129 replies to this topic

[Turn]

I love all these films and there's been more hits than misses, but I think my first big letdown on the big screen was FYEO. MR converted me into a big-time Bond fan and FYEO just lacked the fun of that film with its greatest hits approach.

NSNA was also a letdown after the hype and build-up of Connery's return.

AVTAK, I was hoping for something memorable for Rog's swan song but got too much goofy humor and an annoying leading lady.

GE, I waited 6 years hoping for something a little more gritty and I get flying into a diving plane, a female M and other things that drag it down into something less than its parts. It's even worse now in retrospect.

TSWLM, which was hurt partly because I saw it when it premiered on TV rather than on a big screen. I just never got the full appreciation it probably deserved.

[Conlazmoodalbrocra]

Quantum Of Solace

[AgentPB]

I would say Quantum Of Solace is the most disappointing movie in my lifetime. I was really excited for it but even in the marketing it seemed like they were monkeying CRl to little success. Overall in the series I think my biggest disappointment is Diamonds are Forever, Tracy deserved a better vengeful film.

[Tarl_Cabot]

the 1991-1993 Bond films are most dissapointing to me...because they didn't happen.

Any quibbles one may have with Quantum of Solace or Licence to Kill are inconsequential by comparison. At least Bond showed up!

[jamie00007]

The three Brosnan movies following GE.

[BryanHerbert]

I think the worst movie was Moonraker, to me it seem really dull. Nothing felt real, looked fake such as the fights and you see the stuntmen clearly at times, nothing really brought this films to life. Even the finale was terrible. The only thing i liked in that movie was Jaws appearance in the movie.

[Dread]

QUANTUM OF SOLACE is the worst film in the series hands down. I was absolutely stunned at how bad it was in every way.

[saltnpepper]

DAD for me, although I enjoyed the first half immensely. The climax aboard the plane is what great disappointed me, as well as the Moneypenny tag at the end. Not as funny as intended. Still, I've grown to enjoy DAD far more now.

Agree with that.
I also disliked the invisible car, the chase in Iceland with Icarus (the way Bond surfes the wave to escape Icare is to me completely unbelievable). Actually, all the movie after this scene is disappointing.
And yet more disappointing when compared with the first part of DAD with the credits sequence, Cuba, the blades fight and the arrival at the Ice Palace.

[captnash2]

TMWTGG-great villain but tepid film with one decent stunt and a wasted use of a well designed lair.

TB and YOLT-bond and connery on autopilot.

MR-just plain silly after high of TSWLM.

LTK-bond does 80s revenge movie plot badly despite great villain and stunts.

QoS-bond as bourne, does 'out for revenge' plot badly again.

[Messervy]

It would have to be TND, for me.
I hate the way such a great plot idea (media manipulation), addressed for the first time ever, was utterly destroyed after a mere 5 minutes: we immediatley know who the villain is, we immediately know how Bond will face him, we immediately know he knows who Bond is ... The film is just a series of "bangs" and "whams", without any spark of intelligence.
It was so daft and nonesensical.
Even more so since I did enjoy the PTS as good fun and was expecting the rest of the movie to be at least as good. I was stunned to see how disappointing it actually was.
Man, how can they even get away with it?!...

[O.H.M.S.S.]

It would have to be TND, for me.
I hate the way such a great plot idea (media manipulation), addressed for the first time ever, was utterly destroyed after a mere 5 minutes: we immediatley know who the villain is, we immediately know how Bond will face him, we immediately know he knows who Bond is ... The film is just a series of "bangs" and "whams", without any spark of intelligence.
It was so daft and nonesensical.
Even more so since I did enjoy the PTS as good fun and was expecting the rest of the movie to be at least as good. I was stunned to see how disappointing it actually was.
Man, how can they even get away with it?!...

Spot on! I agree.

[Attempting Re-entry]

Quantum of Solace without a doubt.

I've only seen it once, but plan on a second viewing later next week (I have the migraine tablets ready).

[David_M]

"Disappointing" suggests going in with expectations that aren't met, so I'll single out those as opposed to simply listing my "worst."

DAF is the one I had the highest hopes for. Growing up too late to see it on the big screen and too early for VHS, I was left to catch it on network television, and at the time of the first airing I managed to commit some heinous brat behavior or other and had my TV privileges taken away. Then years later a local theater had a rare showing of four vintage Bonds including DAF, and I figured this was my big chance, but I missed it due to a school event.

I built that movie up in my mind to be the "Citizen Kane" of Bond films..."the one that got away"...the Holy Grail.

Then I finally saw it, and it was...well, DAF.

[bond 16.05.72]

No Problem There!

Goldeneye without a doubt, after that I didn't really care, I didn't like Brosnan in the role and went to every subsequent film with no expectation at all, my enthusiasum returned when Craig was announced in 2005 and CR certainly didn't disappoint me, I was let down by QOS but nowhere the same way I was with GE.

[SecretAgentFan]

Can´t say that any Bond film disappoints. Even those I did not care so much for when I saw them for the first time are still great entertainment and worthy of reevaluation.

[Mr. Somerset]

the 1991-1993 Bond films are most dissapointing to me...because they didn't happen.

Any quibbles one may have with Quantum of Solace or Licence to Kill are inconsequential by comparison. At least Bond showed up!

Good point !!

[sharpshooter]

Quantum of Solace for me as well.

I am still left thinking about that final scene in Casino Royale, and all that exciting potential it leaves us with. I don't think it was fully realized in Quantum of Solace. Don't get me wrong, it’s a good Bond film, but as a sequel, I’m not convinced it delivers.

[darthbond]

I will put my two cents worth in. For me, it was AVTAK the second time I watched it. The first time, I thought of it as a regular 80's Bond flick, then I watched it again and I was aghast to how horrible it was. In contrast, DAF did the opposite. It is now one of my personal favorites.

darthbond

[The Richmond Spy]

My list is a mixture of (1) films that follow great ones and (2) ones that include a great concept, but not so great execution of that concept.

In order of disappointment (1 being the most disappointing)

5. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

This could have had a better rivalry than the 007/006 rivalry in GE...

4. Licence To Kill (1989)

Great idea...flawed execution.

3. Die Another Day (2002)

This film didn't follow a great one, but its story does follow a great PTS. Bond was tortured and no one was around to save him. Here he is all alone in North Korea with their government controlling him...in that moment the last place I ever thought I'd find Bond in this film is sitting in an invisible car...

Seeing Bond struggle at the beginning was appealing and an opportunity to show a different side of him. The rest of the film does not capitalize on this as his capture is a distant memory by the time he goes to Iceland.

2. Quantum of Solace (2008)

Probably a victim of my affection for CR, but I found this film rather unsatisfying. So much character and plot development in CR...enough to pave the way for the next film...or so I thought. I left the theater feeling completely departed from the story. When I think of CR I still think of how it's going to go after Bond shoots White at the end. How is he going to handle this? I refuse to believe I have seen a "conclusion" to that storyline...

QoS doesn't get #1 because it at least tries to do the revenge thing.

1. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

I can't even remember if I saw this before or after I saw OHMSS, but what a disappointment in hindsight. Aside from the thrown-together PTS, this film completely ignores the emotional ending of its predecessor. Strike one. Not only do we not receive a revenge story like we deserve, but we are also given a complete 180 of that idea. Strike two. Then there's the cross-dressing Blofeld. Strike Three.

[DaveBond21]

Die Another Day, easily for me.

There was so much hype, build-up and it was the 40th anniversary.

I enjoyed the first half, but it's the only time that I have walked out at the end, and wished it could have been different.

[RJJB]

It would have to be DAF. That was the first Bond movie that truly let me down. Sean Connery returning as Bond was great, but a lackluster script, cheesey special effects, sub-par Bond women and a ridiculous Blofeld shot it down for me. But even that didn't keep me from seeing 3 times in the theaters and I can still watch it today, though not as requently as the other movies.

Its worst attribute though was its box office success which opened the door for the lighter touch foolishness that followed in the next seven movies.

[Rufus Ffolkes]

1. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

I can't even remember if I saw this before or after I saw OHMSS, but what a disappointment in hindsight. Aside from the thrown-together PTS, this film completely ignores the emotional ending of its predecessor. Strike one. Not only do we not receive a revenge story like we deserve, but we are also given a complete 180 of that idea. Strike two. Then there's the cross-dressing Blofeld. Strike Three.

DAF takes place in a completely different universe than its immediate predecessor. I think the filmmakers quite consciously ignored the existence of OHMSS when they were making this one.

I believe the PTS is meant to suggest that Bond has finally caught up with the Blofeld that escaped at the end of YOLT - not the Blofeld who killed his wife.

We're even introduced to Bond in Japan, where we last saw him (in his Connery incarnation).

[Attempting Re-entry]

1. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

I can't even remember if I saw this before or after I saw OHMSS, but what a disappointment in hindsight. Aside from the thrown-together PTS, this film completely ignores the emotional ending of its predecessor. Strike one. Not only do we not receive a revenge story like we deserve, but we are also given a complete 180 of that idea. Strike two. Then there's the cross-dressing Blofeld. Strike Three.

DAF takes place in a completely different universe than its immediate predecessor. I think the filmmakers quite consciously ignored the existence of OHMSS when they were making this one.

I believe the PTS is meant to suggest that Bond has finally caught up with the Blofeld that escaped at the end of YOLT - not the Blofeld who killed his wife.

We're even introduced to Bond in Japan, where we last saw him (in his Connery incarnation).

Excellent points made here; even Barry's score immediately after the Diamonds are Forever gunbarrel uses the oriental-style percussion/sort of triangle-like sound that dominated the You Only Live Twice soundtrack (think the wedding scene); an obvious attempt to link the two movies.

This, to me, is a clear indication that the producers wished to wash their hands of the Lazenby movie in some fashion.

Edited by Attempting Re-entry, 05 March 2010 - 03:15 PM.

[john.steed]

It is an easy question for me. Up until now, I was always anxious to see the most recent Bond film another time no matter if it had one of my favorites or whether it had been one of the lesser films. So far, however, I have had no desire to see Quantum of Solace again. I plan to buy it when I can it on sale for $5 to complete my collection. Once that happens, I will consider when I will watch it again.

[DR76]

TOMORROW NEVER DIES and DOCTOR NO were two of the most disappointing Bond movies I had ever seen. When I first saw them, I had expected better.

[David_M]

You know, I may have to change my answer to DAD.

I didn't go into that one with high expectations, but the first section was so strong, I really got my hopes up they were finally going to pull off a winner. Then it all went south and the early promise evaporated completely.

As disappointments go, it's like having the smell of a cooking Thanksgiving turkey fill the house all day long, only to have it burn up an hour before dinner, leaving you to eat a frozen pizza.

[RufusCobb]

QUANTUM OF SOLACE is the worst film in the series hands down. I was absolutely stunned at how bad it was in every way.

Agreed.

[The Richmond Spy]

1. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

I can't even remember if I saw this before or after I saw OHMSS, but what a disappointment in hindsight. Aside from the thrown-together PTS, this film completely ignores the emotional ending of its predecessor. Strike one. Not only do we not receive a revenge story like we deserve, but we are also given a complete 180 of that idea. Strike two. Then there's the cross-dressing Blofeld. Strike Three.

DAF takes place in a completely different universe than its immediate predecessor. I think the filmmakers quite consciously ignored the existence of OHMSS when they were making this one.

I believe the PTS is meant to suggest that Bond has finally caught up with the Blofeld that escaped at the end of YOLT - not the Blofeld who killed his wife.

We're even introduced to Bond in Japan, where we last saw him (in his Connery incarnation).

Excellent points made here; even Barry's score immediately after the Diamonds are Forever gunbarrel uses the oriental-style percussion/sort of triangle-like sound that dominated the You Only Live Twice soundtrack (think the wedding scene); an obvious attempt to link the two movies.

This, to me, is a clear indication that the producers wished to wash their hands of the Lazenby movie in some fashion.

I definitely think you're correct. I guess I see DAF as the biggest "missed opportunity"...because it does accomplish its objective of being a camp-filled fun movie. So, no disappointment in that regard. It's just that I would have rather seen more a continuation of OHMSS. That said, I guess I can't blame DAF for that since LALD and all of those that followed could have continued from OHMSS just as easily as DAF continued from YOLT.

[Guy Haines]

You know, I may have to change my answer to DAD.

I didn't go into that one with high expectations, but the first section was so strong, I really got my hopes up they were finally going to pull off a winner. Then it all went south and the early promise evaporated completely.

As disappointments go, it's like having the smell of a cooking Thanksgiving turkey fill the house all day long, only to have it burn up an hour before dinner, leaving you to eat a frozen pizza.

To borrow a tired old cliche used by British football commentators, DAD was "a game of two halves". The first, I agree, was strong and took 007 off in a very different direction (Bond in prison for months? Who would have thought it?). Only when we get to Iceland does it change course. That said, and invisible Aston Martin notwithstanding, I still prefer it to certain other Bond films I could mention. But its not in my top ten.

[ChrissBond007]

Quantum of Solace without a doubt. So much money, two nice Bond girls, promesing story (I was really excited when I heard it was going to be a sequel to Casino Royale) and especially after the big succes from Casino Royale, I had high hopes for it. But the result was really dissapointing. The editing ruins it, poor action scenes, pretty unimpressive villian and not a very good plot at all.

I also say Diamonds Are Forever was a big dissapointment after a fantastic OHMSS. Altrough DAF isn't really meant to be a sequel to OHMSS like QOS is for Casino Royale, it has also big dissapointments. Sean Connery for intstance wasn't as impressive in his return as he was in his first 5 Bondmovies. Not to mentoin the the role of Blofeld. Charles Gray' version of him was very dissapointing.

Edited by ChrissBond007, 06 March 2010 - 05:25 PM.