The last Bond movies.

[adam]

With it looking like QOS will be Daniel Craig's last Bond movie, What's peoples opinions of 'The Last Bond Movies' of all the 007's ?

Connery:

DAF was his last official Bond movie. He looked older and thinner on top. He also looked very pleased with himself which was'nt surprising considering his fee. More humour than before. Some good action with my favourite being the lift fight. Connery's return ensured good box office.

Lazenby:

His first and last Bond movie showed his strenghts and weaknesses. Good in the fight scenes but his acting let him down. The film was too long but had some good action. Apparantly Lazenby upset Peter Hunt & Diana Rigg early on which would'nt have impressed Brocoli & Salzman.

Moore:

Moore's memoirs stated he had decided to quit after O. However a phone call from Brocoli changed his mind. In hindsite it was a mistake. AVTAK is flat and a pale shadow of most previous Moore entries. Moore also looks too old and bored. Chris Walken camps it up but Tanya Roberts is one of the worst Bond girls. However the mine shaft scenes are impressive.

Dalton:

Poor box office for LTK however it's a much more solid film than
TLD. Dalton looked the part and the action was more gritty. Most people were hopeing for a couple more Dalton Bonds.

Brosnan

DAD got good reviews on it's release. However it has been savaged since Daniel Craig became Bond. For me it's perfectly watchable. A good opening half hour is let down by invisible cars, ice palaces and dodgy CGI. However it's still good fun. Brosnan still looked great and more confident than ever.

Craig

Oh dear. A lazy, short and confusing Bond. Craig makes Jason Statham look like Jim Carey and the supporting cast is no better. Hailed on this site as the worst Bond movie ever, and perhaps one of the worst films ever.

[poirot]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

I don't really consider this a "last Bond", since it's such a unique case. That said, to me this has always felt the closest to watching a Fleming novel unfold onscreen.


Diamonds Are Forever

A lot of people seem to have a limited definition of what constitutes a James Bond movie- especially today, when only a handful seem to get any respect. But James Bond has always been about escapism- and that's true regardless of whether you're talking in terms of Fleming or Broccoli. (It was certainly never intended as a deadly serious subject you sit around discussing on a computer all day!) As such, DAF fits that bill and is a hell of a lot of fun. It's almost like a big, bold, 1970s comicbook movie.

It's interesting that Connery seems to portray Bond as a much older agent. He makes little attempt to hide his age and, in doing so, makes it seem like an asset. There's a confidence to his performance that comes across like an old pro having fun. (Perhaps the fact that Lazenby didn't work out and Connery knew they needed him was somewhere in the back of his mind?)


A View To A Kill

I've mentioned before that this would've been a great opportunity to let Moore play Bond as nearing retirement. If the old world elegance of the Ascot Racecourse and Paris, France represents Bond, it's a nice contrast to the very modern threat involving microchips, genetic engineering, and Silicon Valley that represents Zorin. (Zorin even manages to outwit 007 and uncover his true identity using a home computer!)

Alas, instead, Moore is forced to pretend it is still 1977 and the film suffers as a result. Even so, it's a film that seems to get better with age. There's a certain amount of comfort in seeing Moore in the Bond formula one last time. In some ways, it actually feels like the last "traditional" Cubby film- before the series was forced to embrace political correctness.


Licence To Kill

Still the most violent Bond film, it seems to play to Dalton's strengths more than TLD. Compare the way Dalton's rogue agent exacts his revenge to Craig's bumbling attempts in QOS. It's not even close. Dalton is a lethal pro who, within a matter of days, can have you within the crosshairs of a sniper scope. (Ironically, this is much closer to Jason Bourne than what was attempted in QOS!)


Die Another Day

As with all the 2000s entries, you can see the producers trying way too hard to update the series. This handicaps the film with poor cgi and gadgets that are silly even for Bond. It also suffers from being too long, including the overblown finale aboard the aircraft.

Despite this, there's actually quite a lot of good to be found. Brosnan gives one of his best performances and the first half is surprisingly strong. Again we see just how competent and resourceful James Bond is, even when stripped of virtually everything.

It also presents one of the most interesting "final Bond" scenarios, thanks to the uneasy relationship between Bond and M. Her suspicion (and essentially betrayal) of 007 is very true to Fleming and it would've been interesting to see them build on that in a sequel. More than any other entry, you can almost watch this as if it's Bond's final mission. (Years from now, anyone looking to promote the "007 is just a codename that gets handed down" theory will be able to make a strong argument using DAD and CR.)


Quantum of Solace

No matter how badly any of the above may be judged as stand-alone films, each of them are instantly identifiable as James Bond movies. Yes, giant lasers and evil blimps are rather silly in and of themselves, but they make perfect sense within the Bond universe. It's one reason why the series has endured for so long: No matter how ridiculous a Bond film might be, it's still a lot of fun to watch.

The same cannot be said of QOS. It's a gloomy, poorly-made film that has many of the series' worst flaws (ie. inane stunts, weak villains, silly plot, etc.), yet few of its strengths. It's a prime candidate to be the new red-headed stepchild of the franchise, if only because it sticks out like a sore thumb.

[James]

We might be tempting fate with this thread but anyway...

OHMSS

My favourite film in the series, this is well written and looks great with some exciting action sequences. Lazenby isn't a brilliant actor but you believe he is James Bond as soon as he beats up those men on the beach in the PTS. A+

DAF

The lightest of the Connery films but still good fun. B+

AVTAK

Suffers from an uninspired story which retreads Goldfinger but the French locations look good and walken is a great villain. B

LTK

Dalton does the serious Bond years before Craig and better. Robert Davi makes a fine villain. A-

DAD

Fun at times but suffers from a weak villain, smutty innuendo and some dodgy special effects. El Broz deserved a better send off. B-

QOS

All the charm and panache of an eighties Chuck Norris film. Bond meets Bourne and loses. F

[Cpt. Sir Dominic Flandry]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

A great "ending" for the Aussie as he went out on a high.

Diamonds Are Forever

A fun adventure with Connery, campness and the early seventies setting.

A View To A Kill

Much maligned for being cheap with an 80 year old Sir Roger playing Bond, the presence of Roger, Mr Steed, Chris Walken, the famous Duran Duran theme tune and many elements make this cult classic in the Flandry residence.

Licence To Kill

A great movie and the classic "gritty" Bond movie. Dear old Tim was cut off in his prime like George.

Die Another Day

Not as bad as people make out and received a good press when it was released. Brosnan is a class act.

Quantum of Solace

An insult to Daniel Craig and his fans, and a waste of electricity. Showed the critics of the reboot were right.

[009]

I can't really count OHMSS. Licence To Kill is the best - Dalton had a lot more to offer. Unsurprisingly I think QOS is the worst. It's a shocking effort, but may not be Daniel Craig's last Bond.

[FormerBondFan]

May 10, 2010 10:39:01 GMT -5 009 said:

Unsurprisingly I think QOS is the worst.

This really made my day.

It's a shocking effort, but may not be Daniel Craig's last Bond.

If QOS isn't his last, I hope his next one does not release the year after next year.