While I am not especially a fan of the Daniel Craig era, I think it is important to understand why it is the way it is. For a franchise that has at the time of SPECTRE’s release in 2015 run for 53 years, it needed to rely on reinvention to stay relevant. That’s clear if … Read more
Often maligned as one of the weaker Bond outings, The Man With the Golden Gun often winds up in most subjective and objective lists as among the worst in the entire series. I cannot quite understand why that is, except for it feeling a bit drab overall. There’s a sort of dour mood about the … Read more
Of all the Connery Bond films, Thunderball is perhaps the most divisive. This film is either in people’s top halves, or bottom. Many feel the underwater sequences are boring and drawn out, and the plot moves too slow. I find this an interesting critique, because that’s my problem with From Russia with Love (a film … Read more
The Brosnan era of Bond films seems to get criticized purely because of how bad his final outing was in Die Another Die. Nothing else can explain it, because his other three films are really terrific entries to the series. Today I am looking at Tomorrow Never Dies. This one is often overlooked, considering it … Read more
If there was any Bond film that I can imagine Quentin Tarantino wishes he directed, it would be Live & Let Die. Never has a Bond film felt more like a Quentin Tarantino film than this, maybe that’s because of the Blaxploitation angle, or the tributes it pays to a certain era of American police … Read more
About as classic Bond as it can get, down to the iconic theme by Shirley Bassey, Goldfinger is often right at the top of most lists, both subjective and objective. Yet, if you browse the James Bond subreddit, you may start to see some more contrarian opinions about the classic taking shape. While nobody is … Read more
I haven’t exactly made a secret of my dislike for the Craig era of Bond. However, even among those who dislike the tone and darkness of this era, Casino Royale still often stands alone as one of those outings that is universally considered to be an excellent entry to the long running franchise. I do … Read more
Throw on some clown paint and cue the slide whistle, it’s time to review Octopussy. For all of the flack Moore gets for some of his less serious outings as Bond, you cannot say that these ridiculous films (your Moonraker’s, your Octopussy’s – spelling ?– ) aren’t entertaining. I don’t think anyone is out here … Read more
What can be better than the one which started it all? Unlike a lot of series or franchise firsts, Dr. No remains very highly regarded and ranked. It not only sets the formula for all films to follow, it’s also a very entertaining and engaging film. Where does it rank among my subjective favorites? Is … Read more
Nothing says it’s the holidays quite like a Bond marathon, especially when the film you’re watching could also technically pass as a Christmas movie itself (cue the classic Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown). Today we’re diving into another more serious Bond film that has gotten a more beloved reception post Craig-era Bond. … Read more