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[Publius]

Licence To Kill.

In Licence To Kill, we find James Bond embarking on his simplest, most personal mission yet. Not for king, not for country, but for vengeance. After international drug lord Franz Sanchez maims Bond's close friend Felix Leiter and murders Felix's wife on their wedding day, he sets out to avenge them. His private vendetta is not endorsed by Her Majesty's Secret Service, however, and 007's licence to kill is subsequently revoked, whereupon an angry but calculating Bond promptly proceeds to embark on his quest for revenge regardless, now outside the law as a rogue agent.

Timothy Dalton evokes a powerful sense of deadliness and danger here. He is cold, dark, ruthless, and borderline sinister. Dalton was always perfect in the mantle of a government spy, and somehow manages to be even more perfect in the role of a vigilante secret agent. His reaction to seeing the dead body of Della Leiter, whom he gently cradles in his hands, clearly and emotionally dredges up old memories of Bond's own wife Tracy being murdered on his wedding day so many years ago, which provides a glimpse at what Dalton might have been like in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which he had been screen tested for some twenty years earlier. What's more, Bond is also forced to rely almost solely on his innate wits and intellect, and so finds himself exacting his revenge by using the loyalty that Sanchez prides himself and his entire empire on as his primary weapon. Only Dalton could have executed it so perfectly.

This film is also perhaps the finest ensemble of actors ever to grace a Bond film. Robert Davi is brilliant as monstrous drug lord Sanchez, whose trust in his inner circle proves to be his undoing. Benicio del Toro is fantastic as henchman Dario, although more screentime would have been wonderful. As for the Bond girls, Carey Lowell as CIA agent Pam Bouvier is classy, sexy, and tough, and Talisa Soto as Lupe Lamora is beautiful and exotic, albeit a weak actress. David Hedison makes a welcome return as Felix Leiter, reprising his character from Live And Let Die. And Q's role, played as always by the delightful Desmond, is by far greater here than ever, never becoming a bore, and for once not providing gadgets so much as actual involvement in the mission as a field operative. Aside from being as helpful as ever, Q also serves to make for touch of lightheartedness in an otherwise very rough, very serious film. Wayne Newton also provides some enjoyable comic relief, as does Davi's Sanchez on a few occasions.

The action is among the greatest in the entire series, yet realistic, in keeping with the down-to-earth tone of the movie. The aerial pre-title sequence, whereby Bond must attach an airplane to a military helicopter, both in flight, is one of the better starts to a Bond adventure. Bond's escape from the ship of snivelling Milton Krest is quite possibly the most exhilirating escape sequence ever, with Bond having to rely on his natural faculties and resources to free himself from a brief but well-executed underwater battle, only to find himself in an even thicker predicament as he skis after a seaplane while enemies gun him down and as the 007 theme twangs in the background, before ending up in a mid-air struggle to wrest control of the plane carrying millions of dollars in drug money. Pure, unbridled excitement, and simply Bond, and Dalton, at his best. The final action sequence aboard the gasoline tankers in the Mexican desert is arguably the greatest high-octane showdown to date, and Timothy Dalton only served to elevate its brilliance. Spectacular explosions, non-stop suspense, and endless thrills, and even a little bit of humor, contrary to popular belief, make this one of the greatest James Bond moments of all time.

The title song, sung by Gladys Knight, is one of the finest entries in the series, sampling a bit of the Goldfinger theme but reworked into a brilliant, luxurious soul ballad, and has some of the best lyrics in a Bond song ever, perfectly capturing the essence of 007 almost as well as Timothy Dalton ever did. Patti Labelle's "If You Asked Me To" also makes for a solid ending theme, contrasting masterfully against the backdrop of a gritty, hard-edged storyline about personal vengeance. The music and score also blend in quite naturally with the lovely scenery and atmosphere of the Florida Keys and Central America.

All in all, Licence To Kill is a quintessential James Bond masterpiece. It breaks from the mold more than any other, bringing the series back to reality but providing more enjoyment than ever. It's the perfect balance of lead actor, main villain, supporting actors, plot, music, and locations, a mixture never before seen in a Bond film and not since replicated.

[Major Bloodnok]

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Say what you want about the 18 films that followed it, this is the o-n-e. This is the Bond to beat them all. I love the others, but this one has the most style, wit and class and reality of them all.

Let's begin with the director: Terrence Young returns to follow up the brilliant and stylish job he did with DR NO. This time he has a better script and a bigger budget to work with- TWICE the budget of DR NO, and every penny make sit to the screen. The action is more ambitious than what we've seen before and the final fight with Red Grant is the most brutal fight of the entire series.

Young and editor Peter Hunt creted the idea of a pretitle sequence with this film, and it's one of the best, often imitated but never equaled. Robert Brownjohn's title sequence begins the tradition of using beautiful women's bodies to keep you watching. They're even better than what Maurice Binder did with DR NO.

The script: Richard Maibaum and Johanna Harwood struck an absolute diamond with this one. If you watch the making of doc on the dvd you'll see what troubles they had getting it perfect, even working on it after production began.

They created a story that is complex, filled with excitement and is every bit a thriller. Several of the lines of dialogue are among the best of the series: "Red wine with fish. That should have told me something." "Things are shaping up nicely." "He saved me the trouble."

The entire scene in the Orient Express between Red Grant and Bond after Tatiana falls asleep leading up to the fight is brilliantly written and acted.

Which brings me to the actors: Do I even need to mention Sir Sean? No, but I will. He returns to play Bond with a great deal of confidence, provididng what is one of his finest performances of his career. He isn't as smug as he is in later films of the series and is very much in danger throughout.

Robert Shaw gives a performance that is, in my opinion, the best of the series. Grant is a real villain, and what makes him scary is that he is a real human being. He isn't some web-fingered, gold obsessed, disfigured, human hating meglomaniac. He is just a scary dude whose job is to humiliate and murder James Bond. And he darn near does it.

Daniela Bianchi is alluring as Tatiana, the Russian clerk who is ordered to fall in love with a British spy- and then does it for real, not knowing that she is a pawn in the plan of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. She is innocent and beautiful.

Lotte Lenya is the real nasty bit of business here. She plays Rosa Klebb as a vague sexual deviant and psychopath- the way Fleming wrote her. She is amazing. Another brilliant performance.

Pedro Armendariz in his final, tragic role as Kerim Bey is fantastic. He is charming and likeable, even when he is shooting the Russian assassin Krilenku. The story of Pedro's hard work and success in this role while fighting terminal cancer is one of the most courageous and heartbreaking in cinema history. What a man!

The action: Realistic and brutal. Not as over the top as the later films, beginning with GOLDFINGER. Young keeps the action grounded in reality and it becomes so much stronger because of it. Really, who'd worry about a guy driving a car that turns invisible?

The whole package put together is an amazing piece of film making. While other Bond films have attempted to regain the appeal and feel of this film none of them really have. Maybe the world isn't ready for a Bond film like this anymore, but I'm always ready to watch it again.

[Tiin007]

Goldeneye.

Goldeneye is definitely the best Bond movie out there. Brosnan had no trouble fitting into the role- his acting is superb. Natalya is an amazing Bond girl who, unlike many Bond girls, actually fits into the plot. The diverse group of villains is probably the best in the series. Sean Bean is perfect for the role of friend-turned-enemy Trevelyan. He reminds me so much of Bond- I often think that this is exactly what Bond would be like as a villain. Xenia is a great femme fatale. I especially love her "unique" way of killing her victims. Boris and Oromuv are also good baddies who help make the movie more interesting. Valentin is a pretty unique character- an ally that has a grudge against Bond (no, Q doesn't count!). Jack Wade, though I would've preferred Felix, at least has some personality unlike previous allies (i.e. Chuck Lee). The score is ok, although at points the music sounds a little too sad. The best part about the movie is how Bond is not only successfully adapted to the 90s, but also feels like the same old Bond we've come to know and love. The movie has a modern yet classic feel. This action-packed adventure is a fine example of what a Bond movie should be.

[A Kristatos]

#1: For Your Eyes Only

The best Bond of them all, For Your Eyes Only was a refreshing, gritty, down to earth Bond film after the over-the-top silliness of Moonraker. This film represented the pinnacle of Roger Moore's run as James Bond, and the pinnacle of the entire Bond series as well. No Bond movie fulfills the Bond formula of plot, girls, action and suspense as well as this film. Moore's portrayal of Bond, while charming at times, is played with a viciousness that only Dalton and Connery were able to achieve. No scene shows this viciousness better than the classic rundown and killing of Emile Locque. Next to Dalton's Bond portrayal, and the earlier Connery portrayals, no other movie captures Bond in the spirit of Fleming as FYEO.

In For Your Eyes Only, Bond is assigned to recover the stolen British decoder ATAK from a sunken British ship. Bond also needs to find who murdered Sir Timothy and Iona Havelock, as they were involved with trying to recover the ATAK before they were murdered. All the while Bond has to keep the Havelock's daughter, Melina from exacting revenge on the murderers in order for him to find out what the motive behind the murderers of her parents was. The plot also has a far more realistic cold war feel to it as Bond makes sure the ATAK does not fall into the wrong hands. The number of twists and turns in this movie make this one of the most suspenseful and deep plots in the entire series, while not having to rely on an endless amount of explosions to pass time. This is definitely a more down to earth plot from the previous film, both literally and figuratively!

The villains in this film are portrayed well. Gone are the megalomaniacal villains whose only desire is to wreak havoc on the world for their personal gain. Julian Glover plays Aristotle Kristatos as a three dimensional, down to earth villain, who does a terrific job fooling Bond and his allies about just how

[Mr Malcolm]

#1 - You Only Live Twice

Here's a thought: YOLT is basically the film that DAD could have been with witty dialogue and real locations. In other words, the epitome of the glamour, excitement, sex, suspense and exoticism that make up what for me is the appeal of the Bond films. How could anyone fail to want to hop on the first plane to Tokyo after watching this? YOLT takes Japan - already a mysterious and exotic place for most Western viewers - and turns it into a world where truly anything is possible. Connery's much-criticised performance actually works perfectly here, as if even Bond can't believe where he is and what's going on around him!

No, the plot does not make the slightest bit of sense - why would SPECTRE hollow out a volcano? Why not just blow up the spaceships rather than capture them? Why does the Japanese secret service dispose of its enemies so publicly? Why can we see the spaceships on TV screens? The most important question, however, is: does any of that really matter? For me, the answer is a resounding NO! The plots of the early Connery films were never really that important - who cares about plot when there's such stunning locations, beautiful people, and real thrills? Bond has always provided us with a heady mix of ingredients which we just can't get elsewhere, and YOLT is my favourite example. The fact that this is the Bond with (arguably) the greatest influence on Austin Powers is proof of that.

If some of the effects work seems a little...unconvincing, then all I can say is, it's the '60s for God's sake! You can hardly criticise the effects team for trying, especially not when they're actually acting out a helicopter dogfight or dumping a car in the middle of Tokyo bay! And that hollowed out volcano set makes me want to give Ken Adam a massive hug and buy him a pint.

As far as characters go, Tiger Tanaka is a great, no-nonsense ally, while Aki is a thoroughly likeable Bond girl, tough and independent, but without being obnoxious. Mie Hama as Kissy may not have too much to do, but she does her best, making Kissy a delicate yet ballsy girl that you could believe would run around a volcano, battling Blofeld's guards in a bikini. As for Blofeld...well, after three films as a voice, he was always going to disappoint when he was revealed, but Donald Pleasance still does a pretty good job overall. If he was my boss, I certainly would take the trouble to kill Bond straight away! I also feel I should give an honourable mention to Miss Brandt, something of an underrated minor villain. She's very sexy, and I love the way she uses Bond for her own enjoyment before attempting to kill him!

To sum up, YOLT is not the best Bond film artistically. But one does not watch Bond for high art; one watches it for glamour, excitement, sex, suspense, exoticism... And in that, YOLT just can't be beaten.

Edited by Mr Malcolm, 15 June 2006 - 01:59 PM.

[belvedere]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

OK, I will take on one of the most controversial films in the 007 canon.

The film was the first filmed without Sean Connery as 007. One-time Bond George Lazenby took the reins for this film. We'll get to him in a minute.

The film serves as a quasi-sequel to the then final 007 appearance of Sean Connery - You Only Live Twice. SPECTRE is back, and its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, is threatening germ warfare via his Angels of Death, who are hypnotized while receiving therapy for various allergies. 007, of course, intercepts SPECTRE's plan, and leaves Ernst with quite a neckache by the end. What a slam bang way to get there.

It all starts out with a beautiful woman drowning herself on a beach in Portugal. Our man James is there to save the day, but gets into a beach fight for his troubles. The girl leaves, prompting 007 to deadpan to the camera "this never happened to the other fellow". We know right away that this is a different kind of Bond film from a different actor playing 007.

Of course, the movie was originally shown in flashback sequence. Frankly, I always preferred the edit into the chronologically correct order. But I blaspheme! Nonetheless, the flashback way of telling the story has divided legions of Bond fans for years and has not been used again in a James Bond movie.

George Lazenby does an admirable job as Bond - his performance holds up well over the years. Unfortunately, his voice was dubbed in sequences - think Sir Hillary Bray - where he suddenly has a brogue - and it is distracting. The action scenes are beliveable and Lazenby is in fine physical shape. He handles the few one-liners well ("Oh, just a slight stiffness coming on") in this otherwise serious film. Given the reality that no actor could have outdone Connery in the first 007 film without him, Lazenby holds up well and I for one would have loved to see Diamonds Are Forever with him.

Diana Rigg plays Contessa Teresa di Vincenzo, the main Bond girl, and for a few brief moments, Mrs. James Bond. Despite rumors of on-set tension, the love story is a believable one and it is beautfully told. It is fun to watch Tracy working with Bond against her wishes and then to see her gradually fall for James. He seduces her, but not easily. Diana Rigg was one of the great Bond women of all-time, put simply.

Telly Savalas brought a mean-streak and menace to Blofeld, and does a nice job. Granted, his character strains credibility - after the volcano incident, you didn't immediately recognize 007???. But he plays mean and cruel well and yet, you still expect him to say, "Who loves ya, baby?" at any point. "I say what I mean, and I mean what I say." Well done, Telly.

Gabrielle Ferzetti plays Marc-Ange Draco, a character, who sadly, is under-utilized. He plays Bond's ally, but himself is a criminal. It is an interesting twist watching the "bad guy" become good, and it is also important to note that Bond does not trust him fully until later in the film. A take on Fleming's concept of "My enemy's enemy is my friend" - we see it again in For Your Eyes Only, with Topol's Colombo character.

Ilse Steppat plays Irma Bunt as a frumpy fraulein. Her dialogue is stilted, her performance wooden, and if I were a secret agent, I would fear her about as much as jock itch.

The locales are beautiful, and although shot mainly on location (something the 007 producers ought to think about for 007 Mark VI), we never know where in Iberia the beginning of the film is set - we know from Mr. Fleming it is Portugal, but save for the flags flying outside of the hotel, you'd never know it. But Switzerland is the star here, again (after Goldfinger), and the Alps figure prominently. Their beauty is exploited nicely.

Peter Hunt graduated to director, and the first time effort shows. The fight scenes are hard to follow, and the cinematography is, quite frankly, annoying. It seemed as though he was trying to hard to impress as director. Of note, some of the editing was done by future Bond director John Glen.

The music, in my opinion, is the best of the series. Even though the pre-titles sequence begins with an instrumental (and a cool montage of the previous five movies - as if to remind you that the actor is different, but it is still 007), the Louis Armstrong hit single, "We Have All the Time in the World" is a classic. John Barry's score is often rated the best in the series and it's easy to see why. The instrumental version of Armstrong's tune is beautiful and a perfect accompaniment to the scenes of Tracy and Bond falling in love.

The plot has an interesting turn where James Bond resigns - only to have M refuse his request. He goes through his office - the only time it is seen in the series - and finds old mementos, again to the tunes of the movies they were from. It was an interesting homage to older 007 movies and a fun bit in the series.

Lastly, I must comment on the ending. George Lazenby played this beautifully and you really feel his sense of heartbreak. It was a tragic ending - an unexpected one for 007 - and it is this in my opinion that sets the movie about all others in the canon. You can't help but to feel sad and tearful and the end of the movie - just as you are met with "James Bond 007 Will Return".

OHMSS is not without its limitations, but for my money, it ranks as the best James Bond movie of all times.

Edited by belvedere, 15 June 2006 - 03:57 PM.

[Jim]

You just made me want to watch it again. Thanks.

I forgot to say "Welcome to CB.n".

[Speedy]

For me, the undisputed no.1 is Goldfinger. The film has a formiddable villain and henchman (sorely lacking in the brosnan flicks is a solid villain or henchman), the plot isn't too "out there" like in the other flicks which actually makes it more intimidating. It was the first to use a feature laden car, which was used to great effect (please tell me why they introduced a feature laden BMW in Goldneye and never really used it?). The movie was also not overlong either and got right to the point. The bond girls were so so but then I thought a lot of them were. The ST was superb and complimented the film perfectly.

I think that's about all the reasons I can think of about this film although the use of the classic lines wouldn't go amiss either.

[Agent 0015]

The Living Daylights

Enter Timothy Dalton after Moore's calamitous last outing. Dalton, courted by the producers before they settled on Moore, goes for a more ruthless, tormented and violent Bond. One who is also refreshingly human. The plot takes us into the Russian campaign in Afghanistan and is a potent tale of the unraveling of the USSR and a frightening chaos that might (and to some extent in reality: did) replace it. As the least popular of the Bond incarnations, Timothy Dalton delivers a perfect performance. Stepping is a Bond girl with an attitude is Maryam D'Abo, and fine villains enter the fray, providing a solid and interesting variety: the scheming Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabb

Edited by Agent 0015, 03 January 2007 - 10:04 PM.

[sharpshooter]

GoldenEye

The 17th Bond movie is my favourite. The PTS of GoldenEye, which begins with Bond bunjee jumping from the dam. Bond calmly takes his piton gun, and fires it expertly into the wall below, and begins to cut into the factory with the laser. Bond is indeed back, and better than ever.

Introducing the new Bond, Pierce Brosnan. "Beg your pardon, forgot to knock" sais the ever calm Bond, revealing his face for the first time whilst dangling upside down in the men's bathroom. Brosnan plays the British agent with confidence, and a knack for changing between emotions quickly. He is smooth when needed, and when the archive is needed to be obliterated, it is. He sees bullets as a nuisance bee, flicking his head out of the way calmly.

Soon he is met by 006 played magnificently by Sean Bean. Over the course of the film Bean is revealed to be a traitor of MI6. The concept of two double O agents going at it is a brilliant concept. They both know each other well, know their fighting style and are both competitive. The finale on the Arecibo is what a finale is. The angst filled brawl between Bond and Alec is often overlooked. Rather iconicly, Alec's fall from the Arecibo after Bond's mock, and being crushed is the most lavish death.

The pair enter the gas tank room where 006 is killed while set explosives, or so the viewer believes so in a tense scene by Ouromov. Ouromov is one of many superbly written and cast characters. His is an iron fist of no nonsense. He is later aided by one of, if not the best henchmen/woman ever to appear in a Bond film, Xenia Onatopp. The nerdy Boris Grishenko, who has a pen flicking addition, is a worthy addition.

Ever the defiant warrior, Bond uses a trolley to block from gunfire while moving across the room. Ouromov claims Bond can not win. Expertly shooting his way out with an eye for detail of the bottling locks, the troops are defeated momentarily. What follows, Bond motorbikes his way off a cliff to regain the control of the plane that opens the film flying over the dam. What can be viewed as totally ridiculous, oozes Bond through and through. The PTS is full on excitement and slow burning excitement in tense standoffs.

The song by Tina Turner, with help by the legendary Bono and the Edge, make a great song that fits the mood. The title sequence is slick and professional, set against meaningful cold war visuals.
Eric Serra completes this with his dark and haunting score that explores Bond himself. The Whispering Statues track is a highlight.

The car chase that follows is a joy to watch. One can view it countless times without boredom setting in. Bond's competitive nature, beautiful visuals and humour all in synch very well. Immediantly following, one of my favourite casino scenes. It is not rushed, it is calm and personal.

Gadgets are realistic and well hidden. Bond's rappelling belt, the laser watch, zoom camera and piton gun. When secrecy is abandoned, it truly is. The tank smashes through the wall to begin one of the best chases to appear in a Bond film.

Edited by sharpshooter, 23 April 2007 - 08:21 AM.

[00Twelve]

I already have a Casino Royale review up in the CR section.