007 Movies - Which is Your Favorite?

[Shanks A Million]

I think I'm going to have to give the Dalton movies another look.

Yes, Dalton is really a fantastic actor, and a die hard Bond fan well before he ever played him. When one really stops and ponders who actually brought James Bond to life, it was certainly, in my estimation, Dalton. His Bond was very, very dark, and you really could believe that, as Dalton and some of his peers said, you believed that this was a man who really had killed, and really knew the dark side of human nature.

License To Kill always struck me as being a little Campy with the fake "Isthmus City" (filmed in Mexico), but it was also a home game for me, as much of the early part of the film was about drug dealers in south Florida, and there were no shortage of them in the neighborhood I grew up in. The Theme Song was also great, it was actually the main theme from Goldfinger (just the F# - D chords essentially), rehashed into a whole new song. I always liked it. Here's a fun bit of trivia though, and most of you probably had no idea about this. The Living Daylights was the first Bond movie to have a different song in the closing credits (all the others had either the Bond theme or the main theme of the movie). The Living Daylights had a song by the Pretenders called "If There Was A Man" as the closing theme (the opening theme was also originally to be the Pretenders' song "Where Has Everybody Gone", which appears throughout the film.) However, the closing credits theme song for License to Kill was written by the legendary Dianne Warren, and sung by Patti LaBelle. It was remade in the 90s by Celine Dion, and it became a huge hit. It was called, "If You Asked Me To."

[Shindig]

Here's a fun bit of trivia though, and most of you probably had no idea about this. The Living Daylights was the first Bond movie to have a different song in the closing credits (all the others had either the Bond theme or the main theme of the movie). The Living Daylights had a song by the Pretenders called "If There Was A Man" as the closing theme (the opening theme was also originally to be the Pretenders' song "Where Has Everybody Gone", which appears throughout the film.)

It takes a lot to impress me with 007 Trivia, as I seem to know most of it. I don't think I knew this, though -- and I own both soundtracks! I'm very impressed.

[Shanks A Million]

It takes a lot to impress me with 007 Trivia, as I seem to know most of it. I don't think I knew this, though -- and I own both soundtracks! I'm very impressed.

Yeah, A-Ha was brought in at the last minute after "Take On Me" was such a huge hit, and the producers were afraid the Pretenders were not "in" enough, or some other BS. The original recording A-Ha made is

awful , trust me (I've heard it). John Barry came in and just took it to a whole nother level, but the members of A-Ha were pissed about it, and gave him guff. The members of A-Ha felt that they knew what they were doing, never mind that John Barry was a vetran who had scored films like Out of Africa Midnight Cowboy, Somewhere in Time, and Born Free, and (at the time) had 4 oscars... The band A-Ha, of course, have him to thank for the fact they ever even saw the charts again. Here's how the opening was supposed to look like:

[goblue107501]

Can we officially say that Shanks A Million is the official 'official guru' of the 007 series? I have watched the movies since I was a kid, and still pull them out from time to time. I thought I knew quite a bit about Bond. I think Shanks has more Bond info in his thumb nail than I have total. I bow to the guru.

[Elvisliveson]

For me it is:

1)Goldfinger (the blueprint for the series, upon which most susequent Bonds were based)
2)From Russia with Love (closest to the book, which was one of JFK's favorites)
3)For Your Eyes Only (Roger Moore's best and only true serious outing. Also incorporates many elements from the books)
4)Casino Royale with Daniel Craig (Awesome reboot to the franchise. Back to business Bond after tuxedo model Brosnan)
5)Diamonds are Forever (Connery's last "official" Bond film. First "campy" Bond. A guilty pleasure.)

[Shindig]

Can we officially say that

Ummm... yes. Especially on the music of the series.

5)Diamonds are Forever (Connery's last "official" Bond film. First "campy" Bond. A guilty pleasure.)

Wouldn't

You Only Live Twice be the first campy Bond?

[Elvisliveson]

Wouldn't

Not at all. It was a straight telling of an outlandish plot. It wasn't done with tongue firmly planted in cheek, like DAF.

[csibona]

I thought Casino Royale was great - but I haven't done a complete review.

[FX(TM)]

Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are both brilliant films, and I think it's very tight between Daniel Craig and Sean Connery for the best Bond, personally.

I like Dr. No, just for the whole 'underneath the mango tree' theme, and the scenery is fantastic, but I also like Goldfinger because the plot is great, as is the film and special effects.

Dr. No JUST takes the vote for me. I know it's a rare pick, and it's maybe not the BEST, but it's my favourite.

[Meddle]

I'll go with Goldfinger. Great plot, Goldfinger is one of the greatest Bond villains ever, and there's a great golf scene! What more could you want?

[Shindig]

I like Dr. No, just for the whole 'underneath the mango tree' theme, and the scenery is fantastic, but I also like Goldfinger because the plot is great, as is the film and special effects.

If you get a chance, listen to the full score. IIRC, there are some great variations of that theme within the music.

[FX(TM)]

I've always wondered this; what does IIRC stand for?

[Elvisliveson]

I've always wondered this; what does IIRC stand for?

If I recall correctly.

Did you know that the Tarantula scene in Dr. No was with a giant centipede in the book? Although it is extremely poisonous, the producers replaced it with the tarantula because they felt it looked more dangerous. Also you can clearly see the glass when it is supposedly crawling over Sean's arm.

[FX(TM)]

I didn't. Interesting little facts there!

Did YOU notice, at the start of Dr. No, in the fight scene with the driver of his pick-up car from the airport, Connery pulls back with his left arm, and hits the driver with his right hand?! That's talent right there.

(it may be pull back with right, and hit with the left)

[Clambake]

My Top 4:

1) From Russia With Love - A tight simple plot about basic espionage: steal a codebreaking machine and get it out of the country. No bizarre gadgets or tricks defying the laws of physics, Very close to the book. Robert Shaw is a solid and chilling bad guy, and the fight scene with Bond is actually believable. And Daniella Bianchi is simply lovely.

2) Goldfinger - nothing to add here to what others have already said. Still has the best line of any of the Bond movies: "Why no, Mr. Bond....I expect you to die!"

3) Casino Royale (D. Craig version) - A nice return to the core Bond themes which mix action, counterespionage, stunts, and psychological intrigue. Craig makes an excellent Bond, coldly efficient as a killer but deeply disturbed.

4) Thunderball - Very true to the book, and a good story that's largely believable.


After those, I feel the quality falls off fast. And any of the ones that have Jaws, Bond piloting space shuttles, meglamaniac media tycoons, moronic redneck Sheriffs, etc. are really just charicatures and don't really rate being called "Bond Films" IMO. They may have a good moment or two, but outside of that....ugh.

[IcemanYVR]

Wow... I don't usually follow threads this long, but the Bond Trivia here is amazing... it's a whole hobby unto itself :)

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing, I've learned a ton of stuff I didn't need to know, but enjoyed thoroughly

[doctork]

Goldfinger for me. Plenty of reasons already stated above.

Cheers,
DoctorK

[FX(TM)]

For anyone who's interested, here's the Dr. No movie mistake I was talking about, and the guy in this video has posted a hell of a lot more mistakes in the video!