What's the very last Bond movie that sucker-punched you (in a good way)?

chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
in Bond Movies Posts: 17,687
The last Bond movie you saw in the theatre, that you walked out of going "That was freakin' amazing. I can't wait to see it again!"
For me, that's 1997 with Tomorrow Never Dies. Yep. It's been a while. I like a lot of them, but this was the last one that knocked it out of the park for me.

Yours-?

Comments

  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,377
    Casino Royale. I was a little skeptical going in, but I had a friend message me the day after opening night saying how amazing it was, which got me a little more excited going in.

    I walked out of that theater in Biloxi, Mississippi (I was stationed there at the time and saw it at an actual casino) feeling like I'd just witnessed history Up to that point, I had never walked out of any movie that happy.
  • No Time to Die. Oh, too soon? Well, okay then: Casino Royale. Sorry if the Craig era hasn't worked for you, I found three of Craig's five Bond films to be upper-level offerings -- one to be disappointing -- and one to be absolute bottom of the barrel. But at least he's been trying to do different stuff each time. Some people thought that the Bond franchise during the Brosnan era was just operating on auto-pilot. Can't claim that for Craig's tenure!
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,914
    NTTD. CR, too.

    56785250263b08bc203f1facd85bead3cf4d4ad4.gifv
    AVvXsEhdX353VxG8QQlBuIXr6IdZDZsdc446JiDQGajkWJ81FdH5tsMOkpNECGNEuNyJ5zw3mBgMJbDw9iNl0u-ULgCOuKwNoMbpvfOZLmE1W8drtqNdIvCxFECfdCnP9NRcmZNYtCJbbDCc_EOytboMRs22k50MFMYDqk0_o7UtO1aFdTGdQ87KmUzXF5bZ=w333-h187
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2022 Posts: 17,687
    No Time to Die. Oh, too soon? Well, okay then: Casino Royale. Sorry if the Craig era hasn't worked for you, I found three of Craig's five Bond films to be upper-level offerings -- one to be disappointing -- and one to be absolute bottom of the barrel. But at least he's been trying to do different stuff each time. Some people thought that the Bond franchise during the Brosnan era was just operating on auto-pilot. Can't claim that for Craig's tenure!

    I actually left the theatre after SPECTRE feeling rather happy. But it felt like it won by stealing home... no actual home run.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    As much as I like all the Craig films, I’d have to say CR was the only one to really give me that feeling. Skyfall too, to a lesser extent.
  • edited January 2022 Posts: 2,005
    Casino Royale is the only Bond film from the Craig era that is in my top 10 of the series. NTTD sits around 12, with Skyfall a few spots lower, and both QOS and SP at the very bottom. The problem with the Craig era is that it started off in such a perfect way, and couldn’t really match that critical success, despite the money the films earned.

    As far as the Bond film that sucker punched me? Probably OHMSS when I finally came of age to appreciate it; ever since then it’s been either my favorite or 2nd favorite
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,879
    chrisisall wrote: »
    The last Bond movie you saw in the theatre, that you walked out of going "That was freakin' amazing. I can't wait to see it again!"
    For me, that's 1997 with Tomorrow Never Dies. Yep. It's been a while. I like a lot of them, but this was the last one that knocked it out of the park for me.

    Yours-?
    This. TND, because it was the first one I saw in the cinema. Also, first film I saw twice in the cinema. Fantastic Bond film, and still love it to pierces...
    Saw CR in cinemas last year (I missed it first time around) so that was a pinch myself moment too.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    edited January 2022 Posts: 2,161
    TSWLM. I’ve liked many of them since then, some immediately upon viewing, but that was the last time I walked out of a Bond film feeling ecstatic. Actually, the last five minutes of SF had me more (naively) optimistic about the future of the franchise. CR took a few viewings to rise to the status I hold it in now. If I’m reading the opening post correctly, it was TSWLM that last had me walking on air.

    As we get away from the Craig Era, the more I feel that it was an era of missed opportunities. Despite my love (with some issues) of the first three entries, the whole fixation on world building and continuity, along with the constant upping the soap opera ante needlessly and sloppily (shocking deaths and secret relations do not equal plot to me), has left a bad taste. If I could I’d wipe out that past decade of the franchise.
  • Posts: 1,879
    I'll add to the popular answer: Casino Royale. I was expecting it to be good but never thought the series could get to that level and it exceeded my expectations as did Craig. After years of what felt like going through the motions, I was elated for the future of James Bond films. Although none of the succeeding films met that high, it made for a fulfilling 15 years.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    QBranch wrote: »
    This. TND, because it was the first one I saw in the cinema. Also, first film I saw twice in the cinema. Fantastic Bond film, and still love it to pierces.

    TND was the first and only entry that I missed in the theater (or drive-in) upon release since OHMSS.
  • Posts: 12,242
    100% blown away with little to no misgivings for me was SF, which is the only one I saw in theaters upon original release that really made me feel immediately, "Yup, I love almost everything about this and can't wait to see it again already." Didn't see CR on its first release, QOS I liked a lot at first but didn't think it was a masterpiece, SP I liked pretty well initially but not blown away, and then NTTD I liked quite a bit but wasn't entirely sure about a couple things.

    So I am a younger fan, and of the four I saw upon initial releases in the theaters, SF was the only one to really leave me 110% satisfied, like where I felt like I would barely have changed anything personally. And to this day it's an absolute favorite for me. QOS and NTTD are both held in pretty high regard by me still, but they're not quite in the "elite of the elite" category. SP has tanked since my initial watch; I think my first ranking had it at like #9 or #10, and now it's #23.
  • edited January 2022 Posts: 54
    Birdleson wrote: »
    As we get away from the Craig Era, the more I feel that it was an era of missed opportunities. Despite my love (with some issues) of the first three entries, the whole fixation on world building and continuity, along with the constant upping the soap opera ante needlessly and sloppily (shocking deaths and secret relations do not equal plot to me), has left a bad taste. If I could I’d wipe out that past decade of the franchise.

    Agreed.

    And re: the topic at hand, probably Tomorrow Never Dies. The hype machine was in top form for that one and it was my second theatrical Bond outing. To this day it’s the most recent entry I wish the series would look to for inspiration in terms of tone and action set pieces. I remember leaving the theater very happy indeed, several times that holiday season.

    CR, as much as I liked it at the time, still had me wincing with some of the dialogue that to this day sometimes sounds a little too smug and overwritten.
  • edited January 2022 Posts: 1,215
    There’s a few of them for me;

    DAD: I was about 8 years old when the film came out and for an 8 year old in 2002 who loves Bond, Die Another Day is probably the greatest thing since sliced bread. It was all so high-tech and modern and it left quite an impression.

    SF: This one absolutely floored me and delivered on the promise of CR and raised the bar for what a Bond film could be. I thought the subtext around the character/franchise was brilliant, Mendes at the top of his game, a killer performance by Dame Judi, and (imo) the best looking action blockbuster ever made. It’s really the first Bond film I found to be so striking as a film of its own, not just as a Bond film. In fact, I think Skyfall is a better film than it is a Bond movie.

    NTTD: I know it’s early but NTTD really blew me away because it felt so much like the Bond film I wanted to be made ever since Casino Royale (right down to the two most controversial aspects), and my dream of Hans Zimmer scoring a Bond film. It’s also the only Bond performance since CR that genuinely surprised me. Narratively the character has an arc, but despite being a little smoother and lighter from SF onwards the performance itself felt pretty static. In NTTD Craig’s performance was quite different from the 4 previous ones, which caught me way off guard in my first viewing. It’s the same man we met in Casino Royale, but a little older, a little wiser, and maybe a little less intense and self-serious, but we see the caged angst from CR and QoS bubble to the surface periodically (particularly in the Matera sequence). Bond had grown up, but he’s still who he is.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,447
    CASINO ROYALE without a doubt. I had tears in my eyes. I'm not exaggerating. If I hadn't been on a tight schedule, I would have bought tickets for the next presentation. I went back two more times that same week, and again in the following couple of weeks. CR was the only thing on my mind for days if not weeks on end. It felt like the best thing Bond since OHMSS. The last time I had experienced that was in 1995.

    SPECTRE and NTTD come second, but there's a distance between them and CR. QOS and SF are films that I had to process and see again a couple of times before really liking them. But they still weren't CR.
  • VenutiusVenutius Yorkshire
    edited January 2022 Posts: 2,895
    The last time? QOS - it was, indeed, like a bullet from a gun. Like others, I felt the CR sucker punch and that's still the one that had the biggest impact (the way the music rose up as Bond stepped past Mr. White, looked down and delivered the line - is it even possible to better that?!), but QOS did it again for me and that's the last time it's happened. I was stunned at the end of NTTD but for different reasons, obvs. With QOS, I can remember sitting there with the credits rolling, a dazed look on my face, thinking 'that was *expletive* wonderful - awesome!' and similar joyous epithets! Someone in another thread said that when they watched QOS they never wanted it to end - I know the feeling!
  • TWINE - I was 12 and this was the peak of my early obsession with Bond (read most of the Fleming novels by then, played hundreds of hours of GoldenEye on N64 with friends, and had taped the entire 15 Days of 007 marathon hosted by Grace Jones on TBS. I had somehow missed out on TND at the cinemas (Titanic dominated for half a year), so was extremely anxious to see TWINE and did so twice. Had a blast and was smitten with both Sophie Marleau and Denise Richard. Thought it was an instant classic. On my second go, I snuck in.

    CR - The Craig announcement led me to sign up to the old KTBEU forum, so I followed the production closely and was floored by the trailers, even burning them on a DVD! My dad and I went opening day and had first row seats, so had extremely sore necks afterwards but came away extremely happy with the film and this new Bond. The first 40 minutes or so, I was shaking from disbelief how good the film and the action were.

    SF - Another premiere night showing, this time a date night with my new girlfriend (and future wife) whom I introduced to the world of Bond shortly beforehand when the 007 Design exhibit was in town. She had only seen CR and DN before. Skyfall was our first IMAX experience, so we were floored by the picture quality and the overall beauty of the film. The drama hit all the right emotional notes.

    NTTD - Enough said about this one. The anticipation was unbearable. And the emotional rollercoaster was akin to both CR and SF.
  • slide_99slide_99 USA
    Posts: 648
    CR. I was stunned that they made one of the best Bond movies 45 years into its run. And now I can't even enjoy it anymore because of the awful sequels they made to it.
  • Posts: 462
    TSWLM. AMC did a double feature after Sir Roger’s death. The final line of the movie was definitely bittersweet, and it really made me appreciate everything he did for the franchise starting in 1973. For better or for worse, he was the ambassador to the series, and I don’t think anyone can replace him in that role.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,245
    Have you seen all of the sequels @slide_99?

    I got punched in the gut especially by NTTD, then SF and CR.

    I really love QoS too and it's definitely a top ten for me, but the three films above really made me feel it... Those films dug way past the surface and hit me in my nervous system.

  • Casino Royale. Die Another Day was the first Bond I saw in theaters (and loved it too since I was a kid) I was too young to *really* get into the Bond franchise fully beyond their cartoon spectacle, but Casino Royale hit at the right time and I was actively anticipating it. It looked like everything I wanted out of a James Bond film at that point and I vividly remember being in the theater and knowing from the PTS that the movie was going to fully deliver; and it did. The final moments were, and still are, some of the most elating in the whole series. While I appreciate that the subsequent Craig films have attempted to bring back some of the elements that we know and love from the other series, none of them hit the same highs as Casino Royale. Part of me wonders if we might have gotten a better series if they didn’t try to integrate that stuff into Craig’s run and it kept the tone of the first two. Oh well, who’s to say it wouldn’t have had its own set of problems, and overall I still enjoyed what we got. Still waiting for one to leave me on a “Casino Royale” high, but honestly that might just be a once in a lifetime thing for me and this series.
  • Posts: 6,726
    The Living Daylights. Dalton was just amazing in it. I loved Roger Moore, and his 007 movies were sheer entertainment, but Daltons debut just blew me away!
    I also go along with the love of Casino Royale, after being in the doldrums during the Brossa era, and thinking we were never going to see a decent Bond movie for an age ( I really thought Brossa was going to do 6 or 7 movies!!) Was thrilled to hear they were dumping him, and though I didnt know much about Craig, just had a feeling they got the right guy. But I wasnt prepared for how superb he and the film were!
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    The Living Daylights. Dalton was just amazing in it. I loved Roger Moore, and his 007 movies were sheer entertainment, but Daltons debut just blew me away!
    I also go along with the love of Casino Royale, after being in the doldrums during the Brossa era, and thinking we were never going to see a decent Bond movie for an age ( I really thought Brossa was going to do 6 or 7 movies!!) Was thrilled to hear they were dumping him, and though I didnt know much about Craig, just had a feeling they got the right guy. But I wasnt prepared for how superb he and the film were!

    I would concur with this @Mathis1

    I was gobsmacked at the incredible PTS and then Dalton, who was actually playing the character as Fleming wrote him! Walked out of that film a true Bond fan!

    Last was Casino Royale. Craig was the blunt instrument this Fleming fan had been waiting for. And to have a faithful (albeit updated) adaptation of the novel, I walked out of the cinema on cloud 9! And no matter how many viewings it gets, it still impresses me every time.
  • Posts: 15,785
    For me it was LTK. I knew it was going to be different, darker, grittier and included elements from Fleming. For me it did not disappoint.
    There's been other great Bond films since them, but LTK really struck a chord for me.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    For me it was LTK. I knew it was going to be different, darker, grittier and included elements from Fleming. For me it did not disappoint.
    There's been other great Bond films since them, but LTK really struck a chord for me.

    Back then as a stupid little 29 year old who had never read a Fleming novel & was fixated on Batman I missed out on that. Now, Dalton's two are my favourites.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    The Living Daylights. Dalton was just amazing in it. I loved Roger Moore, and his 007 movies were sheer entertainment, but Daltons debut just blew me away!
    I also go along with the love of Casino Royale, after being in the doldrums during the Brossa era, and thinking we were never going to see a decent Bond movie for an age ( I really thought Brossa was going to do 6 or 7 movies!!) Was thrilled to hear they were dumping him, and though I didnt know much about Craig, just had a feeling they got the right guy. But I wasnt prepared for how superb he and the film were!

    I would concur with this @Mathis1

    I was gobsmacked at the incredible PTS and then Dalton, who was actually playing the character as Fleming wrote him! Walked out of that film a true Bond fan!

    Last was Casino Royale. Craig was the blunt instrument this Fleming fan had been waiting for. And to have a faithful (albeit updated) adaptation of the novel, I walked out of the cinema on cloud 9! And no matter how many viewings it gets, it still impresses me every time.

    +1 to both, so 3, or would that be 4?
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    In retrospect, CR did do the job, in that I was riveted throughout. It’s just that I left the theater thinking this guy was too much of a brute to be Bond, that’s why I don’t consider it to be an overwhelmingly positive experience.
  • No Time to Day without a doubt
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    Birdleson wrote: »
    In retrospect, CR did do the job, in that I was riveted throughout. It’s just that I left the theater thinking this guy was too much of a brute to be Bond, that’s why I don’t consider it to be an overwhelmingly positive experience.

    Yeah, same for me. Then QOS made my eyes widen.
Sign In or Register to comment.