There are few sequels that disappoint quite as much as this. There are sequels that are far worse, obviously, but something about Quantum has meant each re-watch has convinced me I had it wrong and its actually good, then about half way through I start to think again, then by the end I’m like “Oh right, yeah…” It’s not flat out bad like Die Another Day or Octopussy, but it’s written to string you along only to let you down in the end… Let’s take a deeper look, anyway!
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What’s this? Could it actually be?! I am finally ending my run of Bond reviews because the next one is actually, for real, coming out in a month or so?! Why yes, that’s exactly what’s happening… after all these YEARS.
Casino Royale saw the debut of both Daniel Craig and his more “gritty” direction for the franchise, and while his run has seen its ups and downs I can honestly say that Casino Royale is among my favourites of the whole franchise, with its opening 10 minutes being one my favourite openings ever. … Let’s take a look!
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Ah yes, Die Another Day. Pierce Brosnan’s swan song and a really good film… for about half of its runtime. Then it suddenly nosedives and becomes nearly unbearable. I think it’s still the most clear-cut “half good, half bad” film I’ve ever seen, making it like two different writers / directors took turns without consulting each other over tone. Well, does the good outweigh the bad? Let’s act like Sigmund Freud and “An-an-an-analyse this!”.
The World is Not Enough might be the ultimate mixed bag as there are some bits I really genuinely like, but there are also some real poor parts as well. Every time I think I’m going to give this a 4, I remember something bad and it drops down again. Then I focus on the bad and think of dropping it to a 2, before I remember some of the good! Well, now I’ve spoiled the score in the opening paragraph, let’s take a deeper look anyway!
Tomorrow Never Dies is oddly a movie that may have become more relevant as it aged, featuring a villain that’s the head of a media empire manipulating politics by using misinformation and grabby headlines, plus a heavy focus on China as a force of good to get that sweet Chinese cinema money. Sounds far more 2017 than 1997! Key point though: is it any good? Let’s find out!
Ah yes, Goldeneye, the film that’s really hard to review without making constant references to a teenhood-defining N64 game. I’ll try my best! Anyway, it’s also the debut on Pierce Bronsnan as Bond and has a great villain in Sean Bean’s Alec Trevelyan, among other fun cast members. Let’s take a look, and see how, much like his successor, Bronsnan’s best film was his first…
Timothy Dalton’s run as James Bond ends almost as soon as it began with Licence to Kill, a movie far more like a generic revenge thriller than any kind of Bond or spy film. Does that make it a bad film? Nope! It’s a fun time killer, but it’s not what I put on if I fancy a Bond film… Let’s take a look!
Woooaa-ohh-ooh-OH, The Living Daylights! … is the first of the two Timothy Dalton Bond films and the start of the second half of my look at all the 007 movies leading up to “No Time To Die”. Given I started this back in July 2017 shows how delayed that film has been, so delayed that I stopped in August 2018 and I’m only just resuming! ANYWAY, The Living Daylights, beyond an extremely catchy opening, certainly takes itself far more seriously than the Moore films that preceded it and delivers a really fun and well-shot action movie instead. Let’s take a look!
We finally reach the end of the Roger Moore era of Bond with A View to a Kill. Many people cite it as a bad Bond movie, but beyond Roger looking like he’s… well, his age, it’s actually a fun film. Close your eyes any time Bond is in bed and you’ve got a fun (and zany) plot with a great villain and so many set pieces that the film never feels like slows down. Let’s take a closer look and wave goodbye to the longest serving Bond while we’re at it…
I always dislike when I get to Octopussy on a Bond watch through, and given I remember that feeling despite this being only the third time I’ve watched them all in a row goes to show how much is sticks in my mind. It’s not terrible like Diamonds are Forever, but it commits possibly an even worse sin: It’s dull as hell… and full of poor Moore-era humour. Anyway, let’s get Octopussy out of the way so I can never watch it again… unless another new format ends up releasing a nice collectors set, then… bollocks.
