James Bond:Series Appreciation Thread

[asr]

I figured there ought to be at least some 007 fans around here.

Who was your favorite Bond actor?

What was your favorite movie?

My favorites actors are (in no particular order) Connery, Lazenby, and Craig.

My favorite movies are (again in no particular order):

From Russia with Love
Goldfinger
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Casino Royale (2006)
Skyfall

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

I believe there are plenty of Bond fans around here. Growing up I had a great appreciation for Connery but Moore was playing the role when I was a kid. I thought he was pretty cool but looking back now he was more of a comedian who never got his hair messed up. Craig is just badass, I love the new movies. If I had to pick favorites I would go with Craig and Skyfall, for the moment, but that's always subject to change.

 

[corianderstem]

The first Bond film I saw was The Living Daylights. I loved it! Watched it multiple times .... but then watched it a few years ago and was bored stiff.

Back then it got me on a Bond kick and I watched a lot of the older movies. Never have seen any of the Pierce Brosnan ones, but I've loved the 1st and the latest Daniel Craig movies.

 

[Lancemc]

Fucking terrible movies.

I've seen them all at least once. Most more than once.

Some are good enough, but yeah.

 

[U2girl]

Moore was the Bond I grew up with but after 3 movies he's done, Craig is my favourite Bond actor - I just hope after Skyfall they won't resort to making cliche Bond movies with him... Lazenby barely got enough showtime to get any real notice, and Timothy Dalton I felt only emulated Connery. Brosnan was good, though after Goldeneye got silly scripts.

Favorite movie ? From Russia with love/Casino Royale/Goldeneye.

 

[lazarus]

For Your Eyes Only was better than Moonraker and The Man With The Golden Gun, so I don't agree with the three and out.

Favorites: The Spy Who Loved Me, From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The Brosnan and Dalton movies are all useless IMO.

 

[LMP]

I got a licence to kill, and you know it's headin' straight for your heart.

 

[Lancemc]

Favorites: The Spy Who Loved Me, From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

These are the ones, yup.

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

My first Bond film was 'A View To A Kill' - great theme song, Grace Jones was godawfully awesome but the film sucked. I still love 'The Living Daylights' and 'Goldeneye' - and 'Tomorrow Never Dies' isn't as awful as I remember it. 'The World Is Not Enough' and 'Die Another Day' are shit though. I do like the Craig films - 'Casino Royale' was fantastic however 'Quantum Of Solace' and 'Skyfall' left me wanting.

 

[lemonfly]

Can't stand the Brosnan ones. Goldeneye was the first Bond flick I saw in a theater, and I thought it was passable. But then his tenure hit some real lows, Die Another Day is the worst Bond film ever IMHO. Craig is my favorite, Connery is a close second. I thought the first half of Skyfall was mostly excellent, before the cheesy moments sullied it (the komodo dragon pit and Bond's Scottish housekeeper sidekick were terrible additions).

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

For some reason i cant stand the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies, especially 'Tomorrow Never Dies', which was awful. Brosnan is a good actor so it wasn't him, im guessing the stories were just shit. Daniel Craig and the newer films are much much better.

 

[asr]

I believe there are plenty of Bond fans around here. Growing up I had a great appreciation for Connery but Moore was playing the role when I was a kid. I thought he was pretty cool but looking back now he was more of a comedian who never got his hair messed up. Craig is just badass, I love the new movies. If I had to pick favorites I would go with Craig and Skyfall, for the moment, but that's always subject to change.

Unfortunately, 'Moonraker' was my very first exposure to Bond. I used to think Roger Moore was the definitive 007 until I reached the age of enlightenment. His only two good movies for me were 'The Spy Who Loved Me' and 'For Your Eyes Only.' Dalton was a snooze who made the pendulum swing too far the opposite direction. Brosnan looked and acted the part perfectly. But, save for 'Goldeneye,' his movies were terrible. So far, 'Quantum of Solace' was Craig's only slip up. But that had more to do with the director than anything else.

 

[LMP]

For some reason i cant stand the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies, especially 'Tomorrow Never Dies', which was awful. Brosnan is a good actor so it wasn't him, im guessing the stories were just shit. Daniel Craig and the newer films are much much better.

The series also moved from its directors stable method, where dudes like Terence Young and John Glen moved up in the ranks to direct multiple pictures -- a practice largely blamed for the growing staleness of the series' action setpieces -- to its current directors-for-hire practice.

Martin Campbell's the only dude to do more than one (Goldeneye & Casino Royale) and Sam Mendes has been the only "auteur"-type stylist to come onboard. The results relative to the more bland Brosnan flicks speak for themselves, though I am a fan of The World Is Not Enough.

 

[lazarus]

though I am a fan of The World Is Not Enough.

One of the worst pieces of shit I've ever seen in a movie theatre. Wow.

 

[djerdap]

I guess you came to the theatre only once.

 

[Lancemc]

I like TWINE too in the realm of the really poorly-made Bond flicks. It's got a sense of scenery-chewiness. Yeah.

 

[PhilsFan]

Of the Brosnan films, I only like Goldeneye.

 

[LMP]

I like TWINE too in the realm of the really poorly-made Bond flicks. It's got a sense of scenery-chewiness. Yeah.

Absolutely. It's in the You Only Live Twice camp.

Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day are the two close-to-unwatchable Brosnan entries for me.

 

[Lancemc]

Tomorrow Never Dies has the slight edge of the two for Jonathan Pryce, but yes. Goldeneye's far from great too, but Sean Bean does a looooot to breath some life into things.

 

[LMP]

Tomorrow Never Dies has the slight edge of the two for Jonathan Pryce, but yes. Goldeneye's far from great too, but Sean Bean does a looooot to breath some life into things.

Tomorrow Never Dies is the first Bond flick that I caught in theaters and actually have strong recollections of it. Pryce hams it up hard. Too bad it's in service of arguably the dumbest villain plot of the series.

For Your Eyes Only rocks so hard. Were Dalton in the role as intended, it may be an all-timer. Damn near close though.

Following up the emotional wallop of the ending of Secret Service with Moore's more avuncular, jokey, and old-ass Bond robs it of its potential poignancy. The wordless mountain climb rocks as a setpiece. Also, fucking Topol.

 

[Hewson]

Die Another Day ... close-to-unwatchable .

save for the brilliant acting of Madonna Louise Ciccone...

Spoiler

OK I couldn't type that with a straight face

 

[No spoken words]

Tomorrow Never Dies is the first Bond flick that I caught in theaters and actually have strong recollections of it. Pryce hams it up hard. Too bad it's in service of arguably the dumbest villain plot of the series.

For Your Eyes Only rocks so hard. Were Dalton in the role as intended, it may be an all-timer. Damn near close though.

Following up the emotional wallop of the ending of Secret Service with Moore's more avuncular, jokey, and old-ass Bond robs it of its potential poignancy. The wordless mountain climb rocks as a setpiece. Also, fucking Topol.

Seriously, just saying "Topol" is enough re: For Your Eyes Only. Love that film.

Oh, and my favorites are the same as Laz's except you can add Casino Royale which I think is fantastic front to back.

 

[MrPryck2U]

A number of the Bonds have been good. Having growing up with Moore being Bond, I tend to like him the best. Daniel Craig has been an awesome Bond, though. His version of Casino Royale is probably my favorite Bond film.

 

[lazarus]

For Your Eyes Only rocks so hard. Were Dalton in the role as intended, it may be an all-timer. Damn near close though.

Following up the emotional wallop of the ending of Secret Service with Moore's more avuncular, jokey, and old-ass Bond robs it of its potential poignancy. The wordless mountain climb rocks as a setpiece. Also, fucking Topol.

I'm confused; the ending of OHMSS is retroactively soured by Moore, when Connery's Diamonds Are Forever came first and is an embarrassing send off for Connery? The way you worded it also implies For Your Eyes Only followed close behind OHMSS when obvs there are like 5 films inbetween.

 

[LMP]

I'm confused; the ending of OHMSS is retroactively soured by Moore, when Connery's Diamonds Are Forever came first and is an embarrassing send off for Connery? The way you worded it also implies For Your Eyes Only followed close behind OHMSS when obvs there are like 5 films inbetween.

The ending of Secret Service is soured because it's never fully-realized in a serialized fashion. Yes, you're right in that Diamonds Are Forever comes after with a sleepwalking Connery that supposedly meets Blofeld for the first time. For Your Eyes Only, however, is the only film since Secret Service to acknowledge Tracy's death and Bond's vengeance toward Blofeld. It's bitter subject matter that's dispensed with the usual Moore silliness.

For Your Eyes Only is the only of the Moore flicks that I've seen to actively suffer from the tensions of Moore's comical Bond and a more hard-edged take on the character.

 

[lazarus]

Got it. I forgot about that revenge connection at the beginning.

I still think For Your Eyes Only is better than anything with Brosnan or Dalton.

 

[LMP]

Licence to Kill is neck-and-neck with For Your a Eyes Only for me.

The Spy Who Loved Me & The Living Daylights are the only 2 that I am embarrassed to have not seen in their entirety.

 

[lazarus]

Christ, get on that, esp. Spy Who Loved Me. It ranks pretty high on many Bond fans' lists, even the Moore detractors.

 

[LMP]

So I've noticed.

 

[No spoken words]

Not death clock worthy.