From Russia With Love
Cast
James Bond: Sean Connery
Tatiana Romanova: Daniela Bianchi
Ali Kerim Bey: Pedro Armendariz
Rosa Klebb: Lotte Lenya
Donovon 'Red' Grant: Robert Shaw
M: Bernard Lee
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Major Boothroyd (Q): Desmond Llewlyn
Based on the Ian Fleming novel. Screenplay by: Johanna Harwood and Richard Maibaum. Directed by: Terence Young. Released: 1963. My Rating: ***.
Plot
SPECTRE is back with a plot to obtain a cypher machine and kill James Bond. They use Tatiana Romanova unbeknownst to her, to lure Bond to Turkey. After discovering that they are being played off each other, Romonova and Bond work together to foil SPECTRE's plan.
My Thoughts
Dr. No may have started the series, and From Russia With Love began to refine it. We see Desmond Llewlyn for the first time as Q. We see Blofeld, sort of, for the first time, and the opening scenes begins. The action is quicker, the story is better, and we actually know why Bond is in Turkey. In Dr. No, nothing was revealed until the last half hour. It was less travel brochure and more spy story. And, it set up for Connery's best outing, Goldfinger.
Goldfinger
Cast
James Bond: Sean Connery
Pussy Galore: Honor Blackman
Auric Goldfinger: Gert Frobe
Jill Masterson: Shirley Eaton
Tilly Masterson: Tania Mallet
Oddjob: Harold Sakata
Felix Leiter: Cec Linder
M: Bernard Lee
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Q: Desmond Llewlyn
Based on the novel by Ian Fleming. Screenplay by: Richard Mainbaum and Paul Dehn. Directed by: Guy Hamilton. Released: 1964. My Rating: *****.
Plot
While investigating gold hoarding for the Bank of England, Bond gets caught up with Auric Goldfinger. Goldfinger is an eccentric German who plans to contaminate the gold reserves at Fort Knox so his reserves will be worth more. With the help of Tilly Masterson, Bond overcomes Oddjob, Pussy Galore, and finally Goldfinger himself to stop the contamination.
My Thoughts
This perfected the evolution of the early Bond films. Building upon the first two, this is by far Connery's best Bond. It started the tradition of the theme songs, the over the top villian, and the use of gadgets like crazy. From here, the series follows the same basic formula, which can get old at times, but this was still pretty fresh, and it works on all levels.
Thunderball
James Bond: Sean Connery
Dominique 'Domino' Derval: Claudine Auger
Emilio Largo: Adolfo Ceti
Felix Leiter: Rik Van Nutter
M: Bernard Lee
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Q: Desmond Llewlyn
Story by: Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Ian Fleming. Original Screenplay by: Jack Whittingham. Screenplay by: Richard Mainbaum and John Hopkins. Directed by: Terence Young. Released: 1965. My Rating: **.
Plot
SPECTRE returns after a brief absence to extort money from the government by stealing two nuclear weapons. Bond, with the help of his friend Felix Leiter, infiltrate the lair of Emilio Largo and thwart the plan.
My Thoughts
A major let down after Goldfinger. With the bombastic theme song done by Tom Jones, you were expecting a full-out adventure, but it begins to lag quickly, and it just doesn't hold up nearly as well as Russia or Goldfinger. The behind-the-scenes shenanigans didn't help much either, with Kevin McClory holding the Thunderball story, SPECTRE and Blofeld ransom from Cubby Broccoli. In the long run, however, it worked out better not to rely on SPECTRE that much after Connery was done as Bond. McClory reworked this story in 83 as Never Say Never again, with Connery returning as Bond, and he continued to shill different versions of the story for years, as if he couldn't come up with anything original. Anyhow, it wasn't nearly as good as it should have been. And, Connery's bonds weren't either after this one.
You Only Live Twice
Cast
James Bond: Sean Connery
Blofeld: Donald Pleasence
Aki: Akiko Wakabayashi
Kissy Suzuki: Mie Hama
Tiger Tanaka: Tetsuro Tamba
Mr. Osato: Teru Shimada
Helga Brandt: Karin Dor
Henderson: Charles Gray
M: Bernard Lee
Q: Desmond Llewlyn
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Based on the Ian Fleming novel. Screenplay by: Roald Dahl. Additional story material by: Harold Jack Bloom. Directed by: Lewis Gilbert. Released: 1969. My Rating: ***.
After an American space probe is captured by an unknown capsule, Bond fakes his death to investigate more freely. The evidence leads him to Japan, and Blofeld of SPECTRE once again. Along with a Japanese ninja, bond foils SPECTRE's plans of not only world, but outer space domination.
My Thoughts
Okay, this one was better than Thunderball. The pacing was better, the action was better, and it just seemed like a more cohesive film. New director, new writers, and a new location to cause havoc in. If you look closely, Charles Gray showed up as a British agent, and he shows up again in Connery's final Bond, Diamonds Are Forever, as Blofeld.
(The next Bond, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, starred George Lazenby as Bond, and will have its own page.)
Diamonds Are Forever
Cast
James Bond: Sean Connery
Tiffany Case: Jill St. John
Blofeld: Charles Gray
Plenty O'Toole: Lana Wood
Felix Leiter: Norman Burton
M: Bernard Lee
Q: Desmond Llewlyn
Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell
Based on the novel by Ian Fleming. Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum & Tom Mankiewicz. Directed by: Guy Hamilton. Released: 1971. My Rating: *.
After thinking he'd killed Blofeld finally, Bond goes after some jewel thieves who are killing their accomplices one by one. He goes under cover in Las Vegas, and soon finds that Blofeld is alive and well. In an explosive finale, Bond stops Blofeld once again, and seemingly kills him.
My Thoughts
Putrid. Worst Bond ever. It stunk like no other one had stunk. Crappy plot, bad action, terrible performances. The ending sucked so bad. I hated this one so much. They went back to the same tired writers and director from most of the first ones, and it showed. Thankfully, this was Connery's last Bond, and reigns went to Roger Moore. Or, maybe not too thankfully.
