You only live Twice is, ironically, one of those movies I liked when I first saw it, but not so much when I gave it a rewatch (because someone - I suppose Stanton - asked what was so good about that movie).
I find the Moore Bonds a bit hard to judge, there’s not too much light between them, if one takes Moonraker and A View to a Kill apart (the last one was that one More too Maany, and I simply don’t understand what they had in mind when making Moonraker). For your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy are all okay, probably more or less on the same level, but i like Octopussy best; Live & Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun are enjoyable as well. Moore is or was probably not the greatest actor in the world (some think he was one of the worst), but I like him a lot, such a nice fellow, so much screen presence thanks to that winning smile.
Ain’t there a big difference between those 2?
LALD has plenty of ideas and an enjoyable bunch of baddies, and one of the best action scenes of the series, while TMWTGG is a somehow unsatisfying film with nothing memorable in it, except a fine Christopher Lee.
They’re completely different (except for that fat little sheriff) but I find it both minor but enjoyable Bonds. Live and Let Die has a great opening scene and like you say some good ideas, but it feels too much like a mere succession of spectacular scenes, sending Bond first this way, then the alligator way, with a chase scene before and after. The Man with the Golden Gun has a great villain and great car stunts, and Moore grows into the role, but the gun is preposterous and the film has no finale. In the end they’re more or less on the same level to me. Okay Bonds.
I visited the London Film Museum yesterday and saw the James Bond exhibition. It features a great selection of cars from the films from Goldfinger’s Rolls Royce to the Aston Martin from Spectre. There’s also props and storyboards and you also get the compulsory gift shop as with all museums and attractions . Well worth a visit if you have time to go one day.
Craig doesn’t have fun in the role. Which I think is really the directors choice, as they’re trying to make Bond fit into modern times. Action hero’s used to just put holes in people and joyfully quip about how the bodies look like swiss cheese. Action hero’s today are broken machine that kill fifty people and then proceed to have a mental breakdown.
“Realisim / Dark and Gritty” are the buzzwords of hollywood today, and they’re also the guidelines on how to create films.
Craig has been fine in the role but, for me, he is now too old and making another is a mistake. Happy to be proved wrong but a 50+ Bond doesn’t really work in my opinion.
Totally agree. He was a good post-9/11-world Bond, but for the franchise to live on, a new, younger Bond needs to be found, the frequency of films needs to increase (their cost decrease to make that happen) and they need to re-gain a form of style or “tone” that they could keep up for a while
Just watched On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and I have to say, George Lazenby did a fine job. Didn’t care too much for the middle with the girls and I didn’t like Bond getting married, either. It would have been better if Rigg’s character died while skiing. Telly Savalas was also terribly miscast but despite its flaws, the film itself is very good and there are some excellent action sequences. Like Dalton, Lazenby has been unfairly maligned. It would have been nice to see him in at least one more Bond film.
Diamonds Are Forever gets a lot of hate but I think it’s an enjoyable film. I watched it last night and thought it was much better than Thunderball. Connery’s acting was also much better than it was in You Only Live Twice. Having re-watched so many Bond films lately, I have to say that Timothy Dalton will probably remain my favourite Bond from now on. When I was younger, it seemed logical to choose between Connery and Moore since I grew up watching them on TV but Dalton has definitely surpassed all other Bond actors for me. He is exactly how James Bond should be.
. Well worth a visit if you have time to go one day.