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Rank the films based on how well they've aged

StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
edited March 2014 in Bond Movies Posts: 2,400
Couldn't find one like this. It's quite simple but an interesting concept: rank the films based on how well they've aged in all respects: aesthetics, editing, plot, dialogue, etc.

I think a lot of the Bond films have aged really, really well, and in most cases it's only individual elements I can criticize. The majority of my picks are based on aesthetics, followed by plot, then things like editing, dialogue and music.

However, my biggest criteria: I took into account the age of the film vs. how old it feels, hence some of the newer ones get a lower rating.

Most lists, I'm sure, will have the older films and perhaps some of the 70's ones near or at the bottom with the newer ones closer to the top, and I doubt many lists will be similar to the actual ranking of the films for anyone. But we'll have to see. I'm not even sure how mine will turn out, but here we go:

23: Live and Let Die

Yeah, this takes the bottom pretty easily for me. It's a blaxploitation film and there are silent films that I think have aged better than that genre. On top of that, from an aesthetic and visual perspective, I think it just oozes the 70's as well; I've never watched Live and Let Die and gone "wow, this film looks ahead of its' time". Same can be said about the score, and don't even get me started on the dialogue.

22: Dr. No

I love Dr. No, it's my 10th favourite entry in the series. But I've always cringed at the editing job. I get that the budget was low, but by God, every time they use back projection it's like the background is 25x magnified compared to what it actually would be. That car chase is embarassing. The jump cuts are quite bad as well, and most of all, Norman's Looney Tunes score is quite possibly the worst in the series; even for 1962 this score sounds about 30 years behind the times.

21: Diamonds Are Forever
20: From Russia With Love
19: Moonraker
18: The Spy Who Loved Me
17: You Only Live Twice
16: For Your Eyes Only
15: The Man with the Golden Gun
14: Goldfinger
13: A View to a Kill
12: Quantum of Solace
11: Die Another Day
10: Thunderball
9: Octopussy
8: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
7: Tomorrow Never Dies
6: Licence to Kill
5: The World is Not Enough
4: GoldenEye
3: The Living Daylights
2: Casino Royale
1: Skyfall

I'm in a bit of a rush and I wanted to get the topic posted so people could contribute their lists as well. I will be filling out my justifications for #21 - #1 over the next couple of days. And to be honest, LALD is the only film in the series that I think has aged HORRIBLY overall.

Comments

  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited March 2014 Posts: 4,399
    this is an interesting question.... hmm..... i can only think of two distinct films right off the bat, but i know I have others..... but for right now, i'll give my bottom two - with a brief explanation..


    22. Moonraker - If it wasn't for the space sequence in this film it wouldn't be rated so low.. for the time I am sure it was a spectacle... but by today's standards it's a bit hokey - ESPECIALLY when everyone is "floating" around in 0 gravity. It was a last minute switcheroo job that was clearly trying to cash in on the Star Wars and Sci-Fi craze of the time.... and Dame Shirley's disco theme at the very end is the cherry on top.

    23. Die Another Day - unless you're Michael Bay, films just aren't shot and edited this way anymore - Bond should never be treated as a "hip music video"... the special effects were dated for it's time - and now when I watch the film, it's an even bigger eyesore... I mean come on - Graves was electrocuting Bond like he was a Sith Lord.... it's a film that is very much a product of the ADD/Video Game generation - their mistake was making the assumption that films would continue to trend this way.. and while some films have - none of them are good..... this film was dated the day after it opened... sorry..
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,258
    I'd have to probably say Moonraker has aged the least well. For the most part I think the films have aged pretty well honestly; they definitely are mostly relevant to the time they were made, but all hold up pretty well IMO for having some made a while back.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited March 2014 Posts: 11,189
    Funnily enough looking at it again a few months back I don't think LTK has aged particularly well. The first half especially does have a very "80s" vibe to it.

    In terms of which film has aged the least well my vote still goes to DAF. The comedy is dated, the look is dated, the crumby OTT performances are dated and the action is dated.

    While I certainly wouldn't say its as badly dated as some of the films, TLD does come to mind due to the 80s caricature that is Moneypenny.

    On the flipside I'd say FRWL has aged the best. It still works as a thriller now and the likes of Grant and Klebb still come of as threatening and sinister.

    As much as I love it I don't think GE has aged as well as I would have liked it to have done. The computers, the technology and some of the dialogue all have quite a 90s vibe.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    BAIN123 wrote:
    Funnily enough looking at it again a few months back I don't think LTK has aged particularly well. The first half especially does have a very "80s" vibe to it.

    In terms of which film has aged the least well my vote still goes to DAF. The comedy is dated, the look is dated, the crumby OTT performances are dated and the action is dated.

    While I certainly wouldn't say its as badly dated as some of the films, TLD does come to mind due to the 80s caricature that is Moneypenny.

    On the flipside I'd say FRWL has aged the best. It still works as a thriller now and the likes of Grant and Klebb still come of as threatening and sinister.

    As much as I love it I don't think GE has aged as well as I would have liked it to have done. The computers, the technology and some of the dialogue all have quite a 90s vibe.

    I have TLD so high because, more than any other film in the series, it's the one where I forget I'm in the time it was made. It looks as much like a 60's period piece as it does a modern take on Bond, and I also think it's the best looking of Glen's films. It's incredibly timeless, is what I'm getting at.

    I think TND is more guilty of the faults you listed for GE. That mobile makes me laugh every time Bond uses it. I think what's aged the worst about GE is the bad explosion sound effects. Seriously, when the chemical facility blows up, when Xenia's helicopter goes down, and when the pen grenade goes off, they're all very cheap-sounding explosions. I don't know how to properly explain it otherwise, you'd have to watch those scenes.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I've never noticed the explosion stuff.

    I mention GE mainly due to the scene when Natalya is talking to Boris via a pre-MSN MSN, When that message comes onscreen I always expect to hear this (WAIT A FEW SECONDS)

  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    edited March 2014 Posts: 2,341
    FRWL
    This film has aged the best. It is 50 years old and still can be viewed and enjoyed by all audiences.

    OHMSS has aged reasonably well but a few years ago I saw it on a special screening and when Draco says to Bond, "What she needs is a man to dominate her.." this line got a lot of laughs and groans from the audiences (mostly the females)

    I would say DAF and the Brosnan films show their age the worst.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    Sadly I'd have to agree that Brosnan's films don't hold up very well.

    I admit I kind of enjoyed TND the other night but a great Bond film it is not.

    TMWTGG has dated badly too. Cheap looking sets, a Bond girl who should be in a Carry On film and poor slapstick.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited March 2014 Posts: 17,687
    I don't know if this is a good aging or a bad aging comment, but I think if I showed all the Bond films randomly to non-fans that had never seen them, I think with some discussion in the group they could probably easily come to within ten yeas of the production date on all except one: Live And Let Die. Everyone would nail it within a couple of years at the outside.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The 70s 80s 90s films have all been dated severely ( not a bad thing per se), the 60s films all hold up very well still. Well done, 60s!
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited March 2014 Posts: 4,399
    counting down on my list.....

    23. Die Another Day
    22. Moonraker

    21. Live And Let Die ..... This film practically screams "Look at me! I'm from 1973!" .... the heavy blaxploitation vibe, the clothes, the derogatory language used, even the music all so heavily drenched with that particular time in history - that most of it all seems a bit silly now..... but I still love this movie, but I wont deny it's severely dated - and for me, i think that's part of it's charm and appeal..

    20. Diamonds Are Forever ..... I was constantly going back and forth between which was more dated than the other - this or LALD.. and these two are basically neck and neck... just very very campy and totally 70s - again with the clothes, hair styles, dumb slapstick style villains - but now you got a female lead who has a bit of a snarky attitude - she's no nonsense, and she's quick to dump Bond or any man if she so pleases.. a character molded after the women's movement of the time........... and then there's Jimmy Dean........... enough said...

    more to come...
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,258
    I must saw FRWL has aged exceptionally well for having been released in 1963. Honestly I feel like all of the golden age Bond films (DN through OHMSS) have aged pretty well, especially compared to the 70s and 80s Bond films. Usually I don't mind the dated ones though; it's all enjoyable to me.
  • Matt007Matt007
    Posts: 1,314
    Yolt has aged terribly. That back projection is worse than Dr No
  • XXXXXX Banned
    edited March 2014 Posts: 132
    Did some one spill moisturiser on The World is not Enough? because it doesn't look a day over fifteen. And, of course Casino Royale still always be timeless. It still is.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited March 2014 Posts: 11,189
    Matt007 wrote:
    Yolt has aged terribly. That back projection is worse than Dr No

    The back projection is poor at times but I think YOLT is still quite impressive. That volcano set looks amazing.

    If you want to talk about bad projection we may as well also mention OHMSS.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    edited March 2014 Posts: 5,745
    My list mostly focuses on the political themes and social commentary of the various films. Some of the 'classics' are aged better due to great story telling and esteem of being classic.


    23. Moonraker.....(low for dated special effects / space age theme)
    22. Diamonds Are Forever.....(low for lazy storytelling / ridiculous plot / cross dressing)
    21. Live And Let Die.....(low for being very much of the times / stereotypes)
    20. You Only Live Twice.....(low for over-the-top escapism / Japanese Bond)
    19. Dr. No.....(low for aged storytelling / film making)
    18. On Her Majesty's Secret Service.....(low for sexism & vibrant 60's themes / poor dubbing)
    17. Die Another Day.....(low for aged special effects)
    16. The Man With The Golden Gun.....(low for stereotypes / living in the times)
    15. The Spy Who Loved Me.....(high for thrilling cold war social commentary / women's equality)
    14. For Your Eyes Only.....(high for 'against the grain' semi-timeless quality)
    13. Octopussy.....(high for thrilling cold war social commentary)
    12. A View To A Kill.....(high for relevant political commentary)
    11. Thunderball.....(high for 'classic' esteem)
    10. The Living Daylights.....(high for 'modern classic' esteem)
    9. The World Is Not Enough.....(high for relevant political / social commentary [Crimea situation])
    8. From Russia With Love.....(high for 'classic' esteem)
    7. License To Kill.....(high for relevant political commentary)
    6. Goldfinger.....(high for 'classic' esteem)
    5. Tomorrow Never Dies.....(high for relevant political commentary)
    4. GoldenEye.....(high due to 'modern classic' esteem)
    3. Skyfall.....(low due to lack of relevant political commentary / realism)
    2. Casino Royale.....(for relevant political commentary / realism)
    1. Quantum Of Solace.....(for relevant political commentary / "We have people everywhere")
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,965
    XXX wrote:
    Did some one spill moisturiser on The World is not Enough? because it doesn't look a day over fifteen. And, of course Casino Royale still always be timeless. It still is.
    That would be Pierce himself.


    but if you ask me all his films look extremely dated, with GE at the top of the bill as the soundtrack is extremely dated too, and his hair, and... As are the tracks of TND and TWINE, with those techno sounds. There's nothing more 90ties then that.

    I think OHMSS has aged extremely well, especially compared to YOLT or DAF, or indeed LALD.

  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    That advert makes me want to do 2 things :

    1.Throw up
    2.Smack Brosnan in the mouth several times.
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