The definitive James Bond film ?

Looks like Craig’s Bond career started with a kiss kiss bang bang and ended shaken and not stirred.

 

You nailed it.
Dr. No.

followed by From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

 

Wasn’t The Avengers/Peel episode A Touch Of Brimstone not shown in America because of the s&m?

 

I keep going back to Goldeneye the subsequent Pierce films took the more comedic stuff and amped it up but I think this kept the fun in Bond without making it silly. I think the villain seems more plausible than many Bond villains as well Sean Bean is fantastic. The Goldeneye weapon probably isn't the most realistic in how it works in the movie but I like the way it's used and how they set it up in order to have it as a threat at the end of the movie. I think it's the first Bond film I saw in the cinema as well, I was 10 when it came out so I was skeptical about going to see it (My friend's dad took us) but I ended up loving the film.

 

I think the emphasis on comedy | satire | slapstick ruined the 1970s Bond films.
There was always good action and beautiful women to enjoy but they did not
entirely make up for the idiotic mentality. I always thought the Bond films should
be suspense thrillers with some eroticism and a minor element of ironic wit that
Connery and Young were so adept at. The tongue-in-cheek tone was a difficult
note to strike for subsequent teams and they fell over themselves doing it wrong.
The scale tipped into idiocy with TSWLM; a spectacular production spoiled by
a giant clown. Kids who grew up with that actually assumed it belonged there,
and there was no saving the franchise from the twisted expectations it started.

Then Barbara Broccoli took over, Daniel Clueless happened, and it all went to h--l.

 

Sean Connery is my fav Bond, but I love Live And Let Die as well as Goldfinger

 

I always thought that very thing, but it would have been comical to see Connery as "Sir Hilary Bray".

 

Sean Connery/Bond ~ OHMSS ? Too old.

 

So have I thought so. The film would have been anchored and strengthened by
Connery's gravitas and demeanor. Lazenby got lucky; he got the best Bond
script and a director who guided him into the best possible performance and
who really made sure to use only the best takes so that he looked good (come to
think of it Peter Hunt took good care of the series, and his loss was evident in
subsequent films). I came to accept Lazenby. He turned out to be a good choice
in retrospect. I would have accepted Roger Moore who would have played Bond
in OHMSS if he had been allowed out of his TV contract. Moore gave his best
performances under director Peter Hunt in other films. Getting back to Sean
Connery, he'd have pulled off "Sir Hilary Bray" with considerable aplomb. I'm
trying to remember the title of that film in which he does a puppy dog impression ....

 

I'll always love Thunderball because of the sauna scene.

 

Goldfinger is the best Bond film I think but the (new) Casino Royale is the definitive Bond film as it's less about the gadgets and taking over the world and more about the down to earth aspects of spying which is more realistic.

 

I think this might be my favorite as well. It has a freshness to it no other Bond film has and is by no means overplayed.

Interestingly, in 2005, EA made a From Russia With Love video game with Sean Connery returning to voice the character. I wonder why this game was ever approved, in an era where most gamers were likely unaware of this movie and likely never watched it. I really enjoyed the game. It had a great feel to it. I'm just a fan of the film/game, I guess.

 

"Strict rules of golf, GOLDFINGA!"

... but I'd say the most intelligent and realistic is "From Russia with Love".
Plenty of real-world intrigue and laughs. Seriously, Lotte Lenya must've
had a great laugh wearing those spiked shoes.

 

"Casino Royale" easily is Craig's best and the best from EON
in many years. Not to slog off Pierce Brosnan, his best was
"Goldeneye" and that's a fun watch as well. "Tomorrow Never
Dies" was a turkey and it went downhill from there.

 

Did the Skyfall down?

 

So be it but the theme music is first rate. There's a few other Bond film where that's true....too.

 

My favourite Bond

 

The consensus seems to be that Goldfinger is the 'definitive' cinematic Bond film, with FRWL and OHMSS as the 'best'...can't say I disagree with any of that. I will say that I have a soft spot for The Living Daylights (tied with OHMSS for my favorite Bond film & soundtrack).

In the 'What could have been' department: GoldenEye as the originally planned third Dalton film could have been INCREDIBLE. Too bad that never materialized.

 

Sean Connery would have been 39 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Connery was born in 1930; the movie was made in 1969), and I don't think that's too old at all. George Lazenby was 9 years younger, so he was 30 at the time the film was made.

 

Goldfinger for me! saw it at the movies back when it first ran...

 

Goldfinger, if only for this quote:

Pu$$y Galore:
My name is Pu$$y Galore.

James Bond:
I must be dreaming.

 

Goldfinger, definitely for me.

I really liked Brosnan in the role but with the exception of Goldeneye, he never got great scripts. For Craig, I liked Casino Royale and Skyfall, but he is too dour and humorless in the role.

 

There's only one answer: Goldfinger. There are two (or three) Bond films I like more, but nothing sums up what Bond is as well as that.

 

I have never forgotten it, firstly for Bond's classic comeback retort & secondly for my late father's incredulous chuckle at the "Galore" line whilst once watching it at home on TV 30+ years ago!

 

They lured him back at 41 for Diamonds. But he was looking pretty old in YOLT though I think by then the hairpieces were making him look older as well.