James Bond

Goldfinger. Codified most of the series' tropes, and definitely among the best. The two preceding films don't quite have the same formula, with the third bringing together key aspects of both for the full Bond feel.

Probably this one. It's the one that defines the series most. Still I do have fond memories of being 6 and watching them in order on a weekend night with my Dad when ITV decided to air one film a week. Dr No is far from the worst film to start with

Goldfinger was my first Bond movie, but since then I've only seen Casino, Quantum, Golden Gun and Die Another Day.

Started watching some of the older (pre-Brosnan) Bonds in TV repeats this year. Definitely liked On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Living Daylights more than their reputation implied.

Still tons of gaps from anything pre-Tomorrow Never Dies though. I'm young, so I may be biased in thinking Casino Royale as my favourite (not seen the Bourne films to compare before you ask). Not a huge Quantum of Solace fan, but Craig's portrayal definitely raised its enjoyment factor. Maybe one of the worst out of the eight I've seen so far, but it's no Die Another Day.

First movie was either The World is Not Enough or Die Another Day, sometime after the latter was already on DVD.

edited 3rd Jul '11 6:09:10 PM by OldManHoOh

I grew up with Brosnan and he's the Bond I think of, for better or worse. Its a shame his movies aged so poorly. Chris Perry said, "He's a good Bond. Not a great Bond, but a good Bond", and compared him to Moore's tenure, when "all Bond had to do was cast his eye on a heaving boob and it was stuck between his teeth in a minute." Not to mention his Moore-style innuendo, which had all the subtlety of a mallet.

That out of the way, TWINE is the most under-appreciated movie, second to OHMSS. Actually, the latter is more well-liked, not least thanks to fans like the Cinema Snob and the whole mystique of Lazenby leaving. TWINE however sank like a stone thanks to Denise Richards, which is plain unfair. She doesn't especially stick out until the climax on the submarine, and she's hardly the most annoying Bond girl. The continuity with Goldeneye (Robbie Coltrane) is pretty nifty. Finally, it juggles a plausible-sounding oil scheme (so superior to Marc Foster's screed against mean ol' Chevron) with a bondage-loving, bonkers French chick. What more could you want?

Lots of people like OHMSS, has nobody here heard of the so called Lazenby paradox? That the film manages to be great despite the poor lead. Personally I think if Connery had done it then it would be the most common candidate for best Bond film by far, and it already is a lot of peoples favourite anyway.

As for The World is Not Enough, that's probably the 2nd worst in the series. It's Brosnans first two films which tend to get tarred by the same brush as and Die another Day.

edited 4th Jul '11 7:24:10 AM by C0mraid

While clearly one of, if not his first role, I didn't think Lazenby was that bad all things considering.

I can defend some of Brosnan's portrayal, but his jokes and one-liners in the final two or three movies were just...bad. So Bad, It's Good, maybe, but still bad. Good Bond, spotty writing toward the end. I just hope that GoldenEye's good when I see it.

edited 4th Jul '11 8:30:15 AM by OldManHoOh

@Indirect Active Transport - Totally unrelated to this but.... I'm in love with your avatar. Good choice.

Also, Craig as James Bond RULES. "How did he die?" "Your contact?..Not well." "Made you feel it, did he? Hm. You needn't worry. The second is......" BOND CAPS THE FOOL IN MIDSENTENCE. "Yes. Considerably.".

My main objection to On Her Majestys Secret Service has nothing to do with Lazenby.

It's all the winter sports. Luge? Skiing? Curling, IIRC?

All of those are Winter Olympic sports. What's the problem with them?

You don't think a spy movie with curling is a little silly?

Aside from Casino Royale and maybe Licence to Kill, I think most of the Bond films I've seen are a little silly.

I think all of the James Bond films I've seen are a little silly. Actually I think almost all of the films I've seen are at least a little bit silly.

edited 4th Jul '11 10:44:24 AM by C0mraid

^ Just last night, the characters on Body Of Proof made a dig at Bond movies. I guess the tide has turned.

With a franchise as crusty as 007, it's no surprise. We need a long cooldown period before people will enjoy it again. A nostalgia bomb doesn't work if you keep cranking out a new film every two years.

A reboot with a different style suffices I think. The old films are never going to be remade, and nothing like them could ever work now anyway. What's needed is the modern feel, and I think the Craig films have done that well.

Similarities to Bourne or otherwise (I've still not seen the Bourne trilogy), people liked Casino Royale.

edited 4th Jul '11 11:21:06 AM by OldManHoOh

Actually, I would go a different route. Bond movies have been sponging off of more successful films ever since Live And Let Die.

Casino Royale was modern, but still unmistakably Bond. If you keep trying to assimilate the style of Paul Greengrass, what's the point of it? I'd rather have a new Bourne than Bourne-lite.

I think the next film is key for the series. QOS was reviled because they picked the wrong aspects of CR to focus on. If they get it right this time, they're set. If not? Franchise is in big trouble (I won't say "dead" because I don't see that happening inside our lifetime)

Our expected lifespan, for our forum average age, is quite long. Unless you feel really confident about the James Bond series for the next 60-70 years, I'd recommend coming up with a time range.

Well, at the very least it means no more Craig, so we start from square one.

I'm sure they already knew that and meant it. I for one can't really imagine the franchise disappearing. I mean I know it will one day, but if I time travelled 100 years in the future I'd expect to find that a Bond film had been made in the last decade. We could be wrong of course.

edited 4th Jul '11 11:48:03 AM by C0mraid

He and yes, I did. Even if it becomes a franchise zombie with 10 years between installments, it will survive. The Cold War should by all rights have killed it forever and failed. I don't see it failing to anything else any time toon, it's too ingrained in the public consciousness and there are far too many people who will see the films no matter what they are as long as they have the name attached.

Like some above posters, I grew up in the '90s with Brosnan to begin with too, and through rentals and ITV playing its "we have the Bond franchise TV rights, awesome" hand regularly, I discovered the rest of the series pretty quickly. I've not seen some of them for some time though, particularly The Living Daylights.

I think I underappreciated OHMSS when I first saw it. There was a balancing between the set pieces and the sentimentality that I wasn't fond of, but I've warmed up since. The opposite has happened with the Moore movies, which I used to like because they were so silly. Now I follow the leader by picking out TSWLM as his stand-out performance.

On the briefly brought up topic of "worst Bond girl" as... unbelievable as Denise Richards may be to, erm, many, I still have to nominate Jill St. John in Diamonds Are Forever personally from an unrevised mindset. Like a few other features of that film, the character she plays starts off kind of intriguing, but becomes a something of a whiny hinderance by the end.

Never read any of the books :( Have got some guides of the films though, might flick through one in a bit!

Just getting started with the franchise. I love me a good Long Runner, and I have a high tolerance for camp, so this seemed like a good pick.

Anyone know which DVDs have the best bonus features, specifically for the 1960s Connery ones?

Huge Bond fan here. Sure it's shameless male escapism and full of silly, silly things, but what red blooded male doesn't want to be James Bond? He is the Most Triumphant Example of MAN.

For the record, Casino Royale and From Russia With Love are my favourite Bond films. I'm presently reading through my collection of the original Fleming novels, too.

edited 8th Sep '11 2:57:52 AM by TheBatPencil