It's Nearly Time for Another Bond

So, Quantum of Solace opens soon, and I want to know which are your favourite few Bond movies. Not that I want to influence your opinion, but my favourites are From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, The Living Daylights, The World is Not Enough and Casino Royale (2006, not 1964!).

I think From Russia With Love is a great thriller and a great story and its one I go back to watch time and time again. For many, Goldfinger is the THE quintessential Bond movie. It has just the right blend of humour, gadgets, action and story. The fact it has so many 'classic bond' moments tells you a lot about it. Jumping over a decade, The Spy Who Loved me is the best 70s Bond movie. For many it is the classic Roger Moore Bond movie. If I just want to be entertained and have a smile put on my face, this is the one I turn to. A great blend of action and entertainment. Moore himself has said that its his favourite entry. And then on to For Your Eyes Only. Many of you may think this a slightly strange choice. For me, it reverts back to the style of From Russia With Love in that it’s a classic thriller with a great story, that is better for its lack of gadgets, unbelievable action and over the top humour which had got the better of the series in the previous instalment, Moonraker. The Living Daylights follows a similar path, and is the better of the two Timothy Dalton efforts. This is the Bond movie I have watched more than any other and for me, this is up there with the best. Realistic action, a twisting plot, sharp pace and a chase through the alps using a cello case as a sledge. Pierce Brosnan makes a great James Bond. The way he carries himself, his expressions and character make him a perfect choice for the role. So it’s a shame that in my opinion, he was never given the opportunity to play Bond in a movie that could live up to his talents. None of his four movies really stands out. But Brosnan is good, so I feel one of movies deserves to be included. He was really finding his way with Goldeneye, and his hair is too big! Tomorrow Never Dies has its moments, but the final showdown on the stealth boat is a let down after the giant tanker in The Spy Who Loved Me. I don't even want to talk about Die Another Day, so that leaves me with The World is Not Enough. It includes all the essential ingredients for a Bond movie and Brosnan is on good form. Casino Royale was a great reinvention of the series. I have to say I was very nervous that they were essentially saying, 'nothing you have seen before counts, we're going back to the beginning'. But it works. Bond is raw. I love the opening B&W section, although I know other's don't. Daniel Craig looks dangerous, more like the killer that Bond essentially is. And the very end, with the footsteps and the Bond theme finally kicking in and THAT line… I love it!

The one movie that I feel slightly guilty about omitting from the list is On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's different story works well, its characters have depth, the action feels real and it features some great locations. However, I just keep asking myself, how much better would it have been with Connery? We'll never know. For me, Lazenby's less than convincing performance stops it making my short list. Lazenby just doesn't feel Bond enough. Sorry George.

And finally, a note of caution regarding Quantum of Solace (I have to think really hard every time I write that). The producers keep telling us how much more action there will be in this one compared to Casino Royale, as if that's supposed to be a barometer of how good the movie will be. However, we have seen that when the Bond movies get too action oriented at the expense of plot and character, they do not always fare well. Just look at Moonraker and Die Another Day. It is no coincidence that after both these instalments the producers reassessed things, reducing the over the top action and reverting to a more realistic thriller. Which brings things back neatly to two of my top Bond movies - For Your Eyes Only and Casino Royale. Which proves that where Bond is concerned, less is often more. But Marc Foster is a great director, and they are (literally) following on from the very successful Casino Royale, so I am hopeful for Quantum. Bring it on.