Last Bond Movie You Watched

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  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    Moonraker
    My favourite Bond book ruined just to cash-in on Star Wars. Had another film been made in 1979 instead as the outlandish peak of the films, a faithful adaption of Moonraker would have made for a perfect stripped back, down to earth, thriller.

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. Tomorrow Never Dies
    4. Octopussy
    5. The World Is Not Enough
    6. For Your Eyes Only
    7. GoldenEye
    8. Skyfall
    9. Casino Royale
    10. SPECTRE
    11. No Time To Die
    12. Die Another Day
    13. Moonraker
    14. A View To A Kill
    15. Quantum Of Solace
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    The Spy Who Loved Me and The Man With The Golden Gun
    Spy has to be Moore's most relaxed performance as Bond. And Golden Gun is so... awfully written. Bond acts like an arse (at times Moore looks uncomfortable), M starts off irritated for no reason, and gets more annoyed as the films goes on, and even Moneypenny sounds like she has had enough of Bond even before he opens his mouth. That said, Lee is fantastic as Scaramanga, I like the score, the car chase is good as is the Bond v Scaramanga duel.

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. Tomorrow Never Dies
    4. Octopussy
    5. The World Is Not Enough
    6. For Your Eyes Only
    7. The Spy Who Loved Me
    8. GoldenEye
    9. Skyfall
    10. Casino Royale
    11. SPECTRE
    12. The Man With The Golden Gun
    13. No Time To Die
    14. Die Another Day
    15. Moonraker
    16. A View To A Kill
    17. Quantum Of Solace
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 8,255
    OHMSS, last night. Kicking off my Season’s Film Festival which includes:

    Die Hard
    Batman Returns
    Lethal Weapon
    The Long Kiss Goodnight
    A Charlie Brown Christmas
    The Nightmare Before Christmas
    A Christmas Story
    A Christmas Carol (Alastair Sim)
    and more…
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    The World Is Not Enough & Die Another Day.
    TWINE was fun as always, I even like Denise Richards. A lot of the film looked muddy though- I'm talking about the colour palate... but then it is an oil-based film (see what I did there?).
    DAD was not as fun this time around. The washes used in certain scenes irked me. A lot of light blues & grays. The Cuba scenes always look great, though. And this time around I found Halle REALLY annoying, more so than usual. Probably shoulda watched GE instead.
  • Octopussy

    Continues to be an absolute joy in my eyes. It's Glen's only film with a palpable sense of atmosphere (the juxtaposition between the high-adventure in India and the distinct Cold War flavor in Germany/Europe is wonderful and keeps things lively). It also has a great sense of place, to boot, which is important given said juxtaposition.

    Moore's performance, while perhaps not his best, is capable as always, and the cast of characters never fails to make me smile. Magda is perhaps my favorite "secondary" Bond girl in the entire franchise (if not, she's close). Maud Adams plays the *only* leading lady in the Moore era who feels genuinely realistic as a partner for his 007, and they have wonderful chemistry.

    The action scenes are some of the better in the series (Glen's films all excel in this department, in my opinion). I love the PTS - an exciting escapist romp of a mini-film. The best direct comparison is TND's opener, but this one is far more fun. The train sequence is an exhilarating precursor to SF, and the stunts and action throughout are great.

    The humor, by and large (exception: Tarzan) works for me. Moore could sell anything. Kamal Khan, Gobinda, Vijay, more Q. It rules.

    Lastly, the clown scene, which many decry as the nadir of Moore's tenure, is easily one of the finest of his entire run. Poetic that the man who many claim to be clownish delivers his most legitimately suspenseful scene dressed as one. The cuts to the oblivious children, and Bond's (rare) sense of desperate urgency really sell it.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    Octopussy

    Continues to be an absolute joy in my eyes. It's Glen's only film with a palpable sense of atmosphere (the juxtaposition between the high-adventure in India and the distinct Cold War flavor in Germany/Europe is wonderful and keeps things lively). It also has a great sense of place, to boot, which is important given said juxtaposition.

    Moore's performance, while perhaps not his best, is capable as always, and the cast of characters never fails to make me smile. Magda is perhaps my favorite "secondary" Bond girl in the entire franchise (if not, she's close). Maud Adams plays the *only* leading lady in the Moore era who feels genuinely realistic as a partner for his 007, and they have wonderful chemistry.

    The action scenes are some of the better in the series (Glen's films all excel in this department, in my opinion). I love the PTS - an exciting escapist romp of a mini-film. The best direct comparison is TND's opener, but this one is far more fun. The train sequence is an exhilarating precursor to SF, and the stunts and action throughout are great.

    The humor, by and large (exception: Tarzan) works for me. Moore could sell anything. Kamal Khan, Gobinda, Vijay, more Q. It rules.

    Lastly, the clown scene, which many decry as the nadir of Moore's tenure, is easily one of the finest of his entire run. Poetic that the man who many claim to be clownish delivers his most legitimately suspenseful scene dressed as one. The cuts to the oblivious children, and Bond's (rare) sense of desperate urgency really sell it.

    I concur!
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    edited December 2021 Posts: 2,161
    NO TIME TO DIE

    With more time and more viewings I have become even firmer in my divided opinion on this film. There is much that works, but it is mired down in these long emotional gambits that fall short for me, more so as I become intimately familiar with the film. Part of me leans towards the thought that they should have dropped Madeleine entirely, but then too much of the infrastructure crumbles away, you'd have to start from scratch and this whole "What If?" exercise is pointless. Though I do not mind the character of Matilde or the idea of her existence, that is where I would make the cut. Along with taking away that element I would scrap so much of the repetitive, emotionally laden, laborious dialogue centered around the Bond/Madeline relationship. And, of course, he escapes the island.

    What is left is a stripped down, classic Bond film with world-ending stakes. Not a Bond film trying so hard to transcend being a Bond film.

  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    Live And Let Die and Diamonds Are Forever
    I think Live And Let Die has become the meh film in my ranking. There's nothing "bad" about it, but at the same time, it doesn't quite tickle my fancy. And as for Diamonds Are Forever, it's sleazy, scummy and tacky, and I can now breathe a sigh of relief that it is now out of the way.

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. Tomorrow Never Dies
    4. Octopussy
    5. The World Is Not Enough
    6. For Your Eyes Only
    7. The Spy Who Loved Me
    8. GoldenEye
    9. Skyfall
    10. Live And Let Die
    11. Casino Royale
    12. SPECTRE
    13. The Man With The Golden Gun
    14. No Time To Die
    15. Die Another Day
    16. Moonraker
    17. A View To A Kill
    18. Diamonds Are Forever
    19. Quantum Of Solace
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice
    OHMSS is still a jewel in the Bond crown. And YOLT will always have a special place in my heart, it was afterall, the first Bond film I watched, but I don't hold it up as high as I used to.

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    4. Tomorrow Never Dies
    5. Octopussy
    6. The World Is Not Enough
    7. For Your Eyes Only
    8. The Spy Who Loved Me
    9. You Only Live Twice
    10. GoldenEye
    11. Skyfall
    12. Live And Let Die
    13. Casino Royale
    14. SPECTRE
    15. The Man With The Golden Gun
    16. No Time To Die
    17. Die Another Day
    18. Moonraker
    19. A View To A Kill
    20. Diamonds Are Forever
    21. Quantum Of Solace
  • Diamonds are Forever

    One of the odd ducks of the Bond series, for sure, and always a treat. This one lives and dies on how much you buy into its brand of dark comedy that meets pure farce (Bond making out with himself, Blofeld in drag, many of the peripheral characters). In fact, I'd go so far as to say this is the only Bond film in the series that is an outright comedy (MR is more of a spectacle blockbuster film with slapstick/camp as opposed to being purely comedic). Barry's score oftentimes seems fully aware that this is a Bond film that lacks some of the grandeur and importance of other entries.

    Either way, it's a fun time. It has risen and fallen for me over the years simply depending on how much I was on its sardonic wavelength. Connery is fantastic, as is Jill St. John.

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Diamonds are Forever

    One of the odd ducks of the Bond series, for sure, and always a treat. This one lives and dies on how much you buy into its brand of dark comedy that meets pure farce (Bond making out with himself, Blofeld in drag, many of the peripheral characters). In fact, I'd go so far as to say this is the only Bond film in the series that is an outright comedy (MR is more of a spectacle blockbuster film with slapstick/camp as opposed to being purely comedic). Barry's score oftentimes seems fully aware that this is a Bond film that lacks some of the grandeur and importance of other entries.

    Either way, it's a fun time. It has risen and fallen for me over the years simply depending on how much I was on its sardonic wavelength. Connery is fantastic, as is Jill St. John.

    It feels like this was more inspired by CR67 than by the novel.
  • Posts: 6,727
    ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
    Well, full of Christmas din/booze, what better way to put in the afternoon then watching my number 1 Bond movie! Never a bad viewing, its simply glorious in every way, from Laz sassy gunbarrel pose, through to fantastic location work, excellent characters, Tellys imposing Blofeld, Dianas sensual,wonderful Tracy, cracking action set pieces, John Barry at the top of his game,and that shocker finale ( eat your heart out NTTD!)
    Great viewing as always!
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    Finished off my Bondathan with...

    Thunderball
    Goldfinger
    From Russia With Love
    Dr No

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    4. From Russia With Love
    5. Tomorrow Never Dies
    6. Octopussy
    7. The World Is Not Enough
    8. For Your Eyes Only
    9. Dr No
    10. The Spy Who Loved Me
    11. You Only Live Twice
    12. GoldenEye
    13. Skyfall
    14. Live And Let Die
    15. Goldfinger
    16. Casino Royale
    17. Thunderball
    18. SPECTRE
    19. The Man With The Golden Gun
    20. No Time To Die
    21. Die Another Day
    22. Moonraker
    23. A View To A Kill
    24. Diamonds Are Forever
    25. Quantum Of Solace
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    That is a very ecccentric ranking.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    Finished off my Bondathan with...

    Thunderball
    Goldfinger
    From Russia With Love
    Dr No

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    4. From Russia With Love
    5. Tomorrow Never Dies
    6. Octopussy
    7. The World Is Not Enough
    8. For Your Eyes Only
    9. Dr No
    10. The Spy Who Loved Me
    11. You Only Live Twice
    12. GoldenEye
    13. Skyfall
    14. Live And Let Die
    15. Goldfinger
    16. Casino Royale
    17. Thunderball
    18. SPECTRE
    19. The Man With The Golden Gun
    20. No Time To Die
    21. Die Another Day
    22. Moonraker
    23. A View To A Kill
    24. Diamonds Are Forever
    25. Quantum Of Solace

    NTTD & QOS need to be switched, but otherwise an amazing list!
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969)
    Well, full of Christmas din/booze, what better way to put in the afternoon then watching my number 1 Bond movie! Never a bad viewing, its simply glorious in every way, from Laz sassy gunbarrel pose, through to fantastic location work, excellent characters, Tellys imposing Blofeld, Dianas sensual,wonderful Tracy, cracking action set pieces, John Barry at the top of his game,and that shocker finale ( eat your heart out NTTD!)
    Great viewing as always!

    I watched it earlier in December for my Xmas viewing. NTTD doesn't come close. An absolute joy whenever I watch it.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited December 2021 Posts: 13,882
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Finished off my Bondathan with...

    Thunderball
    Goldfinger
    From Russia With Love
    Dr No

    Silver Anniversary Bondathon
    1. The Living Daylights
    2. Licence To Kill
    3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
    4. From Russia With Love
    5. Tomorrow Never Dies
    6. Octopussy
    7. The World Is Not Enough
    8. For Your Eyes Only
    9. Dr No
    10. The Spy Who Loved Me
    11. You Only Live Twice
    12. GoldenEye
    13. Skyfall
    14. Live And Let Die
    15. Goldfinger
    16. Casino Royale
    17. Thunderball
    18. SPECTRE
    19. The Man With The Golden Gun
    20. No Time To Die
    21. Die Another Day
    22. Moonraker
    23. A View To A Kill
    24. Diamonds Are Forever
    25. Quantum Of Solace

    NTTD & QOS need to be switched, but otherwise an amazing list!

    Hhmm... looking at just those two, presents me with a bit of a dilemma. For the most part (see up until the ending) NTTD is better overall than QOS. The problem with NTTD comes at the end, which I thoroughly dislike, and because of that, it makes me not want to watch NTTD again. I have only seenNTTD once so far.
  • The first 3/4 of NTTD rank up there with the best of Bond. The movie (and characters) did a complete 180 in the final stretch that ruined the film for me.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    edited January 2022 Posts: 3,985
    NTTD
    Now I have the bluray I can scrutinise it to my hearts content. This was only my second viewing and I bloody enjoyed it again. The PTS is really well done. Love all the stuff in Jamaica and the Cuba stuff all still holds up.

    The Bond/M scene is better than I remember it, as is the Blofeld confrontation, even if his big entrance is rather silly.

    Love all the stuff in Norway and the Safin island climax is well shot and exciting. The ending for me doesn't have the same power on a second viewing. It's horribly contrived and should IMO been left ambiguous. Perhaps when I watch it in future I'll turn off before the end...

    It's Miles better than SP though and Fukunaga 's direction is first class. The dialogue is snappy and Zimmer’s score has grown on me. Hoping it will get better with each subsequent viewing, even if that ending drags it down.

  • Posts: 6,727
    Hey @LeonardPine, has NTTD gone up in the Craig era rankings for you? You had it at 4!
    My bloody 4k copy hasn't arrived as it should before end of December as it was meant to!
    Oh, well, something to look forward to in the long month ahead!
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    Hey @LeonardPine, has NTTD gone up in the Craig era rankings for you? You had it at 4!
    My bloody 4k copy hasn't arrived as it should before end of December as it was meant to!
    Oh, well, something to look forward to in the long month ahead!

    No mate. As far as I'm concerned my Craig ranking is now set in stone.

    My love for CR and QoS is well known, and SF is just a better film all round.

    It's better than SP though...😁
  • Posts: 9,730
    Casino Royale 1954

    I love this I know everyone hates it I know I shouldn’t love it but man is this just such a guilty pleasure I wish there was a second episode with Nelson
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    I don’t think anybody hates it, it generally gets pretty good reviews from those that actually watch it. I love it.
  • Posts: 12,243
    I don’t hate it, but I never particularly want to watch it either.
  • Just had my first home viewing of NTTD this weekend (third time overall) and must say I really enjoyed it. Much more so than either my first or second viewings. Just about all of the quibbles I had the first two times around vaporized into thin air like…well, bad analogy. What can I say? This is a terrific film. It has holes in it, sure. But GoldenEye has holes. Skyfall has holes. To be a Bond fan means to accept and overlook the holes and simply enjoy the magic on screen. My hope is that the next era of Bond will be all about the escapist fun and humor that characterizes the Cuba segment. But overall, this was a well balanced and ambitious bookend for the Craig era.

    The one little thing I still can’t get behind…
    …is the use of music from OHMSS. It takes me right out of the film. It makes no thematic sense. It does a disservice to both OHMSS and NTTD, the latter of which already had a perfectly good main theme that could have been put to marvelous use in the scenes handed over to “We Have All the Time in the World.” C’est la vie.

    Oh, and also:
    I sure wish Bond hadn’t gone and gotten himself fatally shot like a day one double-oh.

    I actually didn’t mind it much this third time around (nor did I the first two times). It’s the end of Craig’s run, James Bond will return, onward to B26 and Bond #007. I do wish we didn’t have a shot actually showing Bond being annihilated, but really that’s it. I’m sure it will be as natural to me as a double-taking pigeon in no time.
  • Posts: 3,273
    I just watched Octopussy for the first time in about 30 years, and it was much better than I remembered. In fact it may be one of Roger's best.

    I also forgot how much Fleming was used from both OP and TPOAL short stories. This is how it is done properly, P&W. Take note.

    Also, apart from the silly escape scene in India, the rest of the film is rather serious in tone, arguably on par with FYEO. I actually think this is just as grounded, and may be slightly better overall too.

    And the thing about all the Moore flicks, it left you on a high when the end credits rolled...
  • edited January 2022 Posts: 3,273
    Birdleson wrote: »
    NO TIME TO DIE

    With more time and more viewings I have become even firmer in my divided opinion on this film. There is much that works, but it is mired down in these long emotional gambits that fall short for me, more so as I become intimately familiar with the film. Part of me leans towards the thought that they should have dropped Madeleine entirely, but then too much of the infrastructure crumbles away, you'd have to start from scratch and this whole "What If?" exercise is pointless. Though I do not mind the character of Matilde or the idea of her existence, that is where I would make the cut. Along with taking away that element I would scrap so much of the repetitive, emotionally laden, laborious dialogue centered around the Bond/Madeline relationship. And, of course, he escapes the island.

    What is left is a stripped down, classic Bond film with world-ending stakes. Not a Bond film trying so hard to transcend being a Bond film.

    In a parallel universe, Sliding Doors style, there is another Bond film by the same name, which has a similar plot, but Felix doesn't die, Madeline is no longer in the film, neither is the daughter, neither is Safin, neither is a female 007.

    Instead, Blofeld has escaped and is holed up on his island, and Bond goes in (alone) through the poisonous garden to kill him. Once he does (`Die Blofeld, die!'), he escapes injured on a balloon, not knowing who he is, and meets a Japanese girl at a nearby village.

    The last part of the film mirrors the final part of CR, where the film takes a different turn, focusing on a personal love story. Bond becomes a fisherman and lives a simple life in love with this Japanese girl, until one day he sees the word `Russia' in a newspaper which sounds familiar. He then sets off sail there, saying a tearful farewell to the Japanese woman he leaves behind (make her pregnant, if you want to add extra drama).

    I know which film I would have preferred...
  • KenAustinKenAustin United States
    Posts: 226
    I watched No Time To Die last night, but I needed a less somber rendition so I am watching Skyfall right now.
  • Posts: 6,727
    NO TIME TO DIE (2021)
    Finally got to sit down and have my first viewing on the small screen. To start with, it looks and sounds fantastic in 4k! I was hoping this would be better than my very first view in the cinema....and it was...in spades! The first hour is sheer perfection, doesn't put a foot wrong, cracking pts, titles ( and though I wouldn't listen to the theme on its own, it works really well with Kleinmans titles), cast are superb, Craig is fantastic, opening raid, Bond in Jamaica, Bonds meet with Felix, and I really adore the Cuba set piece, and the scenes on the boat after. It slows down after that, but scenes I had big issues with, Bond confronting M, Blofeld scene, and Safin meets Madeleine, played much better now. Even the action in Norway and the climax were more thrilling this time! As for THAT ending, it actually did raise a slight lump in my throat, and I didnt mind the use of my beloved OHMSS theme this time! All in all a very positive viewing, Oh, and a definite shout out to Linus cinematography, beautiful throughout! Have to review my rankings definitely!
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Mathis1 wrote: »
    NO TIME TO DIE (2021)
    Finally got to sit down and have my first viewing on the small screen. To start with, it looks and sounds fantastic in 4k! I was hoping this would be better than my very first view in the cinema....and it was...in spades! The first hour is sheer perfection, doesn't put a foot wrong, cracking pts, titles ( and though I wouldn't listen to the theme on its own, it works really well with Kleinmans titles), cast are superb, Craig is fantastic, opening raid, Bond in Jamaica, Bonds meet with Felix, and I really adore the Cuba set piece, and the scenes on the boat after. It slows down after that, but scenes I had big issues with, Bond confronting M, Blofeld scene, and Safin meets Madeleine, played much better now. Even the action in Norway and the climax were more thrilling this time! As for THAT ending, it actually did raise a slight lump in my throat, and I didnt mind the use of my beloved OHMSS theme this time! All in all a very positive viewing, Oh, and a definite shout out to Linus cinematography, beautiful throughout! Have to review my rankings definitely!

    Deary me mate, what a turnaround 😄

    My third viewing was the most I've enjoyed the film. Craig’s performance really hit home. Ranking it will be difficult!
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