To count down to the release of Skyfall later this month, I've decided to offer mini-reviews on each of the Bond films, era at a time. To start things off, it's the Connery/Lazenby era, 1962 - 1971.
1. Dr. No. Though the film remains very much of it's time, the character is instantly timeless. Connery infuses Bond with roguish charm to form a new type of action hero whilst Ursula Andress lays claim to the greatest entrance in cinema history. Exotic locations and breathtaking sets help mask a somewhat rushed third act, and though the title villain is a little underdeveloped the tease of SPECTRE neatly sets up what will became a staple of the forthcoming films. 7/10.
2. From Russia With Love. Not so much a Bond film as we look at them today, but certainly a gripping spy thriller in it's own right. Though slow paced when compared to the rest, the climatic brawl on the Orient Express alone is enough for the film to earn it's place amongst the greats. 8/10.
3. Goldfinger. The one to which all others are compared, and which truly laid the formula to all that follow. The megalomaniac villains and extravagant plots for world domination; the beautiful women, fast cars and nifty gadgetry have been both a staple and a source of parody for the series since, but it's here that they were all truly utilised for the first time and make Goldfinger nothing if not iconic. Auric Goldfinger himself serves as a welcome change of pace from the exploits of main adversary SPECTRE in the other films of the era; Pussy Galore remains the most memorable Bond girl save Andress's Honey Ryder and the Aston Martin DB5 is, like the film itself, timeless. 8/10.
4. Thunderball. Bigger and better was the order of the day for Thunderball, and though it's often overlooked for being the immediate successor to Goldfinger there's a lot to like about the series' fourth entry; Connery is on impeccable form, the locations are suitably exotic and, keen to show off the increased budget, there's some thrilling underwater photography. If the film suffers it's that the underwater scenes last a little too long and drag the film to an unnecessary length, but they were a new direction for the series and for cinema of the time, and the fact they've been replicated in several Bond outings since only shows what an impact the film made. 7/10.
5. You Only Live Twice. Famed for it's Japanese locations, the literally mountainous volcano lair and the long awaited reveal of Blofeld, the cat-stroking head honcho of SPECTRE, You Only Live Twice is certainly memorable, but often becomes little more than a cartoonish spectacle. As suitably villainous and iconic as Donald Pleasance is as Blofeld (a performance that was never topped for the character), the volcano lair and the collapsable bridge into a pool of Piranhas turns the film a little too comical. Bond himself is treated little better here, with a bizarre attempt to turn Sean Connery Japanese and an aerial repeat of the famed Aston Martin chase in Goldfinger with the autogyro Little Nellie. Fun, but stretches the believability behind Bond a little too far. 6/10.
6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Often overlooked for being George Lazenby's sole outing for the character, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is arguably the most important addition to the franchise and one that helped develop the character of Bond to considerable lengths. Though Lazenby's performance doesn't live up to Connery's (or indeed any of the successors'), the film is considerably less formulaic than some of the others and actually crafts a compelling love story (with subsequent marriage) at it's core before delivering the most shocking, and heartbreaking ending to the franchise to date. This is also the film that introduced the series to snow covered mountain tops and thrilling ski chases, which, like Thunderball's underwater scenes, have become a staple of the franchise since. Sadly Terry Savalas doesn't quite live up to Donald Pleasance in bringing Blofeld to life, and though the actors for Blofeld and Bond have changed it's hard to buy that the characters don't immediately recognise each other either. Counter in Lazenby's breaking of the fourth wall at the beginning and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, though important, is not quite as timeless as it could have been. 7/10.
7. Diamond's Are Forever. Replace diamonds with gold and on paper it feels like we've seen Diamond's Are Forever before. Guy Hamilton was back behind the camera; Shirley Bassey to sing the theme. Famed American locales, audacious character names and, of course, a return of Sean Connery and Diamond's Are Forever becomes Goldfinger's spiritual sequel, and with the path set in the previous outing for a revenge fuelled Bond the film had everything going for it. Sadly, however, that's not the case, and more often than not Diamond's Are Forever becomes a highly camp parody of the franchise, all but ignoring the events of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in favour of cheap laughs, pantomime villains and easily escapable situations. Even Connery isn't enough to save this one, appearing to have aged twenty years since You Only Live Twice and offering a bored, ham-fisted performance. 4/10.
6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Often overlooked for being George Lazenby's sole outing for the character, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is arguably the most important addition to the franchise and one that helped develop the character of Bond to considerable lengths. Though Lazenby's performance doesn't live up to Connery's (or indeed any of the successors'), the film is considerably less formulaic than some of the others and actually crafts a compelling love story (with subsequent marriage) at it's core before delivering the most shocking, and heartbreaking ending to the franchise to date. This is also the film that introduced the series to snow covered mountain tops and thrilling ski chases, which, like Thunderball's underwater scenes, have become a staple of the franchise since. Sadly Terry Savalas doesn't quite live up to Donald Pleasance in bringing Blofeld to life, and though the actors for Blofeld and Bond have changed it's hard to buy that the characters don't immediately recognise each other either. Counter in Lazenby's breaking of the fourth wall at the beginning and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, though important, is not quite as timeless as it could have been. 7/10.
7. Diamond's Are Forever. Replace diamonds with gold and on paper it feels like we've seen Diamond's Are Forever before. Guy Hamilton was back behind the camera; Shirley Bassey to sing the theme. Famed American locales, audacious character names and, of course, a return of Sean Connery and Diamond's Are Forever becomes Goldfinger's spiritual sequel, and with the path set in the previous outing for a revenge fuelled Bond the film had everything going for it. Sadly, however, that's not the case, and more often than not Diamond's Are Forever becomes a highly camp parody of the franchise, all but ignoring the events of On Her Majesty's Secret Service in favour of cheap laughs, pantomime villains and easily escapable situations. Even Connery isn't enough to save this one, appearing to have aged twenty years since You Only Live Twice and offering a bored, ham-fisted performance. 4/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment