October 27, 2008

The Bond Countdown #11

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Moonraker (1979)
Lewis Gilbert
Bond, James Bond: Roger Moore
Arch Rival: Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale)
Bond Girl: Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles)

Moonraker (1979)

Moonraker (1979)

The central piece in Moore’s seven part odyssey as the world’s most famous spy was the costliest and most successful Bond till then. In this episode, Bond investigates the disappearance of a US space shuttle Moonraker. He finds out that a California based tycoon, Hugo Drax, with hardware supplies from Venice and chemicals from near Rio de Janeiro is behind this. If The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) showed us a maniac who tried to build an underwater world, Moonraker follows another trying to take the finest of the human race to space. Bond takes the help of a NASA astronaut/CIA agent/babe Holly and travels around the globe trying to track down his arch rival’s base station.  He finally ends up in the deep interiors of Amazon where he finds out that his enemy is out of the world, literally.

I am sure I’m going to be flamed for telling this, but Moonraker is a solid Bond film. Agreed that the plot and action is much over the top, but hey, what did you expect, Bergman?  Superior stunt choreography includes a jaw-dropping free fall, a boat chase in Venice and a fistfight over a winch. Bond is funny except for the lines where his puns fall flat (Even then he is funny, but unintentionally so). Jaws arrives as a gem and is as stylish as Bond at many places. Amusing references to both Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), but don’t even think about comparison.

 

October 26, 2008

The Bond Countdown #10

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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

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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

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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 23, 2008

The Bond Countdown #7

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Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Guy Hamilton
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray)
Bond Girl: Tiffany Case (Jill St. John)

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

This issue takes Bond in search of revenge for the murder of Teresa in the previous film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). Incidentally, he must also bust a diamond smuggling case that seems to take the world towards a diamond crisis. For this, Bond heads towards Amsterdam, disguises as Peter Franks, a notorious smuggler and allies with another one, Tiffany Case . Meanwhile, two thugs, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, presumably Blofeld’s assistants, carryout a series of murders of smugglers across the world. As Bond “mines” into the case with the help of Case, he comes to know of Blofeld’s comeback and his persisting plans to take over the world. Bond sets out to destroy Blofeld’s diamond-based laser satellite that he intends to use to burn out world nations. But there is a catch, Blofeld has created multiple copies of himself… and his cat’s.

Sean Connery reprises the role of James Bond after a single film break and for the last time. This would also be the end of Ernst Blofeld – Bond’s longest surviving nemesis, played by as many as three different actors. More humourous than the preceding Connery films, Diamonds are forever presents almost all the characteristics of a typical Bond film – over the top car chases, over-the-edge spying, femme fatales and of course, the only-possible-in-a-Bond-film plans to rule the world.

 

October 22, 2008

The Bond Countdown #6

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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 21, 2008

The Bond Countdown #5

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You Only Live Twice (1967)
Lewis Gilbert
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Ernst Blofeld (Donald Pleasence)
Bond Girl: Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama)

You Only Live Twice (1967)

You Only Live Twice (1967)

The next installment in the series would be You Only Love Twice, the first Bond film shot in Asia. The film kicks off with strange events in space as a mysterious contraption seems to be swallowing both the American and the Soviet spaceships. Before both the countries pin the blame on each other and jump into another world war, British government asks Bond carry out his investigations in Japan, where they suspect is the hideout of the spacecraft. Bond arrives in the oriental country where he is aided by the local force lead by Tiger Tanaka. He finds out that a local chemical company is shipping rocket chemicals surreptitiously into an unknown area. For this, Bond disguises himself as a Japanese even rigging up a fake marriage with Tanaka’s protégé Kissy Suzuki. Bond sets out on his gyrocopter to find the place, in vain. Finally, with the help of Kissy, Bond finds the secret lair where the craft is and successfully infiltrates it. He meets the Number one of SPECTRE aka Ernst Stavro Blofeld!

If Thunderball was deep inside the water, You Only Live Twice goes aerial. The plot is kept simple and would form the basis of another Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). You Only Live Twice, to an extent, makes up for the heavy blow dealt to the series by its predecessor Thunderball (1965). Blofeld (more famous as Dr. Evil in Austin Powers series!) makes his first appearance after indirectly threatening in previous three films.

 

October 18, 2008

The Bond Countdown #2

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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.

 

October 17, 2008

The Bond Countdown #1

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Dr. No (1962)
Terence Young
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman)
Bond Girl: Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)

Dr. No (1962)

The film that started it all – Dr. No. Set in the West Indian country of Jamaica, the film follows a British secret agent Bond who is on the mission of solving the mysterious killing of another fellow British man John Strangways. He eventually arrives to know that a certain island called Crab Key, an arcane place of mysterious happenings, possesses deposits of radioactive rocks and tat Strangways was after the same thing. He also meets Honey Ryder, a shell collecting damsel and as Bond makes way into the island with Honey, he finds out that a huge organization has its base there and is led by Dr. No. After Bond and Honey are captured by the men there, he gets a rendezvous with Dr. No that reveals the organization as SPECTRE. Can bond escape the clutches of Dr. No and save the American rockets from being destroyed by him?

Apart from becoming a historical piece, Dr. No is a damn interesting film with great scenes and a superb score. My favorite Bond title track “Three Blind Mice” is in this film. Sean Connery is the embodiment of style and had already set a very high standard for all the Bond heroes to follow. Although more mellow and deliberate than the subsequent Bond films that had action taking the driver’s seat, Dr. No still remains a must watch for all action fans for the intensity of lead and for the significance of introducing us to quirky yet suave world of Bond, James Bond.

 

October 17, 2008

The Bond Countdown

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He's back!

With exactly 21 days to go for the next Bond film, I intend to present a series of brief pieces about the 21 official Bond films so far. – One a day – and possibly culminating with the full review of Quantum of Solace. And if you want to gear up for the big event in style, be sure the catch the previous films, preferably, in order. And great news for Indian fans is that they will be getting to watch the film almost on the day of its international release itself.

This series will not provide comprehensive reviews, but will just give an outline of the films, for it is the action and not the words that drive Bond films. Less talk and more watching is the key to Bond films. So sit back and watch the man in action, perhaps with a round of Martini – Shaken, not Stirred!

 

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