On her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

It's said that you should never start a lecture by making excuses as it shines a spotlight to your shortcomings, and perhaps even unnecessarily. So having the first non-Connery Bond look straight into the camera and say "This never happened to the other fellow" is perhaps not a stroke of genius. Other than that the intro is decent, showing off some good bare-knuckled fighting from Lazenby. This is the first (and still only) flick not to have the film's song after the intro. Barry is utterly at his best here, so it's fine.

Diana Rigg was the first established actor to play a Bond-girl as the producers felt they needed to balance out the inexperienced Lazenby. And it fits perfectly as Lazenby can't pull off Connery's raw sexuality, hence it fits him better with a cold, arrogant woman he has to chase for most of the film. Rigg has the upper hand most of the time, despite Bond bailing her out regularly. Lazenby is a bit on the stiff side (his alter ego Edmund Hillary works well in that respect), so false courtesy and genuine patience is a most fitting way for him to get his best chemistry. Though Connery is missed at times, it seems harsh not to give his replacement more than one attempt. Lazenby is nowhere near as macho and naturally threatening as Connery, playing it more with mirth and cool. Closer to to what Roger Moore would provide later.

The script is in part a love-story as Teresa doesn't need the exciting, flamboyant Bond. She needs the calmly dominant and stoic Bond and as he wears her down, she finds the anchor in her life she's been seeking. Surely not written that way by the misogynistic Fleming. For further evidence, witness the early montage with love-soaked lyrics from Armstrong and the foolish grins on the lovers. She does disappear for the better part of an hour, though, disturbing the flow.

So the plot is fittingly ridiculous, the action is very good (bobsleigh anyone?) and there are some cool set-ups (though one stolen from "The Ipcress Files". The cutting is a bit jagged and frantic at times, but that was common in the day. Worse is the editing. Apart from the ending, it has a lighter tone in both humour and flirtations.

OHMSS is the only Bond-film to end on a sad note, making it the perfect entrance for Satchmo's brilliant ballad. An end to remember, with a shattered Bond in disbelief.

At 142 minutes, it was by a distance the longest Bond-film, and the pace suffers a bit as a consequence. It doesn't help it that the action is a bit unevenly distributed. Still, it's a different instalment in the franchise and an underrated one at that.

7/10

Best car used: 1968 Aston Martin DBS (The Mercury Cougar is a thing of beauty, though)
Most memorable drink served: Dom Perignon '57 and a dry Martini, shaken not stirred
Henchmen: Irma Bunt. Short, ugly women are never good for Bond. Not really a problem for Bond until the final scene.
Villain: Telly Savalas as Blofeld. Seems much more pompous than Pleasance, and much, much less threatening.
Best one-liner: "Just a slight stiffness coming on"
Song: "We have all the time in the world" by Louis Armstrong. A dwelling, sad ballad. Fantastic.
Bond-Girl: Diana Rigg. The first to really have her own character. And she does make a meal of it. Wonderfully playful, fragile and headstrong.

You only Live Twice (1967)

So finally they managed to use 2 years to make the next one. Perhaps Barry's best theme introduces the plot to space. One of the finest openings, as it is slow, methodical and filled with extreme tension as a result. Actually, Bond doesn't appear before in the third scene, as some old politicians needs to give the viewer an insight as to what is at stake. Expertedly done by director Lewis Gilbert.

As it is set in Japan, and that was very exotic at the time, we are of course treated to all the stereotypes. Sumo-wrestling, kimonos, bamboo, paper walls, sake, some very original methods of assassination, and ninjas of course.

Charles Gray is a very good contact point (pun intended) actually good enough to be recalled as Blofeld in "Diamonds are forever", and Donald Pleasence an excellent villain, even helping develop the legendary scar. His voice is slow and deliberate. The only way to measure his emotions is by how he's stroking his cat. Fantastic. And therefore a bit of a treat when we get to see his face right towards the end after only having heard his voice and seen his hand (and cat) so far in both he film and the franchise.

Tanba has fine chemistry with Connery, which is necessary as Wakabayashi is a bit demure for Bond and makes you miss Blackman. Though at least she is very direct as to making her relationship with Bond a physical one at an early stage, and saves his life twice. Llewellyn is in no form for Bonds childishness here, and that leaves the banter unused. But as he brings Little Nellie, we forgive him. Maxwell's flirt with Bond is pitch perfect this time around, and she even has him on defence for a split second.

They seemed to have spent a bit more time writing dialogue this time, and there is plenty of light-hearted puns and some cute misses at the English language from our Japanese friends (She is very sexyful). The scene with Tanaka and Bond as he is presented with potential wives is without a word and yet hilarious. The plot is also on the plus-side, as it is highly politically relevant and in that respect quite believable.

So the tension is good, the banter varying, the action much improved in 2 years, and the henchmen are useless. And there's nothing wrong with an epic ending with a 100 ninjas attacking a volcano base. No, no.

7/10

Best car used: Toyota 2000GT (though Bond never drives any car himself in this flick)
Most memorable drink served: Dry Martini, stirred not shaken. Bond lies well. Also Dom Perignon 59
Henchmen: Helga Brandt. Sexy, but not really menacing. Osato. A businessman. No threat other than to send swarms of thugs.
Villain: Ernest Stavro Blofeld. And Pleasence set a bar later actors would struggle to follow up.
Best one-liner: "Just a drop in the ocean"
Song: You only live Twice. Nancy Sinatra. A beautiful theme, but lacks the sass and virility from former instalments, partly because there is no big brass-section and her voice lacks the sheer power of her predecessors.
Bond-girl: Akiko Wakabayashi. Not particularly good as she lacks a bit of the "bad girl" and sheer power by presence the best have.

Thunderball (1965)

Bond whispering at a funeral... How unlike him and mundane. But wait! The man wasn't dead and a big fight ensues! And off by jet-pack it is, straight to the beloved Aston Martin (and a beautiful woman of course). All in a few minutes Much, much better. Generally, there is a lot of assassinations and attempted such the first 30 minutes.

Director Terence Young takes a bit of effort trying to let us get to know SPECTRE, and succeeds in showing them as an extremely callous organization, highly structured with much loyalty demanded, and absolutely no slip-ups tolerated. Under penalty of death. The problem with it is that Largo seems a bit weak compared to the actions of the not-seen Blofeld. He does feed failures to sharks though, and that is a most wanted trait in a villain. Particularly when he would much rather use them to give Bond a chance to escape instead of just shooting him. 

Bernard Lee gets a bit more meat on the bone as M, with high-ranking politicians involved, showing a fierce loyalty towards Bond, when he's not there. Connery seems a bit bored this time around, and particularly his flirting is off. He even has to blackmail himself to the first round. His interaction with Adolfo Celi as Largo in a card-game (thankfully no more golf) is impeccable, though. 

Somehow the special effects seem poorer than previous instalments, and particularly the action-scenes seem to have been done at 1.25 of regular speed, making them seem a bit silly. Thunderball does well on mystique, tension and the spy-like sneaking about though. And Barry has a magnificent score to help along. Pay particular attention to the build-up to Volpe's death. Masterful suspense. 

The real treat of this instalment however, is the underwater scenes. Whether the huge underwater battle (epic for its time) or just Bond and girls swimming with turtles, they are astonishing.

So it doesn't have the same charm as the two that preceded it, but it's still a solid piece of work

7/10

Best car used: Aston Martin DB5

Most memorable drink served: Dom Perignon 55.

Henchmen: Fiona Volpe, a beautiful but somewhat easy to forget character that dies rather early. 

Villain: SPECTRE number 2, Maximilian Largo

Best one-liner. "I think he got the point"

Song: Tom Jones. The big voice from Wales with a big brass section to dramatic effect. One of the best. 

Bond-girl: Claudine Auger as Domino. Seems a bit of a continuation of Tilly Masterson from "Goldfinger". Not particularly memorable

Goldfinger (1964)

Bond in scuba-gear emerging from the water, killing a guard, climbing a castle wall and planting a massive amount of explosives, before stripping straight to a tuxedo and entering a party. Was there ever a more fitting start to a Bond-flick. Naturally, there is time for a girl and a brawl before the vignette.

One of the first actions of Bond is to piss off Goldfinger (who was the first to have a golden gun) in a most petty and unnecessary way. Though this time it comes at a cost as it directly leads to the infamous death of Jill Masterson.

Connery is his usual flamboyantly deadly self, and most flirtatious, first with Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny in a very entertaining scene. The gem of his chemistry is the stable-scene with Honor Blackman though. Fröbe is an absolute treat with Blackman the resourceful, but persuadable damsel we've come to enjoy. The idea of a functioning mute with a deadly accurate hat is amazing and Sakata does it marvellously (and has great expressions and an even better death).

This flick also is the first to show off the Q-branch apart from just Q himself. As Q gives Bond a lot more information than he wants, Bond brings out the petulant child in his character, starting the banter that would carry on for decades.

Instead of a decent game of gambling, Bond and Goldfinger have a game of golf. As usual the villain will cheat and Bond will outsmart them. Despite Goldfingers pants, this game of golf is actually quite worthy of your time. He does get back at him with the legendary: "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die" though. Not to mention setting the perfect example for an unnecessarily elaborate death to be escaped.

The plot is of course nonsensical (though Fröbe and Connery really sells it in a delightful scene), even for a Bond-film, but it all makes sense nonetheless, to the extent it has to. Director Hamilton finds a wonderful pace, with just the right blend of action, plot and tension. The car chases are immense, the gadgets inventive and effective, and it has a great villain, henchman and love interest with a fantastic score to boot. And there are still some moments of good old cleverness and detective-work, as all spy-movies should have. After "FRWL" and this, it would take 50 years before they managed to make something as good as this for Bond.

9/10

Best car used: Aston Martin DB5. There never was a better Bond-vehicle
Most memorable drink served: Dom Perignon 53, but also his signature Dry Martini. (Mis)treated to a Mint Julep.
Henchmen: Harold Sakata as Oddjob is one of the finest and most beloved henchmen with his deadly bowler.
Villain: Gert Fröbe as Auric Goldfinger. Dubbed but still one of the more memorable.
Best one-liner: "Shocking. Positively shocking"
Song: Shirley Bassey. "Goldfinger". There was hardly a better match than Bassey and Barry. And this is their best collaboration. Perhaps the best of the entire series.
Bond-girl: Honor Blackman is a straight 10. Sexy, deadly and seductive like none other.

From Russia with Love (1963)

A live training assassination by a vicious blond thug in the shape of Richard Shaw as Grant. Eeeeeexcellent intro.

To have a henchman introduced by winning at chess, is also a stroke of genius. Particularly as he is so brilliant at it that he can win whenever it suits him. And it does give credence to what is one of the finest plots of the franchise. To top off the list of henchmen with the little, but lethal Rosa Klebb, just shows how strong an instalment this is.

The characters in general have much more meat on the bone, and makes the movie as such all the stronger in most scenes, giving it many legs to stand on. Even Bonds helper, Kerim Bey, is a fine part, with his own life, wisdom, pride and agenda played to perfection by Pedro Armendariz. Armendariz, sadly, died before the film's release.

The film furthermore has the debut of Desmond Llewellyn as Q (with very fun gadgets) and something as rare as a re-occurring love interest from the previous instalment in Sylvia Trench. Connery is growing into the part, finding a better balance in a movie that is, on the whole, more serious and dark than Dr. No.

As usual there is stunning, exotic scenery. The scenes from the gypsy camp are, of course, legend. And at least what they're cracked up to be. There never was a better and more intense catfight than here and the gunfight and melee that ensues is top notch for its time.

FRWL takes place in the sixties, and naturally there are plenty of dark alleys, secret meetings taking place in dark corners of busy buildings and many shadows lurking. All done expertedly and mostly with huge suspense.

The action is also state of the art, the fight-sequence between Shaw and Connery a particular highlight, that would set the bar for later fights. A claustrophobic fight in a dark, small room between two grown men with knives and garrottes. That they rip off North by Northwest towards the end must be forgiven, as the last fight with Klebb is fantastic. The little maid with the poisonous shoe-tip being fought off by Bond and a chair. You can't make this shit up.

9/10

Best car used: 1935 Bentley Drophead coupe. Bond never drives any car though.
Memorable drink served: None
Henchmen: Grant, Klebb, Kronsteen. Perhaps the best of the series
Villain: Blofeld, though never visible apart from the petting of the cat.
Best one-liner: She should have kept her mouth shut
Song: Matt Monroe - Fantastic bit of crooning, perfect for Barry's sound
Bond-girl: Daniela Bianchi - A bit demure but utterly lovely and actually a rare feature as she is an integral part of the plot.

Dr. No (1962)

Ah. The majestic riff of John Barry (Or Monty Norman, I won't get into that here). Was there ever such a defining piece of music? And let me answer that for you: No.

The "Three Blind Mice" makes for a riveting introduction and with a swift assassination at a very exotic location, we are off to a good start. With Bond introduced gambling, stating his name only his second line. Genius.

Connery is suave on the verge of comedy seen in these days, but his appeal and danger are both undeniable from the first scene. Charming when it suits him, violent and deadly to men and women alike when he has to be. He even shoots an unarmed man from point blank. Truly the killer Ian Fleming created. Not to mention ridiculously flirtatious.

The introduction of characters is generally fantastic here, and the Bond-Girl Honey Rider (Ursula Andress) is the stuff of legend. So great they made a remake with Halle Berry 40 years later. Even for an early Bond-girl, she is a spunky one. She is introduced too late to make any impact though, and mostly strengthens the feeling that all characters are props for 007 to shine as different henchmen and girls (some both) come and go.

As a villain Dr. No is introduced in a futuristic and strange room only through a calm and callous voice. As most early villains he is very courteous until Bond starts provoking him, but Dr. No doesn't really fall for Bond's petulant attempts. Joseph Wiseman plays him with great stoicism. 

Made in 1962, this flick still has plenty of low-tech smartness that Bond uses throughout and with the recent explosion (pun intended) of CGI instead of script, it's quite titillating for the brain to see a spy that's actually smart and thinking on his feet. It doesn't have the set-pieces Bond-flicks were later known for but there is suspense and action in decent doses.

It has some pace-issues at times, but all in all this is a fine start to perhaps the most successful franchise in Hollywood to date.

And in closing: What's Bond without a bit of trivia?

Best car used: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Best drink served: Medium dry martini, lemon peeled, mixed, not stirred
Henchman: No one of note
Villain: Dr. No representing SPECTRE
Best one-liner: "That's a Smith & Wesson. And you've had your six."
Bond-girl: As good as they come.

7/10

Logan (2017)

The trailer was one of bleakest things I've ever seen and very bold with its low pace and depressingly sad tune. So does it deliver as promised? To an almost startling degree. General and extreme spoiler-alert.

It starts off with an utterly run down Wolverine, dishing out some worryingly brutal force, though far from with his usual panache and confidence. More like a force of habit, and because it is all he knows. Wolverine, as ever, the hero that tries so hard not to be, but always seems to be in the wrong place at the right time, helping the right people. Then, entrance Professor X. A shadow of himself, rapidly losing his mind and being cared for by Wolverine in an old factory, helped only by the aesthetically and otherwise shadow of a man, Caliban. All friends are gone. There are no uniforms, no air-planes and certainly no usable powers to speak of between them.  Only the prospect of scraping together money and medicine in a dusty outworld. Then it all gets much, much worse.

The introduction of Dafne Keen as Logan's daughter-in-genes and the dignified optimism of Patrick Stewart carries a glimmer of hope, particularly in a sweet scene with a mid-west family, but it is all taken away as one of the most beloved characters in Marvel is stabbed to death in a heartbeat. No honour, no dignity. Just cold death.

This flick is absurdly violent for its pace and it sets up the depressing mood perfectly. The violence is disturbing and uncomfortable to watch, director Mangold taking full usage of his R-rating. Mangold has full focus on making superhero-violence as bloody and realistic as possible, only trying to be cool once (and succeeding). From start to finish (with the two aforementioned exceptions) this film is quite frankly hard to stomach. The wounds are scarily real, with both Stewart and Jackman having bloodshot eyes in almost every scene and generally look ready for death physically and mentally.

Jackman has played this part so many times, he can probably sleepwalk it. But he does, like his character, have enough in him for one last push, one desperate attempt at redemption. His somewhat tired and subdued rage blending with the occasional extreme desperation and lack of hope. Stewart never could avoid being brilliant and Keen is just the perfect blend of disturbed, seeking and bitter. Holbrook is a bit dull though.

The pace is much slower than we've gotten used to lately and Mangold has great patience with his story and characters, few as they may be. It works a charm. The general slow pace makes the suspense much better, and has the viewer on very uncomfortable pins and needles as the plight of the protagonists hit you. None more than the last scene of Jackman and Keen. Wolverine his rugged, cold self until the last but two seconds. Another devastating scene to witness.

Combined with the sheer emotional fatigue of so much hopelessness, evil, despair, brutality and sacrifice, it's a film that is as easy to love as it's painful to watch.

9/10