Matinee posted:

Watched The Spy Who Loved Me last night for the first time in many years, and it’s insane how much of the tanker sequence is almost beat-for-beat the same as the volcano stuff in YOLT.

Bond gets spotted on cctv and brought to the villain.
Bond causes mayhem and hijacks a henchman in a little mono-rail thing.
Control room gets closed behind metal shutters with gun batteries.
Bond releases trapped allies to join a big shootout.

I know the wider villain’s plot (big ship gobbles up Soviet/Western vehicles to provoke war) is identical, but it verges into the territory of outright remake at the end there.

Cracking film though. It was great to see watch it with my partner who had never seen it and getting the vicarious reaction to stuff like the Union Jack parachute, submarine Lotus etc.

Lobok posted:

Expected this thread to already have this:



Not that it provides much to talk about besides the font choice that evokes older novels. I think I have a Benson novel that uses it.

Great Enoch posted:

Is this a recurring joke in bond threads? I swear somebody wrote the same thing on this forum when Casino Royale was in production.

Cacator posted:

I'd rate them both at 2 good, 2 bad.

~Coxy posted:

I prefer Brosnan to Craig but that's maybe because I was 10 in 1995.
Craig is probably the best actor to have played James Bond but his movies are just so... blehhh.

Darko posted:

Personal opinion, but nothing as beautifully shot as Skyfall can be boring to me.

I just watched QoS yesterday and can't remember a drat thing about it except tiny bits and pieces, and the action sequences are utterly unwatchable and I literally started skipping them and doing other stuff when they came up.

Uncle Lloyd posted:

No Time to Die delayed until April 2. Lots of time to kill here I guess.

Cacator posted:

The two Moore movies that are legit good are The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only, for completely different reasons. The others have their memorable moments and plenty of defenders. Hell I'd say Octopussy is underrated.

Andorra posted:

Diamonds are Forever is right on the edge of being so stupid and bad it's fun, and being just bad. The only two things that stick out as being good to me and working as intended is the elevator fight which is one of the best fights in the franchise, and the scene where Bond is about to get roasted alive which I find downright unsettling.

Prince Myshkin posted:

I think in the years since its release this has become a decidedly uncontroversial opinion.

Al Cu Ad Solte posted:

The point is it's 2020 (er, well, 2012 when Skyfall came out) and that poo poo really don't fly any more. Goldfinger is particularly yikes but it came out 5 decades ago. It's not too much to expect some kind of decency. With Skyfall it's not just the Severine thing either, it's that in combination with all the other questionable at best decisions made with regards to the female characters.

quote:

M just fucken' dying miserably so she could be replaced by a man

The Human Crouton posted:

I agree only partially with this. I expect the overall product of James Bond to get less sexist as it becomes more of a product of its time. While many Bond Girls have been useful allies or dangerous enemies, the movies have also had their share of dumb sexy airheads. I don't think we will be seeing the airhead accomplice in future installments, and that's a good thing.

The Bond and Severine scenario, along with the casualness in which Bond seems to accept the death of women is actually something I think makes his character. James Bond lives in a world where he is constantly around the worst people on Earth every day, and everyone he talks to or has sex with dies. I see all of his behaviors as more of an acceptance that he is a crepuscular animal but his life, and the lives of everyone he meets, is really really dark.

So overall, I'd like Bond as product to not be sexist, but I don't want the character's behavior to conform to our current outlook.

Basebf555 posted:

The lyrics just kinda don't make much sense because the word Thunderball is meaningless. He strikes.....like Thunderball? What does that even mean?

Lord Krangdar posted:

Does Bond ever make an effort to disguise himself? He usually introduces himself with his real name at every opportunity.

Big Bizness posted:

Have had Bond on the mind lately so decided to watch a few of the films I hadn't seen or don't remember seeing. Here are my thoughts if you care to read them!

For Your Eyes Only: Really solid, I like the slightly downbeat tone compared to TSWLM (haven't seen Moonraker but from what I know about it, it's not exactly grounded). There's an interesting element of mentorship in this film, I wish it was more fleshed out in regards to Melina. Bond almost feels more like a replacement father figure to her in this movie. I think the paternal angle would have been more interesting then love interest, especially considering what I perceived to be a lack of romantic chemistry between the two. Columbo's character was cool, very charming, I would have enjoyed seeing him come back for another film. Would have been much prefered over JW Pepper... I think the pacing is pretty much on point with the exception of the underwater Macguffin retrieval scene going on a bit too long. I don't think it needed that second encounter with the henchmen. The title sequence was gorgeous, one of my favorites, although I'm not crazy about the song. Overall I am left satisfied and wondering why Blofeld offered Bond a delicatessen made of stainless steel in the intro bit, what a strange line. Speaking of intro bits, I don't know how anyone can think "James Bond" is a codename considering this is one of many direct references to Bond's late wife. Solid film.

License to Kill: Enjoyed this one as well, but I have to admit it feels more like a notable 80s crime/action movie then a Bond film. Quite a few films in the series are reactionary in theme relative to other popular films of the era, this is one of the more notable examples I think. I recognize that balancing tone in terms of drama and levity is a difficult thing, especially when Bond's motivation and goals in this one are so directly personal, but I wish there were more moments of levity. That said, I do appreciate Dalton's intensity and Sanchez is a great villain. His manner of death is one of the more thematically well executed within the series. The Yojimbo element of Bond orchestrating what's perceived as internal betrayal is cool and a unique element within the series. The televangelist resort / drug lab setting at the end felt a bit tacked on, like they wanted to have a classic villain's lair despite Sanchez's relatively more realistic motives and methods of financing his operations. Benecio is a great henchman and was well utilitized, especially as he's starting to recognize Bond towards the end. Bond handing over Sanchez's girlfriend to El Presidente as a consultation prize at the end was very amusing for all the wrong reasons. Also, why didn't Sanchez recognize Bond straight away? In the process of his plane getting hogtying the plane in the intro he didn't see his face? Also, maybe I missed something, but you would think given Sanchez's immediate knowledge of Felix he would have similar info on Bond. A minor point, ultimately still enjoyed it at the end. Another reference to Bond's late wife in a piece of early dialogue. Also, shoutout to Big Ed from Twin Peaks as... Ed.

Octopussy: Decided I was in the mood for some more light-hearted Moore hijinx so watched this one next. I have heard very mixed things about this film so I was prepared for some light entertainment and to turn my brain off for an hour or two. To my pleasant surprise I enjoyed it quite a bit, perhaps the most out of these three films. It's a really nice balance of a classically satisfying spy plot, beautiful locations and photography, and just the right amount of Moore Bond Campiness. The establishing shots and location photography in the India segments are among the best in the series. The title sequence visuals were kind of bog standard and not super thematically relevant, but All Time High is a beautiful song and it's theme is really well integrated into the rest of the film's soundtrack. I almost got a bit emotional when it plays on the credits rolling with that beautiful sunset shot of the boat on the ocean. I know that may sound a bit ridiculous but aesthetically it was just totally on point for me. This would have been a fantastic closing film for Moore. The plot in this one was enjoyable Hitchcockian in setup and execution, especially with the classic ticking bomb amongst the unsuspecting audience bit at the end. Khan and the rogue Russian general were both solid antagonists, although the general could have used a bit more screen time. Louis Jordan's performance as Kamal Khan was very enjoyable - I love the balance of passive agressive behaviors with his sophisticated, calm demeanor. He remains cool even when totally annoyed, like when he shows up to find Bond in Octopussy's bedroom and is told to take a hike. The fixed dice scene cracked me up a bit. How long was Khan sitting there rolling pairs of Sixes before Bond showed up? Did no one else in the room think it was a bit suspicious, or were they just afraid to say anything? Anyways, I rate this one pretty highly and I think it's a successful late example of the classic Bond formula.

I started watching Tomorrow Never Dies last night and after the enjoyable pre title sequence the film rapidly went downhill in my opinion... I got about halfway through before I needed to get some sleep, but unfortunately I'm feeling like this is one of the worst films in the series. The worst kind of pretentious stylized dialogue, weird editing and pacing, lame villain and henchmen. Weak soundtrack. The title sequence was abysmal, awful example of early CGI. A media mogul starting WW3 so he can expand his cable news network is a bit far fetched, even for a Bond film. If anyone is interested I'll return and share my thoughts about the rest of the film when I finish it, but I'm not feeling optimistic about the second half, considering the first.

Cacator posted:

Ehhh Drax is a more entertaining villain than Stromberg but otherwise I'd say TSWLM (which is pretty much the same movie) does everything better.

NikkolasKing posted:

Is the Bond franchise one of those oddities where it's produced more for a foreign audience?

Like, is it more popular in America than in Britain?

numberoneposter posted:

Followed up with Man With The Golden Gun. Mixed opinion on that one but I think I enjoyed it more than I didn't. Love how the writers are just like "well Bond is in Asia so throw some sumos at the Chinese mountainside temple in Bangkok. More karate!" HK got pretty good treatment though I think.

remigious posted:

The husband and I rewatched Quantum of Solace yesterday and exclaimed at the same time that the theme song for that one really loving blows. I’ve never been a fan of Jack White though. In contrast, the Skyfall theme is incredible!

Alfred P. Pseudonym posted:

I watched No Time to Die last night and thought it was pretty good but man Malek’s character was such a nothing villain. Easily the weakest villain of the whole Craig run and probably one of the worst overall.

numberoneposter posted:

Watched The Spy Who Loved Me and it was insane cheesy fun. The oil tanker lair set and battle at the end was quite good.

CelticPredator posted:

Steve Yun posted:

Did the books portray him as “this guy is badass I wish I was like Roald Dahl banging foreign dignitaries’ wives”

Or did the books portray him as “this guy is interesting because he’s a damaged sociopath”

chitoryu12 posted:

https://twitter.com/KrangTNelson/status/1556665232805740544

Sodomy Hussein posted:

I think maybe the only real unsalvageable Moore movies are Man with the Golden Gun, which nearly killed the series, or Octopussy, where he spends like 30 minutes dressed as a clown. It's kind of incredible that they had one more Moore film left in them, because Octopussy screams "out of ideas."

In Moonraker I think Michael Lonsdale really understood the assignment and luckily has plentiful one-liners. Moonraker recycling plots in the Bond seems to go without saying. Of the "funny" Moore movies I think it's the best.

Michael Lonsdale looks and sounds so much like Peter Dinklage that it's also outright weird.

DarkSol posted:

A darker, more grounded Goldeneye with Dalton would have been amazing.

quote:

James Bond:
I need to know who's in charge here.

Dr. Christmas Jones:
That would be me, Dr. Christmas Jones and I don't want to hear any jokes.

James Bond:
I don't know any doctor jokes.

DarkSol posted:

So... I'll have a go at unpacking all of this.

I think 009 was investigating the counterfeit jewelry ring, which includes the Fabrege Egg he had on him when he died. The circus is just the cover for Octopussy to transport those counterfeits out of the USSR to the West on the Soviet's behalf. 009 must have infiltrated the circus, but had his cover blown, either while he was trying to secret the egg away or some time before that.

The USSR is in on the counterfeit jewelry scheme... or at least Orlov is aware and part of the scheme, while the rest of the government is not. It isn't really clear why Orlov is doing this. Either the USSR needs the hard currency that the jewelry fetches on the open market or Orlov is hoarding the money for his own, undisclosed mechinations.

Sotheby's is not in on this because they are getting the actual items from Khan, not the fakes. The only fake we know that was sold by Sotheby's was the one Bond swapped for the real egg at the auction house.

As for how the whole thing goes down without giving up the ghost? The Soviet government may think that they're actually selling the fakes at auction, but aren't aware that Orlov and Khan are actually selling the real items. Or the Soviet government isn't aware of the scheme at all. After all, if I'm remembering the scene in the vault correctly, it all looks very disorganized and cluttered. It gives off the impression that there might not necessarily be a good accounting of what holdings the Soviet Union actually has and therefore items can disappear without being accounted for.

man nurse posted:

For me they’re hard to go back too because they’re so camp. It’s the epitome of the stereotype of “James bond secret agent man uses the gadgets and cars and gets the girl” to the point of self parody. I used to really like them, but after I read all the books and began to appreciate stuff like Dalton’s films more, it wasn’t doing it for me. Certainly some of his films are well done, or have particular moments that are memorable. He’s the epitome of what you think of when people offhandedly mention James Bond as the silver screen secret agent guy. They’re the pinnacle of that particular era of spy film.

This is why I’m such a Daniel Craig era fan. Brosnan’s tenure quickly devolved into the same problem the Moore films had. Too much camp. Isolated moments that were good, forgettable and sometimes laughable everything else.

When I saw Casino Royale on release it was a revelation. Here was a Bond that was played the way the character was written, in a snappy and gritty franchise reboot that hit all the right notes. I do understand people’s complaint that the films got too concerned with being dour, but I’d rather watch virtually any of those than the majority of the old ones. Bond isn’t supposed to be a happy or relatable character. He’s an assassin who drowns his psychological issues in alcohol and women.

That was a much more compelling onscreen Bond to me after decades of the status quo. I think you could only reasonably argue that two of his five films were “bad”, and even then I enjoy quantum quite a bit. Spectre is the worst by virtue of being pretty boring and trying to make all the previous films retroactively culminate with it.

DarkSol posted:

I love how dark FYEO is in places. Bond strands a guy underwater to a slow death and kicks a car off a ledge. We're shown a guy blowing up in a diving suit, Blofeld finally getting his just desserts (as a tiny vignette, to boot!), a woman violently being run down, a bunch of mooks getting blown up trying to break into the Lotus.

None of the movie feel overly cartoonish or silly like in The Man with the Golden Gun.

The only really weird aspect is the interaction between Bond and Bibi, which really highlights that Moore was too old for the role.

DarkSol posted:

There's a ton of snooty comments Bond makes about alcohol that, if you look at them as a whole, makes him seem like a huge alcoholic.

Like in Goldfinger, after being told that the brandy sucks, Bond quips with "I'd say it was a 30-year-old fine, indifferently blended, sir... with an overdose of bon-bois." Or in Diamonds are Forever, where he tells M that the sherry he's having is amazing and says a year. M replies that there are no "years" for sherry. And Bond retorts with "I was referring to the original vintage on which the sherry is based, sir. 1851, unmistakable."