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I felt compelled to give it a watch after reading some marked criticism of the film on another thread yesterday. I had a blast, as always. Moore is on top of his game here (although the wrinkles are quite noticeable in blu ray format) and moves much better than in some of the earlier entries. The fight sequences are quite good for him, particularly during the circular saw attack. I still don't like the finale with all the acrobatic antics by Octopussy's 'girls'. I'd also personally drop the whole chase on the streets of India (including the comedy bits when Bond interrupts the street performers) & strip out some of the juvenile humour from the jungle 'hunt'. Apart from that, it's pretty great. I don't mind the clown bit. A fast paced, fun Bond film.
=D>
Yes, they did a great job editing Moore's fight scenes in OP. It really makes you wonder why they didn't put the same effort into AVTAK.
Edit - Although, the Golden Gate fight wasn't bad. I was mainly referring to the warehouse scene and Stacey's house.
I quite liked it. I still dislike the robotic suit Graves is put on at the end, the dodgy CGI and some of the dialogue.
However, I like almost everything up to the tsunami surfing scene, after which I'm also still thrilled by the car chase.
Brosnan is in excellent form, as is Rosamund Pike and the rather underrated Emilio Echevarria. Nothing wrong with Toby Stephens, who acts like a spoiled university bully.
The Vanquish is absolutely stunning, the ice palace is one of the most Adam-esque sets we have had since the man himself left the series, the soundtrack is great and that masterful sword fight is top notch.
All in all, DAD is like a "Best AND Worst of 40 years Bond". It's definitely a more enjoyable ride than some of the others.
The warehouse fight is the dumbest in the entire series. It s worse than Naked Gun.
Damn, have I been appreciating and enjoying this movie more and more over the last several months. It used to rank pretty low for me, and while it might not be making any considerable placement jumps anytime soon, I've been having a real blast with it when I do watch it. It's fun, it has some real good characters (and some pretty great, grounded moments, when you consider this is the film that involves Bond going into space), and the finale is a ball: I used to loathe it, but my appreciation has grown for it tenfold, particularly during the big space battle that erupts near the end. The chase down the river/battle with the python/scenes at Drax's rocket lair/etc. are entertaining, too.
I've also been dying to get a 4K TV, but since I'm a broke ass, I had to "cheat" and get the next best thing by tweaking some of my TV settings, particularly the color, which makes this film pop even more now, especially during this finale.
I had such a good time with OP a few nights back that I felt like I should give Moore's last effort a try. It's my least watched film of his, and one I don't normally enjoy. Well this time it went down much better. Highlights for me include Barry's score (it's much better than I remembered, and I noticed there are some really good ambient bits that aren't on the soundtrack cd which is a shame) & Moore's performance. I still can't get over the fact that Sir Rog looks too old in this one (I don't know if he did some work or not but there's something a bit strange about his appearance although he appears quite fit physically), but I realized that he gives a tougher portrayal than he did in OP. A bit darker & more focused.
I think they may have made a mistake casting Walken as the villain. Although he's very good as a crazed Zorin ("You jeopordized MINE!!!"), I think the age gap between Moore and him is quite apparent on numerous occasions, and spoils my enjoyment a bit.
The film has a bit of a cheap tv feel in places, especially in the filing room at City Hall (when Zorin and Mayday show up unexpectedly) and at Stacy's house. At other times in contrast it's quite lavish, such as at Zorin's estate and stables. The Parisian scenes are excellent, including the Renault chase and the Eiffel Tower sequence. So is the finale atop the Golden Gate Bridge. I can't stand the firetruck sequence though. Yuk. Even Moore looked embarrassed atop the swinging ladder.
Poor Klotkoff (Russian KGB operative) really has a poor time in this film - first he's humiliated by Mayday and then subjected to a most excruciating death. Alison Doody's Jenny Flex is a highlight, and I wish Bond had a chance to experience her 'riding skills' first hand. I didn't mind Tanya Robert's Stacy Sutton either. Sure, she's a bit of an airhead, but she has pluck and is easy on the eyes to boot.
It's a pretty fun Bond film, like all of Glen's entries & a reasonable sendoff for Roger Moore.
Of all of Moore's movies, his first two are the ones I revisit the most. In my opinion, my favorite Moore Bonds are TSWLM, and FYEO. His first two, however, tend to rank somewhere in the middle of my overall rankings. But that being said, I always have fun watching these movies. A few nights ago, after I had blasted my way through the entire Godfather trilogy, I was looking for a relaxing and fun Bond film to watch, so I watched TMWTGG. I know there are obvious plot holes all over the film, and at times it seems like it boarders on parody, but having such a nostilgia for the movie (being one of the first Bond movies I saw), I still find myself enjoying more and more each time.
The bit that sticks out for me is the scene with Chuck Lee in the fish market.
There's something about the setting of a harbour that feels very clichéd in general. Even Naked Gun parodied it.
Where was it initially reported that she's in the film? Is it just an urban legend/assumption based on the fact that she was on set?
Right, just wondering where the notion originally originally came from.
@bondjames, Moore had his mole removed and he also had a brow lift with his strange appearance. It did look a bit better after AVTAK came out, but since it appears to have been done right before the movie began filming it is rather jarring coming after Octopussy.
I have to say his hair dye was much better in AVTAK though. More like his younger look. In OP it kept changing from a lighter dye to a darker one and was distracting - Lol.
Watched both Daltons turns in the last few days. TLD is an excellent Bond. It's a real shame Walter Gotell had health problems - had he been well the Gogol character would have added depth to the role and helped bridge the gap between the eras more satisfactorily. {New Bond, M & Moneypenny, no wonder Desmond Llewellyn looks confused).
But that aside, it's a classic. Necros is fantastic. The car is brilliant, equal to any entry in the series. The cello chase is innovative and well done and the last fight between Bond and Necros is truly jaw dropping. Heck, Dalton even has the best gun barrel in the series, the score is dramatic and suspenseful and Daltons cat like prowl and one handed shot couldn't be more different from Roger Moore unless he'd skateboarded in.
The last half in Afghanistan drags the film down, but there's enough highlights in there to carry through to a very good Bond film. It has also aged very well, in many ways better than the Brosnan films.
You are absolutely right. TLD is a great film and my favourite Bond film for quite some time now. It also has probably one of the best plots and maybe the best character developments in the franchise. It is in fact one of the few films where you really don't know who is good and who is bad in the beginning. The action is innovative, mostly lighthearted but not silly. It has a great PTS and an amazing post title sequence. The Vienna scenes are among the most suspensefull in the whole series. The score is phantastic. It is also one of the very real cold war thrillers.
Interestingly, except for FRWL, I think the Cold War is best used in FYEO, OP, TLD and partly AVTAK. In the other 60s and 70s films, the Cold War tension is not really caught that well. Especially the Gilbert's films do not really reflect the rivalry between the East and the West...
It s the same as Fleming in FRWL? Is that him? Or not?
I'm also sure that wasn't him. People seem to think that because one makes set visits then it must mean they had a role in the film
I had a beneficial reassessment of a low ranked Bond film (AVTAK) a few nights ago. So I thought I'd take a chance with my 24th ranked film. Perhaps a positive appraisal was possible here too? Unfortunately, it was not to be. TWINE remains firmly planted at the bottom of the pile after this viewing.
I am more forgiving of Brosnan's performance now. Not because I think he did a good job (quite the contrary actually), but rather because I can tell he was at least trying. Unfortunately, the effort is quite apparent and visible, and a good Bond performance must be effortless. There's no doubt that Brosnan always looked the part though (even if perhaps a little too handsome) & that's quite evident here too. Arnold's score continues to annoy me in crucial moments, most notably during the boat chase on the Thames, during the bomb diffusal scene, and during the Kazakhstan base sequence. He did a good job with the ski sequence though, which has Barry'esque overtones and gives an early indication of what was to come with his future CR/QoS scores. The action sequences (said ski encounter, the Thames boat chase, the caviar factory attack) remain the most poorly executed & linear in the canon (although SP gives it a run for its money).
Carlyle's Renard is one of the most forgettable villains in the franchise. Such an uninspired performance from him and he has absolutely no chemistry with Marceau's Elektra, making their relationship quite unbelievable. It's most noticeable when they see each other again in Istanbul - flat as can be. Speaking of Istanbul, I didn't think it was possible to make the Bosphorus look bad, but Apted and cinematographer Adrian Biddle succeed here. Most of the other locations are also filmed in similarly laclustre fashion. Denise Richard's Dr. (cough!) Jones is one of the most poorly cast characters in the franchise's history. Richards is completely out of her depth here, but she too, like Brosnan, at least tries very hard to do a good job. Coltrane's Zukovsky is a saving grace, but it's not enough. The same goes for Marceau's Elektra King, the one real shining light in this insipid effort.
The worst crime for a Bond film is to be boring, and I'm afraid that's what this is to me. I'm glad I got it out of the way early this year and somewhat disappointed that I couldn't have a more favourable impression.
intersting. I also watched TWINE two days ago. I quite enjoyed it as always but I agree that many of the bad elements you mentioned are there.
What do I like:
Elektra is a unique villain and extremely beautifull (+ great acting by Marceau)
the plot is innovative, the plot twists relatively unpredictable and the film has its suspensefull and dark moments
The PTS is great (I like both, the Bilbao meeting and the Thames chase, except for the score)
The titles are great and I really like the title song
There is no silly country hopping in this film, the choice of locations makes sense.
Zukovsky is one the franchise's best allies and he is as good as he was in GE.
I like that the villains were given some interesting back story
For me it is still the best revenge story in the Bond franchise
I like the Scotland part and the farewell to Q.
The pipe sequence is quite thrilling and I like the idea of having an action scene taking part in an infrstructure that is related to the plot. Hardly done in recent Bond films.
What do I not like:
Dr. Jones (simply the worst character in the franchise. If she was not there the film would be so much better),
some awfull oneliners,
a big share of Arnold's score,
some of the action was lame (ski chase),
a bit too much telenovela parts (especially the dialouge between Elektra and Bond)
Yes, Marceau was very good indeed. In a way, I feel bad for her, because her performance would have been better remembered in a more solid effort.
I've never really liked the PTS all that much (it tends to go on and on), but it didn't bother me as much yesterday. There are some great shots of London's Docklands as the action progresses.
EDIT: I forgot to mention in my previous post that it was great to watch Michael Kitchen's Tanner (he really puts Kinnear's dull as dishwater version to shame), Colin Salmon's Charles Robinson (makes a good team with Kitchen) and even Samantha Bond's MP (I prefer her to Harris's version, even if she comes across as a bit of a feminazi to me) in action.
Cinematic perfection. As good yesterday as it was 11 years ago. It has all of the following essential Bondian attributes:
A lead actor determined to prove his naysayers wrong and deliver a benchmark performance as the character; a magnetic Bond 'girl' for the ages who combines beauty, spunk & vulnerability in ways we hadn't seen for at least a decade; a charismatic Bond ally comparable to the legendary Pedro Armendáriz; a realistic, smart Bond villain with a plausible goal and objective; a lovely secondary Bond babe who meets her doom on account of a suspected dalliance with Bond; superb supporting characters & villains; a grounded, Fleming focused plot; great sets; wonderful dialogue, wit and repartee; suspense; brutal & visceral hand to hand combat (the opening toilet scene in particular doesn't get the credit it deserves); one of the best scores in any Bond film (this is coming from a noted Arnold critic); out of this world stuntwork & action sequencing; vivid colours, seductive glamour and striking visuals etc. etc.....
The only thing missing is a ferocious henchman/woman, but it's hardly missed here as everything else is spot on.
Most notably, It's clear to me that this is a film where the entire supporting team (including Brosnan era holdovers) are operating at the top of their game. That's something which characterized the early Bond films and the best ones since. It's an essential attribute to create a Bond classic, as this film clearly is. A true team effort (they don't get the credit they deserve) & a great viewing experience.
A terrific debut for Moore, the material and style couldn't be more different from what had come before. This enabled him to put his own mark on Bond straightaway.
The plot in LALD is actually one of the stronger entries in the series. It is unique in the Bond canon as having supernatural elements actually a major part of the storyline, and it actually works. Solitaire has an intense sexual appetite - talk about throwing yourself into your new hobby! - and her scenes with Moore early in the film generate real tension. Kananga is my favourite villain in the series, and his posse of memorable hench men will probably never be matched in a single Bond film. Tee Hee, Whisper, the Baron Samedi and even Adam - JW Peppers speeding citation - are all formidable foes for this new Bond and all have their moments. The ending is my favourite of any Bond movie, the fight between Moore and Tee Hee is violent and very well done, Bond winds up with the girl....and a laughing Baron Samedi on the front of the same train. Brilliant.
Love George Martins score, the storyline and the cast of villains. I'm not a fan of the slapstick stuff in Bonds, but JW Pepper served his purpose, particularly in the first film of the new Moore era. This was a Bond that did things differently - not featuring Moore as Bond in the PTS was clever direction IMHO - and it mainly pulls them off. My favourite Bond with Moore, and on of my top 5.
Second half is definitely much, much stronger than the first. Actually things don't really get going until the film hits the south of France, and from there it's full speed ahead until the finish. The fight with Pat Roach (Lippe) at Shrublands and any and all involvement from Barbara Carrera are the saving graces of the first half. But once we're in France everything clicks into gear. I even continued enjoying the film once we reached Africa. That scene between Brandauer and Bassinger in Palmyra, when Largo accuses Domino of infidelity and hands her her "wedding present," is Brandauer at his best. He is wonderfully, amazingly psychotic in that scene. And you know what, Legrand's score really didn't even bother me too much this time around. It has its troublesome moments, but there are some really, really great parts as well—some musical choices you just wouldn't expect for a Bond film but that actually work. Casey is great to see as Felix. Love the camaraderie he has with Bond and the fact that he's actually athletic and gets involved with the action (which we've never seen with any other Felix Leiter, and honestly, why the hell haven't we?). That scene in the Tears of Allah, with Casey backing up Bond and taking heavy fire until the rest of the U.S. cavalry shows up, is an awesome moment, and really the last great part of the film. Fortunately, it's probably only another 6 or 7 minutes after that until the end credits roll. Ultimately I probably consider Never Say Never Again less enjoyable and less essential than any of Eon's Bond films, but when the movie is rockin' the movie is rockin'. And that motorcycle chase...better than any other Bond chase of the 80s, for sure (possible exception of LTK's finale).
TOMORROW NEVER DIES
Great film as usual. What stood out to me the most this time is not only how beautiful the cinematography is, but also just how well edited this movie is. If there were series awards, I'd be tempted to give Best Film Editing to Tomorrow Never Dies. The film flows along at a remarkable pace and so many of the editing choices here are just damn, damn good. Jonathan Pryce is brilliant. Arnold's score is incredible throughout, especially during the Bond & Paris scenes and that swelling rendition of the "Surrender" theme as the stealth boat destructs above Bond resuscitating Wai Lin underwater. Another thing that struck me this time is just how much I enjoyed the second half. I enjoyed it even more than the first half actually, and the second half is often what's criticized the most. From the bike chase to the bike shop fight to the remarkable shootout aboard the stealth boat, the action is at an all-time high (side note: we need to see another Bond-against-many shootout extravaganza the quality of TND's). But more importantly, the more intimate character scenes between Bond and Wai Lin really stand out here, and this is largely helped by Arnold's gorgeous music. Yeoh's Wai Lin is a great character and with so little effort the filmmakers really develop a believable semi-romance between her and Bond. See the brief scene aboard the dinghy as they set out to hunt down the stealth, for example—the stunning photography here doesn't hurt either. The dedication to Cubby before the end credits is a beautiful touch as well. Tomorrow Never Dies really is one of the greats. Feels like one last hurrah for the big, fun, extravagant adventures of the sixties, like Thunderball or You Only Live Twice. The phrase "They don't make 'em like they used to" comes to mind when looking back on Tomorrow Never Dies, '97.
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
Enjoyed it as usual. Still no patch on Licence to Kill, but it's a damned good James Bond film. Not sure why everyone rips on the final third in Afghanistan. Dalton is hardcore Dalton throughout this whole segment and some of the photography and Barry music is absolutely beautiful here. For me the clunkiest part of the film is from after the Koskov defection sequence up until Vienna (with the Blayden house sequence a bright spot). This is where we see the most leftover Moore era humor, the most forced one-liners from Dalton, and Koskov and Whittaker at their most obnoxious. Before and after that, TLD is pretty smooth sailing. Also, Saunders—for all of how brief his involvement is here—is a rare and exceptional ally. He's a smartly written and remarkably nuanced character. He starts off seeming rather prickish, but this is only because he's such a stickler for the rules. Later we see this is only because of how seriously he takes his job and how devoted he is to his duty, as he's ultimately willing to bend the rules for Bond to get the job done. Great character and his death holds true weight. Again, remarkable considering how brief his screen time is. Would love to see more nuanced characters of this sort again. And the Koskov defection scene (lifted straight from Fleming's story) and the Pushkin hotel scene are by far Dalton's two best scenes as Bond, even if I do prefer LTK overall. And how badass is Dalton when he crash-lands the Hercules, pulls the parachute ripcord, and swings himself into the jeep just as it's ripped out of the plane? Pretty damned badass if you ask me. One final note: it's so nice to see one of the oft-sung heroes of the Bond films, John Barry, in a sophisticated cameo at the end of his final Bond film. Martinis, romance, and out.
Yeh, i know, my least favourite Bond, in one of my least favourite Bond movies! But, Bond is Bond. There are minor pleasures to be had, Scorupco, Coltrane, Kleinmans titles. But it is deathly dull film. I never noticed before how dark and gloomy Phil Meheauxs cinematography is! Must be one of the least interesting visual films of the series!
The usual stuff is still as bad as i recall. Wooden Brosnan, Sean Beans terrible accent, (Why did Director Campbell not question his choice of accent for the role? Or anyone for that matter!) cringeworthy dialogue, "For England, James!" ugh, that awful scene on the beach, the poor tank chase ( loved to have seen what John Glen would have done with it, certainly more exciting than what we got here!), Eric Serras dreadful score, bloody Jack Wade character (I cringed when i heard they were bringing him back for the next one!). I couldn't get to the off button quick enough to switch it off before Serras end title "song"!
All in all, a very poor entry. Worse was to come of course!
I now need to watch TLD or CR as an antidote!