Amazon.com

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 collects the same feature-packed DVDs that appeared in previous Bond boxes, but in a new combination of titles, one with a decidedly golden gleam. In 1962 Sean Connery defined the cinematic James Bond as a tough, charming, and thoroughly professional cold war spy with a license to kill in the lean, hard-edged Dr. No. With Ursula Andress (as the original Bond girl Honeychile Ryder, who makes her entrance in a bikini), Bond battles a renegade supervillain with little more than his wits, his cunning, and his Walther PPK. In Goldfinger (1964) Connery's steely presence helped forge the formula of tongue-in-cheek wit, wondrous secret agent toys created by Q, and megalomaniac supervillains bent on world destruction.

Roger Moore brought a light tone and a suave assurance to the series, and in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), he battles million-dollar assassin Christopher Lee, one of Bond's most magnetic adversaries. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), perhaps Moore's finest hour, is a return to the extravagant set pieces and cold war thrills of Connery's pictures and introduces Richard Kiel's steel-dentured Jaws to the series. Timothy Dalton made his second and final appearance as Bond in Licence to Kill (1989), the toughest of the Bond films since Connery's early efforts. Though not a fan favorite, it's a sleek, solid adventure with an edge missing from the Moore pictures.

Pierce Brosnan is the latest to take on the 007 mantle, combining the best of Connery's cool and Moore's humor. GoldenEye (1995) is a grand globetrotting adventure with lovely Bond girls and a tough new M (Judy Dench). Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) doesn't recapture that magic mix of action, gadgetry, and romance, but does feature the first Bond girl to match 007 blow for blow: Hong Kong action superstar Michelle Yeoh. The DVD editions of the films each feature audio commentary tracks by the director and key members of the crew, making-of documentaries, and a host of stills, TV spots, and trailers. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Volume 1 of a classic line of Spy films
"The name is Bond, James Bond." With these words a franchise was born. In 1962 Ian Flemming launched a franchise that would forever change the action film genre. Starting with Dr. NO, one really couldn't tell that it was really a Bond film until that famous line was uttered. Now then, the Bond series has gone through no less than 5 different actors: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, finally Pierce Brosnan. Each having their own style. In my opinion, Pierce Brosnan is about as close to the original Sean Connery Bond as you can get. He's got the same pizazz and pinache as Connery did.

This first set of a re-issue contains seven of the soon to be twenty installment franchise. The first is the 1962 release "Dr. NO". This was Connery's first, and Bond's first official appearance.

Then comes '64's "Goldfinger", the 3rd Bond film. This film had one of the cleverest lines in a Bond film that I can recall. Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?" Goldfinger: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Then comes '74's "The Man with the Golden Gun". The 9th Bond film and Roger Moore's 2nd appearance as Bond. This film stars Christopher Lee as the villian who we now know as Count Dooku from Star Wars Episode II.

Then we have '77's "The Spy Who Loved Me". The 10th Bond film and Moore's 3rd appearance. This film stared Curt Jurgens as the villian and introduced the character Jaws played by Richard Kiel.

Then let's skip way forward and stop at '89's "License to Kill". This is the 16th Bond film which was Timothy Dalton's 2nd appearance as Bond. This film also stars Robert Davi as latino drug cartel leader.

Next comes '95's "GoldenEye". The 17th Bond film and also Pierce Brosnan, the modern Bond's first film. This film spawned one of the most popular N64 video games ever. Stared Sean Bean as 006 who turns traitor.

And finally '97's "Tomorrow Never Dies". The 18th Bond film and Brosnan's 2nd film. Stars Teri Hatcher, TV's Lois Lane from The New Superman Adventures.

And so completes the first Volume of DVD reissues. Hopefully Volume 2 will come out sometime early next year.

A Very Good Addition to any DVD Collection
I originally bought this box set and the others when they were done to conicide with the release of Tomorrow Never Dies. Sadly that was not included in the box set so I had to buy it separately. While Tomorrow Never Dies is not the best, the others do not disappoint. You get some of the best Bond films Connery did. Dr No, Goldfinger. Licence to Kill with the dashing Timothy Dalton does not disappoint. Also included is Goldeneye, the first Bond with Pierce Brosnan. While it sometimes seems far fetched, the highlight of this film is really is Sean Bean who plays Alec Trevelyan. He is 006 turned bad. To watch Bean play this deliciously evil baddie is interesting and fun as he anticipates Bond's every move.He is perhaps one of the best Bond baddies in a long time because he is an intellegent bad guy who knows Bond better than anyone. The others included Man With The Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me, like many of the Bond films may seem far fetched but are great fun to watch.

Not closed captioned in English
I bought this box set as a birthday present for a friend who is hard of hearing, thinking that he could use the closed caption option.

I was shocked to find that all the DVD's in all of the James Bond boxed sets are NOT closed captioned in English!
They are only closed captioned in French and Spanish.

How can they sell these these DVDs in the USA, label them as "closed captioned" and not state on the box that they are NOT closed captioned in English?

An Endearing Man of Action and Honor
Only one person can stop the maniacal villains trying to monopolize the world: Bond, James Bond. The groundbreaking DR. NO is one of the best James Bond films of the series. Sean Connery's performance is that of the no-nonsense dedicated civil servant entrusted with a "licence-to-kill" when he chooses, where he chooses and whom he chooses. His screen presence alone conveys the physical, intellectual and moral conviction of the character. Many elements that distinguish the James Bond series were introduced in this film. The opening gun barrel trademark, "The James Bond Theme," M played by Bernard Lee, Miss Moneypenny played by Lois Maxwell, Ken Adam's distinctive melding of modern and futuristic production designs, Maurice Binder's unique main titles, the "Martinis shaken not stirred," exotic locales, just to name a few are all here. Bond is sent to Jamaica, land of the Undertakers Wind, to investigate the elimination of British field agents and strange signals that have been interfering with the American space program. Joseph Wiseman as DR. NO is one of the best villains of the series. His steel mono-toned performance is eerily unsettling. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder leaves the most indelible image of the series as she emerges erotically from the blue waters of the Caribbean clad in her white bikini. Along with Felix Leiter and Quarrel, Bond must uncover the trail that all leads to DR. NO's mysterious Crab Key. GOLDFINGER contains a well-balanced level of depth and action leaving one emotionally charged. This is Sean Connery's finest James Bond film. The golden girl, Oddjob's bowler hat, Goldfinger's lethal laser, the Astin Martin DB5 with modifications introduced by Q, and Shirley Bassey's legendary rendition of the theme song belted out over the titles immediately became an integral part of the James Bond lore and remained in the psyche of the public. Production designer Ken Adam and art director Peter Murton gave the production a stunning and lavish distinction. The Fort Knox set and Goldfinger's playroom at his stud ranch was a testament to imagination and achievement. John Barry finally honed his distinctive style to perfection with this memorable score. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN contains one of Roger Moore's best performances as James Bond as he injects Bond's virility, worldliness and sardonic wit back into the character. Christopher Lee's performance as the enigmatic Scaramanga is refreshingly energetic giving the assassin an amiable quality on the surface hiding a darker side beneath. Bond sets out to find the person responsible for sending him a golden bullet with his 007 number on it. Maud Adams' is Andrea, Scaramanga's beautiful mistress. She brings genuine compassion to the role as the tormented individual who can not escape her master. There is also great location cinematography in this film that inspired John Barry to compose a lush exotic score. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is a big-budgeted opulent film with effective screenplay and editing delivering one of the most succinctly structured films of the series. Roger Moore clearly re-established his approach to the role as the good-natured British agent. His Bond is suave, debonair, never condescending and resorts to seriousness only when confronted with malevolence. The globetrotting THE SPY WHO LOVED ME featured a gadget laden Lotus Esprit as its centerpiece and a demented villain Stromberg whose immense wealth featured an aquatic empire aimed at global domination. Great action sequences and chases abound. LICENCE TO KILL has Timothy Dalton as an avenging James Bond turned rouge agent out to eliminate drug lord Sanchez in Isthmus City. There are many great action scenes on the land, on and under the sea and in the air. The best element of the story line is having Bond place doubt in the mind of Sanchez that henchmen in his organization were plotting against him. The film's greatest asset is Benicio Del Toro's performance as Dario, a Sanchez henchman. GOLDENEYE is Pierce Brosnan's first film as James Bond and seems more like a hybrid of Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton, combing the best elements that each brought to the role. He possesses intelligence, wit, charm and dedication and delivers these with no-nonsense passion and drive. GOLDENEYE is a great looking film beautifully filmed for mood and action. Some of the film's high points are the miniatures by Derek Meddings; probably his best work in the series, the return of the Astin Martin DB5 and Eric Serra's original if controversial score. Serra's interpretation of "The James Bond Theme" over the opening gun barrel trademark is powerful and very innovative. One can not appreciate Serra's contribution to this film unless the DVD is played through a surround stereo system with a good amount of bass and volume pumped up. In TOMORROW NEVER DIES Pierce Brosnan delivers a more definitive interpretation of James Bond above and beyond his excellent portrayal in GOLDENEYE two years earlier. In this film Brosnan has honed in on his maturity and a physical presence that consummates his overall performance of Bond when combined with his intelligence, wit and charm that he delivers flawlessly with assured confidence. This film brings a realistic and gritty look to the series that LICENCE TO KILL attempted to achieve. This is one of the best films of the series combing an integral plot with rich characters, action and suspense. Director Donald Spottiswoode never diverted the focus of the film away from the main plot, yet he gave a sense of real depth to the characters. He has a good understanding of how to deliver action with emotional impact. He did a brilliant job and has been highly underrated for his efforts. Also, the producers finally discovered a composer that could combine the traditional and highly personalized sound of John Barry with today's trends in scoring for this genre in the talented David Arnold. Arnold much evidently has a good understanding of the series and the character of James Bond.

Not Good
I bought this collection from a company called Digitaleyes.net off this site as a birthday present to a friend. Problem is half of the disc's do not play (ie) "No Disc inserted" error message on my Sony DVD player.
I'm still waiting for a response back from the Digitaleyes.net about this. I would not recommend using Digitaleyes.net to order through. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sean Connery casts a long shadow over the James Bond legacy. He created the movie persona and starred in six of the first seven features, all but establishing the cool cold warrior as the world's most suave secret agent. The second Bond collection celebrates the Connery Bond with three of his classics, including From Russia with Love, 007's second and perhaps finest outing. A blond, buff Robert Shaw plays Bond's most ruthless nemesis, and Lotte Lenya and the great Pedro Armindáriz costar in this sleek, high-energy trip through the Iron Curtain. Connery travels to the Far East in You Only Live Twice, which introduces the international criminal conspiracy SPECTRE and its cat-loving mastermind, Blofeld (Donald Pleasence). After a brief retirement, Connery returned for Diamonds Are Forever, his final "official" appearance in the Bond series (15 years later he played Bond for a rival studio's Never Say Never Again). This more tongue-in-cheek adventure takes 007 to Las Vegas, where he battles Blofeld (this time played by Charles Gray) and his minions--namely, a pair of fey, sardonic henchmen and a team of bikini-clad karate killers.

Roger Moore took over the role and his fourth effort was Moonraker, a misguided sci-fi entry that takes Bond to space for a physically impressive but dramatically lackluster adventure with Richard Kiel's steel-dentured Jaws. After that brief digression, For Your Eyes Only returned Bond to globetrotting high adventure and teamed him with his most endearing ally (Topol as a gregarious smuggler). The torch was passed to Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights, an attempt to clear away the camp elements of Moore's portrayal and return to a lean, hard-edged spy thriller for the post-cold war era. It lacks the larger-than-life characters and spectacle of previous Bond pictures, but Dalton was a tough, ruthless 007 and a worthy inheritor of the legacy, which was then passed on to Pierce Brosnan. In The World Is Not Enough, Bond takes on post-Soviet geopolitics, with Robert Carlyle as the villainous Renard and Sophie Marceau and Denise Richards as love objects. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A Superb Collection
Let me just say, I am pleased with MGM's decision to release all of the Bond films for this holiday season.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is my third favorite Bond film. I felt that this was Sean Connery's finest hour. John Barry's score is perfect for the chilling felling that this film gives off. I would buy this set for this movie alone.
****

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE has great locales and a heart-pumping plot. However, it is not that special. This film overdoes the whole Japanese theme too much. But, the last half hour is back in the Bond tradition. Donald Pleasance is fantastic as the super-villan Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Even because of the comic-book-like scenes, this is a great 007 flick.
***

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER is more like a Republic serial than a movie 007 film, but, it is great fun to watch. Probably, the most raunchiest one out there, but it is great. The homo-sexual henchman, Mr. Wint & Mr. Kidd make the movie as well does Charles Gray as the final Blofeld. A great film in the first half but it does bog down at the end. Great fun though!!!
***

MOONRAKER is silly, over-the-top, has poor special effects, and I love it. This is probably the poorest Bond film but it is an awesome treat on a rainy day. However, this Bond film is big and I mean big! It covers three continents and space. It definitley shows that the cast had an awesome time making this. Once again, silly but entertaining.
**1/2

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is like watching the grass grow compared to Moonraker. But it is not bad. A very realistic film which covers many aspects of the early Connery Bonds. However, is slow at many points and can be boring for people who watch the Bonds for the action scenes.
**1/2

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS has possibly the most realistic plot. This is Timothy Dalton's first appearance as 007. After reading the Ian Fleming novels, I find him to be most similar to the way his creator viewed him. I expected this movie to have a great Russian plot but is doesn't, you'll have to wait until GoldenEye for that. Definitely the most forgettable.
**1/2

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH has an intresting plot, a brilliant villan, and a delicious villaness. Sophie Marceau plays the disturbed Elektra King brilliantly. I feel that in this film Pierce Brosnan finally feels comfortable in the role of 007. However this is a sad hour for Bond lovers. This is Desmond Llewellyn's last time for playing the gadget wizard "Q".
***

Good Selection
Like the third boxed set, a few titles you can live without, but some good movies are in here:

From Russia With Love - slow by today's movie standards but an excellent Bond film. Bond's gadgets are very practical and he's only human in this one. Don't miss the gypsy girls fighting or Tatiana getting ready to meet Bond!

You Only Live Twice - not as interesting as the novel although the girls and the custom Toyota were good to look at. Bond finally meets Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Diamonds Are Forever - the funniest Bond of them all. I enjoy this one even though there were some glaring questions like how does a car on two wheels suddenly go up on the other two wheels and why would diamonds around a laser make it more powerful than if they were in the laser?

Moonraker - the outerspace battle is as boring as the underwater battle in Thunderball and Jaws is as inept as he is indestructible in this one. Plot is certainly more up to date than that in Fleming's novel, but didn't have much to offer except women in skimpy outfits and a good fight scene in the glass museum.

For Your Eyes Only - decent movie, often played for laughs. Teaches you not to mess with women wielding crossbows.

The Living Daylights - Timothy Dalton attempted to bring Bond more in line with Fleming's down to earth, human spy. Although Dalton may have been just a bit too serious as Bond, this is one of my favorite Bond films. The opening is terrific and we see a Bond with his own moral code doing what he must.

The World is not Enough - Bond's family motto and a good film. Brosnan's line as he kills the true villain of the piece is reminisent of some of Connery's better lines. Most fantastic opening sequences of any movie!

A Set Worth Getting
Contains:

From Russia With Love - Terrific Bond film that keeps you entertained. ****/5

You Only Live Twice - One of my favorite Bond films with my favorite score by John Barry. *****/5

Diamonds are Forever - A little too Moore-ish for Connery but nothing takes away the fun. ****/5

Moonraker - Very underrated Bond film is the first one I saw and I always will remember it most. *****/5

For Your Eyes Only - Set's only real downside goes on forever and there's barely a plot. Kept me awake, though. ***/5

The Living Daylights - Great movie. I thought Dalton would blow it as Bond, but this is ranked in my top 5 Bond movies. It just needs to end a bit sooner. ****/5

The World is Not Enough - Best Brosnan Bond puts you at the edge of your seat. *****/5

Very good set, but I'd see all the movies in it before buying it.

The Greatest Entertainment On Earth
Who on earth is dumb enough to have veiwers skip Moonraker!
Moonraker is so outrages, like the gondola racing onto land in Venice, is sheer fun.
Not to mention the most beautiful Bond music of all. And don't overlook Dr. Goodhead. Moonraker is wacky enough to be several movies in one. i always enjoy the fun of it's locals.
Bring on the rest of Bond especially after a hard days work

Not closed captioned in English
I bought this box set as a birthday present for a friend who is hard of hearing, thinking that he could use the closed caption option.

I was shocked to find that all the DVD's in all of the James Bond boxed sets are NOT closed captioned in English!
They are only closed captioned in French and Spanish.

How can they sell these these DVDs in the USA, label them as "closed captioned" and not state on the box that they are NOT closed captioned in English? ... Read more

Amazon.com

In his 19th screen outing, Ian Fleming's superspy is once again caught in the crosshairs of a self-created dilemma: as the longest-running feature-film franchise, James Bond is an annuity his producers want to protect, yet the series' consciously formulaic approach frustrates any real element of surprise beyond the rote application of plot twists or jump cuts to shake up the audience. This time out, credit 007's caretakers for making some visible attempts to invest their principal characters with darker motives--and blame them for squandering The World Is Not Enough's initial promise by the final reel.

By now, Bond pictures are as elegantly formal as a Bach chorale, and this one opens on an unusually powerful note. A stunning pre-title sequence reaches beyond mere pyrotechnics to introduce key plot elements as the action leaps from Bilbao to London. Bond 5.0, Pierce Brosnan, undercuts his usually suave persona with a darker, more brutal edge largely absent since Sean Connery departed. Equally tantalizing are our initial glimpses of Bond's nemesis du jour, Renard (Robert Carlyle), and imminent love interest, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), both atypically complex characters cast with seemingly shrewd choices, and directed by the capable Michael Apted. The story's focus on post-Soviet geopolitics likewise starts off on a savvy note, before being overtaken by increasingly Byzantine plot twists, hidden motives, and reversals of loyalty superheated by relentless (if intermittently perfunctory) action sequences.

Indeed, the procession of perils plays like a greatest hits medley, save for a nifty sequence involving airborne buzz saws that's as enjoyable as it is preposterous. Bond's grimmer demeanor, while preferable to the smirk that eventually swallowed Roger Moore whole, proves wearying, unrelieved by any true wit. The underlying psychoses that propel Renard and Elektra eventually unravel into unconvincing melodrama, while Bond is supplied with a secondary love object, Denise Richards, who's even more improbable as a nuclear physicist. Ultimately, this World is not enough despite its better intentions. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (447)

The best Bond film yet.
The 19th MGM James Bond-007 movie is here. It's probably the best movie yet. It has the best stunts.

Filmed in: England, France, Spain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Bahamas. The name is taken from 1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service when James takes a look at his coat of arms and is told that the family motto is: The World Is Not Enough.

Of course, Pierce Brosnan returns as the role of 007. Sophie Marceau as the murdered tycoon's daughter, Elektra King. Denise Richards as nuclear expert, Dr. Christmas Jones. Robert Carlyle as the doomed terrorist, Victor Zokas aka Renard. And John Cleese as R, Q's assistant. The movie also sees Robbie Coltrane's return as Valentin Zukovsky and Judi Dench 3rd appearance as M, the boss.

The plot involves Sir Robert King, an oil industrialist. He buys a report about the Soviet's missile department accidentally thinking it contained info about the terrorists attacking his pipeline in the East. Surprised to find out his money was wasted, a Swiss banker retrieves the money. M sends 007 to pick it up. But the banker, Lachaise, is in for a surprise. The report Sir Robert bought was stolen from an MI-6 agent who was killed for it. Knowing Lachaise knows who killed the agent, Bond threatens him. Unfortunately, Bond only escapes with his life and the money. No name. After a spectacular scene, Sir Robert is dead. Days later, his daughter Elektra takes over the construction of the pipeline. But 007 suspects there is something suspicious about terrorist Renard, the King organization, and even Elektra herself. M refuses to listen to 007's crazy instincts. Only Dr. Christmas Jones & Valentin are on Bond's side.

The movie sees Q's retirement. And a good thing too. After all, the DVD isn't dedicated to Desmond Llewelyn for nothing. However, Q has given the Q labs to R. Probably a bad choice. R will talk you through putting a shirt on!

The language features are: Languages-English and French. Subtitles-English, Spanish, and French.

Special Features. Music video performed by Garbage (the band). The Making of The World Is Not Enough. Audio Commentaries. The Secrets of 007-alternate video options. Theatrical Theater.

Well, that's about everything this DVD includes. Hope the review was helpful.

Bigger and Better!
Here's a Bond film that deserves to be ranked among the best in the series. Along with the usual Bond formula of high tech gadgets, one-liners, and of course, the Bond girl(s), this latest installment also provides a story with a different twist. Throw in a combination of mind games, an unusual villain, exotic locales, and amazing stunts and you get an explosive, testosterone driven, eye-candy, action-packed thriller with a dash of high quality performances. One sequence in particular is the high adrenaline boat chase along the Thames River that takes place very early in the movie. Cool stuff!

The story delves much deeper into the psyche of James Bond than previous 007 flicks. Pierce Brosnan plays a much darker and vulnerable 007 in his third run as the British super agent spy James Bond. The World Is Not Enough also showcases the acting talents of Dame Judi Dench (who plays M) and Sophie Marceau as well as many others. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, also plays a role in the movie as the heir apparent to Q. Every character played a larger role in this movie, in which, there were times when I felt James Bond was a supporting character rather than a leading one. There is definitely no shortage of star power in this movie.

A few things I didn't like about this movie (just my personal opinion mind you) were the opening Bond song, the paraglider-ski sequence, and the miniature scaled models. Yuck! Still though, this latest 007 thriller gives a good ride! Humor, international intrigue, and plenty of action. This is a James Bond of the 21st Century and I hope Pierce Brosnan sticks around to do many more like this one!

Bond is the best of this time......Dry,humorous,and elegant,
Mr.Bond is ranking itself as the highest of his quality,and is back once more,but this time dry as a glass of martini,and elegant as far as he could ever get,making his job as right as Beethoven while composing his 9th.
James bond,her majesty's loyal star,is back in a very different style and story;He is involved in a complex of a villian trying to take over the world with his lover's own oil pipe line. The thing is,you see,he feels no pain.Nothing.Amazing,as it is surprising for the first time to hear it. Elektra,the new bond girl,is to my own taste one of the best bond girls ever in the series,simply because she has many sides to be related with,and sophie marseau,the actress,bringing an excellent performance in the role of Elektea.The other bond girl,christmas,portrayed by denise richards,has a small relation to a bond girl,but still interesting,though.
As well as the deep and dark plot which develops suprisingly,we also discover a more darker side inside the familiar characters,like M,for example,Which makes this movie special and wonderful.
Also,We are introduced to the the next Q(The great,humorous,and giant John Cleese,from the mighty "Fawlty towers" and "Monty Python's flying circus"),Which is,and believe in my own words,the best there is to portray the charcacter of Q.He is doing it very,very well.
You are going to see a different bond,a new bond,a complex and dark story,the best british humor ever brought to a bond film, and,of course,James Bond himself,Pierce Brosnan,is worth all of the bond touches and twists.
You think you can give me the whole world?
Well,the world is not enough,maybe,but the movie,believe me,does.

"I never miss"
This is the best film to date in the series, hands-down. It may not have the classic charm of Goldfinger, but a couple of viewings (something most people aren't willing to credit a Bond film with) reveal a film which is incredibly substantial, in an unprecedented - and unnecesary - way. It could get by on the charm of the locations, one-liners etc., but it still tries to put together a credible and interesting plot, and it succeeds.

The most obvious credit to the writers is Carlyle's brooding, existentialist villain, which reminded me of The Misfit in O'Connor's 'A Good Man is Hard to Find.' Carlyle, in surprising contrast to his turn as the psychotic Begbie in Trainspotting, plays the role with just enough subtley and understatement, making the character's evil much more believable than the cackling megalomania of earlier specimens. What I also like about the screenplay, though, and what isn't immediatley apparent, is that it casts some doubt on the role of Bond in the world. In other movies, he seems to have an absolute moral imperative, able to gun down scores of people without any consequence, simply because his enemies are abosolutley evil. In this film, though, among the ruins of the USSR (a theme already explored in Goldeneye), there's more gray than black and white, and the circumstances don't allow him to get off so blamelessly; ultimately he has to do something which he might might regret. It's far from making him human - if that were to happen, it would undermine the whole promise of the series - but it's an interesting take. Then there's the way the plot works in minor characters, like Judi Dench's M and the Russian gangster Zukovsky, both of whom provide a usually self-reliant Bond with indispensable help, while Zukovsky experiences the closest thing to character _development_ which anyone has probably ever experienced in a Bond film. As for Richards, I don't know what she's doing there, either, and probably it would have been a stronger movie without her, but at least she's hot.

What's The Point of Living If You Can't Feel Alive?
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (known to Bond fans as TWINE) may be Pierce Brosnan's finest outing as Bond to date. A more complex and nuanced story than most recent Bond films, TWINE recaptures a good part of the exotica and international intrigue of the Bond series as first conceived.

The precredits sequence sets up the story nicely: Sir Robert King, oil magnate and friend of "M" (Judi Dench) is killed by booby trapped money delivered to him by Bond. All roads lead to Rome, the roads being clues, and Rome in this case being represented by Electra King (Sophie Marceau), Sir Robert's beautiful daughter, who was the victim of a recent kidnap plot hatched by the mysterious Renard, a terrorist rendered unable to experience pain by a bullet lodged in his skull. "M" dispatches Bond to protect Electra, who has taken over her father's petroleum empire in central Asia.

From the moment he arrives in Azerbaijan, Bond is a hunted man. Although first enamored of Electra, Bond soon realizes that there is something amiss.

In TWINE, Brosnan resurrects the dark Bond of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. His dual nemeses, Electra and Renard, are ably played by Marceau and Robert Carlyle, who both bring some surprising depth to their characters. Electra is particularly sympathetic, being both the brainwashed victim and willing accomplice of Renard. She is by turns sexual and ingenuous, vulnerable and implacable. Marceau is breathtakingly beautiful.

Carlyle's Renard, trapped in a body that can't feel, exudes both pathos and hatred as he plots the destruction of the democracies.

Dench's "M" plays a central role in the film, far larger than any "M" before her. The film is notable for being the last appearance as Desmond Llwellyn as "Q". Llewellyn, who played "Q" in almost every Bond film after 1964, died in a car wreck just days before the theatrical release of the picture, and John Cleese was cleverly edited into the film as his replacement, "R".

Denise Richards has the weakest major role, playing Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist. Richards could have been left on the cutting room floor in her entirety. More's the pity, because Richards is a strikingly beautiful woman who is entirely upstaged by the exotic, erotic Marceau. Besides being a rather miscast improbable genius in cargo shorts and a tank top, Richards' character has even more of an "afterthought" feel than "R" does, as if the producers just couldn't tolerate the idea of the film ending with an unredeemed Electra King and no virtuous love interest for Bond.

Two hours and some of intelligent action-adventure, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH fulfills all expectations. ... Read more

Reviews (136)

From Russia With Love
From Russia With Love is certainly an excellent OO7 film to date and is Connery's third best in my opinion, I like Thunderball and Goldfinger slightly better. The plot is that SPECTRE is bent on getting the LEKTOR, a top-secret decoding device. They plan to offer it to Bond from a young girl. SPECTRE plans then to kill OO7 and take the LEKTOR for themselves. The acting is excellent. sean Connery is in top form as the dashing British agent OO7, and few Bond girls are better than Daniela Binachi's Tatiana Romanavo. Robert Shaw and Lotte Lenya are superb villains, especially Shaw as Rosa Klebb and Donald "Red" Grant. Kerim Bey is wonderful as Pedro Armendariz. The action includes OO7 being chased by a helicopter, the famed "gypsy camp" scene, an incredible and long hand-to-hand fight aboard the Orient Express between Connery and Shaw, and a good boat chase near the end. The gadgets include Bond's attache case, Grant's garoutte wire watch, and Rosa Klebb's switchblade shoes. The script is very good, the cinematography is dark and brooding, and the settings are nice. The only problem is I didn't like the song that much but I loved the score. Overall, everything from the acting to the dark atmosphere, to the good DVD quality make this film a terrific OO7 film and a welcome edition to your DVD library.

Beautiful looking DVD
James Bond is given the opportunity to obtain a Russian Lektor decoding machine but he needs the services of a beautiful Russian defector, Tatiana Romanova (Daniella Bianchi) to help him steal it from the Russian Embassy in Istanbul. The British think it's a trap, but one worth taking as they are desperate to get their hands on the Lektor. It is indeed too easy to be true - but the treachery and manipulation comes not from the Russians, but from a totally unexpected quarter.

The story may appear simplistic but if you let your concentration lapse you'll miss key information to understanding the plot. Because there is more dialogue it helps to own this movie so you can watch it again. Everything becomes much clearer after a repeat viewing. This was the first 007 DVD I bought because it's one of my favourite Connery Bonds. It features ice-cold assassin Red Grant (Robert Shaw), and one of the best bond girls ever ('James, will you make love to make all the time in England?'). Pedro Armendáriz fits the role of 007's ally Kerim Bey very nicely.

From Russia With Love doesn't overwelm you with a main villain's secret fortress blowing to pieces, nor does it have a heart-pounding car chase scene. The real action is between the characters and within the story.

This series deserved better.
It is hard to imagine that only the 2nd 007 flick would be one of the worst, but this one is just so horrible! The romance plot is laughable and badly acted, Connery and Bianchi don't even have any chemistry. A ton of scenes in the film don't make any sense either--- the gypsy camp sequence for instance. It has NOTHING to do with the plot, yet a good deal of the film is spent here. It's almost as if the filmakers had 2 scripts, couldn't decide between the two, and just used them both, resulting in one huge convoluted mess. Perhaps this was because they were trying to get the movie out in only a year after Dr. No came out. A shame--- had they given FRWL more time and not rushed it, it could have been something really good.

the second young bond and the best of them all
fighting gypsies (one of whom is the delectable martine beswick) in scantily clad clothes, a beefcake blonde assassin robert shaw, a killer old hag with poisioned shoes, the most beautiful blonde imaginable wearing a choker, and connery's ultra cool bond non chalantly smoking his way through half the fim.
what more can you ask from terence youngs second bond flick and the best bond of them all.
from russia with love.

Number 2 yet full of firsts
The second installment of James Bonds adventures starts with the post gunbarrel pre-title chapter which in this movie sees an expert assasin take out what appears to be our intrepid agent untill it is revealed that it is a stage set up.

Q makes an apperance with the first of many gadgets that Bond will call on during his lifetime. We also get to see his Bentley before it's famous replacement in the next film. The three modes of transport (air,sea,rail) and exotic locations are to the fore and of course, the Bond Girl, this time Lotte Lyna. ... Read more

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Sean Connery retired from the 007 franchise after You Only Live Twice (replaced by George Lazenby in the underrated and underperforming On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but was lured back for one last official appearance as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever. He's in fine form--cool but ruthless--in a sharp precredits sequence hunting the unkillable Blofeld (a suavely menacing Charles Gray in this incarnation), but the MacGuffin of a story (involving diamond smuggling, a superlaser on a satellite, and Blofeld's latest plot to rule the world ) is full of the groaning tongue-in-cheek gags that Roger Moore would make his signature. Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton keeps the film zipping along gamely from one entertaining set piece to another, including a terrific car chase in a parking lot, a battle with a pair of bikini-clad killer gymnasts named Bambi and Thumper, and a deadly game with a bizarre pair of fey, sardonic killers who dispatch their victims with elaborate invention. Jill St. John is the brassy but not too bright American smuggler Tiffany Case, and country singer and pork sausage king Jimmy Dean costars as a reclusive billionaire with not-so-subtle parallels to Howard Hughes. Shirley Bassey belts out the memorable theme song, one of the series' best. Connery retired again after this one but he returned once more, for Never Say Never Again 15 years later for a rival production company. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (111)

A Bit More Cheek Than Usual, Miss Case?
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER marks Sean Connery's return to the role of Bond after the hiatus of ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. It was also his last Bond film to date (except for the swan song NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN in 1983).

The opening precredits sequence involves Bond's hunt for Blofeld, who killed Bond's wife Tracy in OHMSS. The story then develops into a melange of diamond smuggling, Las Vegas casinos, an eccentric billionaire (pork sausage king Jimmy Dean playing Willard Whyte, a sort of cornpone version of Howard Hughes), cheesy funeral parlors, moon buggies and laser beams, cloning, and a girl named Tiffany Case.

In terms of story, this film is one of the weakest of the Bond films,jumping frenetically from one scene to another in an attempt to cram in everything it possibly can. The film editing is awful. There's just no other word for it.

The movie is redeemed by the characters and the nonstop action sequences, all of which are wildly entertaining. Connery is suave and irrepressible in a white tuxedo. Jill St. John, who plays the aforementioned Miss Case, is brassy and sassy, sexy and fun. The two of them seem to be sharing a private joke all the way through the film.

We are also introduced to Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, a pair of openly gay assassins who kill with a creative streak and have a penchant for really bad puns. The appearance of Wint and Kidd and their relationship marks a kind of minor milestone in the Bond canon, showing that the series was moving unselfconsciously into the 1970s.

Minor but important roles are filled out by Bambi and Thumper, a pair of gymnasts specializing in assault, battery, and tumbling routines, and Plenty O'Toole ("Named after your father, no doubt") a casino girl reminiscent of a low-rent Sylvia Trench from the earliest Bond films.

Blofeld is played by Charles Gray. Gray's Blofeld seems more like a disgruntled waiter than a criminal mastermind. His cat does give us an excellent performance.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER never takes itself seriously. This is not the film noir of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. The series was taking its turn here toward the Roger Moore era of cartoon excess and "groaners", a downward spiral which continued until Timothy Dalton rescued Bond from utter obsolescence.

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER is Eon's version of an Andy Sidaris film. Sidaris' films are low-budget Bond take-offs, but in this instance, it would be hard to say who inspired whom. Like Baby Back Ribs, this film is sloppy but delicious.

The Special Edition DVD has much to recommend it, including deleted scenes (which to Eon Productions' credit, help make sense of the film) and interviews with some of the cast. There is also an excellent retrospective on the life of Cubby Broccoli. -

Sparkling
"Diamonds Are Forever" is the 7th in the James Bond 007 series from 1971. Agent 007 is assigned to stop diamond smugglers. This movie marks the return of Sean Connery to the role of Bond. He does a decent job here, but afterward he retired again and Roger Moore took over the role. Jill St. John does a good job of playing Tiffany Case, one of the smugglers. Norman Burton does a forgettable job of playing Felix Leiter. (The best Leiter was Jack Lord in "Dr. No" [1962]).

This movie really has two things going for it: an outstanding soundtrack and some of the best villains of the entire Bond series. Shirley Bassey sings the title track. Her's is a return performance, as she also sang the title tracks to "Goldfinger" (1964) and "Moonraker" (1979). The two villains, Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint, are henchmen of Ernst Blofeld. It is just hilarious how they make deadpan one-liners which parody those of Bond!

This is one of my favorite Bond movies, but I am rating it down one star because it seems to bog down near the end. Ironically, I saw a DeBeers diamond commercial which said "A diamond is forever" while I was preparing this review. Apparently, the movie title has some marketing power to it!

Not as bad as Moonraker
Connery is the only saving grace to this film. The film has a rushed, cheap quality to it. The producers must have been so pleased to have Connery back one last time they forgot about minor stuff like exotic sets (Las Vegas coming on the heels of Japan and the Swiss Alps is a let-down), decent special effects, and a good editor--how did Plenty end up dead? what about the car on two wheels switching sides?--see the movie and you'll understand. Also, someone should have at least tried to get Telly Savalas back as Blofeld for some continuity. Blofeld is 007's Moriarty and while even Savalas didn't quite match the literary Blofeld, he at least had far more presence than Donald Pleasance or Charles Gray. Having Connery back one more time was good, but production values really took a hit in this one. Still, it wasn't as silly as Moonraker.

He deserved the dough
One of my favorite Bond movies. Connery earn his unusual ( for the time ) fee for this role as he hunts for the killer of his wife only to find him behind a mission after he believed he finished the job.

Jill St. John is very hot and does a fine job and the supporting cast follows through well. The cut in the effects budget shows with the parking lot chase but I always felt that Connery as Bond was the attraction rather than the gimicks.

A winner

Making Mud Pies, 007?
The 7th James Bond movie. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER introduced a fascinating character in the series with Willard Whyte, a reclusive billionaire who runs an empire from a Las Vegas penthouse. Whyte is played to perfection by none other than the sausage king himself Jimmy Dean - a legendary tycoon himself during the late 50s and 60s for a series of hilarious commercial and comedy skits. Dean cleverly enthuses the role of Whyte with his own persona. As such, the whole extravagant gambling activities seen throughout the film give a unique appeal for Sean Connery's final apperance as James Bond. The film also showcases memorable action sequences with a more spunky heroine in Jill St. John.

THE ASSIGNMENT: M introduces Bond to the problems of diamond smuggling. Despite apparent air-tight security at South Africa's diamonds mines, a large quantity has recently gone missing. Even more alarming than the larceny is that none of the stolen jewels have found their way on to the world market. Bond is sent off to discover who is stockpiling the diamonds, and why. He begins by impersonating smuggler Peter Franks, and ends up in Las Vegas - and to his shock face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld! Blofeld has devised another way to hold the world at ransom - a giant laserbeam generator suspended in orbit around the Earth which uses diamonds to intensify its' energy to the point where it can cause rockets, missiles, and submarines to simply self-detonate. Blofeld is effectively conducting an international auction with nuclear supremacy going to the highest bidder. Who better than 007?

THE VILLAINS: Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Joseph Furst as Professor Metz, and Putter Smith and Bruce Glover as the whimsical homosexuals Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT! ... Read more

Reviews (172)

One of the Series Best!
I have seen where a few critics have down-graded this movie and that is a shame as "License to Kill" has a lot going for it. The concept of Bond as a rogue was a refreshing change, and one of the best concepts in any of the Bond films. Essentially, the plot goes as follows: A renown drug dealer Sanchez (Robert Davi) is arrested in Miami with help of the DEA and Felix Leiter (Bond's CIA contact and good friend). Following the arrest, Felix gets married. Sanchez escapes and commits a brutal act of revenge before returning to Isthmus City. James Bond (Timothy Dalton), determined to take Sanchez down, enlistes Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) to help him. One problem for Bond is that Sanchez is well guarded and has numerous contacts. Bond will have to have to be careful in infiltrating Sanchez. The other problem is that he is now a rogue agent, having his license to kill revoked by the British government.

The only real weak points of this movie would be the occasional weak acting from Talisa Soto (Sanchez's girlfriend), and a little bit more swearing than some of the other bond films, but many other elements more than make up for these two minor shortcomings.

Timothy Dalton is superb as James Bond. Dalton is a great, capable actor, and he is perfect for the movie and its concept. Dalton did a superb job and this is a key factor to the success of the film. As a side note, Dalton needed to make a change in the approach from Roger Moore, just as Moore needed to make a change from Connery. This change between actors is important, otherwise comparisons are made, and usually it is the incumbent who loses (in the minds of the general audience). Dalton did the right thing by changing the Bond to a darker persona. The contrast is important because of Roger Moore's 12-year tenure as Bond, which spread over seven films. Carey Lowell makes a very capable Bond woman as it nice to see a tough woman pairing up with Bond. The central villain, Sanchez, is very strong and well acted -- and also a nice change away from villains who want to destroy the world. Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Zerbe are well cast and well-acted as Sanchez's henchmen. Also, it was nice to see Q, played by the late Desmond Llewelyn, get more to do than his usual brief cameo or two. He certainly deserved it and rose to the challenge admirably. It was also nice to see David Hedison return to play Felix Leiter (he previously played Leiter in "Live and Let Die").

Other elements that make this a very enjoyable, memorable Bond film to watch are the location work, great special effects, and great stunts. The stunts with the semi-trucks toward the end are great fun! Michael Kamen's score adds a lot to the movie as well.

VHS or DVD? The VHS version simply contains the movie. The DVD version is a special edition that includes two different audio commentaries which let you watch the movie and hear commentary by some of the cast and production members. They comment about the actors, work on the set, the scenes, and how certain scenes were shot/created. Two music videos are included: "License to Kill" by Gladys Knight is the opening theme, and "If You Asked Me To" by Patti LaBelle marks the closing theme. A promotional feature on the stunt footage at the climax and a documentary on the film itself are also included. Finally, two theatrical trailers and a photo galary with over 100 stills are included.

If you are a fan of the Bond series, I highly recommend this movie, and the same goes toward Timothy Dalton and spy/action movie fans. This movie is also included in the first volume of a Bond Collector's set. If you like extra features, I would recommend the DVD. Overall, I happen to think that "License to Kill" is one of the best Bond movies. Major re-evaluation required.

[Darn] shame Dalton STILL isn't playing Bond....
I loved The Living Daylights, and feel that, with this movie, Dalton was, without a doubt, the best replacement for Connery as 007 so far! He had Connery's look, the purposefulness, mixed with a softheartedness when it came to action and the ladies respectively. He was a DEFINITE improvement over the bland, too-pretty Rogie Moore. (I wonder how many Brits made light of that first name!) "License" takes an unresolved issue from "Daylights": the fact that Bond didn't destroy that opium shipment that the Afghanis were going to ship to the West, and finally does something, as he destroys a major cocaine kingpin's operation in a vendetta to avenge the maiming and death of his friends Felix and Della Leiter. Bond goes undercover, posing pretty much as what he is, a FORMER British agent, after he quits MI6 over his attitude toward the Leiter incident. The villain, Franz Sanchez, in fact, is RESPONSIBLE for the death of Leiter's wife and the mangling of Leiter himself, since Leiter was responsible for Sanchez' capture.

Along the way, Bond runs into an old associate of Felix', played by Carrie Lowell, and together, they work their way into Sanchez' organization, which is fronted by a bogus religious organization and the Bond luck works its magic from there.

This is probably the third best of the Bond movies, along with "Goldfinger" and "Daylights" and the series lost a good Bond in Dalton, who was actor enough to give the character the dimension it needed after FIFTEEN YEARS of Roger Moore's Matt-Helm-ization of the franchise. In some ways, he was actually better than Connery.

BIG improvement over Roger Moore
Moore simply could not make Bond seem real. Perhaps it was the appearance (blond hair) or his - how to say this politiely - advancing years in which some of the babes appear as daughters rather than gal pals. Dalton was great. It was different in that Bond was not on a government-sanctioned mission but a personal vendetta. It was exciting and yes, violent, but it did reinstill some much-needed reality back into the series. With Moore, everything - from plot to dame to prize - was a joke. Here one realizes that the spy game is more than a game - it is dangerous and dirty. Great villians but the romance side was rather weak despite the lurid (for Bond) scenes.

Super performance by Wayne Newton!!

Not Your Average Bond Again
I loved this story. Unlike the other Bond films, it is more like an action drama then an action adventure. Dalton's performance is again wonderful and real. The apperence of Q on the battle field is priceless.

Effective immediately - your LICENCE TO KILL is revoked!
The 16th James Bond movie. Producer Albert R. Broccoli and screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson had nearly 30 years of success behind them with 15 smashing James Bond adventures. For the next film a major challenge was faced in inventing a new story with a darker, hard-edge, and sense of danger in the character of 007! For this an epic tale of revenge, passion, and greed set a blueprint of the South American drug trade. The idea of James Bond being thrusted out of his Secret Agent Spy network, licence to kill revoked, and setting foot on a journey of revenge against the drug lord villain and his henchman. This, plus many explicit scenes, would qualify this the first James Bond film to receive a PG-13 rating. A spectacular supporting cast includes Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto as the essential beautiful Bond girls, and LIVE AND LET DIE's David Hedison returning as Felix Leiter, and many surprise appearances by popular stars today in the making. Also featured is a thrilling Michael Kamen score, and exotic locations in Key West, Mexico, Acapulco and Vera Cruz. This would be the final James Bond screenplay from Richard Maibaum, who passed away in 1991. A true Summer blockbuster, LICENCE TO KILL proves you just can't keep a good 007 series down, but why would you want to?

THE ASSIGNMENT: For the first time since ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, there is no official assignment for Bond to undertake. After the arrest of drug kingpin Franz Sanchez in the Bahamas, Bond's good friend Felix Leiter is happily wed to his bride Della Churchill. Tragedy strikes when Sanchez escapes from prison with help from a traitorous FBI Agent and his fellow henchman. Della is murdered, and Felix horribly mutilated from being tortured in a shark-infested tank. M is aware of Bond being personally involved with Felix and Della, and takes Bond off the case. When Bond refuses, M has no alternative but to ask 007 to submit his licence to kill and weapons. Bond defiantly continues his investigation and determination to bring Sanchez down. Now a private citizen with a personal vendetta, his acting outside the secret service results in British, American, and Hong Kong services on his trail. The consequences can be dangerously unexpected!

THE VILLAINS: Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez, Anthony Zerbe as Milton Krest, Everett McGill as Killifer, Wayne Newton as Professor Joe Butcher, Anthony Starke as Truman-Lodge, Benicio del Toro as Dario, Don Stroud as Heller, Alejandro Bracho as Perez, and Guy de Saint Cyr as Braun.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT! ... Read more

Reviews (235)

3.5 out of 5
In 1995, action fans rejoiced. James Bond was back and just as fun as ever in GOLDENEYE. This time around, 007, played by Pierce Brosnan, is filled with shame over the death of his counterpart 006 (Sean Bean), believing he was responsible for 006's demise. Suddenly Bond is wisked into a war involving a stolen Russian missile launcher named Goldeneye, meanwhile being pitted once again against the Russian general (Gottfried John) that killed 006. Brosnan is arguably the greatest thing to happen to Bond since Roger Moore; he's every Bond in one, combining Sean Connery's strategy with Roger Moore's humor, George Lazenby's human side with Timothy Dalton's dark side. Brosnan is truly what the Bond franchise was looking for. The film also features a very nice score by Eric Serra; adventurous directing by Martin Campbell; and an action-packed script by Jeffrey Caine & Bruce Feirsten which also features plenty of humor. GOLDENEYE goes beyond the standard Bond flick, and ranks highly among the most entertaining well through it's 130 minutes; action/Bond fans will not be disappointed!

END TITLE: May not be gold, but action fans won't want to miss it

A Great, New Taste in the James Bond movies
Goldeneye is a great James Bond movie. Pierce Brosnan has to get credit for his performance as James Bond. Sean Connery was good, George Lazenby was plain and acted like a stick figure, Roger Moore was too nice and kind, Timothy Dalton spiced up 007 with his "over the edge" approach, but Pierce Brosnan is the greatest James Bond yet! I am a avid 007 fan and I have seen all of the movies so I know just what other people are looking for. The villans are also great. Sean Bean portrays Alec Trevelyan 006, Bond's best friend that also has a darker side that James did not know. Alec was once 007's partner, so he knows his every move. It is great to see a newer and more evil villan. The action sequences are great. The movie first sars off with James bungee jumping off the world's largest dam, then the pace of the movie has you up on your seat when James Bond is drving a WWII tank in the streets of St. Petersburg. If you don't like those cat-and-mouse chases, there is also many awesome mano-e-mano fights, including the climatic scene of 007 and 006 fighting on top of a Antenna cradle in Brazil. All in all, it is a great Bond movie that you shouldn't miss!

Good movie GREAT femme fatale
I loved Goldeneye because of:
a) Tank chase through St. Petersburg
b) The bungee jump off the dam
c) The humour
d) Isabella Scorupco's performance
and e) Famke Janssen's absolutely perfect, deadly femme fatale Xenia Onnatopp. She's the best, absolutely, the best Bond villain/girl EVER! Ilove Famke Janssen, but I've only seen her in this and X-Men. I can't find others anywhere.
But I'm sure you ain't reading this to hear about me going on about Famke Janssen.
The plot- Bond (superb Pierce Brosnan) is investigating a French anti-electric tampering helicopter, the 'Tiger', when it's stolen by Xenia Onnatopp, a fellow car enthusiast who is linked to a Russian terrorist group Janus.
At MI6, it is discovered a Russian satellite base was struck by an EMP weapon from space known as 'Goldeneye'.
Bond then begins his search for 'Janus', the head of the terrorist group, and soon meets up with one of 2 survivors from te EMP strike, Natalya, Isabella Scorupco, and soon discovers a global threat to technology, banking resources, and people's lives.
Excellent new Bond here. Brosnan's first Bond's is one of his best.
Cheesy explosion sounds annyoed me, and the missing action sequence with Bond's car, the BMW Z3 Roadster is completely missing.
But good casting and sets etc. prove that Bond could go on forever, or at least until the films become unprofitable. (Hee hee)

The Gold Medal!!
Goldeneye is one of those films that you know, from the first second, is going to please. It is an almost perfect movie from the awesome beginning to the slow unraveling of the plot to the love interest(the Russian) to the woman villianess (Xenia Onatopp - LOVE THAT NAME and what an entrance!!!!). On top of that we get Judi Dench as the new "M" and what a great bit of casting that was! Exciting, beautiful, sexy - the return of the spy himself.

well crafted movie, an eclectic bond
brosnan's inevitable debut.he really hasnt put much of his own stamp on the character and his portrayal is more an eclectic mix of the previous bonds.
that said, this is a fun debut.
there isnt much of a plot but theres plenty of ambience and some great character acting.
the images of the ghost like stalinesque graveyard are appopriately creepy and a not so subtle visual statement on the fall of the soviet union.
the main heroine and the main villian are a bit colorless but the two side villians (alan cummings and famke janssen) are great fun and sadly remind us that its been some time since we've seen bond villians with this much personality.
too, judi dench brings a much needed 'oomph' to the franchise and one hopes she'll be around for some time.
goldeneye seemd to promise new life to the franchise.
alas, the two sequals that followed fell flat. ... Read more

Reviews (220)

from Bond 6 to Bond 20
This is the 6nd Bond film in the Series starring George Lazenby.

Here is some info on Bond 20 starring Pierce Brosnan

Latest news on Bond 20, no name yet, but here is the cast list

JAMES BOND - Pierce Brosnan
Gala Brand - Rosamund Pike
Jinx - Halle Berry
Jack Wade - Joe Don Baker
Miss Moneypenny - Samantha Bond
M - Dame Judi Dench
Q - John Cleese
Tanner - Michael Kitchen
Nurse Warmflash - Serena Scott Thomas
Robinson - Colin Salmon
Admiral Roebuck - Geoffrey Palmer

Some of the cast does not have confirmed roles

Produced by Michael G Wilson & Barbara Broccoli
Music by David Arnold
Production Designer Peter Lamont
SFX supervisor Chris Corbould
Action Unit Director Vic Armstrong
Executive Producer Anthony Waye
Costumes By Lindy Hemming
Directed By Lee Tamahori

Currently being made by EON productions, at Pinewood Studios in London
Will be released by Metro Goldwyn Mayer & United Artists
Christmas 2002

It was ok
From the other reviews that I have been reading, I disagre. Sure, I admit the movie had a good plot and good characters, but Lazenbe was definatly the wrong choice. If they had chosen someone else, anyone else, this Bond film would have been consitered a great Bond as Dr. No, or Gold Finger. Good ol' George was so bad, and unbilevible as Bond, they would not let him to do another one.(A disision in which I agree!!) The producers also made a bad choice with Timithy Dalton, but that is another review.

ON HER MAGESTYS SECRET SERVICE
THE BEST BOND MOVIE
THE BEST BOND STORY
THE BEST BOND ACTION
THE BEST BOND (GEORGE LAZENBY)
THE BEST BOND GIRL (DIANA RIGG)
THE BEST BOND VILLAN (TELLY SAVALAS)
THE BEST BOND DIRECTOR (PETER HUNT)

THE best Bond flick!
Best Bond leading girl (Diana Rigg); Best Bond Villain (Telly Salvales as Blofeld); Best Bond cars; Best Bond women (at the ski resort, including a pre-Space 1999 Maya); Best Bond locales (Portugal and Switzerland); Best Bond chase sequences (through the snow); the longest Bond movie (2hrs.22mins.); and the Best Bond action and entertainment in one flick. So what if George Lazenby isn't the best Bond, the above mentioned reasons speak for themselves. No other Bond movie does it better.

An always underestimated Bond film!
With the departure of Sean Connery as James Bond, the
producer found an interesting replacement for him:
Australian model George Lazenby snuck into the
office of Harry Saltzman, to apply for the part
James Bond. And after a while he got it!
To understand that this film received 5 stars and
still is not as good as Goldfinger, is not easy to explain.
First George Lazenby, who tried as hard as he could,
wasn't bad as James Bond, in fact director Peter Hunt
earns most of the thanks for that. As a matter a fact
this time the director is really the star of the picture.
In addition, the cast and crew surrounding Lazenby was
just unique. First of all, the spendid Diana Rigg who brought
the Tracy character to life, second, Telly (later Kojak) Savalas
as the evil main villain Ernest Stavro Blofeld, the best Blofeld
ever. Third the crew, the cinematography of Michael Reed and
the stunning ski chase sequences from top-notch Ski pro, Willy
Bogner (he returned for 3 more Bond films). Supplemental the
aerial photography from Johnny Jordan (he lost a leg during
filming "You only live twice" the prior Bond).
Fourth the editing by John Glen (who later would direct five
blockbuster Bond films) and of course fifth, the score by
John Barry, actually equal with the Goldfinger score.
And last but not least sixth, the amazing twist in a Bond
film, Bond fells in love and marries!! Only low point for
any Bondfan, the very sad ending...
Otherwise due to cast and crew (who really gave their best
of the best) a highly entertaining, action packed and exciting motion picture...
Outstanding and "different" 007 picture! ... Read more

Reviews (159)

The Best James Bond movie ever made
Science Fiction, science fact, action-adventure, romance, sex, wonderous special effects, beautiful women, a solid plot, superb acting, excellent sets and costumes, what more could you want in a James Bond film?

Moonraker, by far, is my favorite James Bond movie(and the only one that I own). In an attempt to capitalize on the Star Wars craze two years before, Moonraker takes the dashing British secret agent from Southern California, to Venice, Italy, to Rio de Jenaro(?), to a magnificent space station in Earth orbit! The plot involves Bond trying to locate a missing space shuttle that was hijacked in mid-air. Bond begins his mission by investigating Hugo Drax, a wealthy industrialist, who wishes to capitalize on the growing space race. Along the way, he joins forces with a lovely astronaut/CIA Agent named Holly Goodhead (played wonderfully by the ever-beautiful Lois Chilles), who is also investigating the hi-jack, and some secret activities made by Drax. During the course of the movie, both James and Holly discover that Drax plans on annihilating the entire world population with a nerve gas from a space station in orbit. Drax's goal, to repopulate the Earth with humans of absolute physical perfection. It is up to Bond, holly, and Bond's old nemesis Jaws to stop Drax from carrying out his terrifying plan.

Despite what some die-hard fans of the Bond movies might say, I really enjoyed this film. It definately had everything going for it. And the results bear out well. We also have a Bond girl who is not only just beautiful, but has intelligence as well. Lois Chilles is without a doubt, the best Bond girl in a movie. One who can kick major "you-know-what" and take names. The scenes between her and Roger Moore(including the passionate love scenes between them)are beautifully made and acted out. Michael Lonsdale was equally effective as the villian Drax. Truly an arch-nemesis for Bond, and someone who is very despicable. Not your average mustache-twirling villain. Drax really means business in this movie.

Overall, the best James Bond movie ever made. If you love action and excitement, as well as solid science fiction, this is the film to watch. It goes to show you that the British are indeed excellent filmmakers. Yet, one wishes that ITC Entertainment distributed the film instead of United Artists. Oh, well. You can't have everything.

Even the Bond series has produced a few clunkers
Strictly for die hard Bond fans (like me) who simply must own every Bond film. You know you're in trouble when the best thing about a movie is a 7'2 killer with metal teeth. Richard Kiel is great as he reprises his role as Jaws. For the rest, Moonraker, the 11th Bond movie and Roger Moore's 4th, is surprisingly bad. Moore's worst. What were the people who made the outer space Star-Wars-inspired gizmo-flick thinking. Poor special effects, stupid... sight gags, obnoxious one-liners and a truly insipid plot doom this mess. Lois Childs is beautiful as the Bond girl. Aren't all Bond girls beautiful? I could never figure out if she was with CIA, NASA, or just a brillant scientist astronomer. No matter; she and Moore have zero chemistry. There is one exciting chase/action speedboat scene on the Amazon (river) which showcases the beautiful scenery. Drax is one of the least compelling and poorly acted of all Bond villains. The plot and squence of events just don't make any sense. Bernard Lee deserved better in his final performance as M. The 007 movies just before (TSWLM) and just after (FYEO) are Moore's best and are among the best in the series.... Moonraker ranks down at the bottom, barely ahead of LTK. Laser fire aboard a space station? Aren't you afraid of breaching the hull and killing yourself too? A killer flower released into the atmosphere? Never mind the radar jamming; a space station contructed to completion in outer space without ANY authorities noticing? A gondola battle? A fight in a glass museum without either combatant getting so much as nicked by the thousands of shards of glass? An assassin hiding in a coffin in a canal in venice? ....

Wow...
A half-hearted... no, make that quarter-hearted attempt to cash in on the sci-fi craze of the late 70's. Jaws is back. Whoopee. He survives several five-hundred foot falls, and, get this, a re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. Without a spaceship. Roger Moore... sorry, but you're no Sean Connery. The special effects, well, maybe they looked really cool in 1979, but now they look more than primitive. A plot that makes no sense, too much silliness, and the most annoyingly slooooooow motion zero gravity scene ever. Skip it and Live and Let Die. Actually, no. Listen to the first couple minutes of Live and Let Die. Mr. McCarteny's theme song is worth the money paid to rent it. But this pile of... uh... bad stuff? Avoid it like the plague.

Good, but I liked the 1956 one better
The one directed by Orson Welles and produced by Dayton Mace. It had Dirk Bogarde as 007 and Welles as Drax. Trust me, with the exception of some slip-ups that kept it from being released, the release is going to knock people's socks off. Sure, it doesn't compare with the current Bond series, but it's the quintessential original. It's also the first Bond film on record ("Casino Royale" on TV was a big mistake). With some small things being cleared up, the forgotten "Moonraker" will rightly see the light of day again, where it should and will belong.

Look after Mr. Bond, see that some harm comes to him!
The 11th James Bond movie. In the closing credits to THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, filmmakers had announced FOR YOUR EYES ONLY to be the next James Bond film adventure. Several months later, producer Albert R. Broccoli had announced MOONRAKER to be the next film instead. Part of this would be due no doubt to the phenomenal success of such recent science-fiction space epics as STAR WARS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. Therefore this was bound to be one of the most heavily produced 007 epics since THUNDERBALL. Only instead of the ocean, Bond would be transported into a more elaborate setting for action - outer space! With a very sizable budget, and beautiful locations around the world ranging from France, England, Italy, Brazil, Guatemala, and the United States, Broccoli once again demonstrates the key to success in ongoing film series is to adapt to changes in time. Roger Moore gives a usual excellent performance with the help of a tough and gorgeous Bond girl in Lois Chiles as Dr. Holly Goodhead. The real treat is Richard Kiel back as Jaws! This would also be Bernard Lee's last appearance as M, as he passed away in January 1981.

THE ASSIGNMENT: The MOONRAKER Space Shuttle, transported from the U.S. to Britain on the back of a Boeing 747, has been hijacked in mid-air and the Jumbo destroyed. As the shuttle was on loan from the Americans, the matter is serious and Bond is sent off to discover who stole the shuttle and why. Drax Industries, in California, is where the shuttle was built and this is the starting point. Inquiries produce serious misgivings about Hugo Drax himself, suspicions leading 007 to Venice. There he learns Drax has developed a deadly nerve gas which kills people, but not other wildlife. The gas comes from a rare orchid found in Brazil - the next destination. When Bond finally locates Drax's headquarters, it seems he is up to something even more sinister. He has built a city in space which he intends to populate with beautiful people who will become the progenitors of a new super-race. At the same time, he intends to kill off Earth's entire population with the nerve gas, leaving his perfect super-race to construct a new order of civilization on Earth in the future. As stated, for 007 the situation is critical!

THE VILLAINS: Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax, Richard Kiel as Jaws, and Toshiro Suga as Chang.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT! ... Read more

Reviews (123)

For Christopher Lee Fans And James Bond Enthusiasts Only
I was a fan of the James Bond films as a child and my interest in these films has recently returned to me. I don't believe "The Man With The Golden Gun" is the worst Bond film because this negative honor goes to either "Moonraker" or "A View To A Kill." I do feel, however, that it qualifies as the third worst one.

"The Man With The Golden Gun" has a lot of weaknesses. I don't know why Roger Moore was allowed to make seven Bond Films. Although Moore wasn't as weak as George Lazenby, he still comes across as being bland and mannequin-like. Timothy Dalton was a much more effective James Bond. If Dalton had been given better scripts and more time, he would have been nearly as effective as Sean Connery. Britt Ekland's Mary Goodnight rivals Tiffany ("Diamonds Are Forever") Case as the most ineffectual and irritating Bond woman. Maude Adams is more effective as Andrea Anders, the villain's long-suffering mistress, but this character is given too little screen time. A pre-"Fantasy Island" Herve Villechaize makes an awkward henchman. The return of Clifton James' J.W. Pepper character was also unnecessary.

The weaknesses of this movie also extend beyond the cast. An awesome car stunt is weakened by a poor sound effect. Tacky humor is woven throughout the entire film. The martial arts motif in part of the film also seemed out of place.

Christopher Lee is the saving grace of this film. If Lee weren't in this movie, I would have ranked it with "Moonraker" and "A View To A Kill." He is excellent as the egotistical and cruel Francisco Scaramanga. I am only sorry that the screenwriters didn't further develop this interesting character. Lee is one of the screen's greatest bad guys and can effectively play just about any villainous character. He is a much better actor and greater presence than Roger Moore. Lee's villain is more interesting than Moore's hero.

"The Man With The Golden Gun" is only for big Christopher Lee fans and those who feel that they need to see every James Bond film. A disappointment.

Good second Bond film for Moore
Roger Moore returns to the role of 007 in this excellent follow up to Live and Let Die. The film is certainly dependant on 007's evil counterpart, the hitman Francisco Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee. He is the perfect match for Bond, which adds more excitement than any to the film. Bond finds himself racing to recover the Solex Agitator, which converts solar power to energy and has fallen into the hands of Scaramanga. There are very well done fight sequences and boat-car chases in hong kong and thailand. the redneck sherriff J.W. Pepper returns from Live and Let Die, but fails to provide the same humor as before. The film did try a little too hard to be funny like its preceding movie, thus it comes off a little cooky at some points. The Man with the Golden Gun Leads to an awesome climax in Scaramanga's island lair, where he and Bond face off in a "duel between titans", which also includes Scaramanga's servant Nick-Nack, a pint sized character who also tries to fool and beat Scaramanga in his deadly games of cat and mouse. With suspense, some humor, and exciting twists and turns, The Man with the Golden Gun is one Bond you won't want to miss!

Even Better Now in STEREO
THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is the "cult" Bond movie to end all "cult" Bond movies. I don't think many people realize that this DVD or even the VHS tape of this movie is in STEREO sound. John Barry's score sounds fantastic. As for the film, it is pure fantasy yet pure "Bond" and very misunderstood.

Last but not Least of Ian Fleming's Bonds...
This Bond, shot at a time when youthful science-fiction hadn't yet turned into narrow "science-faction" remains dreamy, elegant, distant, stylish, subjective, outlandish, an intelligent and romantic island of fantasy... The scenes are a pleasure for the eye, and the gadgets are still mind-tickling, as we haven't yet reached that depraved era of pseudo-scientific vulgar objectivity (as in the latter Bond series, for example)... nor do we have a cop-Bond, as with Timothy Dalton... neither a little tough-guy with piercing eyes, as in the Brosnan series... This Bond remains somehow between the Connery and Lazenby/Moore episodes, in that it has definitively a lot of style and class, yet includes some (controlled, soft-spun) action, a reasonable panoply of gadgetry, and a fair amount of cold-blooded British humour. In the end, the gently out-of-time atmosphere appears to be almost as much James West as it is James Bond.

In this almost Hamiltonian eerie, James appears pretty adventurous and humorous, yet moral, distinguished, self-detached, while he faces a spooky sophisticated darker-self in the person of three-nippled Scaramanga (Christopher Lee, alias Dracula), in a movie where even the villains appear to be somehow more gentleman-minded than the heroes of the latter Bond series (where ugly realism alas only too often ends up stealing the show). There's also a plenty of great exotic and scenic shots in Thailand and the Far-East, which somehow propel you in a world of dreams and fantasy. I especially liked the oblique sunken Queen Mary decorum, which seemed almost surrealistic, and the villain's den artifact-decorum somehow reminded me of the Wild Wild West TV-series, starring Robert Conrad.

It is a commonly acknowledged opinion that Gentlemen Prefer Bonds such as Goldfinger, Dr No and Thunderball, but Golden Gun could, with all reasonable fairness, also be included in some of those early and memorable old Bonds (vintage Connery or Lazenby). Note that this was actually the last Bond to feature the (by-now cherished) Harry Saltzman - Albert Broccoli collaboration, and this is today quite heavily felt, as the then following Bonds somehow all lacked the elegant, essential, gentlemanly, romantic and quirky sparks of those early Bonds (and matters seem to be getting only worse, if not clearly out of hand) (James Bond as another victim of the modern-age?).

The Man With A Golden Gun was also the last Bond movie to be based on a true and authentic Ian Fleming novel. Well, maybe those die-hard Bond-movie-makers will one day (tomorrow? another day?) realize that the Fleming reservoir has been tapped unto the last droplet, instead of just killing time with more and more flawed episodes... Goodnight boys and girls (Britt Ekland was, by the way, one of the most memorable and gently-subtle Bond-girl), that was it for Ian Fleming's Bond... which was to be followed by the Hun's invasion of Vin Diesel and consort, fast, furious and brutal (to say the least)...

An Intensely Groovy Theatre of The Bizzare
Folks, listen to me: This is the best Bond movie ever made, and Roger Moore is the best Bond. You can argue, but chew on this, Admiral Skeptic: Name one movie that Sean Connery made that had a midget, a flying car, a giant laser, and Bond threatening to blow a man's genitals off with a rifle. That's right; there aren't any. Checkmate, Connery.

This film is a brilliantly surreal entry into the Bond series. It's a clear departure from Connery's films, where he had to stop the KGB from destroying the world. Moore is called in to stop an overpaid hitman and his midget from selling solar power to the UN (or something similar.) Adapted as I am for describing awesomeness, I can't begin to describe this film's grovvy factor, but I can tell you it's somewhere between ChocoTacos and regular tacos. ... Read more

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Timothy Dalton made his 007 debut in the lean, mean mode ofSean Connery, doing away with the pun-filled camp of Roger Moore'sfinal outings. He establishes his persona right from the gritty pre-credits sequence, in which he hangs from a speeding truck as it barrelsdown narrow cobblestone streets, battles an assassin mano a mano, andlands in the arms of a bikinied babe. This James Bond is ruthless,tough, and romantic. The Living Daylights, set during the thawof the cold war, begins with the defection of Russian KGB GeneralKoskov (Jeroen Krabbé) and his revelation of a Soviet plot toeliminate Britain's secret agent force. Assigned to eliminate Koskov'sSoviet boss (John Rhys-Davies, cutting a memorable figure in his briefappearance), Bond uncovers a conspiracy involving Koskov and anAmerican arms dealer (Joe Don Baker). Maryam d'Abo makes a fine Bondgirl as Koskov's beautiful cellist girlfriend, a classyinnocent who soon loses her naive blush and shows her pluck. Thevillains are lackluster--Krabbé is a clown and Baker a blowhard--and Dalton hadn't yet mastered the delivery of the trademark quips,but it's a sleek script with a no-nonsense attitude. Veteran seriesdir