QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Marc Forster, 2008
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Giancarlo Giannini, Mathieu Almaric, Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton

I realize a lot of people dislike Quantum of Solace. It certainly suffers from the sophomore blues and never would have been able to live up to the expectations established in Casino Royale. Regardless of its many problems, the fact remains that it is a Daniel Craig Bond film and for that reason alone is enjoyable and entertaining. Craig is a capable actor and is nearly able to carry this film on his own. The screenwriters must also be given an “A” for effort - they attempted the series’ only continuous film. Most Bonds are episodic, with occasional references to previous events, but Quantum of Solace is a direct sequel to Casino Royale. Unfortunately the plot is messy and complicated, but there are some lovely set pieces and action sequences. The story is not a Fleming original, but the title is taken from the short story collection For Your Eyes Only. 

Bond has captured the elusive Mr. White and is taking him for interrogation. On the way he gets into a fabulous car chase, where they put the poor Aston Martin through the ringer. Mr. White reveals there is a traitor in their midst, placed by the Quantum organization. It turns out to be M's private bodyguard and more gunfire and chasing ensues. Bond, spurned on by Vesper's death and M's near assassination, becomes obsessed with tracking down the Quantum organization. He is led to Dominic Greene (the fabulous Mathieu Almaric) who he tracks through the tropics, Switzerland, South America and the desert of Bolivia. He crosses paths with Camille (Olga Kurylenko), a Bolivian seeking revenge against the general who tortured and killed her family, leaving her for dead with her house burning down around her. Bond is forced to go renegade and convinces Matthis (Giancarlo Giannini) to join his crusade in South America. He also runs into CIA agent Felix Leiter. There are too many characters and sub-plots running around in the film, but everything comes together in a fiery showdown in the Bolivian desert.

The odd thing about Quantum of Solace, something that kind of works, but is never really aloud to stand on its own legs, is that there is a rape-revenge subplot. Bond is getting revenge for Vesper’s death (and later the deaths of others), but Camille is getting revenge for the rapes and murders of her mother and sister. Considering the double revenge plot, the absence of humor and lack of romance, the film is darker and more emotionally ambiguous than previous efforts. Gone is the fun, "shaken, not stirred" Bond; in Quantum of Solace he only drinks to him forget. The violence quotient has also increased. Bond leaves a trail of beaten, broken, shot and stabbed bodies in his wake, throwing caution, reason and rules to the wind. He gets several people killed and is utterly reckless in his pursuit of vengeance. Traditionally Bond is more of a strategist than a fighter, dodging blows and battles with gadgets and clever planning. This film solidifies the fact that  Daniel Craig's Bond owes more to Steve McQueen than Sean Connery.

Craig is just as good in the film as he was in Casino Royale. Also as with that film, the entire supporting cast is great. Kurylenko is appropriately fiery and I actually believed (briefly) that she's Bolivian and not Ukrainian. Her desperate independence and self-destructive revenge quest give this flawed film slightly more of an emotional backbone. Almaric is a surprising choice for a villain, but he pulls it off with plenty of charm and sleaze. And I will always love Giancarlo Giannini. The real problem with these roles is the script, which becomes a confused mess very rapidly. Dominic Green’s aims are silly. Similar to The World is Not Enough, he stages a coup in Bolivia so that he can monopolize the water supply (in the previous film it is oil). This overshadows Bond’s attempts to seek out Quantum to the film’s detriment. Like Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, Green is not a strong enough or memorable villain to carry the second half of the film on his shoulders, which he is essentially forced to do. 

Quantum is still worth watching, despite its flaws. The DVD I’m reviewing is the two-disc special edition. The second disc has a reasonable amount of special features, mostly interviews and featurettes about locations, action sequences, etc. It seemed a little paltry to actually require a second disc. There is also a single disc version available and a Blu-ray.

DIE ANOTHER DAY

Lee Tamahori, 2002

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Rosamund Pike

Oh, Die Another Day. Is it possible for a Bond film to be this bad? I would have said no, if we had not already been graced with Tomorrow Never Dies, which ranks as my least favorite Bond film of all time. Die Another Day is better, but only barely. Bond is sent to North Korea to infiltrate a military base where General Moon’s unruly son, Colonel Moon, is trading illegal African conflict diamonds for arms. Moon and his henchman Zao soon discover Bond is a British agent and a fight ensues, resulting in Zao’s disfiguration when diamonds are blown into his face by an explosion. Bond pursues Moon, who is fleeing on a hovercraft, and Moon is killed. Bond is taken prisoner for over a year and tortured. 

He is eventually traded for Zao, but M no longer trusts him and thinks he shared classified information while being tortured. Bond is convinced that someone inside MI6 betrayed him and goes rogue to track down information in Hong Kong. He follows Zao to Cuba, where he meets Jinx, an NSA agent also on the case. They discover a secret clinic practicing gene therapy that allows clients to change their appearances. (Gee, I wonder why this plot device is introduced?) Bond fights with Zao, who escapes, but leaves behind a case of African diamonds that belongs to Gustav Graves, a British billionaire. Bond tracks down Graves and they have a particularly tense fencing match, after which Graves invites Bond to Iceland where he introduces an orbital mirror satellite that can focus solar power. Bond soon realizes that Graves is really a post-surgery Colonel Moon, who faked his death and used gene therapy to alter his appearance. Bond and Jinx team up to stop Graves from using his satellite to destroy the world. Or at least the 38th Parallel. 

Thank god this is the last Brosnan film. A tired-looking Brosnan is clearly over it and, frankly, he should have signed on for GoldenEye only. The sad thing about this is that he was pushing for a darker, more serious Bond, which the decent opening sets him up for. His lengthy period of capture and torture by the North Koreans is politically relevant, scary stuff. He presumably would have come back changed and much could have been done with a revenge plot or at least with inner demons, tensions between he and M, etc. But the diamond-sprinkled shit hits the fan and any semblance of seriousness is blown out the window.

When you hire the director of xXx: State of the Union, you are absolutely going to get what you paid for. The gadgets are simply awful. Between the invisible car, the hovercraft, and the incredibly stupid mirror satellite, I’m not sure which is worse. The sickeningly overproduced, MTV-style editing and the terrible CGI are appalling. The ending scene with Graves’s airplane burning up is just offensive. And don’t forget about all 40 ice-related chase scenes, explosions, and fights galore. I love the snow more than most people and am dying to go to an ice hotel, but the scenes in Die Another Day are just redundant. I wish I could say there were good stunts to balance things out, but aside from an entertaining opening sequence, we are left with things like the ridiculous fencing scene between Bond and Graves. This scene, by the way, is introduced by Madonna, who randomly appears in the film after singing the frustrating opening theme. Why? 

Because this was the 40th anniversary of the franchise, the film is loaded with references to the Bond franchise. While this worked very well in Skyfall, here it is absolutely dreadful. I think the only exception is when Brosnan lands in Cuba and pretends to be an ornithologist, an amusing reference to his character's namesake. When the producers weren’t advertising other Bond films, they were just plain advertising. Die Another Day has the highest amount of product placement in any Bond film to date, so much so that film critics at the time were calling it Buy Another Day. Yikes. 

Though a lot of the acting is dreadful, there are a few exceptions. Brosnan gives it the old college try, but is hamstrung by a lousy script. Toby Stephens and Will Yun Lee both have a lot of fun with the raving Colonel Moon/Gustav Graves, though I wish Lee had more screen time. His father, General Moon, is played by a thankfully serious Kenneth Tsang. He is a respected Hong Kong actor who has appeared in a number of excellent John Woo films. Like Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies, there was nothing he could have done to save the film. Rick Yune is energetic as Zao, but this doesn’t resolve the fact that he’s a henchman with diamonds embedded in his face. Rosamund Pike gives a subdued, somewhat questionable performance as double agent Miranda Frost, but she looks like an absolutely genius next to Halle Berry.

If I had to pick a single worst thing about this film, and believe me, it’s difficult, it would have to be Halle Berry as NSA Agent Jinx. Words fail me. There have been some lousy Bond girls, but she absolutely takes the cake. (Though she might tie with Maryam d’Abo from The Living Daylights.) From her entrance aping Ursula Andress’s famous first scene in Dr. No to the final scene where she and Bond have sex on a pile of illegal diamonds, she is appallingly bad. 

The only reason this is better than Tomorrow Never Dies is because that film is dreadfully boring.  Die Another Day is bigger, faster, and more ridiculous, with what must be the worst script in the entire series. If you’re going to borrow plot elements from any Connery-era Bond film, why Diamonds Are Forever? Aside from the diamond smuggling, there is also the horrible gene therapy subplot, where Colonel Moon has himself changed into a posh British man. This is reminiscent of Blofeld’s cloning plot and we all know how that worked out. Sadly, Graves never appears dressed as a women. I think the only thing that kept me watching the film until the end was the constant sense of “This surely cannot be happening right now.”

If you want to subject yourself to it, Die Another Day is available on a number of DVDs, such as the 2-disc Ultimate Edition, which I am reviewing. This is also included in the Ultimate Edition box set volume 2. Special features include a commentary track from director Lee Tamahori and producer Michael G. Wilson, a second commentary from Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike, several featurettes, a making-of and two documentaries. There is also a Blu-ray. 

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

Michael Apted, 1999

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench

Albert Broccoli once allegedly stated that he would never hire Remington Steele to play Bond. I wish he and his daughter Barbara had stuck to that statement. It's no secret that I can't stand Pierce Brosnan. Aside from GoldenEye, I have a blanket hatred for his Bond films, though I've watched them enough times over the years that I've developed a reluctant tolerance for The World is Not Enough.

This is not really a good film or even a moderately worthy Bond effort, though I'll begrudgingly admit that there are a few entertaining moments. None of those moments happen to fall during the opening credits, which are possibly the worst in any Bond film, including Casino Royale. They obviously tried to play on the political themes of the movie, using water, oil and tar in the design to a disastrous effect.

Bond hurries to Spain to retrieve a case with five million dollars from a shady Swiss banker. Things erupt in violence and Bond barely escapes with his life. The money is returned to Sir Robert King, though it is cleverly rigged with explosives and used to assassinate him. King was known for the extensive oil pipelines he built throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Bond is then charged to protect Elektra, King's daughter, who already survived a traumatic kidnapping by Renard, a terrorist. Renard was almost killed by another 00 agent, but instead a bullet lodged in his brain, shortening his life expectancy, but making him nearly invincible and numb to physical sensation. Bond discovers Renard's plan to start a nuclear meltdown in the Middle East and seeks the aid of a sexy physicist to help him prevent disaster.

First of all, I don't think Denise Richards is remotely believable or enjoyable as Dr. Christmas Jones and she looks like a goddamned Pekingese. I won't go so far as to say she's the worst Bond girl in the franchise, but she's pretty bad. Holly Goodhead she is not. Fortunately she's balanced by the incredibly hot Sophie Marceau as Elektra King. Elektra actually has the potential to be an interesting character, mostly because of the obvious chemistry between she and Bond. Despite her Marceau’s flat acting, her character is meant to be a reflection of Bond in some ways and in others, she represented the consequences of his line of work. This provides some interesting tension and drama, but the film gets distracted from this at about the hour mark to its detriment.

SPOILER ALERT. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about the twist. I hate twists in general, though this is fortunately revealed about halfway through the film. Elektra has partnered with Renard to destroy much of the world’s oil supply so that her pipeline with become a monopoly. The premise is that when Renard kidnapped her and M refused her ransom, he tortured a sweet, naive girl and won her love with Stockholm Syndrome. And now they want to take over the world together. Unfortunately this doesn't explain how Elektra comes to be the dominant force in their partnership, nor does it explain why she has taken out a full scale vendetta against her father and M. As far as Bond girls go, she is interesting, but deeply flawed and, as a seducer and manipulator, brings up questions about Bond's own somewhat sociopathic tendency to manipulate women to whatever end. She needs to lose the ice cubes. 

Judi Dench as M is always a treat and I have a deep love for Desmond Llewellyn's Q. This is sadly his last film in that role and there is a joke in the film that John Cleese, possibly code-named R, is going to replace him. "Ah yes, the legendary double 007 wit. Or at least half of it." As a Python junkie I'm happy to see Cleese anywhere. Robbie Coltrane puts in a good, repeat performance as cartoonish, ex-KGB/Russian gangster Valentin Zukovsky, who is Bond’s reluctant ally. Robert Carlyle is charismatic, but really can't fight through the muck of his role as Renard. He's simply another scarred, disfigured villain with a foreign accent and some sort of inexplicable power. His inability to feel pain is hardly used at all, though it is talked about a lot. In a sympathetic twist, he is obviously in love with Elektra, which gives him a more human aspect than most Bond villains.  

While I think Michael Apted is a capable director (who didn't cry during Gorillas in the Mist?), I don't know if he's really up for the type of action a Bond film requires. He did a great job on HBO’s Rome, which requires some action scenes, but I really think he is too classy for the Brosnan Bond films. There are some good beginning sequences that descend into absurdity. How many times can we see a chase sequence on skis? The trademark humor is appalling and the effects are even worse. Between the x-ray glasses and the winter coat that turns into an inflatable life bubble, it's painful to watch. Even more crushing is the exclusion of my beloved Aston Martin for a BMW, which carries on throughout the Brosnan series. Why? Because they paid for it. 

On a final note, the title is a translation of the latin motto Orbis non sufficit, which is the Bond family motto as introduced in the novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It is also the epitaph of Alexander the Great. "A tomb now suffices for him, for whom the world was not enough."

If you want to suffer through it, there's a Special Edition DVD from MGM, though I'm reviewing the two-disc Ultimate Edition, which is also found in volume one of the Ultimate Edition box set. There are a lot of special featuring, including a making of, a documentary, featurettes and two commentary tracks. The first is by Michael Apted and the second is from Peter Lamont (production designer), Vic Armstrong (second unit director) and David Arnold (composer). There is also a Blu-ray. 

TOMORROW NEVER DIES

Roger Spottiswoode, 1997

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher

After the decent GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies pretty much sums up the rest of the Brosnan Bond films. Attempts to make the plot and villains contemporary utterly fails and there are basically just an endless string of dull action sequences. We are also plagued with a series of bland, “strong” female characters meant to challenge the series' stereotype of sexy women defenseless before Bond’s prowess. 

Bond spies on terrorists selling arms at the Russian border and has to dramatically liberate Soviet nuclear torpedoes to prevent their explosion and the ensuing devastation. He is later sent to Germany to investigate media mogul Eliot Carver, who wants to instigate war between China and the United Kingdom in order to supplant the current Chinese government with one that would give him exclusive media rights. Bond was previously involved with Carver’s wife, Paris, and seduces her again, resulting in her death and Bond’s near assassination. He travels to the South China Sea, where he teams up with Chinese agent Wai Lin to further investigate Carver’s schemes and to locate his stealth ship, armed with missiles and aimed at China. 

I have little to say about this dull, disappointing film. This is the first Bond film with a title not taken from or inspired by Ian Fleming and the original story is the main offender. Brosnan is solid throughout his four film run, but if you dislike his Bond, it’s rough going. The normally wonderful Jonathan Pryce is miscast and forced to chew scenery in what surely must be the worst villain in any Bond film. His henchmen are also offensively bad - Götz Otto plays a big, angry, blonde German who is a preposterous cross between Dolph Lundgren and From Russia With Love’s Red Grant. Carver’s assassin-at-arms, Dr. Kaufman, is played by Vincent Schiavelli, whose quirks make what is already an absurd role even worse. Carver’s wife Paris is played by a bland, boring and miscast Teri Hatcher. Allegedly Monica Bellucci screen tested for the role, but insanely was not cast. Whoever made that decision should be drawn and quartered. 

I will never have anything bad to say about Michelle Yeoh, who is simply out of place here. Her scenes almost give the impression that we are in a different, better film, but alas. Joe Don Baker is back as the feisty CIA agent from GoldenEye, as are Judi Dench as M, Desmond Llewelyn as Q and the annoying Samantha Bond as Moneypenny. But no amount of solid supporting actors could turn this into a good film. It is simply too formulaic and feels like a tired update of The Spy Who Loved Me. There are some nice action sequences, though I really could have done without the self-driving BMW and the helicopter/motorcycle chase that seems to go on for an hour. Speaking of the BMW, if you thought GoldenEye was bad, there is even more product placement in this film. And please don’t forget that the primary villain wants to start a world war so that he can gain control of the news. 

I can’t recommend Tomorrow Never Dies, which takes the cake as my least favorite Bond film of all time. Somehow even Die Another Day manages to be better than this waste of 2+ hours, though only just barely. If you feel compelled to see it (or, like me, you just need to own every Bond film), there are a lot of DVD options. I’m review the 2-disc Ultimate Edition, which is also found in the Ultimate Edition box set volume 4. There are two commentaries, one of from time Bond director Roger Spottiswoode and a second from stunt coordinator and second unit director Vic Armstrong, accompanied by producer Michael Wilson. There are also extended scenes, a documentary and a lot of featurettes. It is also available on Blu-ray, though I don’t understand why that cover was chosen, but I hope whomever is responsible was fired. 

GOLDENEYE

Martin Campbell, 1995

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Judi Dench

GoldenEye is the first film to star Pierce Brosnan as Bond and the first to use a completely original plot, without any elements from Fleming’s stories. The title is a reference to Fleming's estate in Jamaica and a naval intelligence operation he was involved in during WWII. Agents 006, Alec Trevelyan, and 007 attempt to infiltrate a Soviet facility that produces chemical weapons. 006 is shot and killed by Colonel Ourumov, but Bond manages to escape. Almost a decade later, Bond crosses paths with the shadowy Russian crime syndicate, Janus. One of its members, the sexy Xenia Onatopp, kills a Canadian admiral and steals a new, prototype helicopter resistant to electromagnetic pulses. She murders the staff of a satellite base in Severnaya, Russia, and steals the control disk for a satellite weapons system, which she and General Ouromov use to destroy the bunker at Severnaya. Two of Severnaya programmer’s escape - Boris Grishenko, who is secretly working with Janus and Natalya Simonova, who has escaped, but is soon captured. M sends Bond to St. Petersburg to investigate the attack and track down the mysterious head of the Janus syndicate, who turns out to be none other than Alec Trevelyan. He faked his death to get revenge against the British government for their involvement in the deaths of his parents and other Cossacks during WWII. Bond teams up with Natalya and they follow Trevelyan to Cuba to try to stop him from using the satellite weapons system to destroy the British economy. 

I really dislike Pierce Brosnan. I’m sure he’s a delightful gentleman, but his appearance in two films in particular have made me forever cringe when I see him on screen. First, he starred in my least favorite film of all time, Nomads. The less said about that the better. Second, Dante’s Peak. I already hate disaster films (with animal disaster movies being the exception) and this sums up everything I loathe about them. Brosnan’s greatest role was undoubtedly in Mrs. Doubtfire (he’s also very good in The Ghost Writer, but that’s arguably a role that anyone with a permanently smug facial expression could have played). 

I’m not sure why I specifically dislike him as Bond. I think part of it has to do with the fact that he is incapable of exuding intelligence and his charm seems tired and forced. He can pull off action and espionage scenes, but most of his dialogue is pretty rough. Not his fault, I know, but a better actor could have made certain scenes more appealing. It’s also a strike against him that the other three films in his run as Bond - Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Die - are all terrible. While I really dislike Brosnan, I can’t deny that this is the finest entry in his run as Bond and is, overall, an excellent action film.

Even though it recycles elements from many other Bond films, I particularly enjoy the script. To a certain extent, GoldenEye attempts to deal with the changing world. This is the first Bond film after the fall of Soviet Russia and it does a reasonable job reflecting the political confusion that resulted from such a major change. It is also refreshing to finally see another 00 have a major role in a Bond film. Sean Bean’s Alec Trevelyan is absolutely the reason to see this film. In addition to being a very talented actor, he is given a plausible storyline and some of the best dialogue in the series. 

The worst thing about GoldenEye is that it feels more like a Hollywood action blockbuster than a Bond film. This is bolstered by a switch from Aston Martin to BMW, an ineffectual score from Eric Serra and a bad opening song written by Bono and The Edge, but sung by Tina Turner. “Goldfinger” it is not. Between these elements and the onslaught of product placement throughout the film, there is something very un-Bond about GoldenEye. This is probably due to a new writer (Licence to Kill was Richard Maibum’s last film of the series), a new Bond and a new director, Martin Campbell. Don’t get me wrong - there are some wonderful action sequences. The trustworthy visual effects supervisor, Chris Cobould, began work on the series in Moonraker (though he is uncredited) and his work shines throughout the latter half of the series. 

There is an annoying emphasis on female characters trying to prove their supremacy over Bond. I understand and agree with the need to refresh the series’ depictions of women, but here it is so ham-fisted that they might as well have put a disclaimer after the film like that annoying smoking warning at the end of The Living Daylights. Natalya (played by beautiful and competent Polish actress Izabella Scorupco) is self-reliant and smart; Bond would be unable to save the day without her help, but she is given some unfortunate dialogue about how he is not gentlemanly enough. M (Judi Dench) and Moneypenny (the aptly named Samantha Bond) are both irritatingly smug and self-congratulatory about their dismissals of Bond as sexist and out-dated. Yet they remain in the office. Judi Dench grew into her character and I think she is an excellent M, but here she is not quite there yet. The decision to cast M as a woman was supposedly inspired by Stella Rimington’s role as the first female head of MI5 (British military intelligence). 

Famke Janssen, on the other hand, is a major reason to watch this film. Her over-the-top villainess, Xenia Onatopp, is completely unhinged. Out of everyone in the film, her character most closely approaches a comic book feel, as she strangles men to death with her legs during sex and has orgasms when she kills people with a machine gun. She races cars, gambles, smokes cigars and wears sexy evening gowns as easily as a fighter pilot’s uniform. Onatopp represents the heart of the series and keeps GoldenEye from totally wading into Blockbuster Land. Unfortunately the female characters who followed her in the Brosnan run (and there a high number of female villains and henchmen compared to the series overall) would be unable to compete with her or Natalya. 

The side characters are played by accomplished actors, such as Robbie Coltrane’s Russian gangster Zukovsky and Alan Cumming’s arrogant computer programmer, Boris. Both actors enliven what are essentially flat, poorly written roles. Joe Don Baker is great in a small part as an unconcerned CIA agent. There is also a welcome return from Desmond Llewelyn as Q, who provides the film’s only real comic relief. 

Regardless of its flaws, GoldenEye comes highly recommended and is a high point in the later Bond films. It is available on a variety of DVD releases, though I’m reviewing the 2-disc Ultimate Edition, which is also included in the Ultimate Edition box set volume 3. As with the rest of the Ultimate series, there are a ton of extras, including a commentary from Michael G. Wilson and Martin Campbell, a documentary, The World of 007, and many more featurettes. Most of these extras are also included on the Blu-ray, which has the sexiest cover of any Bond film. Not that that’s really a challenge.

LICENCE TO KILL

John Glen, 1989

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Benicio del Toro

Timothy Dalton’s second and final film as Bond is his best and makes me wish he had continued with the series. Though he signed on for three films, six years of legal battles over the control of the series delayed filming and caused Dalton to leave. Licence to Kill marks more than just his departure and signifies a major change in the series. This is director John Glen’s fifth and final Bond film, along with actor Robert Brown who appeared as M in five films after Bernard Lee’s death, writer Richard Maibaum who helped write every Bond film up to this point and title designer Maurice Binder who made the Bond opening sequence so famous. This is also producer Albert Broccoli’s last full contribution. 

Bond and Felix Leiter are heading to Felix’s wedding when they are interrupted to help capture drug lord Franz Sanchez. They make it back to Felix’s wedding just in time, but Sanchez escapes by bribing a DEA agent and returns to torture Leiter by half-feeding him to a shark and arranges to have his wife raped and killed. Bond swears revenge and when M tries to assign him elsewhere, he resignes from MI6 and goes rogue. Bond enlists the help of Pam Bouvier, an ex-CIA pilot who worked with Leiter and is next on Sanchez’s list. A very worried Moneypenny secretly gets Q to fly to the Republic of Isthmus (a stand-in for Panama) to help Bond. Ultimately, Bond wins Sanchez’s trust and infiltrates his organization, determined to ruin Sanchez’s life and business before killing him. 

Though seriously flawed, this violent revenge film is much better than The Living Daylights and deserves to be remembered as an uncharacteristic, yet strong entry in the series. Dalton plays a much more brutal Bond and is excited to kill as many henchmen as possible and the even crueler prospect of manipulating Sanchez into killing those loyal to him. This humorless, nearly sexless film is very bleak and we get the sense that a psychotic Bond is moving inexorably toward the end, where he seems determined to get himself killed once his job is done. Dalton harkens back to the literary Bond, a dark, troubled character who is haunted by the fact that he psychologically resembles his enemies. The references to Bond exorcizing his own demons over the death of his wife have been hinted at throughout the series, but never fully realized until now. 

This is the first film not to use the title of a Fleming story, though it combines elements from a novel and other stories. The plot is mostly influenced by ‘80s action movies and Japanese Ronin films. Revenge is not a new theme for a Bond film and Licence to Kill essentially succeeds where For Your Eyes Only failed, but the attempts to commercialize the series with references to Lethal Weapon, Miami Vice and other ‘80s action films from the period is too cliched. With a decent score from Lethal Weapon’s Michael Kamen and solely American and Mexican locations, it seems like the producers were trying to take this as far from the Bond series as possible. Fortunately the appearance of the beloved Desmond Llewelyn as Q helps to humanize the film and brings some much needed warmth and humor.

Though the film has a rapid pace, the action scenes feel like someone was checking off a list in order to make sure they met the Bond standard. The murky plot and bad dialogue are not helped by a series of weak supporting performances. Carey Lowell has some great scenes as the tough, resourceful Pam Bouvier, but she is unfortunately reduced to jealous squabbling over who Bond is and is not sleeping with. This draws attention to the larger issue of sex and monogamy that plagues the two Dalton films. He is nearly celibate in The Living Daylights, but here he is fortunately rescued by the lovely Talisa Soto, who plays Sanchez’s unfaithful girlfriend Lupe. 

Drug lord Franz Sanchez, played by Robert Davi, is one of the elements that really dates this film. Davi does as good of a job as he is able with the role, but the fact remains that he is stuck playing one of many ‘80s drug lords. His henchmen are mostly given awful dialogue and terrible personalities, with the exception of the quiet, sinister Dario, played by a young Benicio del Toro. Also keep your eyes peeled for Ed Killifer (Big Ed from Twin Peaks), a double-crossing DEA agent and for Wayne Newton, a TV evangelist who works for Sanchez. Newton provides some brief, but much needed comic relief and is a welcome inclusion. There's also a nice performance from the sinister looking Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Mortal Kombat) and Christopher Neame as an undercover team also attempting to bring down Sanchez. 

Though Licence to Kill did not fare well critically or in the box office, it should be judged on its own merits and not alongside From Russia With Love or Goldfinger and certainly not the Roger Moore films. This comes highly recommended to fans of ‘80s action flicks or revenge films. It is available in a wide range of DVD releases, though I’m reviewing the MGM two-disc Ultimate Edition, which is also included in the Ultimate Edition box set volume two. Special features include two commentary tracks - one from director Glen and various actors, the other from producer Michael G. Wilson and various crew members - a nice documentary, Inside Licence to Kill, narrated by the wonderful Patrick Macnee and a slew of other featurettes. License is also availabe on Bu-ray. 

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

John Glen, 1987

Starring: Timothy Dalton, John Rhys-Davies, Maryam d'Abo, Jeroen Krabbe, Art Malik

While I have a lot of love for Timothy Dalton's Bond, I have to admit that The Living Daylights is one of my least favorite films in the franchise. The fifteenth Bond film and the first starring Dalton as 007 is clearly an attempt to revitalize the series and bring back a serious, action-oriented focus, which is a success in some ways, but as a Bond film, The Living Daylights is deeply flawed.

Koskov, a Soviet general, defects and requests Bond's protection. Bond stops an attractive blonde sniper and cellist from assassinating Koskov, also realizing she is not a professional and something is suspicious. While under the protection of the British government, Koskov discloses a KGB plan to kill as many British and American agents as possible, supposedly headed by KGB boss General Pushkin. Koskov then disappears, allegedly recaptured or killed by KGB assassins. Bond goes back to Czechoslovakia (remember when it was still called that?) for the cellist, Kara, who is actually Koskov's naive girlfriend. The two follow his increasingly dangerous trail across Europe and into the Middle East, which leads them to a confrontation with an arms dealer in Afghanistan.

The direction is reasonably solid, as this was helmed by the trustworthy John Glen, who has the distinction of being the most prolific Bond director to date. The title and basic plot is taken from the Fleming story of the same name, but unfortunately diverges from some of the normal Bond traits. Maryam d'Abo as Kara all but ruins the film. She is the only significant female character, but is unmistakably not a Bond girl. She's naive, irritating and, despite being beautiful, is utterly sexless. Much like the rest of the film. There's an amazing intro where Bond falls from the sky via parachute and lands on the boat of a bored woman in a bikini, but this is the only hint of sexual conquest in the entire film.

There is also a sad lack of humor. We get a few one-liners from Dalton, but his serious, sensitive Bond seems uncomfortable with the normal zingers delivered with aplomb by Connery or Moore. Saunders, an M16 agent assisting Bond, provides a little comic relief with his obvious intolerance for Bond's shenanigans, but is underused. There are some nice appearances from the standard, reoccurring characters like M, Q (pointing out an in-development ghetto blaster), Moneypenny and even Felix Leiter, who kidnaps Bond through the clever use of party girls in a convertible, but it feels like these supporting characters are rushed through the film as quickly as possible.

While there are some excellent action sequences, the inevitable car chase scene is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen and ends with Bond and Kara using a cello case to sled down a mountain and over the Austrian border. The beautiful Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante is unfortunately out of place and Bond seems to grimace every time he uses the special features.

Last in my list of major complaints is that there is no focused villain. The alleged KGB defector Koskov is lazy, gluttonous and would rather lounge by the pool making out with babes than pursue any real scheme. The American arms dealer is equally annoying and has maybe one full minute of screen time. The main henchman is a blonde Russian named Necros who moonlights as a revolutionary. The only blonde Russian I want to see kicking ass is Red Grant.

There are some reasons to see the film, though. As I said, The Living Daylights attempted to take the series in a new direction, exploring realism and more serious themes like espionage and Cold War politics that have mostly been ignored since From Russia with Love. The script is not afraid to present a sympathetic Bond, who can instantly turn into the icy, sociopathic spy, but also has a softer, romantic side. There is a likable, honorable KGB director, played by the sassy John Rhys-Davies. My favorite sequences in the film are shot in Afghanistan and involve some very lively Mujahideen rebels. Art Malik's Kamran Shah is one of the best characters in the film and I wish he had been introduced earlier than the final quarter.

The Living Daylights is available as a single disc Special Edition DVD from MGM, though I am reviewing the two disc Ultimate Edition, which is also included in volume one of the Ultimate Edition box set. The extensive special features include two documentaries and an audio commentary from John Glen and various cast and crew members. There’s also a Blu-ray. 

And don't forget: СМЕРть Шпионам.

NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN

Irvin Kershner, 1983

Starring: Sean Connery, Kim Basinger, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Barbara Carrera, Max von Sydow, Rowan Atkinson

I am going to strongly resist the urge to make any bad puns about never watching this ever again throughout the course of this review. Because really, there are two solid reasons to watch this utterly pointless, non-Eon remake of Thunderball. The first is Sir Sean Connery. Though older and perhaps a bit slower moving, he’s still the Bond we know and love and his assured handling of the role almost saves the film. The title is actually a reference to the fact that he said he would never play Bond again. (The fact that they couldn’t come up with a better title should tell you something.) The second reason is Klaus Maria Brandauer, one of my favorite German actors, who co-stars as Largo. I have nothing against Adolfo Celi or his eyepatch, but Brandauer simply blows him out of the water. He is the most human villain in any Bond film and thus one of the most believable. He also hops on board the crazy train about midway through the film and refuses to get off.

Never Say Never Again has essentially the same plot as Thunderball with a few slight alterations and some allowances for Connery’s advanced age. M, who wants to drive all the 00s into retirement, sends Bond to a spa to recuperate from training and to get back in shape. He discovers a bandaged man being beaten by his nurse, Fatima Blush, and later witnesses the man using a retinal scan machine. The man is Jack Petachi, a U.S. Air Force pilot in the employ of Largo and SPECTRE. Petachi has gotten a retinal implant so that he can imitate the President of the United States in order to steal a few nuclear missiles for SPECTRE. The evil organization plans to either bribe NATO or begin destroying the world. Fatima disposes of Petachi, but Bond follows her to the Bahamas to try to make contact with Domino, Petachi’s sister and Largo’s beloved mistress. Under Largo’s orders, Fatima attempts to kill Bond on several occasions, but he escapes, mostly unscathed, and makes contact with Domino. He follows Domino and Largo to the south of France, where he Largo face off via a video game and Bond finally disposes of the insane Fatima. He tells Domino that Largo killed her brother and he has to convince her to help him find the missiles before it’s too late. 

Kevin McClory is responsible for the creation of this bloated, mostly boring film. McClory, Ian Fleming and Jack Whittingham began the Thunderball script together back in the '60s. When early plans of a film were cancelled, Fleming went ahead and converted it to a novel. McClory, in turn, sued, and was given some of the filming rights, allowing him partial credit on the Eon production and giving him the license to make this remake. Apparently he has been trying to make a third version in recent years, which is one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. 

Never Say Never Again is not actually a terrible film. It would be hard to argue, for example, that it is worse than A View to a Kill, but it is incredibly frustrating, mostly because its existence is utterly pointless. As I mentioned earlier, it's a much better swan song for Connery than Diamonds Are Forever and all of Brandauer’s scenes are quite good. Everything else is either outright bad, frustrating or boring. Max von Sydow, one of my favorite actors of all time, is wasted as a cartoonish Blofeld. Barbara Carrera has some good scenes as the insane Fatima, but she pales in comparison to Thunderball’s Fiona Vulpe. Kim Basinger’s has a sort of idiotic charm, but she is completely miscast as the main Bond girl and completely out of her league in terms of acting ability. Edward Fox is a terrible, snotty M and Rowan Atkinson is wasted as the bumbling comic relief. 

Director Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back) makes the most of the material, providing some solid action scenes, but the running time is entirely too long, making the second half drag on into eternity. He can’t fix a lousy script, which starts off reasonably well, but gets worse as it moves toward the lackluster conclusion. I really need to stress that my problem with Never Say Never Again is mostly that I’m outraged it was made in the first place. I don’t have any problems with the much earlier, non-Eon Casino Royale, but the fact that McClory attempted to one up Eon this late in the game is both offensive and utterly foolish. I honestly don’t know what he was expecting. Only owning partial rights to Thunderball meant that he had no chance of restarting the series on his own, so what was the point? The ‘80s was a troubling decade for the Bond franchise and this is no exception. Like several other ‘80s Bond films, Never feels incredibly dated between the anticlimactic video game challenge, the jazzercise workouts and the horrifically bad score. 

I only recommend this film to serious Bond fans. You will find at least a few things to enjoy, namely Connery and Brandauer’s strong, charismatic performances. The Blu-ray is the best option and includes some special features, such as a commentary with Kershner and a number of featurettes. 

OCTOPUSSY

John Glen, 1983

Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, Desmond Llewelyn

Bond is sent to investigate the death of 009, who was found in East Berlin carrying a fake Fabergé egg. The real egg turns up at an auction house in London, where Bond instigates the buyer, Afghan prince Kamal Khan, and switches the real with the fake. Bond follows Khan to India and is introduced to his lady friend, Magda, who has an unusual octopus tattoo. She seduces him and steals the original egg, which Q has implanted with a tracking device. Bond is captured by Khan and his bodyguard Gobinda, but escapes and learns that Khan is secretly working with Soviet General Orlov. Bond finds his way to the floating place of Octopussy, the wealthy, beautiful owner of several businesses and the leader of a smuggling ring. Her carefully guarded palace is solely outfitted with dangerous, attractive women, all of whom belong to her octopus cult and are marked with peculiar tattoos. Octopussy, Khan and Orlov plan to rendezvous for a jewelry smuggling operation in East Germany during a performance of Octopussy’s circus troupe, but Orlov has other plans. He intends to set off a nuclear warhead at a performance in a US Air Force base, either instigating a war or an opportunity for the Soviets to invade. It is up to Bond and Octopussy to stop him. 

I’m happy to say that though Octopussy isn’t the highest point in Moore’s career, it maintains some of the seriousness found in For Your Eyes Only, while including some of the humor and over the top action sequences from in previous entries. Though the title is taken from a Fleming story, the plot is mostly original, but borrows from Fleming’s “The Property of a Lady.” The fun action sequences and exotic locales rank as the top two reasons to see this film. Though not attempting to go to quite as big as Moonraker, Octopussy ranks high on the spectacle scale and includes an Indian jungle hunting scene, a rickshaw chase and elaborate fight scene in an Indian marketplace, and quite a lot a lot of airplane shenanigans (airborne adventures in general, if you take the hot air balloon into consideration). There are some perplexing, slightly ludicrous scenes that take place in the circus, but if you’ve ever longed to see Bond dress up as a clown, here’s your chance. The film also greatly benefits from the beautiful, colorful central location in Udaipur, India, where the locals were apparently completely supportive of the production and exciting by the idea of Bond in their midst. There is also the very fortunate return of John Barry as the composer, which makes this film seem much less dated than either For Your Eyes Only or A View to a Kill.

Moore is obviously aging, but is still on good form here and is willing to put up with a number of indignities, including wearing a bear suit, dressing up as a clown and swinging through the jungle on a vine, giving a Tarzan-like yell. Bernard Lee is finally replaced as M with the unmemorable but inoffensive Robert Brown. It is particularly nice to see Q (played by beloved long time Bond regular Desmond Llewelyn) so much in this film. He travels to India with 007 and even involves himself in the violent conclusion. Maud Adams is quite appealing as Octopussy and it’s nice to see a Bond girl closer to Roger Moore’s age. While she doesn’t do a whole lot, she’s an intriguing character and is mostly placed on equal standing with Bond. Her subordinate Magda is also very lovely and her scenes seducing and stealing from Bond are a fine early point in the film. 

Like For Your Eyes Only, there is no strong central villain. This actually hurts the film, though the charming Louis Jordan as Khan does his best, as does Steven Berkoff as General Orlov. They have a number of compelling, if predictable henchmen, including Gobinda, who is basically the Indian version of Odjobb, a troupe of scary gentlemen with some exotic bladed weapons, and a pair of Russian, knife-throwing twins. Octopussy is certainly flawed, mostly by its inane plot, long running time and ineffectual villains, though these are all things we have come to expect from the series at this point. Despite these elements, it is a delightful, fun entry and comes highly recommended. It is certainly Moore’s last good Bond film, which is remarkable, considering he intended to retire after The Spy Who Loved Me, but was convinced to stick around for four more films. It is also certainly better than the non-Eon Bond film released the same year, Never Say Never Again, Sean Connery’s bizarre final appearance in the series. 

Octopussy is available on a number of DVDs, including the Ultimate Edition two-disc, which is also part of the Ultimate Edition box set volume four. As usual, this release is loaded with special features, including a commentary track from director John Glen, a documentary, Inside Octopussy, narred by Patrick Macnee, and a short feature about Peter Lamont’s design work on the Bond series. Octopussy is also available on Blu-ray. 

MOONRAKER

Lewis Gilbert, 1979

Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Richard Kiel

“Bollinger? If it’s ’69 you were expecting me.”

Though Moonraker is frequently lambasted and is listed as one of the worst in the Bond series, I absolutely adore it. This frivolous, cartoonish film is a prime example of Bond at his most entertaining, so it should only be avoided by people who hate fun. The ridiculous plot is almost an exact copy of The Spy Who Loved Me, except to cash in on the recent success of Star Wars, Bond moves from under the sea to outer space, where another megalomaniacal villain wants to destroy the earth and begin his own civilization. 

After surviving a high-altitude assassination attempt by Jaws, Bond is sent to California to investigate the hijacking of a Drax Industries Moonraker space shuttle. He meets Drax Industries owner Hugo Drax, his henchman Chang, his personal pilot, Corinne Dufour, and astronaut Dr. Holly Goodhead. Bond survives several more assassination attempts and steals blueprints from Drax’s personal safe with Corinne’s aid. Drax later has her attacked and killed by his hunting dogs. Bond travels to Venice, escapes Drax’s henchmen yet again, and discovers a hidden lab with glass tubes full of toxic nerve gas. He discovers that Drax is relocating to Brazil and follows him there, where he also reunites with Dr. Goodhead, who is actually a CIA agent. They agree to team up, but are soon captured by Jaws and witness Drax’s Moonraker shuttles taking off. They follow Drax into space and hope to stop his diabolical plan to wipeout humanity on Earth and begin his own Nazi-eqsue civilization on a secret space station. 

Director Lewis Gilbert is in good form during his final Bond outing. Though this lags in the overly long second act, Gilbert and set designer Ken Adams went all out for scenes that range from mountain tops, airplanes, space, a shuttle assembly plant, the jungle, and the canals of Venice. The ridiculous, non-stop action set pieces are the real reason to watch this film. Beginning with a tremendous opening scene, one of my favorites in the film, Bond is pushed out of a plane by Jaws, but Bond gets the parachute (not a Union Jack design) and Jaws inexplicably lands on a circus tent, transitioning into a nice credits sequence with an unfortunately lackluster song by the returning Shirley Bassey. There are a litany of absurd gadgets and a number of unbelievable action sequences including a fight to the death in a glass museum, a gondola chase in the Venice canals and Bond’s near strangulation by the biggest, most fake looking python seen until Anaconda. All this is, of course, topped by Bond’s nonsensical mission to space and the destruction of Drax’s space station. 

Moore is clearly a little past his prime here, but is not afraid to have fun with the role and dishes out one-liners at every opportunity. Lois Chiles is icy, lovely and somewhat believable as the astronaut-turned-CIA-agent Dr. Goodhead, though her transition to willing love interest in the second half is a bit too abrupt. Like Barbara Bach’s XXX in The Spy Who Loved Me, she is (almost) a match for Bond and fortunately more than just eye candy.  It’s a shame Denise Richards’s abominable physicist character in The World is Not Enough didn’t take more cues from her. The lovely Corinne Cléry gives a satisfying, though brief performance as Drax’s pilot and Bond’s first conquest. Her death is one of the few dark, suspenseful moments in the film. Unfortunately Michael Lonsdale is wasted as a very boring Hugo Drax and his random Japanese henchman Chang (given a Chinese/Korean name for no apparent reason) is given no characterization whatsoever. 

The real star of this film is Richard Kiel as Jaws, returning after a menacing performance in The Spy Who Loved Me. Here Jaws becomes absolutely cartoonish, the coyote to Bond’s roadrunner. In a baffling, though enjoyable move, the studio has him side with Bond at the end of the film, presumably because he has fallen in love with a tiny, blonde pigtailed woman. He also has a great, terrifying scene during Carnival where he appears in an ally and nearly chomps the head off of Bond’s sultry ally (Emily Bolton). 

Though there are some difficult, plodding moments in the second hour of the film, the pace is generally nonstop. As one of the most fun Bond films ever made, I can’t help but recommend Moonraker, which anyone with a well-developed sense of whimsy will surely enjoy. Moonraker is available on a variety of DVDs, including the double-disc Ultimate Edition, also part of the Ultimate Edition box set volume 4. There are a lot of extras, including two commentaries, one from Roger Moore and the second from Lewis Gilbert and various cast and crew members. Also included are two documentaries, “Inside Moonraker,” narrated by Patrick McNee, and “The Men Behind the Mayhem,” which focuses on special effects. Most of these extras are also included on the Blu-ray.

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME

Lewis Gilbert, 1977

Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel

The Spy Who Loved Me is undoubtedly Moore’s best Bond film. The first with an original story, this plays to Moore’s strengths and allows for moments of welcome silliness, balanced by some incredible, large-scale action scenes. This is also the first Bond film since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service to have any emotional depth, due to Bond’s complicated relationship with KGB agent XXX. Bond is called in to investigate the disappearance of British and Soviet ballistic-missile submarines and heads to Egypt to locate plans for a submarine tracking system. He meets Major Anya Amasova aka KGB Agent XXX, who also wants to steal the plans. M and KGB head General Gogol decide the two agents should team up and agree on a temporary truce. They recover the plans, but barely escape a fight with Jaws, a giant man with lethal, steel teeth who works for millionaire-scientist Karl Stromberg. As 007 and XXX grow closer, they realize Stromberg intends to use his new supertanker and a secret, underground base for nefarious purposes - to destroy the world’s major cities and begin a new, Atlantean civilization deep in the ocean. 

This film introduces some new elements into the series: a memorable henchman who would survive to reappear in the next film, cooperation between the U.K and the Soviet Union and a strong female lead/love interest. Barbara Bach has received some criticism for her semi-weak portrayal of XXX, but her character represents the leaps and strides Bond girls have made throughout the series. Though she occasionally has to be rescued, there are plenty of moments where she gets the best of Bond. There’s also a welcome appearance from the absolutely beautiful Caroline Munro, who regularly appeared in British horror films during this period. 

Curd Jürgens is an excellent Stromberg, but his diabolical, anarchic plans are the worst part of the film. He wants to start a nuclear war and reestablish civilization under water. Really? Like villains before and after him, his talent is somewhat wasted, but he does the best that he can with the role. Richard Kiel’s Jaws, on the other hand, is wonderful and makes a welcome return in Moonraker, where he reaches new, delirious heights (literally). All the usual suspects appear - M, Q and Moneypenny - and we are introduced to KGB commander General Gogol (Walter Gotell), who would return for several films. This film also marks a dramatic change in the series. Co-producer Harry Saltzman was forced to sell his share of the franchise for financial reasons and thus ended his long partnership with Albert Broccoli. 

The Spy Who Loved Me also benefits from some wonderful action sequences, particularly the opening where Bond has to evade KGB during a sky chase in the Swiss Mountains. Stuntman Rick Sylvester's leap off a cliff is one of the longest fall sequences in film history and is immediately followed by Bond's use of the beloved Union Jack parachute. I will never get tired of Bond fighting on trains and the excellent scene in this movie is no exception. Though it’s a little unbelievable that the best spy in Russia has to be rescued by Bond, the ensuing fight with Jaws is exciting and the scene’s conclusion is fittingly romantic. The bombastic finale in the supertanker where Bond takes charge of captured British, American and Soviet naval crews to defeat Stromberg is one of the best in the series. Though there is a heavy emphasis on gadgets in this film, most of them result in some amusing scenes, such as the watch that prints out directions from MI6 headquarters. Q outdoes himself with the Lotus Esprit that converts into an underwater vehicle; it definitely one ups Scaramanga's flying AMC Matador from The Man with the Golden Gun. 

The credits song, written by Carole Bayer Sager and performed by Carly Simon is one of the most memorable in the series and though Marvin Hamlisch’s disco influenced score hasn’t aged particularly well, it’s still a lot of fun. Fun is really the name of the game with this film and I, surprisingly, have no complaints. The Spy Who Loved Me comes highly recommended and is available on multiple DVD releases. I’m reviewing the Ultimate Edition two-disc, which is also included in the Ultimate Edition box set volume 4. The numerous extras include a commentary track with Lewis Gilbert, designer Ken Adams and more of the crew. There’s an informative making-of documentary and a shorter documentary about Adams’s career with the Bond franchise. The Blu-ray includes many of these special features. 

LIVE AND LET DIE

Guy Hamilton, 1973

Starring: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, David Hedison

Live and Let Die is a truly bizarre entry in the Bond series. First, there is the introduction of new star Roger Moore, who would appear in six more Bond films through the '70s and early '80s. Moore’s start is shaky at best and follows the campier, more comedic tone of Diamonds Are Forever. The real issue is this film is essentially blaxploitation, using familiar tropes like afros, gangs and racial slurs and stereotypical locations like Harlem, the Caribbean and New Orleans. I absolutely love a lot of blaxploitation films, but much of what occurs here feels unabashedly racist, particularly the voodoo rituals and agent Rosie Carver. Carver, played by blaxploitation star Gloria Hendry, is the first African American character to sleep with Bond and is unfortunately one of the most annoying female double agents to do so. 

Several MI6 agents investigating Dr. Kananga, the dictator of a Caribbean island, are killed and Bond is sent to New York investigate. He immediately plunges into an absurdly extensive network of spies and gang members who are also being observed by the CIA and Bond’s long-time ally Felix Leiter. Bond and Leiter team up to investigate Mr. Big, a Harlem gangster and drug lord. Bond meets Solitaire, Big's virginal, talented tarot card reader, before narrowly escaping Big’s thugs and heading to the Caribbean. There he rendezvous with double agent Rosie Carver. He seduces her and wins her loyalty, but Kananga has her killed before she can reveal anything. Bond also seduces Solitaire and forces her to help him defeat Kananga. They return to New Orleans, where it is revealed that Big and Kananga are one and the same and Kananga’s plans include selling tons of heroin to the locals. An enraged Kananga suspects that Bond and Solitaire have slept together (nullifying her occult power) and sets Bond up to be eaten by alligators and intends to sacrifice Solitaire during a voodoo ritual. Can Bond save himself in time to save her?

Though Live and Let Die is one of the lesser entries in Moore’s string of Bond films, there are plenty of fun moments. My favorite character is Kananga’s voodoo master, Baron Samedi, whimsically played by enormous Trinidadian actor Geoffrey Holder. The un-killable Samedi represents the series only involvement with the occult, furthered by a very young Jane Seymour’s lovely but irritatingly priggish Solitaire. Kananga’s henchmen, the giggling, metal hook-handed Tee Hee is a welcome addition to the list of of menacing Bond villains. Julius Harris obviously had a great time with this role and other Moore-era henchmen, especially those with physical deformities/enhancements, seem based on him. Yaphet Kotto is great in his duel roles of Big and Kananga, though his make up is a little ridiculous. There are also nice appearances from David Hedison, who plays a lighter, more jovial Felix Leiter and from Hammer film star Madeline Smith who has a memorable, early role as an Italian agent who gets her dress unzipped by Bond’s magnetic watch. 

Speaking of memorable, don’t forget about the alligator farm and the amazing alligator jumping stunt, which is real. The farm is owned by a man named Ross Kananga, whose last name is used for the main villain and who performed the stunt himself. Another of my favorite set pieces, which reoccurs through the film, is the Olympia Brass Band leading a traditional jazz funeral march. The trick is that the coffin is empty and they are waiting to fill it with recently assassinated MI6 and CIA agents. Their killer in waiting is played by band member and trumpet player Alvin Alcorn. 

Despite these fun elements, Live and Let Die unfortunately feels like an overly long live action cartoon, with action sequences jammed in around the plot. The absurd speedboat chase and double-decker bus scene fortunately do not take themselves seriously, but would also match perfectly with the theme music from Benny Hill. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton returns, but leaves his former glory behind. The ending is particularly bad and involves Kananga’s death-by-exploding-gas-pellet. Both Tee Hee and Baron Samedi are given vastly superior death scenes. I wish there had been more to go around. The absolute worst element of this film is the character Sheriff J.W. Pepper, the incredibly stupid and racist comic relief in the form of a white, redneck Sheriff. Unfortunately he returns again in The Man with the Golden Gun. 

So far I’ve failed to mention the famous opening song by Paul McCartney. Though it won an Academy Award, I find it incredibly grating and it remains one of my least favorite Bond songs. The opening sequence, while ridiculous, is colorful, fun and clues you in about what to expect from the rest of the film. Though flawed, Live and Let Die is still a worthy Bond effort and should be seen at least once. There’s a nice double-disc Ultimate Edition DVD, also included in the Ultimate Edition box set volume 3. The Blu-ray release contains much of these special features, including a commentary track from writer Tom Mankiewicz, director Guy Hamilton and Roger Moore, and a documentary about the film narrated by the wonderful Patrick Macnee (The Avengers).

SKYFALL

Sam Mendes, 2012

Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris

The 23rd Bond film came to theaters just in time for the 50th anniversary of the series and I’m happy to say that this is the best possible anniversary present. Skyfall includes elements that make you remember why you fell in love with the iconic, early entries of the series, not just the gritty new Bond beginning with Casino Royale. There are numerous references to past films, a welcome reappearance from the original Aston Martin DB5, and new incarnations of Moneypenny and Q. 

Bond is sent to Turkey to retrieve a stolen hard drive that has a list of all undercover NATO agents. While he is fighting the mercenary who has stolen the drive, he is accidentally shot by junior MI6 agent Eve and believed dead. M, meanwhile, is being pressured to retire by Intelligence Committee Chairman Gareth Mallory when MI6 is hacked and partially blown up. This prompts a weakened, injured Bond to come out of retirement. He is sent to Shanghai to pursue Patrice, the mercenary who stole the hard drive. Bond accidentally kills him without obtaining any information, but follows the trail to a casino in Macau, where he meets Sévérine. She agrees to help him on the condition that he kill her employer, but they are both kidnapped and brought to an abandoned island owned by Raoul Silva. Once a celebrated agent, the computer savvy Silva is determined to end M and, as a result, MI6. Bond must do everything in his power to stop Silva, even if it means returning to his roots. 

I simply cannot say enough good things about what may well be the best Bond film. There is incredible cinematography from Roger Deakins, making for some of the greatest set pieces in Bond history. With beautiful locations in Britain, Turkey and China, this fortunately sheds Quantum of Solace’s desperate attempt to cram as many locations as possible into one shoot. The wonderful score from Thomas Newman is one of the best parts of the film, combining elements of past Bond themes with a thoughtful, understated, electronic score. The nice opening song from Adele more than makes up for the dreadful past two efforts from Chris Cornell (Casino Royale) and Jack White and Alicia Keys (Quantum of Solace), to say nothing of the horrific Pierce Brosnan opening songs. 

Skyfall moves away from the gritty, violent tone of Casino Royale and the serious, almost depressing revenge theme of Quantum of Solace and instead finds a delicate balance between theatrical grandeur, gritty action and a deeply personal plot. Bond returns home, both figuratively and literally, as this film focuses on MI6 itself and, later, Bond’s childhood home, Skyfall Lodge in Scotland, the setting of the conclusion. While the new Bond films all had talented, charismatic actors playing flawed villains (Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre and Mathieu Amalric’s Dominic Green), Javier Bardem does a wonderful job with the mercurial Silva, a villain with smaller, though perhaps more rational and achievable aims. Bardem and Craig are particularly well matched. The departure of old characters and the introduction of some new ones is expertly handled, if bittersweet. Ben Whishaw’s Q is a welcome addition, though he is unlikely to ever fill the shoes of the beloved Desmond Llewelyn. I’m excited to see more of Ralph Fiennes in the next two Bond films, which Daniel Craig has already signed up for and will hopefully be joined by the new principal cast members. 

There are some flaws in Skyfall, but most of these are forgettable. The script glosses over Bond’s death and puts a heavy handed emphasis on things being old and out of date. Though the opening sequence is an improvement over the enraging Casino Royale credits, it is certainly bizarre and has an almost gothic, horror movie feel. Some moments of the script are overly long or repetitive. This may be due to the lengthy screen time, which should be expected from all new Bond films and recent action films in general. The lack of Bond girls is also a little disappointing, though it fits with the plot of the film and Bond's attempt in Quantum of Solace to get over the death and betrayal of Vesper. Naomie Harris’s Moneypenny is smug and annoying, but she has little screen time. I wish more script material was devoted to the absolutely beautiful and glamorous Bérénice Marlohe (Sévérine), a French actress of French, Chinese and Mongolian heritage who plays Silva’s mistress and victim. There is also a brief appearance from Greek model Tonia Sotiropoulou, who plays Bond’s unnamed lover early in the film while he is retired. 

Skyfall is currently in theaters. It is the first Bond film to be screened in IMAX theatres (though it was not filmed with IMAX cameras), which is where I saw it and strongly recommend that you do the same. The film comes highly recommended and so far has received positive critical reviews and has already set a number of financial records around the world. 

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

Guy Hamilton, 1971

Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood

The last and campiest of Connery’s Bond films, Eon should have accepted his retirement, but wooed him back with a then astronomical salary to squeeze out this last ditch effort before turning to Roger Moore to continue the series. Bond discovers an operation producing Blofeld lookalikes and kills what he thinks is the real Blofeld, as well as a stand in. M later sends Bond to track down a ring of diamond smugglers. He locates his contact in Amsterdam, Tiffany Case, and the two smuggle a shipment of diamonds to Los Angeles where Bond secretly rendezvous with CIA agent Felix Leiter. Bond is almost killed by assassins Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, but he has fooled them all by hiding the real diamonds and shipping the fakes. Bond discovers Blofeld is behind the smuggling ring, intending to create a massive laser satellite out of the diamonds. Bond searches for his base of operations, determined to destroy him once and for all. 

Connery is obviously tired of the franchise here, dragging himself through the action scenes. He even gets his ass kicked by two scantily clad ladies, Bambi and Thumper. A lot of the action sequences are downright silly, namely a ridiculous moonbuggy chase in the desert. We unfortunately have the third actor in a row to play Blofeld. Charles Grey has his moments, but is an odd, sort of prissy version of Blofeld and the absurdly complicated plot is yet his next attempt to take over the world. Fortunately this is the last appearance of Blofeld or SPECTRE, allowing later entries to move away from the now tired formula. The second credits song from Shirley Bassey and the return of director Guy Hamilton makes it seem like Eon was trying to recreate Goldfinger’s magic. If that was the case, they absolutely failed.

Though full of flaws, this comic book-like entry in the Bond series certainly has its moments. The almost surreal, over the top Las Vegas setting prevents the film from taking itself too seriously, as do Bond girls like sarcastic diamond smuggler Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and the stupidly named Plenty O’Toole. There is a nice car chase across Vegas and an unexpected elevator battle. The real reason to see this film are the two assassins, Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint, comic, but also incredibly creepy. They succeed as two of the best villains in the entire series. Pay particular attention to Mr. Wint, who is played by Bruce Glover, father to the equally wonderful and weird Crispin Glover. 

“If at first you don't succeed, Mr. Kidd? Try, try again, Mr. Wint.”

There are several DVD editions of Diamonds Are Forever. I’m reviewing the two disc Ultimate Edition, which is also included in volume 1 of the Ultimate Edition box set. There’s also a lovely Blu-ray, which includes most of the special features in the Ultimate Edition. There’s a nice audio commentary from several members of the cast and crew, interviews, deleted footage, behind the scenes, trailers and more. The best two features are the documentary "Inside Diamonds Are Forever," narrated by the wonderful Patrick Macnee (The Avengers) and another, lengthier documentary, "Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond."

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

Lewis Gilbert, 1967

Starring: Sean Connery, Mie Hama, Donald Pleasance, Karin Dor, Akiko Wakabayashi

The fifth entry in the Connery run of Bond films, You Only Live Twice is really the first to engage in full scale ridiculousness, the sort normally restricted to Roger Moore. Connery, who wanted to retire from the franchise at this point, is clearly phoning in his performance, and the plot is so formulaic that Bond feels largely irrelevant. 

Bond fakes his own death and is sent to Tokyo to investigate the recent hijacking of an American spacecraft. He teams up with Japanese secret service leader Tiger Tanaka and his beautiful assistant Aki. Bond discovers a connection between SPECTRE and local company Osato Chemicals. Mr. Osato predictably tries to have Bond killed by his foxy assistant, Helga Brandt. Bond survives and rushes to locate Osato and SPECTRE’s Number 1, Blofeld, who are holed up in a secret underground base, trying to instigate war between the United States and the Soviet Union. 

You Only Live Twice is an odd mixture of entertainment and absurdity that will irritate fans of more serious Bond fare or delight fans of the more comical, whimsical later films. Even though I do enjoy it, my biggest issue with the film is that by this point the series feels tired. The far fetched plot, penned by the incredible Roald Dahl, is the first script to disregard most of Fleming’s source novel, which Dahl claimed to be unfilmable. The plot unfortunately relies on a sort of comic laziness to move events forward. Why come up with flawed, incredibly elaborate plans to kill Bond when you could just as easily shoot him in the head? There are a number of dull actions sequences, including the downright boring scenes with “Little Nellie,” the gyrocopter. Not every Bond film needs an aerial fight sequence. The film also has a dated, racist approach to Japanese culture, which culminates in a ridiculous, offensive attempt to disguise Bond as a Japanese man. 

There is plenty to like about the film, namely some wildly entertaining scenes that refuses to allow plot to get in the way. Though a lot of the action is a bit dull, it will never not be satisfying for me to see a film with a ninja training school, ninja army or sumo wrestler henchmen. We finally get to see Blofeld in action and Donald Pleasance is fantastic, though he clutches that clearly terrorized white persian cat for dear life. Helga Brandt is, probably surprisingly, one of my favorite Bond girls, even though she eventually gets chucked into a pool of piranha. The delightful Mie Hama stoically endures her fake marriage to Bond. There are wonderful sets from Ken Adams and lively direction from Lewis Gilbert, who would return for the later Roger Moore efforts The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. There is a great score from John Barry, as always, and the theme song from Nancy Sinatra is also enjoyable, if a bit silly. 

If you can suffer past the slow bits, You Only Die Twice is incredibly fun. It is available as a single-disc or 2-disc Ultimate Edition DVD, in the Ultimate Edition box set volume 4 and on Blu-ray. There are some nice special features, including a documentary (that sadly lacks input from the Japanese cast), a commentary track and much more.