The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Romulus

I assume that you did pick up the infinitely better David Attenborough version over the Sigourney Weaver version!

of course! and if Best Buy would carry the GOOD version of Life (with Attenborough and not Oprah ) i would have picked that up today for $25 too. but they didn't

[tbizzle]

Glad you liked it man, I haven't seen them all but I rented most of the episodes from Netflix when I first got my PS3. I almost bought the UK version recently when it was $24 but I decided not to pull the trigger. Not sure why, but I guess I'm not sure if I'll end up watching it much.

[Steve46]

I love Planet Earth and it's great for people that have never seen Blu-ray.

Life just wouldn't be the same if I didn't know how kangaroos keep themselves cool.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by CZAR

Well 3 1/2 stars for me means its a solid film. 4 1/2 stars means its a great film and this by no means was a great film. I gave it a solid score because of its effectiveness which is what carried the film for me. Reynolds was very solid as well but it was sumthin about the whole situation that was a bit sketchy. I almost gave it 4 stars which means it wouldve been a very good film but it fell just short of that. Lack of replay value couldve played a small part in it also because most films that I like usually do have replay value. Got Em!!

Okay, I gotcha now that I understand your rating values better

At least you did enjoy it though, and that's what counts

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Fixed.

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Its pretty damn fun.

I may have to look into it at some point...but I'm apprehensive about it. I'll probably wait until the next time I do a month of Netflix at some point in the future

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

[Show spoiler]USA 2010
Directed by Edgar Wright
With Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman
Format : Blu-ray

How can I begin this? Ok only description that come's to my mind is the one that sort of hit me as I was watching it. This movie would be the result of what would happen if Mel Brooks & Quentin Tarantino had a child together and let him directed a movie The first 30 minutes were a bit of a drag, I was glad when things started to pick up. The movie is weird, very weird. I understand what they were trying to go with, turning the dating scene and the bagage of ex and break up into a video game format. Some of the jokes were a bit pass me, like it or not I am in my mid forties and I can see that this movie would work much better on a younger crowd. This was my third movie with Michael Cera (Superbad & Juno are the others) and I can start to say he is really not for me. I don't enjoy his style of acting nor the type of comedy he does.

Overall it's not a bad movie. Glad I saw it but I doubt I will bother to see it once more.

So you got what it was going for...but just didn't care for it too much. Sounds fair enough

[jvince]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Stand By Me

85 minutes

year: 1986
director: Rob Reiner
starring: Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, River Phoenix, and Corey Feldman

picked this up at wal-mart last night for $12. i thought i had seen this before, but apparently only a few clips of it, so this turned into a blind buy by accident. damn memory

a terrific film about childhood and growing up. bonding with friends before moving on to a new chapter of your life and how experiences shape you and can effect the rest of your life in small, or major ways. and how, as sad as it is, that no matter who you are when you're younger and who you're friends are, things change whether you want them to or not and people grow apart. but no matter what happens, you always take those memories with you and those generally mean more than anything else you come across.

a bittersweet ending that makes a profound impact probably as the years go on. i'm 23 and i almost got a bit teary-eyed as i realize just how true the film was. we've all had really good friends that we just kind of... fall away from. no one is at fault and you're not at each others throats, you simply... move on with your life. but it doesn't diminish the experiences. and that's what Stand By Me is all about.

a group of 4 "outcasts" each in their own sense who bond and while they have problems and issues like any friends do, they all get together and stand up for each other when the going gets tough.

great film all around. although, even for an 85 minute film, a few scenes kind of dragged for a bit, but that's my only major complaint.

highly recommended to all.
*** and while it seems very sappy and teary-eyed blubbering, there is also some great, crude humor here. lots of moments to be for sure. definitely gets it's R rating for a reason

4.5/5

I love this movie. I gave it a perfect score on my review, and it's now one of my all-time favorites. The ending is even sadder knowing what happened to River Phoenix.

[volcomsocal]

Secretariat - 2010

Another rental from Netflix. Seemed like it would be an enjoyable feel-good Disney movie to me. Well? It didn't let me down. Nice story, ok script, beautiful cinematography in some scenes, and some interesting characters. This was a movie of emotions and bonding with mother nature (animals). We all know this was based on a true story, so it was really nice to see

[Show spoiler]all the real people at the end of the movie... especially Secretariat, Eddie the trainer, and the owner Penny.

Basically a good family film to watch.

PQ - 4/5
AQ - 4/5

4/5

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Diesel

So you got what it was going for...but just didn't care for it too much. Sounds fair enough

Yep! The concept is a good idea and I can see how the young crowd would just go for something like that. It's original I will give them that.

[Steve46]

Minor rant

So Amy Adams has been cast in the role of Lois Lane? Really? She has some ability as she proved in Doubt, and to a lesser extent, in Junebug. Now she's cashing in by starring in what will probably become a series of superhero movies.

I know that Brando, Spacey and Hackman thought it was OK. Freeman, Caine, Bale and Ledger certainly elevated the Batman franchise.

Still, this cynical decision pinpoints what's wrong with Hollywood. I suppose it would be hard to turn down the cash, but it makes me a little sad.

Well done to Juliette Binoche for turning down Jurassic Park to play Julie in Blue.

Back to the reviews...

Unstoppable

I know, I know; how can I make my comments about Hollywood and then watch a film that blatantly fits that mold?

Although I avoided all the trailers, I knew what to expect from Unstoppable. Lots of action, special effects, noise and very little plot. The high point was that Denzel Washington was involved.

Yep, pretty standard fare, but a little better than I expected. Rosario Dawson did a good job and Chris Pine was adequate in his role. Washington was Washington.

As pure entertainment, I enjoyed it. It's also a film that my friends might be interested in. No subtitles and heavy on the action.

Overall 4/5

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Minor rant

So Amy Adams has been cast in the role of Lois Lane? Really? She has some ability as she proved in Doubt, and to a lesser extent, in Junebug. Now she's cashing in by starring in what will probably become a series of superhero movies.

I know that Brando, Spacey and Hackman thought it was OK. Freeman, Caine, Bale and Ledger certainly elevated the Batman franchise.

Still, this cynical decision pinpoints what's wrong with Hollywood. I suppose it would be hard to turn down the cash, but it makes me a little sad.

Well done to Juliette Binoche for turning down Jurassic Park to play Julie in Blue.

Back to the reviews...

I do have a hard time picturing her into the role but it's not a big deal. She is rather "hot" these days as the new rising star of Hollycrap so I can see why they would want to have her in the movie. Does this mean the movie will be automaticly better? Maybe, maybe not!

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

I do have a hard time picturing her into the role but it's not a big deal. She is rather "hot" these days as the new rising star of Hollycrap so I can see why they would want to have her in the movie. Does this mean the movie will be automaticly better? Maybe, maybe not!

I'm sure she'll do a good job. It's just a disappointing decision by her and her agent.

Naomi Watts made a good Ann Darrow though.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I'm sure she'll do a good job. It's just a disappointing decision by her and her agent.

Naomi Watts made a good Ann Darrow though.

The one thing I don't like with these decision of going with the new flavor of the month these days is that the actor may not be a good fit for the role. Sure it's just a movie but you are making it base on characters that have been around for a long time (in this case, 70 years+), it does help to have someone to fit with the role. A better actor may not be the right choice for the role in all cases.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

Stand By Me

[Show spoiler]
85 minutes

year: 1986
director: Rob Reiner
starring: Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, River Phoenix, and Corey Feldman

picked this up at wal-mart last night for $12. i thought i had seen this before, but apparently only a few clips of it, so this turned into a blind buy by accident. damn memory

a terrific film about childhood and growing up. bonding with friends before moving on to a new chapter of your life and how experiences shape you and can effect the rest of your life in small, or major ways. and how, as sad as it is, that no matter who you are when you're younger and who you're friends are, things change whether you want them to or not and people grow apart. but no matter what happens, you always take those memories with you and those generally mean more than anything else you come across.

a bittersweet ending that makes a profound impact probably as the years go on. i'm 23 and i almost got a bit teary-eyed as i realize just how true the film was. we've all had really good friends that we just kind of... fall away from. no one is at fault and you're not at each others throats, you simply... move on with your life. but it doesn't diminish the experiences. and that's what Stand By Me is all about.

a group of 4 "outcasts" each in their own sense who bond and while they have problems and issues like any friends do, they all get together and stand up for each other when the going gets tough.

great film all around. although, even for an 85 minute film, a few scenes kind of dragged for a bit, but that's my only major complaint.

highly recommended to all.
*** and while it seems very sappy and teary-eyed blubbering, there is also some great, crude humor here. lots of moments to be for sure. definitely gets it's R rating for a reason

4.5/5

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

[Show spoiler]
USA 2010
Directed by Edgar Wright
With Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman
Format : Blu-ray

How can I begin this? Ok only description that come's to my mind is the one that sort of hit me as I was watching it. This movie would be the result of what would happen if Mel Brooks & Quentin Tarantino had a child together and let him directed a movie The first 30 minutes were a bit of a drag, I was glad when things started to pick up. The movie is weird, very weird. I understand what they were trying to go with, turning the dating scene and the bagage of ex and break up into a video game format. Some of the jokes were a bit pass me, like it or not I am in my mid forties and I can see that this movie would work much better on a younger crowd. This was my third movie with Michael Cera (Superbad & Juno are the others) and I can start to say he is really not for me. I don't enjoy his style of acting nor the type of comedy he does.

Overall it's not a bad movie. Glad I saw it but I doubt I will bother to see it once more.

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Yep! After Scott Pilgrim I will just put in North By Northwest and relax with a good old classic

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

i know it's not a movie, but i just watched the first episode of Planet Earth and this is what i was the whole episode:



absolutely amazing! this is a steal at $24.99

To all of the above, all I have to say is "SWEET!!!"

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Minor rant

So Amy Adams has been cast in the role of Lois Lane? Really? She has some ability as she proved in Doubt, and to a lesser extent, in Junebug. Now she's cashing in by starring in what will probably become a series of superhero movies.

I know that Brando, Spacey and Hackman thought it was OK. Freeman, Caine, Bale and Ledger certainly elevated the Batman franchise.

Still, this cynical decision pinpoints what's wrong with Hollywood. I suppose it would be hard to turn down the cash, but it makes me a little sad.

Well, it can't be any worse than the lady in "Superman Returns." I hated her. I don't think she looked the part, I didn't like her character, didn't like her acting...gawd!

I predict that Margot Kidder will remain the best Lois Lane actress, but we'll see what happens. Amy Adams might exceed expectations, you never know.

But certainly, if I had a say in it, I'd ask for Jennifer Connelly instead.

[Al_The_Strange]

“The Man With the Golden Gun.”

Thus far, James Bond has confronted a huge number of diabolical villains, all plotting to take over the world! He’s fought against a man with one eye, a man with one arm, a man with a white kitty…all quite distinctive fellows. But one of the most distinctive bad guys in the series may not be so horridly deformed…enter the man with the golden gun! How cool is it to have a suave, sporty hitman wielding a gun made of gold, charging $1M per kill, imprinting his bullets with the name of his targets, and having a three-foot-tall henchman following him around?

Like most other Bond adventures, this one features buttloads of action; you can certainly expect some intense fighting, gunfighting, kung-fu fighting, a boat chase, and a decent car chase (which cumulates with one of the coolest stunts ever…the car drives off a ramp and does a magnificent 180-degree roll in midair! How cool is that?! ). And in true Roger Moore tradition, there is plenty of campy and absurd humor; some of it actually works in this one. But what really keeps the film entertaining is going to be Bond’s standoff against Scaramanga; their interchanges, and subsequent cat-and-mouse pursuit, is quite thrilling. Of all the Roger Moore films, I find this one the most entertaining.

The story has barely anything to do with the original Ian Fleming novel…but to heck with it, I didn’t care for it. The movie goes off on its own tangent, and is pretty solid. Bond follows this mystery along decent connections. The whole subplot involving the Solar Agitator is a silly tacked-on McGuffin, and all the stuff toward the end with the freaking huge laser beam requires a big stretch of the imagination. But it’s a Bond movie, what can I say? The real standout thing is going to be the title character, who comes across as a perfect foil character for 007 (once again…it seems like Bond’s always confronting his own foils… ). In this case, Scarmanga shares much in common with Bond, only he takes joy in murder. He might as well be the personification of Bond’s dark side. And it’s an awesome struggle throughout.

As a film, I love it. Photography is pretty good. Acting is smashing; Roger Moore is the man, Christopher Lee is darn near perfect as the title character. Production value and music are good. One thing that I find cinematically intriguing is a certain scene where the golden gun is being stroked against Maud Adams’ body…hm, could that be a phallic symbol...

4.5/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)

Recommendation: As a rental.



“Never Say Never Again.”

Back in the day, movie rights over “Thunderball” were being disputed, one thing led to another, and we finally would up with a movie called…”Thunderball.” Twenty-something years later, we also got “Never Say Never Again,” but thanks to the wacky legal issues, it’s technically not a part of the official Bond franchise. This makes it pretty darn unique in a lot of ways: no opening gun-barrel-vision shot, no opening title sequence with the cool dancing chicks, no standard Bond music, no M or Q, etc. But it still has the spirit of any other Bond film; the megalomaniac bad guys are still there, the chicks are still fairly hot, there are a few amusing gadgets and high-tech stuff, and the action scenes are still entertaining. In fact, the action really rocks in some cases; the fight scene in the health clinic is awesome, gotta love how they use dumbbells as weapons! And to make things really interesting, there are some cool special effects; I’ve always loved seeing the rockers speeding over land. There’s also a holographic video game animated on-screen, probably the coolest thing since “Tron!”

The story’s an effective re-hash of “Thunderball,” with all the same characters (bearing slightly different names) and updated for the times. Aside from that…nothing much more to say about it. For whatever reason, I feel the original “Thunderball” executed the story way better; this film tries to expand and modernize it so much, it’s almost alienating.

The film is slick though, with good photography and splendid acting. Sean Connery, even at this age, is still the man! Klaus Brandauer is brilliant as Largo. Kim Basinger is decent as Domino (I still prefer Claudine Auger…but wait…yes! I can totally see through Kim’s shirt in this movie! ). Barbara Carrera is cool as Fatima Blush, but once again I prefer Luciana Paluzzi from “Thunderball” a grade better. Max Von Sydow is not bad (if not a little hammy) as Blofeld, but it’s mostly a throwaway part. …and WTF, Rowan Atkinson’s in there too! Production value is good, and music is okay.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3/5, film: 4/5)

Recommendation: As a rental. Be sure to check out the original “Thunderball,” definitely.

The Blu-Ray shows a hefty amount of grain and noise, with perhaps some flickering and print damage, but it is nicely sharp and detailed, with faithful colors and contrast. Sound quality didn’t seem too bad.

PQ: 3.5/5, AQ: 3.5/5



Finally, the James Bond marathon is OVA!!!

[dag]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“The Man With the Golden Gun.”

Viewers should first watch Live and Let Die to better appreciate the appearance of a certain character. James Bond Island is beautiful. I saw it on my first trip to Thailand.

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

“Never Say Never Again.”

Klaus Brandauer - whatever happened to that guy? "You can feeeeel the PAIN!"

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

yeah, i never saw an episode before i didn't know if it would be something i would really be interested in at all, which was a bit stupid mistake on my part because this was already worth $25 with one episode down! i can't wait to see what else there is. and then i definitely gotta pick up Life too.

i'm always behind the times!

All of these are by the same crew, and really good too.

Earth: The Biography
Galapagos
Ganges
Life
Natures Most Amazing Events
Planet Earth: The Complete Collection
Wild China
Wild Pacific
Yellowstone: Battle for Life

I am eagerly awaiting their 2 newest, Madagascar and Human Life.

[Steve46]

Dancer in the Dark

Directed by Lars von Trier
Starring Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare
140 minutes

What a weird experience.

I like Björk and have probably seen her around 10 times in concert, so I thought I would check this out. She won the best actress award for this at Cannes in 2000.

It's hard to describe what I just saw. There's music in it and a couple of dance routines, just like in a regular musical. But it's Björk's music and it seems surreal somehow. The camera work is deliberately amateurish with lots of shaking, panning, zooming in and people in and out of focus.

So it's not meant to be taken completely seriously, and yet the story itself is an emotional drama. Björk can act...I think. There was so much going on that I'm not sure how much was really her and how much was acting. The 140 minutes moved quickly and I think I enjoyed the experience.

Most confusing.

A tentative 4/5 overall.

[Al_The_Strange]

Now that I’ve finished every single Bond movie to date (minus the 60’s version of “Casino Royale”), here’s my full report:

Rating the Bond movies:

[Show spoiler]"Dr No" 4/5 (the first one)
"From Russia With Love" 4/5 (the classiest one)
"Goldfinger" 4.5/5 (favorite Sean Connery one)
"Thunderball" 4.5/5 (the sexiest one)
"You Only Live Twice" 3.5/5 (the first one to deviate from an Ian Fleming novel)
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" 3.5/5 (the George Lazenby one)
"Diamonds Are Forever" 3.5/5 (the silliest Sean Connery one)
"Live and Let Die" 3.5/5 (the voodoo one)
"The Man With the Golden Gun" 4.5/5 (favorite Roger Moore one)
"The Spy Who Loved Me"4/5 (the one with all the water and stuff)
"Moonraker" 3.5/5 (the spacey one)
"For Your Eyes Only" 4/5 (the serious Roger Moore one)
"Octo*****" 4/5 (the most suspenseful one)
"Never Say Never Again" 4/5 (the unofficial one)
"A View to a Kill" 4/5 (the other serious Roger Moore one)
"The Living Daylights" 4.5/5 (favorite Timothy Dalton one)
"Licence to Kill" 4/5 (the most brutal one)
"GoldenEye" 4.5/5 (favorite Pierce Brosnan one)
"Tomorrow Never Dies" 4/5 (it’s a cool one)
"The World Is Not Enough"4/5 (score might lower after a while)
"Die Another Day" 3/5 (worst one…but I still freaking love it)
"Casino Royale" 2006 5/5 (favorite Daniel Craig one)
"Quantum of Solace" 4/5 (the jittery one)

Rating the Bond actors:

[Show spoiler]Sean Connery: 5/5 (perfect!)
George Lazenby: 2/5 (never got into his style)
Roger Moore: 3/5 (he’s got the looks and style, but is rather silly)
Timothy Dalton: 4/5 (so angry, I love it!)
Pierce Brosnan: 4/5 (plays it cool)
Daniel Craig: 5/5 (debatable perhaps, but I think he’s brilliant)

Rating the Bond women (based on their characters, of course! ):

[Show spoiler] “Dr No”

· Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) 4/5 (ah, Bond’s first GF…)
· Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) 4/5 (hot, but kinda defensive)

“From Russia With Love”

· Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) 4/5 (what the, she’s still hanging around?!)
· Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) 4.5/5 (lovely)
· Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) 0/5! (hideous!)

“Goldfinger”

· ***** Galore (Honor Blackman) 4/5 (what a name…)
· Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) 4/5 (all covered in gold…ah yeah…)
· Rilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) 4/5 (ooh, mean…)

“Thunderball”

· Domino (Claudine Auger) 5/5
· Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) 4.5/5 (could she be the hottest villain ever?!)
· Pat Fearing (Molly Peters) 4.5/5 (I wish I was at her clinic…)

“You Only Live Twice”

· Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi) 4/5 (cute)
· Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama) 4/5 (also cute)

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”

· Countess Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) 5/5 (hot and feisty! No wonder Bond married her!)
· Ruby Bartlett (Angela Scoular) 3/5 (um…who was she again?)
· Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat) 1/5 (okay for an old fart…and a villain…)

“Diamonds Are Forever”

· Tiffany Case (Jill St John) 3.5/5 (kinda annoying)
· Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood) 4.5/5 (yes, she is plenty alright…)

“Live and Let Die”

· Solitaire (Jane Seymour) 4/5 (interesting)
· Rosie Carver (Gloria Gendry) 3/5 (she’s okay)

“The Man With the Golden Gun”

· Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland) 4.5/5 (cute and confrontational, hm…)
· Andrea Anders (Maud Adams) 4/5 (not bad)

“The Spy Who Loved Me”

· Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) 4/5 (not bad, a solid foil for Bond)

“Moonraker”

· Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) 3.5/5 (not bad looking, but kinda dry as a character)

“For Your Eyes Only”

· Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet) 5/5 (so vengeful and hot, I love her!)
· Bibi Dahl (Lynn-Holly Jognson) 4/5 (cute and bratty…)

“Octo*****”

· Octo***** (Maud Adams) 4/5 (kinda mean as the villain, but still not bad looking)
· Magda (Kristana Wayborn) 4/5 (not bad)

“Never Say Never Again”

· Domino Petachi (Kim Basinger) 4.5/5 (cool)
· Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera) 4.5/5 (hot and wicked!)

“A View to a Kill”

· Stacey Stutton (Tanya Roberts) 4/5 (a bit ditzy, but still hot. Reminds me a bit of the mother from“That 70s Show”)
· May Day (Grace Jones) 2/5 (I think she’s ugly, but she is an interesting character)

“The Living Daylights”

· Kara Milovy (Maryam d’Abo) 5/5 (lovely)

“Licence to Kill”

· Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) 4/5 (a good foil for Bond’s character)
· Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto) 4.5/5 (she’s hot for a vulnerable victim)

“GoldenEye”

· Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) 4.5/5 (hot and lovely)
· Xenia (Famke Janssen) 4.5/5 (“she always did enjoy a good squeeze…”)

“Tomorrow Never Dies”

· Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) 4/5 (she’s cool…but whenever I see her I’ll always think of her playing the older lady in “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”)
· Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher) 4/5 (lovely)

“The World Is Not Enough”

· Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) 5/5 (hot, and I love her character)
· Christmas Jones (Denise Richards) 3/5 (she’s got the looks, but her character is kinda annoying)

“Die Another Day”

· Miranda Frost (Rosamind Pike) 4/5 (hot…but so cold!)
· Jinx Johnson (Halle Barry) 4.5/5 (perhaps the most like a female Bond…)

“Casino Royale” 2006

· Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) 4.5/5 (strong, witty, lovely character)

“Quantum of Solace”

· Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko) 4.5/5 (so…hot…)
· Strawberry Fields (Gemma Arterton) 4.5/5 (hot, but so aggressive it’s almost funny)

And of course, Judi Dench gets a 4/5 (mostly for personality).

Rating the Bond villains and henchmen:

[Show spoiler]“Dr No”

· Dr No (Joseph Wiseman) 3.5/5 (iconic, but rather lacking in personality)

“From Russia With Love”

· Red Grant (Robert Shaw) 4/5 (gotta admire a man who spends his whole life preparing for an assassination mission…)
· Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) 4/5 (ugly, but a solid villain, especially with that knife-in-the-boot)

“Goldfinger”

· Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) 4.5/5 (a bad guy we love to hate)
· Oddjob (Harold Sakata) 5/5 (impossible to beat up, uses an iron hat, can crush golf balls…best henchman ever!!!)

“Thunderball”

· Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi) 5/5 (so classy and cool, especially with that eyepatch!)
· Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) 4/5 (quite mean and wicked)

“You Only Live Twice”

· Dr Evil…I mean, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Doland Pleasence) 4.5/5 (iconic!)

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”

· Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) 2/5 (fine villain, but I don’t care for the acting)
· Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat) 4/5 (mean, but motherly)

“Diamonds Are Forever”

· Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Charles Gray) 4.5/5 (classy)

“Live and Let Die”

· Dr Kananga / Mr Big (Yaphet Kotto) 4/5 (classy)
· Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder) 4.5/5 (wicked voodoo facepaint and magic, ftw!)
· Tee Hee Johnson (Julius Harris) 4.5/5 (clawed hands are always cool!!!)

“The Man With the Golden Gun”

· Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) 4.5/5 (Count Dooku and Saruman can eat their hearts out! One of the best foil characters for Bond)
· Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize) 4.5/5 (what a mischievous little guy…)

“The Spy Who Loved Me”

· Karl Stromberg (Curd Jurgens) 3.5/5 (eh, pretty standard villain)
· Jaws (Richard Kiel) 4.5/5 (metal teeth and super-strength, all right!!!)

“Moonraker”

· Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) 3.5/5 (typical villain, but I like him)
· Jaws (Richard Kiel) 4.5/5 (still the man!)

“For Your Eyes Only”

· Aristotle Kristatos (Julian Glover) 4.5/5 (quite the realistic and fully-developed villain)

“Octo*****”

· Octo***** (Maud Adams) 3/5 (never really takes the front stage as a villain, much less the title character. She’s also kinda flimsy; can’t ever tell if she’s fully good or evil. I think she’s overshadowed by these other characters)
· Kamal Khan (Louis Jourdan) 4.5/5 (classic villain)
· Gobinda (Kabir Bedi) 4.5/5 (probably the strongest and coolest villain since Oddjob)
· Orlov (Steven Berkoff) 4/5 (he’s mad, mad I tell you!)

“Never Say Never Again”

· Maximillian Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer) 4/5 (not a bad villain)
· Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera) 4/5 (not a bad assassin)
· Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Max von Sydow) 4.5/5 (brief but effective cameo)

“A View to a Kill”

· Zorin (Christopher Walken) 4.5/5 (psycho!)
· May Day (Grace Jones) 4/5 (another quality henchman)

“The Living Daylights”

· Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker) 4/5 (standard villain, but rather likable)
· Koskov (Jeroen Krabbe) 4.5/5 (is he good, is he evil, man he sure knows how to manipulate and kiss up to people!)
· Necros (Andreas Wisniewski) 4.5/5 (menacing! And always listening to The Pretenders music! Hm…)

“Licence to Kill”

· Sanchez (Robert Davi) 5/5 (probably the coolest, most wicked villain since Tony Montanna!)
· Dario (Benicio Del Toro) 4.5/5 (quite the psycho!)
· Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe) 4/5 (cool)
· Professor Joe Butcher (Wayne Newton) 4.5/5 (“bless your heart!”)

“GoldenEye”

· Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) 5/5 (what could be more dramatic than Bond fighting is old buddy?)
· Xenia (Famke Janssen) 4.5/5 (omg, what is she doing with her legs?!)

“Tomorrow Never Dies”

· Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) 4.5/5 (kinda standard and excessively evil, but still pretty darn cool with a lot of personality)
· Richard Stamper (Gotz Otto) 4.5/5 (quite a burly can-do man!)

“The World Is Not Enough”

· Renard (Robert Carlyle) 4.5/5 (the man who doesn’t feel pain, feels no fear…)
· Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) 4.5/5 (manipulative b*tch!)

“Die Another Day”

· Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) 4.5/5 (seems like a typical baddie, but he does have some strong characteristics as his “westernization” corrupts him, and he continues to struggle with anger management and daddy issues)
· Zao (Rick Yune) 4/5 (the man has diamonds embedded in his face, how cool is that?)
· Miranda Frost (Rosamind Pike) 4/5 (so hot, so deadly…)

“Casino Royale” 2006

· Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) 4.5/5 (creepy!)

“Quantum of Solace”

· Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) 4.5/5 (a pretty realistic-looking businessman)
· General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio) 4.5/5 (one big mean dictator!)

[AKORIS]

awesome job Al The Strange! You should become a movie critic!

I really enjoyed the look back at my favorite series of all time!

[Al_The_Strange]

Part 2:

Rating the Bond gadgets:

[Show spoiler]
“From Russia With Love”

·One cool suitcase with a hidden throwing knife, 50 gold sovereigns, rifle ammunition, and tear gas in yo’ face! 4/5
·Watch with a wire garrote 4/5

“Goldfinger”

·Grappling hook, yay! 3/5
·Tubes of plastic explosive, ew! 3/5
·Car gadgets galore, 5/5!

“Thunderball”

·Jetpack, ftw! 4/5
·A Geiger counter disguised as a camera…whee! 2/5
·A massive SCUBA tank with built-in harpoon guns and a jet-engine thingy. Neat! 4/5
·Mini underwater rebreather. Looks good, keeps main character alive…I wish I had one! 4/5

“You Only Live Twice”

·Portable helicopter kit. Great, more DIY junk, but at least it has rockets! 4/5

“Diamonds Are Forever”

·Grappling hook guns and mountaineering pistols, that’s all a man really needs! 3.5/5

“Live and Let Die”

·Watch with a high-powered magnet. Handy for taking ladies’ clothes off from a slight distance (…seriously, that’s all Bond does with the magnet!). Also has a mini-saw, so Bond can escape his traps just like R2D2! 3/5
·The “Felix Lighter,” a lighter used to contact…Felix Leiter…oh, what stupid puns! 4/5

“The Man With the Golden Gun”

·One awesome golden gun assembled from numerous other unassuming parts. It looks cheap, but it’s so debonair! 4/5

“The Spy Who Loved Me”

·Wrist watch with a built-in pager. Joy. 2/5

“Moonraker”

·Combination lock picker, with a cool-looking x-ray screen. Neat. 3.5/5
·Wrist dart gun, comes in handy just when needed. 3.5/5
·Wrist watch with remote detonator. 3.5/5

“For Your Eyes Only”

·Wrist watch with message readouts and radio, useful for the silly gag at the end of the movie. 3/5

“Octo*****”

·Nothing like sneaking up to a palace disguised as an alligator…3/5
·Wrist watch with video communication. Hey, that’s a Dick Tracey rip-off! 4/5
·Small airplane from the back of a truck, takes regular unleaded gas apparently… 4/5

“The Living Daylights”

·Keychain with whistle-activated beeper…oh boy, we can have fun with that for hours! Also has a stun-gas and mini-explosive in it. 3.5/5
·One cool car with gadgets galore! 5/5

“Licence to Kill”

·Dentonite toothpaste. Filled with plastic explosive. Don’t get it mixed up with real toothpaste. 4/5
·Signature camera gun. It’s always cool to have a gun that requires assembly. Even cooler when it recognized someone’s hand-print, Judge Dredd style! 4/5
·Camera that shoots a freaking laser and takes x-ray photos. Neat! 4/5

“GoldenEye”

·Pen bomb. Man…that is one nice looking pen… 4/5

“Tomorrow Never Dies”

·Mobile phone with stun gun, fingerprint scanner, and lock pick. And the coolest thing of all, a remote control for the car! 4.5/5
·Wrist watch with remote detonator. Again?! 3/5

“The World Is Not Enough”

·Wrist watch with grappling hook, wee! 3.5/5
·Eye glasses with x-ray vision. No, it’s not used to see people naked all the time, you creep! It does make everything look cool, and reveals hidden weapons. 4/5
·Jacket with a thingy that blows up and envelopes user in a giant bubble. And to think Bond never went zorbing with it. 3.5/5

“Die Another Day”

·Sonic agitator ring. One ring to break them all! 4.5/5
·Surfboard…with goodies inside! 4/5
·Knife…with more goodies inside! A mini satellite dish, oh boy! 4/5
·Mini air rebreather, for infinite underwater breathing. I’d say this is a rip-off from “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace”…but wait, Bond had this since “Thunderball!” Well, it’s an old idea either way. 3/5
·Virtual reality training. Because we needed more “Matrix”-style action in a Bond film! 4/5

“Casino Royale”

·Microchip implants…wave of the future… 4/5

I’ve also always been a fan of the wrist watch with a freaking laser beam on it! It comes in handy for at least 2 of these movies. 5/5!

Rating the Bond cars:

[Show spoiler]
“Dr No”

·GM LaSalle hearse, I always thought it looked kinda cool. Maybe just because it falls off a cliff and blows up! 4/5

“Goldfinger”

·Aston Martin DB5, one classic-looking car, complete with an ejector seat, rotating license plates, tire-slashing hubcaps, bulletproof shield, smoke screen, oil slick spray, and machine guns! 5/5
·1964 Ford Mustang convertible, driven in the movie by the chick trying to kill Goldfinger. Quite a classy-looking car. 4.5/5
·1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III. Classy! 4.5/5

“Thunderball”

·Aston Martin DB5, again, with bullet-proof shield and water spraying action! 5/5
·Ford Fairlane Skyliner, looks so pretty, even when it’s blowing up! 4/5

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”

·Aston Martin DBS. Never really looked that striking to me. I blame the style of the era. 3/5

“Diamonds Are Forever”

·Ford Mustang Mach 1, nice and sleek. 4.5/5
·Moon buggey…WTF?! 4.5/5

“The Spy Who Loved Me”

·Lotus Esprit, a nice-looking sporty car that turns into a submarine…WTF? Also comes with missiles, guns, landmines, etc. 4.5/5

“For Your Eyes Only”

·Lotus Esprit Turbo. The movie used two, one red one white. I was always partial to the white one…too bad it gets blown up. 4.5/5

“A View to a Kill”

·Firetruck, ftw! 4/5

“The Living Daylights”

·Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante, cool and sporty black car, loaded with gadgets (tire studs, hubcap laser, missiles, rocket propulsion, outrigger skis, and a self-destruct button)! 5/5

“GoldenEye”

·Aston Martin DB5, for when you really need a reference to “Goldfinger!” 5/5
·BMW Z3. It looks nice! It also comes with gadgets…but we never see them in use. 4/5

“Tomorrow Never Dies”

·BMW 750il. Looks nice, and includes rocket launchers, a small saw on the roof, a thingy that drops spikes on the ground, and an indestructible security system! Did I mention it’s also remote-controlled? 4.5/5

“The World Is Not Enough”

·BMW Z8. Has rockets and cool stuff. Looks nice. Too bad it gets sawed in half. 4/5

“Die Another Day”

·Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (or rather, the “Vanish”), with a cloaking device, holy crap! Plus, rockets, mortars, self-aiming machine guns…sweet! 5/5

“Casino Royale”

·Aston Martin DBS V12. Niiiiccceeee…I want one! 5/5

“Quantum of Solace”

·Alfa Romero 159. Nice looking cars. Too bad they get totally wrecked at the very beginning of the movie! 4.5/5

Rating the Bond theme songs and credit sequences:

[Show spoiler]
·“Dr No,” James Bond theme song by Monty Norman (along with some funky Caribbean music), lots of funky dots and dancing people and stuff! 4/5
·“From Russia With Love,” the “FRWL” instrumental theme by John Barry, with a chick dancing in front of a projection! 4/5 Matt Monroe’s original song is not bad either.
·“Goldfinger,” with “Goldfinger” by Shirley Bassey, with a gold-painted chick on screen! 4/5
·“Thunderball,” with “Thunderball” by Tom Jones, with lots of swimming chicks on some groovy wavy scenery. 4/5 Dionne Warwick’s “Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is a nice song too.
·“You Only Live Twice,” with “YOLT” sung by Nancy Sinatra, with some chicks and Japanese-style umbrella patterns and stuff. 2/5
·“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” with the instrumental theme by John Barry and a psychedelic montage of scenes from previous films. 3/5 (music gets a 4/5)
·“Diamonds Are Forever,” with the song “Diamonds Are Forever” by Shirley Bassey, and plenty of diamond-themed imagery. 3/5 (song gets a 4.5/5)
·“Live and Let Die,” with Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” with all kinds of wicked flaming skulls and stuff! 4/5
·“The Man With the Golden Gun,” featuring Lulu’s “MWTGG,” with some arbitrary gun-toting graphics. 3/5 (song gets a 4/5)
·“The Spy Who Loved Me,” with the theme “You’re the Best” by Carley Simon, and a bunch of sappy love images. 1/5 (song gets a 3/5)
·“Moonraker,” with the song “Moonraker” by Shirley Bassey, accompanied by what appears to be a bunch of chicks jumping on trampolines or something. 1/5
·“For Your Eyes Only,” with “FYEO” sung by Sheena Easton. If I remember right, the video had some underwater footage or something, I don’t know. 1/5
·“Octo*****,” with “All Time High” by Rita Coolidge, and some more video involving girls with guns. Meh. 1/5
·“Never Say Never Again,” has the song “Never Say Never Again” by Lani Hall, but no real credit sequence. 1/5
·“A View to a Kill,” with the song “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran, and some video with chicks painted with fiery patterns and stuff. It rocks! 4/5
·“The Living Daylights,” with the song “The Living Daylights” by a-Ha, and a pretty average credits video. 3/5 The Pretender’s “Where Has Everybody Gone?” is a cool song. They also have the song “If there Was a Man” on the soundtrack, which is alright.
·“Licence to Kill,” featuring Gladys Knight’s “Licence to Kill,” and some video with chicks and guns…and a camera. 3/5
·“GoldenEye,” with Tina Turner’s “GoldenEye” and a lot of really awesome Russian-themed images. 4.5/5 Eric Serra’s “Experience of Love” song in the end credits is…pretty darn slow.
·“Tomorrow Never Dies,” with Sheryl Crowe’s “TND,” plus a lot of really cool CGI graphics with silicon chicks and bullets going through glass…4.5/5 kd Lang’s “Surrender” is awesome. Moby’s remix of the Bond theme is cool too!
·“The World Is Not Enough,” Garbage sings “TWINE,” while invisible chicks dance and get covered in oil. Sweet! 4.5/5 The CD also has the song “Only Myself to Blame” by Scott Walker, which kinda sucks.
·“Die Another Day,” with Madonna’s “DAD.” Bond gets tortured, with a fiery and icy lady in the background, among other things. 4.5/5 This song has been remixed a few times, and sounds alright. The Clash’s “London Calling” is used in the film, which is cool. Paul Oakenfold does an awesome remix of the Bond theme here, and it’s probably my favorite version!
·“Casino Royale” 2006, featuring Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name,” and a lot of awesome casino-style graphics and stuff that looks like something from a deck of cards. 5/5
·“Quantum of Solace,” with the song “Another Way to Die” by Jack White and Alicia Keys. Images involve Bond wandering the desert, shooting at nothing, with chicks dancing around a zodiac. It’s cool. 4.5/5