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Which film(s) is the perfect start-off point for a new fan of Bond?

wildboonjivewildboonjive
edited October 2012 in Bond Movies Posts: 299
Since I live in New York, I've been attending a good number of the MoMA screenings that have been taking place this month. Two weeks ago, I took a friend of mine (a woman) to see The Spy Who Loved Me. She is a big film buff, but has never seen a Bond movie, if you can believe that. Knew absolutely nothing about it. I should also point out that she is a highly liberated female, very politically correct. But she was interested when she heard about the retrospective, and being that her availability coincided for that date, I figured that TSWLM would not necessarily be a bad starting point, since it's certainly classic, has most of the main elements in firm place, and may not be deemed necessarily as "offensive" as some of the others. She enjoyed it, but I got the impression she didn't love it.

A week and a half later, I was surprised to run into her at the screening of OHMSS. She said she went because two of her friends dragged her, and was willing enough to watch another one. This one she really liked, and got more intrigued about the franchise. I believe she'll soon be "delving deeply into its treasures."

Which brings me to the question - what do you all think is the best film to start off a new person with? I don't think this necessarily is the same thing as the best movie, but rather the most appropriate. There are of course a lot of factors, such as the age, gender and personlity of the individual in question. There might be several different ways to approach this. But I'm curious to know what you all think.
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Comments

  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited October 2012 Posts: 12,837
    Goldeneye, Thunderball, TLD, TSWLM, something with a nice mix.
  • Signed_By_RogerMooreSigned_By_RogerMoore
    Posts: 643
    The SPECTRE/Blofeld films have everything a Bond film should

    I'd say FRWL, TB, YOLT, OHMSS and DAF covers the Bond series and every theme
  • FromCanadaWithLoveFromCanadaWithLove Canada
    Posts: 612
    Majesty and Casino Royale are the best, I'd say.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    FromCanadaWithLove wrote:
    Majesty and Casino Royale are the best, I'd say.

    They're good films but it'd mean peoples expectations would be different for the rest of the films and they could end up disappointed.

    If they watched CR first, they'd be suprised about gadgets and all the recurring supporting characters when they watched other films.

    If they watched OHMSS first, they might be a bit let down about the gadgets, Bond pretty much forgetting his wife, etc.
  • Zorin61Zorin61
    Posts: 418
    From Russia with Love
  • ThepastykidThepastykid
    Posts: 553
    Zorin61 wrote:
    From Russia with Love

    Seconded, plenty of Bondian elements but not too overblown or too different. I adore CR and OHMSS, but they do stand apart from the series in some ways. I would also avoid anything Roger Moore with women, as in my experience they don;t tend to like him. Start with a Connery.

  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,506
    Personally i would start at the beginning! And then just work your way through the series! Then they could form an opinion on each actors take on the role and also see how they have developed through the years.
  • UlyssesGamma_HoseUlyssesGamma_Hose
    Posts: 73
    Casino Royale works best when you are aware of Bond's nature; it does after all assume you know who he is and what he does, and the entertainment comes from showing how he became like that.

    Also OHMSS and LTK work better if you are aware of the way the films typically work, as they depart from that. OHMSS is where 007 finally gets tied down, finally meets a woman the match of him. LTK is where Bond sticks his finger up at MI6 and goes rogue.

    Also I wouldn't use FRWL as it's not really of the style the other films used.

    What would be amazing is if you were able to show someone who hadn't seen a Bond movie all the films IN ORDER. Thus giving them the experience of evolution of the series I'm sure most of my fellow fans here never had.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    edited October 2012 Posts: 28,694
    DN (the obvious best choice), FRWL, GF, CR.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,468
    Wish I had known you lived there, @wildboonjive, I may have attempted to meet you when I was in the city a few weeks ago.

    The obvious choice, for me, would be starting right at the beginning: DN.
  • X3MSonicXX3MSonicX https://www.behance.net/gallery/86760163/Fa-Posteres-de-007-No-Time-To-Die
    Posts: 2,635
    Start by seeing CR then QoS, so, you'll have a base of what Bond is and how he became to be like that. Then, begin since DN and go through, until TWINE. (Don't see DAD please, it's a waste of time)
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Goldeneye, Thunderball, TLD, TSWLM, something with a nice mix.

    Would agree with that but swap TB for GF, and maybe just maybe add CR
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited October 2012 Posts: 13,350
    Here's a thread covering the same topic:

    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/388/recommend-a-1st-bond-film-to-a-newbie-to-the-series/p2
  • AgentJamesBond007AgentJamesBond007 Vesper’s grave
    Posts: 2,630
    http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/388/recommend-a-1st-bond-film-to-a-newbie-to-the-series/p1

    This perhaps?
  • 002002
    Posts: 581
    Goldeneye, CR, The Living Daylights and FRWL
  • TheBondFanTheBondFan
    Posts: 822
    I'd say Goldfinger, no matter how overrated it is. It still set the formula.
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    Start with Die Another Day and Diamonds Are Forever. If you can get past those two, you'll have a better appreciation for the rest.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    FRWL, GF, GE or CR. But depends on the individual... if he/she likes campiness it would be a whole different story.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Kerim wrote:
    Start with Die Another Day and Diamonds Are Forever. If you can get past those two, you'll have a better appreciation for the rest.

    1.) You have to get through the bad to appreciate the good
    2.) If you make it through those and AVTAK without losing a desire to watch the others, you are meant to be a Bond fan!
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    w2bond wrote:
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Goldeneye, Thunderball, TLD, TSWLM, something with a nice mix.

    Would agree with that but swap TB for GF, and maybe just maybe add CR

    I'd watch CR early but not first. It's too different from the rest to be watched first I think, people would expect different from the rest of the films.
  • craigrulescraigrules
    Posts: 284
    Eon move the goalposts so often, one minute Bond is an action hero then he's a clown,it's hard to know where to start.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    personally - it's a crap shoot... it all boils down to the person...... i started off with Goldeneye - but i absolutely love From Russia With Love as my favorite (two very different films)

    i got my ex-girlfriend to watch Licence To Kill and 1 or 2 of the Connery ones... she didn't really care that much for them... but she fell instantly in love with Casino Royale and Quantum Of Solace...

    a good buddy of mine, i took him to see his first Bond film - which was Die Another Day... needless to say, he hated it.... but after he's since seen the 2 Dalton films, and really likes those..

  • marymossmarymoss
    Posts: 176
    RogueAgent wrote:
    Personally i would start at the beginning! And then just work your way through the series! Then they could form an opinion on each actors take on the role and also see how they have developed through the years.

    I agree since that's what I did last year. I even surprised myself since I didn't expect to like Sean Connery as much as I did.

  • RisicoRisico
    Posts: 97
    My girlfriend never cared for Bond (she was aware but not interested) but came to see Casino Royale and loved Craig in the role and found herself able to engage in the story in a way she hadn't with the Brosnan films she'd seen, or the Connery films for that matter. To her it had all been 'boys' stuff'. Then I showed her OHMSS which she was really impressed with. Then I got her onto The Spy Who Loved Me just to see how she'd react and she frickin' loved it. LOVES Roger. LOVES his bright yellow ski-suit and the dodgy back-projection on the closeups, and cackled like a mad thing on the closing line, "Keeping the British end up, sir". And this weekend she is *determined* to see Skyfall.
  • bondsumbondsum
    Posts: 3,333
    wildboonjive wrote:
    A week and a half later, I was surprised to run into her at the screening of OHMSS. This one she really liked, and got more intrigued about the franchise.
    So glad to read about the appreciation for OHMSS which seems to be gaining even more fans the older it gets. It's hard to compare this movie to the others as it's so unique and has many benchmark moments that set it apart from the pack. Funnily enough, one of my friends is going through showing his 3 young boys all the Bond films and their favourite is Lazenby by far, though I must add they do have an appreciation for Connery. They're currently up to Dalton but have seen the odd Brosnan and Craig picture out of sequence.

    But to answer your question I'd probably first show them FRWL.
  • wildboonjivewildboonjive
    Posts: 299
    Creasy47 wrote:
    Wish I had known you lived there, @wildboonjive, I may have attempted to meet you when I was in the city a few weeks ago.

    The obvious choice, for me, would be starting right at the beginning: DN.

    That's too bad @Creasy47. Hopefully there will be an opportunity next time soon enough. :)>-
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    Depends on who is watching the film. I think TSWLM is a nice place to start. You have to have a cold heart not to enjoy Spy.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    Getafix wrote:
    Depends on who is watching the film. I think TSWLM is a nice place to start. You have to have a cold heart not to enjoy Spy.

    I think that's the best place to start too.
  • Signed_By_RogerMooreSigned_By_RogerMoore
    Posts: 643
    Getafix wrote:
    Depends on who is watching the film. I think TSWLM is a nice place to start. You have to have a cold heart not to enjoy Spy.

    The only problem with TSWLM is....after watching it, there's no topping it ;)
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    Signed_By_RogerMoore wrote:
    Getafix wrote:
    Depends on who is watching the film. I think TSWLM is a nice place to start. You have to have a cold heart not to enjoy Spy.

    The only problem with TSWLM is....after watching it, there's no topping it ;)

    You could be right there. Not the 'best' but still one of my very favorites.
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