
Worst Bond film?
#1
Posted 02 May 2009 - 04:30 PM
And what rating would you give it?
I would like to know.
For me:
Die Another Day (2002) 5/10
#2
Posted 02 May 2009 - 05:23 PM
#3
Posted 02 May 2009 - 05:33 PM

#4
Posted 02 May 2009 - 06:22 PM
For Your Eyes Only
I think it's the most overrated film in the series, has the most dated soundtrack, has an anti-climax, a forgettable villain, and lacks the excitement of the other films in the series.
That said, it's still not a bad film, and it does have some positives;
Roger Moore - Possibly his best, and most serious performance.
Carole Bouquet - Not that memorable, but pretty enough, and intelligent.
Topol - Very likeable character, does a good job.
Pre-title sequence - It acknowledges OHMSS, and puts the Blofeld matter to bed once and for all.
QOS isn't far behind.
#5
Posted 02 May 2009 - 07:01 PM
#6
Posted 02 May 2009 - 07:04 PM
#7
Posted 02 May 2009 - 07:52 PM
Worst "Unofficial" (Non-EON) Bond movie: Never Say Never Again
#8
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:03 PM
#9
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:07 PM
#10
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:12 PM
I'm sure I'm the only one with this pick but I guess that makes me unique.
I have to say Thunderball. After three amazing Connery movies, this one was the first "just ok" Bond movie in my opinion. I realize it had to happen at some point, but Thunderball is not anywhere near as good as Dr. No, From Russia With Love or Goldfinger. And don't even get me started on the underwater scenes.
I couldn't disagree with you more on this. TB is an awesome movie. Granted the underwater scenes......in retrospect do come off as tedious at times, TB is still an amazing movie with a fantastic score.
#11
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:19 PM
Other than TWINE, I like 'em all (to varying degrees, obviously). And I really enjoy those films that are commonly cited as the worst, i.e. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, MOONRAKER, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN and A VIEW TO A KILL.
#12
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:28 PM
#13
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:30 PM
Lame villain, overly long, and uninteresting action scenes.
#14
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:38 PM
I'm sure I'm the only one with this pick but I guess that makes me unique.
I have to say Thunderball. After three amazing Connery movies, this one was the first "just ok" Bond movie in my opinion. I realize it had to happen at some point, but Thunderball is not anywhere near as good as Dr. No, From Russia With Love or Goldfinger. And don't even get me started on the underwater scenes.
I couldn't disagree with you more on this. TB is an awesome movie. Granted the underwater scenes......in retrospect do come off as tedious at times, TB is still an amazing movie with a fantastic score.
I don't blame you at all for liking it (like just about everyone else). It does have some good parts but for some reason it never comes off as anything other than just good for me. Call it bad (or just different) taste.
#15
Posted 02 May 2009 - 08:38 PM
#16
Posted 02 May 2009 - 09:17 PM
#17
Posted 02 May 2009 - 09:36 PM
Bad: DIE ANOTHER DAY
Worse: A VIEW TO A KILL
Worst: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
#18
Posted 02 May 2009 - 10:02 PM
Thank God Lazenby and OHMSS came along after it.
#19
Posted 02 May 2009 - 10:06 PM
The worst to me would have to be either
TMWTGG
or
AVTAK
#20
Posted 02 May 2009 - 11:44 PM
While I'm not a fan of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service or Lazenby, I think that it is, by far, the best of the "Blofeld Trilogy."You Only Live Twice.
Thank God Lazenby and OHMSS came along after it.
#21
Posted 02 May 2009 - 11:48 PM
#22
Posted 02 May 2009 - 11:58 PM
#23
Posted 03 May 2009 - 12:00 AM
#24
Posted 03 May 2009 - 12:03 AM
Despite my hatred of Quantum of Solace, I think that the film is better made than Diamonds Are Forever. Honestly, QoS is higher on my list than DaF.But I'm surprised no member has mentioned Quantum of Solace. Perhaps i need to re-watch it again.
#25
Posted 03 May 2009 - 01:00 AM
I have to agree that it's one of the worst. You Only Live Twice was the first Bond movie I saw in full after I watched Casino Royale in the theatres; I knew that it had the most recognisable incarnation of Blofeld, along with a volcano lair and Sean Connery, but I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Suffice to say, the film was dreadful, not least of which due to Connery's lacklustre central performance and quite overwhelming girth, but Lewis Gilbert's lax direction (it really felt like nobody was doing any directing during the action scenes) and Donald Pleasance's goddawful performance (I was cringing during his scenes) made this film a sheer pain for me to sit through. This film nearly put me off Bond entirely, but I decided to give the series another try and watched OHMSS, thus discovering that one of the best films of the series followed and was succeeded by two of the worst.You Only Live Twice. A dull, uninspired entry in almost every way. Connery has that "What the f*** am I doing here?!" look throughout the entire movie, the Bond girls are bland and uninteresting, the direction mostly flat (I can't believe Gilbert went on to make TSWLM), and even the final showdown is extremely overrated and not thrilling in the slightest. Even the gadgets are awful, Little Nellie would have fit better with the CR-spoof than a "proper" Bond film. Only really good things are the score, which is beautiful, and the fight between Bond and Bland Henchman Whose Name I Cannot Remember near the end is excellent.
Thank God Lazenby and OHMSS came along after it.
When I watched Dr. No after OHMSS, I discovered (to my horror) that the climax of that film and YOLT's were exactly the same, thus revealing the latter film to be nothing more than a bigger-budgeted ripoff of Dr. No set in Japan.
This, above all, is why I hate You Only Live Twice...

...but I don't think it's the worst; that honor goes to DAF and TWINE (they're tied)!
#26
Posted 03 May 2009 - 01:14 AM
#27
Posted 03 May 2009 - 02:48 AM
The Man with the Golden Gun. But I'm surprised no member has mentioned Quantum of Solace. Perhaps i need to re-watch it again.
That's because it really has no right to be. Sure, it's up for contention whether or not QOS is a good/great/bad film, it should be quite apparent it doesn't belong at #22 in rankings. Daniel Craig and the emotion he brings to the role is enough to do that I'd think. There have been some messy, muddled, clumsy, tired Bond films that where they had no idea what they were trying to produce, at least QOS knew where it was going.
My least favourite is Diamonds are Forever. Quite a crummy film. Feels small, the atmosphere is weak, Sean Connery is tired and old looking, the action is bland, the villains are pathetic (Cross dressing Blofeld) and it even manages to somewhat ruin another Bond film - OHMSS, which deserved a far better and serious sequel than it got.
#28
Posted 03 May 2009 - 05:16 AM
And that climax...wow, what a dud.
I won't deny that Jill St John is gorgeous, but her character behaves like a ditsy bimbo.
ugh.
Edited by eddychaput, 03 May 2009 - 05:17 AM.
#29
Posted 03 May 2009 - 07:09 AM
I have to agree that it's one of the worst. You Only Live Twice was the first Bond movie I saw in full after I watched Casino Royale in the theatres; I knew that it had the most recognisable incarnation of Blofeld, along with a volcano lair and Sean Connery, but I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Suffice to say, the film was dreadful, not least of which due to Connery's lacklustre central performance and quite overwhelming girth, but Lewis Gilbert's lax direction (it really felt like nobody was doing any directing during the action scenes) and Donald Pleasance's goddawful performance (I was cringing during his scenes) made this film a sheer pain for me to sit through. This film nearly put me off Bond entirely, but I decided to give the series another try and watched OHMSS, thus discovering that one of the best films of the series followed and was succeeded by two of the worst.You Only Live Twice. A dull, uninspired entry in almost every way. Connery has that "What the f*** am I doing here?!" look throughout the entire movie, the Bond girls are bland and uninteresting, the direction mostly flat (I can't believe Gilbert went on to make TSWLM), and even the final showdown is extremely overrated and not thrilling in the slightest. Even the gadgets are awful, Little Nellie would have fit better with the CR-spoof than a "proper" Bond film. Only really good things are the score, which is beautiful, and the fight between Bond and Bland Henchman Whose Name I Cannot Remember near the end is excellent.
Thank God Lazenby and OHMSS came along after it.
When I watched Dr. No after OHMSS, I discovered (to my horror) that the climax of that film and YOLT's were exactly the same, thus revealing the latter film to be nothing more than a bigger-budgeted ripoff of Dr. No set in Japan.
This, above all, is why I hate You Only Live Twice...![]()
Agree with ALMOST everything you say, as I like Pleasence in pretty much everything, including this (though he's hard to take seriously after Dr. Evil came along!).
I would need to re-watch it to really notice the Dr. No similiarities, but I'm not sure if I can be bothered to watch this film ever again. Unlike you, this was the last of the "old" Bond movies that I saw. If I had seen it as a kid, maybe I'd have some nostalgic value coming from it, but sadly I watched it for the first time well into my teens.
People keep moaning about DAD's surfing as the series lowpoint (with good reason, really), but for me it is the unbearably stupid moments with Connery "disguised" as a Japanese fisherman. Is this in the novel of the same name?
I guess I'll have to be the only YOLT lover in this thread! I absolutely adore the movie and it's my second favorite Connery movie, behind only Goldfinger.
I think a lot of people like this film. I keep seeing it recommended as a "good popcorn flick" in newspapers and film magazines. Doesn't mean I agree off course.

#30
Posted 03 May 2009 - 08:58 AM