50 Years of Bond
More stories
-
‘Casino Royale’ a thrilling Bond movie that tries hard not to be a Bond movie
Casino Royale Directed by Martin Campbell Written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade & Paul Haggis United Kingdom, USA, Czech Republic, and Germany, 2006 For reasons that escape me consciously, I’ve never been caught up in the James Bond phenomenon. I understand why the series holds such an allure to so many people—fast cars, beautiful […] More
-
‘Never Say Never Again’ is a fun look at an alternate vision of Bond films, but nothing more
Never Say Never Again Directed by Irvin Kershner Written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. United Kingdom, 1983 Never Say Never Again is, in many ways, the red-headed stepchild of the Bond family. Made by a different set of producers than the other 23 Bond films that had been made previously, the movie cannot be found on […] More
-
Best Bond lines from the Roger Moore era
Dialogue can make or break a film. However beautifully photographed the picture might be, however stimulating, thought-provoking or thrilling the story is, however captivating the score, if what the characters say is poorly conceived, that movie is operating on a significant handicap. The Roger Moore tenure in the 007 film franchise is indeed often criticized […] More
-
The Best James Bond Films
Back in 2012, our staff decided to group together and come up with a list of the best films in the 007, James Bond franchise. With Spectre rolling out this weekend, we decided to republish the article. Let us know which is your favourite, and be sure to check out our review of Spectre here. #1: […] More
-
‘Die Another Day’ flounders amidst bare faced stupidity
Die Another Day Directed by Lee Tamahori Written by Neal Purvis (story) & Robert Wade 2002, UK The end of Die Another Day’s first act provides a set up to what could potentially have been one of the most freshly original Bond installments, an opportunity to explore deliciously dark corners of the iconic spy’s psyche. […] More
-
‘The World Is Not Enough’ is silly but entertaining
“There’s no point in living if you can’t feel alive”, Shirley Manson’s eerie and unmistakable voice sings in the melodic title tune to the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough. If you can get past the ridiculous concept of Denise Richards playing Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist, The World Is Not Enough is a wonderfully entertaining addition to the Bond film series. More
-
‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ – Bond 24/7
Tomorrow Never Dies Directed by Roger Spottiswoode Screenplay by Bruce Feirstein 1997, USA Goldeneye may have been the first Bond made in the ’90s, but Tomorrow Never Dies is the first ’90s Bond. Finally liberated from the remnants of the Cold War, the Bond era entered the global media age where moguls are the madmen […] More
-
‘Goldeneye’ – a terrific exercise in blockbuster filmmaking and so much more
Goldeneye Directed by Martin Campbell Written by Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirsein UK / USA The Essence of Bond has been shaped and re-shaped constantly over its 50-year run and that has been due to its mostly successful ability to plug into popular zeitgeist and meld that aesthetic with what makes Bond, well, Bond: Q […] More
-
‘Licence to Kill’ brings a modern edge to the character
Licence to Kill Directed by John Glen Screenplay by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum UK, 1989 With the release of Skyfall this month, critics have cited the major departures from the Bond formula taken by that film. They credit Daniel Craig for bringing a modern edge to a character that had become ridiculous in the […] More
-
‘The Living Daylights’ didn’t reboot Bond, but had a lot of fun within the formula
The Living Daylights Directed by John Glen Written by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson 1987, USA It wasn’t guaranteed that the Daniel Craig films would successfully reboot James Bond, in part because such a restart had already been tried before. After 1985’s A View To a Kill, in which age had begun to show […] More
-
‘A View To Kill’ – Roger Moore’s Entirely Forgettable Bond Finale
A View To Kill Directed by John Glen Screenplay by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum 1985, USA As soon as Roger Moore took over the role of James Bond, the franchise quickly devolved into a state of ridiculousness that rendered the entire series beyond parody. A View To a Kill, Moore’s final film as […] More
-
‘Octopussy’ delivers the thrills and villains in a jet-setting adventure, seemingly despite Bond’s presence
Octopussy Directed by John Glen Written by George Macdonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum, and Michael G. Wilson United Kingdom, 1983 1983 presented a unique challenge for the Bond franchise. For the first time since Ursula Andress strolled out of the water, there were going to be two Bond films in theatres in the same year. As […] More