I've been a Bond fan since my tender teenage years, first seeing the Connery and early Moore films on the ABC Sunday Night Movie during the 1970's. While it was weird at first watching Roger Moore in the 007 role, I came to understand and accept that he replaced the aging Sean Connery. But ol' Sean will always be the best Bond to me. His 60's-style charisma made him the first, best, and most unforgettable James Bond.
It was during the 80's and onward that my main exposure to Bond movies was seeing them upon their theatrical release. That's how I first caught Timothy Dalton onscreen as Moore's successor, and then Pierce Brosnan as Dalton's. Along the way, I'd rent the occasional 007 flick on VHS at a video store and sometimes see a heavily edited version on TV. I think it was around mid-90's (maybe earlier) when I discovered that TBS, the U.S. station, would annually run a "12 Days of Bond" (the number of days varied from year to year) marathon. In those early days, I would just catch whatever was convenient to watch at the time. But then it dawned on me that I could just record to VHS tape ALL of the Bond movies. Then I never had to worry about missing anything on TV, and could skip through the commercials.
Once I became a more serious movie collector, I bought all of the Bond movies on VHS... then later on DVD... and now on Blu-Ray. All those home-made VHS tapes went into the trash. I'm sure I've done my part in putting the children of MGM executives through college through all of my home video upgrades.
Anyway, when you've watched all those movies as many times as I have, you develop a sense of what the best and worst pictures were - both overall, and for each Bond actor. I'm not going to do an overall franchise analysis today... maybe down the road, but I will point out what my favourite films are for each of the famed 007 portrayers.
In the beginning, there was Sean Connery. He was Bond. For many years and even today, I have felt that From Russia With Love, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice are the better Connery entries in the series. From Russia is definitely my favourite, and the other two, if not of quite the same caliber story-wise, are certainly quintessential Bond. All the elements are there, the memorable music themes, the outlandish set-pieces, the grand adventure and exotic locales, the far-out spy gadgetry and cars, the diabolical villains bent on world domination, and of course, all the beautiful Bond girls.
From Russia With Love perfectly captured the essence of early Bond... quiet and calculated spy-craft scenes, big but not ridiculous action sequences, and the romantic story thread. And it was carried off with a serious tone mostly, 007's dark quips aside, unlike the rather dated and corny Dr. No (which I like, but not nearly as much as From Russia). The charged bombing of Kerim's office scene, the edge-of-your-seat tension of Bond re-capturing the Lektor decoder, and the thrilling train fight scene... just to mention a few highlights.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the odd film out, a one-off for Australian actor-model George Lazenby. I really like his take on Bond, scrappy and efficient, yet capable with the ladies and with a weapon in his fist. The movie sports the best overall musical score of the entire Bond series. All of the greatest and most famous 007 music themes and motifs are here, if not invented for OHMSS, then refined and re-orchestrated for maximum effect. The action scenes are choppy and realistic, the grandeur of the Alps setting is untouchable, and the cast is pretty cool, too. We get a good look into James' personal life here, his good times and his dark times. OHMSS and From Russia With Love are my fave Bond films of all. Lazenby makes a cool Bond, and I wonder where the series might have gone had he remained in the role. He seemed to be a successful blend of the best of Connery and Moore (who would come later). Hats off to George.
Roger Moore took over the James Bond role with a different approach, at first a bit tough, but his style was lighter, with eyebrow cocked and always a jokey line at the ready. I like the tone of Live and Let Die, but the story, characterizations, and music have not aged well. The Man With the Golden Gun was an improvement. Not perfect, this second of the Moore movies has grown on me more and more over the years. It's a lean plot with an excellent villain in the menacing yet sophisticated Christopher Lee, and the rest is easy to absorb without wincing. Mostly.
But it is the third Moore entry, The Spy Who Loved Me, that clinched its spot as my favourite of the appearances by ol' Rog. Yes, the Frankenstein-ish henchman Jaws is a bit cartoonish, but not as silly as his character would become in the follow-up movie. That aside, The Spy Who Loved Me manages to embrace and yet transcend the era. Sure, the disco-ish soundtrack music is a little distracting, but I have come to enjoy that aspect of the movie. And of course, that theme song, Nobody Does It Better... the best of all the Bonds, in my mind. The exotic Barbara Bach (wife to ex-Beatle Ringo Starr) co-starred as Bond's Russian counterpart, definitely one of my fave Bond "girls"... okay, women.
The locations and action and story take things to another level, especially the massive soundstage built for the supertanker that transports nuclear-armed submarines. The gadgets are fresh, unique and fun, not to mention the Bond car du jour - the Lotus Esprit, re-fitted to convert to an underwater mini-sub. Even more bells and whistles are added to the vehicle, adding dazzle to every scene it's in. A VERY fun movie, fast-paced and brimming with entrancing locations.
After Mr. Moore stepped away from the Bond role mid-80's (finally, for he looked old and tired in his last appearances), Timothy Dalton took over with less flair but a harder-edged persona. Closer to Connery's portrayal, and even to the Bond of the original novel. Dalton only did two 007 pictures and I like them about equally, though they are very different beasts. The Living Daylights, his first foray, was a big-budget production in the vein of the best Connery and Moore pics, very colourful and action-based, with Bond roving the world, wooing the women, beating on the bad guys. Dalton's second go-round, Licence to Kill, is a darker, gritter tale about our famed agent - this time gone rogue. It's a more intimate, smaller, tighter story... at times more likable (we see 007 with his buddy, CIA cohort Leiter), also delving a bit more into Bond's personal turmoil. Good stuff.
Then in the mid-90's, Pierce Brosnan assumed the mantle of the cinematic master-spy. His first Bond film, Goldeneye, for me, remains his best. The setting in Russia, near the end of the Cold War, sets the stage. Heartless - and colourful - villains aim to create a world financial crisis... to gain supreme power. Of course. The opening scene, the dazzling bungee jump off the dam, may very well be the most spectacular of the entire Bond series. Whew!
As far as I'm concerned, the Brosnan movies went downhill after Goldeneye. Tomorrow Never Dies is fine, loads of action, but lacking the Bond flavour. The World is Not Enough has its good points, but ultimately falls a bit flat, and don't even get me started on Die Another Day... well, it begins quite good, then becomes far too outlandish and cartoonish. Anyway...
It took some years to "reboot" the Bond franchise, but they did it with style. Daniel Craig filled Bond's shoes decently, though I have never been much of a fan of him as the character. He is a solid actor who can deliver the goods, but I still don't think he looks like a Bond... not the Bond I see in all of the other actors. Regardless, he played the role in his own way and made his debut Casino Royale a mighty success.
I'd say this is not only Craig's best Bond movie, it's simply an excellent film - period. This kickstart to the series goes back to 007's origin story and does so without the witticisms, the gadgets, or the breathless jetting around the globe. It's serious business... a direct punch to the solar plexus... a rather small story at its core, based very much on the novel of the same name, dark, violent, brooding, and even downright nasty. A sign of the times - 2006, that is, Casino Royale not only stepped Bond into the modern era but took 007 into the realm of today's film-making standards, even surpassing them. It's a classy, polished, gripping, and taut tale. And it's the best of the Craig Bond films.
After Casino Royale, the Bond pictures could only pale in comparison. The next offering, Quantum of Solace, was a marked disappointment. Not terrible, but not very good either. Skyfall and Spectre are both remarkable returns to form, Skyfall in particular a wonderful homage to all that was great about the classic Bond films. Spectre isn't quite as engaging as Skyfall, but it works doggedly to recapture the feel of the 007 oldies. All that said, none of the movies after Casino Royale could match its perfection.
And what next? The upcoming Bond instalment in 2020 promises a major shake-up, but I'd rather not dwell on the "rumours" or so-called facts I've heard floating around. I seriously doubt it could come close to Daniel Craig's previous work as 007. Fingers crossed that it's at least a watchable and fun finale to the actor's body of work as Bond.
No comments:
Post a Comment