Okay, so I got myself the bluray set of James Bond, and rounded it out with blurays of the 1967 Casino Royale, and the non-eon Connery movie Never Say Never Again. I'm doing it in release date order, and currently up to OHMSS (1969)
Thought I'd regale you guys with my thoughts, and ask?
Favourite girl?
Favourite villain?
Favourite henchman?
Favourite scene?
Favourite song?
Favourite movie?
Second favourite Bond? (we all know the first)
Here's my notes so far:
Dr. No 73/100 First and pretty solid James Bond adventure. Connery nailed it.
From Russia With Love 76/100 A great Bond. The drama is so good, the end set pieces feel like the filler. The fight on the train may be the greatest Bond scene ever.
Goldfinger 74/100 The only Bond movie that really truly synthesises the more gritty elements with the campy feel that was to come, and makes it really entertaining. Damn, what a car.
Thunderball 61/100 Relatively weak Connery entry, that meanders too much, and suffers from villains that look the part, but are severely underwritten and lacks character. It also spends too much time in only 2 main locations and flaps about in them. And the underwater stuff goes on waaaaay too long.
Casino Royale ('67) 61/100 Colourful, with an abysmal storyline and some terrible scenes, lifted by funny stuff with Sellers and Allen, fantastic music, but made in the same spirit as Help! and the 60s Batman, with some great sets, costume design, really beautiful girls and even references to the gritty dark book it was named after. Psychedelic, man.
You Only Live Twice 75/100 terrific Bond movie of the camp, overblown part of the Bond spectrum, with hollow volcano, Dr Evil version of Blofeld, ninjas, and Little Nelly. Superlative song too. Best Bond soundtrack imo.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service 75/100 Really exciting and action packed, with probably the greatest Bond girl ever (Diana Rigg) and fantastic fights, chases, imagery and music. Top 5 Bond. Barry's best Bond score after You Only Live Twice, but it's close.
I'll write a lot more on each of the ones to follow