James Bond 007 film-by-film thread

I always thought that A View To A Kill is the Bond song that perfectly captures the Bond sound and the sound of the performer.

Something like GoldenEye is fine, quite Bondy, but Tina Turner sounds like she’s trying to do an impression of Shirley Bassey. Ends up sounding like Eartha Kitt.

 

It seems like there's never much talk about how the GoldenEye theme was written by Bono and the Edge. I think Tina Turner's vocals are good (maybe not great, especially the end where she probably does wish she could have belted out one of those climactic Bassey notes), but I like the tune and the arrangement a lot, and it reminds me a bit of that mid-’90 U2 sound (e.g. Zooropa). Also, even though it's a small thing, I really like the way the film segues into and out of the song.

 

I had been looking forward to revisiting The Living Daylights. I haven't seen it since it was in theaters but my memory of it was that it was gritty and more of what I liked in a Bond film. But that's not how it played when I watched it this weekend.

I should preface his by stating that I learned in the bonus materials on the Blu Ray that the script had already been written when Timothy Dalton was cast. In fact, he was cast at the last minute when the film was beginning production. That explains a lot of what I felt about this film.

People talk about how this was a major change in tone from the Moore films in that it was dark and gritty. But I didn't see it that way. It was a typical John Glen directed Bond. All of his films have great action sequences but tend to fall apart in the more human moments (for me). Also, for a dark and gritty film there was an awful lot of light, breezy and even comedic moments. In short, there was a disconnect between the film and who they cast. This film never decided what it was and committed to it. It tried to be all things and failed.

The ten minute teaser sequence is really the best part of the film. It is tense and Dalton uses his wits and physicality to save the day. No gadgets, no silliness. And when he is rewarded at the close with a woman waiting for "a real man", the viewer feels like he has earned it. Yes, I thought, this is more like it. Bond as a bad ass and a professional.

Early in the film I noted that Dalton moved like a predator. When he entered a new space he quickly scanned his surroundings. How cool! That's exactly what a seasoned spy would do. But that didn't last.

I view this as a three act film. The first half hour is the build up. The second act is the love story. The final act is the big action finale. The first and third act are quite good and (mostly) allow Dalton to be the non nonsense Bond. But Dalton is adrift in the endless middle section. He is not believable as the sincere, only eyes for you, leading man. It's like he sees a pretty face and loses his ****. For example, during the fair sequence, he is desperately trailing an assassin, yet the female lead is able to come at him from behind without being noticed. Really? He's on full alert and he lets someone sneak up on him? When he and Kara are kissing in the Ferris wheel, the wheel stops and the doors open to a crowd awaiting entry and Bond is so taken by Kara that he doesn't notice and is, again, taken by surprise. Sorry, but he is a terrible spy if he is so unaware. It's those small things that really bothered me. It's lack of attention to detail and character. If we are told that this is a new serious Bond then the filmmakers must take the new Bond seriously. This is a Roger Moore film with a substitute actor. I think we needed a new director as well as a new actor.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

The title sequence was boring. The women in the sequence were clearly wearing bodysuits or bikinis. I was actually surprised at how much this bothered me. It's not like I required peek a boo nudity - it was more the break with tradition. It felt almost cowardly. I'm sure I am over reacting but it feels like the film in miniature - the filmmakers are going to play it safe.

The theme song is a winner. Maybe A-ha was bigger in Europe but in the US they were a one hit band. So, in that sense, it felt like an odd choice. Yet it is one of the better later Bond themes. The melody is big and sweeping. Nice epic feel.

As a travelogue this film is very successful. It globe trots relentlessly. London, Gibraltar, Tangiers, Afghanistan, Vienna. Exactly what one wants from a Bond film.

The villains were good. Joe Don Baker, while a bit over the top, is a solid character actor and a good addition. Koskov telegraphed his insincerity from miles away so it was no surprise that he was playing both sides. Necros did a reliable job as the henchman. He played it straight and was legitimately threatening. It was a pleasure to see John Rhys Davies. I recently watched the Shogun miniseries followed by the Noble House miniseries so I am in a JRD frame of mind. He's always great. Heavy but charming. And perfect for a Bond film. Criminally underutilized in this film.

Felix Leiter shows up briefly but makes little impact. Art Malik does well as the Afghan leader. (On a side note, interesting to look at Bond films as a capsule of the time. In this film Russia was the occupying force in Afghanistan. How things have changed). Saunders existed only to demonstrate that Bond was a "rebel".

Which brings us to the leading lady. Maryam d'Abo plays Kara. I thought she was a competent actor (not always the case with Bond women) and, of course, strikingly beautiful. She was a pleasure to watch on screen, very compelling. Unfortunately her character was not only underwritten but she was portrayed as little more than a child. She looked to Bond, did what she was told, and believed whatever he said without question almost from the moment they met. When he tried to kiss her and she resisted he simply said "don't think, just act" and she immediately switched gears. She was a nothing character. Of course this is the mid 80's Bond film in which the attitude towards women was supposed to have evolved. They made a big deal of the fact that Bond was a "one woman man", completely forgetting the woman in the opening sequence. That makes two. Does it really show evolution that Bond only sleeps with one cardboard cut out female during the main film? Wouldn't it have been more evolved to write the woman as if she were actually a character?

During the third act they tried to give her some "agency" - she defies the Afghan soldiers by racing off solo to save Bond. Later she kicks an attacker. Finally she drives a jeep into the ramp of a moving plane. Too little, too late. And out of character.

The action sequences are very good overall. As mentioned, the opening teaser is a great ride. The closing airplane battle is fantastic. Yet the skiing down a mountainside on a cello case, and using the cello itself to steer is a dumb, cheap gag. Not funny. Not exciting. The car chase is just a demo for the gadgets. A cheap thrill.

The Living Daylights makes a lot of promises and only partially delivers. It's not a bad film but is frustrating as it could have been much better. I feel like this film played it safe in so many ways. It was an opportunity to be bold and reinvent the franchise. Instead it was a film that never figured out what it wanted to be and in not making that decision was ultimately unsatisfying.

 

TBF, I think the "classic" Goldfinger car chase runs as a demo for gadgets.

I think Daylights was always seen as a traditional film, part Dalton part Moore. Whereas Licence To Kill was the gritty one.

 

But Goldfinger had novelty going for it.

Looking forward to License To Kill. I remember it somewhat from seeing it in the theater and do recall it being uncompromising for a Bond film. But it's been a long time.

 

This was John Barry’s last Bond score.
I thought he did a great job, especially with the Pretenders and A Ha co-writes. In addition to an updated Bond theme, he had 3 additional melodies to work into his cues. He also got a cameo in the film as well.

 

Finally got around to viewing License To Kill. Overall I thought it was a good Bond films but I have mixed feelings about it.

First a quick summary of the familiar Bond components.

The pre title sequence was a bit misleading. Firstly it begins with Bond in an ugly 1980's wedding tuxedo. That would never happen. He'd pull Felix aside and tell him, "Com'on, we're gong to my tailor on Saville Row". They get into a gunfight and catch the bad guy and parachute into the wedding party. So it is typical silly Bond stuff. Although it must be said that the harnessing of a moving plane by its tail was pretty spectacular. Great stunt work so the light tone of the sequence can be forgiven, especially as it goes pretty dark in another few minutes.

The title sequence was pretty steamy. Surprisingly so. I do believe that the Bond title sequence should be sexy. And, frankly, the peek a boo suggestion of nudity is a big part of that. But this sequence had less "peek a boo" and more obvious nudity. There's a fine line, I suppose. Interesting how some title sequences I find tame because of modesty and others I find slightly racy in tone. Either way, this was a very sexy sequence.

Gladys Knight sings the title song. She is a great choice for an old fashioned Bond theme. Fantastic voice, great emotion and wonderful style. The song itself steals the chord progression from Goldfinger (as does Adele's song in Skyfall). I find it absolutely thrilling. License To Kill is one of the better Bond themes.

Every Bond film is a bit of a travelogue. It takes you to places in the world you may not ever get the chance to visit. A big part of the success of the travelogue portion of a Bond film is it's wide screen vistas. I'm going to have to go back to the previous reviews of this film as I'm sure it has been addressed, but this film is not a Cinemascope aspect ration presentation. It goes back to 1.85:1. If my memory serves, The Man With The Golden Gun was 1.85:1 and before that, the first three. All others have been 2.35:1 - big, wide screen films. That, by itself, gives the Bond films an epic feel. And, as a travelogue, this film suffers. The only locations that I can recall are Mexico and the Florida keys. I don't recall a single shot where I was awed by the beauty of the surroundings.

Which brings us to another problem with this film - it's budget. It suffers from the same problem Golden Gun had - the lighting was very flat which made many of the sets look like sets. The sequence where Bond is at the airport ticket counter looks like a soap opera set. Also, the scene where a huge trap door in the villains lair opens to admit a helicopter into the underground helipad is so cheesy. The door opens and it cuts to what is obviously a helicopter landing in front of the wall of a building. No sweeping shots of the immensity of this underground base. Not what I would expect from a Bond film.

The plot is far better than the typical Bond outing. The drug lord captured in the opening sequence kills Felix's wife and has Felix mauled by a shark. Bond goes on a personal mission of revenge, falling afoul of HMSS rules and goes rogue, with a little help from Q. Eventually he financially ruins and finally kills the drug lord. There are no outlandish plots to take over the world or destroy it, just a powerful drug lord trying to globally consolidate his power.

As to action, this is a very strong Bond film. The climax with the various trucks transporting what amounts to drugs worth more than the villain can afford to lose is very well done. You can almost hear the cash register every time a truck goes up in flames. And those explosions were HUGE! As suited the story, the villain met his ultimate fate in a very personal way. Also the bar fight was very well done and exciting. Also, during the plane to boat drug transfer, seeing Bond frantically stabbing at the bags of powder was very intense and made great use of the best of Dalton's portrayal of Bond. The plane takeover sequence was great as well.

I did note use of some swear words in the film, which is unusual for a Bond film. That and the less subtle nudity of the title sequence made me check the film's rating, which was PG-13.

The cast is fine. Robert Davi plays Sanchez (the drug lord). He gives a very realistic performance, none of the over the top nonsense that a lot of Bond villains fall into. That makes him a legitimate threat. Cary Lowell plays Pam Bouvier (associated somehow with the CIA). She's a good actor and, of course, a lovely woman. A great Bond woman as she is competent and a good fighter as well. Talisa Soto plays Sanchez's girlfriend, Lupe. A strikingly beautiful woman. Somewhat of a wooden actor but not terrible. Unfortunately, although she has a lot of screen time, she is given little of consequence to do. She's mostly a damsel in distress. Wayne Newton plays a TV evangelist - comic relief. And a very young, and pretty, Benicio del Toro plays one of Sanchez's muscle guys. He plays it with great intensity - and steals every scene he is in. My wife was swooning.

In a series known for its beautiful women, this film rates highly. Cary Lowel is tall and statuesque. Talisa Soto has got one of the prettiest faces ever to grace a Bond film. And, of course, Della (Felix's bride) and Moneypenny are both beautiful.

Yes, this film is darker and has more one-on-one violence than may Bond films. I don't see that as a bad thing. In fact, it made it more compelling to me. Although Q brought two gadgets, they weren't over the top. This is a very down to earth film and better for it.

I hate to say it, but I think the biggest problem with this film is that Timothy Dalton has demonstrated, over two films, to be an awkward fit as James Bond. The character of Bond as he has evolved over two decades is many things. Flemming had described him as a Neanderthal in a tuxedo and Dalton has that aspect of the character down perfectly. But Bond, from Connery to Moore has charm and grace as well. Dalton's attempts at charm remain unconvincing. Somehow it seems out of character. In a sense, Dalton and Daniel Craig are not so different in that they bring the caged animal intensity of Bond to the fore. While I wouldn't exactly call Craig's performance full of "charm", he somehow manages to show more of Bonds different sides better than Dalton. I like Timothy Dalton and think he is a fine actor, but ultimately I don't think he was right for Bond. Better than Lazenby, certainly, but an uncomfortable fit overall.

I must add that I think Dalton and John Glen aren't a good fit. Glen was a good director for Moore. But Dalton needed an actors director. I see Glen as primarily an action director. And I think that may be that problem with both Glen/Dalton films.

As a Bond film License To Kill was better than many. It has a coherent plot, a good (not over the top) villain, it was more serious and had little or no silly (which I hate in a Bond film). It managed to avoid many of the things that hobble some Bond entries. Yet I still rate it as a middling effort - but a solid one. Many people view License To Kill as one of the worst of the series. I cannot agree. I rate it within the high middle of the films.

 

I think Dalton focussed purely on Fleming and not the cinematic Bond. I don’t think Fleming’s Bond was much of a charmer.

 

I'd disagree. I'm currently in the middle of reading the Fleming novels, and Bond certainly had a way with women. He could be very charming when he needed to, but he also could be cold and brutal. It was the nature of his character and what made him good at his job.

The early films were better at portraying this part of Bond. Later films gave him a softer edge, along with the underlying humor that became part of the franchise. I think they were unsure of how to portray Dalton's Bond. There was a kind of tough guy/romantic hybrid that they tried, which never really fit the character.

 

For a serious Bond it did have some campy stuff. The bar sequence was over the top, the winking fish at the end, and the Wayne Newton character. Timothy Dalton deserved a third film. I believe most Bond stars hit their stride at that mark: Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me and Skyfall!!

 

I’d disagree too. Bond in the novels could certainly attract women, for himself or the mission, but he soon tired of them. He enjoyed the chase. Big difference between being charming and being a charmer.

 

Re: The Living Daylights

Agree with this completely.

 

Brosnan gave his best performance in The World is not Enough its just lacking as a film.

 

I agree Pierce Brosnan was his best Bond in The World Is Not Enough - but disagree about the film coming up lacking. I think it's one of the more underrated Bond films and in its own way, something of a dry run for the Daniel Craig Era. M, for example, emerges as a more substantial character - and the film explores the Bond/M dynamic in some depth, firmly establishing her as a maternal figure to Bond. TWINE's plot also precedes Skyfall to some degree, hinging on M's involvement in an earlier event (the kidnapping of Electra King) and a bad call coming back to haunt her.

Brosnan's Bond is more fully formed in The World Is Not Enough - capable of sadness, a sense of regret, and cold blooded murder. Few Bond villain offs have ever been as satisfying as Electra getting hers at point blank range. M being there to witness Electra's death makes the moment even more resonant. In GoldenEye, M told Bond she had the balls to send him to his death, but the look of horror and sadness on Judi Dench's face after Brosnan sends another bad guy to the boneyard suggests how well insulated M's been from the "sausage making" elements of spycraft.

No, it didn't all come together - even in a James Bond movie Denise Richards as "Dr. Christmas Jones, nuclear scientist" seems far fetched - but The World Is Not Enough was a fresh attempt to shake up the established Bond formula.

 

Robert Carlyle was superbly cast but under utilized. Denise Richards was indeed far fetched. Her name chosen for a Bond line near the film’s end. Though I did feel it was my second favorite Brosnan Bond after Goldeneye!!

 

I agree despite me saying the film is lacking. Brosnan I think is the Bond that got short-changed the most in regard to his films. Goldeneye was such a great way to kick-off his tenure and it never capitalized on it. Tomorrow Never Dies is a very generic action movie of the late-90s to me and outside of the car chase in Germany has no real redeeming qualities for me. TWINE has its moments and Brosnan gives his best performance but there is just something about it that I feel it's missing but despite that is ahead of the other two. Then we have Die Another Day which is just a complete mess of a movie and looks really dated especially for a movie that likely had a large budget as well. I feel in an alternate universe or timeline Brosnan has an amazing run as Bond and is thought of as high as people do Connery today.

 

I haven't seen Goldeneye in many years. With the exception of the theme song I cannot say that I have any real criticism of it. It's a very solid Bond film.

For the debut film of a newly cast Bond, this is a very confident film. It knows what it wants to be and hits all the marks. The direction is focused, the casting is superb, the screenplay makes sense (not always a given in a Bond film).

Starting with the plot, as Bond states it's a bank robbery but with a revenge motivation (which takes out all of London's infrastructure). Although the action takes place all over the world and literally out of it, the story is down to earth.

The pre-title sequence gives us a pretty spectacular stunt in a jump off of an hydroelectric dam, with more than one sweeping shot to show you just how tall a leap this is, followed quickly by a mid air free fall to an out of control diving airplane. It was all quite outrageous but handled beautifully.

The title sequence was very sexy and well done. But, unfortunately, the title song was unmemorable. There's no reason why it should have been so anonymous with Tina Turner singing and Bono & Edge writing. Oh well. They should have used the Batman film theme that they wrote. Now THAT was a Bond theme.

After the stunt sequences our real introduction to the new Bond as a character is the initial car chase along the winding hills above Monte Carlo. Here's where we get to see how Pierce Brosnan approaches the Bond character. And he demonstrates a strength that, unfortunately, Timothy Dalton wasn't able to display in his two outings: charm. Let's face it, Bond has a beautiful woman in his passenger seat who is clearly frightened by the speed at which he is driving, and he chases down a second beautiful woman in a truly nerve wracking high speed race around mountainous curving roads. In short, he's really being a d*ck. Yet, at the end of the scene, he loses the race but gets the girl. The only reason this scene works is due to the charm of the actor.

Before I go on to discuss the cast, I want to point out that the car chase is very similar to the one in Quantum Of Solace. Yet the one on QoS was a confusing mess, while the one in Goldeneye was a suspenseful nail biter. This is clearly due to the confident direction of Martin Campbell. Every obstacle is clearly laid out and the geography of the scene never wavers. Oh, no, there's a truck around the next blind curve. Oh, no, there's a large group of bicyclists around the blind curve after that one. Oh, no, the Ferrari has gone down a slope to cut Bond off. Compare to the mess that is QoS where the audience had less of an understanding of the action than the characters did.

Anyway, onto Pierce Brosnan. IMO, he was born to play this role. Firstly, he is, of course, impossibly handsome. As stated earlier he has an abundance of natural charm. Yes, he is a fine actor. He brings an element of cruelty to the role that Roger Moore never could. But, mostly for me, it is the physicality he brings to Bond. He moves like a jungle cat. Every time he has a gun in his hand he becomes a predator. I wonder if Brosnan has a dance background. His movements are very fluid.

Speaking of guns, there is a really high body count in this film. Lots of mowing people down with machine guns. It was a touch unnerving.

The rest of the cast is equally top notch. Sean Bean (he of Lord Of The Rings) plays the villain and hits all of the right notes. He isn't trying to be anything other than a professional on a mission. A lesser actor would have gone over the top. One of the better Bond villains.

Judi Dench was a wonderful choice for M. She established up front that Bond was, in her view, a dinosaur. Yet there was professional respect between them. It was a good foundation to what her role would become over several films. Getting an actress of that caliber was a real score for the Bond franchise.

Old faithful Desmond Llewelyn is back as Q. He and the Aston Martin in the first car chase are nice callbacks for the fans.

We have a bit role by Minnie Driver, a small role by Robbie Coltrane and a supporting role by a young Alan Cumming. By itself that would make for a well cast film.

I like the Bond women in Goldeneye. While Famke Janssen plays a larger than life character, she doesn't go over the top like Barbara Carrera or Grace Jones. She's wild but not a parody - although its a near thing. Izabella Scorupco plays a low level computer programmer who is far better than her job indicates. She is never the damsel in distress and quietly does what needs to be done even if Bond repeatedly tells her to "stay here".

As a travelogue, this film works well. The locations are Russia, Monte Carlo & the Carribean (oh, yes, and outer space). Thankfully, we are back to widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ration, as Bond films should be. The sets are large and spectacular. It is all pretty epic.

A very solid entry into the Bond series.

 

I appreciate all the thought you put into this review.

License to Kill is badly directed.

John Glen is good with stunts, but nothing else. No timing, no pacing, no
sense of composition, no story sense, no distinction between action scenes
and dramatic scenes, no awareness of an actor's internal business. He
doesn't look for flattering angles for the faces, pays no attention to makeup
or wardrobe. Every shot and every scene strikes the same sledgehammer
tone. The photography is ugly and cheap. It looks like a TV movie. The last
action scene with the trucks drags out too long and has no structure to it.
Dalton looks oily and unkempt and gets all the bad angles. That's Glen's
fault.

The film is a slovenly mess. Dalton carries it on his shoulders and saves it.

The comedy relief is stupid, but Glen is not to blame for that, I suppose.

 

We’re all looking for something different in Bond I suppose. I thought the LTK truck chase made a refreshing change from the usual Bond attacks the villain’s hideout finale.

That said, GoldenEye does a hideout end that quickly goes outside for a one on one battle, which works really well.

I can’t see the similarity between the car chases in GoldenEye and Quantum. One is supposed to be a real scramble, admittedly the editing is way too fast. The other is a playful meeting of Bond and Onatopp. No real threat there, so there is time to dwell on comedy cyclists. Plus Serra’s music is awfully distracting in that scene. Ruins any charm for me.

 

I'm not sure if I was clear in my point, which was that the same type of action scene (cars speeding along a mountainous switchback road, with obstacles placed in the way) fared very differently in the hands of different directors/editors. One was easy to follow. The other was not. I'll discuss that more when I get up to QoS. But at the pace I am viewing these films, that won't be for some time.

 

I agree QOS is far too speedy in its editing and style. It does settle a bit as the movie goes on. That chase is a blur when you see it first, though I wonder if they are trying to make the viewer disoriented on purpose. The GoldenEye chase is more traditional in plotting. I was just wondering if the slower pace of that chase was in part down to its light hearted nature.

 

Gritty but campy in its own way. The Wayne Newton character, the bar scene is over the top. It looks heavily inspired by Miami Vice (even changing Felix Leiter’s occupation from working for the CIA to DEA). My favorite Dalton Bond movie is The Living Daylights. He deserved a third entry.

 

Back to The Living Daylights, it feels to me the pre-credits sequences was added in post-production, and the original pre-credits sequence was the scene after the credits taken from the novel, where Bond helps the bad guy escape, ending with "I must have scared the Living Daylights out of her" then BAM! Opening credits.

I also feel the final scene where he kills Joe Don Baker is a reshoot.

 

I’d guess the always had some sort of introduction for Dalton as Bond lines up for the opening sequence.

 

License to Kill seems like what would happen if Bond was dropped into De Palma's Scarface.

The rubber gloves were the cherry on the cake, cold and inhuman.