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Best Connery Bond Film & Why

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youlots

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Alright 007 punters/fleming aficionados: In your view, which is the Best Overall Connery Bond Film & Why? The criteria & ratings to be addressed in your assessment are as follows:

1. Accuracy/faithfulness of Screenplay to Material Novel (Rating 1 - 10):

2. Acting Credibility of Supporting Cast (Rating 1 - 10):

3. Cinematography, Locations & Set Design (Rating 1 - 10):

4. Action Sequences (Rating 1 - 10):

5. Score (Rating 1 - 10):

6. Sexibility Factor of Leading Ladies (Rating 1 - 10):

7. Villain Factor (Rating 1 - 10)

 
You clearly have a lot of time on your hands! :laugh2:

 
I haven't read the books, so I wouldn't know about how faithful the films are, but when I look at them as films, then to me the most satisfying package is Goldfinger. It's been quite a while since I've seen the old Bond movies, so I won't able to give any detailed ratings now and I don't have the time do so at the moment anyway. But... I'll just say Goldfinger.

 
I'm with Maksimov on this one. Goldfinger is the one that stands out to me.

I think I might have seen most Bond movies, even though I'm far from a fan of them.

But the questions are a bit too complex for me, especially since it's such an old movie that I haven't seen in ages.

Still, this movie has a man throwing a hat which decapitates statues, a villain worth remembering, a great movie quote (Bond: - "Do you expect me to talk?", Goldfinger: - "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.") and also the perhaps greatest name on a female character in Bond history - Pussy Galore! :blush:

 
mmmmmmm - Moi, Maks & Moos

Never enough Moi! And I agree Moos - way to complex but I'll have a stab:

Novels/Films: Dr No, From Russia with Love ("FRWL"), Goldfinger ("Gold"), Thunderball ("Thun"), You Only Live Twice ("YOLT") & Diamonds are Forever ("DAF").

1. Accuracy/faithfulness of Screenplay to Material Novel (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 8

FRWL - 7

Gold - 8

Thun - 9

YOLT - 6

DAF - 6

Comments: Thunderball has an unfair advantage here as the novel came after and was an adaptation from the earlier screenplay.

2. Acting Credibility of Supporting Cast (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 7

FRWL - 6

Gold - 8

Thun - 7

YOLT - 6

DAF - 5

Comments: DAF was undoubtedly the low point & by that stage even Connery's playing it for laughs.

3. Cinematography, Locations & Set Design (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 9

FRWL - 6

Gold - 9

Thun - 6

YOLT - 6

DAF - 5

Comments: Goldfinger & Dr No hard to split.

4. Action Sequences (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 8

FRWL - 7

Gold - 9

Thun - 7

YOLT - 6

DAF - 6

Comments: Albeit that Thunderball was nominated and I think won an academy award for special effects, the final action scene in the hydrafoil is today, abjectly bad.

5. Score (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 7

FRWL - 7

Gold - 9

Thun - 7

YOLT - 8

DAF - 7

Comments: Dr No obviously suffers here because it was entirely instrumental/had no song.

6. Sexibility Factor of Leading Ladies (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 8

FRWL - 7

Gold - 7

Thun - 9

YOLT - 6

DAF - 6

Comments: The Ursula Andress (mmmm), Eunice Gayson & Zena Marshall combo in Dr No run a close second to the combo of Claudine Augur, Luciana Paluzzi (double mmmm) , Molly Peters & Martine Beswick in Thunderball.

7. Villain Factor (Rating 1 - 10):

Dr No - 9

FRWL - 7

Gold - 9

Thun - 7

YOLT - 6

DAF - 5

Comments: Wiseman as Dr No & Gert Frobe as Goldfinger are the clear winners here. Wiseman, of course, appeared again (uncredited) as the voice of a faceless Blofeld in Thunderball.

Totals:

Dr No - 56

FRWL - 47

Gold - 59

Thun - 52

YOLT - 44

DAF - 40

So Goldfinger from Dr No. Most aficionados would I think agree that Goldfinger was the clear winner.

 
Really interesting post youlots. Big fan of the Fleming books myself and I'd agree with most of your scores.

Out of interest who do you think has portrayed Bond the best ? For me it's easily Dalton, but he suffered from 2 shoddy scripts. Love the Key West scenes in LTK though (a location very close to my heart). A lot of people don't agree with my assessment though!

Also what did you think of 'Devil May Care' ?

 
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bjd said:
Out of interest who do you think has portrayed Bond the best ? For me it's easily Dalton...
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Again, I have to admit I haven't read the books, so I'm basing my opinion on the descriptions I've read about the Bond character in the books and I don't think Dalton is a bad choice at all. Lazenby is usually thought of as the worst Bond, but I think Roger Moore is worst than him as Bond. I mean, Moore was a good Simon Templar and basically he played Bond like he was Simon Templar. As for Connery, I think he was very good, except for the accent. Nothing against the accent as such, but I don't think it suits Bond very well. I've heard Daniel Craig is pretty close to Fleming's idea of Bond, but he reminds me too much of Jason Bourne. That's probably because the Craig Bond's have adapted a style that's quite close to the Bourne films. Pierce Brosnan was ok, but his movies are generally quite poor.

 
bjd I agree that taken from a purely literary perspective of Bond's character Dalton got closest. Moore the worst. Lazenby I think in retrospect was probably not as bad as some think. Craig has undoubtedly revived the franchise and I feel probably ties with Connery for second albeit that, in agreement with Maks, owing to the Bourne phenomena I think that the producers had no alternative but to make Craig's Bond more mercenary.

 
I thought they considered Owen about 10 years ago didn't they? Did he turn it down? Can't remember. Anyway, I know I was disappointed back then that they didn't give him a go.

 
youlots said:
bjd I agree that taken from a purely literary perspective of Bond's character Dalton got closest. Moore the worst. Lazenby I think in retrospect was probably not as bad as some think. Craig has undoubtedly revived the franchise and I feel probably ties with Connery for second albeit that, in agreement with Maks, owing to the Bourne phenomena I think that the producers had no alternative but to make Craig's Bond more mercenary.
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Cool, totally agree.

Anyway, what did you make of Devil May Care ?

 
My favourite Bonds:

1. Sean Connery

2. Roger Moore

3. Daniel Craig

4. Pierce Brosnan

5. Timothy Dalton

6. George Lazenby

 
Apologies bjd for not replying sooner. I'm not familiar with Devil May Care. Enlighten me.

 
Its the '15th Bond novel' - written by Sebastian Faulkes 'writing as Ian Fleming'. It was done to commemorate 100 years since Flemings birth.

I really enjoyed it - well worth checking out.

 
My favourite movie of the Bond series is Goldfinger. Bond played a Penfold Heart golf ball in his match against Goldfinger.

I saw Connery on one occasion back about 1980. It was at the Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh. I played in a threesome behind Connery and his group. I was surprised at how old he looked.

 
The best Sean Connery acted Bond film imho is Goldfinger.

I know I'm in the minority, but my favourite Bond was Timothy Dalton. Part of that could be the fact that The Living Daylights was the first Bond film I've seen and to date it's still my favourite.

 
Fav bond film is "you only live twice" ..... great action at the end with the ninja's and Blofeld saying ....you only live twice Mr Bond .... its a classic

oh and nearly forgot the two gorgeous bond girls - Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama ... stunning . ::clap2::

 
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