7 posts tagged “connery”

 

 

"Best Moment in a BOND Film"

 

What do you consider to be the best moment in each James Bond film? I had discovered this question on a Bond forum and decided to ask it on my blog. Below is a list of my choices. What are yours?

DR. NO - Professor Dent's death

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE - Grant reveals SPECTRE's plot to Bond (although I do find it to be a little illogical)

GOLDFINGER - Bond's discovery of Jill Masterson's body

THUNDERBALL - Fiona gets the drop on Bond

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - Tiger Tanaka and his ninjas attack Blofeld's volcano

 

 

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE - Bond's escape from Piz Gloria

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER - Bond/Peter Franks fight in Tiffany's apartment building

 

LIVE AND LET DIE - Boat chase through the bayou

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Bond and Goodnight have lunch with Scaramanga

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME - Anya discovers that Bond had killed her lover

MOONRAKER - Bond saves Manuela from Jaws

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY - death of Emile Locque

OCTOPUSSY - Bond/Orlov confrontation at East German railyard

A VIEW TO A KILL - Zorin's men attempt to kill Bond on racetrack

 

 

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS - Mujardeen attack on Soviet airbase/Bond confronts Pushkin

LICENSE TO KILL - Fight at Barrelhouse bar

 

GOLDENEYE - Bond and Natalya escape from General Ourumov

TOMORROW NEVER DIES - Bond/Dr. Kauffman confrontation

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH - Bond confronts Elektra about possible connection to Renard

DIE ANOTHER DAY - Bond and Jinx raise havoc at Cuban clinic

 

CASINO ROYALE - Stairwell fight/Torture sequence

”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” Review

 

I might as well be frank.  After my recent viewing of ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”, I have come to the conclusion that it just might truly be the worst Bond movie ever released by EON Productions.  I certainly view it as an unworthy follow-up to the superb ”ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE”.  Yet, despite my low opinion of the movie, I also found it to be very funny.

The movie’s pre-credits started the movie out with a montage featuring Bond’s search for Ernst Stravos Blofeld, head of SPECTRE and the man responsible for the brutal murder of the agent’s wife of a few hours, Teresa Bond.  And yet . . . the movie had never clearly stated that Bond wanted revenge for his wife’s death.  Rather curious.  I suppose that Broccoli and Saltzman wanted the audience to forget about ”OHMSS” . . . and at the same time, remember that Bond had a reason to seek revenge against Blofeld.  The movie eventually unfolded a tale featuring a diamond smuggling operation from South Africa to Amsterdam and finally to Las Vegas.  Apparently, the operation seemed to becoming to an end, since two assassins – the very funny Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, played by Bruce Glover and Putter Smith – seemed to be killing every courier/link that formed the smuggling ring.  Her Majesty’s government, worried that the stability of the diamond market might be threatened if all the hoarded diamonds are released at the same time, ordered MI-6 to investigate.  M assigned Bond to investigate the matter.  At first, the British agent (along with diamond smuggler Tiffany Case, Felix Leiter and the CIA) discovered that a reclusive American millionaire named Willard Whyte might be behind the smuggling operation and the murders.  But this proves to be a red herring and Bond finally realized that Blofeld (whom he thought he had killed in the pre-credit sequence) had taken control of Whyte’s business operation to use the diamonds to create a satellite with a powerful laser on board  in order to blackmail the world.  And of course, Bond destroyed Blofeld’s operation before the villain could blow up Washington D.C.

What is it about ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” that made it such a terrible Bond movie?  One of the main culprits had to be Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz’s screenplay.  Their first mistake came in the form of Bond’s search for Ernst Stravo Blofeld in the movie’s pre-credit sequence.  It all seemed so vague . . . almost pointless.  In fact, it seemed as if the screenwriters and producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman had been torn between a desire to make fans forget about ”OHMSS”’s tragic ending and a fear that those same fans might not forget.  Which would explain why the movie’s opening found Bond traveling from one location to another in search of Blofeld.  He even managed to nearly strangle one contact with her bikini top, titillating certain fans of the franchise.  Yet, not once did Bond ever mention his late bride or her murder – obviously the main reason behind his search for SPECTRE’s leader.  I could not help but conclude that the entire sequence was nothing but a cop-out.

And the story had failed to improve following the opening credits.  I never could understand why Her Majesty’s government had deemed it necessary for MI-6 to investigate a diamond smuggling operation.  Why not seek the assistance of an agency like Interpol or something?  And why would the CIA be interested in such a case?  Both MI-6 and CIA’s interest all came about before the revelation of Blofeld using the diamonds to create a weapon to extort the major superpowers.  And I never could understand this.

Bond’s investigation took him to Amsterdam, impersonating one of the links in the smuggling operation – Peter Franks.  From this point forward, a serious of implausible moments appeared in the story.  After a fight with the real Peter Franks, who had appeared at Tiffany Case’s Amsterdam apartment, Bond planted his own wallet in the dead smuggler’s jacket.  Tiffany discovered the wallet and expressed dismay at the idea of someone killing ‘James Bond’.  Could someone please explain how a diamond smuggler would know about a MI-6 government agent, yet have no knowledge of Blofeld or the fact that he had been her actual boss?  And there are more implausible moments to follow:

-After Mr. Slumber prevented Bond from being incinerated, Bond accused him and Shady Tree of giving him bad money (they saved him, because he had switched the real diamonds for fakes).  Yet, he pocketed the ’bad money’and used it at one of the Vegas hotel/casinos.

-Bond and Tiffany found dead prostitute Plenty O’Toole in the latter’s Vegas swimming pool.  Apparently, there had been a scene in which Plenty (who had been dumped out of Bond’s hotel room and into a swimming pool by gangsters working for Tiffany) had returned to Bond’s room and found Tiffany’s purse.  If this is true, I can see why this scene had been cut, because it lacked sense.  But why had EON Productions failed to cut the scene featuring the discovery of Plenty’s body, as well?

-The stunt featuring Bond’s two-wheeler driving of Tiffany’s Red Mustang through a narrow alley seemed . . . questionable.

-Why on earth did Bond bother to wear a tuxedo in order to break into Willard Whyte’s penthouse?
-Since Blofeld had left instructions to Bond (impersonating as SPECTRE minion, Burt Saxby’s voice) over the telephone to kill Willard Whyte, how did Saxby learn of the assignment in order to appear at Whyte’s house to do the job?

-Why would Tiffany be suspicious of a Blofeld in drag and tail him, when she never knew how he looked in the first place?  And I doubt that she knew about the cat.

 

”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”’s script had ended in a rather disappointing showdown on a SPECTRE-controlled oil rig off Baja California.  Come to think of it, Blofeld’s “death” and Bond’s showdown with Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd seemed equally lame.

The movie had also marked Sean Connery’s last appearance as the agent in an EON Productions’ Bond film.  He returned following George Lazenby’s decision not to continue with the Bond role.  Granted, Connery’s performance had its moments.  He seemed to be at his funniest in this movie, displaying a true flair for comedy.  And his elevator fight with Joe Robinson (portraying Peter Franks0 made it apparent that he had not lost his touch with action films, following a four-year hiatus from the Bond franchise.  And yet . . . I could not help but wish that Lazenby had continued his tenure as James Bond, following ”OHMSS”.  Perhaps the Australian’s presence could have guaranteed a more serious follow-up to Tracy Bond’s death.  Then again . . . perhaps not.  And despite Connery’s comedic touch, he seemed to have lost some of the fire that had made his earlier performances as Bond so memorable.  In fact, he seemed to have sailed through the entire movie without any true depth.

There seemed to be a split opinion amongst fans regarding Jill St. John’s performance as smuggler Tiffany Case.  Some viewed the red-haired Tiffany as a funny, smart and sassy woman.  Others regarded her as nothing more than a bubble-headed bimbo.  Personally, I agree with both views.  I liked St. John’s sharp portrayal of Tiffany in the movie’s first hour or so.  She portrayed the smuggler as a sharp-tongued woman who was shrewd enough to keep Bond’s paws off of her, until she needed him for her advantage.  And she helped Bond infiltrate Willard Whyte’s desert laboratory.  But once Blofeld was revealed to be alive, Tiffany became this idiot bimbo who allowed herself to get caught by Blofeld; and who helped Bond on the oil rig and later against Wint and Kidd with great ineptitude.  Her character seemed to have lost its steam by the movie’s last half-hour.

Charles Gray, who had been last seen as a murdered MI-6 agent in ”YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE”, became the third actor to portray SPECTRE leader Ernst Blofeld on screen.  I have to give points to the British actor for being the wittiest villain in the franchise’s history.  Although he had spent most of his on-screen time in the movie’s second half, more witticism streamed out of Gray’s mouth than any other actor or actress.  And as funny as he was, this abundance of witticism had also lessened his impact as a villain, I am sorry to say.  This seemed rather odd for an actor like Gray, who has proven to be more intimidating in other roles.

”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”’s supporting cast had seemed at best, a mixed blessing.  Not many Bond fans have been impressed by Norman Burton’s gruff performance as CIA agent Felix Leiter.  Frankly, I found his gruffness rather amusing.  Speaking of gruffness, Bernard Lee seemed downright acerbic and hostile during his brief appearance as M.  Neither Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewellyn as Moneypenny and Q, respectively, came off as memorable in this movie.

Marc Lawrence and Sig Haig had portrayed two of the gangsters who popped up during Bond’s first day in Las Vegas.  Unfortunately, they came off as movie gangsters from a 30s crime melodrama, instead of modern day thugs.  Donna Garratt and Trina Parks portrayed Willard Whyte’s bodyguards, Bambi and Thumper.  I must admit that they were memorable, although Ms. Parks had struck me as a bit of a drama queen.  Lana Wood (Natalie Wood’s younger sister) portrayed the unfortunate Plenty O’Toole.  And honestly?  I now feel that Ms. Wood was one of THE WORST actresses to appear in a Bond movie.  Okay, make that the second worst.  I consider Marguerite Le Wars, the actress who played the photographer in ”DR. NO” to be the worst.

Speaking of bad acting, who on earth had the bright idea to cast Country-Western singer, Jimmy Dean, as Willard Whyte?  No wonder he had never pursued a movie career.  Dean must have been the biggest ham in the movie, considering his tendency to bellow nearly every word that came out of his mouth.  Hollywood star Bruce Cabot (”KING KONG” [1933]) seemed like a waste of time in his role as Blofeld minion, Burt Saxby.  What a shame, especially since ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” was his last film.  The movie’s bright spot came in the forms of Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as Blofeld’s assassins, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd.  Glover and Smith portrayed these two hitmen (and possible lovers?) with wit, style and a delicious touch of menace.  It seemed a shame that they were killed off in one of the lamest action sequences of any Bond film.

I am trying to think of a Bond movie directed by Guy Hamilton that has really impressed me.  So far, I cannot think of one.  ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” is certainly not that movie.  Granted, it has its bright points – the witty humor, a sassy Tiffany Case in the film’s first half, a great fight scene between Connery and Robinson; along with Bruce Glover and Putter Smith.  I would also like to add that I also enjoyed the film’s musical score by John Barry and the theme song, performed by Shirley Bassey.  Granted, the song lacked the excitement and brashness of ”GOLDFINGER” and the lyrical beauty of ”MOONRAKER”, but I still managed to enjoy it.  But considering some of the second-rate performances found in this movie, along with poor editing and piss poor writing by Maibaum and Mankiewicz, ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” strikes me as being the complete nadir of the Bond franchise.  And that is saying something about a movie that I still enjoy watching . . . much to my continuing surprise.

Memorable Lines

Mr. Wint: The scorpion.
Mr. Kidd: One of nature's finest killers, Mr. Wint.
Mr. Wint: One is never too old to learn from a master, Mr. Kidd.

Sir Donald Munger: Tell me, Commander, how far does your expertise extend into the field of diamonds?
Bond: Well, hardest substance found in nature, they cut glass, suggest marriages, I suppose it replaced the dog as the girl's best friend. That's about it.
M: Refreshing to hear that there is one subject you're not an expert on!

Mr. Kidd: Well, they're both aboard, and I must say Miss Case seems quite attractive...
[Mr. Wint glares at him]
Mr. Kidd: ...For a lady. [pause] Heh heh heh heh!

Plenty O'Toole: Hi, I'm Plenty.
Bond: But of course you are.
Plenty O'Toole: Plenty O'Toole.
Bond: Named after your father perhaps?

[Plenty O'Toole is thrown out of the window by some goons perhaps from the 10th floor, and lands in the middle of the hotel's swimming pool]
Bond: [looking down] Exceptionally fine shot.
Slumber Inc. Attendant: I didn't know there was a pool down there.

[to a rat]
Bond: Well, one of us smells like a tart's handkerchief.
[sniffs]
Bond: I'm afraid it's me. Sorry, old boy.

“Listen, you can drop me off at the next corner. This whole thing is getting a little out of hand. No regrets, but when you start stealing moon machines from Willard Whyte, GOOD bye and GOOD Luck!” – Tiffany Case

Blofeld: Tiffany, my dear. We're showing a bit more *cheek* than usual, aren't we?
[Tiffany takes the cassette out from her bottom and hands it to Blofeld]
Blofeld: [to the guards] Take her below and lock her up with Mr. Bond.
[the guards take her to a cell]
Blofeld: What a pity, such nice cheeks too. If only they were brains.

Tiffany: Oh, James.
Bond: Oh, yes. What were you about to ask me?
Tiffany: James, how the hell do we get those diamonds down again?

[Bond tastes the Mouton Rothschild wine served]
Bond: The wine is quite excellent. Although for such a grand meal I would have expected a claret.
Mr. Wint: But of course. Unfortunately our cellar is poorly stocked with clarets.
Bond: Mouton Rothschild IS a claret. And, I've smelled that aftershave before, and both times - I've smelled a rat.

“Making mud pies, 007?” - Blofeld

Bond: What do you intend to do with those diamonds?
Blofeld: An excellent question. And one which will be hanging on the lips of the world quite soon. If I were to break the news to anyone it would be to you first, Mr. Bond, you know that.

Blofeld: You killed my only other double, I'm afraid. After his death, volunteers were understandably... rather scarce.
Blofeld Double: Such a pity. All that time and energy wasted, simply to provide *you* with one mock, heroic moment.

Bond: Saxby!
Willard Whyte: Burt Saxby? Tell him he's fired!

Bond: Surely, sir, there's no need to involve our section on a relatively simple smuggling matter.
M: Sir Donald has convinced the PM otherwise. May I remind you 007, that Blofeld is dead. Finished! The least we can expect from you now is a little *plain*, *solid*, *work*.

“Well go on, go on, it's merely a lift. Or should I say elevator? In any event I'm sure you'll find it far more convenient than mountaineering about outside the Whyte House.” – Blofeld

Tiffany: "Well, that's a switch!"
Bond: "What's that?"
Tiffany: "The wolf being guarded by the three little pigs!"

"I expected at least one head of state... Your pitiful little island hasn't even been threatened!" – Blofeld

"As you see, Mr Bond, the satellite is, at present, over Kansas. But if we destroy Kansas, the world may not hear about it for years." – Blofeld

3/10

Reviews of Four JAMES BOND Movies

Below is a list of reviews of four James Bond films I had recently watched:

 

 

”Dr. No”

This 1962 movie marked the cinematic debut of the Bond franchise, created by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman (EON Productions). Sean Connery also made his debut in this film as the MI-6 agent, James Bond. Although many critics and fans consider film as one of the more impressive in the franchise, I honestly cannot say that I share their opinion.

”DR. NO”’s story starts with the murder of MI-6 agent Strangeways and his secretary by a trio of assassins in Jamaica. Bond is ordered by his superior, M, to investigate the agent’s death and eventually stumbles upon a plot by SPECTRE agent, Dr. Julius No to disrupt the U.S. space program for the Chinese Republic. The main problem I had with ”DR. NO” is its schizophrenic plot. What began as a mystery thriller ends as a fantasy-style adventure, when Bond (and CIA contact Quarrel) makes his way to Dr. No’s Crab Key Island and disrupts the villain’s plot. Even worse, the movie seemed peppered with stilted dialogue that made me wince.

Even Connery’s performance seemed as uneven as the movie’s story and production style. In many scenes, he seemed to be the epitome of the smooth British agent. And in other scenes – especially with Jack Lord (portraying CIA agent, Felix Leiter) – he came off as gauche and wooden. Much has been made of Ursula Andress’ performance as “Bond Girl No.1” Honey Ryder – especially her famous first appearance as her character emerges upon a beach. Frankly, I could not sense the magic. Nor did I find Andress’ presence in the movie that impressive. Not only was her character irrelevant to the story, she did not really aid Bond’s attempts to defeat Dr. No. I first became a fan of Joseph Wiseman ever since I noticed his sly and subtle performance as a 1960s gangster in the TV series, ”CRIME STORY”. But I was not that impressed by his Dr. Julius No, who simply bored me to tears. I might as well say the same about Anthony Dawson’s performance as SPECTRE agent, Professor Dent. ”DR. NO” can boast first-class performances by Lord as the smooth and dominating Felix Leiter; John Kitzmiller as the exuberant Jamaican CIA contact, Quarrel; and Zena Marshall as Professor Dent’s secretary and SPECTRE agent, Miss Taro.

”DR. NO” can also boast some fine photography of Jamaica (probably among the best) by Ted Moore and a first-rate musical score by Monty Norman (the man who gave us the original “James Bond” theme). But some of the movie’s flaws – namely the uneven script, along with the choppy dialogue and direction – makes ”DR. NO” vastly overrated by other Bond fans critics in my eyes. But what can I expect from a movie that consistently puts me to sleep two-thirds into the story.

 

”Live and Let Die”

Between 1967 and 1972, EON Productions spent a chaotic five years trying to find one man to settle down portray James Bond following Sean Connery’s decision to retire from the role. Nineteen sixty-eight found Australian model, George Lazenby in the role. But after one movie, the excellent ”ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE”, Lazenby decided that he did not want to continue the role. Connery came back for one last movie - ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”, but did not bother to stick around. Then in 1972, Broccoli and Saltzman hired Roger Moore (famous for the TV series, ”THE SAINT”) to portray the British agent. And Moore went on to play the role for the next 12 years. But he had to start somewhere and he did with 1973’s ”LIVE AND LET DIE”. This was the very first Bond movie I had ever seen. Although I have a great sentimental attachment to it, I do not really consider it to be amongst the finest in the franchise. Nor is it a personal favorite of mine.

Following the murders of three MI-6 agents (in New York, New Orleans and the fictional island of San Monique), Bond is assigned by M to investigate their deaths. His investigations in New York leads him to a Harlem gangster named Mr. Big. But as it turns out, Mr. Big is also San Monique’s foreign minister. Bond eventually learns that Kanaga/Mr. Big plans to use the heroin grown in the San Monique opium fields to flood the current heroin market and gain complete control of the U.S. drug market. He killed the three British agents, because apparently they were in danger of stumbling upon his scheme.

I am going to be frank. As much as I like ”LIVE AND LET DIE”, I have never been impressed by its screenplay, written by Tom Mankiewicz. It never made any sense to me that the British government would be interested in the activities of a diplomat from an island that had obviously been a former French colony, or an American gangster. If the three agents and Bond had been French, I could see them working with CIA agent Felix Leiter on this case. But there you have it. And Bond’s San Monique showdown with Kanaga had always struck me as being rather disappointing. Another aspect of the movie I found disappointing was the leading lady – namely Jane Seymour as Kanaga’s Tarot card seer, Solitaire. I have nothing against Seymour’s performance. She seemed to be her usual competent self. But other than predicting Bond’s arrival in New York and later, at Kanaga’s San Monique estate, and warning Bond about Rosie Carver (via a Tarot card); I found nothing impressive about Solitaire’s role in the story. Especially since she eventually became nothing more than a moaning damsel-in-distress. And Geoffrey Holder as Baron Semedi did not really do much for me, but his ghostly appearance at the end of the movie was memorable.

Fortunately, ”LIVE AN LET DIE” had its virtues. Roger Moore’s long experience with action roles in television (”MAVERICK”, ”THE SAINT”, and ”THE PERSUADERS”) allowed him to segued into the Bond role with great ease. He already seemed very comfortable in the role and without any problems, managed to establish his own style. Unfortunately, very few people appreciated this. And Yaphet Kotto created an impressive villain in an interesting duel role as the smooth and intelligent Kanaga/the bombastic Mr. Big. To this day, Julius Harris’ TeeHee remains one of my favorite Bond henchmen of all time. All I can say was that the man was perfect – humorous, yet very menacing. David Hedison’s friendship with Moore proved to be very effective in his first outing as CIA agent, Felix Leiter. The warmth and easy between Leiter and Bond seemed more apparent than in any other Bond film. And I rather enjoyed Gloria Hendry’s performance as the amusingly clumsy, yet treacherous Rosie Carver. And let us not forget the hilarious and unforgettable Clifton James as the long-suffering Southern lawman, Sheriff J.W. Pepper. James’ peformance was so impressive that the producers brought him back to reprise his role in 1974’s ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”.

Also among ”LIVE AND LET DIE”’s virtues was its smooth direction by Guy Hamilton, which included a rather fun boat chase through the Louisiana bayou, fine performances and the rich atmosphere of New York’s Harlem and New Orleans. Cinematographer Ted Moore did much to contribute to the film’s atmosphere. But it is the movie’s score by George Martin and theme song by Paul McCartnery and Wings that seemed to be the movie’s most impressive virtue - other than Moore, Kotto and James’ performances. Although ”LIVE AND LET DIE”’s story remains unimpressive to me, it still turned out to be a rather entertaining film.

 

”From Russia With Love”

Have you ever heard the song, ”What a Difference a Day Makes”? Well, the phrase - ”What a difference, a year makes” kept going through my head, while viewing 1963’s ”FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE”. It seemed such a difference from the very inferior ”DR. NO” (and would prove to be quite a difference in my eyes to 1964’s ”GOLDFINGER”. Not only do I consider ”FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” to be one of the finest Bond films in the franchise, I also view it as Connery’s best. In fact, as with 1965’s ”THUNDERBALL”, his acting was superb in this film. James Bond not only seemed mature, but . . . [gasp] human. All one has to do is examine his interactions with leading lady Daniela Bianchi to notice this. Connery has never been so human as he was in this movie. And sadly, he was never this human again.

Connery was supported by a first-class supporting cast. First of all, there is Daniela Bianchi portraying the Soviet cipher clerk assigned to seduce him, Tatiana Romanova. What started as an assignment for Tania, ended up as full-blown love. Although, Bianchi had her dialogue dubbed by Zena Marshall (”DR. NO”), she did an excellent job in projecting Tania’s wide range of emotions – including her disgust at ex-Soviet turned SPECTRE agent, Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya). Speaking of Lenya . . . my goodness, I am speechless! What can I say? The woman was superb! Creepy in her scenes with Bianchi and Walter Gotell, yet fearful in the scenes featuring SPECTRE’s leader, Ernst Stavos Blofeld, she gave one of the best performances by any actor or actress portraying a Bondn villain/villainess. And I must say the same for the highly revered Robert Shaw. Not only did his Donovan Grant turned out to be the template for many Bond henchmen to come (with only ”THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS”’s Andreas Wisniewski coming close), he and Connery provided one of the best dramatic moments and fight sequences in the entire franchise. On Bond’s side, there was Hollywood character actor, Pedro Armendariz, who portrayed Bond’s Turkish contact, Kerim Bey. Sadly, the role of Bey would prove to be Armendariz’s last one. After finishing his scenes, he committed suicide, rather than suffer any longer from cancer. But fortunately for many Bond fans, Kerim Bey would prove to be his greatest and most memorable role. Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell were competent as usual. And the movie would serve as the debut of Desmond Llewellyn as MI-6’s Quartermaster

”FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE”’s story centered around SPECTRE’s scheme to lure James Bond into stealing a valuable Soviet decoding machine, and unknowingly deliver it into their hands. In the process, Agent 007 is to suffer a disgraceful death, in revenge for the death of Dr. No. The movie not only had the good luck to be based upon one of Ian Fleming’s few well-written novels, the screenwriters Richard Maibaum, and Johanna Harwood did an excellent job of translating it to the screen. Rich with atmosphere and mystery, ”FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” almost seemed like the perfect spy thriller – a far cry from the schizophrenic and inferior ”DR. NO”. A few changes had been made, but overall they seemed to serve the story very well.

Was ”FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” perfect? No. I have a few complaints. For example, there is the Bond-Grant confrontation. From a dramatic viewpoint, it gave Connery and Shaw to exercise their acting chops. From a storytelling viewpoint, it made no sense. It just did not make any sense to me that Grant would take his time preparing to kill Bond on the Orient Express, once he got the drop on the British agent. While Grant was busy searching Bond’s jacket and putting on his gloves, I found myself screaming at my TV screen – ”What in the hell are you waiting for? Kill him!” I also found the two action sequences that preceded Bond and Tania’s arrival in Venice a bit too much. I had the feeling that the writers added an extra action sequence in order to fill in the movie’s running time. I could have done with either the helicopter sequence or the Adriatic Sea boat chase. But the addition of both – one after the other – seemed a bit too much. But despite all of this, my positive view of ”FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” still stands.

 

”The Man With the Golden Gun”

What can I say about 1974’s ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”? It is not the worst James Bond movie I have ever seen. I can think of at least two or three of which I have a lower opinion. But I do believe that it is the worst Roger Moore film in the franchise. Apparently screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz believed the same. He made the decision to bow out of the writing assignment before the script could be finished. ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”’s plot the Solex Agitator - a device which can harness the power of the sun. Before Bond could investigate the death of scientist who was thought to be in possession of information crucial to the creation of the Solex Agitator, he has to find out why hitman Francisco Scaramanga had sent a golden bullet to him. It turns out that Scaramanga’s long-suffering mistress, Andrea Anders, had sent the bullet to Bond, hoping that he would kill the hitman. Eventually, Bond teams up with MI-6 agents Mary Goodnight and Lieutenant Hip against Francisco Scaramanga - The Man with the Golden Gun and his employer, billionaire Hai Fat. Eventually Scaramanga kills Hai Fat and become the sole possessor of the Solex Agitator. He also kills Andrea and kidnaps Goodnight. Bond tracks Scaramanga to an island of mainland China, where the action finally culminates in a duel between the two men - Bond's Walther PPK against Scaramanga's Golden Gun.

I must admit that the movie’s plot seemed interesting. It certainly did not seem like the disappointment that ”LIVE AND LET DIE” turned out to be. The problem with ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” is that it was so poorly executed . . . especially by director Guy Hamilton. There seemed to be a lack of style or substance in how the movie was directed. Roger Moore’s performance did not help matters. After his impressive debut in his previous movies, many Bond fans made a fuss over the fact that Moore’s Bond seemed nothing like Connery’s Bond. Which led to Moore being forced to an attempt to recapture Connery’s style. And it did not work. He came off as false and almost wooden. Only two scenes saved Moore’s performance from being a complete bust – his encounter with the Macao gunsmith, Lazar (”Speak now or forever hold your piece.”) and the Bond/Scaramanga confrontation during luncheon on the assassin’s island when Bond expresses his dislike of Scaramanga’s suggestion that the British agent is nothing more than a fellow assassin.

Speaking of Scaramanga, EON Productions had the good fortune to cast Christopher Lee (the future Count Dooku and Sarauman) as the movie’s main villain, expert assassin Francisco Scaramanga. The scene that featured Scaramanga's recollection of a pet elephant produced a very poignant performance from Lee. In fact, only Lee and South Korean actor, Soon-Tek-Oh (who portrayed MI-6 agent Lieutenant Hip) seemed to be the only two cast members who gave consistently excellent performances throughout the entire film. I certainly cannot say the same about the other supporting cast members. Herve Villachaise (four years before ”FANTASY ISLAND”) simply annoyed me. Maud Adams seemed to be her wooden self. Britt Ekland, although a good actress, had the bad luck to portray the annoyingly clumsly Mary Goodnight. Bernard Lee seemed a bit over-the-top in his constant annoyance toward Bond and Hip. Desmond Llewellyn as Q was as annoying as M seemed to find him. I do not even recall the quality of Lois Maxwell’s brief performance as Moneypenny.

I must admit that cinematographers Ted Moore and Oswald Morris beautifully captured the exotic allure of Southeast Asia. It seemed a pity that John Barry could not produce a memorable score and that Don Black wrote what I consider to be the second worst Bond theme song (performed by Lulu) in the franchise’s history. Oh well. Nothing is perfect. Unfortunately for ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”, it was far from perfect.

 

"GOLDFINGER" Review"

 

 

Ever since its release in 1964, the movie, GOLDFINGER has been regarded as one of the best Bond movies ever.  In fact, it is considered by many Bond fans as the franchise's definitive film, considering that it more or less created what is known as "the Bond formula".  The 1959 Fleming novel that it is based up, is also highly regarded by some fans, while others believe that the movie is an improvement on the literary version.   While I agree that the movie, GOLDFINGER is an improvement over the novel, I have a low opinion of both versions.  However, I'm here to comment on the movie and not the novel.

 

As I have stated before, GOLDFINGER is without a doubt one of my least favorite Bond movies of all time.  Not only did Bond seem to act like an oversexed adolescent, culminating in that ridiculous scene between him and Pussy Galore in Goldfinger's barn, the movie is hampered by a weak Felix Leiter, portrayed by Canadian actor Cec Linder (who seemed more like a sidekick than an ally) and major plotholes that included:

 

1) Goldfinger's reason for keeping Bond alive - why the man didn't think to find out what exactly Bond knew about "Operation Grand Slam", I don't know.

 

2) The method Bond uses for convincing Ms. Galore to betray Goldfinger - it's bad enough that Bond had to assert his masculinity over the cool and professional Ms. Galore, the writers have us believe that he used sex to convince her to betray Goldfinger.  Why?  Why not have Bond convince her that Golfinger was simply a fruitcake?  I guess the writers wanted an excuse for Bond to use the "magic penis".  The entire barn scene left me feeling disgusted and less impressed by Pussy Galore.

 

3) Goldfinger's murder of the Mafia bosses - This was so ridiculous and unecessary.  Many Bond fans have claimed that the reason Goldfinger told the Mafia bosses about his plans for Fort Knox before murdering them, was because he wanted bask in the enjoyment of letting someone know about his plans.  If that was the case, why not have Goldfinger tell Bond before attempting to kill the agent or leave him for dead?  What makes this scenario even more ridiculous is that when Mr. Solo decided that he wants nothing of the Fort Knox plan, Goldfinger sent him on his way with a gold bar . . . before Oddjob kills the man and crushes him inside a car.  Why not simply leave Solo with the other gangsters and kill them all?  Without having to reveal his Fort Knox plan?

 

Are there any positive aspects about GOLDFINGER?  Why . . . yes, or else I would consider this entry in the franchise as the worst.  Thankfully, the movie's cast included Gert Frobe as Auric Goldfinger.  Although my opinion of Goldfinger's intelligence has diminished over the years, I remain impressed by Frobe's commanding performance.  And there is the talented and classy Honor Blackman (who was already famous in the U.K. in the TV series, THE AVENGERS), playing the tough and intelligent Pussy Galore.  I enjoyed Ms. Blackman's performance so much that it seemed a shame that her character was ruined in that Galore/Bond wrestling match inside the barn.  Shirley Easton made the most of her brief appearance as one of the doomed Masterson sisters, Jill.  And let's face it, no one will ever forget the last image of her gold-painted body spread out upon the bed inside Bond's Miami hotel room.

 

 

Last by not least, there is the movie's theme song, performed by the talented Shirley Bassey.  After all, it is considered one of the best Bond theme songs ever.  And that is an opinion I do share.

 

Despite some of the movie's positive aspects, I have always had ambiguous feelings about GOLDFINGER for years.  In the past, I tried to accept the prevalent feeling that it was probably one of the best Bond movies.  But after watching it the last time . . .  Well let me put it this way, whether or not it was responsible for creating the Bond formula, I finally realize how much I truly dislike it.

 

 

3/10

 

 

”YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” Review

In recent years, EON Production’s 1967 movie, “YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” has not been highly regarded by many Bond fans. In a way, I can understand why, judging by Sean Connery’s performance in his fifth consecutive turn as James Bond and the movie’s plot.

The plot begins with the abduction of an American space capsule in space by a mysterious craft. The U.S. government blames the Soviet government, but the British government, who has tracked the mysterious craft to Japan, where James Bond is sent to investigate. With the help of Tiger Tanaka and Japan’s SIS agency, Bond eventually links the mysterious craft to SPECTRE, who is being paid by the People’s Republic of China to start a war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. As one can see, the movie’s plot, written by Roald Dahl, bears very little resemblance to the novel under the same name. Characters like Kissy Suzuki, Tiger Tanaka, Ernst Blofeld and Dikko Henderson are in both the movie and the novel. But the latter dealt with a Bond (depressed over the death of his wife, Tracy) given one last chance by MI6 to get direct access from the Japanese to Magic 44, the project revealing all Soviet radio transmissions. The mission, which eventually involves Blofeld and a place called “Castle of Death”, seems like a far cry from the movie’s plot.

Not only is the movie’s plot bears very little or no resemblance to the novel (a first in the Bond franchise), there are some moments in the story that seem to defy logic. I never understood why Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) failed to mention that she worked for Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and the Japanese SIS when she first met Bond. Why would Helga Brandt (Karin Dor) go through all of that trouble in allowing Bond to “convince her” to betray Osato (Teru Shimada) before finally attempting to kill him? If she did it for sex with the British agent, then she had deserved to be consumed by the piranha fish. I never could figure out on which side was the wheel placed on Aki’s white Toyota sports car – the left or the right. What exactly did Bond plan to do once he joined the escaped American astronauts impersonating SPECTRE astronauts? Especially since he had sent Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama) to summon Tiger and his Ninja warriors? And why in the hell did Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) shoot Osato and then force Bond to another spot before attempting to kill him? Why was it necessary for him to force Bond to move to a different spot, in the first place?

Most of the performances in the movie were satisfying. especially Akiko Wakabayashi, who memorably played the charming and very competent Aki practically became one of two gems. It seemed a shame that she had failed to survive the movie. The other gem turned out to be the performance of Tetsuro Tambo, who played the charismatic head of Japan’s SIS, Tiger Tanaka. Teru Shimada was properly menacing as SPECTRE middleman, Mr. Osato. Charles Gray made a nice appearance as MI6 agent, Dikko Henderson, four years before his stint as Ernst Blofeld.

Speaking of Blofeld, Pleasance was not bad, but his Middle European accent seemed a little unconvincing and the scar on his cheek seemed a little over-the-top. Karin Dor seemed like an obvious attempt on EON Production’s part to cash in on Luciana Paluzzi’s popular performance in “THUNDERBALL” . . . and it failed. Her appearance seemed like a waste of time. Mie Hama, although charming and beautiful, turned out to be one of the most boring Bond leading ladies of all time. I could not detect anything interesting about her character, Japanese SIS agent and diving girl, Kissy Suzuki. Many have commented on Sean Connery’s less than spectacular performance in this movie. And I must agree with their opinion. Granted, he had some good moments with Wakabayashi and Tambo, but overall, he seemed to be walking through the performance. And this is not surprising, since it had been reported that Connery was pretty much weary of the Bond role, by this time. But at least he did not seemed to be spoofing his role, as he did in “DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”.

“YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” did have high water marks, other than Wakabayashi and Tambo’s performances. The movie can boast beautiful shots of Japan, thanks to cinematographer, Freddie Young; and a lovely John Barry score, topped by a beautiful and lilting theme song, performed by Nancy Sinatra. “YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” might not be considered the best of Bond films or those made during the Connery era, but it still turned out to be entertaining.

Minor Notes -
Connery’s first wife, Diane Cliento, had doubled for Mie Hama during the scene in which Kissy Suzuki swims back to summon Tiger Tanaka. It seemed that Ms. Hama had been ill at the time with stomach cramps and production could not wait for her to recover.

Tsai Chin, who played Ling, the Chinese woman hired by to set up Bond for “murder” in the pre-titled sequence in YOLT, also played Madame Wu, one of the high rollers at Le Chiffre’s poker tournament in “CASINO ROYALE”.


Memorable Lines

Tanaka: "Rule Number Two in Japan...Men always come first. Women come second"
Bond: "I might just retire here."

Blofeld: "James Bond. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ernst Stavro Blofeld. They told me you were assassinated in Hong Kong."
Bond: "Yes, this is my second life."
Blofeld "You only live twice, Mr. Bond."

Bond: We're supposed to be on honeymoon..
Kissy: Think again, please. This is business.

“I think I will enjoy very much serving under you.” – Aki

Helga Brandt: [Bond is captured by Helga Brandt] I've got you now.
Bond: Well, enjoy yourself.
[Brandt slaps him]

Aki: You wouldn't touch that horrible woman, would you?
James Bond: Oh heaven forbid.

Tanaka: It can save your life, this cigarette.
Bond: You sound like a commercial.

[Bond has just sent Blofeld's henchman into the water. The piranha immediately attack him]
Bond: Bon appetit!

Tanaka: You know what it is about you that fascinates them, don't you? It's the hair on your chest. Japanese men all have beautiful bare skin.
Bond: Japanese proverb say, "Bird never make nest in bare tree."

Bond: Why do Chinese girls taste different from all other girls?
Ling: You think we better, huh?
Bond: No, just different. Like Peking Duck is different from Russian Caviar. But I love them both.
Ling: Darling, I give you very best duck.

“That was stirred, not shaken?” – Henderson

Moneypenny: Oh, by the way, how was the girl?
Bond: (turns the lamp towards her, interrogation style) Which girl?
Moneypenny: The... uh... Chinese one we set you up with?
Bond: Another few minutes and I would have found out.

 

Fans' Opinion on Sean Connery as Bond

“No post-Connery Bond in his debut performance has shrugged off comparisons to his predecessors as successfully as Craig does in Casino Royale: before the movie is even halfway through his Bond is far more his own man than those of Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan were by the end of their first Bond films.”

“A splendid casting choice, Craig has a physicality that only Sean Connery and perhaps George Lazenby could approach.”

“I don't think he (Daniel Craig) can overtake Connery as Bond for me, but he's already running a damned close.”

I do not understand this. Are all James Bond fans in love Sean Connery? Are we all expected to accept the idea of him as the best James Bond as a matter of fact? I hope not. Because it is an opinion I have never shared during my thirty-four years of watching Bond movies.

While watching a commercial for the recent Bond movie, “CASINO ROYALE”, the announcer declared Daniel Craig as the best Bond. A relative of mine nearly jumped out of his seat and cried, “Sean Connery is the best Bond!” as if it were a matter of fact. I could only look away in amusement.

One reason why I have never accepted Connery as the best Bond is the fact that he was not the first actor I had seen in the role. And if I had, I still doubt I would have accepted him as the best Bond. Although Roger Moore was my first Bond (I first saw him in “LIVE AND LET DIE”), very little time had passed before I saw Connery as Bond television for the first time. From what I had seen of Moore on the movie screen and Connery on television, both seemed to be very effective as James Bond. But only different. To this day, I have never been able to decide between the two who was my favorite Bond. And when movies like “ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE”, “THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS” and “GOLDENEYE” became popular with me, I found it increasingly difficult to choose any actor as the best Bond.

I am not saying that Sean Connery was a lousy James Bond. He obviously made a very good Bond. But after watching most of the Bond films over the past six months, I simply found it hard to accept the idea that he was the best actor to portray Bond. Quite frankly, I found myself equally impressed with those that followed – George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. For years, I have never had a “favorite Bond”, so to speak, until Daniel Craig’s debut in the role. Do I believe that Craig was the best Bond? No. But he has quickly become my favorite.

As for Connery, I was especially impressed by his performances in “FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE” and “THUNDERBALL”. He seemed to be at his most human in those two roles. And in 1971’s “DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”, he seemed to be at his funniest. But honestly . . . I have never viewed him as the best James Bond. I certainly do not believe that his debut as Bond was the best. And I do not think I ever will. In fact, his debut (in “DR. NO”) is my least favorite Bond debut. His performance seemed . . . mixed. Uneven. In some scenes, his performance seemed very smooth and professional. At other times – especially in Jack Lord’s company – he seemed wooden.

He never really came close to the literary Bond penned by Ian Fleming. Both Dalton and Craig deserve that honor. Not that being close to the literary Bond mean much to me. Frankly, I could not care less how an actor portrays the 00 agent, as long as he gives a good performance, deal adequately with the action sequences and create his own style as Bond. Connery had created his own style – a mixture of rugged machismo and a touch of sophistication. But machismo seemed to dominate Connery’s Bond.

I don’t know. Perhaps many Bond fans – which seemed to be dominated by men – feel that machismo is the ultimate expression of a man. Personally, I do not agree. But we are all allowed our opinions. In adopting a machismo persona, Connery immediately created his own style of how to portray Bond. But the reason why I cannot give him credit as the ultimate Bond is that the other actors have managed to create their own style, as well. Why should Connery be given credit for something the other five actors have also managed to achieve?

But why do fans insist upon declaring Connery as the best Bond, as if it were a matter of fact? Some might point out that most Bond fans prefer Connery. I admit that it does seem to be the case that Connery is the most popular Bond actor. But I am the type of person who does not believe in the old term – ‘majority rules’. Especially in regard to art or entertainment. Hell, most Americans in the mid-19th century believed there was nothing wrong with enslaving African-Americans. But just because most accepted this opinion as fact, does not mean they were right. And I must say the same about Connery’s performances as Bond. Even if most fans accept him as the best James Bond, does not mean they are right. In the end, it is subjective. I only wish that many of these film critics and fans stop declaring Connery as the best Bond . . . as if it were a matter of fact. Would it really kill for them to add – “in my opinion”?

Thunderball

I  had just viewed the 1965 Bond movie, “THUNDERBALL” for the first time in several years.  And I can see why this movie is considered to be one of my all time favorite Bond flicks.  But I do not think I can state why in one or two sentences.

“THUNDERBALL” turned out to be director Terrence Young’s third and last Bond film.  Most Bond fans consider it to be his least superior film, but I consider it to be his second best, following 1963’s “FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE”.  The story, based upon an unfinished script called “Warhead”, co-written by Ian Fleming, Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham.  The unfinished script eventually became Fleming’s 1961 novel, “Thunderball”.  This resulted in a major lawsuit between McClory and Fleming and eventually, EON Productions became dragged into it.  The story is about SPECTRE’s theft of NATO nuclear warheads and how they used it to blackmail the U.S. and British government for the sum of 100,000,000 pounds.  Naturally, MI-6 sends all of their “00” agents to recover the warheads before SPECTRE can carry out its threat to detonate the weapons on U.S. and British soil.  Many moviegoers found the movie’s plot a little hard to buy and viewed it as part of the realm of fantasy.  But considering the current obsession of terrorism and the high illegal weapons market, “THUNDERBALL” is probably one of the more relevant plots of any Bond film. 

Aside from the underwater sequences, “THUNDERBALL” turned out to be an elegant and exciting thriller with excellent drama, a solid plot that managed to avoid any major plotholes, a classy score by John Barry and a first-class cast.  Sean Connery portrayed James Bond for the fourth time in this film.  Thankfully, he seemed to be at the top of his game in this one.  It is a vast improvement over his performance in 1964’s “GOLDFINGER”, in which he seemed to come off as an immature prat.  And he is ably assisted by a first-class cast – Claudine Auger as Domino Duval, Adolfo Celi as villain Emile Largo (SPECTRE’s Number 2), Rik Van Nutter as CIA Agent Felix Leiter and especially Luciana Paluzzi as villainess Fiona Volpe.  

Below is a list of positive and negative aspects of the film.  I have decided to start with the negative, since there was little that I did not care about the movie:

Negative:

*Rik Van Nutter as Felix Leiter – Do not get me wrong.  Van Nutter’s performance as Leiter was competent and very personable.  My problem was that his role was written as a “less-than-bright” sidekick of Bond’s, instead of an ally.  Bond has been assisted by Leiter in other movies, but they have never come off as some dumb sidekick . . . except for Cec Linder in “GOLDFINGER”.

*Theme Song – I will not deny that the movie’s theme song, performed by Tom Jones is slightly catchy.  But I also found the lyrics to be slightly sexist and off-putting.

*Underwater Sequences – Yes, the underwater sequences had threatened to drag the movie a bit.  Actually, I can point out two sequences that came close to boring me – the sequence that featured Largo’s acquisition of the warheads and the final battle between Largo’s men and U.S. Navy frogmen.  I must add that John Barry's score for the underwater sequences really threatened to drag these scenes. 

Positive:

*Luciana Paluzzi – Let us be honest, folks.  The red-haired Paluzzi came dangerously close to stealing the picture from Connery.  Like Honor Blackman before her, she radiated sexiness and a strong on-screen presence.  She seemed to be even more of a threat than Emile Largo and his men.

*Adolpo Celi – What I like about Celi’s performance is that he does not come off as an over-the-top villain.  He was elegant, intelligent, ruthless and egotistical.  Perfect villain.

*Nassau setting – The setting in Nassau gave the movie an exotic, yet elegant feel that really added substance to the movie.

*Dialogue – The dialogue in this movie was unusually sharp and witty.  But what really appealed to me was that Connery’s puns did not come out of his mouth every other minute, as it did in his previous two movies.  In fact, the movie featured what I consider to be one of Connery’s best lines during his tenure with the franchise. 

Speaking of dialogue, below is what I consider to be some of my favorite lines:

* Moneypenny: In the conference room. Something pretty big. Every double-o man in Europe has been rushed in. And the home secretary too!
Bond: His wife probably lost her dog.

*Bond: My dear, uncooperative Domino.
Domino: How do you know that? How do you know my friends call me Domino?
Bond: It's on the bracelet on your ankle.
Domino: So... what sharp little eyes you've got.
Bond: Wait 'til you get to my teeth.

*Do you mind if my friend sits this one out? She's just dead.

*M: I've assigned you to Station "C" Canada.
Bond: Sir, I'd respectfully request that you change my assignment to Nassau.
M:Is there any other reason, besides your enthusiasm for water sports?

*Pat Fearing: James, where are you going?
Bond: Oh, nowhere. I just thought I'd take a little, uh... exercise.
Pat Fearing: You must be joking.

*But of course, I forgot your ego, Mr. Bond. James Bond, the one where he has to make love to a woman, and she starts to hear heavenly choirs singing. She repents, and turns to the side of right and virtue...[she steps on Bond's foot]... but not this one.  

I would like to conclude with this little note:  in 1983, Kevin McClory – one of the original authors of “Thunderball/Warhead”, produced his own version of the story, starring Sean Connery as Bond.  The movie, "NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN" was not terrible, but it almost seemed like an overblown version of the 1965 movie.