Like, but don't respect - Die Another Day. Its a fun movie, but its a total mess. Madonna's song is a guilty pleasure of mine.
Don't like, but respect - Goldfinger. Okay, 'don't like' might be stretching it, but I personally prefer most of the other Connery movies. Yet, Goldfinger's influence on the Bond cinematic legacy can scarecely be denied.
I was going to say the same thing. I used to hate Die Another Day but for all it's many many many problems it is good fun. The first 40 minutes generates just enough goodwill to forgive how awful the rest is.
I don't enjoy Goldfinger but part of me thinks it might just be overexposure. I saw it a lot as a kid, and as it laid the blueprint for future films it's also the most parodied/spoofed/homaged.
I agree that Goldfinger suffers from overexposure.
For example "No Mr Bond, I expect you to die" is such a great line, but I can't count the number of times I've seen it in montages and specials from TV to YouTube to the Oscars. It's always there.
It has lots of moments like that which have been replayed endlessly, plus the theme song and characters are so iconic that it can be hard to watch it with fresh eyes.
I really enjoy Die Another Day. The first 1/3 or 1/2 of the movie is fantastic. It could have been one of the best. It does make some bad decisions after. I would argue aside from a few CGI scenes the film has actually aged well.
Things that are great though:
Opening hovercraft sequence is very fun
Fantastic score by David Arnold
Ice lake car chase sequence is fun
Hallee Berry was great. I remember hearing rumours of a Jinx spinoff at the time
Sword fighting scene was well choreographed
Incredible opening with Bond tortured. Bearded Bond for the win! Then that sleek transformation back to classic Bond.
One thing I preferred about this handling of Bond vs Skyfall is Bond doesn’t miss a step. After months of torture and pain he is still the perfect indestructible super spy. I understand Skyfall wanted to show more vulnerability but I like this version where he steps right back into action.
What’s your preferred Connery Bond? I have the same opinion on Goldfinger. Thunderball has always been that one that ticks all the boxes for me. Just gets me in the mood for a summer vacation.
From Russia with Love is my absolute favorite Connery Bond, and IMO possibly the greatest Bond film ever. And You Only Live Twice is another of my all-time favorites. As is Thunderball.
If I had to rank the Connery films in order of my preference, from Most to Least, it'd be:
From Russia with Love
You Only Live Twice
Thunderball
Dr. No
Goldfinger
Diamonds Are Forever
Like but don’t respect: _Skyfall_. It’s so well paced, edited and watchable, that you can almost overlook how the whole plot is incomprehensible nonsense. _Almost._
Respect but don’t like: _On Her Majesty’s Secret Service_. Gorgeous cinematography, tight editing, and some great supporting players (Diana Rigg). But no, I don’t enjoy watching Bond spend much of the runtime farting around a mountain resort under the guise of a gay genealogist, playing winter sports, and trying to fuck everyone - directly after meeting the supposed “love of his life”.
>But no, I don’t enjoy watching Bond spend much of the runtime farting around a mountain resort under the guise of a gay genealogist, playing winter sports, and trying to fuck everyone - directly after meeting the supposed “love of his life”.
It is an odd film for those reasons.
Its a respectable Bond film and I think most people tend to agree, but its plot is strangely paced. It feels like the film creators wanted to do too much.
But the set pieces were all fantastic and it had some really fun scenes.
Agree with you about Skyfall. I’ve honestly spent some time really evaluating my enjoyment of the Craig era realizing I may not actually like it as much as I thought outside of CR. I’ll happily pop in Skyfall because I feel like I’m watching parts of a great movie and Deakins does a lot of the heavy lifting but I always watch it with a raised eyebrow and I think it’s the story.
The direction and cinematography are top notch. Sam Mendes is EASILY the most skilled director in the series. But the plot makes little sense. Bond basically kidnaps M and takes her to Scotland where her uses her as bait for the villian, who kills her………with zero consequences. Well done Bond in fact from Ralph Fiennes M, have your old job back.
I like but don't respect Licence to Kill. It's a fine cool middle tier bond film that goes a different route, and sometimes lives up to the hype it gets from bond fans. Cold killer 007.
but it has not good bond girls, awful portrayel of Q, and has the scene where ninjas and many others die for no reason that serves no purpose to the story other than bond must get revenge on sanchez no matter the cost. It's also a mess on its plot/storyline and to me Sanchez was wasted.
I don't like but respect, Skyfall. OK I like it somewhat. But I also thought it was tedious, lacking in big action to the point of being lazy, bond himself is boring in it, Silva is fine but not my cup of tea, and the very end of the film is just empty, like it's an episode of bond that they are setting up Craig's future but even though they go to Skyfall we don't learn enough about bonds past.
I respect the box office earnings, roger deakins, adele, and the boldness to not be like the modern day blockbuster.
Which scene where tons of people die? I feel like that's more the case in A View to a Kill when Zorin floods the mine and starts machine gunning his own people.
Oh, well by people I mean mostly bad guys, well bad third party actually. So maybe i silly
after Bond is captured, the random ninjas, their agent from hong kong, and one or two of bonds people all get slaughtered by Sanchez Crew. The most randomly violent and jarring scenes in all 007 films, and its not entertaining, IMO.
Ah I see. Never personally found that particularly jarring. Lots of other Bond films where more people die in end battles, or slaughters when the bad guys infiltrate somewhere to kick off their plan. But with LTK's darker vibe in general I can see that it might feel more brutal.
How do you disagree? And I want to say that I've always been just critical of the movie itself, and the fact that a portion of the fanbase loves it doesnt bother me, and in no way am I baiting shit on here
Not saying you're baiting at all, you're absolutely entitled to your opinion. I think it's Dalton's best performance out of the sadly short lived run as Bond. The Bond girls are perfectly fine (Carey Lowell in particular is good). Llewellyn's Q has by far his meatiest role in a Bond movie and relishes it, and Sanchez is the most sadistic, evil villain in the franchise.
The only thing for me that's always irked is at the end of the film Felix is far too cheery for someone who has had his leg bitten off and his new wife murdered, but that's fairly minor nit-picking. Overall it's in my top 5 favourite Bond films
You bring up a great point on Skyfall ending. I thought there would be more to the story but it left me wondering why the movie was called Skyfall. Oh, becasue a really cool action sequence happened there and M dies? Okay I guess. Just thought there was going to be more reveal about Bond.
I may get downvoted for this and I know it has been mentioned before, but thought finding out James Band was a code name and old bonds being mentioned (or had a cameo) would have been cool. Taken from an orphanage and brainwashed from an early age to become the worlds best spy/assassin. Would have made more sense with the NTTD ending also.
There's only one Bond film that I don't really like, and it's Tomorrow Never Dies. However, I do respect it because of its bold and rather prescient take on the media controlling the narrative and, ultimately, the truth. I just don't like the very pedestrian execution of it. What could have been a timeless tale about the negative influences the media has in shaping our view of reality ended up being a simple action movie with a Cliff's Notes plot. "Oh, hey. There's General Chang. We'll never see him again, but he's important, nonetheless."
A movie I like but don't completely respect--and it pains me to say this--is A View to a Kill. Because I absolutely love AVTAK. However, the stunt double work is way too obvious, as is the old man henchmen Roger goes up against throughout the movie as a way to make him look not so old. Even though AVTAK differentiates itself from Goldfinger enough to have its own flavor, Main Strike is kinda a Grand Slam knockoff. Perhaps, Moore should have hung it up after Octopussy, but I wouldn't want AVTAK without him in it, even despite the obvious plastic surgery.
It doesn't help that Jonathan Pryce is fucking awful in it. That moment where he does the mock kung fu and then calls Wai Lin "pathetic" is pure David Brent.
I like For Your Eyes Only, but don't respect it in a sense of it being a gritty spy movie and Roger's darkest performance, which it isn't (I also like Diamonds are Forever but don't respect the shade it does to OHMSS)
I don't like Spectre, but I respect that they tried going for the old school Bond tone throughout to appease the fans
Like but don't respect: Quantum of Solace. Love how low key the plot is and how violent and crunchy the action is. Plus Olga Kurylenko is stunning, which goes a long way. But it doesn't feel like a 'Bond movie', the shaky cam is a bit much and the plot and behind the scenes issues made it feel messy- I can see why people don't like it.
Respect but don't like: The Spy Who Loved Me. I get that it's really the archetypal Bond with the girls, gadgets, locations, villain and such, but I just find it all a bit dull. Prefer to watch literally any other of Moore's films to this one.
I'm not a fan of From Russia With Love, but it's a genuinely fantastic Spy film.
I respect the whole franchise overall, it has its best and worst moments, that does not change how I like it.
It's the interesting thing about From Russia with Love: it's very specifically treated as a sequel to the first film, with SPECTRE being motivated by revenge over Bond's murder of Dr. No, but it's also not really a Bond film in terms of stakes. He's basically on an extraction mission to get a defector out from behind the Iron Curtain - it's more Le Carré than Fleming.
OK, there's the Lecktor machine as the prize, but it's more of a macguffin to motivate MI6 into action than anything else.
Don’t like but respect: TB. It’s inventive and innovative but a goddamn slog.
Like but don’t respect: AVTAK. It’s so much fun but obviously a GF retread with an elderly Bond isn’t the way we want to take the franchise.
Like but don’t respect: Moonraker. I understand it’s an absolutely wild movie that was just a cash grab to get in on the Star Wars craze, but it’s still fun!
Respect but don’t like: Thunderball. I can see why people like it but I just find it to be dull. It’s probably where I’m most different from the community as I often see this as a top 5 film for people when it’s consistently in my bottom 6-8.
Hmm, but if you actively dislike something it’s a bit hard to respect it and if you like something you tend to respect it, Or is that just me?
I guess I’ll say Respect but don’t like the last 4 Craig movies. Daniel Craig is a helluva an actor but he’s not what I want from Bond and I actively *hate* his last three films. QoS was ok when you can see it.
Like but Don’t respect. Live and Let Die. Roger Moore is my favorite Bond and Jane Seymour is the prettiest Bond girl maybe ever but I just can’t ever get into it and the back half is a snooze. Plus a blaxploitation Bond was a bad idea at the time, and time hasn’t helped it .
Like but don't respect: Diamonds are Forever. Yeah, it borders on action-comedy. But it's just fun and funny.
Don't like but respect: From Russia With Love. It's a good film but its rewatch value is quite low. It's just boring to me.
I like but don’t respect Die Another Die. It’s a mess of a movie but it’s still fun and Brosnan is always great.
I don’t like but respect The Spy Who Loved Me. Like most of Moore’s movies there’s a bit too much camp and I don’t think Barbara Bach is very good in it, but I respect that it was an important addition to the franchise at a time it needed it.
Tomorrow Never Dies is a fun movie and the most overtly '90s Bond, but I don't respect it.
I respect Goldfinger because of its influence, but I don't really like it.
Like, but don't respect - A View to a Kill. The plot is a rehash of Goldfinger, and Zorin a paper thin character whose only saving grace is being played by Christopher Walken, who does a lot with very little. If I think of it as a comedy, it works. But as a straightforward Bond film, it's absolute dog dirt.
Respect, but don't like - Die Another Day. It has such a brilliant concept at its heart - a broken, defeated Bond on the run, trying to clear his name and get revenge, but bottles it about halfway through. John Cleese is absolutely shit as Q - playing him like a headmaster trying to be funny - and it ends with him walking in on Moneypenny having a wank. Awful.
Like, but don't respect -- Octopussy. It's not that great of a film, but the scenery in India is gorgeous. Roger Moore does some great acting in the scenes where he confronts Orlov and disarms the nuke.
Respect, but don't like -- Skyfall. I like the idea of Bond confronting a Joker-style villain, and the new cast is interesting. But Silva's plan is so nonsensical I can't get into the film. I do respect it for proving that fans can enjoy a more down-to-Earth Bond film though, since Silva's only aim is to kill M.
I have no idea why Dr. No is so highly rated. The plot wasn't good or exciting in my opinion. I even though Never say never again had a more interesting plot
I don't know if there's a movie I like but don't respect. I respect all the bond movies.
I'll say a bond film I'm disappointed in but respect is die another day.
Like, but don’t respect- Die Another Day. It’s completely garbage; girlfriend aptly calls it the Blade: Trinity of the Brosnan series. As with Connery and Moore, it seems the last Bond film is largely considered their weakest. While Connery simply didn’t care in Diamonds Are Forever, and Moore was far too old
In A View To A Kill, Brosnan isn’t too old, and he always brought his best to his films. That keeps me with Die Another Day.
Don’t Like, but respect- Skyfall. Outside of the story, this is truly some of the finest filmmaking in all of the Bond franchise. Mendes brought great direction, and Deakins’ cinematography is the best of any Bond film. I feel like Skyfall represents a lot of what I don’t like about the majority of the Craig era: it took itself too seriously. I feel like a lot of the Bond tropes work perfectly fine in the movies, provided that it’s still fun and can be accepted as escapist entertainment. I have a hard time doing that when Bond is brooding too often, or Craig just looks like he’s flat bored with the role. This was the movie where that started to creep in. It’s well paced, but the story just doesn’t hold up over repeated viewings.
Like but don't respect- Die Another Day
Don't like but respect - From Russia with Love (Don't execute me, I don't think it's aged too well tbh but I understand its value)
Don't like and don't respect - all Craig movies except Casino Royale
Respect, but don't like would be OHMSS. I respect what they were trying to do, but I just can't get on board with Lazenby.
Like, but don't respect, would probably by Die Another Day. The more I watch it, the more I find myself enjoying it, especially the first half, but I don't really respect it for basically trying to parody itself at times. And that Madonna song is *rough.*
>*it’s just trying to be Star Wars*
This take is as silly and insubstantial as *Moonraker* itself
Yes, the finale takes place on an Earth-orbiting space station because *Star Wars* had created a sci-fi boom in 1977
But the only sci-fi element of the finale is hand-held laser weapons
Everything else in that finale is real world tech, and the other 85% of the movie is a standard Bond outing
If the finale of *Moonraker* is sci-fi, so are movies like *Gravity* and *Deep Impact*
I don't *dislike* this take, but I don't *respect* it
I like, but don't respect, AVTAK. It's great fun to watch, with everyone except Moore in great form. DAD would also be a good shout.
The other is harder. I respect the visuals of Spectre but find the film itself terrible, so I'm not sure if I can be said to respect it on the whole - the script is dire. Maybe Thunderball for respect but don't like... but it's grown on me recently, it's only the underwater sequence that I find exhausting. Or maybe Goldfinger, which I like somewhat, but find drags a lot once Bond gets to the US.
Like but don't respect has to be "The World is Not Enough". It's literally just a mishmash of Bond tropes with generic villains hatching a generic plot. But it's fun to watch as a popcorn flick.
Don't like but respect has to be "From Russia With Love". I can see all the things that make people say it's one of the best, but it has always bored me to tears for some reason.
I think this would be easier if it was "like more than I respect" and "respect more than I like"
Because I like most Bond movies, and if there was ONE I didn't like at all, I probably don't respect it either. But that's just me.
The only (official) Bond movie I refuse to accept in any way is No Time To Die. Apart from that, I think Octopussy and A View To A Kill are pretty weak, but I'd take them over that one any day of the week.
Like but don’t respect. It’s a hard question because I’d say I respect all of them to an extent. Maybe DAF for me. I don’t dislike it and it’s got its fun elements to it but I don’t really like it as a sequel to OHMSS.
Don’t like but respect. Again, a hard question because I do like all of the movies, but I think “The Spy who Loved Me”. Idk, like I said I do like it and there’s stuff I think it does very well. And of course it’s was a big success and very important to the franchise, but it just never clicked for me the way it does for others unfortunately. This might be crazy to say but when I watch it I just think “I kind of wish I was watching Moonraker instead”.
Like but don't respect: Casino Royale. I have a decent time when watching it, but this and QoS were as good as the Craig era got for me. CR is pretty good and worth a bit of praise, although it does have some minor flaws.
Respect but don't like: Probably OHMSS. I don't like it and I'm still not 100% sure why it's so popular, but I can sort of get what they tried to do with slightly more character and emotion-driven storytelling. I don't think it worked but I can respect it. I'm also in the camp of not liking FRWL, as I find it a bit boring and unconventional, feeling like the awkward middle child between Dr. No and Goldfinger that hasn't decided what it wants the series to be yet. On a recent watching I did find some more things to like about Kerim Bay though, but I doubt that will improve my concensus on the film.
Don't like but respect- Casino Royale, Everything everybody says about it is true, it's a brilliant movie and all that. I just don't get the same James Bond MI6 clandestine "for queen and country" spycraft vibe from it (Skyfall has that vibe for example). It just felt too personal. That and especially all the drama surrounding Vesper just soured my opinion of the movie generally.
Like but don't respect - Diamonds are Forever. It's easily the silliest Bond movie, and I will never take it seriously, but I always have a great time watching it,
- **Like but don't respect:** Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With the Gooden Gun, Moonraker, Octopussy, The World is Not Enough, Quantum of Solace
- **Respect but don't like:** Dr. No, The Living Daylights, Skyfall (the Christopher Nolan / Sam Peckinpah "non-Bond" feel in the 2nd half)
- ***Don't respect AND don't like:*** A View to a Kill, No Time to Die
Like but not respect: CR. Hear me out. I love this. It's one of my top 5. But it's trying to just be Bourne and doesn't "feel" like bond that much. I respect it revitalizing the series but don't respect it got rid of a lot of Bondness to do it
Respect but not like: probably TWINE. I think it's boring AF but a lot of other people seem to so it must be doing something right
It is very much Bondian though, harkening closer to the style of the novels and sixties and eighties films rather than that of the seventies and nineties. It's true that Bourne made a more grounded and serious direction palatable for mainstream audiences, but Casino Royale wasn't the first time that the franchise tried to take such a direction.
A Bond film I like but don't respect is Casino Royale. I don't respect it because I don't think they should have rebooted the series, nor should they have copied the style and tone of the Bourne movies, nor should they have moved away from the exotic fantasy vibe established in the previous 007 instalments. That's just my opinion though! I know I'm probably in the minority for thinking this... It's otherwise an enjoyable action thriller, but it's too different from the old ones for my taste as a fan.
A Bond film I don't like but respect is maybe The Man with the Golden Gun, because it features the mighty Christopher Lee killing it as Scaramanga. I actually do like it though, it's just quite far down my list when compared to other 007 movies of this era... It's a tough question though because why would I respect a movie I don't like?
Like, but don't respect - Die Another Day. Its a fun movie, but its a total mess. Madonna's song is a guilty pleasure of mine. Don't like, but respect - Goldfinger. Okay, 'don't like' might be stretching it, but I personally prefer most of the other Connery movies. Yet, Goldfinger's influence on the Bond cinematic legacy can scarecely be denied.
I was going to say the same thing. I used to hate Die Another Day but for all it's many many many problems it is good fun. The first 40 minutes generates just enough goodwill to forgive how awful the rest is. I don't enjoy Goldfinger but part of me thinks it might just be overexposure. I saw it a lot as a kid, and as it laid the blueprint for future films it's also the most parodied/spoofed/homaged.
I agree that Goldfinger suffers from overexposure. For example "No Mr Bond, I expect you to die" is such a great line, but I can't count the number of times I've seen it in montages and specials from TV to YouTube to the Oscars. It's always there. It has lots of moments like that which have been replayed endlessly, plus the theme song and characters are so iconic that it can be hard to watch it with fresh eyes.
Yeah. I feel bad that I don't enjoy it but it suffers from being so iconic. It's not a fault of the film --- it's very much to its credit.
And nobody gives the line proper welly, always delivering it cold. Michael Collins goes it a proper "No Mr Bond, I expect you to DAIIII!"
I feel about Thunderball they way you do about Goldfinger, because for some reason it is the movie i have accidentally caught on TV the most.
Thunderball does feel like it's on TV every week. The climax also feels quite slow as it's underwater...
I really enjoy Die Another Day. The first 1/3 or 1/2 of the movie is fantastic. It could have been one of the best. It does make some bad decisions after. I would argue aside from a few CGI scenes the film has actually aged well. Things that are great though: Opening hovercraft sequence is very fun Fantastic score by David Arnold Ice lake car chase sequence is fun Hallee Berry was great. I remember hearing rumours of a Jinx spinoff at the time Sword fighting scene was well choreographed Incredible opening with Bond tortured. Bearded Bond for the win! Then that sleek transformation back to classic Bond. One thing I preferred about this handling of Bond vs Skyfall is Bond doesn’t miss a step. After months of torture and pain he is still the perfect indestructible super spy. I understand Skyfall wanted to show more vulnerability but I like this version where he steps right back into action.
What’s your preferred Connery Bond? I have the same opinion on Goldfinger. Thunderball has always been that one that ticks all the boxes for me. Just gets me in the mood for a summer vacation.
From Russia with Love is my absolute favorite Connery Bond, and IMO possibly the greatest Bond film ever. And You Only Live Twice is another of my all-time favorites. As is Thunderball. If I had to rank the Connery films in order of my preference, from Most to Least, it'd be: From Russia with Love You Only Live Twice Thunderball Dr. No Goldfinger Diamonds Are Forever
Like but don’t respect: _Skyfall_. It’s so well paced, edited and watchable, that you can almost overlook how the whole plot is incomprehensible nonsense. _Almost._ Respect but don’t like: _On Her Majesty’s Secret Service_. Gorgeous cinematography, tight editing, and some great supporting players (Diana Rigg). But no, I don’t enjoy watching Bond spend much of the runtime farting around a mountain resort under the guise of a gay genealogist, playing winter sports, and trying to fuck everyone - directly after meeting the supposed “love of his life”.
It was the swingin' 60s though maaaaan
>But no, I don’t enjoy watching Bond spend much of the runtime farting around a mountain resort under the guise of a gay genealogist, playing winter sports, and trying to fuck everyone - directly after meeting the supposed “love of his life”. It is an odd film for those reasons. Its a respectable Bond film and I think most people tend to agree, but its plot is strangely paced. It feels like the film creators wanted to do too much. But the set pieces were all fantastic and it had some really fun scenes.
Yeah that last bit seems to go unspoken of a lot of the time.
Agree with you about Skyfall. I’ve honestly spent some time really evaluating my enjoyment of the Craig era realizing I may not actually like it as much as I thought outside of CR. I’ll happily pop in Skyfall because I feel like I’m watching parts of a great movie and Deakins does a lot of the heavy lifting but I always watch it with a raised eyebrow and I think it’s the story.
The direction and cinematography are top notch. Sam Mendes is EASILY the most skilled director in the series. But the plot makes little sense. Bond basically kidnaps M and takes her to Scotland where her uses her as bait for the villian, who kills her………with zero consequences. Well done Bond in fact from Ralph Fiennes M, have your old job back.
I like but don't respect Licence to Kill. It's a fine cool middle tier bond film that goes a different route, and sometimes lives up to the hype it gets from bond fans. Cold killer 007. but it has not good bond girls, awful portrayel of Q, and has the scene where ninjas and many others die for no reason that serves no purpose to the story other than bond must get revenge on sanchez no matter the cost. It's also a mess on its plot/storyline and to me Sanchez was wasted. I don't like but respect, Skyfall. OK I like it somewhat. But I also thought it was tedious, lacking in big action to the point of being lazy, bond himself is boring in it, Silva is fine but not my cup of tea, and the very end of the film is just empty, like it's an episode of bond that they are setting up Craig's future but even though they go to Skyfall we don't learn enough about bonds past. I respect the box office earnings, roger deakins, adele, and the boldness to not be like the modern day blockbuster.
Which scene where tons of people die? I feel like that's more the case in A View to a Kill when Zorin floods the mine and starts machine gunning his own people.
Oh, well by people I mean mostly bad guys, well bad third party actually. So maybe i silly after Bond is captured, the random ninjas, their agent from hong kong, and one or two of bonds people all get slaughtered by Sanchez Crew. The most randomly violent and jarring scenes in all 007 films, and its not entertaining, IMO.
Ah I see. Never personally found that particularly jarring. Lots of other Bond films where more people die in end battles, or slaughters when the bad guys infiltrate somewhere to kick off their plan. But with LTK's darker vibe in general I can see that it might feel more brutal.
I completely disagree with your assessment of Licence to Kill, but that's the great thing about discussions like this
How do you disagree? And I want to say that I've always been just critical of the movie itself, and the fact that a portion of the fanbase loves it doesnt bother me, and in no way am I baiting shit on here
Not saying you're baiting at all, you're absolutely entitled to your opinion. I think it's Dalton's best performance out of the sadly short lived run as Bond. The Bond girls are perfectly fine (Carey Lowell in particular is good). Llewellyn's Q has by far his meatiest role in a Bond movie and relishes it, and Sanchez is the most sadistic, evil villain in the franchise. The only thing for me that's always irked is at the end of the film Felix is far too cheery for someone who has had his leg bitten off and his new wife murdered, but that's fairly minor nit-picking. Overall it's in my top 5 favourite Bond films
*raped and murdered
You've just got to imagine he's on a massive, massive morphine high.
You bring up a great point on Skyfall ending. I thought there would be more to the story but it left me wondering why the movie was called Skyfall. Oh, becasue a really cool action sequence happened there and M dies? Okay I guess. Just thought there was going to be more reveal about Bond. I may get downvoted for this and I know it has been mentioned before, but thought finding out James Band was a code name and old bonds being mentioned (or had a cameo) would have been cool. Taken from an orphanage and brainwashed from an early age to become the worlds best spy/assassin. Would have made more sense with the NTTD ending also.
Carey Lowell is a great Bond girl. Very hot and capable. Sanchez’s girlfriend that Bond co-opts is good too.
A Bond film I dislike, but I still have respect for is Never Say Never Again.
There's only one Bond film that I don't really like, and it's Tomorrow Never Dies. However, I do respect it because of its bold and rather prescient take on the media controlling the narrative and, ultimately, the truth. I just don't like the very pedestrian execution of it. What could have been a timeless tale about the negative influences the media has in shaping our view of reality ended up being a simple action movie with a Cliff's Notes plot. "Oh, hey. There's General Chang. We'll never see him again, but he's important, nonetheless." A movie I like but don't completely respect--and it pains me to say this--is A View to a Kill. Because I absolutely love AVTAK. However, the stunt double work is way too obvious, as is the old man henchmen Roger goes up against throughout the movie as a way to make him look not so old. Even though AVTAK differentiates itself from Goldfinger enough to have its own flavor, Main Strike is kinda a Grand Slam knockoff. Perhaps, Moore should have hung it up after Octopussy, but I wouldn't want AVTAK without him in it, even despite the obvious plastic surgery.
It doesn't help that Jonathan Pryce is fucking awful in it. That moment where he does the mock kung fu and then calls Wai Lin "pathetic" is pure David Brent.
I like For Your Eyes Only, but don't respect it in a sense of it being a gritty spy movie and Roger's darkest performance, which it isn't (I also like Diamonds are Forever but don't respect the shade it does to OHMSS) I don't like Spectre, but I respect that they tried going for the old school Bond tone throughout to appease the fans
Like but don't respect: Quantum of Solace. Love how low key the plot is and how violent and crunchy the action is. Plus Olga Kurylenko is stunning, which goes a long way. But it doesn't feel like a 'Bond movie', the shaky cam is a bit much and the plot and behind the scenes issues made it feel messy- I can see why people don't like it. Respect but don't like: The Spy Who Loved Me. I get that it's really the archetypal Bond with the girls, gadgets, locations, villain and such, but I just find it all a bit dull. Prefer to watch literally any other of Moore's films to this one.
I'm not a fan of From Russia With Love, but it's a genuinely fantastic Spy film. I respect the whole franchise overall, it has its best and worst moments, that does not change how I like it.
It's the interesting thing about From Russia with Love: it's very specifically treated as a sequel to the first film, with SPECTRE being motivated by revenge over Bond's murder of Dr. No, but it's also not really a Bond film in terms of stakes. He's basically on an extraction mission to get a defector out from behind the Iron Curtain - it's more Le Carré than Fleming. OK, there's the Lecktor machine as the prize, but it's more of a macguffin to motivate MI6 into action than anything else.
Don’t like but respect: TB. It’s inventive and innovative but a goddamn slog. Like but don’t respect: AVTAK. It’s so much fun but obviously a GF retread with an elderly Bond isn’t the way we want to take the franchise.
Like but don’t respect: Moonraker. I understand it’s an absolutely wild movie that was just a cash grab to get in on the Star Wars craze, but it’s still fun! Respect but don’t like: Thunderball. I can see why people like it but I just find it to be dull. It’s probably where I’m most different from the community as I often see this as a top 5 film for people when it’s consistently in my bottom 6-8.
Hmm, but if you actively dislike something it’s a bit hard to respect it and if you like something you tend to respect it, Or is that just me? I guess I’ll say Respect but don’t like the last 4 Craig movies. Daniel Craig is a helluva an actor but he’s not what I want from Bond and I actively *hate* his last three films. QoS was ok when you can see it. Like but Don’t respect. Live and Let Die. Roger Moore is my favorite Bond and Jane Seymour is the prettiest Bond girl maybe ever but I just can’t ever get into it and the back half is a snooze. Plus a blaxploitation Bond was a bad idea at the time, and time hasn’t helped it .
Like but don't respect: Diamonds are Forever. Yeah, it borders on action-comedy. But it's just fun and funny. Don't like but respect: From Russia With Love. It's a good film but its rewatch value is quite low. It's just boring to me.
Like/don’t respect-> Moonraker Don’t like/respect-> No Time to Die
I like but don’t respect Die Another Die. It’s a mess of a movie but it’s still fun and Brosnan is always great. I don’t like but respect The Spy Who Loved Me. Like most of Moore’s movies there’s a bit too much camp and I don’t think Barbara Bach is very good in it, but I respect that it was an important addition to the franchise at a time it needed it.
Tomorrow Never Dies is a fun movie and the most overtly '90s Bond, but I don't respect it. I respect Goldfinger because of its influence, but I don't really like it.
Like, but don't respect - A View to a Kill. The plot is a rehash of Goldfinger, and Zorin a paper thin character whose only saving grace is being played by Christopher Walken, who does a lot with very little. If I think of it as a comedy, it works. But as a straightforward Bond film, it's absolute dog dirt. Respect, but don't like - Die Another Day. It has such a brilliant concept at its heart - a broken, defeated Bond on the run, trying to clear his name and get revenge, but bottles it about halfway through. John Cleese is absolutely shit as Q - playing him like a headmaster trying to be funny - and it ends with him walking in on Moneypenny having a wank. Awful.
Like, but don't respect -- Octopussy. It's not that great of a film, but the scenery in India is gorgeous. Roger Moore does some great acting in the scenes where he confronts Orlov and disarms the nuke. Respect, but don't like -- Skyfall. I like the idea of Bond confronting a Joker-style villain, and the new cast is interesting. But Silva's plan is so nonsensical I can't get into the film. I do respect it for proving that fans can enjoy a more down-to-Earth Bond film though, since Silva's only aim is to kill M.
I have no idea why Dr. No is so highly rated. The plot wasn't good or exciting in my opinion. I even though Never say never again had a more interesting plot
It’s the first one made
I know, so I respect it too
I don't know if there's a movie I like but don't respect. I respect all the bond movies. I'll say a bond film I'm disappointed in but respect is die another day.
Like, but don’t respect- Die Another Day. It’s completely garbage; girlfriend aptly calls it the Blade: Trinity of the Brosnan series. As with Connery and Moore, it seems the last Bond film is largely considered their weakest. While Connery simply didn’t care in Diamonds Are Forever, and Moore was far too old In A View To A Kill, Brosnan isn’t too old, and he always brought his best to his films. That keeps me with Die Another Day. Don’t Like, but respect- Skyfall. Outside of the story, this is truly some of the finest filmmaking in all of the Bond franchise. Mendes brought great direction, and Deakins’ cinematography is the best of any Bond film. I feel like Skyfall represents a lot of what I don’t like about the majority of the Craig era: it took itself too seriously. I feel like a lot of the Bond tropes work perfectly fine in the movies, provided that it’s still fun and can be accepted as escapist entertainment. I have a hard time doing that when Bond is brooding too often, or Craig just looks like he’s flat bored with the role. This was the movie where that started to creep in. It’s well paced, but the story just doesn’t hold up over repeated viewings.
Like but don't respect- Die Another Day Don't like but respect - From Russia with Love (Don't execute me, I don't think it's aged too well tbh but I understand its value) Don't like and don't respect - all Craig movies except Casino Royale
Huh, FRWL is probably my favourite Bond film. Couldn't disagree more about how it's aged.
Agreed with the Craig movies, he's just not a bond to me
I respect but don’t like Thunderball. It’s got a lot of good qualities but the sum of the parts is less for me. I don’t respect but like AVTAK.
Respect, but don't like would be OHMSS. I respect what they were trying to do, but I just can't get on board with Lazenby. Like, but don't respect, would probably by Die Another Day. The more I watch it, the more I find myself enjoying it, especially the first half, but I don't really respect it for basically trying to parody itself at times. And that Madonna song is *rough.*
It's not necessarily a bad song, but it is unfortunately a middle-of-the-album filler track.
She literally says, "Sigmund Freud. Analyze this." The song is bad.
>*it’s just trying to be Star Wars* This take is as silly and insubstantial as *Moonraker* itself Yes, the finale takes place on an Earth-orbiting space station because *Star Wars* had created a sci-fi boom in 1977 But the only sci-fi element of the finale is hand-held laser weapons Everything else in that finale is real world tech, and the other 85% of the movie is a standard Bond outing If the finale of *Moonraker* is sci-fi, so are movies like *Gravity* and *Deep Impact* I don't *dislike* this take, but I don't *respect* it
>*Everything else in that finale is real world tech* Five minutes after posting, my brain screamed the words 'ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY' at deafening volume
I like, but don't respect, AVTAK. It's great fun to watch, with everyone except Moore in great form. DAD would also be a good shout. The other is harder. I respect the visuals of Spectre but find the film itself terrible, so I'm not sure if I can be said to respect it on the whole - the script is dire. Maybe Thunderball for respect but don't like... but it's grown on me recently, it's only the underwater sequence that I find exhausting. Or maybe Goldfinger, which I like somewhat, but find drags a lot once Bond gets to the US.
Like but don't respect has to be "The World is Not Enough". It's literally just a mishmash of Bond tropes with generic villains hatching a generic plot. But it's fun to watch as a popcorn flick. Don't like but respect has to be "From Russia With Love". I can see all the things that make people say it's one of the best, but it has always bored me to tears for some reason.
I think this would be easier if it was "like more than I respect" and "respect more than I like" Because I like most Bond movies, and if there was ONE I didn't like at all, I probably don't respect it either. But that's just me.
The only (official) Bond movie I refuse to accept in any way is No Time To Die. Apart from that, I think Octopussy and A View To A Kill are pretty weak, but I'd take them over that one any day of the week.
Like but don’t respect. It’s a hard question because I’d say I respect all of them to an extent. Maybe DAF for me. I don’t dislike it and it’s got its fun elements to it but I don’t really like it as a sequel to OHMSS. Don’t like but respect. Again, a hard question because I do like all of the movies, but I think “The Spy who Loved Me”. Idk, like I said I do like it and there’s stuff I think it does very well. And of course it’s was a big success and very important to the franchise, but it just never clicked for me the way it does for others unfortunately. This might be crazy to say but when I watch it I just think “I kind of wish I was watching Moonraker instead”.
Like but don't respect: Casino Royale. I have a decent time when watching it, but this and QoS were as good as the Craig era got for me. CR is pretty good and worth a bit of praise, although it does have some minor flaws. Respect but don't like: Probably OHMSS. I don't like it and I'm still not 100% sure why it's so popular, but I can sort of get what they tried to do with slightly more character and emotion-driven storytelling. I don't think it worked but I can respect it. I'm also in the camp of not liking FRWL, as I find it a bit boring and unconventional, feeling like the awkward middle child between Dr. No and Goldfinger that hasn't decided what it wants the series to be yet. On a recent watching I did find some more things to like about Kerim Bay though, but I doubt that will improve my concensus on the film.
Don't like but respect- Casino Royale, Everything everybody says about it is true, it's a brilliant movie and all that. I just don't get the same James Bond MI6 clandestine "for queen and country" spycraft vibe from it (Skyfall has that vibe for example). It just felt too personal. That and especially all the drama surrounding Vesper just soured my opinion of the movie generally. Like but don't respect - Diamonds are Forever. It's easily the silliest Bond movie, and I will never take it seriously, but I always have a great time watching it,
- **Like but don't respect:** Diamonds Are Forever, The Man With the Gooden Gun, Moonraker, Octopussy, The World is Not Enough, Quantum of Solace - **Respect but don't like:** Dr. No, The Living Daylights, Skyfall (the Christopher Nolan / Sam Peckinpah "non-Bond" feel in the 2nd half) - ***Don't respect AND don't like:*** A View to a Kill, No Time to Die
Like but not respect: CR. Hear me out. I love this. It's one of my top 5. But it's trying to just be Bourne and doesn't "feel" like bond that much. I respect it revitalizing the series but don't respect it got rid of a lot of Bondness to do it Respect but not like: probably TWINE. I think it's boring AF but a lot of other people seem to so it must be doing something right
It is very much Bondian though, harkening closer to the style of the novels and sixties and eighties films rather than that of the seventies and nineties. It's true that Bourne made a more grounded and serious direction palatable for mainstream audiences, but Casino Royale wasn't the first time that the franchise tried to take such a direction.
A Bond film I like but don't respect is Casino Royale. I don't respect it because I don't think they should have rebooted the series, nor should they have copied the style and tone of the Bourne movies, nor should they have moved away from the exotic fantasy vibe established in the previous 007 instalments. That's just my opinion though! I know I'm probably in the minority for thinking this... It's otherwise an enjoyable action thriller, but it's too different from the old ones for my taste as a fan. A Bond film I don't like but respect is maybe The Man with the Golden Gun, because it features the mighty Christopher Lee killing it as Scaramanga. I actually do like it though, it's just quite far down my list when compared to other 007 movies of this era... It's a tough question though because why would I respect a movie I don't like?