NEW 2021 UPDATES ON 'Quick Big Mi6 Bond Ranking Game': JOIN IN, FOLKS!

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  • Had Dalton still been Bond, Kara Milovy would've made a realistic Paris Carver alternative - Elliot Carver could surely afford the most expensive Stradivarius for her.
  • TMWTGG was a favorite of mine as a kid and despite its evident sloppiness I still really enjoy it. Those early Moore movies have a bit more edge to them (until FYEO) and the whole concept of Bond going up against the world’s best assassin —played by Christopher Lee no less — who has his own funhouse lair is good enough for me to forgive a lot of sins. I had it ranked at 16 which isn’t very high, but it’s a loving 16!

    TND I have very, very little affection for. It’s a bottom 3 for me. On the surface it’s a perfectly competent Bond movie. It’s well crafted and all that, but I just find it so, so bland. I can’t even really put my finger on it. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s yet another reheated YOLT style plot, or Brosnan’s vague portrayal of Bond, or the sort of colorless photography. Only the Dr Kaufman scene comes alive with the sort of bizarre, exotic menace that really feels Fleming-esque. I’ll take TWINE’s sloppiness over this in a heartbeat.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,378
    Dr Kaufman is one my favourite characters of the franchise! And the ice-cold murder by Bond at the end of the scene is perfect, too.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    edited April 2021 Posts: 7,314
    Regarding Natalya replacing Paris, I know bringing back Bond girls was taboo at the time, but I really would've preferred it. We are told that Bond had a relationship with Paris in the past, but imagine how much more weight her death would've had if it was someone that we knew. Anyway, I agree with others saying it probably would have felt too contrived and distracting, but I think it was a missed opportunity.

    As far as TND as whole, I love the first half and am always very frustrated with the second half. GE and the first half of TND are great (for the most part) but then starting with the second half and following with TWINE and DAD, the Brosnan era takes a dive and never recovers for me . I do hope GE finishes in the top 10.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited April 2021 Posts: 6,758
    TND has a fine first half imo. The score, Inga Bergström, the party scene, the infiltration, the Mi6 crew, "They'll print anything these days".

    TND also is a good example of how good stunts can be sans gadgets. The HALO jump for instance is far more exciting than the BMW chase.

    Kudos also for the mass media angle. I'd say it's a relevant subject even today. I really like Wai Lin too.

    However, it's a bit of a colourless box-ticker at times too. With definitely too much action in the second half as well. In the end, I think it's good without being a masterpiece.
  • pachazo wrote: »
    Regarding Natalya replacing Paris, I know bringing back Bond girls was taboo at the time, but I really would've preferred it. We are told that Bond had a relationship with Paris in the past, but imagine how much more weight her death would've had if it was someone that we knew. Anyway, I agree with others saying it probably would have felt too contrived and distracting, but I think it was a missed opportunity.

    As far as TND as whole, I love the first half and am always very frustrated with the second half. GE and the first half of TND are great (for the most part) but then starting with the second half and following with TWINE and DAD, the Brosnan era takes a dive and never recovers for me . I do hope GE finishes in the top 10.

    They also wanted to bring Wai Lin back in Die Another Day.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I’m surprised that MR is still alive.

    In the tournament thread, it ended up as no 17, which is where I also have it.
  • Birdleson wrote: »
    I’m surprised that MR is still alive.

    Frankly, so am I.

    I would be very surprised if anything but MR turns up tomorrow. Maybe QOS, but I suspect QOS might do pretty okay here. I guess there haven't been any huge surprises so far in terms of the general sentiments of the board.

    Personally, I think very highly, unusually highly, of about half the films listed so far. Just goes to show how varied all our tastes really are and how even the lowest ranking Bonds to some are among the highest ranking for others.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,099
    Had Dalton still been Bond, Kara Milovy would've made a realistic Paris Carver alternative - Elliot Carver could surely afford the most expensive Stradivarius for her.

    I'd have been terribly upset if either Natalya or Kara had returned, been shallow enough to marry an absolute nutcase, and got killed off. They both deserve better than that!
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited April 2021 Posts: 6,758
    Well this next entry might be somewhat of a surprise:

    STARRING
    Sean Connery as James Bond 007

    WITH
    Mie Hama, Donald Pleasence, Akiko Wakabayashi & Tetsuro Tamba

    YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

    MUSIC BY John Barry
    DIRECTED BY Lewis Gilbert

    You-Only-Live-Twice-1967-French-Grande-Film-Movie-Poster.jpg?v=1571438568

    YOLT's highest finished was 7th on one occasion, while it also ended up 8th, 9th and 10th on two occasions each. It also turned up in 9 more top 15's.

    Even though it only ended up three times in the higher bottom 5 (its worst placement was 23rd), YOLT's low ranking might be explained because it never made it into anyone's top 5 and it had no less than 17 rankings between 11 and 20.

    A typical middle-of-the-road choice for many, it appears.

    In total, YOLT collected 117 points.
  • Posts: 6,727
    Have to say YOLT has fallen a lot in my rankings over the years!
    It has fantastic sections in it (pts, meeting Henderson, fight scene, Kobe Docks sequence, climax!) and it is spectacular, but the whole turning Japanese thing really turns me off and i dont like the Little Nellie set piece, its a bit of a drag until that brilliantly staged finale! But am not that surprised at this position but can imagine a lot will be!
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,811
    Chalk me up as surprised to see YOLT here. It’s 12th in my ranking. So quite a way off the mark. I’ll be honest it did dwell lower for many years. But it’s an epic movie. Beautiful Japanese location, wonderful set pieces and John Barry at his best.
    I’m really quite shocked to see this so low.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited April 2021 Posts: 23,448
    The score is fantastic, the locations are beautiful, Adam's sets exceptional and the ninjas an absolute delight. Technically, this film excels in almost every department (as will MR). But the story is pretty thin (as will MR's be); it's just trying to keep us busy (the old from-a-to-b-to-c clue hunting) while it's getting us to the big finale where all the fun will happen. Unfortunately, Connery sleepwalks through the whole thing; he's on autopilot, uninterested, too good (or too angry with Harry?) to emote and charge up the way he did in DN and FRWL. Unlike Moore in MR, who will enjoy playing his part in that nonsensical fantasy trip, Connery lowers the fun level in this movie by having none himself. Too bad, because I love this film's Blofeld, the Japanese girls and all the other Japanese stuff, Barry's score--I have to reemphasise--is absolutely and unmistakably brilliant. There's so much YOLT has going for it, but compared to the ones we haven't come across in this thread yet, I agree it to be the weaker film.
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    Knock me down with a feather. It’s my favourite Connery film (and not just because of Mie Hama), but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m the only one.
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,311
    The competition is strong for the top half of the films and I was surprised myself how low it scored in my ranking (18th). It was on TV recently and I just could not get excited anymore. For me this is one of those films that I thought I ought to like a lot, because it's a Connery one, the locations are great, the set design outstanding and the cast is solid. Yet, somehow the whole thing does not gel together.
    That poster is one of my favourites of the entire series. Bond defying the law of gravity had me perplexed since I was a boy.
  • ProfJoeButcherProfJoeButcher Bless your heart
    edited April 2021 Posts: 1,664
    zebrafish wrote: »
    The competition is strong for the top half of the films and I was surprised myself how low it scored in my ranking (18th). It was on TV recently and I just could not get excited anymore. For me this is one of those films that I thought I ought to like a lot, because it's a Connery one, the locations are great, the set design outstanding and the cast is solid. Yet, somehow the whole thing does not gel together.
    That poster is one of my favourites of the entire series. Bond defying the law of gravity had me perplexed since I was a boy.

    Indeed. I don't think Lewis Gilbert really cracked it until MR, and I'm delighted to see that film beat this one. I rank YOLT slightly higher than its position here, but on some faux-objective level, I think it might be the worst in the series.

    Roald Dahl, brilliant as he was, simply could not fill the shoes of Ian Fleming or Richard Maibaum, I believe even by his own admission. His script doesn't make any sense (fake death in private, Blofeld revealing himself by stealing from both sides and shooting missiles from his base, Helga's killing method). Lewis Gilbert didn't seem to have any interesting ideas about how to shoot on Ken Adam's spectacular sets, and despite making a film more ridiculous than Goldfinger, he's not willing or able to convey that we're all in on the joke, which was a significant factor in the success of that earlier film. As a result, the aura of stupidity is a bit stronger with this one than it had to be.

    But John Barry and Ken Adam are firing on all cylinders, clearly, and much of the cast is quite strong as well.

  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,009
    17th spot is exactly where You Only Live Twice lands for me, too.

    It's one of the silliest films of the series but the setting and production elements add much. The music is astonishingly good, as we all know. I will always enjoy it when it's on telly, but I rarely go out of my way to watch it on my own time.
  • It was at 15 for me. I’ll basically echo what others have said in that there’s a lot of fun and iconic moments, but it’s also a fairly sharp drop off from the previous Connery films. I always have a good time with it though.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    That is quite surprising. Personally, I love it, definitely one of the Top 3 of Connery's for me, and the issues most seem to have with it never cross my mind with any given rewatch. He's still in great form here, it has some of the best and nastiest characters of the series, the set design is exquisite and it's damn entertaining throughout. Very fun for me.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I was the one who ranked it 7th, so I must be the biggest YOLT fan as well. It does have some problems, some extreme silliness and a weak finale, but there is just so much greatness there as well. Best of the Gilbert films.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,879
    #18 on my list, but I think I should have it a few spots higher. Beautiful music, amazing sets, and I really like Aki.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,418
    Bit surprising to see YOLT ranked a bit low. I have in at No. 14. I always have fun watching YOLT, which makes me look past its problems. This is how you do "epic Bond" right.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    I was the one who ranked it 7th, so I must be the biggest YOLT fan as well. It does have some problems, some extreme silliness and a weak finale, but there is just so much greatness there as well. Best of the Gilbert films.

    I have it ranked eighth, but I had to use my 2019 ranking since I haven't had a proper marathon since, so it's liable to move a spot or two with my next one. I love it a lot.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was the one who ranked it 7th, so I must be the biggest YOLT fan as well. It does have some problems, some extreme silliness and a weak finale, but there is just so much greatness there as well. Best of the Gilbert films.

    I have it ranked eighth, but I had to use my 2019 ranking since I haven't had a proper marathon since, so it's liable to move a spot or two with my next one. I love it a lot.

    When I had my last a couple years ago, so much changed, but it was over a decade since my previous. Maybe I shouldn t wait that long this time. Maybe I should do another one soon and see what happens then.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,371
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I was the one who ranked it 7th, so I must be the biggest YOLT fan as well. It does have some problems, some extreme silliness and a weak finale, but there is just so much greatness there as well. Best of the Gilbert films.

    I have it ranked eighth, but I had to use my 2019 ranking since I haven't had a proper marathon since, so it's liable to move a spot or two with my next one. I love it a lot.

    When I had my last a couple years ago, so much changed, but it was over a decade since my previous. Maybe I shouldn t wait that long this time. Maybe I should do another one soon and see what happens then.

    I was doing them once a year for a while there, with some slight, varied changes, so I figured waiting 2-3 might yield even more diverse results. I'm hoping to do another one before NTTD is out.
  • You Only Live Twice has always been a favourite of mine growing up, it's fallen a bit for me over the years, but currently in spot #10.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,598
    As with many of you, I’m surprised to see YOLT ranked so low. I have it at 9th in my rankings and it has consistently been in my top ten over the years.

    Some of the “hate” on YOLT can – no doubt – be attributed to what IMO is Connery’s weakness performance as Bond. That said, I still think he is ok.

    One of my criticisms of YOLT (and one that still have BTW), is that I find the characters of Tiger, Aki and Kissy (yes, even her!) to be – in some ways – more interesting than Bond here. And author Steven Jay Rubin has made exactly this point over the years. In fact, when I first saw YOLT (and long before my Bond fandom had really developed), I wanted to see a movie centering on the adventures of Tiger and his ninja forces and agents! (*)

    That said, even at that time I found the volcano lair, Blofeld’s reveal, “Little Nllie”, and the kidnapping of U.S. and Soviet spacecraft to be captivating, and my appreciation of these elements has only increased over time. If I am completely truthful however, technically TB is a better film, yet I find YOLT to be better paced and often works as my “go-to” film for the Connery era. And when you add in one of John Barry’s best scores and Nancy Sinatra’s title song vocals…..you have a film that is a feast.

    YOLT’s only real competition for being an epic on this scale are TSWLM and MR, and in my personal rankings TSWLM gets the slight node only because of Moore’s performance. As for MR…..It’s been said that the plot of YOLT is far-fetched (and it is – believe me!!!), and that the film borders on becoming a self-parody. But while MR crosses that line (frequently), YOLT goes up to the line but doesn’t quite cross it. It knows when to pull back from the eye rolling outlandishness of some aspects of MR.

    ** OK. Maybe my 16-year-old self wanted to see more of Mie Hama in a bikini – a wish that was fulfilled a couple of years ago when I saw the Japanese spy spoof “Iron Finger.” But these days, I find Akiko Wakabayashi more fascinating.

    akiko-wakabayashi.jpg
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,921
    I'm truly surprised. I had it at #8. Aki is my favorite sacrificial lamb and it has the second-best score of the entire series. It might have been *the* best score had the script been stronger.
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    Dwayne wrote: »

    akiko-wakabayashi.jpg

    I’ll just add this page to my bookmarks ....
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,758
    YOLT is another example for me of a Bond film that's perfectly serviceable, though I much rather see either of the films that came before it, and definitely the one that followed it.

    My favourite aspects are the music, the cinematography, the sets, the allies Tiger & Henderson, the Toyota, Karin Dor, an excellent beginning and a stellar finale.

    It's the middle part, with the 'turning Japanese' as a lowpoint, that drags it down for me.
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