James Bond 007 film-by-film thread

Agreed. It's the kind of humor that makes the difference. Puns, wordplay, double entendres - all good. Making fun of people based upon stereotypes - that's cheap humor. Bond films should be smarter than that. So far I have only noticed that in two films - Diamonds Are Forever & Live And Let Die. But I am only up to The Spy Who Loved Me, so there are quite a few to go yet.

 

Watching chronologically, Moonraker is the last of the (three) Bond films that I have never seen before. This is mostly because I’d heard that it wasn’t very good. Turns out I agree with that assessment. In fact, I will say that, in my opinion, this is the worst of the Bond films so far.

It started out well – better than well. The opening sequence is one of the better ones of the series so far. The plane jump without a parachute sequence was legitimately thrilling, even for today. Hard to believe it was filmed 40 years ago. I should also note, at this point, that the blu ray transfer was crisp and clear, which really brought this sequence to life. But why do we need “Jaws” to re-surface in this film? It was a cheap joke which would be, unfortunately, an indication of the tone of the entire film.

As to plot, well there was nothing original. Bond by the numbers. A stolen space shuttle. Plot stolen from The Spy Who Loved Me, which was stolen from You Only Live Twice. Lewis Gilbert directed three Bond films which all had the same premise. But, to give him credit, his three Bond films had the most “epic” feels. That was a detriment when it came to plotting, gadgets and stunts – “big” just became silly more often than not. But he was the perfect director for the all-important travelogue component of a Bond film. And this film works as a travelogue, taking us to Venice and Rio, and making the most of the visual splendor of those locations.

With the exception of some dodgy blue screen/rear projection work, the earthbound effects were quite well done. The space effects were pretty hit and miss. The laser blasts weren’t nearly as elegant as Star Wars. The zero gravity effects were laughable. Scores of people in a long shot pretending to be in zero gravity by gently bouncing in place. Cringe worthy.

I found the title sequence to be oddly timid and boring. The title song was pretty dull and forgettable as well.

Moore really made Bond his own in The Spy Who Loved Me by making the most of his easy charm and mastery of light comedy. In this film he chose to play it smarmy and arrogant and, for the most part, charmless. Why was he confrontational with everyone from the start? It didn’t make sense plot wise. But that was typical of a film where characters seemed to act with little or no motivation. Why was Corrine not the least bit concerned when she caught Bond snooping around in drawers for “information”? For that matter, why did she sleep with Bond? He put zero effort, or charm for that matter, into something as time consuming as seduction or even romance. Just kissed her and she submitted. For that matter, why did Holly Goodhead sleep with him when he was such a jerk to her from minute one?

On the subject of Bond women, it was a mixed bag. Corrine was nothing but a plot device. She was there for Bond to conquer, assist him in stealing information and is killed to demonstrate Drax’s ruthlessness. Manuela was supposed to be an agent but when Jaws grabbed her she seemed to freeze up and barely fought. Jaws’s girlfriend didn’t even speak (as far as I can recall). She existed only to be an extended punchline. Holly Goodhead was, at least, competent as an astronaut, although Lois Chiles was pretty inconsistent as an actor – some of her line readings were pretty amateur hour.

Bond had a few gadgets that made no sense except to get him out of very specific situations. What are the odds that, while in a motorboat, Bond would race straight into a waterfall? No worries. The boat converts into a hang glider. Something that would have zero use UNLESS he couldn’t avoid a waterfall. He happened to have a cigarette case that converted into a proto ipad device for cracking open a safe. Good thing he happened to find a safe he needed to break into. His gondola just happened to be equipped with an outboard motor AND a hovercraft device which, again, would be of zero use unless he happened to have the need to drive about the plaza. The plaza drive, of course, had zero impact on the plot. Just another cheap gag.

Not all of the stunts were cheap gags. The aerial tram sequence was genuinely thrilling.

I should at least mention that Bond’s high waisted black pants looked ridiculous. It felt like a clear attempt to hide a spreading gut.

Overall this film was pretty nonsensical and the most inconsequential of the Bond films.

 

If you accept Moonraker as a silly movie on its own limited merits and don't fight it then I think it's a pretty solid film. Good first hour. Iffy third quarter. Very silly but watchable in a cheesy way last half hour in space.

 

I think this is right on the money. Of course, the Bond films changed with the times, sometimes more successfully than other times. This leads to there being so many different Bond styles. No matter your preference there is a Bond film for you.

I'm only up to Moonraker at this time but I tend to look at From Russia With Love as the best Bond film so far. It is truly a spy thriller (which is the type of Bond I most appreciate). Everything after that moved closer to an action film rather than a spy film. Diamonds Are Forever turned the corner into a comedic action film. Moonraker took this to an extreme. And was highly successful. It clearly captured the mood of its time - which is what it is supposed to do. So what do I know?

But the pendulum swings.

 

I recognize that I am the very last person on this discussion thread, but what the hell.

Last night I watched For Your Eyes Only. IMO, it is the best of the Moore Bond films. The problem I have had with the Moore films was their tone. They went from action films with comedy to comedy films with action. For Your Eyes Only is a Spy film. No Jaws, no silly southern sheriff - just a spy film with an actual plot. Moore tailors his performance to the tone of the film he is in. In this film he is mostly serious but bemused when appropriate. Thankfully he's lost the overbearing arrogance of the man he portrayed in Moonraker, the unengaged amusement from The Spy Who Loved Me and the trying too hard woman abuser in Golden Gun. This performance gets the balance right. It's the best he's ever been. He's in better shape (and looks younger!) than Moonraker and looks confident, like Bond should be.

The opening sequence begins in the cemetery as Bond visits his deceased wife. This late in the game that surprised me. Ultimately it set the tone for the rest of the film, this was going to be a more "down to earth" (literally when compared to Moonraker taking place in space) Bond film. While the helicopter sequence was thrilling, it was also the silliest the film gets. An odd way to start a Bond film. It was satisfying in the moment but ultimately doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the film. And, wasn't Blofeld killed off in Diamonds Are Forever? How many clones does this guy have?

The title sequence worked well. While a bold choice to include both Sheena Easton and Roger Moore, it worked well and was among the sexier title sequences. The song itself is a good one. The title songs for Bond films are all over the map in terms of quality (to my ears). There are some classic great songs like Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice & Live And Let Die. Some solid middle tier songs like Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me & Diamonds Are Forever. This song falls solidly in the middle.

As a travelogue this film is a winner. Greece is shown off beautifully. Bond just happens to walk through a local festival with dancers who interact with him. That all felt very unforced.

Plot wise, it borrows the McGuffin from From Russia With Love. A "device" that is of military interest to Russia & the UK is in the wind. Bond must track down the device and the folks behind the plot. Also, like Russia, an ally turns out to be an adversary. No villain with a silly plan to take over or destroy the world - just a solid spy film plot.

Topol was well cast. He is charming in the same way that Kerim Bey was in Russia. Also, I noted a young Charles Dance playing a henchman! Carole Bouquet was just stunning. Very beautiful Bond woman but pretty sloppy lip syncing of her voice. Don't know if that is her voice or if it was replaced, but sloppy.

Bond treated women with a surprising amount of respect considering some of his more recent films. Melina was competent and didn't need "rescuing". Bond never tried to bed her or make any off color remarks. When they sleep together at the end of the film, it feels a lot more natural than the many women who just fell into his arms in Moonraker. Bibi was mostly comic relief but was played sensitively. It would have been pretty creepy if Bond had bedded her considering the vast age difference. This is where Moore's natural charm and way with light comedy worked best. He played their "relationship" just right. Lisl felt like a more age appropriate match for Bond but, surprisingly, the actress was only 33 at the time of filming. Overall, the women were well played, competent and it was all handled tastefully.

Aside from blue screen (a bit dodgy at times) and the obvious stunt man, there weren't any crazy special effects sequences and all the better for it. As to the action sequences, the car chases were well done. The rock face climbing was tense and exciting. The underwater sequences were also tense and well done.

It had everything you could ask for in a Bond film. It was certainly the best of the Moore films and, so far, I rank it in the top three of all of the Bond series. I like different Bond films for different reasons but my top three up to this point are From Russia With Love, Goldfinger & For Your Eyes Only.

 

Nice write-up there.

I think the problem with Moonraker was Star Wars was big at the time and they tried unsuccessfully to make a Star Wars type Bond movie.

Really like the first half of it.

What could have been.

I think John Barry did a good job with the score not reusing the same Bond themes all thru it.

 

My fave has always been Moonraker itself, with For Your Eyes Only not far behind, possibly followed by The Man with the Golden Gun.

I wonder what you’re going to make of Octopussy. That one isn’t half bad either.

 

Always nice to read rewiews like this. Doesn't matter if you or someone else is here "late".

 

They were originally going to do For Your Eyes Only after TSWLM but Star Wars was such a phenomenon they had to cash in on the Sci-Fi revival. It has its flaws and honestly its extremely similar to TSWLM but I like it a lot more than a few of the Bond films.

 

"For Your Eyes Only" is one of the very best Bond films imo.

 

I’m guessing if they disliked Moonraker they’ll dislike Octopussy.

 

Last night I watched Octopussy. I hadn’t seen it in about 25 years so had little memory of it. I was very pleasantly surprised.

I’d mentioned previously that I prefer the more dramatic Bond films as opposed to the comedic ones. Octopussy struck a very pleasing balance. It reminded me very much of an Indiana Jones film in its pacing, its breezy but exciting style and its use of throwaway gags. By throwaway gags, I mean that there are a great many very quick but exciting gags that are over in seconds. Example, Bond lifts the roof lid to climb onto the top of a moving train, just as he lifts his body up he notes he is just feet away from a low tunnel. He has to quickly land flat in order to avoid decapitation. It happens quickly, it’s a thrill, it moves on. There was a lot of that in this film. And it made for a wild ride.

The opening “teaser” has everything you want in a Bond film: thrills, fast pace, great stunt work, beautiful women, a bit of humor. Taken on its own it is one of the better teaser sequences. The plane flying trough the closing doors of a hanger while being chased by a missile was brilliant.

The credit sequence was pretty sexy but nothing different. Unfortunately, the song “An All Time High” is very anonymous, not the most memorable Bond theme.

As a travelogue, this film works very well. The Berlin Wall scenes were fascinating. The bulk of the film takes place in India and the filmmakers go out of their way to show the viewer lots of local scenery.

Like many Bond films the plot almost doesn’t matter - as long as the ride is entertaining enough. I have to admit that I really didn’t get it. And I expect its me, not the film that is confused. There appeared to be two linked but separate plots. There was a scheme to duplicate Faberge (sp?) eggs and sell the counterfeits. Additionally there was a Russian trying to start a nuclear standoff between world powers in order to secure global disarmament, so that Russia could invade westward. Those two plots were linked but .....oh....I just don’t get it. Doesn’t matter. It was fun and exciting. Oh, and they all work for a circus. Or something.

As in the previous film, Bond treated women fairly well. I think it may have to do with Moore’s age. Smarmy no longer works. He plays it indifferent more often than not and that works well for his age and for the character. Gives Bond a bit of dignity. Let’s face it, in the late 60s and early 70s Bond was getting a bit rapey. I never liked the sexually aggressive Bond. I didn’t think it worked for his character. His sexual appeal has a lot to do with his confidence. The way he is played in Octopussy and For Your Eyes Only is more in character (at least the way I see him). As to the “Bond Girl”, Octopussy has more beautiful women than any Bond film since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Maud Adams, who plays the title role, doesn’t show up until the film is at its halfway point. Her staff is exclusively female and all lovely as one might expect from a Bond film. Satisfyingly, they are all very competent without having to play “tough and glum” for the camera. When its time for battle, they make short work of the male adversaries. Lots of “eye candy”, as all of the women are striking (in that 80s sort of way). The second female lead is played by Kristina Wayborn who worth noting here. The camera loves her and she steals every scene she appears in, but she is also an actress. I mention this as many of the Bond Women, especially the secondary roles, are cast with non actresses. Many times that lack of acting experience is obvious on screen. That is not the case in Octopussy. In the opening sequence Tina Hudson is pretty fabulous and memorable in a brief role. On a personal note, the woman who was cast in the brief role of showing Bond to his India hotel room was just gorgeous. I was not able to find her name as it was such a minor role. That is an indication of just how full to the brim with beautiful women this film is.

The villains were well cast, which is crucial to a Bond film. An over the top villain can spell parody for a Bond flick. In this case Louis Jordan was suave and in control. It cannot be over stated how important charm can be in casting a Bond villain. Kabir Bedi played the chief henchman. He was perfect. He played it straight in a role that is far too often played either over the top or (worse) for laughs. He was simply competent and focused. Although not a villain, Vijay Amritraj should be noted as very charming and like able as Bonds local contact. Again, this is a role that can be played for laughs. It didn’t need to be as the actors charm was on full display (like Topol in a previous film).

Roger Moore was never my favorite Bond, but in this and the previous film, he is as good as any Bond actor. Yes, he’s getting a bit old for the role, but he is still vital and, more important, he has inhabited the role completely. He plays it cool and confident. This and For Your Eyes Only are Moore’s best films and rank among the better Bond flicks.

The action and stunt sequences in this film are fantastic, including a wild fight on top of an airplane while in flight. The chase sequences within, above and below the moving train are also nerve wracking. And, as mentioned before, there are many throwaway thrills that up the action ante. For example, during a brief quiet moment when Bond is being hunted within the Indian jungle, he drops to the ground. During that quiet moment a snake winds its way across his legs. It’s that kind of “bonus” thrill that makes this film a great viewing experience. Oh, did I mention there is a ticking time bomb?

Perhaps they get they had to up their game as Connery had his own Bond film coming out. Perhaps they were influenced by Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Whatever it was, the filmmakers upped their game and delivered a fun and exciting Bond film that never crossed the line into silly or parody. They found that balance. Well done.

 

That movie is like 5 hours long

 

For Your Eyes Only is my favorite of Moore's films as well, followed by Man With the Golden Gun.

But tell me, how does a spy trawler sunk in the North Sea between Scotland and Norway at the beginning of the film end up in the Adriatic Sea part of the Mediterranean between Italy and Greece?

 

Octopussy got me thinking about Never Say Never Again, so I went ahead and viewed it while it was on my mind. First, I must say, after watching all of the Bond films on Blu Ray, seeing Never Say Never Again on standard DVD was kind of shocking. There IS a difference.

Sean Connery was 53 when Never Say Never Again was released. And he is the best thing about this film. He is a pleasure to watch. Unfortunately, the film slows to a crawl during every scene in which he does not appear. But I am getting ahead of myself.

The opening scene is fantastic. We are re-introduced to Connery’s Bond mid mission. He is clearly older, sporting grey hair, and visibly sweating but using his muscle and wits to defeat the bad guys. The first half hour of the film addresses just that - Bond is older. Can he still cut it as a secret agent? The question is handled with humor but addresses the elephant in the room. I really really like the health spa scenes. It is Connery at his best.

Unfortunately, once the actual plot kicks in the film loses stream in a big way.

The theme song is among the worst in the series. The main hook is a simple “riff” that a beginner might pluck out on a piano. I cannot believe that the filmmakers couldn’t have done better.

As a travelogue this film is good but could be better. The chase in Nice was terrific. The Bahamas only really showed some beaches and a seafront. North Africa was mostly represented by sets.

The filmmakers tried hard to bring back the classic Bond - they brought back Spectre and even Felix L. Both are welcome but window dressing on a standard action film script. A remake of Thunderball, my least favorite Connery film, the plot has Spectre stealing two nukes & demanding ransom. Simple, which is a good thing, as the plot of a Bond film is almost secondary.

I felt Klaus Maria Brandauer was a bit over the top. The entire time watching him I felt like he was trying hard to appear unpredictable and therefore dangerous. But, ultimately, he was a mid-level villain. Not the worst but pretty forgettable. Unfortunately, the same can be said of the Bond women. Barbara Carrera, while quite beautiful, was so over the top, she was pretty ridiculous. I kept expecting her to shout “I killed Sirius Black”!!! Kim Basinger, while also quite lovely and a pleasure to watch on screen, was a pretty boring character. At least Barbara Carrera did something.

But the cast really didn’t matter, this was Connery’s film. As good as Moore (now 56) became as Bond, and by Octopussy, he was at his best character wise, the role of Bond fits Connery like a finely tailored Saville Row suit.

The action sequences in this film were best when they were kept small. Bonds one on one fight in the spa was fantastic. As was the opening sequence. As mentioned, the motorcycle chase was very exciting. Unfortunately, I found the underwater scenes pretty dull. And the finale was nothing special at all.

In summary, Connery was fantastic in a very mid level Bond film.

 

I always liked the British quad:

 

I wish that Richard Maibaum's original scripts for The Spy Who Loved Me,
For Your Eyes Only and License to Kill could be turned into novelizations.
They were different and much better Bond stories than the films turned
out to be.

I really enjoy the recent Bond cover novels authorized by the Fleming estate.
Solo, Trigger Mortis, Devil May Care and Forever and a Day are all excellent
Bond thrillers. The latter is the prequel to Casino Royale, which was
Fleming's first Bond novel. Each one would make a better film than what
EON's been offering in the last twenty years. But the original Maibaum
scripts listed above surpass even the cover novels.

 

One of my thrills was staying at the British Colonial Hotel in Nassau Bahama's about 20 years ago where Thunderball was filmed. When you hang out in the back out by the pool near the dock, you can hear the Bond Theme in the air.

 

Raiders probably was a massive influence on Octopussy. It seems so glaringly obvious now you mention it, yet I’ve never explicitly made that connection before.

 

Finally got around to watching A View To A Kill, Moore's final Bond film. The best I can say about it is, well, I suppose it was better than Moonraker.

A View To A Kill is one of the worst Bond films, so far. It was Bond by the numbers and I found it unengaging. Having said that, some of the action sequences were top drawer (and some fell flat).

The pre-title sequence was more skiing. Gotta say, I'm kind of over the Bond skiing sequences. Nuff said.

The title sequence was okay but not as sexy as many others. The title song itself is okay. I'm a fan of Duran Duran but this is a b-level track. Funny to hear it's melody pop up during the film as background music.

Roger Moore phoned this one in. He didn't do any of his stunts - the stunt men were so obvious. He relied on his charm to make it through this one. Granted, he is a very charming actor, but he's just too old to be cute. Time to retire - please!

The women in this film were unsatisfying to me. I thought Tanya Roberts was pretty generic. Also, she played far too much damsel in distress. So tired of hearing her yell "James!". Grace Jones was odd and over the top but at least she was actually doing something. Her best moments, for me, were her final five minutes. Other than that she mostly glared at Bond menacingly.

As a travelogue it worked well. The French Chateau was gorgeous. The San Francisco sequences were beautiful. And, ah, Paris.

The villains were far too over the top. Yes, there were the Russians - again. And as much as I like Chris Walken, he is too offbeat for a Bond villain. His odd phrasing and stop start dialogue works really well in a drama - but in a wink nudge Bond film he just becomes a part of the gag. Great actor - badly cast.

The plot took some time to come together but was ruined by hearing Tanya Roberts breathlessly explain it to the audience - "millions of people will be killed!"

What partially redeemed this film were some good action sequences. The elevator on fire was tense. The fire truck chase was inventive. The Eiffel tower sequence was cool and the Paris car chase was fun. Unfortunately I found the climactic Golden Gate Bridge sequence boring. There were so few shots that actually took place on the bridge. The rest was so obviously either a set or rear projection.

I was so underwhelmed by this film that I bailed in the middle of the Bonus Material. I couldn't find the enthusiasm. I was just done.

Aside from Roger Moore being too old by a decade (he's 58 here), it was clearly time to re-think the entire Bond series.

I haven't seen The Living Daylights in about 25 or so years and am interested to view it now within the context of watching the Bond films chronologically.

 

It has a fine John Barry score, don't you think. Without Barry's score
the film would be much worse. Listen to "Stacey."

I'm trying to re-apply Barry's score from A View to a Kill to my fanedit
of For Your Eyes Only. The difficulty is in stripping the Conti score off
of For Your Eyes Only first. The only music I'll keep is the title song
sung by Sheena Easton. I may also use one or two Barry tracks from
King Kong (1976).

 

Well, it’s a tough call...

I saw The Living Daylights at the theatre when it was originally released, and more recently on 50th Anniversary Blu-Ray set (and a couple of times in between). Apart from one particular sequence, I thought it was a fairly solid movie. Lots of fun and excitement, and I was quite happy with Dalton as Bond. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

If you’re putting new music in, how are you getting rid of the old music?

 

Roger Moore himself hated A View to a Kill, and until the day he died, he thought it was one too many for his tenure... he was right; Octopussy should have been his swansong (and a very effective one at that!), with View being Timothy Dalton's debut... albeit in a harder-edged, more Fleming-esque version.

 

The Duran Duran song is really good. But as much as I like Barry, I think he ruined it with his arrangement. I heard several acoustic versions of it and it's a great tune.