There has been a huge backlash in the casting of Daniel Craig as the most recent James Bond. I'm only going to make one comment on this casting: He wouldn't have been my choice, but he seems to fit the characteristics of the literary James Bond.
I don't usually pass judgment on the actors playing Bond as much as the film itself. While Sean Connery is my favorite James Bond, Timothy Dalton portrayed the most accurate literary version of the character created by Ian Fleming. I haven't read every book written by Fleming, but I've always come to the conclusion that unless you've read a few of his books, you will never have a clear understanding of who James Bond really is.
I grew up watching Roger Moore's portrayal of James Bond. A few gems came out of his share of the franchise, but they were mostly laden with serious cheese, obvious stunt doubles, horrendous bell-bottom pants and painful over-synthesized disco soundtracks. When I was a kid, I loved those movies. Revisiting them as an adult with a more critical eye, there were quite a few that left a lot to be desired.
Dr. No (1962)
It didn't display all of the elements of a typical Bond film, but it was a great starting block: We get the womanizing Bond, the gambling Bond as well as the judge, jury and executioner Bond. Connery nailed the role from the start and everyone else since him have been playing James Bond in his shadow.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
From Russia With Love (1963)
A classic romantic adventure film with a startling opening of James Bond being killed. Includes the introduction of some of the first gadgets Bond is issued including the briefcase with hidden compartments. Also had another one of my Top 5 Bond Girls, Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi).
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Goldfinger (1964)
By far my favorite Bond film and usually hailed by most fans and critics alike as the quintessential James Bond movie. Talk about gadgets: the Aston Martin DB5 makes it debut with rotating license plates, water jets, smoke screen, radar and ejector seat. Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) set the standard as the perfect Bond villian, while Oddjob became one of the best henchmen of the Bond Franchise. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) starts the list of my Top 5 Bond Girls.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Thunderball (1965)
Rather enjoyable film as Connery comfortably fills the shoes of Bond once more. However, you might not like me after stating this, but I preferred the remake Never Say Never Again released by Warner back in 1983.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
You Only Live Twice (1967)
This bond film really wasn't my cup of tea. Besides, are we actually suppose to believe that Connery can pull off being Japanese (even for a brief period of time)? I also have a hard time believing Donald Pleasance as a serious villain. The set designs are great but when space is involved in Bond films, I have a hard time suspending my disbelief.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
I know, it's out of sequence, but I decided to group all of Connery's films together. Because of Connery's high fee, the film's special effects budget was significantly scaled back, which was apparent on screen. Let us also not forget the "gay" assassins as well. However, if it hadn't been for this film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery might not have ever been born.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
One of the better written Bond films starring "that other guy." George Lazenby does a decent job picking up the slack that Connery left behind. He also ends up portraying the only Bond who gets married to Tracy Di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), another one of my Top 5 Bond Girls. It's also difficult to see Kojak (Telly Savalas) as Blofeld, the mastermind behind S.P.E.C.T.R.E.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Live and Let Die (1973)
After Connery turned down the then astronomical sum of $5.5 million to return as Bond, Roger Moore then enters the scene. Weird voo-doo surrounds the storyline as well as introduces to the rest of the world the undeniably gorgeous Jane Seymour as Solitaire, one of my Top 5 Bond Girls. Yaphet Kotto, who portrays Mr. Big / Kananga, stars as one of my favorite Bond villains as well as Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder) as one of the better henchmen of the Bond Franchise. Includes one of the best James Bond songs performed by Paul McCartney.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
One of the corniest of the entire Bond Franchise. Christopher Lee as Scaramanga, his henchman, Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize, also known as Tattoo from Fantasy Island) are anything but to be taken seriously.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
A return to form... for the most part. The music is definitely showing it's disco era and the one-liners keep coming but the story is solid.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Moonraker (1979)
Space + James Bond = Mostly retarded movie. It's sad, too, because I really loved this movie when I was a kid. It's amazing how things change when you get older.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
The last decent Roger Moore film. This film also still displays the ever present disco era music but you also come to the realization that as much as Bond is a sex fiend, he's not a pervert. Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet) also deserves an honorable mention just missing my Top 5 Bond Girls list.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Octopussy (1983)
Moore is seriously showing his age but apparently can still attract an audience and a pay check. A weak script along with an aging bond are no match for the knife-throwing twins along with a travelling circus and a mostly absurd plot. Sneaking the film score into the flute of a snake charmer, as an under cover agent attracting Bond's attention, was a pretty lame act, too.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
A View to a Kill (1985)
If Moore wasn't showing his age before, he definitely is now. Even having Christopher Walken as the evil Max Zorin can't compete with the butch Grace Jones, Tanya "I scream too much" Roberts and a snowboarding Bond in the opening scene. It did, however, give us one of the better James Bond songs performed by Duran Duran.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.
The Living Daylights (1987)
A return to the format, the cold war, is always a good indication that James Bond still serves a purpose. Timothy Dalton enters the scene and apparently proceeds to piss off quite a few fans in the process as not being either suave enough, like Connery, or not old enough to execute the perfect one-liners, like Moore. It still produced a decent story and some neat gadgets as well as Dalton being a closer representation of the literary James Bond.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
License to Kill (1989)
Dalton returns, pissed as always... except this time he goes rogue and loses his license to kill. It was the first Bond film to be rated PG-13 for excessive violence and seems to lose some of it's charm because of it. Apparently Bond exacting revenge isn't always the best formula to follow.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
GoldenEye (1995)
Pierce Brosnan brought to the roll a fantastic combination of Connery's class and Moore's humor along with his own style. The best bond to hit the silver screen since For Your Eyes Only and it starred the last girl on my Top 5 Bond Girls list, Famke Jessen as Xenia Onatopp.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
A much weaker plot involving a deranged media mogul arranging international incidents for headlines and pitting world superpowers against each other. Brosnan still knocks the role out of the park, but the story suffers in the process.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
The only Bond film I've only seen once... and once was enough. Horrible acting along with a terrible storyline involving Bond protecting an oil heiress from a ruthless anarchist whose total imperviousness to pain makes him a virtually unstoppable enemy. That and Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist. Um, yeah... sure, completely believable.
Rating: 1 out of 5.
Die Another Day (2002)
Brosnan's final film was extremely over the top but it's execution was superb. Much more enjoyable that the previous, it redeemed itself with an entertaining storyline by having Bond being captured behind enemy lines in North Korea, tortured, stripped of his 00-license and being abandoned by MI-6. The remainder of the film has Bond attempting to exact revenge on who set him up in North Korea all while plays homage to the other 19 Bond films in the process.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
My final comments about the upcoming Casino Royale...
Martin Campbell is directing, which is good. He directed Brosnan in GoldenEye. The budget for Casino Royale is significantly smaller than the previous three films: $72 million. The budgets for the last three Bond films: Die Another Day $142 million, The World Is Not Enough $135 million and Tomorrow Never Dies $110 million.
Always a good sign when you can make the next picture at half of the last film's budget. It's also pretty smart considering that they have a new star that may not be as bankable as the last. However, Martin Campbell also stated that he wanted to do a toned down Bond film with less action and explosions. Watching the trailer doesn't necessarily back that comment. Oh well, who knows...
Until next time, dear readers.
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