Connery's Worst, but still worth your time

Connery is as good as ever in this; it's the film itself that lets him down.

Known as the"Japanese Bond" to many, not even Roald Dahl can come up with a great script for this. Indeed this film may well signal the time that Bond opened up to be a little too preposterous. (Indeed watching this film it becomes clear that Bond didn't just start becoming the over-the-top wise-cracking hero that Roger Moore portrayed in Live & Let Die).

On the plus side the sets are great (the volcano set must be Ken Adams' finest moment), the Japanese locations are gorgeous and Connery is as good as ever.

On the down side, Bond's attempts to look Japanese only leave you wondering why they bothered, Donald Pleasance doesn't quite bring the diabolical side of Blofeld's character to the fore like you would have hoped and the middle part of the film, where Bond must"become" Japanese may give us the opportunity to see some stunning scenery, but it doesn't half drag.

By now Connery is growing bored of his role as Bond, but he still puts the effort in. This isn't a bad film, but it's definately my least favourite of the Connery ones.

A good action film, but a poor Bond film

If I was judging this along the lines of a normal action thriller I’d give this easily 4 maybe even 5 out of 5. But the fact that Timothy Dalton stars as Bond, and delivers the most unbelievably wooden and drab performance as Bond sadly, leads me to only give it 1 out of 5 while judging along Bond criteria. People claim that Dalton’s interpretation of Bond was more realistic in that in followed more in the footsteps of the original Fleming novels, but frankly I don’t agree. Bond, though a tough, resourceful individual often as we’ve seen with Connery and Moore, meets his adversaries with suave, cool, dry wit as well some steel. Take Moore’s ’For Your Eyes Only’. He was witty, suave, definitely looked like a Bond yet had tougher qualities too. Dalton takes this idea of ’toughness’ and living on the edge to a ridiculous extreme. He doesn’t look like a Bond, and certainly doesn’t act like one. A good actor yes, that is Shakespearian actor, not Bond. Connery and Moore, good as they are, may not be Shakespearian actors, but they did what they did best. Dalton hits many points as a good actor just not a Bond.

Has to be the best Bond film surely

One of the few Bond films I can watch all the way through. It is classy, not particularly silly, has interesting characters and is not over reliant on gadgetry. It is slightly better than the next best, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, by virtue of having a better Bond.

One of the best

This 1963 Bond movie is one of the best ever made. Sean Connery is at his most charismatic in this movie. He is supported wonderfully by Robert Shaw as the hitman 'Red' Grant. Unlike a lot of Bond movies this one does not have a meglomaniac trying to take over the world, its really its just an old-fashioned espionage movie. So there aren't obviously any huge sets, which became the standard for all Bond films for a while.

Audiences used to modern action movies may find the pace a little slow, but that is a failing of modern movies not with this movie. You don't need a spectacular stunt or explosion to make a good film. However, it has its share of classic scenes including the girls fighting at the Gypsy Camp, the fight on the train and the classic opening sequences with Robert Shaw.

This is a James Bond before huge elborate sets, special cars and extravagant budgets, and its all the better for it.

The worst of the Brosnan 007 movies.

Slow tedious and thoroughly unconvincing, even by james bond standards. Robert Carlylse was wasted ion such a weak villain and sophie Marceau or whatever she is called has the sex appeal of a dead horse, however she is genuinely good at the role. The set peices are dull and forgettable and I really remember very little of the film within a day of being subjected to it again.

A 24 CARAT CLASSIC

What is there to say about Goldfinger that hasn't already been said thousands of times over again? There remains little doubt that it is the definitive James Bond film, and that it set the tone for every other one made since, as well as partially or strongly influencing virtually every action film ever made since. Goldfinger was an instant classic from the moment Bond rises from the sea with a fake duck disguise on top of his head to seducing his latest flame under a parachute at the close.

Goldfinger introduced all the necessary elements for what we now know as a 'Bond film', which has practically been granted it's own genre: an outlandish, fantasy-oriented plot; a devious, fiendish and truly evil villain; a slew of beautiful women, all of whom just happen to fall for 007; lots of action setpieces; and most importantly of all, an overall sense of infectious fun which helps the Bond films rise above the rest of the films in their genres. We don't care if the villain's plot is so unbelievable it couldn't possibly work, or how unlikely it is that the hero can continue to survive over and over again, because the execution, never straying far from the initial formula is so enjoyable. And it was Goldfinger who introduced this formula, and set the bar for decades of entertainment after.

And perhaps the reason that Goldfinger to this day, rises above pretty much every other action film made, is because not only was it the first film to introduce this now standard formula, but it also demonstrates how to successfully pull it off. Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe)'s master plan, to set off an atomic bomb inside Fort Knox to irradiate the gold depository, so that his own personal supply of gold will multiply in value, is outlandish enough, but there's something about it which demonstrates a subtle genius. Goldfinger himself is no common thief, he proves far too classy for such futile pursuits. His plan is outlandish, yes, but it is so unexpectedly elegant, you can't help but foster some belief that it could actually work. Bond's womanizing also really comes into play here, with him seducing belly dancer Bonita, (Nadja Rejin) Goldfinger's call girl Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) and later, her sister Tilly, (Tania Mallet) and finally, the aptly named Pussy Galore,(Honor Blackman) one of author Ian Fleming's less subtle fantasies. Again, we could have interpreted the character of Bond as a slimy little bugger, but Sean Connery's immense charisma leads us into viewing Bond as the quintessential hero character, which has held since.

Despite being dubbed, German actor Gert Fröbe brings considerable class and menace to the role of the title character, setting standards for villainy for years to come. Not only does Fröbe exactly match the character description from the novel, but he proves to be one of the most iconic villains of all time, as one of the first"billionaire madmen". It is he who gets most of the best lines of the film (see his speech about crime through the ages, and, of course, the timeless"Do you expect me to talk?""No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!") However, it's his sidekick, the burly, yet immaculately dressed, razor edged bowler hat tossing Oddjob (Harold Sakata) who proves to be just as, if not more iconic. Not only did this introduce the concept of a sidekick, but also paved the way for some pretty imaginative weapons.

Speaking of weapons, it should be mentioned that Goldfinger featured the debut of MI6 major Boothroyd as the beloved Q (Desmond Llewellyn) his deadpan sense of wry humor, and Bond's first really satisfying gadget: the Aston Martin, laden with smokescreen, oil slick, bulletproof mirrors, revolving license plate and ejector seat. And as the 'Bond girls' of the show, Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet are certainly good looking enough, and even turn out half decent performances, unlike most of the Playboy rejects populating later Bond films. But it's Honor Blackman who really stands out, as the strong willed (and very suggestively named) Pussy Galore. Perhaps it's because she is one of the only women Bond has ever crossed who has managed to resist him until the very end of the movie, but Blackman adds a note of class to the film, proving a much more competent actress than most to follow.

So for any who have yet to understand the Bond hype, this is the film to watch. It set the bar for virtually ever action film following it to date, in terms of truly evil villains; beautiful women; daring, death-defying stunts and gadgets; showcasing Sean Connery at his most suave and charismatic, proving to be the definitive James Bond. The definitive Bond in the definitive Bond film - if you haven't seen this movie yet, now you have a reason to do so.

Thank you for reading mt review.

It would be good if it was a bit less boring or silly.

This would be a good film if it wasn't for the boring bits and bad jokes. Roger Moore is a bit wooden, but less so than the others. The villain is cool with an amazing weapon, and he causes some violent and bloody scenes. His henchman, Nick Nack, is comical, and not quite villainous enough. His 'surprise' appearance was totally predictable as it happens at the end of every film. There is a lack of action, and Mary Goodnight is the worst female in the series. Scaramanga is quite sinister and the funhouse scenes are good, but otherwise this is one of the least memorable Bond films.

Bond takes on a media giant and wins!

Pierce Brosnan's second outing contains all the usual bangs, explosions and gadgets, but there is something wrong.

This movie is famous for containing the"worst bond baddie ever". Jonathan Pryce plays Carver, a man who is desperate to control the world's media, this man isn't interested in blowing up countries or killing inocent people, he just wants more people to watch his TV and buy his papers. That said he is trying to start a world war buy making everyone is firing on everyone else, but its not to get money or jewels, which is where this movie falls apart. Noone in their right mind would do all this for unlimited media coverage, it is a poor story line.

The DVD contains the usual lack of decent features we have come to expect from the Bond DVDs. Commentaries, a storyboard presentation and a"Secrets of 007 doc" plus more!!

So to sum up, this is good for those who like the explosions and the gadgets, but if you want a story to go with it, forget about it.

Sheena struts her stuff

Nice compilation of Sheena’s videos from the 80s, however songs like"The Lover In Me" and"Days Like This" were too late in the decade to be included here. As a matter of fact, the most recent release to have songs featured here is the 1984 album"Private Heaven", meaning her 1985 and 1987 releases are strangely absent.

The running order of tracks is also not correct, that’s not too bad though, worse is the absence of the classic"Morning Train" video. -It, and a few other songs, are replaced by their live versions from the"Live In Hollywood" concert, and the Kenny Rogers duet is from her 1983 US TV special"Act 1".
Had the original"Morning Train" clip been included, I’d given this rare VHS 5 stars, I can only bring myself to 4 now. :-)

To sum it up, it’s well worth it for Sheena fans to seek out this tape, most songs featured are clips one will not have seen in a long time, perhaps never.
A complete hit release would be most welcome on DVD.
This 1989 VHS release has 16 tracks, not 17.

Track list:

1. Morning Train (live in Hollywood)
2. Modern Girl (original clip)
3. Take My Time (original clip)
4. When He Shines (LIH)
5. For Your Eyes Only (LIH)
6. Just Another Broken Heart (original clip)
7. You Could Have Been With Me (original clip)
8. I Wouldn’t Beg For Water (LIH)
9. Machinery (original clip, Gordon Kaye cameo !)
10. We’ve Got Tonight (Act 1)
11. Telefone (original clip)
12. Almost Over You (original clip)
13. Strut (original clip)
14. Sugar Walls (original clip)
15. Swear (original clip)
16. Ice Out In The Rain (original clip)

It's bloody terrible

This might be one of the worst films ever produced. It has nothing to do with the Ian Fleming novel other than borrowing the character of James Bond. In what is meant to be a mad-cap romp featuring a cast of heavyweights, this 1967 spy spoof is absolutely dreadful, from the convoluted plot to the even worse production and right down to the dreadful soundtrack by Herp Alpert and his Tijuana Brass.

The only noteworthy aspect of this film is the chaos and difficulties during its production. An utter flop. Beware.

Sheena struts her stuff

Nice compilation of Sheena’s videos from the 80s, however songs like"The Lover In Me" and"Days Like This" were too late in the decade to be included here. As a matter of fact, the most recent release to have songs featured here is the 1984 album"Private Heaven", meaning her 1985 and 1987 releases are strangely absent.

The running order of tracks is also not correct, that’s not too bad though, worse is the absence of the classic"Morning Train" video. -It, and a few other songs, are replaced by their live versions from the"Live In Hollywood" concert, and the Kenny Rogers duet is from her 1983 US TV special"Act 1".
Had the original"Morning Train" clip been included, I’d given this rare VHS 5 stars, I can only bring myself to 4 now. :-)

To sum it up, it’s well worth it for Sheena fans to seek out this tape, most songs featured are clips one will not have seen in a long time, perhaps never.
A complete hit release would be most welcome on DVD.
This 1989 VHS release has 16 tracks, not 17.

Track list:

1. Morning Train (live in Hollywood)
2. Modern Girl (original clip)
3. Take My Time (original clip)
4. When He Shines (LIH)
5. For Your Eyes Only (LIH)
6. Just Another Broken Heart (original clip)
7. You Could Have Been With Me (original clip)
8. I Wouldn’t Beg For Water (LIH)
9. Machinery (original clip, Gordon Kaye cameo !)
10. We’ve Got Tonight (Act 1)
11. Telefone (original clip)
12. Almost Over You (original clip)
13. Strut (original clip)
14. Sugar Walls (original clip)
15. Swear (original clip)
16. Ice Out In The Rain (original clip)

It's bloody terrible

This might be one of the worst films ever produced. It has nothing to do with the Ian Fleming novel other than borrowing the character of James Bond. In what is meant to be a mad-cap romp featuring a cast of heavyweights, this 1967 spy spoof is absolutely dreadful, from the convoluted plot to the even worse production and right down to the dreadful soundtrack by Herp Alpert and his Tijuana Brass.

The only noteworthy aspect of this film is the chaos and difficulties during its production. An utter flop. Beware.

A reasonable return for 007...

After lying dormant for six years due to legal disputes, the 007 franchise returned to the big screen in 1995 with Goldeneye. Tim Dalton had already handed back his licence to kill, and the producers hired Pierce Brosnan as the new Bond. Brosnan of course had been on the verge of landing the role for 1987's The Living Daylights before commitments to Remington Steele intervened.

Goldeneye begins with a cracking pre-credits sequence featuring a spectacular bungee-jump from the top of a dam, a great shoot-out and a fun if rather implausible climax involving a pilotless plane and a free-falling Bond. Daniel Kleinman's first title sequence is also terrific. But thereafter the flaws start to creep in. The silly car chase sequence involving Bond and Onatopp is annoying, as is the dreadful music that accompanies it. Eric Serra managed to create by far the worst score for a Bond movie, and his end title song is excrutiating.

There are plenty of great moments - the repartie between Bond and M, another classic Q sequence and of course the brilliant tank chase - but despite these tasty ingredients Goldeneye somehow ends up as a rather bland pie.

Brosnan is probably the perfect Bond - combining Connery's looks and charisma with Dalton's acting prowess - but he is poorly served by the script. Most of the one-liners are truly appalling. Sean Bean and Izabella Scorupco are adequate though totally forgettable as the villain and Bond girl respectively, while it's a pity that Alan Cumming's annoying geek wasn't bumped off right at the beginning.

For me the two stand-out performances in Goldeneye come from Famke Janssen as the completely over-the-top femme fatale who uses her thighs to despatch her foes, and Robbie Coltrane as a deadpan Russian gangster.

Goldeneye is a reasonably satisfying entry in the Bond series but ultimately it pales in comparison with the likes of the Bourne Supremacy, which demonstrates how espionage thrillers should be done.

Connery looks great, but the film does not really deliver

For many Bond fans, the return of Sean Connery in this"unofficial" Bond entry, was an exciting opportunity to experience the Connery magic and charisma before the earlier pre-Roger Moore years. Released in 1983, the film competed head-to-head against Moore's entry,"Octopussy" which, to some critics of note, one of the better Roger Moore efforts. Obviously, this production had a more engaging cast, an entertaining story, and some good actors: Maude Adams and Lois Jourdan as Bond's nemesis than"Never Say Never Again."

While it's good to have Connery back, looking actually fitter than he did in"Diamond Are Forever" in 1971, and wearing a faultless toupee, the film manages to fall short on a number of levels. Viewers should note, it is a different film; for instance, no gun barrel logo in the pre-credits sequence, or the familiar incidental Bond theme music we all recognize.

Bear in mind this film, in actuality, is simply a remake of Terrence Young's"Thunderball" (1965), that represented the apogee of the James Bond franchise. Some of the other leads turn in a respectable performance, Bernie Casey, as an African-American Felix Leiter, is adequate as is Klaus Maria Bandauer in the role of"Maximillian Largo," a change from"Emilio Largo" from the '65 film, originally played by Adolfo Celi. But he is simply not menacing enough. The sequence at the casino between Largo and Bond is rather odd; they play a silly tabletop video game called"World Domination" rather than baccarat or chemin-de-fer. Not really effective, nor does this really belong in a Bond film.

Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush, reprises the role of Fiona Volope(Lucianna Paluzzi in"Thunderball") the film's femme fatale, in what could be considered an over-the-top-performance that borders on the hysterical with her outlandish costumes, hats and formal evening attire. Kim Basinger, as Domino, although lovely to look at, comes off as rather dull and uninspired. We long for an actress like the lovely former Miss. France, Claudine Auger, who, although not an actress by a long shot in the original"Thunderball," managed to bring an aura of sophistication, beauty, and unavailability shared by most Bond heroines before they succumb to the charms of 007.

"M" played by Edward Fox, is competent and irascible, but too young for the role--only illustrating how much we truly miss Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny) from the original series. In all, the film has a distinct look and pace that strikes one of a lavish made-for-tv production; not a quality Bond feature despite some exotic locations and interiors.

Despite Bond's rocket powered motorcycle, and an explosive fountain pen, the gadgets are few (thankfully), and the film is really an opportunity for Connery to prove, once again, HE is the James Bond everyone recognizes, knows, and respects above all others in the franchise's forty-five plus year history.

this bad one is dreadful

After the brilliant re-start which was Goldeneye, Brosnan and the team at EON, managed something of a first for the genre with TND. Fans would never again be able to defend the low points of the series with the truism that 'even the bad ones are good', because this film (which wouldn't be lonely for long)was not just a bad James Bond film, it was was a hands down, bona fide turkey.The only thing it now has going for it is the fact that, following the release of Die Another Day, it is redeemed as only the 2nd worst James Bond film of all time...a lucky break which neither it, nor the paying public deserved...and don't even get me started on Sheryl Crow's theme tune.

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Oh, the pain, the pain of the first 45 minutes and the last 25 of the 1967 epic spoof version of Casino Royale, which try too very hard to be wacky and with it and funny to be anything other than execrable. Two or three jokes sort of work, but probably only because you're desperate for something, anything to work - and then suddenly the Peter Sellers-Joanna Pettet sections kick in and suddenly the film seems almost good. It even starts to look like a real movie instead of an over-decorated Christmas tree, with a particularly stunning bit of slo-mo in the Look of Love scene, and some genuine wit in Q's scene, set in the basement of Harrods. It's a shame that Sellers walked off the picture, because the gaps are often all-too visible and horribly papered over. And then, after an hour of not bad, Sellers is gone and it suddenly goes straight back to overproduced Hell for a painful and redundant finale. Still, at least Burt Bacharach's score is a lot of fun and a joy to listen to: if only it graced a worthier film.

While the PAL UK DVD only includes a trailer and a teaser, the US NTSC disc includes the 1954 live TV version of Casino Royale, with an uncomfortable Barry Nelson as Jimmy Bond of the CIA, Michael Pate a wildly unconvincing Leiter of British Intelligence, don't ya know, and a very good Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre. The plot is boiled down to a 50-minute running time but it's not without interest and while it may spare Bond the carpet beater it doesn't completely cop out on the torture scene. However, it's worth noting that a special edition DVD with a new documentary on the 1967 version will be released in the future.

Bond back to basics

After the very technical and gadget laden films such as the Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, producers went back to the basics of Bond in this very successful action thriller. In For Your Eyes Only, we start to see Roger Moore's more harder line approach, but with some fun and humour too. Although Moonraker was rather silly in that the humour went to the other extreme end of the scale, I'm relieved to say that Roger Moore didn't go near to the over-acted, over exaggerated hardline approach that Timothy Dalton took in his two films which is annoying to say the least. Moore seems very versatile in that he can play a silly James Bond, and a more harder edge one if necessary. In either role- he doesn't become woeful unlike with Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.

The film is pleasing to watch with a goood story line, a reasonable cast not to mention the gripping part near the end where Bond is climbing up the side of 'St Cyrils' in an effort to prevent Kristatos from handing the ATAC system over to the Russians. A very different Bond movie indeed. But definitely a successful one. ROGER MOORE IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST AND ONLY TRULY SUCCESSFUL BOND.

Just awesome

Although his sixth outing, Moore delivers his strongest performance since Live and Let Die, as a cool, suave, calm and sophisticated secret agent. Quite simply, the storyline, the acting, the music and the action are top knotch. It has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The story ties in with one of the other Fleming books, ’The Living Daylights’, which also has an undeniably good storyline and setting. It’s a shame that someone as feeble as Timothy Dalton got the part for that film, which frankly ruined it. Octopussy is definitely one of the best Bond films there are. It again reinforces Moore’s unchallengable position as James Bond.

Steven Berkoff and Louis Jordan also add to the integrity of the overall plot. Steven Berkoff, although his speciality lies in non-naturalistic theatre, delivered a competent and very pleasing performance as the power thirsty General Orlov. Louis Jordan is a slick yet ruthless villain too.