November 4, 2008

The Bond Countdown #19

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Michael Apted
Bond, James Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Arch Rival: Renard (Robert Carlyle)
Bond Girl: Christmas Jones (Denise Richards)

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

The next piece in the huge series would be The World Is Not Enough and follows Bond’s mission to Europe to investigate the rat in the family of Richard King, the wealthy oil giant with a project of a lifetime on the anvil, after his murder at the MI6 headquarters itself. Bond tracks down the person responsible to be Renard, a terrorist whose accident has rendered him incapable of any physical feeling. As Bond tries to restore the hurt pride of both M and the organization, he stumbles across the truth about King’s murder. Bond, in the process, meets an obviously and phenomenally miscast Denise Richards as Christmas Jones (Get ready for the cheesy gags), the nuclear physicist (cough, cough) who tugs along. Like GoldenEye (1995) Bond is caught in another moral conflict as he has to choose between cold formalities of duty and warmth of relationships.

This version scores on the action sequences with lots of eye-candy involving both incredible computer graphics and genuine stunts. However, Renard’s character, which could have been converted into one of the best Bond villains, is wasted primarily to share his screen space with his sweet heart.  One of the best soundtracks of the series features a spectacular title track by Garbage (!).This one definitely shows that Bond is not an anachronism and is inching towards the new generation.

 

November 3, 2008

The Bond Countdown #18

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Roger Spottiswoode
Bond, James Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Arch Rival: Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce)
Bond Girl: Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh)

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Pierce Brosnan would don the role of James Bond for the second time in Tomorrow Never Dies. In this part of the series, A Media Mogul named Elliot Carver, whose wife had been one of Bond’s many old flames, plans to induce war between the British and the Chinese governments in order to win the exclusive broadcasting rights of his satellite channel in China, the only country he hasn’t yet been able to get his hands on. He creates his news and executes them, thereby becoming the first one to publish and broadcast them. To gain advantage in China, he rigs up attacks on the defense forces on either country in order to trick them into believe that the other government had started the war. Enter Bond, who teams up with Chinese media official (?) Wai Lin to blow Carver’s cover and destroying his offshore operations and prevent war before things go out of hands.

There is a marked difference between Tomorrow Never Dies and the previous films in the series. Bond undergoes a much needed makeover and it works. The way issues and characters are handled is more refined (save Carver) and so is the suavity. The actions scenes are intact and issues handled are more pertinent to the age. It is refreshing to see no Soviet characters running all over. One of the better films of the series.

 

November 2, 2008

The Bond Countdown #17

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
[3] Comments 

GoldenEye (1995)
Martin Campbell
Bond, James Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Arch Rival: Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean)
Bond Girl: Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco)

GoldenEye (1995)

GoldenEye (1995)

It is now time for the fifth actor to step into the shoes of the world’s greatest secret Agent. It is not just Pierce Brosnan who is new to the world of Bond, but even the new M is a lady, played by the no-nonsense Judy Dench. GoldenEye follows Bond’s adventures in Russia just after the collapse of Communism as he tries to dig into the mysterious character Janus, whose agents destroy the GoldenEye control center and steal its powering source. As the identity of Janus is revealed in the process of tracking down the criminals, Bond’s past is dug up. Bond meets up with Natalya, a programmer who luckily escapes n the massacre at the control centre, and both of them go to Cuba to trace out the other GoldenEye control centre. They have to stop Janus, who is planning the biggest bank robbery in history, from disrupting the computer systems of all the Banks in England. With Bond’s guilt plaguing him, can he act by the mind and not the heart?

Golden Eye remains the most delayed bond film ever, releasing six years after the previous installment. Yes, both Bond and M have changed, but the Russians still speak English among themselves with a Russian accent. Wittier and funnier than many bonds, GoldenEye tries to shed Bond’s macho image to an extent and delve into his personal life of harsh loneliness. Brosnan is good with his lover-boy looks and gives Bond a much required makeover in this otherwise regular Bond fodder.

 

October 28, 2008

The Bond Countdown #12

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
[4] Comments 

For Your Eyes Only (1981)
John Glen
Bond, James Bond: Roger Moore
Arch Rival: Aristotle Kristatos (Julian Glover)
Bond Girl: Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet)

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

The next offering in the long series is For Your Eyes Only. In this section Bond is hired to hunt down a man who was hired to hunt down a man who was hired to hunt down a lost British device! This takes him back to Eastern Europe where he meets the beautiful Melina with her hunter bow, the daughter of the man who was hired to hunt down the device and who is determined to hunt down the man who hunted down her parents.  After warding off a bunch of loonies hired to hunt him down, Bond continues hunting down what he has been hunting for, As Bond is hunting about, he is confronted by Columbo, a gold-smuggler who reveals to Bond that he has been hunting down the wrong person and he is the one being hunted. With the help of Columbo and Melina, Bond finally decides what he has to hunt down and but finds that he has to climb a risky cliff. So do the people whom he is trying to hunt down.

Hands down winner of the worst performance by a Bond girl beating even Jane Seymour of Live And Let Die (1973). Not that the other performances are any good! The plot seems to have been a bit more importance, but the routine is so predictable that nobody cares. Couple of great sequences and a fantastic title song. Technically inferior than its predecessors, For Your Eyes Only seems to be caught between the elegance of the Connery films and the jaw-dropping action scenes of the later films.  As a result, it does not engage your mind or your heart. For your eyes only!

 

October 26, 2008

The Bond Countdown #10

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Lewis Gilbert
Bond, James Bond: Roger Moore
Arch Rival: Karl Stromberg (Curt Jürgens)
Bond Girl: Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

After creating a good impression as Bond in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974), Roger Moore delivers a one-two punch with the next film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). As usual two submarines, one each of the Soviet and Britain, vanish and it is found out that someone has devised a tracking system that hunted down these submarines for their use. So each country sends their best agents – 007 James Bond and XXX Anya Amasova – who jointly track down the cause behind the hijacking of the subs. They meet shipping tycoon Karl Stromberg. They also discover his plans of destroying the world (yawn) so that the whole of humanity has to go underwater for survival which – don’t ask me why – Stromberg’s intention. Can Bond and Anya stop this? (Wanna guess?)

The Spy Who Loved Me marks the return of Bond to his old charming ways – one without too much extravagance or compulsion. The film reminds one of From Russia With Love (1963) with its female Soviet spies, minimal body count (well, for most part!) and powerful henchmen. Richard Kiel as the metal-teethed Jaws is a great find and is the most impressive baddie since Goldfinger. Anya is one of the most effective Bond girls. Great stunts, especially the opening ski chase which culminates in a over-the-cliff jump. But does not give the knockout showdown with the boss one expects.

 

October 25, 2008

The Bond Countdown #9

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Guy Hamilton
Bond, James Bond: Roger Moore
Arch Rival: Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee)
Bond Girl: Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland)

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

In the next outing of the series, James Bond receives a golden bullet with his number inscribed, presumably from the high-profile assassin Scaramanga, who has been hired to kill a top scientist and steal a device that would change the face of solar energy harnessing. Instead of taking cover, Bond is determined to find Scaramanga before he finds Bond. With the help of fellow agent Good Night, Bond arrives in Hong Kong to find out that the plan to steal was carried out by Hai Fat, the most influential businessman in China. As Bond unsuccessfully ties to obtain the device with the help of Scaramanga’s mistress Andrea, she is killed and Bond is left with no option but to meet Scaramanga face to face in his own private island. But instead of taking down Bond, Scaramanga, the gentleman he is, challenges Bond to a duel of guns…

My candidate for the wimpiest and (hence) funniest Bond of all time. And the wimpiest Bond Girl one could devise. Superior camera work and editing than its predecessors, The Man With The Golden Gun boasts of eye-popping car chases (You even have a car with wings!). The Scaramanga character, though slightly underwritten, makes a great spoil. He is not a megalomaniac out to rule the world. He admires Bond and wants to just go his own way. A gentleman till his final breath. Sherrif J. W. Pepper steals the couple of scenes he is in.

 

October 24, 2008

The Bond Countdown #8

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

Live And Let Die (1973)
Guy Hamilton
Bond, James Bond: Roger Moore
Arch Rival: Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto)
Bond Girl: Solitaire (Jane Seymour)

Live And Let Die (1973)

Live And Let Die (1973)

It is now time to change the lead as Roger Moore steps into the shoes of the English spy and becomes the third man to don the coveted role. Live And Let Die takes our hero back to the Carribean where certain unwanted killings of fellow agents have taken place and a person named Kananga seems to be connected to all the mystery. He runs his opium business using his vast fertile fields of the island and also with the psychic help of Solitaire, a tarot reading beauty who has been held by Kananga for predicting future. Kananga intends to use his huge produce to monopolize the business and own the economy. There is also Mr. Big, the distributor of the drug that Kananga grows. Bond meets up with Solitaire, rescues her and burns down the opium fields. But not all his enemies go down with the fire.

Bond’s adventures range from crocodile dodging to high speed motorboat chases with the latter being the only high point of the film and even perhaps, the only reason to make the film. Roger Moore is good and carries on the elegance of the character well but ultimately makes no registering impact. Some over the top scenes (even for Bond!) unintentionally produce laughs and make this debut of Roger Moore, a very passable one (except for the title song by Paul McCartney!). An easy mission for Bond and hence an unentertaining one.

 

October 22, 2008

The Bond Countdown #6

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |
[4] Comments 

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Peter R. Hunt
Bond, James Bond: George Lazenby
Arch Rival: Ernst Blofeld (Telly Savalas)
Bond Girl: Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

It is time for a change in Bond as Connery steps down from the prestigious pedestal to make way for George Lazenby. As Bond is enjoying his stay in Portugal he is kidnapped by Draco’s men. Marc-Ange Draco, is the chief of European organization Unione Corse and has a daughter Tracy Teresa, with whom Bond is already acquainted with. Draco asks Bond to marry his daughter in exchange for valuable information about the whereabouts of Ernst Blofeld. Bond agrees and subsequently travels to Bern with Teresa where He learns that Blofeld has set up a research laboratory on the hills of the Alps. He also comes to know that Blofeld is holding about a dozen women and brainwashing them into spreading his bio-chemical weapons all over the world.  Bond disguises as a professor and enters the institute and tires to bust Blofeld’s plans. He succeeds in destroying the lab and marrying Teresa, but Blofeld’s still alive.

Most atypical Bond so far, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is chattier and mellower than all the other films in the series. Though his only film as Bond, George Lazenby does well to be remembered by fans. Bond manages to even get involved in a conjugal relationship taking the “unBondness” of the film to the maximum. Sandwiched between two typically Bond Connery films, Lazenby’s quiet venture is a much needed hiatus from the monotony and also a refreshing point for the films to follow.

 

October 19, 2008

The Bond Countdown #3

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |
[2] Comments 

Goldfinger (1964)
Guy Hamilton
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe)
Bond Girl: Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)

Goldfinger (1964)

Goldfinger (1964)

What followed next would be my favorite Bond film of all time – Goldfinger (1964). In this installment of the series Bond follows Auric Goldfinger, a wealthy gold trafficker whose sole intention remains to control the flow of gold all over the world. He is assisted by his deadpan soldier Oddjob whose throw of his hat can spice a man into two and veteran pilot Pussy Galore and her team of trained fliers. As Goldfinger is concocting a plan called Operation Grand Slam with the Chinese agents Bond overhears and promptly gets captured. Goldfinger later rejoices telling his plan to the seemingly helpless bond. According to it, Pussy Galore’s team of pilots would spread a certain type of nerve gas in the area around Fort Knox and paralyzing everyone around. Goldfinger would meanwhile take a weapon-laden truck into Fort Knox, blow it out and hence destroy the total gold supply of the country. Then the whole world would have to beg him for gold. Mwhahahahaha….

Quintessential Bond film entertains audience with the same charm today as it might have at the time of its release. Intentionally over the top, Goldfinger has become the template of all megalomaniacs that would follow, even the most comic ones. The film’s got everything in boosted proportions – an immensely evil plan, Bond in severe trouble, fantastic action and entertainment. A hat trick film for the young Bond series. You haven’t watched Bond if you haven’t watched Goldfinger.

 

October 18, 2008

The Bond Countdown #2

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
1 Comment 

From Russia With Love (1963)
Terence Young
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Red Grant (Robert Shaw)
Bond Girl: Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi)

From Russia With Love (1963)

From Russia With Love (1963)

The second in the series of Bond films, From Russia With Love, takes Bond to newer places and heights. In this version, Bond has to capture a decoding machine built by the Russians called Lektor. For this he has to go to Istanbul, Turkey and evade the attempts of SPECTRE to kill him and get their hands on the machine. SPECTRE, the secret organization introduced to us in the previous film, is lead by the unknown Number 1 who will only be revealed in You Only Live Twice (1967). SPECTRE has assigned a female commander, Rosa Klebb, to terminate Bond and avenge the death of Dr. No. Bond is to meet up with Tatiana Romanova, the Embassy official and get the machine from the consulate. They manage to board the Orient Express with the machine. Just as they think they have done their work, they come to know that Klebb is not through yet.

Famous for the absence of the “Bond, James Bond” quote, From Russia With Love lives up to the prequel with more action, more technology and more style. The title sequences, the grand photography and thematic music add up the charm. Many call it the best in the series and the film does live up to all that hype. The film’s premise is so befitting to the cold war era it was made in and no wonder JFK loved this film! A very memorable film as a whole.

 

Next Page »