this one. I was expecting all of it to be set in Space but only the 3rd act actually is. This meant that during the first 2 acts I was just waiting for them to go to space and when they did, I wanted them back on Earth. I really didn't like the space scenes because the blasters reminded me too much of Star Wars. The film itself is probably the most over the top it's ever been and hell, looking back I realise while it was incredibly stupid it was fun seeing a double taking pigeon and the other nonsensical happenings in this film. Honeslty I'll give this a 6.5.
For Your Eyes Only - What happened in this one? This isn't like Casino Royale '67 where it's incredibly confusing but it's more just boring. I really don't remember much at all. I don't remember many of the stunts or any of the bond girls really. Hell, I have no idea who the villain actually was. The only thing I remember is the brilliant opening sequence. 4/10
Octopussy - This one's similar to FYEO for me only stupider. unfortunately though unlike Moonraker where it jump the shark fairly soon to get you ready for the sillier scenes later on, the clown scene at the end I was completely unprepared for looked and just came off as incredibly dumb. Also Octopussy could've been a great villain but no, it's someone else who I didn't care about. 3/10
Never Say Never Again - The first act is weird in that it can't decide if it wants to be classic Bond or a spoof like CR '67. The second act is classic Bond(although they play videogames at some point. What?). I don't remember the 3rd act at all and I got completely lost which really ruined the film for me. 4.5/10
A View To a Kill - This is like TMTWGG for me. The only real good parts are Mayday and Christopher Walken as Zorin. We really should've had Dalton by this point. In fact I think Dalton should've started with For Your Eyes Only. Moore I don't think gives a bad performance but he was clealry too old for the role by this point. As a film it's one of the sillier ones, but at least it wasn't too boring 5/10
The Living Daylights - What a breath of fresh air. It was nice to have a bond film I enjoyed again after some many I didn't like. I love the 3rd act with the both Bond hanging on for his life with the plane and the end fight (although it could give you a seizure if you're epileptic). Timothy Dalton is James Bond. All the other actors were playing a version of James Bond. Dalton is that character personified to a T. The Living Daylights gets a 7/10
Licence to Kill - This was very different. What is easily the darkest bond film (maybe except, Casino Royale '06) is also one of the better bond films. While I enjoyed TLD dalton's bond fits better in this sort of film. I love the plot is literally Bond on a revenge mission rather than just filling out M's orders. Also Q in more than just one scene, is bliss. I Love Q, not only for Desmons Lleweyn, but also because his warmth helps to say "Yes it's dark, but it's still Bond and we can still have fun with it". However the film does almost crumble under all of the different plotlines but unlike NSNA I was still able to get back into the film despite that. Also, It annoyed me that Felix survived the film. It would've been better and more believable if both Felix and his wife had died. LTK gets a 7.5/10
Goldeneye - I don't have a lot to say about this one. Just a great Bond film in it's own right with a great villain and some of the best Bond girls. Although I wasn't big on Brosnan at first though. To me he seemed too generic and didn't really have his own spin to Bond. But he grew on my over time. Besides Goldeneye is still a great film otherwise. 9/10
Tomorrow Never Dies - Again, not a lot to say about this one. Decent Bond flick, that while not as good as Goldeneye is still worth your time and worth checking out at least once. The best part of this film is the villain by far, being a version of Rupert Murdoch(hate that slimy bugger). 7/10
The World is Not Enough - Man I don't have a lot to say about the Brosnan films. I really don't know what to think of this film. The opening scene is great but otherwise I find the film to be another average Bond flick that is a little worse than TND. 6/10
Die Another Day - This one's similar to TMWTGG and AVTAK for me where's it's incrediby stupid but you can have a laugh at it. John Cleese is decent as Q but not as good as desmond lleyweyn. Unlike otehr silly bond films some of the stupid shit can be seen as downright offensive and taking the piss such as the parasailing on waves scene and the end villain literally being Robocop. But the film is somewhat saved by incredibly silly dialogue that is easy to laugh at. Overall 5/10
Casino Royale - First Act is good. The second act is one the best scenes in cinema I have ever seen. I was just invested in that Poker Scene as I was in the Portals scene in Avengers: Endgame if nor more so in the Poker scene. The torture scene is brutal but works perfectly. However once Mr White shows up the films kind of falls apart. This because you could easily assume that Mr White was CIA(Like I did) and just though that was that. While Mathis still had to be dealt with, (whihc QoS messes with for some reason) the film could've just ended with Bond and Vesper. But no we had to have this silly third act which feels like it was only there to kill Vesper. But since the first two acts are still really good and the third act doesn't ruin the movie I'm still willing to look a the film positively. Overall 8/10
Quantum of Solace - I saw this one fairly recently and I still don't remember what happened. I think Greene was the villain and Bond was on the run from MI6 but honeslty that's about it. I will say that in the first half however, Daniel Craig somehow managed to not be Bond and instead come off as top Gear host. The ending really ruins this film however. Well more the gunbarrel itslef. YOU MAKE WAIT THE ENTRIE MOVIE FOR THE GUNBARREL ONLY FOR IT TO THE BE THE WORST GUNBARREL EVER DONE" Ugh. 4.5/10
Skyfall - What a stroke of genius this film was after QoS. One the best Villians in Bond history,Daniel Craig on top of his game, some stunts that are a bit silly but still keep the realims in check and making M the central focus was brilliant . Also while Desmond Lleweyn Will always be my favourite, Ben Whishaw is a great Q. I know this film has some silly plot holes the film is so damn good you just learn to not care about them. I could gush on and on about this film, but this has gone long enough as it has. 10/10 Best Bond film
Spectre - So I'm listening to Bon Jovi's "You give Love a bad Name" and it has the lyric "You Promised me Heaven and gave me Hell". That sums up my feeling towards the films perfectly so I'll just leave at that. 3/10
TLDR Ranking
1.Skyfall

The Spy Who Loved Me
Goldfinger
Goldeneye
From Russia With Love
Casino Royale
Live and let die
Dr. No
Licence to Kill
The Living Daylights
You Only Live twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Tomorrow Never Dies
Moonraker
Diamonds are Forever
The World is Not Enough
The man with the Golden Gun
Die Another Day
A View to A Kill
Quantum of Solace
Never say Never Again
For Your Eyes Only
Thunderball
Casino Royale(1967)
Octopussy
Spectre

The World is Not Enough: An Underrated Masterpiece

Film Rankings with Explanations, Ratings, and Tiers

During quarantine, I've had the opportunity to rewatch every movie in relatively short succession. I've seen them all 2-10 times and have been a lifelong Bond fan. I enjoy every Bond film, even the "bad" ones, but I wanted to try and rank them. I used a scoring system to help me, but ultimately went with my gut (e.g. License to Kill MUST be better than The World is Not Enough). I thought a tier system of ranking was useful, because it really is splitting hairs to rank some of these. Feel free to critique my ratings, my ratings weightings, and opinions!

You could say I have too much time on my hands
Tier 7: The Worst

Die Another Day: Best Sword Fight

- Why it's not irredeemable: For being the lowest ranked film on this list, it's not without its moments. Bond getting caught, tortured, then escaping from MI6 was interesting and novel. The ice hotel was neat, as well as the chase scene. I'll even defend the much maligned invisible car, as the Aston Martin Vanquish is quite a car.
- Why it's not higher: Personally, I think Halle Berry is a terrible Bond girl, alternating between damsel in distress and super woman as the plot demands it. Moreover, Graves and the plot in general is pretty cheesy and boring. Perhaps most damaging is the deadly serious tone of the movie, which doesn't even provide the fun and excitement Brosnan's films generally provide the viewer.
- Most under-appreciated part: The fencing scene is the best action scene of the entire movie. It's surprising it took Bond this long to fence, but seeing them go at it across the club was a blast.

Tier 6: Disappointing

Quantum of Solace: Best Car Chase

- Why it's this high: The action is quite good, likely meriting the distinction of the best car chase in the entire series (the pre-credits sequence). Mathis is a good ally and it is sad to see him go.
- Why it's not higher: My biggest beef with Craig's Bond films is that they are too serious, so when the plot and script isn't top-notch, the movie watching experience is just kind of dull. Quantum of Solace takes a bold risk in making the first Bond sequel, but unfortunately it's just not that good. Greene seems like a rather pathetic Bond villain, and his henchman (the worst in the series?) ends up in a neck-brace after getting tripped by Camilla. Also, the shaky cam is distracting and exhausting.
- Most under-appreciated part: I actually thing the theme song is pretty good! Maybe I'm just too much of a Jack White groupie, but I think it rocks.

Moonraker: Best Locales

- Why it's this high: I'm pleased to see Jaws making a return, as he is an amazing henchman. On that note, the pre-credits sequence with Bond and Jaws falling out of the plane is exhilarating. Holly Goodhead is a very good Bond girl, beautiful, smart, and competent. Roger Moore always does an excellent job playing the role with suavity and wit.
- Why it's not higher: Gosh it's cheesy. Particularly egregious is Jaws' love story. The theme song is terrible and Bond doesn't have any solid allies besides Goodhead and Jaws.
- Most under-appreciated part: They really go all out with the settings here. Obviously, space is pretty polarizing, but I think Bond clearly should go to space at SOME point during the series. In addition, Italy and Brazil were gorgeous views, while Drax's estate is magnificent.

Spectre: Best Shooting

- Why it's this high: Rewatching this for the second time, I realized Lea Seydoux does a good job as the Bond girl, and it's actually quite believable she and James could work out, as she is the daughter of an assassin and can understand him (as Blofeld points out). Seeing Bond show off his marksmanship was quite satisfying, especially that one long shot during the escape from Blofeld's compound. Bonus points for Bond's DB10 and resurrecting the DB5.
- Why it's not higher: The fatal flaw of this film is making Blofeld Bond's adopted brother. How did Bond not recognize him? How is Blofeld able to keep himself secret from British intelligence yet every criminal worth his salt knows of him? The worst part is that it actually cheapens the plot of the other Craig movies. I believe the Bond franchise should stay clear from sequels from here on out. Yes, they can weave a great story if done correctly, but it's so much more difficult to make great sequels (e.g. Star Wars only made two worthy sequels in seven tries) than to do one-offs. As usual for a Craig film, Bond has little charisma (save for his surprisingly good rapport with Moneypenny) and little in the way of jokes to lighten the mood.
- Most under-appreciated part: The train fight scene with Dave Bautista is great! Gosh it was awesome to see them go at it, break through walls, and a priceless expression on Bautista's face when he knows he's done. Bautista is the first decent henchman since the 90s, so glad to see the series go back to this staple.

The Man with the Golden Gun: Best Potential, Worst Execution

- Why it's this high: This Bond movie frustrates more than any other, as it has the potential to be an all-time great. Bond's debriefing starts off with promise, as it turns out the world's top assassin is gunning for Bond! For the first time in the series, Bond seems vulnerable! M makes a hilarious quip as to who would try to kill Bond ("jealous husbands ... the list is endless"). Furthermore, the legendary Christopher Lee is possible the best Bond villain, a rare peer of 007.
- Why it's not higher: Unfortunately, the movie opts to change course so that it's just Maud Adams trying to get Bond to kill Scaramanga. Goodnight is beautiful, but maybe the most inept Bond girl of all-time. They used a SLIDE WHISTLE, ruining one of the coolest Bond stunts ever (the car jump).
- Most under-appreciated part: Nick Nack is a splendid henchman, showing the role can be more than just a strongman.

Diamonds Are Forever: Great Beginning and Ending, but Bad Everywhere Else

- Why it's this high: Is there another Bond with such a great contrast between the beginning/ending and everything in between? Connery shows his tough side, as he muscles his way through the pre-credits scene. Particularly good was the part where he seduces the woman, then uses her bikini top to choke her. At the end, Bond expertly uses his wine knowledge to detect something is amiss, then dispatches Kidd and Wint in style. Other cool scenes include Bond scaling the building to reach Blofeld and Bond driving the Mustang through the alley.
- Why it's not higher: This is one of the films that I find myself liking less and less over time. Vegas, and especially the space laboratory scene, just seem cheesy. Connery is officially too old at this point, and Jill St. John just isn't a very compelling Bond girl. I would've preferred to have seen more of Plenty O'Toole, but alas 'twas not meant to be. Leiter is uninspired as well. Having Bond go after Blofeld for the millionth time just seems tired at this point.
- Most under-appreciated part: Mr. Kidd and Wint are the creepiest henchmen in the Bond universe, but I'd argue they are some of the best. Their banter and creative modes of execution are quite chilling and thrilling.

A View to a Kill: Best Theme

- Why it's this high: Is it a hot take to not have View in the bottom five? Let me explain. I contend Duran Duran's theme is the very best. The ending fight scene on the Golden Gate Bridge is actually one of the most iconic ending set pieces in the series. The plot is stellar on paper, as the horse racing part was a very Bondian side story, and the idea of an attack on Silicon Valley actually seems even more plausible today.
- Why it's not higher: It's self-evident that Moore is way too old for the part. Some parts are just mind-blowingly ridiculous, such as the fire truck chase scene through San Francisco and the part where Stacey is caught unaware by a blimp behind her. Speaking of Stacey, she may be beautiful, but she spends most of the movie shrieking whenever something goes wrong.
- Most under-appreciated part: The scene with Bond and Ivanova is cool (I always like it when he interacts with other spies) and quite entertaining how he fools her with the cassettes.

Tier 5: Below Average

Octopussy: The Most Characteristically Roger Moore Bond Film

- Why it's this high: Maud Adams has great screen presence as Octopussy, and her Amazonian-like women are cool to watch fight. Bond's deft swipe of the egg was nicely done. On a related aside, I wish Bond films would emphasize Bond's intellect more, as it seems the 60s and 70s films would allow Bond to showcase his vast knowledge more frequently than he does today. Gobinda is a fierce henchman, while India in general is a cool location. The plot is realistic, yet grand (war-mongering Russian general tries to detonate a nuke to get NATO to turn on itself).
- Why it's not higher: This is the first Moore film where he simply was too old and shouldn't have been cast. Yes, it's too cheesy at times, most infamously during the Tarzan yell. Bond also doesn't use any cool vehicles.
- Most under-appreciated part: People tend to focus too much on Bond dressing as a clown, but the scene where Bond furiously tries to get to the bomb in time to defuse it is one of the tensest moments in the series. Moore's "Dammit there's a bomb in there!" really demonstrated the gravity of the situation (I get goosebumps during that part).

Tomorrow Never Dies: Most Tasteful Humor

- Why it's this high: Brosnan really settles into the role well here. He gives the most charismatic Bond performance in 15 years or so. His quip "I'm just here at Oxford, brushing up on a little Danish" is an all-time great Bond line. Teri Hatcher is stunning as Paris Carver, delivering a memorable performance with her limited screen time. The plot is original and ages well, highlighting the potential downsides of media power, while Carver is an above average villain.
- Why it's not higher: Wai Lin is good for action, but the chemistry between her and Bond is non-existent. By the end of the movie, Pryce just seem silly (especially the scene where he mocks Wai Lin's martial arts skills). There aren't any good Bond allies, as Jack Wade doesn't impress in his return to the franchise. In general though, the movie has few things terribly wrong with it, it just doesn't excel in many ways.
- Most under-appreciated part: Dr. Kaufman is hysterical. At first, I thought "this is weird," but by the end of the scene I'm cracking up. I genuinely wish they found someway to bring him back for World, but c'est la vie.

The World Is Not Enough: Less than the Sum of its Parts

- Why it's this high: According to my spreadsheet, this is a top 10 Bond film, while on my first watch on this film I thought it was bottom five. I think the truth is that it's somewhere in between. I like the settings, everything from the temporary MI-6 headquarters to Azerbaijan. Elektra is an all-time great Bond girl, with a nice plot twist and character arc. The glasses where Bond sees through women's clothing are hilarious. The sense of danger is strong, with everyone from Bond to M being in danger. The return of Zukovsky is a nice plus.
- Why it's not higher: I think two things really doom this film. First, Renard is totally wasted a henchman. The idea of him not feeling pain is a cool one, but he just seems boring and extraneous. I don't even think Carlyle acted poorly, he was just misused. Secondly, the ending (after Bond killing Elektra which is quite good) is rather terrible. The whole scene in the sub just isn't entertaining or engaging.
- Most under-appreciated part: I'm going to defend Denise Richards as Christmas Jones. Although no Ursula Andress, Richards is absolutely gorgeous and did not actively make Bond's mission more difficult, which is more than some Bond girls can say *cough Britt Ekland. In particular, I found her introductory scene to be quite memorable and convincing. Also, the Christmas quip at the end is quite cheeky.

Tier 4: Solid

The Living Daylights:

- Why it's this high: Dalton brings a breath of fresh air to the franchise here. His more serious take makes for interesting movies that seem more unique than most. I'm happy to see this subreddit appreciate Dalton more than the casual fun does, but I wouldn't go as far as the Dalton fanboys and say he's the best Bond or anything like that. I do wish he got the role sooner and did more films. Moving on to Daylights, it's got a good intro for Dalton and good plot in general. Surprisingly, Bond's fidelity doesn't bother me one bit, as it actually makes sense that Kara falls in love with James by the end, given all they've gone through.
- Why it's not higher: The biggest reason is that the villain is just terrible. Whitaker seems silly and pathetic, a terrible contrast to Dalton's serious nature. I think Whitaker might be the worst in the series, and a Bond movie can't be great without a good villain. Also, Dalton doesn't have much charm and is abysmal at one-liners, which, in my opinion, IS a facet of the perfect James Bond.
- Most under-appreciated part: The Aston Martin Vantage is a beautiful car, and the chase scene across the ice is great! It's both exciting and funny! Not sure why people don't talk about this chase scene and this car more; it's arguably the highlight of the movie for me.

Thunderball: The Most Beautiful

- Why it's this high: Thunderball used to be top five for me and here is why. The underwater scenes, the setting, the score, and the Bond girls are beautiful even to this day. Domino is excellent, while Volpe is a tour de force, oozing sexuality and danger. I think the underwater parts are interesting and novel, creating a staple of sorts for the franchise. The DB 5 is always welcome, and the jetpack use was quite cool for the time (and to some extent now).
- Why it's not higher: Some would say it's boring, while I would more generously admit the plot is slow. Furthermore, the theme song is all-time bad (apparently they could have used Johnny Cash!!!), and there is no great henchman for Bond to dispatch.
- Most under-appreciated part: Two plot ideas I liked a lot: Bond being injured and needing rehab, plus the part where all the 00s meet up and then are sent to the corners of the globe.

Never Say Never Again: Guilty Pleasure

- Why it's this high: Rewatching Never for the third time, I was struck by how fun this movie is. It's exciting, funny, and fast-paced. Basically, it's a more exciting version of Thunderball, with better pacing and better humor. I think Irvin Kershner did a great job managing this star studded cast. Carrera is a firecracker as Blush, Sydow is a convincing Blofeld, and Basinger is a classic Bond girl. Connery clearly has a blast returning to the role, doing a great job despite his advanced age. If anything, this one might not be ranked high enough.
- Why it's not higher: The music is terrible. Normally I don't notice these things, but one can't help but notice how dreadful this one is. The theme is awful as well. I'd argue this is the worst music of any Bond film.
- Most under-appreciated part: The humor! This is one of the funniest Bonds, as I found myself laughing out loud at various parts (e.g. Mr Bean!).

The Spy Who Loved Me: Best Intro

- Why it's this high: There's a lot to love about this one, so I get why this ranks highly for many. It is simply the best introduction, starting with Bond romancing a woman, followed by a skii chase, then jumping off the cliff and pulling the Union Jack parachute! The Lotus is a top 3 Bond car. Jaws is a superb henchman. Triple X was an excellent Bond girl, deadly, charming, and beautiful. Of course, Moore is charming and the locations are exotic (Egypt was a cool locale). If I had to pick one Moore movie for a newcomer to watch, it would be this one.
- Why it's not higher: The theme song is bad, and Stromberg is a below average villain. I also think the last 45 minutes or so of the movie kind of drags.
- Most under-appreciated part: The whole dynamic between Bond and Triple X is great. Whenever Bond movies show Bond squaring off against other spies (see View to a Kill, Goldeneye) it's just a pleasure to watch.

Live and Let Die: Most Suave

- Why it's this high: Roger Moore superbly carves out his own take on Bond in an excellent addition to the franchise. The boat chase is my favorite in the series, and Live and Let Die is my second favorite theme. Jane Seymour is a good Bond girl, while Tee Hee and Kananga are a solid villain/henchman duo. Unpopular opinion: I find J.W. Pepper to be hilarious.
- Why it's not higher: The introduction isn't very good, as Bond isn't even included! The second climax with the voodoo isn't great. Bond blowing up Kananga has aged terribly.
- Most under-appreciated part: When Bond is visited in his apartment by M and Moneypenny, Bond rushes to hide his girl from his coworkers. Finally, when they leave and he unzips the dress with his magnetic watch is one of the best uses of a Bond gadget in the series, showcasing why Moore might be the most charming Bond of them all.

You Only Live Twice: Best Blofeld

- Why it's this high: Just your classic, fun Sean Connery Bond movie. It was a great decision to send Bond to Japan for his first Asian visit, giving the movie a fresh feel. The ending set piece battle is potentially the best of this staple of 60s/70s Bonds. Tiger Tanaka is one of Bond's cooler allies. Pleasance killed it as Blofeld; when I think of Blofeld, I think of his take. In what could have been cheesy, he is actually somewhat frightening.
- Why it's not higher: The whole "we need to make you look Japanese" part seems both unrealistic (who is he really fooling?) plus surprisingly impotent coming from Tiger Tanaka who seems to be a competent and connected man otherwise. Honestly though, this movie doesn't have a major weakness.
- Most under-appreciated part: The fight scene with the guard in the executive's office is probably the best hand-to-hand fight in the series up until that point.

Tier 3: Excellent

Dr. No: The Most Spy-Like

- Why it's this high: Nearly 60 years later, this film is still a blast to watch, due in no small part to its focus on the little things of being a spy. I adore the scenes where Bond does the little things spies (presumably) do, such as putting a hair across the door, or showing Bond playing solitaire while waiting to spring his trap on Prof. Dent. I also enjoy the suspense of Bond sleuthing around the island, while he and the viewer are completely unaware of whom the villain is until quite late in the film. It's easy to take for granted now, but this film established so many series traditions that were ingenious. My personal favorite is Bond's introduction at the card table: "Bond .... James Bond."
- Why it's not higher: The film just doesn't have the payoff it deserves. Maybe it's just a result of the time and budget, but from the point Bond escapes on, it's just mediocre. Particularly egregious is the "fight" between Dr. No and Bond where No meets his demise.
- Most under-appreciated part: Ursula Andress was a surprisingly well developed Bond girl, with a shockingly violent backstory (she was raped!). Obviously, she is beautiful and the beach scene is iconic, but I was pleasantly surprised to conclude she is more than just eye candy.

License to Kill: The Grittiest

- Why it's this high: On my first watch, this was my least favorite Bond film, as I thought it was too dark and violent to befit 007. By my third time watching, I've decided it's actually one of the best. Fortunately, I don't have to go on my "Ackshually, Dalton did a good job" rant with this subreddit. I liked the wedding intro and the concept of a revenge arc for Leiter (although come on he should've been killed by a freaking shark). Also, Lamora and (especially) Bouvier are great Bond girls. Bouvier is both competent and beautiful, and it's great to see Bond choose her at the end.
- Why it's not higher: The theme song is atrocious, Dalton is so angry (dare I say charmless?) the whole time it's almost puzzling why Bouvier and Lamora fall for him, and Bond doesn't use any cool vehicles.
- Most under-appreciated part: Sanchez is actually a sneaky good Bond villain.

For Your Eyes Only: The Most Underrated

- Why it's this high: I think Moore is a bit underrated as Bond. Yes, he was too old towards the end and yes, his movies were at times too campy, but he himself played the role admirably. He was the most charming and witty of all the Bonds, so by the time he got his first relatively serious plot to work with, he hit it out of the park. Anyhow, the climactic mountaintop assault is one of my favorite Bond action climaxes. Columbo is one of the best Bond allies, and the plot twist where he turns out to be good and Kristatos bad was well-done.
- Why it's not higher: The intro is just silly. Bibi's romantic infatuation with Bond is just ...er... uncomfortable?
- Most under-appreciated part: The theme song is a banger. What a chorus!

Tier 2: Exceptional

Skyfall: The Sharpest Film (From Plot to Aesthetics)

- Why it's this high: One of the best plots of the entire series. The idea of an older Bond who had lost a step, along with making M the focus point of the movie, works very well. Seeing Bond's childhood home is also pretty cool. Bardem's take on Silva is delightful and a lot of fun to watch. Even the cinematography is a series peak, while Adele's them is excellent.
- Why it's not higher: One thing most Craig Bond films suffer from is the lack of a Bond-worthy henchman. Skyfall is no exception. More importantly, Bond girls are mostly irrelevant to the film. Yes, Severine is both beautiful and interesting, but she's scarcely twenty minutes of the film.
- Most under-appreciated part: Setting the new supporting characters up nicely. The Moneypenny backstory was well-done. Casting Ralph Fiennes as the new M is a great choice in of itself, but he also got a nice chuck of background story to help us going forward.

Casino Royale: The First Bond Film I'd Show a Series Newcomer

- Why it's this high: Craig's take on Bond feels like a breath of fresh air. In particular, his hand-to-hand combat scenes are so much better (and more believable) than any other Bond. The parkour chase scene is one of the best chase scenes in the series. Le Chifre is an excellent villain, but, more importantly, Vesper is an all-time great Bond girl. The conversation between Vesper and Bond on the train is probably the most interesting of any film. Bonus points for Jeffrey Wright as Leiter and the Aston Martin DBS.
- Why it's not higher: There are hardly any humorous parts or much charm displayed by Bond in general. More importantly, the movie should have just ended when Bond wakes up in rehab. The rest of the movie feels confused and superfluous.
- Most under-appreciated part: The decision to change from chemin de fer to poker makes for much better (and understandable!) cinema. The poker scenes are the best of Bond's many gambling scenes throughout the series.

Goldeneye: The Most Fun

- Why it's this high: Wow, rewatching Goldeneye I was struck by how entertaining the whole thing is. The opening jump is breath taking, the scene where Bond drives his evaluator around is hilarious, and Xenia Onatopp is a livewire. Sean Bean is a formidable villain as 006, and a great foil to James. Bond and Judi Dench's first scene together is amazing. Goldeneye feels like the first modern Bond, yet so true to the predecessors. Wade and especially Zukovsky are excellent allies.
- Why it's not higher: Simonova is a forgettable Bond girl. She's not annoying, unattractive, or acted poorly, but is just below average in most regards (looks, back story, chemistry with Bond, plot).
- Most under-appreciated part: the action is just so much better than any Bond before it

From Russia with Love: The Best Henchman (Red Grant)

- Why it's this high: Interesting settings, beautiful women, and an engaging story make this a classic. I'm not the first to point out that the scenes with Grant and Bond aboard the train are some of the best in the entire series. Grant is one of the few villains who feels like a match for 007. Furthermore, the addition of Desmond Llewyn as Q was crucial and Kerim Bey is one of the better Bond allies.
- Why it's not higher: The helicopter scene should've just been omitted, especially when combined with the subsequent boat chase. It's just awkward to watch.
- Most under-appreciated part: The gypsy scenes are quite exotic and entertaining.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: The Most Heartfelt

- Why it's this high: James and Tracy's love story is charming, and when she dies at the end, this is the one and only time in the entire series where the viewer feels genuinely sad. Diana Rigg did an excellent job convincing the audience Bond could finally fall in love with one girl. The skiing scenes were beautifully filmed, and the score was exemplary. Personally, I quite liked Lazenby's take; however, some of his lines and jokes fall flat. To his credit, he looks and acts like Bond more than any other actor.
- Why it's not higher: Honestly, it does drag at times in the first half, plus there is no theme song!
- Most under-appreciated part: Bond's Aston Martin DBS is a beautiful car, combining 60's sports-car beauty with Aston Martin's elegance.

Tier 1: The Best

Goldfinger: The quintessential Bond

- Why it's this high: From the opening ("Positively shocking") to the seduction of Pussy Galore at the end, this film has it all. Goldfinger is an all time great villain, while Odd Job is an exceptional henchman. Connery delivers a master performance, and drives THE classic Bond Car, ejector seat included. The reason I put it #1 is not necessarily because it is the best film (although it is great), it checks all the boxes of what a perfect Bond film should do.
- Why it's not higher: I cannot think of any notable imperfections.
- Most under-appreciated part: The golf scene between Bond and Goldfinger is a delight to watch, demonstrating Bond's wits for the first and only time on the golf course.

Just another movie ranking

Up until about two weeks ago, I had only seen three of the Daniel Craig Bond movies (CR, SF, SP) but since NTTD has been pushed back, and Quarantine has given me a lot more time of my hands, I figured I would watch the rest of the official series. It’s safe to say I am a Bond fan now :)

Casino Royale- I know recently it’s become the ‘cool’ thing to hate on Craig’s take as Bond, or his tenure as Bond or whatever people like to bitch about, but Casino Royale really reminds you why his Bond is so popular. A lot of entries in my top ten I could get sick of after awhile, but like GoldenEye, Casino Royale really only gets better on rewatch. Craig is fantastic as a young double O agent who is overly confident but at the same time charming as hell. The movie really strips away all of what we know of Bond completely by the end of the movie and leaves us with a hardened agent. I used to dislike the stuff with Vesper, but recently I’ve been able to really appreciate the value in her character. Le Chiffre is actually a villain you can understand, and every scene is masterfully done.
Licence To Kill- When talking about TLD, I was pretty much just gushing over Dalton, but the reason why is that everything that is set up in that movie, is paid off in LTK. While I would have loved a third Dalton movie, the two he is featured in really give a lot of closure to his character in my eyes. He’s introduced as this agent who is more of a reluctant hero, as he doesn’t like taking orders and is questioning his occupation as a killer. All of this comes to a head when his friends are maimed and killed, and he seeks revenge against a dangerous drug cartel. It almost makes Dalton’s Bond feel tragic in a way, like he’s destined to always be a killer. Not that this movie is completely depressing, it honestly has some of the best action in the series, and Sanchez is definitely the most underrated Bond Villain. Can’t get enough of Dalton’s Bond, but LTK, like Skyfall, just feels like an event in the series.
GoldenEye- Does anyone really dislike GoldenEye? I don’t think I’ve ever seen or met someone who doesn’t like this movie. Well it’s not really hard to see why, because as Bond was launched into the 90s, this soft reboot really took Bond in an incredibly exciting direction. The scale of this movie feels so much larger than anything else in the franchise and is always fun to watch. Brosnan feels so fresh and new, almost like a predecessor to Connery. He’s cool and confident, and his scene with M is one of my favorites. Could watch this movie at anytime and still love it.
Goldfinger- Maybe the most Iconic Bond movie, Goldfinger is just really entertaining but also groundbreaking for establishing the Bond formula. Goldfinger himself is easily Connery’s best villain, maybe just because he feels so determined and isn’t connected to SPECTRE or anything. Connery is amazing, the set pieces still hold up, and is just a fantastic film I’m it’s own right.
The Living Daylights- Timothy Dalton is without a doubt my favorite Bond. I find him to be a perfect amalgamation of all the Bonds. He’s got the ruthless cold demeanor of Craig, the sensitivities of Lazenby, he has no trouble finding humor in situations like Moore, he can easily charm a woman like Connery and he knows how to use a gadget from Q just like Brosnan. I know now Dalton is in no ways underrated, maybe only by the general public, but I’m really glad he’s getting a fair shake these days. While I prefer LTK, Daylights introduces us to Dalton’s fresh take and also includes my favorite Bond girl, simply because for once in the series, Bond actually seems to be in love. The only thing I could say against this movie is that the Villain is unfortunately very weak, but other than that, a great movie in the series.
Skyfall- Coming up on almost 25 movies in a franchise, Bond movies can often feel pretty disposable but Skyfall really feels like an event in the series. Coming 4 years after one of the worst movies in the franchise, the plot line questioning if Bond is up for his missions feels really relevant and actually attempts to explore the character. Despite the first act being a little slow moving, once the film introduces Silva, my favorite Bond villain, it really becomes something special. Judi Dench’s M delivering her testimony in court spliced with Silva wreaking havoc in London still gives me chills. Amazing visuals, a standout plot and Villain, and Craig at the absolute top of his game.
Live And Let Die- I feel like Moore’s first outing is one of the more underrated or at least under appreciated moments in the series. When I think of the Moore era, with all the quips and gadgets and camp, I immediately think of scenes from LALD. It’s also one of the weirder movies in the franchise, dealing with Voodoo and seemingly attempting a blaxploitation film. I love the villains, I love how weird it is, I love Solitaire who’s easily one of my favorite Bond girls. This is just a really easy to digest and entertaining movie to me.
Thunderball- One of my favorite parts of these movies is easily the stunts and action set pieces so it’s strange that that is my least favorite aspect of Thunderball. I’m sure they were impressive in 1965, but 55 years later I wouldn’t say it really holds up. That said, this is one of my favorite Connery performances. It’s just so entertaining watching him interact with the environments and the different characters and it’s clear that he’s having fun, so I always feel like I’m having fun when I watch this movie.
For Your Eyes Only- Considering Moore was relatively old to play Bond when he started his Tenure, five films in it really starts to become apparent. I’m someone who definitely prefers a younger Bond, but this is a rare occasion in the series where an older Bond actually fits in the story. This movie I find to be the most interesting Moore film and while its not high art or anything, it’s quite a contemplative moment for the Bond films.
From Russia With Love- I want to get the negatives out of the way in saying I really don’t like the first hour of this movie. Nothing stands out at all and I just find it a drag to sit through. That being said, and with this movie being in my top ten, it’s really a testament to how great the second half is. All the scenes on the train feel like classic old school Bond and it’s a shame nothing like this will probably ever be made in the series again. Very well done and exciting to watch.
The Man With The Golden Gun- Like I said earlier, even though he’s not my favorite Bond I can enjoy almost all of the Moore era movies. JW Pepper is one of the strangest decisions ever made for the series IMO and just on that, I can’t help but enjoy how stupid this movie is. I feel like it’s weakness is that it tries to be too much like LALD which is definitely better, but it’s still pretty enjoyable.
Octopussy- Is this a hot take to have Octopussy so high? I mean yeah the gorilla, Tarzan and clown scenes are admittedly stupid, is it really anymore stupid than anything else in the series? I don’t know, I think it’s kind of fun seeing Bond in these environments. The plot is decent, the villain is decent, the title is hilarious, I just enjoy this one for whatever reason.
The Spy Who Loved Me- While not my favorite Moore movie, it is easily one of the most iconic. Moore is at the top of his game despite an underwhelming main villain. Jaws is great, Bond is fun, and the girls are equally as enjoyable to watch. Definitely a crowd pleaser.
Dr. No- Similar to OHMSS, I don’t know how often I would rewatch this movie, but it definitely feels important as you watch it. Even though the franchise would improve beyond this point, it really is impressive how well everything was coordinated even from the start. Connery didn’t need any time to ease into the role and it shows. A really important and enjoyable movie.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service- I’ll be completely honest, this has never been one of my favorites of the series but I do appreciate it for what it is. Great directing and lighting in this movie which I really appreciated, but what holds this one back so much for me is Lazenby’s performance. I know he has his fans, but I really just never see him as Bond, and since it’s a Bond movie, I really never feel the urge to rewatch this movie. I like the idea of a more sensitive Bond, and the closing scene is genuinely emotional, I just personally am not a big fan.
The World Is Not Enough- I’m glad people don’t look down on this movie as much anymore because to be honest it’s pretty fun to watch. I’d say the worst thing about it is it feels like one of the sillier Bond plots, but Brosnan is going for a more serious portrayal of the character. Both work on their own, but I think it would work better if they were both kept for other missions. Still, really good action, very entertaining, Brosnan is great, and I don’t care how bad she is in the movie, Denise Richards is hot as fuck.
Spectre- If this movie didn’t include all the ridiculous nonsense of Bond and Blofeld being brothers, and Blofeld being connected to all the other Craig movies, and maybe just everything including Blofeld, I could see this sitting comfortably a few spots up on this list. Because taking all that shit out, it’s pretty much a by-the-numbers Bond mission which it seems fans have been clamoring for for awhile now. Don’t hate this movie, Craig is still good, the action is fine, you can watch it. But definitely some terrible decisions in the script process.
A View To A Kill- Often regarded as Moore’s worst, sometimes even considered the franchise’s worst, but mostly just a guilty pleasure for me. As a fan of bad movies, I can’t really hate this film. It’s hilarious watching a near sixty James Bond trying to stop Christopher Walken from blowing up Silicon Valley. Just a really strange but fun to laugh at movie.
You Only Live Twice- Definitely the moment where the wheels started to come off for Connery, but has some enjoyable elements. Connery is still charming and the adventure is still there for the most part, it just doesn’t really stand out in the franchise.
Tomorrow Never Dies- While this isn’t the worst Brosnan Bond film, it is Brosnan’s worst performance as Bond if that makes sense. I think he’s a great Bond otherwise, but he’s probably the worst thing about this movie. He seems bored and like he’s about to fall asleep the whole movie. Only thing that keeps it from being a complete waste is a few standout action scenes especially the remote control car chase. Also Brosnan is legitimately good in his scene with Q.
Diamonds Are Forever- My most controversial take on the entire Bond series might be the fact that I don’t see Connery as the ideal Bond or the best to play the character or anything to that effect, but I’ll be the first to admit his run as Bond was definitely one of the most consistent. Unfortunately even for him, he got to the point where it was clear he was just showing up for a paycheck.
Moonraker- Most agree that Moore stuck around in the Bond role for far too long, but it’s odd how IMO, Moores worst comes directly in the center of his tenure. Not much else to say, except I was extremely bored throughout the duration of this movie. Moore doesn’t seem to care so why should I. Jaws coming back was ok and I kind of liked the scene on the ski lift or whatever that was, but really all you get from this outing is recycled set pieces from better Bond movies and a shameless rip off of Star Wars for the last 25 minutes. Eh.
Quantum Of Solace- It’s kinda weird how this movie brings absolutely nothing to the table, coming directly after one of the biggest breathes of air in the entire franchise. Just feels like the director heard that the Bond franchise was heading in a dark direction and decided to make the dullest action movie of all time. I’m all for experimentation in this series, but it not only doesn’t feel like a Bond film, it doesn’t feel like anything at all. Only reason it’s above DAD is because it didn’t necessarily put me in a bad mood (literally put me in no mood at all) and I think the Bond theme is pretty good. I have this as the worst Craig movie and not Spectre I guess just because even though Spectre has laughably bad writing, at least it has something to laugh at.
Die Another Day- Honestly even though I definitely prefer the grittier more modern approach to Bond, I can definitely get into a campy Bond movie and I actually quite enjoy most of the Roger Moore era. Unfortunately for the case of Brosnan’s final outing, this movie really just feels like it’s trying to be something it’s not and it’s pretty depressing. Maybe it’s because I watched it at 8AM but this is one of the only Bond movies that puts me in a bad mood.

If I seem overly critical, just keep in mind I pretty much at least enjoy everything from 19-1. Let me know what you think!

Hot Take: End the Franchise with NTTD

Top 5 Favourite Films?

You're a kite flying in a hurricane, Mr. Bond. A deeper(ish) look at Spectre (2015) [NOTE: This article begins with a non-spoiler overview]

Hey folks! While this is the last of the film reviews for the James Bond franchise, I will be posting a series recap in the near future that will include some fun stuff like my subjective ranking of the films (as opposed to these which I have tried to keep relatively objective), the Bond actors, the villains, and the Bond girls. Until then, please enjoy my review of Spectre!

SPECTRE (2015)

Overall Impression (No spoilers)

I’ll begin with my overview for those that just want a quick summary without getting into potential spoilers.

Let it be known up front that Spectre is not a bad film. It is technically proficient in nearly every way, it has moments of amusing dialogue, and it knows all the right beats that it needs to hit when it comes to the action sequences. That said, it film will undoubtedly go down as the biggest wastes of potential in the entire 007 franchise. Spectre sets up several fantastic storylines and characters, including covert Illuminati-esque organizations, worldwide surveillance, a brilliant psychologist with a tortured past, and of course the exceptional Christoph Waltz. And sadly the film squanders each and every one of them. These fascinating storylines are set up and more or less abandoned almost instantly. New and exotic locations are rushed through in an effort to simply get to the next one — which is ultimately rushed through in order to get to the next one, and so on. And sadly, Waltz is criminally underused. Every last ounce of charisma is zapped from him. It’s not that he’s just cold, quiet, and sinister or brooding and subtle. On the contrary, Waltz is just flat out dull. He is among the most boring Bond characters of all time — a fact that is doubly as frustrating considering we know what he is capable of.

All in all, this is a film that works to ensure that a sufficient number of the traditional Bond traditions are fulfilled and does so dutifully. It even manages to recover Bond’s MIA humorous side. But sadly this is not enough to redeem an at-times-exciting but ultimately hollow and frustrating Spectre.

Story (SPOILERS)

Daniel Craig has had the unique experience of being the first actor to cover such ground as Bond's initiation into the 00 program, his lust for revenge (I'm not going to count the opening of Diamonds Are Forever because frankly that sequence should never be recounted for any reason, period), his loyalty toward his superiors, and so on. Most notably, we've received a healthy dose of James Bond: The Human Being. Casino Royale was a triumph in its ability to show that 007 can have intellectual and emotional conversations that are relatable and meaningful.

Unfortunately, in a world where the origin story has become a convenient route to explore human emotion, the writers (Purvis, Wade, and Logan return, alongside newcomer Butterworth) seem hellbent on scraping that barrel clean. The ten minute discussion between Bond and Vesper on the train in Casino was all I ever needed to know about James Bond and his history. I was rather dismayed when Skyfall felt the need to bring us to his childhood home and, needless to say, I was further disappointed when Spectre decided to take it a step further. The latest film in the 007 franchise inadvertently pays homage to the very series that had satirized the Bond series to begin with (is that confusing enough for you?) by pulling a Goldmember and revealing that James himself shares a childhood history with this newfound archenemy. That's right. Spectre stoops down to the same plot line that every soap opera inevitably hits at some point.

If Spectre is guilty of anything, it is of squandering an immense amount of potential. I positively love the idea of 007 uncovering something as unnerving as a mysterious organization in the vein of the Illuminati. To see such an eerie concept played out right, you need look no further than a film like Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. Rather than drawing out this realization out, instilling a sense of paranoia, and making our skin crawl, Bond simply drops in on the meeting after a little bit of recon and then things get all action-y. Thus there is no unnerving moment of frightened when we see just how far reaching this organization really is. There has been no greater point of frustration with Bond fans than the wasted potential of Christoph Waltz. The man who exploded onto the scene in 2009, winning Oscars for consecutive appearances in Tarantino films falls flat on his face here. There is no charisma, there is no intimidation, there is no creepiness, there is nothing. It pains me greatly to say this since I thought I had died and gone to heaven when it was first announced that he would be playing a Bond villain… but Christoph Waltz's Blofeld is one of the most dull Bond villains of all time.

Sadly the film does the exact same for its leading lady, Lea Seydoux. Presenting the audience with another independent and interesting female character, the film ultimately lets her fizzle out by restraining her to the familiar trappings of the tag-along-girlfriend-turned-damsel-in-distress. More than that, however, I was most frustrated by the lack of usage of her psychological background. This is a woman who has presumably studied the intricacies of the human psyche and here she is, paired with a paid assassin with a horrific past. And we get nothing from that. Instead, we get one of the most perplexing confessions of love between two people who met... like... two days prior?

Now it's not all bad. Spectre does has many things that diehard Bond fans will thoroughly enjoy (because let's be honest, Spectre is not by any stretch of the imagination the first Bond film to have a weak story). Dave Bautista's Mr. Hinx is a perfect throwback to the old OddJob style henchmen. The snowcapped mountainside chase scene and train fight scene fit perfectly into the 007 mold. Craig even managed to get a touch of humor back. Watching a drunken Bond playfully interrogating a mouse had to be one of the most memorable scenes from the series.

Look and Sound

While the story is underwhelming in just about every way, the visuals are in the same ballpark as the rest of Craig's outings. While not reaching the astonishing heights set by Casino or Skyfall, the cinematography, production design, and stunts are all still among the best in the series.

Thomas Newman's score was decent. I appreciate the increase in usage of the Bond theme, however it did, at times, feel like he was leaning on it rather heavily. Unfortunately this is all overshadowed by the fact that Sam Smith's "Writing's on the Wall" has got to be one of the worst songs ever recorded for a 007 film. I mean… it's not as bad as those lousy '80s ballads during the Moore years, nor is it as bad as Madonna's… well whatever that was for Die Another Day, but it's right down there. The song is dull and Smith's vocals feel entirely out of place when compared to the best singers of the series. This is all especially frustrating as we come off of Adele's performance in Skyfall, which I believe to be one of the best of the franchise.

Callbacks, Recurrences, and Tropes

One of the immediately noticeable returns to tradition is the opening gun barrel scene, which has been restored to the beginning of the film. This transitions into a cold open, title sequence, and theme song, per usual.

As Spectre is very much a continuation of Daniel Craig's story, there are many (heavy-handed) recurring narrative threads and characters. Ralph Fiennes returns as M; Naomi Harris, Ben Whishaw, and Rory Kinnear all return as Moneypenny, Q, and Chief of Staff Bill Tanner, respectively; Jesper Christiansen reprises his role as Mr. White after an absence in Skyfall. There are numerous references to previous villains and events in Craig's canon. Judi Dench makes a cameo in a recording as M and there are plenty of images and references to Le Chiffre, Dominic Greene, and Raoul Silva.

Spectre ratchets up the gadgets a bit, though we're still quite a ways away from where the series once was. On top of that, we also have a car chase, train fight, and countdown. Bond also has opportunities to utter both of his iconic phrases.

Quick Hits

Category	Score	Note
Writing	5	The surveillance angle is topical, but needed to be fleshed out further. Blofeld was completely underwritten and never felt truly menacing.
Directing	7	Brilliant behind the camera but failed at pulling the best from his actors.
Acting	7	Craig was good but not nearly as lively as he was way back in Casino. Fiennes, Whishaw, and Harris all did well. Waltz was severely disappointing.
Cinematography	9	Hoytema did a spectacular job, crafting a couple of scenes that I suspect will land among the most iconic of the series.
Production Design	9	Some fantastic sets that were very reminiscent of the old Ken Adam school of thought.
Score	6	An okay score that relied heavily on the 007 theme. Points dramatically lost on account of Smith's "Writing's on the Wall".
Editing	7	Each location is raced through so quickly that the film doesn't feel as long as its 2.5 hr runtime, however we don't sit in any one place long enough to appreciate them.
Effects	8	Great effect work (though I did find myself pulled out of the helicopter scene on certain green screen shots) with some of the best stunts we've seen to date.
Costumes	9	Marvelous blend of retro and modern.
Personal Score	6

Score - 73 / 100

Film	Score
Casino Royale	94
GoldenEye	86
Skyfall	86
Goldfinger	85
On Her Majesty's Secret Service	82
The Spy Who Loved Me	80
The World is Not Enough	79
From Russia With Love	76
The Living Daylights	75
You Only Live Twice	73
Spectre	73
License to Kill	72
Dr. No	70
The Man with the Golden Gun	68
Quantum of Solace	68
Tomorrow Never Dies	68
Live and Let Die	66
Thunderball	61
A View to a Kill	59
Moonraker	59
For Your Eyes Only	55
Octopussy	48
Diamonds Are Forever	37
Die Another Day	30

So what do you folks think? How does Spectre fare in your opinion?

The name's Bourne... James Bourne. A deeper look at Quantum of Solace (2008)

Hey folks! I'm planning on watching all 23 of the James Bond films between now and the release of Spectre in November. 007 films have always been my guilty pleasure and I thought it might be worth trying to have a more analytical discussion about them. If you all are interested, I'll be posting one of these discussions/reviews every 2 weeks. So here goes!

QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)

Story

Following the enormous critical success of Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's second out, Quantum of Solace, had high expectations. James Bond endured his first major test as an MI6 agent and lost the woman he loved in the process. The potential for character exploration was ripe for the picking. Unfortunately QoS was stunted by the 2007-2008 Writers strike. Writers Michael G. Wilson, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade had the general outline laid out, however the meat of the characters was left to director Marc Forster and even Daniel Craig to craft. This left both frustrated and befuddled.

QoS is not a terrible film by any means. In fact, it truly is a shame that the character profiles are so severely lacking because the plot is actually decent. Once again the series leans toward real life villainy. No moon lasers here. Dominic Greene is about the most average Bond baddie you can imagine. For better or for worse, QoS intended to offer chilling tale of a villain who acts in shady political dealings rather than through force or threat of world annihilation. It was also the intent of the production to create an enemy that was surprisingly grey in a world of black and white bad guys. Greene's ultimate goal is political domination through acts of outwardly caring environmentalism. It's unique but ultimately no more than a decent starting point. In the end, Greene isn't crazy enough, strong enough, or truly evil enough to really be all that memorable.

The writing suffers severely from its patchwork creation. For some reason that I still cannot quite peg, I find it incredibly difficult to follow along with the plot and I’m not sure why. When I read a description of it, it all makes sense. But somehow the way it all unfolds is cloudy. Some critics applauded the film for not spoon feeding the audience the plot from scene to scene, however I feel that it simply becomes too subtle. The dialogue is not concise enough; too much is left to be inferred. One of the biggest issues I have with the film is in the characters’ motivations. It becomes too unclear as to whether Bond is chasing after Greene, Mr. White, or trying to avenge Vesper — and how any or all of those things are interrelated. When M calls Bond’s integrity into question, there isn’t a large enough point made of the fact that his desire to avenge Vesper is overlapping with MI6's goals or in what way those feelings might conflicting with the mission. You just sort of always vaguely know he’s moping about something and that he’s in trouble with MI6 though it’s never quite clear enough why.

Speaking of Vesper, I have conflicting feelings about the women of QoS and how Bond relates to them. I’ve always been able to justify (admittedly weakly) that Bond regularly sleeps with so many women on the grounds of "for Queen and Country." This theme is even addressed directly in a few of the older films. What I don’t get is how the writers (be they Wilson, 007 regulars Purvis and Wade, Forster, or Craig) justify Bond sleeping with Agent Fields so soon after losing Vesper — on his revenge mission no less. She was not an enemy that needed to be pacified nor a pawn with vital information. She was an MI6 agent who was already accepting of Bond’s efforts to delay his forced return to London. Now aside from Fields, QoS actually has one of the more unique female characters. Camille Montes has the rare distinction of being the only primary Bond Girl that 007 does not sleep with. In fact, one could argue that QoS is more her film than his. She sets out on a revenge mission of her own and it just so happens that Bond’s mission overlaps with hers.

In fact, for perhaps the first time in the franchise, Bond is the one who screws up his female companion’s mission. In a moment of what 007 believes to be heroism, he “rescues” Camille just as she is about to assassinate a Bolivian politician who raped and murdered her family. He doesn’t realize this until late into the film. The two share a rather touching scene in which she reveals this to him. The regret is palpable in Craig’s tone and in his eyes as he realizes he personally spoiled this woman’s life-long opportunity to avenge her loved ones. Olga Kurylenko has her own moment to shine at the end of the film when Camille and Bond find themselves seemingly trapped in a flaming building that is ready to collapse. The sheer terror in her eyes as Bond holds her tightly is beautifully portrayed.

Look and Sound

I am just going to jump straight to QoS’s primary issue: Editing. I do not know in what world the director, editors, or producers thought that this style of editing would be exhilarating, technically praiseworthy, or even remotely tolerable, but it is none of those things. The film starts with a gorgeous sweeping shot of a lakefront bluff. From there, the film dives into the mind-numbing editorial pace that includes moments of an astounding 3-4 shots PER SECOND. Shots are often measured in seconds per shot. Not the other way around. It is entirely unwatchable. The rest of the film is cut as a normal film ought to be, however the moment any action breaks out (car chase, foot chase, gun battle), the editors, Matt Chesse (World War Z, The Gift) and Richard Pearson (Iron Man 2) revert back to this horrendous cacophony of visual purée.

This treatment completely removes the audience’s ability to gain a sense of geography or register the passage of time. I get what they were going for. Forster explained that his intent was to dramatically cut down on what had become an ever-increasing runtimes with the Bond series. He wanted QoS to kick off like a bullet being shot from a gun. Sure, they accomplish that task with ease, however what good does it do when watching it play out is like watching the visual interpretation of a migraine? So many beautiful composed shots and wonderfully choreographed stunts are lost in the unstructured nonsense.

One thing that QoS has going for it is a killer sound mix. The audio will frequently drop out to solo one character’s dialogue or to focus on one particular sound effect. This is done multiple times and succeeds most admirably when this effect is placed atop the aforementioned action mush. David Arnold’s score also flourishes in this film. Apparently Forster is more of an audio driven direction than a visual one. His decision to bring Arnold into the production almost from the get-go (as opposed to recent films in which Arnold was rushed into the studio on the backend of post-production) allowed the composer to develop a score that plays beautifully with the visuals. The use of the Vesper theme from Casino Royale is a lovely touch in a film that otherwise feels like it has very little in common with any previous 007 film.

I am a huge fan of MK12’s opening title design. The surreal style is a wonderful return to previous title designer Daniel Kleinman’s earlier work with GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough. The song that accompanies these titles is not generally believes to be one of the stronger themes, however I must say that I actually dig it quite a bit. Another Way to Die is Jack White and Alicia Key’s entry into the 007 theme song canon. It’s catchy and vibrant, though I do agree with the masses that it probably would have been better served if White had stuck to instrumentals and Keys had taken on the vocals herself.

On the whole, I also really dug the production design. In the wake of longtime designer Peter Lamont's retirement, Dennis Glassner was hired to take his place. Glassner's philosophy was modern with a touch of nostalgia. There are a handful of locations that were specifically designed to mimic the old school Ken Adam style of set design. So naturally I'm a bit of a sucker for it.

Callbacks, Recurrences, and Tropes

As QoS is considered to be a direct sequel, it's no surprise that this film has a higher number of recurring characters than usual. As per usual, Judi Dench reprises her role as M, continuing to solidify her already incredible legacy in Bond film lore. Felix makes a return with Jeffrey Wright returning once more. Believe it or not, this marks the very first time in 22 films that the same actor makes back to back appearances as the CIA agent. Giancarlo Giannini returns as René Mathis and Jesper Christensen returns as Mr. White. Rory Kinnear debuts as Chief of Staff Bill Tanner. This is a character, who works closely with M at MI6, has a few small appearances in a handful of films starting in 1974 with The Man with the Golden Gun.

The standard title sequence and theme song make an appearance, as discussed above, however the gun barrel that typically precedes it was moved to the end of the film in this case. The idea was that it was meant to be a bit of a book end, implying that the Vespegrief storyline was now wrapped up and Bond is ready to move on.

Apart from that, the film doesn't showcase any of the regular traditions or tropes. There are no card games, no ski chases, no bomb/missile related countdowns. No train fights, no "shaken, not stirred" martinis (though he does imbibe a few Vesper Martinis), and no "Bond. James Bond."

QoS does offer one particularly noticeable callback to a prior film. Agent Fields is murdered in her hotel room in the precise position and manner in which Jill Masterson was killed in Goldfinger. Except instead of being covered in gold Fields is covered in oil -- a statement from the filmmakers on the value of oil versus gold in today's economy.

Overall Impression

All in all, Quantum of Solace is a fairly mediocre film. It has its moments of beauty and excitement but in the end, it feels a bit hollow -- or at least somewhat un-Bond-like. The occasionally shaky camera and insane editing, when coupled with Craig's continued tendency for raw, visceral, hand-to-hand combat, QoS tends to get the frequent criticism of being more like a Jason Bourne film than a James Bond film.

With action scenes that are borderline unwatchable and an overly convoluted script, QoS is a decent but all together middling entry into the iconic franchise.

Quick Hits

Category	Score	Note
Writing	5.5	There's a decent plot in here somewhere but it's buried amongst mediocre dialogue.
Directing	5	At times, Forster's indie persona is a charming twist on the familiar 007 film. Mostly it isn't.
Acting	7.5	Craig and Dench are wonderful once more. Craig is done no services by the script. Kurylenko is wonderful. Amalric is so-so.
Cinematography	7	Any appreciation for well composed shots is rendered useless by the editing.
Production Design	9	Gassner pays homage to Ken Adam wonderfully.
Score	8	More integrated into the narrative than recent films.
Editing	3	While much of the film works fine, the action scenes are impossible to digest.
Effects	8	Some fantastic stunts, decent visual compositing, but the design VFX (i.e. every single computer interface) are overdone.
Costumes	9	Bond looking fly as hell once more.
Personal Score	6

Score - 68 / 100

Film	Score
Casino Royale	94
GoldenEye	86
Goldfinger	85
On Her Majesty's Secret Service	82
The Spy Who Loved Me	80
The World is Not Enough	79
From Russia With Love	76
The Living Daylights	75
You Only Live Twice	73
License to Kill	72
Dr. No	70
The Man with the Golden Gun	68
Quantum of Solace	68
Tomorrow Never Dies	68
Live and Let Die	66
Thunderball	61
A View to a Kill	59
Moonraker	59
For Your Eyes Only	55
Octopussy	48
Diamonds Are Forever	37
Die Another Day	30

Bonus Category!

So for each movie my wife and I will be enjoying a spirit or cocktail that relates to the film. Bond enjoys a little post-car-chase whiskey at the beginning of the film so we do too!

• 1 glass whiskey
• Ice (if desired)

So what do you folks think? How does Quantum of Solace fare in your opinion?

I suppose I see a different world than you do, and the truth is that what I see frightens me. A deeper look at Skyfall (2012)

Hey folks! This has been my review series of the existing Bond films, beginning with Dr. No waaay back in February. I will also do a lighter version of this style of review for Spectre, which I will be seeing Thursday evening. I will also be posting a series recap in the near future that will include some fun stuff like my subjective ranking of the films (as opposed to these which I have tried to keep relatively objective), the Bond actors, the villains, and the Bond girls. Until then, please enjoy my review of Skyfall!

SKYFALL (2012)

Story

I spoke in my last review about how Quantum of Solace had moved its gaze slightly more in favor of 007's female companion, Camille. If that was a slight shift in gaze, Skyfall offers a full-on spotlight view of a character (who is not James Bond) with whom we have been familiar for nearly 20 years. Judi Dench's M took over as head of MI6 in 1995. From the first interaction she had with James Bond (then, Pierce Brosnan), she instantly became one of my favorite characters. Both the actress and the character carry themselves with a dignified poise and grandeur that solidify their legacies in the annals of James Bond history.

I love much of what the film tackles. James Bond going rogue or questioning M/MI6's orders is a plot line that has been used countless times in this series however this is the first instance in which I feel that it is truly pulled off well. Between Bond's huffiness over being shot at during a particularly high-intensity field mission (such a diva…), the dodgy bureaucratic actions that M takes to ensure that Bond is returned to active duty, and the unnerving history behind her actions involving an insane ex-agent, Raoul Silva, the audience is finally given ammunition to honestly doubt the integrity of M's character.

More than this, I love what she deals with on the home front while Bond is off attempting to ward off her demons. Skyfall brings to light an issue that has plagued the series for several years now. How relevant are the MI6? Does modern day UK need an organization of sleuths and spies to save the world? To answer this, M is brought into a public hearing to defend her departments necessity. She does so with a brilliantly moving speech about the identity (or rather the lack of identity) of enemies in today's world.

Now I do have a number of issues with the film. First, it's always bothered me that we're three films into Daniel Craig's tenure as Agent 007 -- one that began with the initiation of Bond as a 007 agent. Now, only three films later and we are to believe that he has become a worn and weary old man. I love Skyfall. I just wish it had come out two, three, or four films later into Craig's stint.

Additionally, for every eloquent monologue on the nature of MI6's relevancy, there are half a dozen instances of hokey dialogue, typically in the form of tech-speak. I like the decision to reboot Q as a baby-faced geek and I dig that the writers give him an uppity nature that compliments the playfully combative relationship between past 007-Q iterations but much of Ben Whishaw's dialogue sounds like something straight out of a 1993 hacker film. Using such classics as smugly the confident "we're in" following an attempt to gain access to some hidden file or other and the incredulous "he hacked us…" upon realizing that the cyberterrorist did what all cyberterrorists do in this type of movie.

Ultimately Skyfall suffers from one particular issue that trumps all others. The film rocks and rolls for nearly two hours before 007 finally decides to take the initiative and abscond with M to the countryside in an effort to draw Silva to them. I appreciate the variety. It's a unique twist to the Bond formula but unfortunately it just doesn't work as well as it could have. Or perhaps if it had happened 30 minutes sooner into the film, it wouldn't have been quite so bad. But at the hour and 45 minute mark, the film slows to a grinding halt. Bond, M, and their new friend Kincaid (who apparently just hangs around a derelict manor for a living) spend 15 minutes Home-Alone-ing the Skyfall residence in preparation for another 15 minute action sequence that is fun but ultimately just feels like a formality. We watch patiently as all of the minions dutifully fall into each of the traps that we just saw prepared, waiting for the inevitable showdown between Bond and Silva.

Look and Sound

There is absolutely no doubt that Skyfall is the most gorgeous 007 film of them all. Hell… Skyfall was arguably the most beautiful movie of 2012, period (nice try, Life of Pi). Roger Deakins is undoubtedly among the best to have ever held the title of cinematographer and he brings every drop of his technical proficiency to the series and produces some of the most stunning images to ever grace a James Bond film. If Skyfall lacks anything in story, it is all made up for by its sheer beauty.

The film doesn't just have visual beauty either. Thomas Newman took over for long-time composer David Arnold on account of Newman's working history with new director Sam Mendes. Newman crafts an engaging score that makes excellent use of unique scores and traditional Bond themes. Perhaps one of my favorite elements of the film is the opening theme. For my money, "Skyfall" is the second greatest theme song of the series, following the immortal "Goldfinger." Adele's soulful performance and extraordinary vocals are as beautiful as the booming band behind her. Accompanying this marvelous performance is another opening title sequence from designer Daniel Kleinman. It's brooding visuals match the somber nature of the film perfectly.

Callbacks, Recurrences, and Tropes

As discussed above, Judi Dench makes her final reappearance as M. Skyfall offers the return of two notably absent characters. Naomi Harris brings new life to the long-lost Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw was tapped to reintroduce us to Q. Other than that, the only recurring character or actor is Rory Kinnear reprising his role as M's aid, Chief of Staff Bill Tanner.

Being the 50th anniversary of the series' first release (with Dr. No in 1962), the film pays homage in more ways than one. After abandoning the long-preferred Walther PPK in 1999's The World is Not Enough (for the Walther P99), Bond was reintroduced with his PPK here in Skyfall. There is an explicit conversation between Q and Bond as they discuss gadgets. It's been no secret that Craig's tenure has been light on the gadgetry and Q quips that there will be no exploding pens in this series. Q branch doesn't really "go for that anymore." He does, however provide Bond with a small radio for tracking purposes. Astute viewers may notice that it is essentially a replica of the radio provided to Bond in Goldfinger. And the connections to the third film don't stop there. Bond unabashedly busts his Aston Martin DB5 out of storage for their escape to Skyfall manor. This is the precise model (complete with ejector seat) that Connery utilized in several of his outings as Bond. Finally, the scotch that Silva offers to Bond is a 1962 Macallan -- a reference to the release date of Dr. No.

While the gun and car throwbacks were fun and all, there is one particular callback that tickled me more than any other. In the final 5 minutes of the film, Bond and Eve retreat back into MI6 after mourning the loss of M. They head into a small room with a nondescript room with a coatrack, a desk, and some filing cabinets. It didn't mean much to me at first but the moment Eve introduced herself as Eve Moneypenny, I began to take notice. The room was set up much in the style of the old Moneypenny offices of Bond film's past. Then sure enough, when Tanner emerges from behind a large door and says, "he'll see you now," I began to get excited. Sure enough, we cut to the interior of a wood paneled room with a large door that is covered in leather. The door in particular was nearly enough to give me chills. As Bond enters this room that is a near replica to Bernard Lee's old office and approaches the newly christened M (Ralph Fiennes), I couldn't help but smile as I knew that it was the film's way of announcing that we are going back to basics. I very much look forward to all of the upcoming train fights, ski chases, card games, martinis, and villains. Bring it on.

Overall Impression

Skyfall is not a perfect film. It has plenty of plot issues, pacing issues, etc. However as far as Bond films go (and hell, as far as most films go), it is the most masterfully crafted films you're going to find. Music, imagery, acting, and so on… they all come together to create an engaging and entertaining entry. The action is riveting, the stunts top many of those from earlier entries, and the general motif of relevance and usefulness in the modern era is an appropriate one for where the 007 franchise stands today.

Quick Hits

Category	Score	Note
Writing	7.5	A fairly strong story with some fantastic moments for M.
Directing	8	It's not flashy, but Mendes does a very respectable job driving the narrative.
Acting	8.5	I'm actually not an enormous fan of the direction Bardem took as Silva, but everyone else is top notch.
Cinematography	10	The best.
Production Design	9.5	Glassner utilizes some gorgeous sets and locations. The world feels perfectly real and exotic at the same time.
Score	9	Wonderfully done. Extra points for a spectacular theme song by Adele.
Editing	7	Skyfall's biggest problem. The entire third act at the manor drags terribly.
Effects	9.5	As good as anything else we've seen since Casino Royale.
Costumes	8	Bond continues to look good.
Personal Score	9

Score - 86 / 100

Film	Score
Casino Royale	94
Skyfall	86
GoldenEye	86
Goldfinger	85
On Her Majesty's Secret Service	82
The Spy Who Loved Me	80
The World is Not Enough	79
From Russia With Love	76
The Living Daylights	75
You Only Live Twice	73
License to Kill	72
Dr. No	70
The Man with the Golden Gun	68
Quantum of Solace	68
Tomorrow Never Dies	68
Live and Let Die	66
Thunderball	61
A View to a Kill	59
Moonraker	59
For Your Eyes Only	55
Octopussy	48
Diamonds Are Forever	37
Die Another Day	30

Bonus Category!

So for each movie my wife and I will be enjoying a spirit or cocktail that relates to the film. We sort of did our own thing for Skyfall. Knowing that it was our last film in the series, we elected to send 007 off with another martini. We essentially made Vesper Martinis except we added a little plum wine as a way to jazz it up a bit in honor of Mr. Bond's trip to Singapore.

• 3 measures Gordon's Gin
• 1 measure vodka
• 1/2 measure Cocchi Americano vermouth
• 1/2 measure plum wine

Shake over ice.

So what do you folks think? How does Skyfall fare in your opinion?

In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II attended the premiere of the 20th James Bond film. I'm sure she never gave it a public review. But I sure will. A deeper look at Die Another Day (2002)

DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002)

Story

This film has so many issues, it is difficult to decide where to start. As much as I want to just start ripping into the actors, the proper place to begin would be the script. I am positively baffled. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade return again to pen the script for Die Another Day. I don't know if the script was rushed or whether there were some sort of studio politics that drastically altered it for one reason or another but this humongous turd feels so unlike anything the pair had put out before or have put out since. From start to finish, the entire script feels hokey. It is empty, inauthentic, and overly stylized. It feels as though the characters should high five each other and say, "F**k yeah, action movie!" after every single line of dialogue.

When the script isn't serving up contrived action-speak, it's full of pointless, banal dialogue. Entire conversations (e.g. the introductory conversation between Bond and Jinx) do virtually nothing to develop character or plot. Gags are thrown in, completely at random, without any regard to the flow of the story or relevance to the plot (e.g. the Moneypenny fantasy scene at the end). The entire film tries so agonizingly hard to be cool, funny, and smart and fails so miserably.

Apart from Rosamund Pike, every single actor and actress in this film falls flat on their face. Halle Berry and Toby Stephens turn in two of the worst performances I've ever seen. Stephens overacts every scene he's in and Berry's performance is on par with a 1980s after school special. Seriously, just pick a line and it'll be a perfect example. I mean she makes a "yo mama" joke for god's sake. Jinx unequivocally belongs among the absolute worst of 007's companions -- worse even than some of my previous least favorites: Rosie Carver (Live and Let Die), Tiffany Case (Diamonds Are Forever), and Mary Goodnight (The Man with the Golden Gun).

As for the plot, my criticism is the same as everyone else's. DAD suffers from the inevitable trap of escalation. Any time you have a franchise like this, the plots need to continually have higher stakes in order to bring audiences back. Unless you're rebooting the series, what reason do people have to come back unless things are going to be bigger, badder, and more perilous than ever, right? Well that's what the studio figured, anyway. This leaves us with a space laser attacking invisible cars, melting ice palaces, and creating tidal waves for our protagonist to surf upon. The film becomes hyperbolized without being intentionally satirical -- a bad combination.

Look and Sound

From the very get-go, the film starts off on the wrong foot. A crummy electronica remix of the Bond theme paired with a terrible CGI bullet flying at the screen during the gun barrel sequence establishes that this film is going to do everything possible to seem as contemporary as it can -- at whatever cost. After watching some puzzlingly bad green screen effects (I thought we had finally fixed this...) during the cold open, we are thrust into one of the worst intro songs of the series. Madonna's auto-tuned bubblegum pop is spared the title of Worst Song thanks only in part to the equally terrible '80s love ballads during the Roger Moore era.

It's rare that the editing of a film is so bad as to be noticeable. This is one of those instances. This particular scene is the perfect example of how much of a technical trainwreck this film is. It gets everything wrong. In addition to the terrible dialogue and acting, the editor, Christian Wagner, made a mess of the scene. The framing continually jumps back and forth between close ups and medium shots with erratic and awkward timing. And if that’s not jarring enough, Wagner continually cuts between sentences. Editing 101 will teach you that to properly cut a conversation between two people, you execute what is called an L cut. The L cut will often play out in such a way that the person not facing screen will begin talking first. At an appropriate time, the shot will cut (mid-sentence or, if there is an action performed by the speaker, mid-action) to show the speaker speaking. This is because we, as humans, don’t always look at someone before they speak. Our eyes may be fixated on something else and their speech will draw our eyes to them. Wagner fails miserably at this throughout the entire film.

Director Lee Tamahori fails at every aspect of directorial duties. Not only did he fail to pull an iota of decent acting material from his cast, but the visual decisions he made are ludicrous. To explain what I mean, I would like to formally nominate this little sequence for the Single Worst Scene in James Bond's Entire 53 Year History award. It is so bafflingly terrible, I struggle with where to start. From a narrative standpoint, we are meant to believe that Bond, using the… power of… his traumatic past (…?) was able to fake a heart attack by willing his heart down to 14 bps before assaulting multiple doctors, using six words to sexually arouse the third (who, while the other doctors were being assaulted, stood by with a look that can only be described as mild inconvenience), and sneaking into a 5-star hotel located conveniently just across the bay from the hospital — all while in his pajamas.

From a stylistic point of view, it's even worse. In fact, I can use this specific scene to address just about every issue I have with the overall aesthetic of DAD. The low shutter speed slow-mo (seen in the previous clip and used frequently throughout the film), ultra high contrast color, speed ramps (seen in the previous clip as well as in this scene), and multiple instances of superimposed montages are horrible. I mean just downright… asinine. This is a multimillion dollar Hollywood film — not a 1998 anti-piracy commercial.

Finally, the issue that most folks have with the film: the CGI. This scene always comes to mind when people discuss their grievances with DAD. Rightfully so. The damn thing is nearly 100% CGI and it doesn't look remotely realistic. The lack of practical stunts completely ruins any sense of tension for a given situation.

Callbacks, Recurrences, and Tropes

DAD is frequently criticized for its vast collection of shoehorned callbacks to previous Bond films on account of this being the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Some are more obvious than others. The following is a list of the props that appear during the briefing sequence:

• Col. Klebb's poison-tipped shoe and Bond's briefcase from From Russia With Love
• Snorkel with a bird on it from Goldfinger
• The jetpack from Thunderball
• Little Nellie from You Only Live Twice
• The grappling gun from the elevator scene in Diamonds Are Forever
• The Acrostar jet and the crocodile submarine from Octopussy

Additional references throughout the film:

• When Bond is in Cuba, he picks up a book called Bird Watching in the West Indies. This is a reference to the fact that Ian Fleming was reading a similar book and liked the name of the author, James Bond, and decided to use it as the name of his protagonist in his first book, Casino Royale.

• When Q first introduces Bond to the Vanisher, Bond sees the invisible car appear and says, "you must be joking." Q responds with, "as I learned from my predecessor, I never joke about my work, 007." This is almost the verbatim discussion between Bond and Q in Goldfinger when Q mentions that the Aston Martin DB5 has an ejector seat.

• Q also assigns Bond a new gadget-clad watch. He remarks that it's Bond's 20th. This refers to DAD being the 20th film in the franchise.

• Finally, during an underwater sequence, Bond uses a rebreather. It is the same one as Connery used in Thunderball.

• Bonus reference: When Bond is talking to Q (John Cleese, mind you) he refers to another character's injury as a "flesh wound," a reference to a line spoken by Cleese in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The roster of returning characters contains no surprises. Judy Dench reprises her role as M, Samantha Bond returns as Moneypenny, Colin Salmon returns as MI6 staff member Charles Robinson (reprising the role from Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough). The only major change is John Cleese officially taking over the role of Q from Desmond Llewelyn.

DAD contains many of the typical tropes but with a little added spin. The gun barrel sequence is present but has been updated to include a (terribly unnecessarily) CGI bullet that flies toward the screen. The title sequence and theme song are also present. This title sequence is one of only two (the other being On Her Majesty's Secret Service) that covers plot. In DAD, we watch as Bond is tortured in North Korea.

Bond delivers his iconic name introduction and makes a reference to his preference to shaken martinis while encountering turbulence on a flight, however aside from there, there aren't many more of the typical Bond Tropes. No provocative character names, no card games, no train fights, etc.

Overall Impression

This movie just plain ol' sucks. The only thing that remains left to be said is that this film just simply doesn’t feel like a James Bond film. It feels like a bad late-‘90s/early-2000s superhero film. Tell me this guy doesn’t look like he belongs in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie.

Quick Hits

Category	Score	Note
Writing	2	God awful. Dull dialogue, campy plot.
Directing	1	Every single decision was a terrible one. From camerawork to stylistic decisions with the overall look, Tamahori is a complete disaster.
Acting	3	All three of these points come solely from Pike's performance. Berry and Stephens are two of the worst actors in the entire series and that includes this guy.
Cinematography	3	I can't say it any more succinctly. The whole film feels like a "You Wouldn't Download a Car" ad.
Production Design	6	Lamont's usual top-notch work is undone by the requirement to use such outlandish sets and props
Score	5	Techno-y, pop-y, lousy.
Editing	2	Choppy, amateurish.
Effects	1	Not only are these abominations bad in context of prior Bond films, but for 2002 these effects are/were an absolute disgrace.
Costumes	6	Bond, Jinx, and Frost all look good for the most part. Graves' robo-suit looks stupid.
Personal Score	1

Score - 30 / 100

Film	Score
GoldenEye	86
Goldfinger	85
On Her Majesty's Secret Service	82
The Spy Who Loved Me	80
The World is Not Enough	79
From Russia With Love	76
The Living Daylights	75
You Only Live Twice	73
License to Kill	72
Dr. No	70
The Man with the Golden Gun	68
Tomorrow Never Dies	68
Live and Let Die	66
Thunderball	61
A View to a Kill	59
Moonraker	59
For Your Eyes Only	55
Octopussy	48
Diamonds Are Forever	37
Die Another Day	30

Bonus Category!

So for each movie my wife and I will be enjoying a spirit or cocktail that relates to the film. Die Another Day is credited for reviving the general public's interest in mojitos. In honor of such an accomplishment, we couldn't help but enjoy a couple ourselves.

• 1 measure white rum
• 1 tsp sugar (or simple syrup)
• mint leaves
• lime juice
• club soda

Combine rum, sugasyrup, and lime in a shaker. Shake over ice. Pour over ice into a highball glass and top off with club soda. Garnish with mint leaves (crush them up a bit to release extra minty goodness).

So what do you folks think? How does Die Another Day fare in your opinion?

My millionth or so re-ranking of the films, as of October 2016

24. Diamonds Are Forever - A disaster. A visibly disinterested and out-of-shape Connery goes against a camp Blofeld less threatening than a Looney Tunes villain in a dumbass spy comedy. If the films had stayed this tonal path there would have been no need for any Bond spoofs like Austin Powers.
23. Quantum of Solace - Apologies to those whose interesting defenses of this film I’ve read over the years, but I still don’t like it much. Other Bonds may be darker or more serious-minded, but this is the only one that I find to be full-on grim, bleak and miserable. (Kinda funny that my problem with my bottom two are exact 180 degree opposites.)
(#24-23 are the only Bond films I actually dislike, all 22 films above this point I at least like if not love.)
22. Thunderball - Controversially low, but this one’s a bit on the dull side to me. Its high points include a still-cool Connery, Fiona Volpe, Barry’s score and a few standout scenes. But most other characters (Largo, Domino, Vargas, etc.) I find unmemorable and the underwater fights - while I’m sure they stunned in 1965 - have always felt slow and killed the pacing.
21. Die Another Day - Of course; even at #21 I’m one of the Bond fans who ranks this highest! When it’s stupid, it’s really stupid (invisible car, virtual reality, Robocop suit, and of course CGI windsurfing). But when it’s a little less stupid I find some of it enjoyable, including the pretitle sequence, sword fight, parts of Cuba and the climax, with Graves/Frost/Zao making a trio of enjoyably ridiculous villains.
20. Spectre - A frustrating film of highs and lows for me. You have a handsomely-mounted and atmospheric production with some solid action and likable characters that evokes some classic Bond films in fond ways and has one of the best pretitle sequences of the series. But on the other hand, I don’t think anything in the entire half-century of the series infuriates me the way the Blofeld twist in this film does.
19. The Man With the Golden Gun - This film has many of the same tonal problems as previous Guy Hamilton/Tom Mankiewicz joint Diamonds Are Forever, refusing to take any of this seriously in a way that damages the mood and stakes. But unlike that film it has a classic villain given life by a great actor and a leading man who actually shows up, and also better locales/score/stunts, so it’s clearly superior.
18. The World Is Not Enough - Yes, Christmas Jones sucks and I find Apted’s direction of many scenes flat, including the submarine climax. But I respect its attempt at telling a more emotionally grounded story of protection turning into love into betrayal into enmity, and Elektra King is a terrific villainess. The return of Zukovsky, opening boat chase and farewell to Q are also memorable.
17. A View to a Kill - If this was which films I’m fondest of, AVtaK would be high up. That may come down to series villainous highlights Walken and Jones as Max Zorin and May Day. More objectively, the film has many issues, from a lumpy narrative to screechy Stacey Sutton and an ancient Roger Moore. But also objectively, the title song is epic, and Barry busts out one of his ultimate scores here, lending real musical life to everything from big scary action (“He’s Dangerous”) to warm romance (“Wine With Stacey”).
16. Dr. No - I think of Dr. No as the “pilot episode” of Bond, with some elements not quite fully formed, such as the villain and Bond girl showing up very late, very raw action scenes and an odd tropical score. But that said, Sean Connery explodes into the role of James Bond fully-formed and cool as hell from his first second of screen time, and so much else about the mood and feel of Bond are established immediately, from gambling to exotic locales to to the supporting cast. A pilot episode, but a very solid one.
15. For Your Eyes Only - Give or take Bibi Dahl and some parrot comedy, this is the Moore era’s take on a relatively serious spy film, and it’s a good one, chockablock with winter sports action, a great cliff climbing scene, Bond kicking a car off a cliff, a likable ally in Columbo, and an interesting Bond girl with an arc in Melina Havelock. The only real weakness is a fairly forgettable lineup of villains.
14. Licence to Kill - I’ve jokingly called it “Bond Does Miami Vice” due to its Miami/Latin American locations, drug-dealing villains and generally very 80s look and feel and hairstyles, but this harder-edged revenge thriller really gets the blood pumping and plays into Timothy Dalton’s strengths as Bond. Sanchez is one of the series’ larger than life villains, charismatic, wicked and even darkly likable in his own way.
13. Moonraker - One I seem to rank higher than everyone else. It's a deeply stupid film, what with the laser guns and double taking pigeon. But it has brilliant work from Barry ("Flight Into Space") and Ken Adam, a great villainous two hander with Drax and Jaws, the series' most epic villainous plan, a super cool Bond ("You missed, Mr. Bond." "Did I?"), a likable leading lady, hilarious ending, and neat 70s special effects.
12. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service - Here’s one I seem to rank lower than most - many seem to rank OHMSS #1 these days. But I still find Lazenby and Savalas wooden as Bond and Blofeld, which is a big obstacle for me. But in pretty much all aesthetic ways it’s a masterpiece, from Barry’s majestic score to the sweeping cinematography and use of color and the locales and skiing scenes and just that grand 60s mood, and of course that devastating ending. And Diana Rigg as Tracy is just phenomenal.
11. Tomorrow Never Dies - This one is pure entertainment. I admit that a bit of “generic 90s action movie” feel leaks in. But I can forgive that when so much of the action is imaginative stunt-driven badassery like the backseat remote control driving, tandem motorcycle chase and final stealth boat raid. I love Elliot Carver’s cheesy villainy and Wai Lin as Bond girl/ally, Brosnan is smooth and charming and David Arnold’s energetic, Bond theme-heavy score rocks.
10. Skyfall - Skyfall has going for it Daniel Craig’s performance, one of the greatest villains in Silva, and of course just being utterly gorgeous top to bottom, for me supplanting previous champs OHMSS and YOLT as the best looking film of the series. I’ll go to my grave believing Deakins was snubbed not winning the Oscar for this. The film’s plot doesn’t entirely pass the logic test - there were about a million simpler ways to kill M! - but as a work of mood and emotion and atmosphere and visual elegance it’s sublime.
9. The Living Daylights - Skyfall vs. Daylights was the hardest call of this list for me, and I went back and forth a hundred times, but I just give Daylights the edge. It just has that intoxicating Cold War atmosphere to it, perfectly channeled through Dalton’s performance. The film is tough, tense, atmospheric, and brings back the espionage and tradecraft in a way unseen since FRWL. Forgettable main villains but everything else is fantastic (including that kick-ass title song).
8. Octopussy - For me Octopussy is the ultimate “generic Bond movie,” which I say with love. One of the best lineups of villains (Kamal Khan, Orlov, Gobina, knife-throwing twins), a favorite Bond girl in Octopussy, a nuclear bomb plot that balances being big-scale and global while not dipping into Spy/Moonraker sci-fi, solid action, Q in the field, a great gambling scene (“Double sixes. Fancy that.”), and a lush Barry score. Love it. Even the clown stuff and Moore’s aging don’t bother me… too much.
(Everything from this point up is also in my own personal top 100 favorite movies list.)
7. You Only Live Twice - I just love this one, the Japanese flavor of it and Pleasance’s Blofeld and Tiger Tanaka and how big-scale it is and how great it all looks and sounds - I think that series icons John Barry and Ken Adam both do their all-time best work in this film, with that volcano base pretty much being the coolest set in film history. My only real issue is that they kill off the likable Aki and bring in the forgettable Kissy.
6. Live and Let Die - I have enormous fun with this. The series feels refreshed after Diamonds with a fit, cool, suave and handsome Roger Moore now in the lead, and I enjoy the supporting cast of Kananga, Solitaire, Tee Hee, Baron Samedi, Quarrel Jr and Hedison’s Felix Leiter (ok, not Rosie Carver). The atmosphere is pure cool 70s, the score funky and awesome, the boat chase and crocodile running stunt kick-ass. I’m not saying I’d want to see a Bond film try to bring in these supernatural/voodoo/blaxploitation elements again, but as a weird one-off experiment I love it.
5. From Russia With Love - A superb Cold War spy thriller by any standards with its very Fleming vibe and Hitchcock and golden era noir flavors running through it. The Blofeld/Rosa Klebb/Red Grant/Kronsteen villainous lineup is excellent, with Grant especially being an iconic Bond villain to this day. His train fight with Bond still kicks ass. The complex plot still fascinates, and the atmosphere of tradecraft and espionage and counterintelligence still intoxicates. Such a leap forward from Dr. No.
4. Casino Royale - Not just a superb spy thriller and a kick-ass action film but even a really solid character drama on top of that, with Craig giving the best actual acting performance as Bond in any film. Vesper Lynd and Le Chiffre are terrific supporting characters. The way the film adapts the then half-century old novel in a way that modernizes and actions it up while remaining very faithful to the plot and spirit of it is brilliant. Dialogue, visuals, sets, score, action - I can complain about nothing. It’s great.
3. The Spy Who Loved Me - There’s more cheeky guilty pleasure to this one than the last couple, but I find this to be the ultimate “epic Bond,” larger than life in every way with Bond of course saving the entire world from nuclear devastation. From the ski jump intro to the Lotus submarine to Atlantis and that climactic tanker battle and everything about Jaws, this is loaded with iconic moments and imagery. It remains perhaps the purely biggest and grandest and most sweepingly epic films of the series.
2. Goldfinger - After the relatively buttoned-down FRWL, here’s where the swingin’ 60s arrive and the Bond series gets more playful and colorful and comic-book-pulpy, in look and sound and feel and especially in its villains. What a memorable, fun and iconic pair Auric Goldfinger and Oddjob make. That laser scene, the golden girl, the final raid on Fort Knox, Bond and Oddjob’s battle, Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore, even the golf game is really fun and memorable - this one is just iconic.
1. GoldenEye - I pretty much wrote a novel about my love for GoldenEye during Bond film of the week, but just to reiterate my points there, the film is just the perfect mix of great tone, atmosphere, characters, story, action, look, and just pure Bondian cool to me. Give or take a slightly odd score, I adore everything about it, dam jump to cradle collapse. One of my favorite movies ever.
(For completionists, the unofficial films all rank at the bottom: Casino Royale ’54 at #25, Never Say Never Again at #26 and Casino Royale ’67 at #27.)

01/11/18

rt, james bond rt

Post#	Title	Subreddit	Url	Upvotes
1	Meeting Keanu Reeves at a traffic light	/pics	link	167626
2	That was fast.	/gifs	link	149977
3	Had to get my blood drawn today. This was on the wall at the lab.	/funny	link	118678
4	An acrylic painting I did of a rainy city at night.	/pics	link	88783
5	YouTube removes Logan Paul from top-tier Google ad platform, YouTube Red projects on hold	/news	link	86385
6	Shoveling the deck	/funny	link	74964
7	Vermont Senate legalizes recreational pot	/news	link	77137
8	It started with x+4... and I couldn’t unhear it. Instead of doing my math homework I figured out what the Cantina Theme would sound like if your instrument was a pencil.	/StarWars	link	65465
9	A man's nipples are the biological equivalent of the blank plastic panels they put in a car in places where you didn't get certain options.	/Showerthoughts	link	58567
10	TIL That Snoopy is NASA's official safety mascot. Every astronaut since 1968 has worn a silver Snoopy pin into space; upon return, the astronauts present the pin as a special recognition to a civilian team member who helped keep them safe.	/todayilearned	link	57555
11	Full Circle Rainbow On the Bridge	/interestingasfuck	link	55406
12	This dog that got lost in my city. The police helped him find his family!	/aww	link	53513
13	When the stunt team tried to flip James Bond’s Aston Martin DBS in ‘Casino Royale,’ they found the car too stable to be overturned by an 18” ramp. In their last attempt they fitted the DBS with a gas cannon and ended up rolling the car a total of 7 times, accidentally setting a new world record.	/movies	link	49866
14	Dots moving along different shape paths	/oddlysatisfying	link	49491
15	Surprise Motherfuckers!	/gaming	link	54318
16	User explains why we don't use pencils in space	/quityourbullshit	link	49062
17	The whole time.........	/DunderMifflin	link	48231
18	Yellow!	/pics	link	45533
19	Bears wave hello to visitors	/aww	link	45610
20	Ohhh SHIT...That is my bad Karen.	/WTF	link	42179
21	Because heaven forbid non-vegans eat vegan foods	/gatekeeping	link	41307
22	the real princess	/wholesomememes	link	41194
23	We finally got a HD shot of this scene from The Last Jedi!	/StarWars	link	39792
24	A picture in 365 slices, each slice taken on a different day of the year.	/interestingasfuck	link	50555
25	Hello	/gaming	link	36783
26	Why you shouldn’t use your cell phone during a basketball game	/sports	link	35724
27	Washington DC has renamed the street the Russian embassy sits on after a murdered Russian opposition politician.	/worldnews	link	35617
28	Candy magician	/woahdude	link	34303
29	‘Nobody here talks about Hillary Clinton,’ Kellyanne Conway said just before Trump tweeted, again, about Hillary Clinton	/politics	link	33962
30	To eat	/therewasanattempt	link	32400
31	S'mores	/GifRecipes	link	32000
32	Dressed chicken.	/WTF	link	35581
33	Is this better?	/madlads	link	32103
34	The fact that you can’t adjust the volume without this huge square obstructing your view for a few seconds.	/mildlyinfuriating	link	31738
35	Decided to give VRChat a try. This was my first human interaction.	/gaming	link	31290
36	When I don't plan the theft well	/Whatcouldgowrong	link	34377
37	Lucky.	/comics	link	31186
38	Inmates at Three New York Prisons Can't Receive Donated Books Anymore, They Have to Buy Them	/books	link	32755
39	Italian Coast Guard dog getting ready to jump into the ocean to rescue a person.	/AnimalsBeingBros	link	31477
40	I was sitting at a bar and asked the bartender where I could find a piece of ass.	/Jokes	link	30284
41	How an AK-47 works	/educationalgifs	link	30153
42	Okay Tami	/PoliticalHumor	link	29181
43	hmmm	/hmmm	link	30280
44	According to a new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, homeless women who use medical cannabis are less likely to use lethal hard drugs such as crack, cocaine, crystal, speed, crank, glass, and ice.	/science	link	30604
45	me irl	/me_irl	link	30322
46	[Brooding Intensifies]	/funny	link	28802
47	Friend said it was called “American Cartoon”	/TheSimpsons	link	28763
48	"Slap Bananas in that K"	/BlackPeopleTwitter	link	28527
49	A very beautiful wild kitty.	/Eyebleach	link	27661
50	"Cantina Theme" played by a pencil and a girl with too much time on her hands	/videos	link	39632

Respect MI6 Agent 007, James Bond!

“Three men were found dead on the Orient Express train at Trieste. One of them was Grant. What have you got to say about that, Number Five?”

“It was Klebb's choice. Her people failed.”

“It was your plan they followed implicitly.”

“Impossible. It was perfect.”

“Except for one thing: they were dealing with Bond.”

Featuring a loose cannon MI6 operative with the skills, gadgets, and good looks to charm, deceive, and fight his way past megalomaniacal supervillains hell-bent on world domination, Ian Fleming’s James Bond character has transformed over the years from an espionage flight of fancy into a legend of storytelling and an institution of cinema, with 24 films to date produced by Eon Productions, beginning with the legendary Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.
James Bond isn’t just a character, he’s his own archetype- the suave, seductive but deadly secret agent, every bit as capable of effortlessly navigating the world’s high-class elite as he is single-handedly storming a military compound. His gadgets, his weapons, his suits, his cars, his opening themes, his leading actors, his main antagonists, his women, everything the James Bond franchise has created over fifty years has transformed the series and main character into one of the most beloved fictional characters of the United Kingdom and a juggernaut of worldwide entertainment.
For this RT, we’ll be focusing on the films only, and separating them by actor to allow for varied prompts or an overall composite approach. This RT will be updated when and if new Bond films become legally available for purchase.
Note: This RT does not include feats for the 1967 version of Casino Royale starring David Niven or the 1983 remake of Thunderball titled Never Say Never Again starring Sean Connery, as both films are non-canon.

Sean Connery: 1962-1967, 1971

Featured in Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds Are Forever

“My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done, such as drinking Dom Perignon ‘53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.”

Overview here
Feats:
Strength:

Punches and kicks stagger Grant, who no-sold a surprise brass-knuckle punch to the gut ^{^FRWL}
Dispatches a soldier with a single strike to the neck ^{^FRWL}
Takes a man out with a single pistol whip to the back of the neck ^{^FRWL}
Grabbed by a man that wrestles alligators, throws him easily ^{^DrNo}
Throws a man through a paper wall and across the next room ^{^DAF}
Punts a guy in the side of the head ^{^GF}
Slaps a fan across a room into a bathtub ^{^GF}
Throws Oddjob’s hat hard enough to get it jammed between steel bars ^{^GF}
Incaps a man with a choke hold in a couple seconds ^{^YOLT}
Holds Bambi and Thumper underwater with a hand each ^{^DAF}
Lifts a garage gate ^{^YOLT}

Durability:

Hit with a chair so hard it breaks, keeps going after that and the subsequent beating ^{^GF}
Resists being choked out by Grant, who choked out a Bond lookalike in seconds with the same technique, then chokes Grant out instead ^{^FRWL}
Thrown into the wall of a train car by Grant, keeps fighting ^{^FRWL}
Takes hits from Oddjob, who’s strong enough to decapitate a statue and crush a golf ball ^{^GF}
Survives ramming his car into a wall, albeit he’s unconscious ^{^GF}

Speed:

Dodges a bunch of sword swings and disarms the wielder ^{^YOLT}
Dodges a helicopter trying to ram him ^{^FRWL}
Notices an attacker in the reflection of a girl’s eyes and avoids the blow ^{^GF}
With a warning, survives an attempted drive-by shooting ^{^YOLT}
Dives to electrocute the bars Oddjob is about to touch ^{^GF}
Catches Goldfinger off-guard and grabs his pistol ^{^GF}
Chases down a fleeing assassin and dodges his knife stab ^{^YOLT}

Skill:

(Marksmanship) Hits a man in a hovering helicopter with a single shot ^{^FRWL}
(Marksmanship) Picks off a rifleman with a single pistol shot ^{^FRWL}
(Marksmanship) Takes out a rifleman with a shuriken ^{^YOLT}
(Marksmanship) Accurately throws scalpels like throwing knives ^{^DAF}
(Melee) Beats a man inside of an elevator, including disarming him twice of a gun and makeshift knife in extremely close quarters ^{^DAF}
(Melee) Fights off several armed men while escaping a boat, one-shotting several of them ^{^YOLT}
(Stealth) Sneaks up on a guy looking for Grant ^{^FRWL}
(Stealth) Waits for nightfall to infiltrate Goldfinger’s compound ^{^GF}
(Driving) Shakes off numerous police officers in a chase, including performing one of the most difficult car stunts there is (driving on 2 wheels) on the fly and switching sides midway through the stunt ^{^DAF}
(Driving) Pilots a damaged plane to a survivable crash landing ^{^YOLT}
(Driving) Navigates a personal helicopter through an aerial dogfight ^{^YOLT}
(Driving) Outmaneuvers a chasing enemy ^{^DrNo}
(Driving) Navigates a boat through rifle grenade blasts and gunfire ^{^FRWL}
(Driving) Drives well enough to overtake someone and keep them from passing him ^{^GF}
(Seduction) Seduces Pussy Galore, despite Pussy being a lesbian who claims she’s immune to his charm, which makes her betray Goldfinger ^{^GF}
(Seduction) Makes KGB agent Tatiana Romanova fall in love with him, despite her mission being to seduce and betray him ^{^GF}

Intelligence:

(Tactics) Sets up his room to trick an assassin, then recognizes his gun and counts the rounds to know when he’s out of ammo ^{^DrNo}
(Tactics) Uses a boat’s ruptured gas cans and a flare gun to cause an enormous explosion ^{^FRWL}
(Tactics) Uses a chair to fight a woman with a poisoned dagger in her shoe ^{^FRWL}
(Tactics) Smashes a wine bottle and throws the wine on Mr. Kidd to make his weapons light him on fire ^{^DAF}
(Tactics) Knowing the CIA is tracking him, Bond sneaks a message and his homing device into the pocket of a man leaving Goldfinger’s compound ^{^GF}
(Tactics) Uses powder and a hair to make sure he knows if things in his room are tampered with later ^{^DrNo}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Without a word, tricks a guard into opening the door to his cell ^{^GF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) After defeating an assassin, uses the assassin’s clothes and fakes an injury to trick the assassin’s driver into taking him to their headquarters ^{^YOLT}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Bluffs his way into a secured area without knowing anyone or anything about the environment, then uses that information to bluff his way through a conversation to check a room for intel ^{^DAF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Bluffs his way out of a death trap, featuring my all-time favorite villain line at the beginning ^{^GF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Avoids this death trap by smuggling fake diamonds and hiding the real ones, also a feat for noticing the fake money or reasoning that it would be fake, and possibly anticipating the death trap itself, though the scene after this suggests the CIA made the swap, not Bond ^{^DAF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Uses hollow reeds to hide in a river ^{^DrNo}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Avoids being noticed on a street by pretending to make out with someone ^{^DAF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Swaps wallets with the man he’s pretending to be to earn Tiffany Case’s trust ^{^DAF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Pretends to accidentally eject a control tape so he can swap it with a dud tape and shut down Blofeld’s satellite ^{^DAF}
(Disguise/Bluffing) Pretends to not speak English well to avoid Peter Franks’ suspicion ^{^DAF}
(Perception) Notices subtle flaws in Grant’s disguise as an MI6 agent, such as not knowing his wines and mispronouncing “Cheerio”, also notices that Grant had drugged a drink ^{^FRWL}
(Perception) Recognizes Mr. Wint’s aftershave and uses that and a wine trick to expose them as killers ^{^DAF}
(Perception) Figures out a way to tell apart two identical Blofelds, even though Blofeld planned for this and tricked Bond with multiple cats ^{^DAF}
(Perception) Checks a room for listening devices ^{^FRWL}
(Perception) Notices and prevents surveillance in an airplane bathroom ^{^GF}
(Perception) Tiffany Case dusts Bond’s glass for prints, and Bond notices ^{^DAF}
(Perception) Figures out that his driver is an enemy agent, then plays along to trick him ^{^DrNo}
(Knowledge) Over the course of a conversation with Goldfinger, Bond shows he knows what Delta-9 nerve gas does (despite Goldfinger lying to others), shows a grasp of the statistics and logistics of a robbery, uses a hint from Goldfinger to piece together his plan, knows the name and occupation of a man he noticed Goldfinger working with once, knows the type of bomb Goldfinger plans to use, and can closely estimate the damage it will cause
(Knowledge) Explains why you shouldn’t shoot a gun on a plane ^{^GF}
(Knowledge) Knows about skin suffocation ^{^GF}
(Knowledge) Can tell what’s wrong with a brandy with just a smell ^{^GF}
(Knowledge) Knows the correct temperature to serve sake ^{^YOLT}
(Knowledge) Schools M on sherry ^{^DAF}

Weapons, Gadgets, & Vehicles:

(Weapon) A briefcase containing ammunition, a hidden throwing knife, a compact .25 caliber sniper rifle with an infrared sight, hidden straps containing 50 gold sovereigns, and a tear gas cartridge disguised as a tin of talcum powder rigged to explode if someone opens the briefcase incorrectly ^{^FRWL}
(Weapon) A single-use incendiary round hidden in a cigarette ^{^YOLT}
(Weapon) A tube of clay-like explosives and a detonator ^{^GF}
(Weapon) A mousetrap-like device in Bond’s breast pocket to catch people searching his clothes for weapons ^{^DAF}
(Gadget) A portable grappling hook ^{^DAF}
(Gadget) A device that detects phone bugs ^{^FRWL}
(Gadget) A camera with a hidden recording device inside ^{^FRWL}
(Gadget) A device that helps Bond break into a combination-locked safe (it doesn’t disable the alarm, though) ^{^YOLT}
(Gadget) A fake thumbprint that fools Tiffany Case’s thumbprint camera ^{^DAF}
(Vehicle) An Aston Martin DB5 with bulletproof windows, revolving license plates, a hidden panel that displays the location of a miniature homing device, and a panel to control an oil slick, a smoke screen, a steel bulletproof screen in the back, forward machine guns, and an ejector seat. It also has tire shredders that can cut metal, though Q doesn’t mention them ^{^GF}
(Vehicle) A personal “helicopter” named “Little Nellie” equipped with reverse-facing flamethrower, aerial mines, machineguns and rockets, anti-air missiles ^{^YOLT}
(Vehicle) A 1935 Bentley Mark IV which comes with a built-in car phone ^{^FRWL}

Other:

Somehow disguises himself as an Asian man, despite looking like this and making no changes at all to his accent, even while speaking Japanese ^{^YOLT}
Fakes his own death ^{^YOLT}
Keeps his cool when he realizes a deadly spider is crawling on him ^{^DrNo}
Better at golf than Goldfinger ^{^GF}
Switches golf balls on Goldfinger ^{^GF}
Tosses a hat onto a rack ^{^FRWL}

George Lazenby: 1969

Featured in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

“This never happened to the other fellow.”

Overview here
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Thing Other:
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Roger Moore: 1972-1985

Featured in Live And Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View To A Kill

“Quote”

Overview here
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Timothy Dalton: 1986-1994

Featured in The Living Daylights and License to Kill

“Quote”

Overview here
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Pierce Brosnan: 1994-2004

Featured in Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day

“Quote”

Overview here
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Daniel Craig: 2005-Present

Featured in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre

“Quote”

Overview here
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JAMES BOND WILL RETURN

james bond casino royale car stunt video

Across his 22 canonical films (Never Say Never Again and 1967's Casino Royale don't count), Bond has ended a whopping 352 lives. Pierce Brosnan is by far the deadliest Bond – he killed 47 people ... The choice of hero car for Casino Royale was made in late 2005 when Aston boss Dr Ulrich Bez invited Bond producer Barbara Broccoli up to Gaydon to look at a new DB9-based model under development in the design studio. Broccoli loved the car and immediately cast it as the perfect transport for Daniel Craig’s leaner, meaner, slightly blonder Bond. Casino Royale: Parkour with Sebastian Foucan. Hands down one of the most thrilling, stomach-in-knots sequences in recent history, the parkour chase in Casino Royale is an amazing display of athleticism and professional stunt prowess. Featuring pioneering freerunner Sebastian Foucan, this behind-the-scenes look shows you how they pulled it all off. Exclusive article from FSWL contributing stunt expert Jon Auty. James Bond leaping from crane to crane in Casino Royale (2006) topped a poll of the greatest James Bond action sequences for the Radio Times, beating classic stunts involving previous 007s Sean Connery, Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.The scene was devised by stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell and was ... Record Breaking Aston Car Flip Today's clip is a Guinness World Record breaker. This scene from Casino Royale includes the Aston Martin DBS car flip, which set a Guinness World Record for the most barrel rolls in a car (it’s seven!). “We were going to be happy with a couple of rolls, maybe three at a push,” says stunt driver Adam Kirley. As 'Casino Royale' celebrates its 10th anniversary, MI6 looks back to the making of the film with rarely seen behind the scenes video from the production. This fifth and final installment focusses on the Aston Martin stunt and Venice location shoot. The first shots in this montage include the world record breaking Aston Martin DBS barrel-roll. New Bond film Casino Royale has been awarded a Guinness World Record - for the most cannon rolls in a car - reports Yahoo The scene, which features in the movie, is performed by stunt double Adam Kirley in the Bond Aston Martin. The car flipped and rolled seven times after a nitrogen cannon was used to propel the vehicle through the air. The Aston Martin DBS car flip provides perhaps the most heart-stopping moment in Casino Royale (2006). Discovering treasury officer and new love Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) has been kidnapped by terrorist banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), James Bond (Daniel Craig) sets off in hot pursuit, speeding through the countryside of Montenegro. Looking back on Casino Royale, in many ways the Aston Martin DBS - which Bond took spectacularly poor care of - might have been the best supporting character in the film (with apologies to Mads ... Rocky attempted the record as his "final stunt", aged 67 years old. He has been a stuntman for 51 years, appearing in James Bond films (doubling for Roger Moore and Sean Connery), Harry Potter films and Titanic. He drove the car at approximately 50 mph, before speeding up a pipe ramp and smashing through the glass structure. He then flipped the car and landed upside down on a pile of parked ...

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james bond casino royale car stunt

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You're a kite flying in a hurricane, Mr. Bond. A deeper(ish) look at Spectre (2015) [NOTE: This article begins with a non-spoiler overview]

SPECTRE (2015)

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The name's Bourne... James Bourne. A deeper look at Quantum of Solace (2008)

QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)

So what do you folks think? How does Quantum of Solace fare in your opinion?

I suppose I see a different world than you do, and the truth is that what I see frightens me. A deeper look at Skyfall (2012)

SKYFALL (2012)

So what do you folks think? How does Skyfall fare in your opinion?

In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II attended the premiere of the 20th James Bond film. I'm sure she never gave it a public review. But I sure will. A deeper look at Die Another Day (2002)

DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002)

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My millionth or so re-ranking of the films, as of October 2016

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