112 replies to this topic

[Skylla]

And a close second would be "there was this girl from Philadelphia."

No. 3 " Could you please fill this cup? From here? "

[AMC Hornet]

I know I'm going to make myself unpopular with this post, but please hear me out:

 

I love DAF. Always have, always will. It was my first, so I'll forgive it anything (as I respect those who love AVTAK if it's the first Bond they saw).

Same for YOLT - love the scope, scale and spectacle. Ditto Thunderball. I even enjoy NSNA despite its shortcomings. Dr. No is an object lesson in how far you can stretch a meager budget - no complaints there either. Goldfinger remains the only one I never saw on the big screen, but I do enjoy it. Which leaves...

 

I by no means dislike FRWL, but if one has to be my least favorite, this is at least my least-watched. It's a very fine film and I save it for when I've had enough mindless spectacle, but that isn't very often. For me it's the most dated, with the old European cars, already obsolete maguffin and the pointless string of pursuits for a climax. It has so much going for it, it didn't need to homage North By Northwest or Damn the Defiant. The real climax - Bond vs Grant - remains the highlight of the film.

 

Still, it's too old-world for my tastes. Give me larger-than-life Ken Adam sets any day.

 

Let the flaming begin.

[Belmont]

I know I'm going to make myself unpopular with this post, but please hear me out:

 

I love DAF. Always have, always will. It was my first, so I'll forgive it anything (as I respect those who love AVTAK if it's the first Bond they saw).

Same for YOLT - love the scope, scale and spectacle. Ditto Thunderball. I even enjoy NSNA despite its shortcomings. Dr. No is an object lesson in how far you can stretch a meager budget - no complaints there either. Goldfinger remains the only one I never saw on the big screen, but I do enjoy it. Which leaves...

 

I by no means dislike FRWL, but if one has to be my least favorite, this is at least my least-watched. It's a very fine film and I save it for when I've had enough mindless spectacle, but that isn't very often. For me it's the most dated, with the old European cars, already obsolete maguffin and the pointless string of pursuits for a climax. It has so much going for it, it didn't need to homage North By Northwest or Damn the Defiant. The real climax - Bond vs Grant - remains the highlight of the film.

 

Still, it's too old-world for my tastes. Give me larger-than-life Ken Adam sets any day.

 

Let the flaming begin.

 

No flames from here, seems "legit" to me! I'm usually one of the lone defenders of Tomorrow Never Dies on grounds similar to your DAF/YOLT argument.

 

I love FRWL, but I can see how some wouldn't enjoy watching it as much as the other Connery outings. In fact, I don't even watch it a whole lot compared to the much more colorful Dr. No or Thunderball.

[archer1949]

YOLT for me. The whole thing smacked of a desperate attempt to one up Thunderball in spectacle. It was the first step into making Bond into a silly caricature. There a reason Mike Myers chose this one as the template for the first Austin Powers movie. 

 

I realize that the same arguments can be made for DAF, but at least they make no pretenses that it was anything but silly nonsense. DAF remains a guilty pleasure of mine.

[Hansen]

NSNA has this "cool perfume" thats makes fun to watch and lines are pretty good also

YOLT is OK. It is somehow a 'diet' Bond. You have all the ingredients for a Bond but no real flavour (the word 'diet' does not apply to connery's waist on this one).

DAF is to me the weakest by far. Starts pretty well but this finale on the oil-rig...

But it is still a much better Bond than Skyfall....

[AMC Hornet]

I love FRWL, but I can see how some wouldn't enjoy watching it as much as the other Connery outings. In fact, I don't even watch it a whole lot compared to the much more colorful Dr. No or Thunderball.

Colorful! That's what I'm saying!

 

DAF remains a guilty pleasure of mine.

No guilt here!

[plankattack]

AMC - no flaming required!

 

The thread is "least favourite" - not "which do you think it's complete tosh"! I said earlier in the thread that YOLT is my least favourite and gave the reasons why, but I don't believe it's a "bad" film. It still has a lot going for it.

 

I do feel that for older fans (my first ever/in the cinema was LALD), it can be tough to find "bad" things about  the SC's films. Being the first, he consistently has the advantage of seemingly setting the style, and even if there are entries that I like more or think are better (TSWLM is a better version of YOLT, imho), the SC films are relatively critic-resistant because of their place in the franchise's history.

[S K Y F A L L]

NSNA I hate counting this film in anything I only watched it like 3 times. 

 

When it comes to the goods (Official EON films) and specifically the Connery films, its a tie between TB and YOLT. DAF wins me over every time with the moon buggy. 

[whitesox]

DAF, no hesitation.

[plankattack]

NSNA I hate counting this film in anything I only watched it like 3 times. 
 
When it comes to the goods (Official EON films) and specifically the Connery films, its a tie between TB and YOLT. DAF wins me over every time with the moon buggy.

Oooh...... "Stay away from that moon buggy! Stop him, Harry!"

[glidrose]

I know I'm going to make myself unpopular with this post, but please hear me out:

 

I love DAF. Always have, always will. It was my first, so I'll forgive it anything (as I respect those who love AVTAK if it's the first Bond they saw).

Same for YOLT - love the scope, scale and spectacle. Ditto Thunderball. I even enjoy NSNA despite its shortcomings. Dr. No is an object lesson in how far you can stretch a meager budget - no complaints there either. Goldfinger remains the only one I never saw on the big screen, but I do enjoy it. Which leaves...

 

I by no means dislike FRWL, but if one has to be my least favorite, this is at least my least-watched. It's a very fine film and I save it for when I've had enough mindless spectacle, but that isn't very often. For me it's the most dated, with the old European cars, already obsolete maguffin and the pointless string of pursuits for a climax. It has so much going for it, it didn't need to homage North By Northwest or Damn the Defiant. The real climax - Bond vs Grant - remains the highlight of the film.

 

Still, it's too old-world for my tastes. Give me larger-than-life Ken Adam sets any day.

 

Let the flaming begin.

 

Nope, no flaming. Always glad to see someone take FRWL down a peg or three.

Edited by glidrose, 27 March 2013 - 11:45 PM.

[sharpshooter]

I know I'm going to make myself unpopular with this post, but please hear me out:

 

I love DAF. Always have, always will. It was my first, so I'll forgive it anything (as I respect those who love AVTAK if it's the first Bond they saw).

 

Don't worry about expressing your opinion around here. It's all cool. OHMSS is my favourite Bond movie and I should be pre-programmed to hate DAF. But I don't. I 'get it'. 

 

This labour of love from Freemo is an excellent read. Check it out: http://debrief.comma...ext-commentary/

[Double-0-Seven]

Not counting Never Say Never Again which seems like the obvious choice, it's a toss up between Diamonds and Twice. I'll go with Twice since it bores me, whereas Diamonds is a least a bit of fun.

[mrevans]

Probably Thunderball.  Its a good film as far as I'm concerned and I find the underwater fight sequence at the end to be amazing.  Overall its just a case of the little things really adding up against it especially for a pre YOLT Bond. While there are silly and dumb things in other Bonds, I'm usually having too much fun to care or I think they fit the movie.  For example silliness in MR feels natural.  However, it sticks out like fireworks in the more serious toned TB.

 

 How did he sneak in with the loud jet pack?

 

 Why did he pause to throw flowers on the villain's body?  Don't get me wrong.  It's a funny bit. However, had he not stopped to do that, he would have escaped the room unseen.  It's just a case where a wink towards the camera takes me out of the story.

 

 Also how in the world did he have time to strap on the helmet and jet pack and start it up and lift off before being caught by the guards?  Its a fun sequence but that's already three things that have taken me out of the movie and I'm not even to the title sequence.

 

Seriously, what happened to Bond's hat? 

 

"Sorry about that Felix but you were just about to say 007."  He did hit the bad guy's head pretty hard.  Maybe he passed out for a few seconds.

 

What about the scientist guy who 's the real hero of the film, did he drown, die in the explosion?  That one really annoys me. 

 

Why escape with balloons and plane at the end?  Couldn't they have left with the marines?  How much tax money wasted on that unnecessary and over the top escape?

 

I know these are nitpicks.  I really like this movie, but if I have to pick my least favorite... there you go.

[Major Tallon]

When I first saw "Thunderball," I was put off by Bond's excessive flippancy in the Q scene, but as the series became a lot sillier in the Moore era, that ceased to bother me much.  I began to change my opinion on repeat viewings of Bond's relationship with Domino, which I find touching and romantic.  It's now one of my most frequently watched Bond films.

 

Here's another jetpack nit-pick.  The temperature of the exhaust nozzles would be so extreme that Bond and his contact wouldn't be handling it, and if it were stuffed in the back of the Aston Martin, it would promptly set the car ablaze.

 

For the record, DAF is my least favorite Bond film, not only for its overly comic tone, but for its weak plot.  Yes, this is the film where Blofeld has Bond imprisoned in a room with a hatch in the floor and ropes running beneath it.  Dr. No was wrong.  The criminal brain is not always superior.

[Iceskater101]

Diamonds are Forever, though I liked the two henchmen in the movie, but that's about it.

[iBond]

My least favorite Connery film would have to be Thunderball. It had a fantastic beginning but the middle to the end just dragged on too much for my taste. Whenever I watch it, I find myself stopping it once it gets to the underwater sequences. That constant 12 note motif by the flute just makes me fall asleep.

[WasteOfScotch]

Diamonds. I don't even have to think about it.

NSNA is second.

 

I like the others.

 

*edit*

Strike that. reverse it

Edited by WasteOfScotch, 05 April 2013 - 01:40 PM.

[Templar]

There's not much between DAF and Doctor No for the least favourite for me. Although DAF is oddly very watchable despite its silliness and fluff.

I always enjoyed Mr. WInt and Mr. Kidd. But the rest was pretty tedious..

[Quatermass]

Hmmm...watched DAF last night. Flatly directed, crass, campy, louche,tedious in places(last third especially) but...Connery redeems it. His enjoyment of the experience shines through. Ditto NSNA (except the music score-no redeeming features whatsoever). So....the prize goes to ...YOLT. Connery hitting the marks, saying the lines then wandering off with the fooking money. Pity.

[thecasinoroyale]

Easy one for me ad it's not changed even with my current Blu-ray viewings.

 

'Thunderball'....or 'Thunderbore'.

 

I agree with people in the fact the action and espionage on land is great. The MI6 scenes are good fun. Infiltrating Largo's estate and dicing with him and Volpe is brilliant.

 

But it's the boring underwater scenes that drag for me. It just never takes off and even the final battle underwater goes on too long for me. The best bit is the poor SPECTRE chap who gets a spear in the eye.

 

As for the horrid, over-long speeded up battle between Bond and Largo on the Volante, that's just a yawn fest.

 

Connery et al are easy to watch and make it what it is, but overall it's one I will avoid if I have to.

[hilly]

Dr No.
Birth of a legend and all that, but I don't think it has aged well. The script is corny, the story fairly dull, the music is melodramatic, most of the cast, bar Joseph Wiseman and Bernard Lee are either hammy or wooden and, whilst he made a good debut, Connery would get better

[Hansen]

Dr No.
Birth of a legend and all that, but I don't think it has aged well. The script is corny, the story fairly dull, the music is melodramatic, most of the cast, bar Joseph Wiseman and Bernard Lee are either hammy or wooden and, whilst he made a good debut, Connery would get better

I can't fully agree but I would love to see a remake of this one, with the fight against the squid included.

[Dustin]

 

Dr No.
Birth of a legend and all that, but I don't think it has aged well. The script is corny, the story fairly dull, the music is melodramatic, most of the cast, bar Joseph Wiseman and Bernard Lee are either hammy or wooden and, whilst he made a good debut, Connery would get better

I can't fully agree but I would love to see a remake of this one, with the fight against the squid included.

 

 

 

It's not so much the squid that I missed - though a wonderful bizarre idea it is - than the whole obstacle course against death that was dropped from the script for fear of not passing the censor.

[hilly]

 

Dr No.
Birth of a legend and all that, but I don't think it has aged well. The script is corny, the story fairly dull, the music is melodramatic, most of the cast, bar Joseph Wiseman and Bernard Lee are either hammy or wooden and, whilst he made a good debut, Connery would get better

I can't fully agree but I would love to see a remake of this one, with the fight against the squid included.

The thing that amazse me about Dr No is how badly it has dated in comparison to From Russia With Love. I appreciate that the whole east/west plot ages FRWL a bit,( along with Bond hitting Tatiana whilst she professes her love for him....) but the production values and pacing would work just as well today.

[tdalton]

Easy one for me ad it's not changed even with my current Blu-ray viewings.

 

'Thunderball'....or 'Thunderbore'.

 

I agree with people in the fact the action and espionage on land is great. The MI6 scenes are good fun. Infiltrating Largo's estate and dicing with him and Volpe is brilliant.

 

But it's the boring underwater scenes that drag for me. It just never takes off and even the final battle underwater goes on too long for me. The best bit is the poor SPECTRE chap who gets a spear in the eye.

 

As for the horrid, over-long speeded up battle between Bond and Largo on the Volante, that's just a yawn fest.

 

Connery et al are easy to watch and make it what it is, but overall it's one I will avoid if I have to.

 

Pretty much agreed with everything.

 

The one thing that I've always found interesting about Thunderball, as well as Never Say Never Again, is that for a film that is literally about a ticking time bomb, there is no sense of urgency at all.  That's probably the biggest detriment that the film has, IMO, although there are plenty of other issues as well.  Claudine Auger is easily the highlight of the film, and Connery is once again far superior to the material that he's given to work with, but aside from that, there's not much to write home about.

[Turn]

 

Easy one for me ad it's not changed even with my current Blu-ray viewings.

 

'Thunderball'....or 'Thunderbore'.

 

I agree with people in the fact the action and espionage on land is great. The MI6 scenes are good fun. Infiltrating Largo's estate and dicing with him and Volpe is brilliant.

 

But it's the boring underwater scenes that drag for me. It just never takes off and even the final battle underwater goes on too long for me. The best bit is the poor SPECTRE chap who gets a spear in the eye.

 

As for the horrid, over-long speeded up battle between Bond and Largo on the Volante, that's just a yawn fest.

 

Connery et al are easy to watch and make it what it is, but overall it's one I will avoid if I have to.

 

The one thing that I've always found interesting about Thunderball, as well as Never Say Never Again, is that for a film that is literally about a ticking time bomb, there is no sense of urgency at all.  That's probably the biggest detriment that the film has, IMO, although there are plenty of other issues as well. 

I have to strongly disagree here as far as TB goes . The race against the clock is emphasized heavily and pretty well, IMO. There are numerous cuts back to M and the staff at the home office and mentions of the deadline. TB and YOLT do a good job of stressing the pressure to get to the source of the probem quickly.

 

It becomes even more apparent when you consider other films in the series that have similar themes of fighting to prevent a disaster -- TSWLM, GE, TND being prime examples.

[Daddy Bond]

I'll list mine from least favorite to favorite:

 

#1 - NSNA (honesty, there isn't much about this film I enjoy - perhaps the motorcycle chase, and...I'd have to think about it).

#2 - DAF (a mixed bag...a few elements I really like...Bond's fight on the elevator, Tiffany Case...many I don't...the opening PTS, poor editing IMHO, slow, a bored Sean).

#3 - TB (there's a lit to like here, but the underwater sequences often drag on far too long).

#4 - YOLT (I actually like this movie more than others may here at CB, except for Bond as a Japanese man...it seems basically unnecessary for the plot).

#5 - FRWL (One of my favorite Bond movies.  Not much criticism here).

#6 - DN (What can I say, Dr. No is one of my favorite Bond films that gets re-watched more than many others...the classic that started in all).

#7 - GF (always in my top 5 favorite Bond movies...from one of the best PTS, best Bond girls, best Bond villains, best moments with Q, the intro of the Aston Martin DB5, the perfect mix of gadgets, globe trotting, plot elements).

[Bond31]

DAF, no hesitation.

 

Agreed a aging out of shape Connery with bad wig and phoned in performance with a campy script suited to Roger Moore's Bond. I loved it as a kid but now looking more in depth on all the Bond Films, it's heart breaking to see the mighty Connery in a piss poor effort.

[FOX MULDER]

Connery's first three Bond films are far, far superior to his last three.

 

That goes for his personal performances as an actor, too. The first three are Connery playing Bond; the last three are Connery playing Connery playing Bond...

 

Thunderball is too long and poorly edited. It could have been a great film - maybe one day we'll get an official re-edited version?

You Only Live Twice is probably the worst of Connery's outings. It has its moments, though.