The first Bond movie was much like an independent film. Of course, the Bond series would eventually evolve into something so enormous it became an world-wide enterprise, but this is the movie that started the series as we know it.
Sean Connery stars as Bond and it is in this classic film that he sits in the casino and says, "Bond. James Bond." for the first time. The movie doesn't have elaborate gadgets. Some people will like the fact that Bond uses his intelligence to get him through this movie rather than an extensive collection of gadgets as some of other Bond films showcase.
Ursula Andress plays Honey Ryder. Some will recognize her as the one who stood at the shore of the beach with her now classic white bikini.
Joseph Wiseman plays the very cool, calculating, intelligent Dr. No. A very memorable villain indeed and probably the inspiration for most future Bond villains. A classic villain in every sense of the word.
Hawaii Five-O fans will like that Jack Lord plays a crucial role in the film as Bond's CIA ally Felix Leiter. He was a perfect partner for Connery's Bond because they really look like a good team. <
It is in this movie that we also get introduced to the SPECTRE syndicate that would become a staple in almost every Connery Bond film.
Scale: 9
When people think of 007, they probably think of all the gadgets and the really outlandish plots of world domination and that's fine. I'm a big James Bond fan. However, I really think this movie, (the 2nd official Bond film made), stands out in the series because it's one of the few times in the series where there is a realistic, serious, secret agent story. The plot has nothing to do with world domination. It involves a conglomerate of professional terrorists called SPECTRE, (Special Executor for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion), that want to throw the British Intelligence off by manipulating them to acquire a decoding machine that will allow them to spy on the Russian government. For that, SPECTRE hires a beautiful government employee to seduce and manipulate Bond to help get the machine.
It's perhaps the most intelligent plot in the entire series. Sean Connery, my favorite 007, is great. Robert Shaw, ("Grant"), is one of the most menacing Bond villains ever. One of the reasons Shaw is so effective is that he isn't a comic book character, but a realistic and worthy opponent for Bond. Pedro Armendarez, (in his last film role), is one of the best Bond allies ever; he is truly a charismatic character. The movie also features Desmond Llewelyn's debut as the famous gadget expert "Q". True to the Bond tradition, the movie also has beautiful, exotic locations.
Incidentally, JFK stated the book From Russian With Love was one of his favorite books; I've read the book as well and the movie is fairly accurate to the book. Both are excellent.
I really got into the Bond series when I was about 11 or 12 years old. At that time, I wasn't that crazy about this movie, but now that I'm older, I can appreciate it for the great movie it is. If want to see a Bond movie that's different from the outrageous adventures it's known for, this is highly recommended.
Scale: 10
This is considered in most film circles as the best Bond film of all time, (some say tied with From Russia With Love).
It is in this film that Connery reached his prime as Bond. After two serious films, Connery adopts more of a sense of humor while keeping his extremely tough, gritty edge. It is his acting style in this movie that would be the trendsetter for all future Bond and Bond imitators. All actors that adopt Bond or Bond-like roles have had to deal with trying to replicate Connery's successful interpretation of the character. To this day, no one has been able to blend gritty toughness, elegance and a sense of humor as smoothly as Connery.
To complement Connery, he is surrounded by an assortment of beautiful women and probably the most famous Bond villain of all: Auric Goldfinger.
Goldfinger, (played by Gert Frobe), is a wealthy man who is obsessed with gold and has stockpiled an enormous collection of gold bullion. He has introduced a scheme, with the backing of the mob, to explode an atomic weapon inside Fort Knox, where the largest gold supply in the US resides. By doing this, he will have eradiated for over 50 years and thus making his personal collection of gold worth many times more.
The first of the elaborate plots that James Bond films are known for, but unlike some Bond/action films, it is done intelligently. The story, as elaborate as it is, makes sense.
(Pictured left: Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore)
Frobe plays Goldfinger in grand, yet reserved fashion. It makes for a believable villain. A famous scene in the film showcases Bond, tied down with his legs spread, as a "gold beam" makes its way slowly toward his crotch. Goldfinger is there with every intention to kill him, but Bond has to talk his way out of it. Scenes like this have been redone in several Bond/action films, but unlike most, the way Bond survives is done intelligently.
The film also boasts the famous bowler hat wearing Bond villain henchman Oddjob. (He was spoofed in Austin Powers I, but instead of throwing his hat, he throws his shoe).
The film also introduces the now legendary Bond car: the Aston Martin DB5.
The only problem with Goldfinger is that some of the music is outdated, but other than that it is a great action-adventure with a lot of style, cool gadgets, beautiful women and the best Bond actor in his prime. A must-see.
Scale: 10
The first of the "epic" Bond films. There is a huge International crisis. The world-wide syndicate SPECTRE has obtained two atomic bombs and has held the world hostage for a huge sum of money. England has to pay up by a certain time or SPECTRE will detonate the bomb in an undisclosed location.
If this sounds familiar, its because Austin Powers purposely took a lot of elements from this particular Bond film to rehash it into the spoof that Austin Powers is.
(Pictured right: Claudine Auger as Domino with Adolfo Celi as Largo AKA Number Two; pictured below: Luciana Paluzzi as villainess Fiona Volpe)
Nassau is the central location of the film and the movie uses Nassau effectively. Some of my friends have told me that Nassau doesn't look like that anymore, but it sure looks beautiful in this movie.
Connery is again in top form. He gets to kick ass, get the girl and say a lot of cool lines. The epitomy of cool and what most every action hero aspires to be.
Like in Goldfinger, Bond uses a lot of cool gadgets. There are once again beautiful Bond girls in this one. Basically, the writers took some of the best elements in Goldfinger and added to it.
The movie starts out a little slowly when Bond is at the hospital and SPECTRE is capturing the bombs, but as soon as he leaves the hospital and SPECTRE gets the bombs, it picks up.
Adolfo Celi is great as Emilio Largo, SPECTRE's #2. Unlike some villains, Celi's Largo goes into battle along with his men. He doesn't just sit back and watch. He also has some very good scenes with Connery. By this time in the series, Bond and SPECTRE are at each other's throats, so it was neat to see Bond and Largo take little potshots at each other while in the casino.
Another thing about Thunderball is that you get the feeling that Bond is involved in a huge mission and it makes for an entertaining film.
The problem with Thunderball has nothing to do with the producers/writers/directors/actors. It's time. Some of the special effects, including those in the climax, look very outdated, but what do you expect? Technology has improved considerably since the time this movie came out and it's not to fair to criticize the film because of it. So when watching this movie, keep in mind that it was made in 1965, not 1999. Other than that, it's great.
Scale: 10
The story involves the capturing of US and Russian spacecraft and their sbsequent disappearance. The two countries blame each other, so who ever is doing this is obviously trying to increase instability between the two countries. It's up to Bond to find out who is doing and to stop them.
This is the weakest Bond film with Sean Connery as the star. By the time this movie came out, Connery was sick of playing Bond and it shows in his performance. He is simply going through the motions. He's also given little to do. While Connery was quick on his feet and in top form in Thunderball, the gadgets take over for Bond's intelligence in this film.
The locations (Japan) are beatiful and there are good action scenes, but overall, a disappointing entry in Bond lore.
The film does, finally, introduce the leader of SPECTRE in the form of Donald Pleasance, (Dr. Evil's look in Austin Powers was inspired by Pleasance). He's somewhat effective in the role, but at the same time, he seems miscast in the role.
Scale: 6
George Lazenby replaces Connery as Bond for this movie and this movie only. At first, Lazenby doesn't fit well because he looks kinda like a Connery clone and it's hard imagine Bond without Connery. But as the movie progresses, Lazenby gets into it and makes the character more his own and establishes his own style at Bond. Once that happens, he's good.
Lazenby did his best with the role, this was after all his first starring role in a film. However, I wish they had gotten Connery to play the role because this is a very important film in the Bond series for two important reasons: 1) Bond kisses Moneypenny for the first and so far only time in the series, 2) and more importantly, Bond gets married. Still, Lazenby was quite good and I definitely enjoyed this when I got Connery out of my head.
Telly Savalas (Kojak) takes over from Pleasance as the head of SPECTRE and he's better suited to the role.
He seems like a physically challenging opponent for Bond and seems more like the kind of guy to lead a world wide criminal organization.
Diana Riggs (The Avengers TV show) is very good in the role of Tracy, the woman Bond marries. There is a lot of romance between her and Bond and it works. Still, CONNERY, man.
The movie has a lot of action and shows aspects of Bond's personality that we don't always see. He shows true feelings of love for Tracy and shows fear when it appears that he's going to get caught by SPECTRE.
An excellent film with a lot of action, cool locations, but with an inexperienced actor in the lead.
Scale: 8
The Bond series makes a turning point here as the seriousness begins to take a back seat and humor and extravagant plots take over. It is this type of Bond film that would become the hallmark of Roger Moore's tenure as Bond.
Connery returns for one last time as Bond and he leaves with a bang. He looks older in this film, but he also looks more menacing than ever. Let me tell you, if you thought Connery looked tough in his first 5 Bond films, you really don't want to mess with him in this film. He looks a real badass. The thing people always liked about Connery is that he looked like he would destroy you on whim, but he can also be an engaging, humorous hero.
(Pictured right: Connery with Lana Wood, (Natalie's sister), as Plenty O'Toole.) He has
that in spades here.
Charles Grey takes over from Savalas as head of SPECTRE. He has a different style from Pleasance and Savalas. He has more of a sophisticated, easier going demeanor than the other two actors, but it works. While not as weird as Pleasance or as physically imposing as Savalas, Grey makes up for it with his elegance.
Jill St. John as Tiffany Case plays the Bond girl here. She's a bit of an anti-hero, which is cool.
Below: Jill St. John as Tiffany Case with Connery)
In this movie, someone is stockpiling diamonds, but no one knows why or where. It's up to Bond to figure it out as he goes undercover and assumes a different identity. Bond takes a bit of an anti-hero stance as he's undercover, but he's always a good guy.
Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd respectively, are two of the campiest and yet most effective villains in the series. Jimmy Dean is also in this movie playing a hotel tycoon and he's fantastic in the role.
Among the locations are: Amsterdam and Las Vegas.
The film has some gritty moments, but a lot of funny moments too. It's more comic-bookish than the previous Bond films, but it's tons of fun. Scale: 10
The series tones down a bit with Roger Moore's introduction as Bond after 5 straight epic Bond films. Moore is decent in the role, but he would reach his peak as Bond by his third outing in the Bond role.
Jane Seymour makes her film debut with this film as Solitaire. Moore and Seymour's chemistry works really well and the bad guys, Yaphet Kotto and Geoffrey Holder as Kanaga and Baron Samedi respectively are great. Kotto is one of the most sinister Bond villains in Bond lore. You truly believe that he will kill Bond if he gets his hands on him.
The problem with the film though is that it followed Diamonds are Forever, a very colorful, lavish Bond film while Live & Let Die is less of an epic film.
It does boast one of the best Bond songs of all time, sung by Paul McCartney's Wings.
Scale: 7
Moore is still showing growing pains as Bond, but he still pulls it off. Christopher Lee plays Scaramanga, AKA "The Man With the Golden Gun."
British Intelligence gets a golden bullet with the number "007" inscribed on it. It's an obvious threat to Bond. No one has ever seen Scaramanga, so it's up to Bond to protect his backside.
Lee's Scaramanga is one of the most underrated Bond villains of all. Critics have said that Scaramanga is much too sympathetic but he actually plays a perfect good guy/bad guy opposite to Moore's Bond. Both are classy, worldly intelligent men with good taste for the good life, but one is good and the other is bad. Kinda like Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro in the movie "Heat."
Maud Adams plays Scaramanga's mistress. Adams has the distinction of being the only Bond girl to appear in two Bond films. She later returns in the series as "Octopussy."
The film has nice locations, but suffers from a lack of plot. You don't get a real sense of international crisis with what the bad guy is doing.
Moore is also given things to say that don't seem very "Moore-ish". The writers say the script was written with Sean Connery in mind, and I believe it after hearing Moore say things like: "I must confess I would enjoy killing you."
Scale: 7
The writers made a huge comeback with this, the best Bond film starring Moore. It's an elaborate story about a tycoon who is obsessed with the sea. He steals nuclear weapons and is intent on making the US and Russia obliterate each other, so that the surviving world will have no choice but to live amongst the seas. The movie is basically a remake of You Only Live Twice, but it's a much better film.
It is in this movie that Moore has finally grown into the role of Bond. He's a classy, elegant gentleman agent who gets to say a lot of snappy dialogue, knows how to handle the ladies and rescues the world in grand fashion.
What this film lacks is a good main villain. Curt Jurgens as Karl Stromberg isn't a very menacing villain. He likes to sit around his ocean fortress eating crab meat, killing people by pushing an assortment of buttons that do different things.
The Bond girl role is also very weak in this film. Barbara Bach (Ringo's wife) isn't a particularly likeable and she's also an ice machine personality-wise. However, the role itself was a trendsetter. It was the first time that a Bond girl was created with the purpose of being a Bond equal. Bach plays Major Amasova, a Russian agent, who eventually teams up with Bond.
The supporting players are much more interesting than the main villain and lead girl.
Richard Kiel plays the ever memorable "Jaws" the bad guy with the metal teeth. He provides a lot of scary moments for the good guys, but he can also be funny.
However, it is Moore who carries this movie completely. Despite a good supporting cast, the movie is basically all Roger Moore, so if you want to see Moore at his best, look no further than this film. His performance is so strong that it covers up the main villain and leading lady totally.
The climax is loaded with action as Bond faces Stromberg and Jaws. Oh yeah, there are wonderful locations, among them Egypt. Not to mention Carly Simon's now famous: "Nobody Does It Better."
Scale: 10
This might be the worst Bond film. The story is an exact copy of "The Spy Who Loved Me" except that the villain is obsessed with space instead of the ocean. Other than that, the plot is exactly the same and done poorly.
Drax, the film's main villain, is too unbelievable, even for a Bond movie. The guy owns like 7 space shuttles, has his own NASA and bought the Eiffel Tower. It was a clearcut case where the Bond writers suffered from overkill. It would probably take 50 Donald Trumps to do what this one guy did. True, when you go to movies you have to suspend your beliefs, but this movie is too much.
The action in space in the climax also suffers from melodrama. The good guys and bad guys are shooting each other with "Star Wars" type guns. No way.
All of the humor in the film goes too far. Instead of a light-hearted Bond film that worked excellently in "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Diamonds Are Forever", this film pushed its luck and went from light-hearted to dumb. It even features a pigeon doing a "double-take", ok?
You get the idea that this Bond film is a self-parody. I don't know if that was the intention of the makers of the film, but that's what it looks like.
Fortunately, Moore is in the lead as Bond again, so he's what keeps you interested in the movie. The Bond girl in this film, Holly Goodhead, is a beautiful woman, but like Major Amasova, she's isn't charismatic and therefore not an appealing character.
Not the best Bond film because it borders on the ridiculous, but admittedly, it can be an entertaining, fun film.
Scale: 5
The Bond series takes a turn for a more serious edge in this movie and it works. There is still funny lines and all, so don't mistake "more serious" for "serious." The series needed something like this after "Moonraker".
The plot in of itself isn't very outlandish compared to other Bond films, but more realistic. Sort of a Roger Moore version of "From Russia With Love". In effect, it's easily one of the best Bond films with Moore.
A machine is captured which can render British defense systems inoperative whilst ordering British missiles to be launched at any given target. It's up to Bond to find out who is behind it. Lots of double-crosses, gun fights, romance, beautiful locations and Roger Moore who is as suave as ever.
Carole Bouquet plays Melina Havelock, Bond's girl in this film. Her relationship with Bond is more on the romantic side than sexual, so that's always a cool change.
The pre-credit sequence isn't very good, but other than that, an excellent picture.
Scale: 9
Practically tied with "For Your Eyes Only" as the 2nd best Moore film. It's back to the elaborate plots, witty dialogue and action-paced sequences.
One of the cool things about this movie is that they get an older woman to play the main Bond girl. By this time in the series, Roger Moore is middle-aged, so I thought it was a nice touch to show him with someone closer to his own age. Their romance onscreen works really well.
The main location for this movie is India and the producers use it to their complete advantage. There's a lot of funny moments. A lot of gadgets master "Q", lots of comic book-ish moments, but it's all in fun.
Louis Jordan plays "Kamal Khan", a very wealthy jewelery smuggler along with Maud Adams' "Octopussy".
Khan is a great villain to match Moore's Bond against. Like with Man With the Golden Gun, Khan is another classy guy who enjoys the good life.
When I think of "fun movies", Octopussy is one that comes to mind even though it might be a little long.
Scale: 8 1/2
This film, Moore's last as Bond, isn't very good.
Academy Award winner Christopher Walken plays the film's villain, Max Zorin. Walken is fun to watch, but neither him or Moore can save this diluted film.
The film tries to remake Goldfinger's scheme, but with microchips. He intends to destroy Silicon Valley. However, this doesn't make sense. Zorin doesn't explain why this would benefit him. In Goldfinger, we knew why Goldfinger wanted to destroy Fort Knox because by doing that his own gold supply would be worth many times more, but we don't get to find out why Zorin really wants to go through the trouble of blowing Silicon Valley up.
Tanya Roberts plays Stacy Sutton, who is probably the worst Bond girl of all time. She is pretty, but so half-witted that she's almost unbearable to watch.
Grace Jones plays a villainess, but her character is too over the top. I don't care how tough Grace is in the role, it's hard to believe her picking up an adult man over her head and hol him there,
It's not the worst Bond film, but it's down there. Still, the movie has some great moments. The entire fire scene at city hall and subsequent car chase was exciting. Patrick Macnee from the TV show The Avengers has a small supporting role and it's fun to watch him and Moore work together. And one thing you really gotta give this movie is that the climax at the San Francisco bridge is great, although it's a little hard to believe that a visibly old Roger Moore can still be doing all those theatrics. The title track by Duran Duran is also outstanding and so is the musical score.
An overall ok film which is highlighted by two, maybe three great segments. Watch closely and you'll spot Dolph Lundgren in the scene where Grace Jones picks up that guy over her head.
Scale: 5 1/2
Timothy Dalton takes over from Roger Moore in this film and he does a fine job. In this film, James Bond is much more of a romantic, realistic Bond than a macho, sexual testosterone, gun-toting action hero. Some people may not like that, but it's an interesting approach to the character and closer to Ian Fleming's creation.
The movie starts out with a great pre-credit sequence on Gilbralter and introduces Dalton as the new Bond.
Maryam D'Abo plays "Kara", the Bond girl for this film and like Bond, she is much more a romantic character than her Bond girl predecessors.
The thing that this movie really lacks is a menacing villain and this hurts an otherwise pretty good film. Jerome Krabbe plays General Koscov effectively. Koscov is a villain that you love to hate. He is a very different Bond villain than most, but unfortunately, he isn't very menacing, which is ok because that's what the filmmakers obviously intended him to be: not very menacing. The problem is that the other two villains in the film, guns-dealer Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker) is too hokey and Necros isn't on screen enough to make us feel threatened by them even though he was a good bad guy when he was on. Therefore, the film lacks a true villain.
There are some very entertaining scenes in the movie. The entire escape sequence where Bond helps Kara get away from Russian intelligence was great. The movie has great locations. Bond ally Kamran Shah, (played by Art Malik), is good. The climax aboard the aircraft where Bond and Necros duke it out is exciting.
Overall, a good film, but the lack of a great villain hurts it.
Scale: 8
Timothy Dalton's second and last appearance as Bond.
Unfortunately, some people didn't like Dalton as Bond, which is a shame because I don't feel Dalton was ever really given a chance to grow into the character. Notice that Connery and Moore reached their primes in their 3rd Bond outing. Another thing was that neither one of the Bond movies with Dalton as 007, were particularly written very well. Still, I respected what Dalton tried to do: bring Bond movies back to its literature roots where Bond was a cold-blooded, assasain agent. I think he did great considering he was in two of the most mediocre Bond films.
In this movie, Bond and his friend and CIA colleague Felix Leiter bring in drug overlord Franz Sanchez (played by Robert Davi) to justice, but Sanchez escapes and hurts Bond's close friend to the point where we don't know if he will live or die. Bond swears revenge on Sanchez, but his superiors order him not to go. Bond refuses and his licence to kill is revoked. Bond then goes off on a personal mission of revenge without the authorization of his superiors.
An excellent premise for a Bond film, but unfortuantely, it's not carried out very well.
First of all, Bond is written much too seriously. There are moments here and there where he says or does something funny, but somehow it's not enough.
Second of all, the script isn't very good and some of the supporting players don't fit. With a so-so script, your movie is already doomed.
Third, the locations aren't very interesting.
What holds the movie up is the quality acting in the main characters. Dalton is deadly serious, menacing and very tough Bond. Davi is one of the best Bond villains. He is ruthless, menacing and tough. Cary Lowell (as CIA operative Pam Bouvier) is one of the best Bond girls in a long time. She's independent, tough and doesn't come crying to Bond when in need of help. There's a lot of "Q" in this movie, which is good because the movie needs humor to lighten things up. In fact, "Q" has his biggest role in the series in this film.
The premise of the film had potential, but it didn't work out. The climax between Bond and Sanchez is a bit anti-climatic, but it is violent. In fact, the best way to sum up this Bond film is to quote Steven Jay Rubin, author of the James Bond Encyclapedia: "This Bond film plays like an expensive episode of Miami Vice."
Overall, Licence to Kill is good, but it could've been much better. It does boast one of the best scenes in the series: Looking to make contact with Bouvier, Bond goes to a scummy bar for the rendevous. Soon enough, Bond gets to say a lot of cool lines and an entertaining bar room brawl erupts.
Look for Wayne Newton as a money-hungry villain.
Scale: 7
After 1989's "Licence to Kill", we had to wait until 1995 for the next Bond adventure. Pierce Brosnan makes his debut as Bond and he fits in right away. There are signs of growing pains in his performance (as all Bond actors showed), but he still fit the role perfectly.
The plot is actually very close to the Bond novel "Moonraker", (Moonraker the book and movie are similar only in name). A satellite weapon that can render military weapons, warning systems inoperative and destroy cities is taken control of by a syndicate known as the "Janus Group." The best thing about the plot is that the film's villain, Janus, has no intention of holding the world ransom. He IS going to destroy England.
The movie introduces the new Bond in perfect fashion: as a deadly secret agent who uses his license to kill. The problem with the introduction is that the whole thing with Bond jumping off a cliff and getting into an airplane doesn't seem to fit. That was ok with Roger Moore as Bond because his Bond was light-hearted and extravagant , but in Goldeneye, that kind of stunt doesn't go well with the scene.
The whole movie has this dreary quality to it that I can't put my finger on, but it is there. I've come to the conclusion that it was the music. (Pictured: Samantha Bond, the new Miss. Moneypenny with Brosnan)
The film is definitely well-cast. Sean Bean as Janus is superb. Famke Jansen as "Xenia Onnatop" is one of the best female villains in the Bond series, (she's the one who strangles her victims with her legs). Judi Dench is introduced as the new "M" and she is wonderful in the role. Samantha Bond is introduced as Ms. Moneypenny is introduced and she too is great, not to mention very beautiful and sexy. Robbie Coltrane makes his debut as "Valentin". Joe Don Baker comes back in the series, (after playing a villain in "Living Daylights"), as CIA counterpart Jack Wade. And of course, Pierce Brosnan is a wonderful 007.
In the supporting cast, Alan Cumming as Boris Grishikov is a computer geek that you love to hate. I would like to have seen more of bad guy General Ouromov, who was a fantastic villain.
An enjoyable, albeit sometimes sluggish movie.
Scale: 7
'Tomorrow' is the best Bond film since "Octopussy". Brosnan is back and better than he was in Goldeneye. There were a lot of things I really liked about this movie.
First of all, Michelle Yeoh turns out to be one of my top 5 favorite Bond girls. The trend of making Bond girls more of a partner that helps Bond and making her intricate to the plot is a trend that started with "The Spy Who Loved Me", but Yeoh's 'Wai Lin' is really a partner in every sense of the word. And unlike many Bond girls, Yeoh gives her character an authenticity seldom seen in Bond movies: you REALLY believe she can do all the things she's doing. Bond is a better character because of her.
The rest of the cast is terrific: Johnathan Pryce is great as media mogul Elliot Carver. He's witty and campy. He brings a true fun factor to his role. Teri Hatcher is effective as Paris Carver, Elliot's wife and former Bond lover. Judi Dench is, as always, an asset whenever she's on.
There were two other things that helped make this a great movie: 1) I liked the music, which was more upbeat than in Goldeneye and had moments where they used the classic Bond theme, and 2)the style. There's a lot of white and it gives the movie a fresh look. Certainly a much fresher look than the drearier "Goldeneye".
Brosnan has a lot of dramatic moments and a lot of funny moments. These moments all help make Bond a more human character and show that Bond isn't 100% every time, makes mistakes, and can be hurt emotionally. These are the type of moments that make Brosan a great Bond.
The movie has a lot of action scenes and great stunts. The chemistry between Brosnan and Yeoh carry this movie tremendously. There are spectacular stunts, witty dialogue, romance and action. Everything that a Bond movie is supposed to be.
Scale: 9
Pierce Brosnan makes his third appearance as 007 in this movie and he still comes through with flying colors. Not only is Brosnan suave, sophisticated, tough, and glib, but he is also very human. Brosnan's Bond feels pain, both emotional and physical. This makes his Bond a particularly believable one.
The film also contains a outstanding cast.
One of which, Robert Carlyle, is rapidly becoming one of my favorite actors. Carlyle is on-target as Renard, the film's villain. Carlyle made his name in "Trainspotting" where he played the violent Begpie and "The Full Monty" where he played the main character. This role only further demonstrates his magnificent range as an actor. His Renard is a character who can feel nothing, literally. He has a bullet lodged in his brain that prevents him from feeling.
Sophie Marceau is easily one of the sexiest Bond girls of all time. Not only is she nice to look at, but she is a great actress. Easily, one of the best actresses to ever acquire the title of "Bond girl".
Judi Dench, Academy Award winning actress, reprises her role as "M". Dench plays a larger role in this film compared to her first two Bond outings, which is a welcome change. Dench is often underused for being such a wondrous talent. Hopefully, the writers of the film series will choose to use her more often in future films.
Robbie Coltrane reprises his role as Valentin from "Goldeneye". As always, Coltrane is on hand to provide some laughs as he did in "Goldeneye", but this time we see more of him.
John Cleese of "Monty Python", "Fawlty Towers" and "A Fish Called Wanda" makes his 007 debut as "R", Q's future replacement as gadgets master. Some of you will remember Cleese in "The Out of Towners" starring Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn when he played the hotel manager. You couldn't find a better actor to carry the torch for Desmond Llewelyn who sadly reprised his role as "Q" for the last time. Llewelyn died in a car accident in December. It marks the only time that a 007 character is retired and another character is created to replace him. Notice that there have been 5 James Bonds, 4 M's, 4 Moneypennys and countless Felix Leiter's (an occasional Bond ally), but "Q" will always be Llewelyn's. Llewelyn took up the character in "From Russia with Love", the second Bond film that I also review in this page. Someone else played "Q" in the 1st Bond film in 1962, but Desmond would take the role and make it legendary.
Aside from all of these talented actors, you'll notice some characters from Brosnan's previous Bond films that make an appearance here.
Without giving too much away, here's the plot in a nutshell: Bond is assigned to protect Elektra King from Renard. Elektra is daughter of a banker who is killed at the beginning of the film. Renard had previously kidnapped Elektra, but Elektra managed to escape. M assigns Bond to protect Elektra for fear that Renard will come back her. There's more to it than that, but to give away more would be to give away some cool things about the movie.
The only thing about "World Is Not Enough" that isn't very good is Denise Richards' acting. She just isn't believable as a nuclear scientist. Let's not mince words though, she's there because she looks great. To be fair, she does utter one of the film's best lines: "Can you explain that to those of us who don't speak spy?" But all in all, her performance isn't very good. However, the film is loaded with enough great performances that it would be an enormous injustice to focus on the less-than-stellar acting of one actor. Besides, Richards also has nowhere near the acting experience of Brosnan, Dench, Carlyle or Marceau.
A great action film and a sign that "no one still does it better than James Bond 007."
