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JasonEvans
03-10-2007, 09:47 AM
So, I was watching Casino Royale on DVD last night with my son (we saw it in theaters too) and he remarked that it was his new favorite movie. So, I said, "well, you should see some of the other Bond movies then!"

That got me to thinking-- what is the best Bond movie ever. So, I put up this poll. Sadly, I am only allowed to post 10 options so I had to eliminate a few pretty good films. Still, I feel good about these 10 being the most likely to be on anyone's list of the best ever.

Enjoy and be sure to back uo your vote with an explanation:

JasonEvans
03-10-2007, 10:01 AM
As an aside, did I leave out some film that should be elligible for the top ten?

-Jason "as I looked at a list, I was surprised how few of them were even under consideration for me-- there were about 3 or 4 and then not many others in the same category as the top" Evans

Chance the Gardener
03-10-2007, 05:17 PM
Goldfinger and From Russia with Love obviously are the quintessential Bond movies. However, I'm also fond of the following two that were omitted from your list:

On His Majesty's Secret Service: Probably the Bond movie that was most faithful to the source material. Yes, Lazenby was pretty wooden as Bond, but I thought the movie had a nice balance of action and romance. Diana Rigg was excellent as Bond's short-term wife. Also, how can you go wrong with a movie featuring Telly Savalas?

Tomorrow Never Dies: Brosnan seemed alot more comfortable as Bond in this movie than in Goldeneye. Plus, its fun to have a villain that's a cross between Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch

It would be interesting to have a poll on the worst Bond film. I bet there would be alot more diversity. My choice would be 'Diamonds are Forever': cheesy sets, bad jokes, and the pain of watching an overweight Sean Connery half-heartedly trying to recreate the Bond character he made famous.

BluBones
03-10-2007, 11:55 PM
It's hard for me to leave off any Connery Bond, so the first thing I asked when I saw your list was, "Where is Diamonds Are Forever?" Even if it were on the list I wouldn't have voted for it, though. From Russia With Love is the pinnacle of Bondom.

throatybeard
03-11-2007, 09:28 AM
First, I appreciate the good Bonds for their own qualities, rather than being one of these Connery-only chauvinists.

I'm probably the world's biggest Moore fan, but Man with the Golden Gun needs to be on a worst list, not a best list. The superior Moore films are, as Jason listed, Spy who Loved Me and Live and Let Die. Octo***** is quality Cold War, and For Your Eyes Only isn't bad. Moonraker has problems, mainly a wooden villain. I never need to see A View to a Kill again, and I'm surprised they made it.

I voted for Live and Let Die because it's my favorite, not because you can really truly argue it's the best. It's so deliciously stupid. It's got one of the best chase scenes in the whole Bond oeuvre, the boat chase on the Bayou, and probably the single most beautiful Bond girl, a young Jane Seymour. They haven't yet figured out that they want to make Moore the 1970s king of cheese yet, but the whole thing is silly enough the be appreciated meta-. I like Moore even better than Connery because I perceive Bond to be satire, not unironic action. Moore's funnier. If you're taking Bond seriously*, you've got a healthier suspension of disbelief than I can muster.

Die Another Day, the last Brosnan film, is the best of his four.

I want to like From Russia with Love best of the Connery films, but I had to concede to Goldfinger, even though the mad super-villain is not my favorite Bond formula.

* - I haven't seen the new film, but it's in my queue. I hear it's a real film, not merely a Bond movie.

JasonEvans
03-11-2007, 11:52 AM
My top 5:

1. Goldfinger
2. Live and Let Die - I'm with Throaty on the great boat chase scene and I liked the ending with the sharks. Plus, when Bond uses the meat to send the Aligators into the bad guy cabin, well that's just cold ;)
3. Casino Royale - Great action nad a very believable Bond. Went on a bit too long, but enjoyable. Loved that Bond torture scene too-- nasty!
4. From Russia With Love - The movie that made all of us fall in love with Bond.
5. Goldeneye - The sight of Brosnan on top of that tank was just too awesome. The ending was pretty wretched, but I liked everything that took us to that point.

--Jason "I agree, the list of bad or disappointing Bond movies might be more interesting" Evans

Chance the Gardener
03-11-2007, 12:43 PM
I agree the boat chase scene in LALD was fantastic. Also, its hard to go wrong with any movie featuring Jane Seymour ;)

However, LALD is lower on my list for two reasons. First, in the character Sherrif J.W. Pepper, it prominently features easily the most-annoying and unnecessary character to appear in the Bond series (Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist is a close second). Second, the death of the villain Kananga by inflation (where he basically blows up like a balloon, floats in the air, and pops) was friggin ridiculous. Couldn't they think of a more-realistic (by Bond standards) way to kill him off?

A Bond-related trivia question: What actor, who appeared in a relatively minor role in a Bond film, later went on to win an Oscar for Best-Supporting Actor?

rthomas
03-11-2007, 04:49 PM
Did you actually censor yourself on the name of a Bond movie? What would you do with Austin Powers, Gold****** and The Spy Who ******* Me.

throatybeard
03-11-2007, 10:31 PM
No, the board software did that.

You know what else is awesome about Goldeneye, Jason, is it probably has the finest opening stunt of all the films, where Brosnan drives a motorcycle off a cliff onto a plane.

They've spent more and more money for better and better effect in the opening stunt in the last two decades. (I'm not sure that some of the Connery films can even be considered to have one). Other great opening stunts can be found in Die Another Day (the hovercraft chase off a waterfall) and Octo***** (Moore turns his ultralight to 90 degrees through a door).

JasonEvans
03-12-2007, 10:01 AM
No, the board software did that.

You know what else is awesome about Goldeneye, Jason, is it probably has the finest opening stunt of all the films, where Brosnan drives a motorcycle off a cliff onto a plane.

They've spent more and more money for better and better effect in the opening stunt in the last two decades. (I'm not sure that some of the Connery films can even be considered to have one). Other great opening stunts can be found in Die Another Day (the hovercraft chase off a waterfall) and Octo***** (Moore turns his ultralight to 90 degrees through a door).

And the opening stunt (which is actually an opening chase) in Casino Royale tops everything EVER!! If you have not seen it, you are really missing something.

Here it is- from YouTube: http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ovojHaug7U

-Jason "the idiot with his finger in his ear deserved to die!" Evans

Jfrosh
03-12-2007, 12:43 PM
What about Moonraker? :D

Don't know what they were thinking when they made that one.

My all time favorite is Goldfinger.

The Gordog
03-12-2007, 02:02 PM
Casino Royale is in my que, havn't seen it yet.

1. Tomorrow Never Dies - I love Micheele Yeoh in this movie, and I liked Bond's vulnerability when his hand seems to shake the slightest bit when he takes a shot of vodka realizing that Paris was going to be killed. Plus I hate the MSM so it fits.

2. From Russia With Love - great plot, often copied.

3. The Spy Who Loved Me - the best theme song, and one of the funniest. Great ski chase to open the film.

4. Die Another Day - Halle Berry!:)

5. GoldenEye
6. Live and Let Die
7. Goldfinger

FewFAC
03-12-2007, 05:20 PM
Goldfinger - the title track never leaves my head
Die Another Day - visually one of the most appealing: the parachute stunt (by the villain, Bond's parachute stunt is about the only bad thing here), the ice driving, the swordfight, Halle Berry, the helicopter, the quips
From Russia With Love
Casino Royale - the freerunning was cool, but I rather liked Bond's phone call with M at the end

I think the best Bonds were left on the table thanks to Remington Steele.

Reisen
03-13-2007, 02:30 PM
Casino Royale was absolutely fantastic. I'm going to stop by and pick up a copy on the way home from work.

I'm a lover of pretty much all the Bond films, although I'd have to put out License to Kill as probably the worst, with View to a Kill and whichever one had Denise Richards as the scientist (telling I can't even remember the name) down there too.

No one has mentioned "You Only Live Twice" and "For Your Eyes Only", which I think are pretty strong contenders for top 5 or top 10. Similarly, I'm a "Thunderball" fan, the underwater fight scene is pretty wild! At the time, the computer warfare game was considered ultra high-tech as well...

I'd probably move "Living Daylights" off the list (Just can't see a Timothy Dalton movie, who was easily the worst Bond, on the list). I'd also scratch "Man with the Golden Gun", and replace with the two I mentioned above. While I'm not a "Goldeneye" fan, it deserves a place on the list if only for a reason that it spawned the greatest console game ever...

bluebear
03-13-2007, 03:49 PM
Casino Royale was absolutely fantastic. I'm going to stop by and pick up a copy on the way home from work.

I'm a lover of pretty much all the Bond films, although I'd have to put out License to Kill as probably the worst, with View to a Kill and whichever one had Denise Richards as the scientist (telling I can't even remember the name) down there too.

No one has mentioned "You Only Live Twice" and "For Your Eyes Only", which I think are pretty strong contenders for top 5 or top 10. Similarly, I'm a "Thunderball" fan, the underwater fight scene is pretty wild! At the time, the computer warfare game was considered ultra high-tech as well...

I'd probably move "Living Daylights" off the list (Just can't see a Timothy Dalton movie, who was easily the worst Bond, on the list). I'd also scratch "Man with the Golden Gun", and replace with the two I mentioned above. While I'm not a "Goldeneye" fan, it deserves a place on the list if only for a reason that it spawned the greatest console game ever...


Picking up my copy of Casino on my way too...

When I was younger, I really liked "For your eyes only" mainly because of the wide range of locations...definitely one of the more "adventurous" Bond films...Now, I like Thunderball, Dr. No, etc. better..which seem edgier and so much different than the Brosnan (and some Moore) flicks.. Casino is a great return to that..

FewFAC
03-13-2007, 06:55 PM
I also thought of adding Thunderball, but thought the thread was trending more toward the cheesy Bond.

Ping Lin
03-14-2007, 11:14 AM
My 5:

1. Goldfinger. Everyone's favorite, to be sure, but with good reason -- arguably the only film that actually improves on the original Fleming novel (which got ridiculous in certain places).

2. From Russia With Love. Probably the finest ensemble acting of the Bond series; just about everyone, from Shaw to Lenya, is terrific on the screen.

3. For Your Eyes Only. I'm surprised this hasn't gotten more consideration. My personal favorite Moore vehicle, this was a very slimmed-down and intense Bond, and compared to the other movies around it (Never Say Never Again, Moonraker) it's aged remarkably well.

4. The Spy Who Loved Me. One of the few Bond movies that feels genuinely epic in scope, with Moore's best acting moment ("The answer to the question is yes. I did kill him.") and the introduction of Jaws, what's not to like?

5. The World is Not Enough. Yes, it has the atrocious Christmas Jones, or else it would be ranked higher. But it's still Brosnan's best, and stocked with great characters and excellent writing. A somewhat flagging climax also lowers this, unfortunately.


Personally, I think a *bottom* five Bond is in order, and might be more entertaining -- you can start that poll if you like, Jason, but here's my choices:

Bottom 5, from bad to worse:

5. The Man with the Golden Gun. Some great dialogue between Lee and Moore save this from occupying a worse position, but I have to say that the slide-whistle stunt is a genuine nadir of the Bond films.

4. Die Another Day. I think about halfway through the film, the writers threw up their hands and confessed on the screen that they had no idea what they were doing.

3. Diamonds are Forever. Sean Connery, balder, fatter, and in a flamingo pink shirt! Just what we all wanted to see! Oh, no wait, we didn't.

2. A View to a Kill. Gives the lie to the proposition that Christopher Walken makes everything better.

1. License to Kill. This pains me, because I think that Timothy Dalton's a fine actor, and I think Living Daylights is a fine Bond film. But this film is wrong in so many ways that I can't begin to list them.

aimo
03-14-2007, 12:30 PM
And, I've only seen Sean Connery as Bond, so I am obviously biased. But, I voted for From Russia with Love. I also really like Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice.

dukepsy1963
03-14-2007, 11:41 PM
A bunch of us guys saw it in Durham...(first run)...the night before graduation in 1963...the karma was fantastic that night....

------------
I know....that was a long time ago...and then again it wasn't...time flies....

throatybeard
03-15-2007, 06:44 AM
What about Moonraker? :D

Don't know what they were thinking when they made that one.


The movie, which isn't the best, or the opening stunt, which is great, and deliciously absurd? Although it probably irritates Physics teachers.

Jfrosh
03-15-2007, 03:37 PM
The movie, which isn't the best, or the opening stunt, which is great, and deliciously absurd? Although it probably irritates Physics teachers.

I forgot about the opening stunt, that was fun, unreal, but what isn't in Bond films. What got to me was the whole "Jaws gets a girlfriend and turns good" angle.

dball
03-19-2007, 12:35 PM
I forgot about the opening stunt, that was fun, unreal, but what isn't in Bond films. What got to me was the whole "Jaws gets a girlfriend and turns good" angle.

Richard Kiel's character does the same turnabout in "Pale Rider".

Point of reference: Kiel is same height as Zoubek.

Lavabe
04-03-2009, 07:44 PM
Would someone PLEASE explain to me why Daniel Craig is still Bond? I gave him a pass on Casino Royale. I had hoped for more from him on Solace; I am greatly disappointed. It almost reminds me of the time shortly after Licence to Kill.

Then again, everything looks nice on BlueRay.:)

MAIN POINT: I am not changing my mind on this poll, some two years after it was first posted.

Paging Jason Evans: Is there any hope for the third Daniel Craig Bond?

Thanks,
Lavabe

YmoBeThere
04-04-2009, 07:47 AM
I do think the value of Bond as a whole has been diluted over the years by other film series such as the Jack Ryan stuff or the Bourne series. Not that it wouldn't have happened anyway.

captmojo
04-04-2009, 01:04 PM
"Where is Diamonds Are Forever?"
Stunning!



3. Diamonds are Forever. Sean Connery, balder, fatter, and in a flamingo pink shirt! Just what we all wanted to see! Oh, no wait, we didn't.



What we wanted to see was plenty more of Tiffany Case.

DevilAlumna
04-04-2009, 01:05 PM
Some of the news articles around Natascha Richardon's death mentioned that she told Liam Neeson he shouldn't do Bond (he was in the running after Timothy whatshisname.)

Umm, Neeson as Bond??? I can't see that at all.

DukeCO2009
04-05-2009, 12:40 PM
Would someone PLEASE explain to me why Daniel Craig is still Bond? I gave him a pass on Casino Royale. I had hoped for more from him on Solace; I am greatly disappointed. It almost reminds me of the time shortly after Licence to Kill.

Then again, everything looks nice on BlueRay.:)

MAIN POINT: I am not changing my mind on this poll, some two years after it was first posted.

Paging Jason Evans: Is there any hope for the third Daniel Craig Bond?

Thanks,
Lavabe

Are you kidding? He's great!

YmoBeThere
04-05-2009, 02:44 PM
Are you kidding? He's great!

Ahhh....the voice of youth! Haha, I think there may be an era preference for Bond.

moonpie23
04-05-2009, 08:41 PM
this is hard...

i'm going to have to say:

1. goldfinger (THE very best villain in ANY bond film..and prolly should have won something for it.)
2. dr no
3. from russia with love
4. casino royale (just a few things shy of making # 2)
5. You only live twice.
6. Our man Flint.


no remington steel in the top 5

no roger moore in the top 30

ArkieDukie
04-05-2009, 10:23 PM
Think I'm biased b/c it's the first Bond movie I saw in the theater. I also liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond but didn't like Timothy Dalton. It goes without saying that I liked Sean Connery as Bond. I haven't seen any of the new ones with Daniel Craig in the lead role. Does that make me a bad person? :o

moonpie23
04-06-2009, 03:46 PM
daniel craig is a BAD %@%@^ MOFO who would rather kill you than charm you....I like this presentation of bond.

Icarus09
04-06-2009, 04:03 PM
Ahhh....the voice of youth! Haha, I think there may be an era preference for Bond.

Younger people, in this case males between 18 and 24, attend movies in much higher numbers than their older counterparts. So, if Columbia pictures is thinking about who to cast, and they know Pierce Brosnan is dragging the franchise down, it wasn't that surprising that they went with a bold choice. Does Craig behave like the bond in the novels or in the movies of old? No. But he does reinvigorate the audience that the producers are trying to appeal to.
As to the question of why Craig is still bond, both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace have grossed around 600 million each. In 2002, Die Another Day, the last Brosnan bond movie, made slightly over 400 million. I would say Craig's doing fairly well (from a business POV) for the franchise.

dball
04-07-2009, 02:09 PM
As to the question of why Craig is still bond, both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace have grossed around 600 million each. In 2002, Die Another Day, the last Brosnan bond movie, made slightly over 400 million. I would say Craig's doing fairly well (from a business POV) for the franchise.

Die Another Day was $434M, a bit more than slightly over 400.
QOS was $567M, well shy of 600 and it cost nearly $100M more to make.

For me, the US boxoffice take is more interesting, Casino Royale was $6M+ more than Die Another Day and QOS was $2M or so more than CR.

While the films with Craig in them are doing well, there is no clear evidence those films wouldn't have done well with Brosnan or someone else. Each Brosnan vehicle was the leading US Bond film for its time. Each succeeding film picked up more dollars. I'm not sure that the box office take isn't as much tied into the increase in ticket prices as anything else. In 1995, Brosnan's first film, ticket here was $7 ($3.50 matinee), in 2002, Brosnan's last, ticket was $9 (matinee $5), last year for QOS, tickets were $11 (matinee $7.50).

moonpie23
04-07-2009, 10:11 PM
i AM the bond demographic. despite my not being in my teens any more (physically) i have seen every bond movie on opening night at the theater since dr no.. with the exception of the last two pierce bros films..(die another day and world aint enuff) mainly because they DID have remmington in them...

and i love halle berry and denise richards.


brosnan's portrayal was becoming sterile. i enjoyed golden eye and tomorrow never dies, but, there was just something missing from the character....he wasnt JAMES BOND, he was PLAYING JB.

when they announced they had selected daniel craig for casino royale, i was thrilled....his portrayal and the writing are showing us a more realistic side of bond himself...

i like the darker side of craig, as i like the darker side of the Dark KNight..

Icarus09
04-07-2009, 11:01 PM
Die Another Day was $434M, a bit more than slightly over 400.
QOS was $567M, well shy of 600 and it cost nearly $100M more to make.

For me, the US boxoffice take is more interesting, Casino Royale was $6M+ more than Die Another Day and QOS was $2M or so more than CR.

While the films with Craig in them are doing well, there is no clear evidence those films wouldn't have done well with Brosnan or someone else. Each Brosnan vehicle was the leading US Bond film for its time. Each succeeding film picked up more dollars. I'm not sure that the box office take isn't as much tied into the increase in ticket prices as anything else. In 1995, Brosnan's first film, ticket here was $7 ($3.50 matinee), in 2002, Brosnan's last, ticket was $9 (matinee $5), last year for QOS, tickets were $11 (matinee $7.50).

We've been looking at the same figures. I figured since we were talking about 100s of millions of dollars I could approximate a bit.
So are you saying that you'd rather see Brosnan still on the big screen? Do you think that he, in his mid-50s, would attract the more profitable younger audience than a man more than ten years his junior? Personally, I think his best performance (and the best movie of his tenure) was Goldeneye. He could have kept doing a decent job of course but I think it's safe to say that many professionals mulled over the personnel decision and figured a new Bond would earn more money. Brosnan obviously needed to be replaced at some point and I think he had the time to make his mark over 4 films. It'll be interesting to see how the next bond film does. I thought they could've done a lot better than Quantum of Solace.

moonpie23
04-07-2009, 11:13 PM
well, when it;s all said and done, there IS a story to be considered. and the GOOD bond films had excellent villains. who were you scared of in QUantum? not really anyone....

i think that movie was more of a squash between a bond film and Sahara.


the next bond movie had better have a damn good bad guy!!!

Icarus09
04-07-2009, 11:29 PM
well, when it;s all said and done, there IS a story to be considered. and the GOOD bond films had excellent villains. who were you scared of in QUantum? not really anyone....

i think that movie was more of a squash between a bond film and Sahara.


the next bond movie had better have a damn good bad guy!!!

Agreed, when studios are given a couple years to come up with a movie they should be able to come up with a good script.

darthur
04-08-2009, 01:42 AM
As to the question of why Craig is still bond, both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace have grossed around 600 million each. In 2002, Die Another Day, the last Brosnan bond movie, made slightly over 400 million. I would say Craig's doing fairly well (from a business POV) for the franchise.

It is not just business. Casino Royale is by far the best reviewed Bond film of the modern era, clocking in at 94% recommended on RT, compared to Goldeneye's 80% (with a good number of the reviewers listing Craig's performance as a highlight). Quantum of Solace was a step down at 65% recommended, but it still fared better than any of the Brosnan sequels. IMDB shows pretty similar trends overall.

Casino Royale is definitely my favorite in the series. It's overlong, but it benefit from modern-day special effects, it has the smartest script of the bunch in my opinion, and I think Craig is in the running for best Bond. Shrug - to each their own.

throatybeard
10-11-2012, 12:22 AM
Paging Jason Evans: Is there any hope for the third Daniel Craig Bond?

Thanks,
Lavabe

I'm not Evans, but yes. Mendes, Deakins. Bardem!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyfall

Olympic Fan
10-11-2012, 12:38 AM
If you grew up with Sean Connery as Bond, i's hard to accept anybody else in the role.

But I would argue that there are just four great Bonds -- the first four ... Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball. By Diamonds are Forever, the series had started to slip.

If I had to pick fifth Bond movie -- and the best one without Connery, I'd go for Casino Royale. Ursella Andress as Vesper, and three James Bonds, inclduing David Niven and Peter Sellers. Also, the best villian in the whole Bond series -- Woody Allen as Jimmy Bond.

Reisen
11-05-2012, 12:13 PM
Casino Royale was absolutely fantastic. I'm going to stop by and pick up a copy on the way home from work.

I'm a lover of pretty much all the Bond films, although I'd have to put out License to Kill as probably the worst, with View to a Kill and whichever one had Denise Richards as the scientist (telling I can't even remember the name) down there too.

No one has mentioned "You Only Live Twice" and "For Your Eyes Only", which I think are pretty strong contenders for top 5 or top 10. Similarly, I'm a "Thunderball" fan, the underwater fight scene is pretty wild! At the time, the computer warfare game was considered ultra high-tech as well...

I'd probably move "Living Daylights" off the list (Just can't see a Timothy Dalton movie, who was easily the worst Bond, on the list). I'd also scratch "Man with the Golden Gun", and replace with the two I mentioned above. While I'm not a "Goldeneye" fan, it deserves a place on the list if only for a reason that it spawned the greatest console game ever...

It's so funny coming across an old thread, reading it, and realizing you had posted in it over 5 years ago! :-).

It's even funnier when what you posted 5 years ago pretty much matches up with everything you were thinking moments ago. Specifically around "You Only Live Twice", "For Your Eyes Only", and "Thunderball". The only difference is I think now, with 5 more years of experience under my belt, I'd leave Living Daylights on the list. Great cold-war culture, good fight scenes, the Afghanistan part was kind of fun...

"For Your Eyes Only" actually got more credit as the thread went along, but I think it's top 5. One of the things I love about the Bond movies today, is the cultural artifacts of the 1960's and 1970's. The cars, the planes, views on travel, alcohol, and women. Kind of the original Mad Men, before Mad Men was cool (I realize one is actually from that era while the other is recreating a slightly earlier one).

Anyway, "For Your Eyes Only" does a great job recreating 60's / 70's Europe, from the Alpine scenes, to the Greek ones. Great climbing and fortress assault scenes, fantastic ski scenes. All stuff that strikes a chord with me.

"You Only Live Twice" seemed to get very little mention, either good or bad. For me, that's way up there. Similar to my views on Europe above, you get the same thing but with the East (specifically, japan). Helicopter scenes, ninjas, poisoning, prototypical villain, and easily the best evil lair of all (literally, in a fake volcano). Add in the best climax (huge ninja assault on the base), and I think you have a winner. I think it's no coincidence that is the movie so many of the caricatures like Austin Powers draw so heavily from.

Lest we not forget, Bond gets married (and loses another wife) in that one, too.

To me, Quantum of Solace was a decent let-down, but I'm hearing great word of mouth for Skyfall. Which leads me to the question, has anyone seen it yet? Evans, I'm thinking of you specifically?

Lastly, anyone know why the release schedule of this put it out there globally so far before the US? Was it simply a timing thing (to avoid other movies, or hit peak sales around the Thanksgiving holiday?), or could it maybe have something to do with foreign pirating (it seems to me, with so many pirates outside the US, releasing movies in other markets first could dampen that a little)?

JasonEvans
11-05-2012, 12:59 PM
I'm hearing great word of mouth for Skyfall. Which leads me to the question, has anyone seen it yet? Evans, I'm thinking of you specifically?

Lastly, anyone know why the release schedule of this put it out there globally so far before the US? Was it simply a timing thing (to avoid other movies, or hit peak sales around the Thanksgiving holiday?), or could it maybe have something to do with foreign pirating (it seems to me, with so many pirates outside the US, releasing movies in other markets first could dampen that a little)?

Yes, I have seen it. I'll post a review in a day or so. It was quite good.

I am not certain why it was released earlier in the UK and elsewhere. Perhaps they wanted to build buzz for the film (knowing it would be huge in the UK, where they love bond even more than they do here). Perhaps it was merely a matter of the US release schedule being more crowded and this date working best for them. It may also have been a calculation to have the film still be relevant and in moviegoer's minds over the Thanksgiving week, which is a big one for movies.

-Jason "Skyfall is certainly among the 10 best Bond films but I think it comes up a tad short of the top few" Evans

Dukeface88
11-05-2012, 02:04 PM
I went with From Russia with Love, just barely edging out Casino Royale and Spy who Loved Me. Ask me in a week, and I might put them in a different order, but it would definitely be those three at the top.



Does Craig behave like the bond in the novels or in the movies of old? No.

He may not act like Brosnan or Moore's Bond, but I think he's closer to Connery than either of them. And though I haven't read any of the novels, my understanding was that NovelBond has more in common with Craig than the usual suave-and-sophisticated protrayal.

bjornolf
11-06-2012, 06:39 AM
He [Daniel Craig] may not act like Brosnan or Moore's Bond, but I think he's closer to Connery than either of them. And though I haven't read any of the novels, my understanding was that NovelBond has more in common with Craig than the usual suave-and-sophisticated protrayal.

I thought Brosnan was closest to Connery. I think he came closer to the devil may care in the face of death that Connery always had. Craig is more serious with a more sarcastic spit in the face of danger attitude. Craig's smile is just too stiff and forced to me. He's much better than Dalton in my opinion, but his style as 007 is more like Dalton's than Connery's to me.

None of the other Bonds have really played it like Connery. Moore had the kind of fun attitude, but it tended to get a little overly silly with him.

Just my $0.02.

Reisen
11-06-2012, 10:48 AM
I thought Brosnan was closest to Connery. I think he came closer to the devil may care in the face of death that Connery always had. Craig is more serious with a more sarcastic spit in the face of danger attitude. Craig's smile is just too stiff and forced to me. He's much better than Dalton in my opinion, but his style as 007 is more like Dalton's than Connery's to me.

None of the other Bonds have really played it like Connery. Moore had the kind of fun attitude, but it tended to get a little overly silly with him.

Just my $0.02.

I think the Craig-Dalton comparison is spot on, and Craig is much better.

I'd actually liken Brosnan to Moore rather than Connery. I think the spectrum going from "fun" to "serious" for the main Bond actors is Moore ---> Brosnan ---> Connery ---> Dalton ---> Craig.

Lest we forget, a number of those Brosnan movies were absurdly silly, especially in characters and action scenes (the afore-mentioned riding a motorcycle off the cliff, climbing into the plane, and flying it). Not that we hadn't seen some of that in Bond movies before, but the whole tone of those movies played to the humor side, where as now we're in a much darker Christopher-Nolan's-take-on-Batman phase, which I love.

Craig kind of takes everything Dalton did well and improves on it. Connery played both sides very well, but he gets a huge advantage as the original.

luvdahops
11-06-2012, 12:56 PM
I think the Craig-Dalton comparison is spot on, and Craig is much better.

I'd actually liken Brosnan to Moore rather than Connery. I think the spectrum going from "fun" to "serious" for the main Bond actors is Moore ---> Brosnan ---> Connery ---> Dalton ---> Craig.

Lest we forget, a number of those Brosnan movies were absurdly silly, especially in characters and action scenes (the afore-mentioned riding a motorcycle off the cliff, climbing into the plane, and flying it). Not that we hadn't seen some of that in Bond movies before, but the whole tone of those movies played to the humor side, where as now we're in a much darker Christopher-Nolan's-take-on-Batman phase, which I love.

Craig kind of takes everything Dalton did well and improves on it. Connery played both sides very well, but he gets a huge advantage as the original.

I think Craig comes closest to the way the Bond character is written in the Ian Fleming novels - suave and sophisticated, but also brutal and borderline psychotic at times. Humor is more prevalent in the movies than the books. Not saying Craig is the best movie Bond (my vote still goes to Connery, by a fairly wide margin), just the most faithful to the written character.

Tom B.
11-06-2012, 01:13 PM
A Bond-related trivia question: What actor, who appeared in a relatively minor role in a Bond film, later went on to win an Oscar for Best-Supporting Actor?




I don't think anyone ever answered this trivia question from March of 2007. I think the answer is Benicio del Toro. He was the villain's henchman in License to Kill.

Of course, Christopher Walken had already won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar several years before he played the villain in A View to a Kill.

And the original Bond himself would later win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in The Untouchables.

JasonEvans
11-06-2012, 02:31 PM
I don't think anyone ever answered this trivia question from March of 2007. I think the answer is Benicio del Toro. He was the villain's henchman in License to Kill.

Of course, Christopher Walken had already won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar several years before he played the villain in A View to a Kill.

And the original Bond himself would later win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in The Untouchables.

Woody Allen, William Holden, John Huston, Orson Wells, and David Niven all won Oscars and appeared in a Bond film.

Wait, does Casino Royale (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061452/) (the 1967 version) count?

--Jason "sadly, amazingly, Peter Sellers never won an Oscar... that is just plain wrong!!" Evans

Reisen
11-06-2012, 02:47 PM
jason, hurry up and write your Skyfall review. I'm getting more and more psyched for this film, and a good review from you will push me over the top.

ncexnyc
11-06-2012, 10:01 PM
Bond is one of the most iconic film franchises ever. I saw all of the early films as a young boy when they were first released and they took me too far away lands that at the time I could only dream about. It didn’t hurt that the films had awesome action sequences with loads of high-tech gadgets. As a kid I remember getting the 007 briefcase that was featured in, “From Russia with Love.” At the 64 World’s Fair I bought a toy Beretta at the Italian Pavilion. I built a plastic model of the Aston Martin used in Goldfinger, it even had the rotating license plate, as well as the bullet proof shield in the rear. Of course it didn’t hurt that they had some incredibly sexy women in them.
Picking a top 5 in anything is never easy and it’s no different with the Bond films but here goes:
1. From Russia With Love: Rosa Kleb, Red Grant, and the Gypsy catfight, what more can you ask for?
2. Casino Royale: A fantastic opening introduction to the new Bond, brutal and ruthless along with the classic, “Bond, James Bond” at the end when he shoots Mr. White in the ankle.
3. Live and Let Die: The return of James Bond to the widescreen. A young and nubile Jane Seymour as well as a great chase scene.
4. Goldfinger: The pinnacle of the franchise. Everything after this seemed to be excessive.
5. Never Say Never: Some don’t consider this a true Bond film, but how can you lose with this cast.
Fatima Blush is one of the hottest villains in Bond history.

WV_Iron_Duke
11-19-2012, 08:20 PM
I was 15 when I watched Ursala Andress coming out of the water in Dr. No. I remember watching a double feature of the first two Bond movies and then read a couple of the novels. My favorite is Thunderball and I have seen all the best Bnd movies twice in the past 3 years. It has the best combo of exotic locals, tv type technology that is not outdated, gadgets, Bond girls and the great underwater scenes. Goldfinger gets a little slow once at Ft. Knox.I agree that the new Bond is a little more like Bond in the novels but the Bond in the movies is a different animal and for the movies a more entertaining figure. I really liked Casino Royale with Eva Greene a favorite (Dreamers) but I didn't like the ending. I liked all of the 1st four Bond movies and Die another Day and the Spy Who Loved Me are favorites too. What I am trying to say is that Bond afficianodos like different attributes of these movies. Exotic locales (me) Bond girls (me)plot, who plays Bond, stunts etc
Skyfall was ok. I really liked the first half. Especially the beginning and the China scenes. I really felt I was looking at the movie as James Bond. But the 2nd half in the London tubes and Scotland didn't do it for me (not exotic locales). And nos ignificant Bond girl presence to lighten the Judi Dench scenes. The brooding Bond is more like the onvels but I prefer the movie Bond that was nailed perfectly in Thunderball.

throatybeard
10-23-2013, 12:40 AM
So how do we feel about Skyfall relative to the canon?

I can't decide.

brevity
10-23-2013, 12:57 AM
So how do we feel about Skyfall relative to the canon?

I can't decide.

Skyfall, to me, feels like the conclusion of a Bond trilogy that is entirely separate from the canon (and maybe intended to establish a new canon altogether). I like it as a film in general more than as a Bond film; it takes itself too seriously to be compared to escapist pleasures. Within the trilogy, it's better than Quantum of Solace but not as good as Casino Royale.

Also, it's an unusual film in that the villain accomplishes everything he sets out to do.

theAlaskanBear
10-23-2013, 10:26 AM
While I thought the Casino Royale/Quantum of Solace/Skyfall were all good movies, I have never been able to sit through a full re-watch of any of them. In this, I would agree with brevity that they represent a departure from or subset of the Bond canon. I grew up during the Brosnan era, but I can re-watch any of the older Bonds as well.

I can't tell if its my displeasure with the Daniel Craig casting (who I love in other movies, but I thought was a "meh" Bond) or the overly-long and overly-serious production of the films. It's a little bit of everything I fear, Craig doesn't have the charisma of Brosnan or Connery, and this really amplified the bleak and prolonged nature of the trilogy.

moonpie23
10-23-2013, 01:46 PM
with all due respect to Mr. bear, i feel the opposite....i never thought Pierce was that convincing as Bond......he was dashing and debonair, but he wasn't the killer than Craig is.....each to his own, but i like the isolated killer in daniel craig's presentation.......

he does, however, need to find something extra in the character, the freshness of Casino Royale dimmed in Quantum but resurfaced slightly in Skyfall..... he needs a realllllllllllly good villain to be a realllllllly good Bond...

BlueDevilBrowns
10-23-2013, 03:04 PM
I can't tell if its my displeasure with the Daniel Craig casting (who I love in other movies, but I thought was a "meh" Bond) or the overly-long and overly-serious production of the films. It's a little bit of everything I fear, Craig doesn't have the charisma of Brosnan or Connery, and this really amplified the bleak and prolonged nature of the trilogy.


he does, however, need to find something extra in the character, the freshness of Casino Royale dimmed in Quantum but resurfaced slightly in Skyfall..... he needs a realllllllllllly good villain to be a realllllllly good Bond...

As someone who grew up after the Connery/Moore films were originally made, Brosnan, IMO, is the best of the "rest"(i.e. Brosnan/Craig/Dalton). I agree that Brosnan was a little too finesse in his delivery, channeling Remington Steele a bit much perhaps. Overall, though, the Brosnan films were all "Fun" to watch and definitely within the satirical, toungue-in-cheek escapism of the Bond canon.

Craig was striking in his portrayel of Bond in Casino Royale because I thought that his lack of polish and humor was part of the script and in the proceeding films, Craig's Bond would resemble the more "traditional" 007. However, the last 2 films have fallen flat because Craig's portayel of Bond has been flat. His mumbling and moping around have become tiresome to me. So while the overall acting, writing, and production of the latest Bond films has been somewhat solid, the main character has been way off, again IMO.

The latest Bond's are reacting too much to the Jason Bourne movies - overly realistic and plausible which results in being dull because, well, real-life is kinda dull sometimes. But while I like the Jason Bourne movies/books(no, I'm not ashamed to admit that), I don't want James Bond to be Jason Bourne, too.

James Bond is about being a caricature of what all "real men" want to be - "suave, funny, handsome, sexy, intelligent, and athletic". Craig's got the athletic and intelligent part down, but not much else.

davekay1971
10-25-2013, 12:37 AM
One of the reasons I love the movie threads is the differences is preferences and the difference in what's important to people. While I enjoy the old Bond (particularly the Holy Trinity of Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger), and I enjoyed the camp of Roger Moore's movies as a guilty pleasure, by the time Brosnan came along, I felt like the Bond as Playboy Magazine's Male Ideal was a character for a different time. Bringing in Judi Dench as M was inspired, and she was, IMHO, the best innovation of the Brosnan Bond movies. That, and Goldeneye's addition to the Sean Bean Death Reel. That isn't a criticism of Brosnan, who played Bond as, well, classic Bond. I ranked him right behind Sean Connery until the series did the huge tonal shift with the Daniel Craig movies.

Skyfall was, to me, the best Bond movie. I liked the tone, the action, the plot, the HUGE increase in Judi Dench's involvement, and LOVED the D.P. work (Roger Deakins...you are a god). I went back and forth ranking it above Casino Royale and Goldfinger, but I think it was Dench's work and Deakin's photography that did it for me.


PS: for Sean Bean Death Reel go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paP1pU7xmx4

PPS: Skyfall also gives us a truly classic Everything Wrong With ... video, as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmoIDKqfY44

throatybeard
10-25-2013, 12:55 AM
Skyfall was, to me, the best Bond movie. I liked the tone, the action, the plot, the HUGE increase in Judi Dench's involvement, and LOVED the D.P. work (Roger Deakins...you are a god). I went back and forth ranking it above Casino Royale and Goldfinger, but I think it was Dench's work and Deakin's photography that did it for me.

I was waiting for someone to speak up for Skyfall. Deakins is AMAZING. Dench was amazing. I'm not saying it's my favorite or anything, but I do want credit to go where credit is due.

bjornolf
10-25-2013, 07:02 AM
I unfortunately grew up during the Dalton era. I have to say I like Brosnan a smudge better than Moore. Moore's movies are fun, and I will watch them, but the camp factor knocks them below Brosnan for me, so my ranking in general would go Connery movies, Brosnan movies, Moore and Craig movies very close for different reasons (Moore a little too campy, Craig a little too serious and dark), with the Dalton project bringing up the rear. Of course, my opinion could be colored by how superior Brosnan was to Dalton.

jay
10-29-2013, 11:18 AM
I was waiting for someone to speak up for Skyfall. Deakins is AMAZING. Dench was amazing. I'm not saying it's my favorite or anything, but I do want credit to go where credit is due.

Skyfall's plot left much to be desired.