This movie has it all for me…there are so many great scenes one after another…good story and pacing, good female lead in Melina, good partner in Columbo and a KILLER theme song by Sheena Easton!
From the very beginning, the movie seems different from the others. Bond is shown placing flowers at the grave of Teresa Di Vicenso Bond, his one time wife, slain at the hands of SPECTRE. He is then abducted by a sinister bald man with a white cat who of course is meant to be Bond’s old foe, the SPECTRE leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
This is pretty significant in that it clearly linked the Roger Moore James Bond with his predecessors, as if to show, “Yes, this is the same guy”. I remember as a kid having my older cousin explain to me about how his wife was killed by Blofeld in an earlier movie, and even then I could feel the “history” of the James Bond character.
In any case, although the opening degenerates into slapstick comedy, I think this was meant to mark a point as if to say the older movies were like TV shows, and the movies were going to be more “realistic” from that point on. Too bad they didn’t stick with it in the future endeavors!
Favorite scenes include the first meeting on Bond and Columbo. Villain Kristatos has tricked Bond into thinking that Columbo is the bad guy. Columbo confronts Bond and tries to assure him that they are on the same side. In an act of good faith, he returns Bond’s Walther PPK to him, proving that they should be acting together. Bond points the gun in Columbo’s face, then they both relax and laugh - partners against Kristatos!
There’s this car chase that ends with assassin Emile Locque‘s car crashed and hanging halfway on and halfway off a cliff. One wrong move might tip the car off the edge, and Locque is in a jam as to how he will get out of the car! He has always left a pin of a dove whenever he has killed someone. Bond tosses the pin in the car, and the viewer thinks the pin will cause the car to tip over… …but before it does, Bond simply kicks the car with all HIS MIGHT over the edge!!! Ruthless!
The movie builds up to the assault on the secret base of Kristatos, high up on the bluffs. There are some exciting moments as Bond and crew sneak up the face of the bluff to storm the headquarters!
And can we ever forget gushy Lynn-Holly Johnson’s Bibi Dahl? Bond shows his age as he fights her off, telling the sex kitten he’ll “buy her an ice-cream!”
LIVE AND LET DIE
The one that started it all for me and gave me a lasting obsession with Jane Seymour! I particularly love the soundtrack and George Martin’s score. I agree with the reviewer who said Martin’s Take on the James Bond Theme song is one of the best! Listen to the powerful intro as the scope opens up on the United Nations Building. Good build-up in the teaser working to a PERFECT segue into Paul McCartney’s song.
Interesting Henchmen in Tee-Hee and Baron Samedi, and one of the most off the wall and inspired endings of all! (Supernatural reincarnation, anyone?)
Besides being a thrilling song that PERFECTLY matched the feel of Baron Samedi’s Voodoo land, George Martin took the three parts of the song and turned them into these GREAT musical scores. The “When You Were Young” segment of the song turned into the lush romantic scene music, the Frantic Horns section turned into the actions scenes score, and the “What does it Matter to You” segment turned into the funky island music scenes. Maurice Binder did an excellent Montage with this song, using Fire and Skulls to add to the Voodoo Theme.
GOLDFINGER
It wasn’t until I saw this movie that I understood the whole “secret agent” concept that so many copied in the 60’s. Brilliant, witty dialog, interesting characters and a story that keeps you glued to your seat up until the Fort Knox showdown. I love the fight with Odd-Job and the fact that (as throughout MOST of the movie) Bonds uses his MIND to survive rather than use gadgets. Connery at his very best here, strong, suave and also realistically brutish (love the scene where he’s attempting to diffuse a bomb and ends up GUESSING which wire to pull!) The scenes shot in 60’s California streets (Felix Leighter at a KFC!) and the Shirley Bassey “Herb Alpert” style theme song give this movie a nostalgic feel about it, too!
OCTOPUSSY
This is a Bond movie that I’ve always felt possessive of, for some reason. During its stay at the local theater, I saw it a total of SEVEN times, dragging different people - and sometimes even making the SAME friends go with me multiple times! I was really trying to “spread the religion” and I STILL feel this movie isn’t as highly regarded as it should. I think the way they took the stories “Property of a Lady”, “The Living Daylights” and Octopussy” and melded it into one linear story is just fantastic! The movie features an awesome teaser opening (Fill ‘er Up!), good movie set-up (the opening with 009 delivering the Faberge Egg to the British Embassy) and man…once the train starts its course, the movie doesn’t let up until the end! And that Kristina Wayborne….Mmm!
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
I love this movie for its detailed and well paced scenes. Director Terence Young relied closely on the original Ian Fleming Novel, and it shows. Great characters (Klebb and Red Grant) and the first appearance of Q! Everyone was here for this one, but my biggest draw for this movie has to be the character of Tatiana “Tanya” Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) whose innocence and looks just sent me head over heels for her. The scene where she is wearing a black ribbon around her neck (and not much else)…HELL! This movie also featured a terrific instrumental opening song…too bad it is usually passed up in Bond Compilations for the Matt Munro ending song instead.
