Spectre (2015)

Director: Sam Mendes

Writers: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Jez Butterworth

Composer: Thomas Newman

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott, Rory Kinnear, Jesper Christensen, Alessandro Cremona

More info: IMDb


Plot: A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

My rating: 9/10

Will I watch it again? YES!

DOUBLE-O SPOILERS AHEAD!!!  YARRRRRR!!!

NICE!  After the disappointing (yeah, I know I'm in the minority on this one) SKYFALL (), I could not have been prepared for the awesomeness of SPECTRE.  The end of SKYFALL felt like the pieces were set to get back to the James Bond I grew up with from Moore and Connery and boy did they knock it out of the park!  There were seemingly endless references to what felt like about every Bond film that came before.  I kept seeing hints of each of the prior films in subtle (and not so subtle) ways and I was loving it.  Bautista was intimidating as hell as Mr. Hinx.  I was sad to see his quick departure but I suspect he'll be back for the next film. Whishaw as Q was much better utilized than in SKYFALL (I didn't like him or the character as I felt he was far too young).  Daniel Craig felt like he was at his most comfortable in the role and he was having a wonderful time with it.  Plus it was great seeing Bond more playful like what we got with Connery and Moore.  Loved it.  And then there's Christoph Waltz.  OMFG was he pitch perfect for this.  I also suspect he'll be back for the next one as well.

The only issues I have with the picture were the head drilling torture scene and the finale.  Bond got out of the needle scene way too easily and without incident.  You'd think that would have fucked his shit up than probably giving him a slight headache.  Then there's the inexcusable, idiotic way in which Madeleine excuses herself from the film near the end only to find her kidnapped and used for bait to trap Bond.  I feel like I've discussed that and what follows so much with my friends and how it should've gone that I'm tired and I don't have the patience right now to lay it all out again.  Other than that, I friggin' loved the movie.  That opening sequence was a lot of fun and the location and ambiance was terrific.  After a couple of OK pictures, SPECTRE was the breath of fresh air that this franchise and fans of the pre-Brosnan films needed and desperately wanted.  Now let's just hope they don't muck up the next one. What I'd like to see harkens back to OHMSS (1968).  Let's have Bond and Madeleine driving along the beautiful countryside of France, Spain or anywhere.  They're happy as can be and enjoying life to its fullest when along comes Mr. Hinx driving with a damaged (as we saw him at the end of SPECTRE) Blofeld firing a machine gun at them, killing Madeleine.  Then roll the opening credits and the chase is on with Bond in full on revenge mode.  THAT'S what I'd like to see and what an amazing opening it would make.  I'd be squirming in my seat in anticipation of what was next having to sit through the 3 minute song/credits. 

OK Connery (1967)

Director: Alberto De Martino

Starring: Neil Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Adolfo Celi, Agata Flori, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson, Lois Maxwell, Yachuco Yama, Franco Giacobini, Ana Maria Noe

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Neil Connery is too much.

Plot: The evil crime syndicate Thanatos is bent on taking over the world, using a magnetic wave generator that will cause all metal-based machinery to grind to a halt. However, the well-known British secret agent normally assigned to such tasks isn't available, so they engage his civilian brother, Neil, to help. Neil, played by Neil Connery, is a world-class plastic surgeon, hypnotist, and lip-reader, which turn out to be precisely the skills required for thwarting Thanatos.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Maybe.

This is the best way to watch movies...

Compare this to the Bond pictures and it's terrible.  Compare it to the oodles of Bond knock-offs that cropped up in the mid-60s and it's better than average.  I prefer to look at it like the latter.  But what makes this one stand above every single Bond clone is this cast.  You star with Sean Connery's younger brother (playing a character called Dr. Neil Connery!!!)...

and work your way down a who's who of Bond actors like Bernard Lee (M) and Lois Maxwell (Ms. Moneypenny)...

and then you've got Adolfo Celi (who played the villain, Largo, in THUNDERBALL (1965))...

and you've got more with Daniela Bianchi (the love interest/spy, Tatiana Romanova, from FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)) and Anthony Dawson (Professor Dent in DR. NO (1962) and Blofeld in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and THUNDERBALL).  And all of these actors make up the stars of this film.  I really dig all of these folks and it's especially nice seeing Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell with substantial roles.  Hell, Maxwell even has some action scenes!!!

One thing that hurts this picture is the dubbing.  It's not only that the dub is poor (it's obvious from start to finish that this movie was completely dubbed) but that it's dubbed at all.  Connery's voice isn't his.  I'm not sure if that hurts or helps the picture.  He's also sporting facial hair which keeps you from seeing just how closely he resembles his brother.

 

 

Another point against the film is the 104 minute run time.  I've rarely seen a Bond knock off that was good enough to sustain even 90 minutes.  I'm sure that if you make some slight edits here and there, tightening up the film in more than a few places, this could possibly be a much better film. 

Did I mention how much pussy is in this picture?

This marks the first film that composers Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai teamed for a score.  It's what you'd expect from a bouncy, pop-y 60s score and it overstays its welcome (like so many European scores of this era tended to do), nice at first, becoming repetitive, expected, and at times annoying.  It would be easy to knock this picture and accuse it of being a steamy pile of shit but it's not that bad depending on how you look at it.  I'm a huge Bond fan so it's got some serious curiosity value for me.   

Skyfall (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Albert Finney, Berenice Marlohe, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear

More info: IMDb


Plot: Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Of course.

My busy work schedule kept me from seeing this in the theater for over a week after its debut.  It's the first time I missed opening night on a Bond film since A VIEW TO A KILL (1985), the year that I was finally old enough to drive a car.  Since I had to wait so long to see it (it would've felt like forever if I hadn't been so involved in work), it seemed like everything I heard about it was orgasmic.  My expectations were starting to get pretty high.  Then I saw it.  I really liked it but I wasn't all ga-ga for it like the rest of the world.  I've now seen it twice and it was better the second time.  Let's just assume I liked almost everything about the picture (and I do).  The things that bugged me were how he survives the fall from the train (I'm not spoiling anything if you've seen the trailer), I wanted more screen time from the villain (and why does he have to have some physical deformity?), a good number of the one liners from Bond felt shoe-horned in for laughs, Q is too young and I'm sure there's something else I'm not thinking about.  What I absolutely LOVED was the final minutes of the film and how the characters of Dench, Fiennes and Harris play out.  I was left STARVING for the next one.  There were parts of the movie where I started to long for the Bonds of old with Connery and Moore, where things weren't so serious and ramped up.  The final few minutes of SKYFALL gave me a sense of comfort that I have with the first two decades of Bond films.  It's been a bumpy 50 year ride with the franchise but it's also been an awful lot of fun seeing the series continue.

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (2012)

Director: Stevan Riley

Starring: TONS of people involved with the Bond franchise.

More info: IMDb

Plot: Produced as part of the celebrations of the James Bond film series reaching its fiftieth anniversary and sanctioned by those behind them, the documentary Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of 007 starts from the events leading up to the first film and spends a few minutes on each film that followed with interviews from the cast and crew.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

I'm a James Bond fan.  I'm cuckoo for 007 Cocoa Puffs.  I'm very opinionated about the subject. I've watched all the films a gazillion times and I've seen TONS of extras and heard most of the DVD commentaries.  I'm all over this shit.  EVERYTHING OR NOTHING is a great overview but it's barely scratching the surface.  In 98 minutes they cover how Broccoli and Saltzman got started with the film series and continues to talk about each film in chronological order and how each Bond actor got the part.  There are tons of interviews and lots of great behind the scenes photos and video.  It's a fascinating ride but boy, oh boy, is it a quick one.  The thing to do is to watch this and then hit every single documentary on each of the films that come with the special editions.  They're about an hour each.  Then you've got something.  Even though I've been watching the Bond behind the scenes stuff for decades I still get a kick out of them and I'll be watching this one a few times in the years to come.

Casino Royale (1967)

Directors: Val Guest, Ken Hughes, John Huston, Joseph McGrath, Robert Parrish, Richard Talmadge

Starring: David Niven, Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Joanna Pettet, Daliah Lavi, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, Charles Boyer, John Huston, Barbara Bouchet, George Raft, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset, Richard Burton, eraldine Chaplin, Jack Gwillim, Burt Kwouk, John Le Mesurier, Caroline Munro, Peter O'Toole

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Casino Royale is too much for one James Bond!

Plot: After the death of M, Sir James Bond is called back out of retirement to stop SMERSH. In order to trick SMERSH and Le Chiffre, Bond thinks up the ultimate plan. That every agent will be named James Bond. One of the Bonds, whose real name is Evelyn Tremble, is sent to take on Le Chiffre in a game of baccarat, but all the Bonds get more than they can handle, especially when the ultimate villain turns out to be Bond's nephew, Jimmy Bond.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Yeah.

CASINO ROYALE is, for most people, a curiosity at best. As a Bond film, forget it. As a comedy, it's wildly uneven, sometimes dull and silly and sometimes genuinely funny as hell. It's one of those big budget 'kitchen sink' comedies which were so prevalent in the late 60s that has a huge cast and tries so hard to deliver something for everyone. They rarely work as intended.


There's an awful lot that does work in this one and that's primarily the cast. David Niven (Ian Fleming's original choice to play Bond) as Bond is great, especially once he's back on the job. Woody Allen is hysterical, Sellers is fun, although not being particularly funny. Orson Welles is hilarious and Barbara Bouchet as Moneypenny is scrummy as ever and she needs to have my babies...


as does Ursula Andress...


and Joanna Pettet...


and Daliah Lavi...


I should clear my schedule.

I could go on about the other more minor roles but I don't have that kind of time. Burt Bacharach's score is one of his best comedy scores. The tunes are fun and firmly belong in the late 60s. Nothing dates a movie like its score and this one revels in it. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the main theme by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass!

As much as I like many aspects of this picture, it's tough getting through the dry spots like the first 40 minutes leading up to Sir James Bond in action once he's back at the office. There's barely a laugh. From that point on it's a fun ride, not always funny (and there are some misses) but a fun time nevertheless. I just wish they'd done something different with the first third of the picture. It's almost pointless and heavy on the not funny.


I think in the future I'll just skip ahead and pretend the first 40 minutes don't exist. It'll be a more enjoyable, not to mention A LOT shorter, movie (it clocks in at 2 hours, 11 minutes!!!). As a die hard Bond fan (with the exception of the Brosnan pictures and one each of the Connery and Moore films) I'm perfectly fine that this exists. As a fan of movies, I really dig it. The psychedelic sets, mood, calamity, film stars (I'm a huge fan of so much of the cast it's ridiculous), the wacky 60s score, the insanely goofy fight at the end, the works.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Director: Marc Forster

Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathiu Amalric, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jeffrey Wright

More info: IMDb

Plot: Seeking revenge for the death of his love, secret agent James Bond sets out to stop an environmentalist from taking control of a country's valuable resource.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yup.

Again, I'm there opening night. After the home run that preceded it, I was primed for more greatness. Like everyone I attended the theater with, I was shaking my head after it was all over wondering WTF. That was then and it's been this long since I gave it another chance. Initially, I felt the opening car chase and a later fight scene were too quickly edited with that shitty shaky cam thing. It must have been seeing it on the big screen that did it 'cause watching it at home, it was much more restrained than I remember. Hmmm.


Another beef, which I still have, is the inclusion and portrayal of Strawberry Fields. The only purpose she served was eye candy (which wasn't necessary) and to die. I was definitely on board with her dying but the homage to the Golden Girl in GOLDFINGER (1964) was too much. Oh, and then there's the line by M where they found oil in her lungs. Really? How would they know? She's lying on her stomach on a white bed. She's covered in oil but the bed doesn't look like it's been touched. How the hell did they determine that? I know, I'm looking far too into it but still, ya know?


Then there's the climax in that unusual hotel in the desert. The location was too contrived and too much of a throwback to the older films (which, pre-Brosnan, worked). And that song. That horrible fucking song by Jack White and Alicia Keyes. Who the hell thought this was a good idea? I kind dug the credit sequence but that song. Damn! I was hoping that it might get a little easier to take the second time around but no. Hell, no.

On that opening Friday night I would have given this one about a 6 but now that I've seen it again with the passage of time, it's much better than I remembered. Some of my initial gripes still hold true but, overall, it's a pretty good Bond flick. Besides, CASINO ROYALE (2006) is an incredibly tough act to follow. And for what it's worth, I recently watched these two films back to back. It is possible that QUANTUM played better this time because of it. Regardless, it didn't deserve the initial trashing I gave it.

Casino Royale (2006)

Director: Martin Campbell

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Everyone has a past. Every legend has a beginning. On November 17th, discover how James...became Bond.

Plot: In his first mission, James Bond must stop Le Chiffre, a banker to the world's terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes poker tournament at Casino Royale in Montenegro.

My rating: 9/10

Will I watch it again? Oh, yeah!

After having almost completely given up on the Bond franchise after the disappointing Brosnan pictures (I didn't like any of them), CASINO ROYALE was the shot in the arm this series needed. Craig was ideal, although I was very sad that Clive Owen turned it down - he would have been a great Bond. While his physical appearance not what Ian Fleming described in his books, his persona is right on. Craig's Bond IS the literary Bond. The closest fans of the novels had previously was Timothy Dalton.


This Bond is an intelligent blunt instrument. That's his job. He's not the wisecracking playboy the movies have portrayed. I appreciate the literary and movie Bond. I'm not a one or the other kind of guy because there's plenty of room for both.


I've been there practically for opening night on nearly all the Bond pictures since probably A VIEW TO A KILL, when I was old enough to drive. Like I've said, the Brosnan films were a huge letdown, especially considering he was a great Bond except for the constant one-liners. He was too playful. So for years my expectations had been low for each new movie but there was something different in my anticipation for CASINO ROYALE. I hoped for a departure of the silly and for something more grounded in reality (kind of like the difference from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY except that I loved all but the last of the Moore films).


Everyone involved made an excellent movie and one of the best Bond pictures so far. I was blown away. I wasn't entirely sold on the romance between Bond and Vesper in that he seemed a little too quick to throw his career away for this woman. After subsequent viewings, it's growing on me and that gripe is fading.


Another nice surprise was the Chris Cornell song, "You Know My Name". LOVE IT! I recall reading a good deal of hate on it online. I don't get it. It's a great song and it fits nicely among the others. It also goes to show how shitty Madonna's "Die Another Day" song is. Fuck, that was awful. And that opening credit sequence is absolutely magnificent. David Arnold's scoring talents never cease to impress me. I'm continually grateful that he's taken the reins from the recently deceased John Barry. He's a worthy successor.

The pre-credit B&W flashback sequence of Bond earning his 007 moniker is a great introduction to the new actor as well as the post-credit on-foot chase sequence. HOLY SHIT was that badass!!!


The novel ends with Bond telling M, "The bitch is dead." Normally, I'd be disappointed that the film didn't end that way. Not only was I thrilled they had the balls to include that line near the end, the final shot of Bond doing the classic, "Bond. James Bond" and then hearing the Bond theme for the first time in the movie with the trumpets balls to the wall screaming...well, that was a brilliant fucking move. There was a roar of cheers and applause from the audience I saw it with. It was one of those rare moments where you jump up and scream, "FUCK YEAH!" CASINO ROYALE is one big, "FUCK YEAH!" and I couldn't be more pleased with this movie. Well, almost...and that's good enough.

Bond 20: Die Another Day (2002)

Director: Lee Tamahori

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Madsen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Events don't get any bigger than...

Plot: James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul who is funding the development of an international space weapon.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.


There's nothing more than any of the Brosnan Bond films that make me long for the days of Roger Moore or Sean Connery. The thing is, I don't blame Brosnan at all (assuming he had little control over anything in the films). It's squarely on the producers. They've continually added stupid shit to these flicks that fucks them all up. They seem like they have to get bigger with every film. No, you don't, you just have to make a good film. They at least got it right with CASINO ROYALE (2006) but that didn't last long before they went back to being retards again. I hate people sometimes. If I didn't love the world of Bond so much I wouldn't care.


Madonna's theme song is the worst by a long shot (but just wait until QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) comes around) and her acting performance is as bad as Denise Richards in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) (if that's at all possible). It's not even a good Madonna song, for fuck's sake, and I like quite a bit of her music, too. Fortunately we've got another good score by David Arnold.


I don't get why Halle Berry is as big of a star as she is. She's attractive and she was good in MONSTER'S BALL (2001) but most of her performances I've seen are pretty bad (considering the cast that surrounds her). I didn't care for her in this one and I'm thankful that the rumored spin-off film featuring her character didn't happen.


For me the best part was more srumminess from Samantha Bond in a FANTASTIC payoff at the end of the movie.


As with the previous three Brosnan Bond films, I liked Brosnan where he's being serious and he's got moments when he really works well but there's too much horseshit that muddies everything up to make him a great Bond. I'm so glad I've watched these Brosnan Bond pictures for the last time. I really can't imagine a situation where I would slap them in again. This one in particular is two hours and thirteen minutes long! I'd love to get the series on Blu-ray (well, you know, when they eventually put them all out) but it's these films that keep me from getting the sets. I just don't want 'em.

Scorethefilm will return with his thoughts on...

Casino Royale (2006)

Bond 19: The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Director: Michael Apted

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese, Samantha bond

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Some men want to rule the world... Some women ask for the world... Some believe the world is theirs for the taking... But for one man, The World Is Not Enough!!!

Plot: James Bond uncovers a nuclear plot when he protects an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.


Yawn. More silliness. I really wish they hadn't gone with the over-the-top outrageousness with the Brosnan pictures. He could've been a great Bond. He was when he was playing it serious but there's just far too many cornball one liners and stupid situations to make him anything but a great Bond. He's the Bond that could've been...should've been. That's right, I said it. Of all the 6 guys (in the true Bond franchise) that played him, he's my least favorite.


Anyway, that's not to say there are things I like about this one, the most of which being the final appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q. His exit brings a tear to my eye every time. Having Cleese as his replacement is brilliant casting. Too bad it only lasted for one more picture.



Denise Richards is about as offensive as an actress as you can get in a Bond flick. THE FUCK? Her performance is atrocious. Samantha Bond, however, as Miss Moneypenny is scrummy as hell and she needs to have my babies.

Denise Richards...BAD!

Samantha Bond (left)...SCRUMMY!

David Arnold continues to kick some ass with his John Barry-inspired score. I'm so glad he's stayed on as the franchise composer all these years. His work is excellent and I can't think of a better choice for a Bond composer outside of Barry. The theme tune performed by Garbage is quite good as well.


Overall, like the other two Brosnan Bond pictures, I just can't get behind this one. I wanted to but I couldn't and it doesn't get better with the next one, either.

Scorethefilm will return with his thoughts on...

Die Another Day (2002)