James Bond Movie: ****^ The World Is Not Enough (1999)

 James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) must save the world again.  This time from an oil heiress, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau); who has long schemed taking over her father's company.  And she manages this while making herself seem the victim.  She is helped in this by planning with Renard (Robert Carlisle) who is seen as the murderer of her father, and her enemy.  He kidnapped her when she was young, and M (Judi Dench) advised not to pay the ransom.  There is an addition to the Bond support staff.  In addition to Q (Desmond Llewelyn) there is R (John Cleese) his replacement in training.  Moneypenny (Samantha Bond) also provides support.  The men of Renard infiltrate a nuclear storage site and steal a bomb.  Here Bond meets nuclear scientist Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards).  She becomes an ally and will play a key part in recovering nuclear material.  Bond is captured, and rescues by Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane).  The goal of Renard and Elektra is to cause a nuclear submarine to have a melt down by using nuclear material they took from the bomb.  This will pollute Instanbul, and close the area to oil shipments; so they will all have to ship through Elektra's pipeline.  

I enjoyed this Bond episode more than most.  Lots of action.  It starts with a boat chase, but Bond is in a boat that also goes on land.  It also includes a balloon ride with Bond hanging off the bottom.  It includes gambling and torture

and lots of intrigue.

James Bond Movie Review: ****^Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

 The Bond movies just keep getting bigger and. bigger.  James Bond is a tried and true formula.  Pierce Brosnan plays Bond in this movie.  The support cast are the same, M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny; as well as CIA agent Wade (Joe Don Baker).  

Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) is working at being on top of the media world; even if he must create the story.  In this case the story is war between the Chinese and Britain, which he is manipulating into existence with a stealth boat in which he sinks a British frigate.  He also steals a cruise missile.  Stamper (Götz Otto) provides the muscle.  Helping Bond is Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) of Chinese intelligence.  The make a very good team.  The key is making it so people can see the stealth boat.  Bond accomplishes this with a bomb on the ship, and Lin sabatoges the engines so the British can fire on the boat.

This movie is excellent.  I really like Yeoh as the Chinese spy.  The people fighting against Bond are very bad shots.  Great fun.

James Bond Movie: **** Goldeneye (1995)

 We have a new James Bond in Pierce Brosnan.  We also have the first woman M (Judi Dench), and a new actor play Miss Moneypenny (Samantha Bond).  Q is the same showing his gadgets.  Our villain turns out to be 006/ Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), who appears to die at the beginning of the movie.  Trevelyan is helped by Xenia Onatopp (Famke Jansen) who has many methods of killing including a good squeeze.  She kills with sexualized passion.  For his part, Bond refuses to die.  He is helped by Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), who escaped alive from the first use of the Goldeneye satellite, which fries all electronics.  She worked at a satellite dish which was used to control the device, but then targeted.  This time financial markets will be the target allowing them to steal assets without being seen as the device will destroy all records.  Bond's job is to prevent this.  Jake Wade (Joe Don Baker) with th CIA helps.  Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming) also helps Trevelyan as the inside computer geek who worked with Simonova.  

This movie has a chase scene, Bond in am army tank trying to rescue Simonova.  He runs over lots of car, and even puts the tank in front of a train for a spectacular collision.  

This movie continues the Bond fun and action.  There are plane crashes Bond walks away from, and lots of shooting.  And the effects of electrical pulses.  

James Bond Movie Review: **** License to Kill (1989)

 This the second Bond movie with Timothy Dalton as the lead character.  This movie is uch different than the other Bond movies.  In this movie, M (Robert Brown) actually strips Bond of his license to kill as he wants to pursue personal revenge against a drug dealer who has killed his CIA friend's wife and left his friend chewed by a shark and missing a leg.  The drug dealer, Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) has big plans to make lots of money by combining drug dealing with other dealers, and supplying them cheaper drugs delivered in large trucks.  Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) helps Bond, as does Q (Desmond Llewelyn).  Miss Moneypenny (Caroline Bliss) is also concerned about Bond as he is off grid.  Bond also turns Sanchez' girlfriend, Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto) into an ally is she is tired of being abused.  When Bond comes down, with the help of Bouvier, he comes down very hard.  The movie starts with Sanchez being captur4ed as Bond hooks a cable to his airplane and he is hauled to justice by a helicopter.  Someone takes his $2 million bribe and he escapes.  The movie ends with a big semi truck chase and fight with lots of explosions as the drug business goes up in flames.  Great fun.  Bond makes it to the end of the movie with two women, and he has to pick.

James Bond Movie Review: **** The Living Daylights (1987)

 This movie has the same Bond theme but with a different actor portraying James Bond (Timothy Dalton).  There really does seem to be some chemistry with his co-star, Maryam d'Abo portraying Kara Milovy who is a cello player.  Q is the same actor, while Moneypenny (Caroline Bliss is new.  M (Robert Brown) is played by the same actor as the previous movie.  Of course then there are the villains, who are trying to make money selling arms, heroin and diamonds.  Jeroen Krabbé plays Koskov who plays a defecting KGB agent but in reality is defecting to this criminal organization,  Joe Don Baker portrays the arms dealer Brad Whitaker.  Andreas Wisniewski plays Necros, the killer for this organization.  With the KGB is John Rhys-Davies as General Pushkin.  And an Afghani leader is Kamran Shah played by Art Malik.  

Bond is trying to disrupt the network.  Most of the good action is in Afghanistan, during the time when the Russians were fighting there.  There is a chase of a taxing plane, and then the plane taking off and a fight with the back cargo hold of the plane.  Bond and Necros actually go out of the plane holding to nets and fighting with knives.  finally Necros is holding to Bond's boot, which Cond cuts away and Necros gets the boot as he falls out of the plane.

Very good Bond Movie and introducing Tim Dalton as James Bond.

James Bond Movie Review: ****View to a Kill (1985)

 This James Bond movie is back to the original formula.  This movie has Roger Moore as Bond and has the original actors for Q and Moneypenny.  M is portrayed by Robert Brown.  Sir Godfrey Tibbett (Patrick Macnee) is helping Bond with his knowledge of horses, and is murdered in a car wash.  Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) is determined to destroy Silicon Valley and thereby monopolize the silicon market.  He is obsessed with the idea.  He is going to use a large explosion to trigger a massive earthquake.  His lover, May Day (Grace Jones) is his henchman who is very good at murdering people.  However, in the end, it is Zorin's obsession that does him in.  He is so determined to stay on schedule that he blows up a bomb gthat kills his own worker, and also puts May Day at risk as he abandons her.  She then helps Bond move the bomb which is to trigger more explosives, so it will not be as deadly and start an earthquake.   The movie concludes with a chase of a dirigible, which is something new for Bond.

 

James Bond Movie Review: ****^Octopussy (1983)

 This movie again uses the Bond formula, but adds an island of just women and a circus with knife throwers.  Someone is selling jewels and making fakes to raise money.  Turns out the project is backed by a Soviet fanatic (Steven Berkoff) who wants to incite war as he feels the Soviets would win easily.  He finances a nuclear bomb, which he hopes to explode on an American base.  Kamal (Louis Jordan) works with him.  He hires people on several occasions to kill Bond (Roger Moore).  However Bond befriends Octopussy (Maud Adams) who says he can stay on her island of women.  Kamal send mercenaries to kill him.  They do not succeed.  Kristina Wayborn plays Magda who is Kamal's girl.  Robert Brown plays M, Desmond Llewelyn Q who has a bigger roll, and brings a hot air balloon into battle.  Lois Maxwell again portrays Miss Moneypenny.  

James Bond Movie: ****^For Your Eyes Only (1981)

 This is a very good Bond movie.  Roger Moore again plays James Bond.  He is joined by Melina (Carole Bouquet) Whose parents have been murdered and she is seeking revenge.  A British spy ship has gone down off the coast of Greece.  It has an encryption device the British want to recover, and the Russians would love having.  Britain hires Melina's father to find it, while the Russians hire Kristatos (Julian Glover).  Kristatos' man Locque (Michael Gothard) hires someone to kill Melina's parents.  Kristatos teams with Bond and points him to Columbo (Topol) as the likely villain that Bond will likely have to kill.  However Columbo is able to talk to bond, and convince him the real culprit is Kristatos.  He runs an intricate smuggling operation of heroin and other products.  Kristatos actually gets away with the encryption device and awaits the Russians so he can deliver it.  Bond is in a race to locate him and recover the device.  

This is a fun movie.  Bond and Columbo and Melina confront Kristatos on the top of a mountain.  Lynn Holly Johnson portrays Bibi who is a young ice skater and infactuated with Bond.

James Bond Movie: ****^Moonraker (1979)

 Here is another James Bond (Roger Moore) movie using the same formula with some additions.  In this Bond movie we have a battle in space.  They were using space shuttle type vehicles but the battle was outside of the vehicles, man-to-man using laser weapons.  The space ship is called Moonraker, and there is not one but like six of them.  In this film, the deranged soul Drax (Michael Lonsdale) wants to kill all the people on earth with a gas, and then repopulate the earth with his genetically superior people.  Jaws (Richard Kiel) is in this film as well.  He even has a girlfriend, and realizing he and his girlfriend will not be selected, he grows a heart, and helps Bond escape.  Bond is also helped by Holly Goodhead (Lois Childs).

I think this Bond is better than most.  Lots of scifi action.  

James Bond Movie Review: ****^The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

 This is an exciting James Bond (Roger Moore) movie.  Stormburg (Curd Jürgens) is intent on changing the world.  To do so he has stolen two submarines, a U.S. submarine and a Soviet submarine with their nuclear weapons.  It seems he has created a technology to track submarines.  He does not want to hold the world for ransom, just to use the nuclear weapons to change the balance of power in the world.  Bond is teamed with a Soviet spy, Amasova (Barbara Bach). to accomplish this.  The character Jaws (Richard Kiel) adds considerably to the film.  He uses his metal teeth to bite through anything.  In addition to the regular support staffm M, Q and Moneypenny, we have the Soviet head of intelligence (Walter Gotell).  We also have the British Minister of Defense (Geoffrey Keen).  They finally track Stormburg to his lair, but not before he manages to capture a third sub.  Great battle on Stormburg's base which he calls Atlantis.  

The love relationship between the Bond and the Soviet Spy really works in this movie, as does Jaws.  

James Bond Movie Review: ****The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

 This movie pits Bond against an assassin who is also developing a solar weapon.  Christopher Lee as Scaramanga makes a very good villain.  His side kick is Nick Nack (Hervé Villechaize).  In this movie there are two women, Goodnight (Britt Eklund) who is another agent, and Andrea (Maud Evans) who is the lover of Scaramanga, but Bond uses her, and Scaramanga kills her.  Scaramanga has been practicing for some time of killing Bond.  And he arranges everything so that eventually he gets his one-on-one with Bond.  It does not go as he had planned.  Goodnight gets away, and disposes of her guard, but pushes him in a vat, which triggers a chain reaction and a big explosion.  Goodnight and Bond make their escape on a Chinese junk.

I think that having Nick Nack, a little man, as the side kick added to this Bond movie.  No one expects him to be the bad guy, but there he is.  Moneypenny, M and Q seem to have larger roles in this movie.  Clifton James comes back creating a cameo of his character from the previous Bond film.  However he is now on vacation.

James Bond Movie: ****Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

 Sean Connery uis back and this Bond movie is very good.  Conner is called upon to solve a diamond stealing ring.  Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint (Putter Smith and Bruce Glover) are devious killing those who oppose their diamond business.  Bond inserts himself Peter Franks, who smuggles diamonds.  But the diamonds he smuggles turn out to be fake.  Bond of course is trying to gt to the top of the trade.  He does meet Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) who is a go between.  But the trail takes them to Mr. Whyte (James Dean) but turns out to be Blofeld (Charles Gray)--but there are two of them.  He does kill one, after killing another earlier,  taking the total to one.  Of course Blofeld captures him but he is able to get away.  They track him down again, but this time the real Mr. Whyte.  Turns out he wasn't aware how his company has been used.

Blofeld was able to use the diamonds to make a lazer weapon which he uses to blow up some missiles and holds the world hostage.  However using whyte's knowledge they are able to determine where Blofeld's base is located.  

This movie takes us to Las Vegas.  This is a great Bond movie with the traditional formula, including the intro and the music.  This also includes M, Q and Moneypenny.

James Bond Movie Review: ***^On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

This movie entailed lots of  changes in the Bond franchise.  First we have a different actor playing James Bond, George Lazenby.  We also have a different actor as Blofeld/Number One, Telly Savalas.  However the other regulars are the same.  Money Penny (Lois Maxwell) is especially emotional as Bond beomes engaged to someone else, Tracy (Diana Rigg).  Sraco (Gabriele Ferzetti) portrays Tracy's father and helps Bond with information as well as muscle when it is needed.  Helping Number One is Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat).  She is helping train young women to become assassins.  They then propose to hold the world hostage with their assassins and are asking for a high ransom.  They have already been sent out into the world. We have skiing chases, and even a bob sled race for new things.  The Bond theme music is oly played towards the end and is missed.  This film also had a different opening motif, without the Bond animation with a gun.  And of course thee is a different romantic Bond, who is more concerned about morals and true love.  But with Bond that can never last.  

James Bond Movie: ***^You Only Live Twice (1967)

 In this Bond rendition we get both ninjas and the space program from Russia and the U.S.  Spectre is kidnapping space men in an effort to promote war between the U.S. and Russia.  Bond and Japanese secret service (lead by Tiger Tanaka, Tetsuro Tamba) are assigned to recover them.  They also need to stop anymore space vehicles from being captures and the U.S. and Russia blame each other.  We see number eleven killed by number one for failing to kill James Bond.  Number three also gets it in the end.  Q delivers a mini, but powerful helicopter.  It appears a toy but packs a punch. 

 Sceptre has their own space vehicle, which is capturing the smaller government vehicles.  It is Bond, and his supposed wife who come upon the Spectre base.  He is able to help the ninjas attack.  We finally see number one, more than just hid cat.  Number one is Blofeld (Donald Pleasence).  

Bond is married to Kissy (Mie Hama), for his cover but does finally get his honeymoon.  This is en par with the other Bond movies.  Lots of action and intrigue.  Bond seems to live through just about anything.  

James Bond Movie: ****^Thunderfall (1965)

This is the basic spy vs spy formula but it adds some special things that makes this one better.  Sean Connery again stars as James Bond with same support staff of M and Moneypenny and Q (Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn).  The villain is Number Two, Largo (Adolfo Celi).  Then his henchwoman, Fiona (Luciana Paluzzi), who says she would kill Bond, but gets shot by one of her own men.  The fly in the ointment for SPECTRE is Largo's niece, Domino (Claudine Auger).  She discovers that Largo has killed her brother.  Then she is determined to do everything she can to bring him down.  

The plot of this movie revolvrs around recovering a couple nuclear bombs that have been stolen from NATO.  Bond is trying to recover them.  He uses the help of CIA agent Felix Leiter (Rik Van Nutter).  

The thing that makes this movie different and better than other Bond movies is the underwater battle between forces of NATO and forces of SPECTRE.  Pretty exciting stuff.  And Largo does get his in the end.

James Bond Movie Review: ****Goldfinger (1964)

 With a bad guy in Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) and a henchman in Oddjob (Harold Sakata) this movie is filled with action.  James Bond (Sean Connery) is provided with a special car by Q (Desmond Llewelyn) (which becomes a Bond trademark).  Of course M (Bernard Lee) and Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) play their normal roles. Early on Goldfinger has Oddjob kill two Bond girls so we know he is really bad.  Goldfinger has hatched a plan to attack Fort Knox and contaminate the gold with a nuclear bomb, making his gold even more valuable.  It is only Bond's prowess with women that turns Pussy Galore (Honor Blckman) into a help rather than an enemy as she informs people what is happening as Bond is always watched and cannot communicate with his men.  This Bond movie does not disappoint and has plenty of action.

James Bond Movies

Based on the novels by Ian Fleming.  Up to now there are 24 James Bond movies.  

**** Dr. No (1962) Sean Connery

**** From Russia with Love (1963) Sean Connery

**** Goldfinger (1964) Sean Connery

****^ Thunderfall (1965) Sean Connery

***^You Only Live Twice (1967) Sean Connery

***^On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)  George Lazenby

****Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Sean Connery

****Live and Let Die (1973) Roger Moore

****The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) Roger Moore

****^ The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Roger Moore

****^ Moonraker (1979). Roger Moore in space

****^ For Your Eyes Only (1981) Roger Moore in Greece

****^Octopussy (1983) Roger Moore, Bond goes to the circus

***^ Never Say Never Again (1983). Sean Connery, recovery of two nuclear bombs

**** View to a Kill (1985) Roger Moore, dirigible chase over the Golden Gate Bridge

**** The Living Daylights (1987). Timothy Dalton as James Bond, 

**** License to Kill (1989). Timothy Dalton. Bond gets revenge for his friend

**** Goldeneye (1995) Pierce Brosnan  006 vs 007

****^ Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). Pierce Brosnan vs a media company

****^ The World Is Not Enough (1999). Pierce Brosnan vs a wealthy oil heiress who he thought was an ally

**** Die Another Day (2002). Bond against the North Koreans in Iceland.

**** Casino Royale (2006) Daniel Craig. First book, gambling and torture

**** Quantum of Solace (2008) Daniel Craig in Bolivia

****^ Skyfall  (2012) Daniel Craig. agains Silva who is gunning for M

****James Bond Spectre (2015) Daniel Craig. Bond unravels Sceptre and Blofeld is captured

***** No Time To Die (2021) Daniel Craig.  Bond and the new 007 attack an island

Not part of the franchise

*** Casino Royale (1954). Made for TV movie.  Barry Nelson as Jimmy Bond

^ Casino Royale David Niven. A poor attempt at comedy