Dr. No versus the field: Skyfall

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Comments

  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 23,104
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: DN
    Suspense:DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 12
    TSWLM - 5
  • Posts: 3,336
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Sequence: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: TSWLM
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 6
    TSWLM - 11
  • Posts: 4,023
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Sequence: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: DN
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: DN
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 9
    TSWLM - 8
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    edited November 2017 Posts: 5,131
    Title Track:DN (Bond theme)
    Title Sequence: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: DN
    Settings: DN
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: DN
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 13
    TSWLM - 4

  • Title Track: Spy
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: Spy
    Overall Plot: Spy
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: Spy
    Settings: Spy
    Action: Spy
    Humour: Spy
    Cinematography: Spy
    Benign Bizarre: Spy
    Suspense: Spy
    Minor Characters: Spy
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 6
    Spy - 11
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    edited November 2017 Posts: 1,884
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: TSWLM
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: TSWLM
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM (How will DN ever win this though?)
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: DN
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: TSWLM
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 5
    TSWLM - 12
  • Posts: 19,339
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: TSWLM
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: TSWLM
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 5
    TSWLM - 12
  • Posts: 1,031
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: DN
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 9
    TSWLM - 8
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,195
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: DN
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: TSWLM
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 8
    TSWLM - 9

    I actually prefer DN a little bit....
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Sean Connery is arguably the finest Bond. In Dr No, he is far from an indestructible superman. He displays fear, panic, and disgust. He spends a lot of the film being captured, brutalised, and humiliated. It makes his triumph all the more satisfying. Bernard Lee provides support as Bond's curmudgeonly boss M and Ursula Andress, the first in a long line of Bond girls, emerges Venus-like from the surf in the film's most memorable sequence.

    Mention should be made of Joseph Wiseman as the nefarious Doctor (a role initially offered to Noel Coward). With prosthetic hands and stiff gait, he strikes the right note of sinister evil.

    "Dr. No" does not attain the heights of "The Spy Who Loved Me", but neither does it suffer from it's campness, dated disco score, 70's fashion and over the top comic strip style comedic moments. Dr No is a fine start to a series, grounded in Fleming and his brilliant novel.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,195
    I guess DN suffers a bit from the low budget and therefore loses against other films in categories such as action, score, cinematography, glamour, title credits and settings....
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited November 2017 Posts: 1,984
    Yep. Also the fact that it's kind of an experimental work, whereas TSWLM is a high-budget, polished entry coming out after Bond had graced cinemas for 15 years already. Not to mention it heavily incorporated aspects of a prior movie (YOLT).

    But we can't complain too much since DN basically suffers these disadvantages against every entry in the series. It's just a matter of degree, and in TSWLM's case, it's to a very significant degree.
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,985
    Title Track: DN (TSWLM is one of the best songs but nothing beats the original Bond theme)
    Title Credits: TSWLM (One of the very best)
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN (Bach is stunning but acting wise she's flyweight)
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: DN
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 11
    TSWLM - 6
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    edited November 2017 Posts: 2,721
    Title Track: TSWLM (Nobody does it better)

    Title Credits: TSWLM (one of Binder's last great title sequences. Although near impossible to watch it now without Alan Partridge's commentary running through my mind.)

    Main Villain: DN (DN is one of my favourite villains and Stormberg is a bit forgettable - especially packed between Scaramanga and Drax.)

    Main Bond Girl: DN (Honey is iconic and while Anya starts off strong she deteriorates as the film progresses.)

    Henchman: TSWLM (the best incarnation of Jaws.)

    Overall Plot: DN (I like the plot of TSWLM - even if its execution is a little patchy - but the passivity of both Stromberg and Anya in the final act is a real issue for me and I enjoy how DN's unfolds. A good detective mystery close to the Fleming source.)

    Dialogue: DN (I prefer the taut dialogue of DN)

    Score: TSWLM (I like Hamlisich's high points here of Bond 77 and the romantic instrumental version of the title song.)

    Settings: TSWLM (I adore DN's Jamaica but TSWLM has snow, desert and underwater. Real globetrotting Bond in an appealing way.)

    Action: TSWLM (ski jump, love the lotus chase and classic army vs army)

    Humour: DN (While Roger has some nice moments I like the dry humour of DN. points off TSWLM for the circus music as the dilapidated van bounces around.)

    Cinematography: TSWLM (I love the way both of these are filmed. But TSWLM has a scope that is often brilliantly captured.)

    Benign Bizarre: DN (dragons, blind mice, metal hands, DN's spider room and disembodied voice)

    Suspense: TSWLM (this is close as DN has better suspense across the narrative but individually TSWLM has stronger suspense scenes so I'll give it to TSWLM for some entertainingly suspenseful scenes - the ski jump, jaws stalking in the pyramids, the bomb planting by bond in the tanker.)

    Minor Characters: DN (Quarrel, Felix, three blind mice, even the weird miss taro!)

    Glamour: DN (there are some glamourous parts of TSWLM but I prefer the glamour of 1962 Connery, the casino scene and the way Jamaica is presented.)

    Bond Performance: DN (seems harsh on Sir Roger but one of my favourite Roger performances will unfortunately always lose to one of my favourite Sean performances.)

    DN - 9
    TSWLM - 8


    As a whole I enjoy DN more than TSWLM - but Spy individually has some stellar elements. I would watch DN more than Spy but TSWLM is a classic and has so many iconic moments. For iconic moments only GF has TSWLM beat. It doesn't always gel and I have issues with the final third but I can't deny how fun it is.
  • TuxedoTuxedo Europe
    Posts: 251
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: DN
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: DN
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN - 10
    TSWLM - 7

    Sir Roger is best in TSWLM but Sean IS James Bond in DN. Both movies are in my top 5. Jaws, the Lotus and the ski jump vs. Jamaika, Honey, Quarrel and Felix.
  • Let's keep this one moving a bit faster than the previous one and see about final entries, shall we?
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,332
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: TSWLM
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: TSWLM
    Dialogue: TSWLM
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: DN
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: TSWLM
    Minor Characters: TSWLM
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: TSWLM

    TSWLM: 16
    DN: 1
  • Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: TSWLM
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 8
    TSWLM: 9

    Interesting - I would rank DN higher than TSWLM.
  • It was another close round between two beloved Bonds, but when all was said and done, The Spy Who Loved Me squeaked ahead, by a margin of 190-183-1. Dr. No did scrape a tie in the games themselves, 11-11, so it can hang its hat there. But it can return to its winning ways against 1979's Moonraker, starting...now.

    Title Track: DN (Bond theme pushes it over)
    Title Credits: MR
    Main Villain: DN (I hate Hugo Drax)
    Main Bond Girl: DN (Lois Chiles was alright in The Great Gatsby, at least)
    Henchman: DN
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: MR
    Settings: DN (On the one hand, outer space. On the other, outer space.)
    Action: DN (take that, Bondola)
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: DN
    Benign Bizarre: MR (can't deny the weird Bonds their due)
    Suspense: DN (sorry, Corinne Tilly)
    Minor Characters: DN (see above)
    Glamour: DN (more *authentic* glamour)
    Bond Performance: DN

    And it's a resounding 14-3 for the original Bond. Perhaps MR will do a bit better on your scorecards?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489

    Title Track: MR
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: DN
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: MR
    Settings: DN
    Action: MR
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: DN
    Benign Bizarre: MR
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    13-4 in favour of DN.
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    edited December 2017 Posts: 2,721
    Title Track: DN (I find MR's title track bland)

    Title Credits: DN (MR's are ok. But this is the start of the Binder decline. I'm actually a fan of DN's whacky, colourful, energetic dancing dots.)

    Main Villain: DN (I really like Drax. I think alongside Scaramanga and Walken he's my favourite Moore-era lead villain. Love his banter with Bond - but DN is top 5 villain for me.)

    Main Bond Girl: DN (I don't mind Lois Chiles. I know plenty of people aren't fans - but she's ok. Just ordinary compared to Honeychile Ryder.)

    Henchman: DN (If you remove Jaws from MR it takes almost all the silliness out of the film - aside from the Bondola of course)

    Overall Plot: DN (I love DN's plot. MR is the third time to the well for Gilbert.)

    Dialogue: DN (I enjoy MR's dialogue when Drax and Bond are talking - great one-liners but overall I prefer the tautness of DN's)

    Score: MR (wonderful suites from Barry. Lush and epic. Also has my beloved '007 theme' for the final time.)

    Settings: DN (I like MR's locations. Yes - even space. But there is something magical for me about the trend setting Jamaica in DN.)

    Action: MR (the PTS sequence stunt alone wins this. I even like the fight in the glass museum with Chang.)

    Humour: DN (MR's humour is pretty grating. DN's is dry and dark.)

    Cinematography: MR (I give this for the European horror feel of Corrine being chased down by hounds. I also like the way the space station is revealed.)

    Benign Bizarre: MR (knife throwing corpses, death by hounds, jaws in a giant carnival costume.)

    Suspense: DN (I think MR does this very well in certain scenes - hounds killing, shooting down the globes at the end, the centrifuge. But I prefer DN's suspense across the narrative.)

    Minor Characters: DN (three blind mice, quarrel, felix all win it over Dolly!)

    Glamour: DN (MR has flashes of glamour but can't compete with Bond's introduction scene.)

    Bond Performance: DN (along with FRWL - Perhaps my favourite Connery performances wins over Moore. I like elements of Moore's performance here (the centrifuge and his banter with Drax especially) and I think it's the last time where age isn't a visible factor for Roger.)

    DN: 13
    MR: 4


    On this forum and in general I go into bat for MR quite often. But it's all relative. Against DN it doesn't stand a chance. Looking back over the categories - suspense and dialogue are the only ones I could tip MR's way if I was being generous.
  • Posts: 1,031
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: DN
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: MR
    Settings: MR
    Action: MR
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: DN
    Benign Bizarre: MR
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 13
    MR: 4
  • NSGWNSGW London
    Posts: 299
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: MR
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: MR
    Settings: DN
    Action: MR
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: DN
    Benign Bizarre: MR
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 13
    MR: 4
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,759
    Title Track: TSWLM
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: TSWLM
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 9
    TSWLM: 8

    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: MR
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: DN
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: MR
    Settings: MR
    Action: MR
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: MR
    Benign Bizarre: MR
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 11
    MR: 6
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Title Track: DN - The Bond theme v uninspired lift music? No contest.

    Title Credits: DN - With MR we are firmly in Binder's by the numbers era. At least DN's dots have a kinetic energy rather than just repetetive shots of women holding guns and doing somersaults.

    Main Villain: DN - Close but everything Drax does Dr No set the template for.

    Main Bond Girl: DN - I just want to slap Holly most of the time.

    Henchman: MR - Chang is solid and Jaws even watered down with crap moments still has few enjoyable scenes.

    Overall Plot: DN - Simple detective story which escalates into preposterous. The same could be said of both but I have to side with the former; grounded in Fleming and not turning up the preposterousness to 11.

    Dialogue: DN - Drax has some good banter with Bond but overall DN is just crisper and sharper.

    Score: MR - Terrible title track aside Barry strolls this one.

    Settings: DN - DN is far more evocative of Jamaica whereas MR just seems to be ticking off the tourist sites, although one cannot deny its epic globetrotting scope.

    Action: MR - PTS alone takes this with ease.

    Humour: DN - Despite another appearance from Victor Tourjansky MR's childish Carry On gags do get a bit tiresome.

    Cinematography: MR - The stuff in Brazil and space is very good.

    Benign Bizarre: MR - Metal hands, tarantulas, dragon tanks v metal teeth, anacondas, orchids, space shuttles. Plus the deaths of Corinne and the scientists are quite unnerving given the tone of the rest of the film.

    Suspense: Tie - DN a good little thriller but MR pulls off some very tense moments (centrifuge, death of Corinne, shooting the globes) amongst the lunacy.

    Minor Characters: DN - Doesn't really have to work too hard to beat Corinne, Franco, Manuela and that gay hotel guy.

    Glamour: MR - Strolling down the steps of Concorde to a waiting Roller. Rog pulls it off with aplomb like it's the most normal thing in the world.

    Bond Performance: DN - Rog is on fine form but Sean is pretty much flawless here.

    DN: 10
    MR: 6
    Tie: 1

    A reasonable effort by MR but much as I love it you're not going to beat DN with double taking pigeons and laser battles I'm afraid.
  • Posts: 19,339

    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: TSWLM
    Dialogue: TSWLM
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: TSWLM
    Minor Characters: TSWLM
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 3
    TSWLM: 14

    Wow,that was a heavy beating for DN.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: TSWLM
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: TSWLM
    Henchman: TSWLM
    Overall Plot: TSWLM
    Dialogue: TSWLM
    Score: TSWLM
    Settings: TSWLM
    Action: TSWLM
    Humour: TSWLM
    Cinematography: TSWLM
    Benign Bizarre: TSWLM
    Suspense: TSWLM
    Minor Characters: TSWLM
    Glamour: TSWLM
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 3
    TSWLM: 14

    Wow,that was a heavy beating for DN.

    We're onto MR mate! Poor old Bazza - doesn't fancy Kara, supports Arsenal - you're always slightly behind the curve aren't you old chap?
  • Posts: 19,339
    Aaah balls,i didn't see that,Wiz.
    I will do it later,such a silly old fart at times,alas.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    Posts: 5,131
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: DN
    Main Villain: DN
    Main Bond Girl: DN
    Henchman: DN
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: DN
    Score: MR
    Settings: DN
    Action: MR
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: MR
    Benign Bizarre: DN
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: DN
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 15
    MR: 3
  • Posts: 19,339
    Title Track: DN
    Title Credits: MR
    Main Villain: MR
    Main Bond Girl: MR
    Henchman: DN
    Overall Plot: DN
    Dialogue: MR
    Score: MR
    Settings: MR
    Action: MR
    Humour: DN
    Cinematography: MR
    Benign Bizarre: MR
    Suspense: DN
    Minor Characters: DN
    Glamour: MR
    Bond Performance: DN

    DN: 7
    MR: 10

    I didn't expect that.
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