Salt (2010)

Genres

Action, Thriller

Director

Phillip Noyce

Country

USA

Cast

Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Daniel Pearce, Hunt Block, Andre Braugher, Olek Krupa, Cassidy Hinkle, Corey Stoll, Vladislav Koulikov, Olya Zueva, Kevin O'Donnell, Gaius Charles, Mike Colter

Storyline

CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run after a Russian defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.

Opinion

I don't know why but I thought Salt would be an exciting spy movie with just the right balance between action and thrills. Probably I just wanted a film with a female spy as the lead to success. Anyway, the film wasn't was I thought. Instead, it was more like a bland action sci-fi flick. Why sci-fi? Because there's so much nonsense going on, it's even too non-sense for an action flick. I know action movies are not realistic, but this one defies the definition of unrealistic.

The story starts off pretty well, it has a nice pace and it's interesting to follow. Then it all starts to become a little too much chaotic. A mess, basically. It is incredibly stupid, too ridiculous, there are too many plot holes, and too many twists - one second Salt isn't a Russian spy, the second after that she is a Russian spy, and then again she isn't. I'm not even sure that's what happened, it's all so damn confused in this movie and it ended up being quite boring. 

What's even worst about Salt is the characters. First, Evelyn Salt isn't a bit credible. She is out of everyone's league and I know I shouldn't be judging a book by its cover, but she is just too small to have such a strength. I mean, she is basically the Hulk with Tony Stark's brain in Angelina Jolie's body.  The other characters are even worst, especially the Russians who are nothing more than just your typical Russian stereotype who only does two things, drink tons of vodka and shoot for no reason whatsoever. I'd get in a movie from the 80s but in one from 2010? Hell, no.

And just like everything else, the action is terrible too. The whole film is basically nothing more than nonsense and non-stop mediocre action. It isn't exciting, if anything it's boring because overdone.

Skyfall (2012)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Sam Mendes

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Lim Marlohe, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Ola Rapace

Storyline

Returned to service after being presumed dead, James Bond's (Daniel Craig) loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested as 007 must stop Silva (Javier Bardem), a former MI6 agent seeking for revenge. 

Opinion

"Don't leave me hanging on like a yo-yo" goes a famous song, and this is exactly how I've been feeling lately with the James Bond series: one good film, one bad film, another good film, another bad film. This pattern keeps on repeating with Sam Mendes's "Skyfall", a thrilling, gripping film that is a real pleasure to watch.

Once again, the main reason this film is a winner is the writing. Absolutely brilliant for a James Bond flick. While it is quite simple and revolves around the stealing of a hard drive containing the identities of every secret agent embedded in terrorist organizations, the story flows smoothly and the pace is just spot on. Also, it does deliver something other than action: it shows how dangerous can computers be as they can be used as a weapon for security breaches.

But the plot is not all, and not even the best part of the film. The best part is the villain. Boy, they've finally found someone that knows how to write a proper villain. Finally the bad guy isn't some megalomaniac who wants either conquer or destroy the entire world, with some crazy technological item you wouldn't even see in a science fiction movie, but he is just a man driven by hate and seeking for revenge.

Also this James Bond is not the same, old James. He is almost a complete different man. We get to know him better, we get to know his past, and he is tested, especially psychologically, from both enemies and friends. His seducer nature almost disappears to leave room for a feeling that could be the one felt by a son towards his mother.

"Skyfall" is also an incredible action film, with spectacular sequences perfectly timed, and it also can claim one of the best theme songs in the whole series, Adele's "Skyfall".

Last but not least, the acting. Daniel Craig once again proves he is a great James Bond, wonderfully portraying this new 007. Judi Dench does a good job as M, and handles her role - involved both in the action and the story - very well. But nobody beats Javier Bardem. He is simply spectacular as usual, and his Silva is arguably one of the best Bond villains ever.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Marc Forster

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Gemma Arterton, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Anatole Taubman, David Harbour, Joaquin Cosio, Fernando Guillén Cuervo, Jesper Christensen, Rory Kinnear, Paul Ritter, Tim Pigott-Smith, Neil Jackson, Simon Kassianides, Stana Katic

Storyline

James Bond (Daniel Craig) descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organization from eliminating a country's most valuable resource. All the while, he still tries to seek revenge over the death of his love.

Opinion

A week ago "Casino Royale" made me a very happy person, because after weeks and weeks I finally fully enjoyed a Bond flick. It was a different Bond than the one I was used to, but I loved it/him. Unfortunately I cannot say the same about "Quantum of Solace", a direct sequel that immediately drops quality mainly because of its sloppy direction and poor writing.

The plot to this film really allows James Bond to show his darker side which isn't necessarily a bad thing - actually, a lot of sequels are darker than the previous film - but the problem is that the human-ish Bond I got to love in "Casino Royale" is gone, and once again he is nothing more than a killing machine: the invincible, invulnerable and infallible Bond. He is bulletproof, he is fireproof, he is everything-proof, I actually surprised he doesn't fly.

The plot itself isn't tremendously bad if you consider "Quantum of Solace" only as an action film. But when it comes to Bond films, you can't simply consider them as action flicks as espionage should play a huge part in the story. Unfortunately here there is not spy material.

As for the action, there's plenty of it, but it completely lacks any excitement. And here comes Marc Forster's direction. While he quite knows his way around quieter moments, he completely loses it when dealing with action sequences, which are really nothing more than short random bursts from different angles, filmed and edited in a very poor way which makes the scenes hard to follow.

Daniel Craig still does a nice job as James Bond, and I still don't get all the hate. It's not like he doesn't deserve to play Bond, it's that this Bond doesn't deserve to be played by him in my opinion. Mathieu Amalric - who I loved in "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - does pull off a nice performance as the villain, but he was a bit of a disappointment after the brilliant LeChiffre - the writers don't seem to care much for his character. Judi Dench gets more screen time this time around, and she still does a good job as M.

Casino Royale (2006)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Martin Campbell

Country

UK | USA | Czech Republic | Germany

Cast

Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright, Simon Abkarian, Caterina Murino, Ivana Miličević, Isaac de Bankolé, Jesper Christensen, Sébastien Foucan, Tobias Menzies, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, Richard Sammel, Clemens Schick

Storyline

Recently promoted to 00 status, James Bond (Daniel Craig) takes over his first mission, in which he faces a mysterious private banker to world terrorism and poker player, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen).

Opinion

After "GoldenEye", Martin Campbell returns to direct James Bond, this time played by Daniel Craig, and he wins at the green table with "Casino Royale", arguably one of the best entries in the whole series.

First things first, the film has a strong and gripping plot that despite its 144 minutes doesn't bore, not even for a second. Also, this is not your typical Bond story and relies more on classical thrills - like the first James Bond - than technology - I know it's unbelievable but there are no gadgets in this film.

But that's not all. In fact, the action sequences, spectacular as they should be, are wonderfully balanced with brilliant dialogue - especially the conversations between Bond and Le Chiffre - that provides the viewer all the information necessary to understand the story.

Other than having a new face, James Bond is also a different man. He is more secure, tougher - killing in cold blood is not a problem for this Bond  -, and more serious, yet he still has a great sense of humour.

The other characters are great as well. Le Chiffre, the villain, is spectacular and probably one of the best villains in the franchise. And the Bond girl, oh boy. Finally she is not some dumb good looking girl, but she actually has a brain and know how to use it.

And the cast. As much as I dislike him, Daniel Craig makes a perfect James Bond, even though, if I have to be honest, he would have made a better villain. Mads Mikkelsen gives a good, enjoyable performance as La Chiffre. And at last Eva Green. Probably for the first time, she is not naked in this one and finally has the chance to show her acting abilities.

Die Another Day (2002)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Lee Tamahori

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, Will Yum Lee, Kenneth Tsang, John Cleese, Colin Salmon, Ho Yi, Rachel Grant, Emilio Echevarria, Samantha Bond, Michael Gorevoy, Lawrence Makoare, Michael Madsen, Joaquin Martinez, Vincent Wong, Madonna

Storyline

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist (Rick Yune) and a diamond mogul (Toby Stephens) who is funding the development of an international space weapon.

Opinion

Twentieth entry in the franchise and Pierce Brosnan's fourth and last film as James Bond, "Die Another Day" is arguably one of the worst Bond films - if not the worst -, extremely dull, tedious and a huge insult to the intelligence of the viewer.

The plot, if it can be defined as such, is terribly stupid, utterly unengaging and confusing, and seems recycled from other Bond movies as the secret agent still has to stop a megalomaniac from world destruction.

The plot sure isn't the only problem concerning the writing. In fact there is no characterisation whatsoever. None of the characters have any motive to be around other than for the sake of putting other Hollywood names into the mix.

The dialogue sure doesn't get any better. It is atrociously bad, loaded with so much vulgarity one would expect from a cinepanettone, and lacks the charisma the previous films add, in particular the ones with Sean Connery.

But it isn't over yet. In addition to the terribly shot action sequences filled with a disproportionate use of special effects, the gadgets are freaking ridiculous as well, like the invisible Aston Martin. Seriously?

And I'm yet to mention the theme song. The awful theme song by Madonna to be specific with. As if that wasn't enough, Madonna also gets a pathetic cameo in the film.

I'm almost done, I promise. The acting is so bad it is more painful than sitting on a bed of nails. Pierce Brosnan is awful, so are John Cleese as Q and Judi Dench as M. Both Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike give pathetic performances as the Bond girls, and the Toby Stephen is awful too as the villain.

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Michael Adept

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Colin Salmon, Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese, Samantha Bond, Serena Scott Thomas, John Seru, Ulrich Thomsen, Goldie, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, David Calder

Storyline

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) uncovers a nuclear plot when he protects an oil heiress (Sophie Marceau) from her former kidnapper (Robert Carlyle), an international terrorist who can't feel pain.

Opinion

In the past, the franchise has already had difficulties in finding new ideas. At the nineteenth episode, it seems almost a mission impossible, and I believe the title does its best to let everyone know. Indeed lacking originality, "The World Is Not Enough" is dull, slow and silly, unevenly acted, but is partially saved by the action scenes.

Completely predictable and devoid of new ideas, the story could be summed up with one simple sentence: James Bond must stop a villain who wants to dominate the world. Sure, there is a plot twist, but it isn't much of a twist as it is quite predictable. The paper thin plot jumps from location to location without any reason, doing nothing but confusing me.

Like the previous entries with Brosnan, this film too follows the modern stream that is to use current themes. This time the attention goes to oil used as a basis to economy, and the film does a decent job on that front.

The characters are another big issue. The villain neither seemed evil nor intimidating - a guy who can't feel pain, I mean, what's the deal? - and any comparison to previous Bond villains would be an insult. The Bond girls are no better.

As if the poor script was not enough, the acting had to be awful too. Most of it anyway. Robert Carlyle proves that he is not good at playing the bad guy. Sophie Marceau clearly doesn't know what to do as her character goes from being an intelligent woman to a spoilt brat. Denise Richards should stay away from cameras. She is georgeous, I won't deny that, but man she can't act.

Partially saving the film is the action, like I said before, that is not spectacular but way too good for the film. Also Pierce Brosnan still does a good job as Bond, and Judi Dench keeps doing great as M.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Roger Spottiswoode

Country

UK

Cast

Pierce Brosnan, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Pryce, Teri Hatcher, Götz Otto, Ricky Jay, Joe Don Baker, Vincent Schiavelli, Judi Dench, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, Daphne Deckers, Geoffrey Palmer, Colin Salmon, Julian Fellowes, Cecilie Thomsen, Gerard Butler

Storyline

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) heads to stop megalomaniac media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) from provoking World War II.

Opinion

I never thought I would say this about a Bond flick, but why do people hate this film? I struggle to understand it, and I don't think the film deserves all the hate it has received. Sure, it may not be the best entry in the franchise, still "Tomorrow Never Dies" is a quite enjoyable entry packed with great action.

It must be said that the plot is a little bit obvious and predictable, and lacks of any major twists as the espionage appears to have been set aside permanently - from the very beginning we already know who the villain is and what his intentions are -, but like "GoldenEye" it deals with more modern topics. The film manages to provide food for thoughts regarding the enormous power mass media has, and their ability to influence basically everything.

Sure, the screenplay isn't particularly strong - some characters could have been developed a lot better to be honest, the villain is the classic Bond villain archetype - but the film moves at a smooth pace you almost don't even notice it.

As always Bond uses fantastic gadgets gently provided by Q, maybe there's a heavy use of them in this film, but I believe this is what the fans wanted. Anyway, the action, like I said before, is amazing, and hardly will disappoint a fan of the genre.

Pierce Brosnan is at the top of his game, smooth and funny as he returns and seems more confident as Bond. Jonathan Pryce give a nice performances as the over-the-top megalomaniac villain Carver, and even though his character isn't much intimidating he manages to stand out. Götz Otto also gives a fine performance as Carver's psychotic henchman.

GoldenEye (1995)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Martin Campbell

Country

UK

Cast

Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench, Gottfried John, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, Tchéky Karyo, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, Minnie Driver, Serena Gordon

Storyline

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) teams up with the lone survivor (Izabella Scorupco) of a destroyed Russian research center to stop the hijacking of a nuclear space weapon by a fellow agent (Sean Bean) formerly believed to be dead.

Opinion

After the 6 year long break - only a week for me - the producers needed to make a good film, the most famous spy ever is back with a new face, Pierce Brosnan', in "GoldenEye", a surprisingly good entry in the franchise.

The plot involves the Russians - why doesn't that surprise me? - but probably for the first time it doesn't have the Cold War to fuel the storyline, and allows the film to step into new territories, the post-Communist Russia after the dissolution of the USSR. The Cold War was over so it was essential to find new plot elements.

Of course it was essential to find a new enemy as well, and here comes Alec Trevelyan, a former MI6 agent who has sworn revenge on the country that was responsible for his parents' suicide, Great Britain.

Also the film has a more modern appearance: the unforgettable Aston Martin has been replaced by a beautiful BMW - I'm glad that happened because when talking cars, Germans do it better - and the role of M is for the first time given to a woman, brilliantly portrayed by Judi Dench.

Like most films, "GoldenEye" does have its downs. The film is considerably increased in action and adrenaline, and while most will enjoy this new feature, I didn't because the spy story kind of takes a back seat. And I have mixed feelings about the Bond girls. Natalya Semyonova is a pleasing and resourceful character, but Xenia Onatopp, the bad one, is quite annoying.

As for the acting, Pierce Brosnan portrays James Bond amazingly well; he's witty, charming and he looks freaking good in a suit, Sean Bean does a wonderful job as Alec Trevelyan, and he's probably one of the best villains in the series, Famke Janssen also does a good job as Xenia Onatopp, but Alan Cumming is irritating as he uses every nerdy cliché possible.

Licence to Kill (1989)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

John Glen

Country

UK

Cast

Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Anthony Zerbe, Frank McRae, Everett McGill, Wayne Newton, Benicio del Toro, Anthony Starke, Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Desmond Llewelyn, David Hedison, Priscilla Barnes, Robert Brown, Caroline Bliss, Don Stroud, Grand L. Bush, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Christopher Neame, Diana Lee Hsu

Storyline

James Bond (Timothy Dalton) goes rogue and sets off to unleash vengeance on a drug lord (Robert Davi) who tortured his best friend, C.I.A. agent Felix Leiter (David Hedison), and left him for dead and murdered his bride after he helped capture him.

Opinion

The second and final movie of the Timothy Dalton era, "License to Kill" is a serious and dark entry in the Bond franchise.

This film is radically different from nearly all the previous installments. The story is an original one, not from Ian Fleming's novel, and the revenge plot fits perfectly to the kind of James Bond Dalton played, and shows the spy at his merciless best.

Despite the film shows a different Bond that doesn't work for the British government anymore and pursues his personal vendetta, the film, at first, doesn't seem very different from previous entries. Maybe it's because of the spectacular underwater shots that we have seen over and over again. I don't know.

Anyway, what makes this film better is the transformation of the main character. Bond goes from being an impeccable agent, loyal to his superiors - even though in the previous film his obedience began to wobble - to being a human being that acts for personal purposes only.

Also Q finally has the screen time he deserves. He would usually appear at the beginning or later is the movie, just to give Bond his gadgets and send Bond off on a mission. But not this time. For once, he is part of the mission. And let me say it, he's just amazing.

Timothy Dalton may not be the best James Bond - he's my favourite though - but he really embodies and brings emotional depth to the character. On the other side of the coin we have a terrific Robert Davi - a very underrated actor - as drug lord Franz Sanchez. He's genuinely terrifying, and one of the best villains so far. Finally for the joy of men there are two Bond girls, both gorgeous, and for the ladies a young Benicio del Toro, who also happens to give an excellent performance.

The Living Daylights (1987)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

John Glen

Country

UK

Cast

Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo, Joe Don Baker, John Rhys-Davies, Art Malik, Jeroen Krabbé, Andreas Wisniewski, Thomas Wheatley, Robert Brown, Desmond Llewelyn, Geoffrey Keen, Caroline Bliss, John Terry, Walter Gotell, Virginia Hey, Julie T. Wallace, Nadim Sawalha

Storyline

James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is living on the edge to stop an evil arms dealer (Jeroen Krabbé) from starting another world war.

Opinion

For some mysterious reason I was looking forward to see Timothy Dalton's James Bond. I don't know why, I'm not even a fan of his, or anything. That day finally arrived, and it brought something new to the table. Besides Dalton.

I could say "The Living Daylights" is the rebirth of the franchise, and it's not an exaggeration to say that because this film is miles away from most of his predecessors starring Roger Moore. 

Like I mentioned before, there's finally something new, fresh in this film: the story. Finally, I don't know how long I've waited to say this, the film does not follow, step by step, the plot structure of previous movies. Actually it turns away from it, becoming less predictable, and therefore gives more power to the twist that in the past often didn't have any impact because of the predictability of the story.

Maybe this new James Bond falls in love too easily, he also shows a little too much sensitivity for the sweet Bond girl, and his obedience to his superiors begins to wobble a little, but overall the story is good. However, the villains are not that good, maybe because they are not given enough screen time.

Anyway, there is more action - this time it does not include the same sequences seen over and over again - but the plot isn't suffocated by it. Q's gadgets are back as well, from the spectacular Aston Martin everyone would like to have, to a special keychain.

Timothy Dalton does a very good job considering it's his first time as James Bond, and played the character wonderfully. He lacks that something that both Connery and Moore had but he makes up for that with a lot of sympathy.

A View to a Kill (1985)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

John Glen

Country

UK

Cast

Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Patrick Bauchau, David Yop, Willoughby Gray, Fiona Fullerton, Manning Redwood, Alison Doody, Robert Brown, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, Papillon Soo Soo, Daniel Benzali, Bogdan Kominowski, Dolph Lundgren, Jean Rougerie

Storyline

When Bond (Roger Moore) is sent to investigate a security leak at the high-tech Zorin Industries, he discovers a hotbed of murder and deception: the company's mysterious owner, Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) has devised a plan to corner the world microchip market, even if he has to kill millions to do it. It's up to Bond to stop Zorin. 

Opinion

Roger Moore's last outing as James Bond before passing the baton to Timothy Dalton, "A View to a Kill" is another forgettable entry in the franchise saved by Christopher Walken and Grace Jones.

The film presents us once again the same trite made of chases, action, and expected seductions, and here more than ever it is affected by the lack of something new. In fact, from the very beginning the film proves to be short on new ideas - we have seen the chase on skis in several films already -, and does not proceed in the best of the ways, with a story following the classical pattern - M entrusting Bond with a tough mission, Bond meeting the bad guy, Bond beginning to investigative, seducing some beautiful women in the process, and saving the world at the end.

The wit that usually accompanies James Bond is lacking as well as is the action, which is anything but evenly distributed: it is present at the beginning of the film, only to return in the final, leaving in the middle a central part a little bit too slow and boring for a spy movie.

Roger Moore is showing his age, making the relations with the ladies very awkward, and the stunts impossible. Also he shows that he is no longer capable of playing the part, giving one of his worst performances. He deserved a better ending. Tanya Roberts might be gorgeous, but her Bond girl character is awful, and doesn't do much other than screaming and whining. 

Fortunately there are the villains! Christopher Walken does a wonderful job as Max Zorin, an evil and psychotic man, he brings realism and menace to the character and displays all the depth of the character, which is the best villain in the series since Christopher Lee's Scaramanga in "The Man with the Golden Gun". Equally impressive is Grace Jones as Mayday, Zorin's lover, assassin and bodyguard. She manages to be beautiful and frightening at the same time, and plays probably the most unusual and one of the most memorable Bond girls ever.

Octopussy (1983)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

John Glen

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Kristina Wayborn, Kabir Bedi, Steven Berkoff, David Meyer, Desmond Llewelyn, Robert Brown, Lois Maxwell, Michaela Clavell, Walter Gotell, Vijay Amritraj

Storyline

A fake Fabergé egg and a fellow agent's death lead James Bond (Roger Moore) to uncover an international jewel-smuggling operation, headed by the mysterious Octopussy (Maud Adams), being used to disguise a nuclear attack on N.A.T.O. forces.

Opinion

In his 13th time around, James Bond finds himself in an Indiana Jones-type of adventure and makes me wonder what's up with him and Harrison Ford, and makes me think 13 is not his lucky number since "Octopussy" is easily one of the weaker entries in the franchise.

The story is slower than others, it is not the easiest to follow, you also might get lost a lot of times in the boring process to get to the end, but... wait, there is no but. The Russian/nuclear storyline is overdone - and overused -, the main Bond girl - the one of the title - does not appear until an hour into the film, and serves little purpose in the story.

I was disappointed about Maud Adams's early death in "The Man with the Golden Gun", and I was excited to have her back in here, but it just proves the filmmakers' inability to come up with new twists, including casting different people.

I know what you're thinking, nobody watches a Bond film for a solid story, all they want is action, action and, guess what? Action! Well, the jet escape at the beginning is amazing, but it's so unrealistic - like all the other action sequences - that seems coming straight out of a comic book.

Sure the photography on location in India and Eastern Europe is wonderful, the women are beautiful, and Kamaal Khan is some villain, but I'm not sure this is enough to make a good film.

Roger Moore is starting to show his age, but he does a quite good job as James Bond, still charming and capable to seduce women. Maud Adams once again is pretty much wasted, which is a real shame since she is the title character. Louis Jourdan is great as Kamaal Khan and brings class and charm to the role, but he is not very convincing as an Afghan prince, maybe because he is French and nothing like Afghan. I love Kabir Bedi and I'm glad to say his Gobinda, the henchman, is quite memorable.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

John Glen

Country

UK

Cast

Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Julian Glover, Chaim Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Michael Gothard, Cassandra Harris, John Wyman, Desmond Llewelyn, Jill Bennett, Jack Hedley, Lois Maxwell, Geoffrey Keen, James Villiers, John Moreno, Walter Gotell, Toby Robins, Jack Klaff, Stefan Kalipha, Charles Dance, Janet Brown, John Hollis, Bob Simmons

Storyline

This time James Bond (Roger Moore) is sent to recover a communication device, known as an ATAC, which went down with a British Spy ship as it sunk. He must hurry though, as the Russians are also out for this device.

Opinion

After the 1979 Star Wars wanna-be "Moonraker", Albert Broccoli and the other producers went back to Ian Fleming's James Bond with "For Your Eyes Only", a quite enjoyable and down to Earth entry in the franchise.

By far the best in Roger Moore's era, the story is grounded, very interesting, more believable and goes back to basics, actually involving some spying, and leaves gadgets behind. It isn't much complex and this allows the film to focus on some realistic and human characters, among which the beautiful Melina Havelock stands out as one of the few Bond girls with some real personality. 

The main topic of the film is revenge: while James Bond finally get the chance to revenge on Blofeld for the assassination of his first and only wife Tracy, Melina wants to avenge the murderer of her parents. 

The villains, Aristotle Kristatos and Emile Locque, are way more realistic than previous James Bond villains, but unfortunately they are not very threatening, but quite forgettable. Also Bibi Dahl is quite annoying and rather pointless as she has no place in the film.

The action is also more down to Earth, and the locations in Greece and Italy are absolutely gorgeous. The theme song by Sheena Easton is also quite enjoyable.

Roger Moore really nails the character after one awful performance, Carole Bouquet is fine as the main female lead - and it's a real shame that she had to be dubbed -, and Julian Glover excellently plays Kristatos, despite the character's flaws.

Moonraker (1979)

Genre

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Country

UK | France | USA

Cast

Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Toshiro Suga, Richard Kiel, Corinne Cléry, Bernard Lee, Geoffrey Keen, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Emily Bolton, Michael Marshall, Walter Gotell, Blanche Ravalec

Storyline

A spaceship is mysteriously hijacked and James Bond (Roger Moore) must work quickly to find out who is behind it all.

Opinion

"Wonderful girl. Either I'm going to kill her or I'm beginning to like her." I know, James Bond didn't say it, it was Han Solo. But I don't see the point of not quoting Han Solo since this 007 flick tries so hard to be Star Wars. And that's a huge problem. 

Given the outcome of "The Spy Who Loved Me", I was expecting a lot more from this because of the same director, and the same (in part) cast. Unfortunately, "Moonraker" is a huge misfire, and while James Bond reaches space following the Star Wars trend, the series crashes into an asteroid.

The plot is so dumb and nonsense the only thought of it makes my head hurt. Once again James Bond must save the world, but this time, like I've already said a million of times, it happens in space. And it is as bad as it sounds. This Drax wants to destroy life on Earth and breed a generation of perfect people in a space station under his rule, and in order to do that, he builds his own spaceship to go into outer space to hijack a spaceship. Does it make any sense to you?

If there's something this film is good at is killing suspense. I mean, what a better way to do it than showing from the start who the mastermind behind this evil plan is? Luckily the intimidating henchman Jaws returns, but the plot developments pretty much destroy the character.

The action sequences are laughable re-workings of previous films and they often portray more violence than necessary. Also the humour isn't neither pulled off, the characters are as thin as paper, and the sets are taken straight out of Star Trek. 

Roger Moore seems lost, probably because the plot has confused him too, and he is just not there. Michael Lonsdale is bland and a completely menace-free villain, but at least Richard Kiel does a quite good job as Jaws. Bernard Lee is given a bit more for his last time around, but he deserved a better film.

I guess the main drive behind the film was to earn money and popularity in the same way "Star War: A New Hope" did two years earlier. It just didn't pay off.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Lewis Gilbert

Country

UK

Cast

Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro, Walter Gotell, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Geoffrey Keen, Milton Reid, Robert Brown, George Baker

Storyline

As a Royal Navy Polaris submarine equipped with sixteen nuclear warheads disappears, James Bond (Roger Moore) joins KGB Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) and takes on a web-handed mastermind, Karl Stromberg (Curd Jürgens).

Opinion

After "Live and Let Die" and the disappointing "The Man with the Golden Gun", Rogen Moore's Bond is back in action, literally, in "The Spy Who Loved Me", arguably the best entry in the Moore era.

Well written and quite convincing, the story is much improved compared to the previous film, and it's excellent not only because of Stromberg's evil plot against the world, but because it had a pleasant side-plot about Bond's relationship with Major Anya Amasova. Sure, it is far from being realistic - the villain wants to repopulate the Earth in his underwater city - and self-parodic, but the package has enough charm to make it pretty enjoyable.

Unlike its predecessor, "The Spy Who Loved Me" also has great characters. While Karl Stromberg is pretty much a clichéd character/villain, Jaws is quite the henchman, probably the best we will ever get to see in the franchise.

The settings, among which stands out Egypt, one of the most beautiful places on earth, are absolutely stunning and nicely photographed.

Marvin Hamlisch provides the score instead of John Barry, and even though it is quite lovely, it does sound dated when listened to nowadays.

One of the highlights of the film is Roger Moore's performance. He finally looks confident as James Bond, and finally owns the character. Barbara Bach is gorgeous as Bond Girl XXX, but acting is not her strong suit. As for the villains, Curd Jürgens gives a terrific performance as the insane Stromberg and Richard Kiel steals the show because of his menacing and fearsome character, Jaws.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Guy Hamilton

Country

UK | USA

Cast

Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, Richard Loo, Soon-Tek Oh, Clifton James, Bernard Lee, Marc Lawrence, Desmond Llewelyn, Marne Maitland, Lois Maxwell, James Cossins, Carmen du Sautoy

Storyline

When a golden bullet with 007 engraved on it arrives at the headquarters of British intelligence, the British believe that James Bond (Roger Moore) is the next target for international hitman Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). Bond's assignment is to kill Scaramanga before he kills Bond.

Opinion

After the fine "Live and Let Die", Roger Moore is back in action easily at his worst but the script is to be blamed. Infact, "The Man with the Golden Gun" suffers from an uninteresting story, a lack of gadgets and actual fights, and a villain that overshadows Bond.

The script is so weak it could have won the Oscar this year. It's filled with useless moments, and repeated scenes because believed to be funny. The re-introduction of Sheriff JW Pepper is quite funny here, but it's just too improbable, and has no reason. Like I just said, a desperate attempt to repeat a joke.

Then there are the Bond girls. How could Maud Adams not be the lead in the film? How? Right when there is a Bond girl that shows more depth than they usually do, the character is (predictably) killed off. Too soon. The other one, Goodnight, is a British agent and arguably one of the most clumsy and stupid women in the Bond franchise (so far).

The villain, Francisco Scaramanga, isn't much threatening - the way it is written is to be blamed -, but overshadows Bond, and Nick Nack, Scaramanga's helper, is some sort of minion version of Goldfinger's Oddjob. Does anyone know what originality is?

The theme song, Lulu's "The Man with the Golden Gun", is catchy but nothing more. An awful attempt to turn the title into a song.

Roger Moore is so serious at times, it almost seems like he's trying to play Sean Connery's James Bond. When he is not busy being serious, he smiles. A lot. Christopher Lee easily steals the show as Francisco Scaramanga. The villain may not be the greatest ever but Lee brings a very sinister screen presence, and will probably have you rooting for him. Maud Adams does a fine job but she's killed off too soon, and Britt Ekland is beautiful but unattractive and her acting is just poor.

Live and Let Die (1973)

Genre

Action | Thriller

Director

Guy Hamilton

Country

UK

Cast

Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, Julius Harris, David Hedison, Gloria Hendry, Clifton James, Geoffrey Holder, Bernard Lee, Roy Stewart, Earl Jolly Brown, Lois Maxwell, Tommy Lane, Madeline Smith

Storyline

James Bond (Roger Moore) is sent to New York to investigate the mysterious deaths of several British agents. He soon senses that there is a drugs link between the notorious Mr. Big, and Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto), the secretive owner of a small Caribbean island.

Opinion

After "Diamonds Are Forever" Sean Connery finally left the role of James Bond, the producers once again had the task of looking for a new James Bond and they went with Roger Moore. I'm sorry to tell ya, but he is not as bad as people say, nor is the film.

It may not be the strongest entry in the series by any means - original song excluded though -, but "Live and Let Die" manages to be both captivating and exciting. What else could you ask to a Bond flick?

The film can be basically divided into two parts. A more comical first part that seems aiming to make fun of the franchise with many references to previous entries - the fake funeral, the snake instead of the tarantula, Bond's adventures in the bar, and more. In the second part action takes over, just think of the long and spectacular boat chase and the crazy sheriff trying to capture Bond. 

However, the film is not flawless. The spy-story and thriller kind of become a noir that is not that bad after all, but the story becomes more and more surreal, and the death of the villain - don't worry, he isn't Blofeld - says a lot about the cartoonish turn the series is taking.

The theme song is spectacular though. Probably the best in the whole franchise. Former Beatles member Paul McCartney and Wings "Live and Let Die" is exciting and iconic at the same time, and it's played both in opening and closing credits. This beautiful rock song perfectly blends with George Martin's musical score.

Like I said before, this is Roger Moore's debut as James Bond, and he is not that bad. He actually does a great job, and his Bond is very different to Connery and Lazenby. He is more chilled and charming and humorous. I'm sure all the hate comes from Connery's fanboys. Yaphet Kotto makes a good villain, and Jane Seymour does a fine job as Solitaire.