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1999 and the world was getting prepared for the advent of the new millenium. With issues such as peak oil and terrorism starting come to the forefront of the publics mind, the new millenium would prove to provide an uncertain future.

After the assassination of oil magnate Robert King within the walls of Vauxhall Cross, the MI6 headquarters, Bond is assigned to protect heiress Elektra King from insidious forces that want her out of the picture, but is she all that she seems?

Pierce Brosnan is probably at his most badass in this offering. His Bond is more akin to Dalton than Moore here and it was a good move.  Although still prone to spout off a cheesy pun here and there, the scenes where he acts serious and threatening are among his best work in his Bond tenure. Particularly the scene where he confronts Elektra at the top of the Maiden's Tower. However he seems to forget how threatening he can be during a scene where he bursts into the bridge of a nuclear submarine, ordering the terrorists around like an amateur bank robber.

1997 and Britain is undergoing the backend of the 'Cool Britannia' movement of the mid 90's generated by the music scene with bands such as Oasis, Blur and Pulp driving forward British culture. A new Bond film wouldn't hurt (but the less said about the recently elected New Labour government, the better). This was also the first film to be made without any help from long term producer Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli, who had sadly died the year before.

After the sinking of a British naval frigate in assumed international waters, Bond is sent to investigate reports of GPS tampering by a media baron in a bid to stop a war between Great Britain and China.

Pierce Brosnan does look a bit more Bondian in this entry, he had put on a bit more weight and had gotten rid of the 90's hairstyle, however he is on maximum smarm here, as if he's just coasting through the film (and judging from the alleged fallout he had on set over the casting of Teri Hatcher, I could believe he was). The Brosnan pain face is also near it's maximum hilarity in this entry too, particularly when Bond is being strangled by a terrorist in a jet fighter's cockpit.

Martial arts mistress Michelle Yeoh however is bloody brilliant to watch as Chinese agent Wai Lin. She shows herself as capable and resourceful and can actually function without Bond. Yeoh gives it her all in this, and although she is a fairly poor actor, any scenes with lots of chop-socky action is a joy to watch. The 'Hee-yah's' as she jumped through the air John Woo style and as she was shooting an engine control computer were unnecessary however.

After 6 years of legal wrangling, a lot had changed in the world. The Soviet Union was no more, Communism had collapsed all over Eastern Europe and a new James Bond had been cast. But would this help prove that Bond was still relevant in the post Cold War years?

A Soviet space weapon has been stolen by a Russian criminal syndicate and it is up to James Bond to help find out who stole it and why, but when it turns out a former colleague is behind it, what will Bond do?

Pierce Brosnan seems a bit shaky in his first outing as 007, like he's not quite sure how he wants to play the character, does he want to be Dalton style threatening, or Moore style charm. This mix does tend to lead to the Brosnan style smarm which puncuated his style in the end. However when he does hit the right notes, he is actually pretty good.

Izabella Scorupco is believable as Russian computer programmer Natalya Simonova, scaling back the glam in favour of a more dowdy look, which suits the character lots, playing her as the 'cute geek girl' archetype. Although she's pathetic during physical confrontations and naggy during dialogue, her expertise in computers makes her quite possibly the most helpful Bond girl of the franchise.

After the rash of successful action films that helped define the 80's movie scene, the Bond producers decided to get in on the action a bit with an entry that was clearly influenced by the likes of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard. This was also the first Bond film to not be based on a Bond novel, and to have a mostly original script.

After best friend Felix Leiter is attacked on his wedding day, his new bride being murdered too. Bond swears revenge on brutal drug dealer Franz Sanchez.

Timothy Dalton really suits the tone of this film, but I would expect that in the film that was written especially for him. He really plays Bond hard and merciless in the film, which leads to a more menacing Bond. However it seems that he really didn't know what accent to go with, leading to some bizarre moments when he has a near Merseyside accent (You arrived just in time! Things wer abowt t' turn nasssteh!). It isn't hard to see why a lot of people didn't like this portrayal, but I find it more realistic, as I would imagine someone swearing revenge after an attack on their best friend.

Carey Lowell plays ex-Army pilot and CIA drug informant Pam Bouvier like a jealous teenager, all she does is pout, whinge about Bond, whinge to Bond, scowl and mock Lupe Lamora (Sanchez's mistress, played woodenly by Talisa Soto) who is not much better, coming across as a slapper who doesn't learn her lessons (yes Sanchez is a complete bastard, but after he cut out a guy you shagged's heart, then whipped you with a manta ray's tail you're more than likely not going to go flirting with another random guy very soon!) 

Sanchez, played by Robert Davi, is perfect. Right from the get go you believe he is a man who prides loyalty above all else and will ruthlessly punish anyone who crosses him. The gullibility of the character also lets Bond be a bit more Machiavellian as he takes down his organisation by bringing each member's loyalty in to question. However, the show is stolen by a young Benicio Del Toro, who is Dario, Sanchez's lead henchman, and more than likely surrogate son. He is probably the most creepy and menacing henchman so far, with his smirk, his glee at causing suffering and the reassurance that he sent Leiter's wife on 'a nice honeymooooooon!'

Of all the things that could be made into a film, why did they make a feature length version of the exploits of Agent John Steed and Mrs. Peel? The show was popular in the 60's sure, but was there a need for this crap 30 years later? Oh wait I'm a dozy Brit, I'm confusing the latest superhero blockbuster for the 1998 crapfest with Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman! Herp de derp!

Seriously Hollywood? You think that the British audience is so thick that they'd be confused about which Avengers are which? You actually think that the average British person who'd see Avengers (Assemble) would remember, or in fact, had even seen The Avengers TV show? But enough about the title, it's a very small part of the film.

After the theft of the cosmic cube from a supposedly secure S.H.I.E.L.D base by Norse demi God Loki, a team of superheroes are brought together to fight against global catastrophe.

Out of the whole cast, only 3 1/2 people are actually worth watching. They are Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man (duh!), Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Chris Evans' (no not the specky little ginger twat who married Billie Piper!)  Captain America (only sometimes) and The Hulk (when he actually fucking appears!) Scarlett Johansson only supplies arse shots, a wooden princess perfomance rather than a nails assassin one and the entire male teen audience and Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is just a douche. Plain and simple. I also find it hard to believe that with all the returning cast members, the makers couldn't have gotten Edward Norton back as Bruce Banner, instead getting Mark Ruffalo to do it (while being nowhere near as good as Norton's performance) The villain Loki, hammed up by Tom Hiddleston is OK, but is not in the film nearly enough. 

The Living Daylights was actually the very first Bond film I watched as a child, I loved it back then and the film pretty much shaped my perception and expectations of a Bond film. But now I'm bigger, older and uglier, does the film stand up?

James Bond is assigned to protect a defecting Russian general in Czechoslovakia and get him through the Iron Curtain. On this mission, he encounters a beautiful assassin, but is she really all that she seems?

Timothy Dalton takes over from Roger Moore here and after the pure goofiness of Moore, he is a breath of fresh air. The majority of people tend to criticise Dalton's more serious portrayal (he's arguably the most dour of the Bonds) but I think he's underrated, sure he doesn't convince on the more humorous lines, choosing rather to snarl them or add a bit of snark to it, but he is bloody brilliant during any scenes where he has to be threatening, this is particularly evident when Bond interrogates the head of the KGB, General Pushkin. He also shares a lot of chemistry with Thomas Wheatley, who plays MI6 agent and magnificent bastard Saunders, their almost antagonistic relationship is interesting to watch, especially as they grow quite close over the mission, only for Saunders to be brutally killed.

Maryam D'Abo is brilliantly cast as the naive, sweet cellist Kara Milovy, although nowhere near the most glamorous Bond girl, she adds some vulnerability to the part as she finds out that her boyfriend, Koskov betrayed her and essentially tried to have her killed. She does come across as very needy at times though, always whinging at Bond when he puts himself in danger. Her slightly ditzy nature also leads to the most subtle joke in the franchise, where she doesn't understand when Bond signals her to drive a jeep into the back of a moving cargo plane, to which Bond gives the most realistic reaction to this ever.

Jeroen Krabbe as defecting General Georgi Koskov is weak. Quite possibly the lamest, most forgettable villain so far, he toadies, he lies, he's a scumbag and has absoloutely nothing going for him as a villain. Joe Don Baker's American arms dealer Brad Whitaker is not much better, brash, arrogant and also completely forgettable. Good thing that Andreas Wisniewski's Necros is a fantastic, threatening villain. Whichever scene he's in leads to a very menacing atmosphere, the man was so good that he had his own theme in the movie! It's just a shame that he didn't get more scenes.

1985 and the Information Revolution was starting to kick off, entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were just starting out on home computers, promising a bright future for humanity, built on tiny microchips.

James Bond must investigate the activities of businessman Max Zorin after it is found he made an EMP-proof microchip that matches British specification for the Soviets, however on the way, he uncovers a darstardly plot to corner the world's supply by flooding Silicon Valley.

Roger Moore once again looks waaaay too old to be Britain's greatest spy, and in this outing, crazy eyed. It is embarassing watching him snowboard (to the tune of California Girls by the Beach Boys no less!) away from pursuers in Siberia, then seduce a very young submarine pilot who could be his grand-daughter. The repeating 'anguished cry' that is played no less than 5 times in this film doesn't help and is almost as ridiculous as Pierce Brosnan's 'pain face'. I know Roger Moore loved playing James Bond, but there is a limit Rog. There's not enough charm in the world to save his performance in the final entry to the 'Grandpa Bond trilogy'

Tanya Roberts is ghastly as Stacy Sutton, her voice is annoying and she's pathetic to the point of wanting to slap her. A particularly annoying scene is where she and Bond are trapped in a burning elevator, and Sutton does nothing but scream and shout 'James! Don't leave me!' Even Moore is thinking about letting her cook, and he bloody well should have!

Christopher Walken however, is entertaining as always playing cackling psychopath Max Zorin. Played with typical Walken-ness, the man is a hoot to watch and I wish that he was in the film more. You can tell Walken had a lot of fun playing Zorin, his giggling is infectious, even when gunning down innocent miners! Hell even Scarpine, his head of security gets in on the act by the end of the film, proclaiming 'Up, up and away!' during a blimp escape, then cackling maniacally. Definitely one of the more memorable and fun villains, but we all know which villian is remembered in this film.

1983 rolled around and the world was at it's closest point to nuclear war with Soviet leadership changing every month it seemed and the training mission Able Archer across Western Europe ramping up East-West tensions. Thank God for Bond!

After Agent 009 turns up at the British Embassy in East Berlin dead with a fake Fabergé Egg, 007 is sent to investigate why 009 was killed, encountering the mysterious smuggler Octopussy on the way.

Roger Moore really looked too old to be Bond at this point. The producers should have put their foot down after For Your Eyes Only and told Roger to leave with dignity, although Moore was excellent in this outing, spewing one liner after one liner and bringing his own brand of intensity when needed, I just can't take him seriously. The 'Grandpa Bond' trilogy continued...

Maud Adams however gives in a brilliant turn as the titular Octopussy, being a bit older than the typical Bond girl, she brings a lot of flair to the role and I can believe her as a jewel smuggler, her chemistry with Roger Moore is among the best I've seen in the series. Certainly one for the ages.

Although French actor Louis Jourdan is extremely charming and in places very threatening as Kamal Khan, his French accent spoils the illusion of him being an Afghan prince, he does get some excellent one-liners though, but he's still not as entertaining as Hugo Drax was in Moonraker. His Sikh henchman Gobinda, played by Kabi Bedi, is a classic though, getting the funniest line in the movie after Khan tells him to go outside a mid-air plane to fight Bond. ('Out there?' with genuine fear!) best villain is still England's favourite ham, Steven Berkoff as the bat-shit insane General Orlov, who only wants to conquer Europe.

1981 and Britain was in the midst of it's first woman Prime Minister, as well as riots the scale of which has not been seen in this country again, hopefully this Bond movie would provide ample distraction for the angry mob...

Bond is sent around the Mediterranean in order to find out what caused the British spy ship the St. Georges to sink off the coast of Albania, and to recover the ATAC module, which if in the wrong hands, could render the Polaris subs useless.

Roger Moore is at his post-TSWLM best here, he does still look old, but in this film it kind of suits it. Even though this film is the start of what I'd call 'the Grandpa Bond trilogy' I can still believe him as a spy, however there are a few indignities in the script though, such as 15 year old skating protégée Bibi Dahl forcing herself onto Bond, much to his (and the audience's) embarrassment, and the scene where Bond is menaced by Ice Hockey playing thugs does start to look like a scene from the streets of Moss Side with a group of younger hoodlums duffing over an old man for his pension. 

Caroline Bouquet is competent as Melina Havelock, and her motivation is believable, her mission to find out who killed her parents runs parallel with Bond's and her crossbow dispensed mayhem is a brilliant juxtaposition against Bond, who'd rather keep things subtle as his mission could potentially tip the Cold War scales of balance. I also like Bond's mentor-ish relationship with her, rather than banging her like he would in most films, he respects Melina and rather dispenses advice on the futility of revenge.

Julian Glover is rather forgettable as Aris Kristatos, he doesn't do much besides lead Bond on a bit of a wild goose chase in order to get rid of his main rival Columbo (who is played by Topol with a very Kerim Bey feeling about him). Kristatos is certainly one of the lower key villains.

1979 rolled around and after the massive success of 1977's 'Star Wars' the producers decided to go for this space themed romp rather than the previously promised 'For Your Eyes Only'. Would be a case of Star Awes or Star Bores?

After the apparent mid-air hijacking of a space shuttle Bond must investigate the shady corporate head Hugo Drax to determine if he stole his own shuttle, and if so, why?

Roger Moore is starting to look a bit long in the tooth in this outing. This is especially evident (and hilarious) during a scene where Bond is trapped in a spinning centrifuge and his skin starts billowing like a piece of cloth in a gale. However I still cannot fault his charming persona, his witticisms sometimes fall a bit flat or seem quite forced sometimes, but Rog is always fun to watch. 

Lois Chiles is very wooden as trained astronaut Dr. Holly Goodhead, her Daria-esque monotone does grate slightly and the character just feels like a forced 'strong female' archetype, nothing like the complex and interesting Agent XXX in The Spy Who Loved me. But I will praise her for taking Roger's slightly sexist jibes at the beginning of the film like a good sport. Plus her fighting scenes are actually quite convincing.

Michael Lonsdale is the real show stealer as villain Hugo Drax, he has cemented his place in the quotable villain hall of fame with his hilarious turn. The fact Drax is forever po-faced and stoic just makes his lines funnier. He is also the first (and so far only) villain who admits that he plans these exotic deaths for Bond sheerly for the lulz. ('You defy my attempts to plan an amusing death for you Mr. Bond') Richard Kiel also makes a return appearance as lumbering metal mouth Jaws  and sadly the character becomes an even bigger caricature of himself. The very silly sub-plot about Jaws falling in love with a 5 foot blonde girl doesn't exactly make Jaws as threatening as he should be. However I will say that Jaws' turn to the good guys side is the most realistic, with Bond making Jaws realise that Drax would dispose of him and his girlfriend once his plan was successful as they are not 'physically superior' which is a legitimate reason rather than relying on Bond's magic cock (thank God that wasn't invoked!)

After the poor critical reception of The Man With The Golden Gun and with the fact this was the 10th James Bond film, the producers really needed to pull their fingers out to once again prove that Bond still has cultural pull, this was also Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli's first solo producing venture in the James Bond franchise.

Two submarines, one British and one Russian, both with nuclear payloads, have disappeared. Bond must team up with the stunning Agent XXX (not Vin Diesel!) of the KGB and find out what happened to them.

Roger Moore is firing on all charm cylinders in this outing, his Bond very nearly rivals Connery's portrayal in Thunderball as it's clear he's settled right into the role and is having a lot of fun doing it. He's witty when it calls for it, badarse when needed and a complete gentlemen, who knows that Queen and country comes first. 

Barbara Bach is excellent as Major Anya Amasova aka Agent XXX, and makes up for the travesty that was Mary Goodnight. She proves herself capable in many scenarios and gives Bond a run for his money in the espionage stakes. Barbara Bach's acting skills are also top-notch, the scene where she realises that Bond had killed her lover during a previous mission is pure acting gold, and also adds another layer to Bond's occupation, what about the friends and relatives of the many nameless henchmen he kills (yes I know Austin Powers did it too, but this was first!)

Curt Jurgens is fantastic as malevolent, webbed fingered shipping magnate Karl Stromberg, he's ruthless, cold and utterly mad, killing off his assistant by feeding her to sharks and blowing up the two scientists that helped make his (rather silly) plot a possibility. However the villain everyone remembers from this is Richard Kiel's Jaws. The lumbering, bumbling, metal toothed henchman. This guy reads like a horror villain, he's seemingly invincible, 7ft tall, able to bite through metal bars, appears when you least expect it and most of all, he does not stop. However this proto-Terminator is played more for laughs as a comic relief henchman rather than the very scary villain he could have been.

1974 was a turbulent time for world politics, Richard Nixon resigned from office after he was implicated in the Watergate Scandal, energy crises loomed for the West, plus the Cold War raged on, with the Sino-Soviet split happening recently. Good thing James Bond came along to help the public forget about some of the international communities troubles.

Legendary assassin Francisco Scaramanga has apparently put Bond at the top of his hit list, but what does this have to do with a missing scientist and his latest invention, which makes efficient solar power within the world's grasp?

Roger Moore puts in a more intense performance at the beginning of this film, which creates some cracking scenes such as the one where he interrogates Scaramanga's mistress, however about halfway through the film, he seems to forget about this and instead eases into his James Bond groove, a more light hearted, cheeky portrayal. This is very jarring for me, as I thought the intense Moore Bond was a refreshing change and could have made this film better. 

Britt Ekland sets back the women's rights movement by about 20 years with her performance as Mary Goodnight, a ditzy, bumbling blonde British agent who does little more than impede Bond's progress, get kidnapped, pull a lot of faces and skimp around in a bikini, whilst nearly killing Bond with a laser (after pushing a button with her arse no less) and destroying a massive solar power station that could have been an example to the world. Even Bond seems to get extremely pissed off with her.

Hammer Horror legend and Dracula Christopher Lee is the enigmatic, three nippled, Scaramanga and is completely wasted in this film. He is the very definition of 'Bond's opposite', he's charming, he's cultured, he's a great shot, he even worked for a governmental agency at one point. However his plot is unclear at times and he's not as well utilised as he could have been, his duel with Bond at the end is genuinely tension filled.

1973 and a new Bond was needed. Sean Connery had left (again) and after the critical mauling of Diamonds Are Forever, Bond seriously needed to prove his place in the 70's seriously. With the success of the 'blaxploitation' genre and films such as 'Shaft' and 'Super Fly' the producers decided to take those as examples. Former Saint Roger Moore was also cast as Bond, would he help revitalise the franchise?

After the deaths of three British agents in the UN, New Orleans and the Carribbean island of San Monique, Bond must investigate the link between tinpot despot Dr. Kananga and crime kingpin Mr. Big.

Eyebrow raising master Roger Moore does very well on his first assignment as James Bond, making the character his own rather than being a Connery-lite, like Lazenby seemed to be. His portrayal paints Bond in a more cheeky light, with countless puns and a more light hearted approach to scenes, although he is less believable during fight scenes, his witticisms and charm more than makes up for it. I also really don't think Connery's Bond would have gotten away with the scene where Bond hides a missing Italian agent he has bedded from his boss M. Moore can also turn on the badassery when needed, such as during the scene with Rosie Carver and the scarecrows.

Jane Seymour makes her film debut here as the mystical high priestess, and kept woman of Dr. Kananga, Solitaire, although Seymour does show flashes of acting talent here and there, her performance is ultimately very wooden and stilted. Her general simpering and patheticness doesn't really endear me to her, but the shtick of her being able to read the future through tarot cards while remaining virginal is very interesting.

Yaphet Kotto is a bit disappointing as Dr. Kananga, like he's not too sure how he wants to play him for most of the film he's a calm diplomat with flashes of rage, but in the final scene he turns into the typical cackling villain with outlandish death plans for Bond (also I think the final scene deserves an award for most ludicrous death. Kananga's scene where he dies is more hilarious than gruesome!) However Kotto does deserve praise for the short appearance as Mr. Big, so far the only villain to disarm Bond during his introduction (Names is for tombstones, baby!) The villainous stakes are once again carried by the henchman. Julius Harris's metal clawed Tee Hee is suitably menacing, particularly when threatening Bond's 'more vital areas' but the most memorable is Geoffrey Holder as immortal voodoo legend Baron Samedi. His laugh on the train at the end still gives me chills! 

The year is 1971, the Bond franchise is in crisis, George Lazenby left after just one film and the producers were struggling to find a replacement. The 60's were over and many feared that Bond didn't have a place in the new decade. Only one man can play Bond now, and he'll do it for a reported $1 million! That man is Sean Connery.

Bond must smash an international diamond smuggling ring, but is there more to this case than meets the eye? SPECTRE Kingpin Ernst Stavro Blofeld may know what's going on...

Oh Sean why did you do this you greedy sod? You're embarrassing yourself and you know it, the beer belly is noticeable, your hair is thinning, you look like my Granddad and your puns and one liners are so cheesy even the Vegas acts that appear in this film are blushing! Seriously, I thought You Only Live Twice was bad enough, but this is just humiliating to your legacy! I mean, doing terrible accents, being battered by two female gymnasts? Killing Bond's arch-nemesis by ramming his escape sub into a building? What part of the script dragged you in?

Jill St. John isn't much better as love interest Tiffany Case. Brash, loud and unbelievably stupid to boot, she is the most annoying Bond girl so far, telling small lads to 'Blow up your pants' is not endearing, and I don't care if she just farts around in a small outfit at the end, her knocking herself off the end of an oil rig while firing a machine gun is unacceptable!

Blofeld is also an insult to the mythos. Charles Grey (the butler from The Rocky Horror Picture Show) isn't even bald! All he does is smirk and camps up the whole character! I know Telly Savalas' Blofeld tried to get it on with Miss Peel but have some bloody dignity man! He even has a scene in drag! But of course he still isn't as flaming as the original ambiguously (even though it's bloody obvious and verging on homophobic!) gay duo, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, here played by Bruce Glover and Putter Smith respectively. At least they're slightly creepy, what with the finishing each others sentences and their always smirking nature.

Sean Connery had left the James Bond role two years before and now it was time to bring in a new Bond, there was a national media frenzy on who would play the world famous super spy, would the actor be famous or unknown? Will this Bond measure up to Connery? Is the franchise doomed? In the end the producers went with an unknown Australian male model by the name of George Lazenby.

In this instalment, Blofeld has held the world to ransom, unless a full pardon of all his crimes is issued by the UN, he will release a deadly bacteria across the world via 'Angels of Death' that will cause the systematic extinction of all cereal and livestock species across the globe.

George 'Must sack my agent' Lazenby is no Connery. I shall get that out the way now. But he is a damn fine Bond nonetheless. Granted his acting ability is very limited but his action scenes are among the best in the franchise. Every punch is delivered with conviction and Lazenby did establish himself as one of the hard hitter Bonds even before he was cast, seeing as he broke an extra's nose during his screen test! (That extra was immediately offered a role in the film as Gunther the Henchman) I will give Lazenby's acting one thing though, the final scene after the new Mrs. Bond is killed is very well acted, I doubt any of the other actors would have been able to pull off crying as convincingly as Laz did. This is probably because of the obvious chemistry he and 60's sex symbol and original Mrs. Peel from 'The Avengers' Diana Rigg shared.

This leads me to the character of Tracy Di Vincenzo, daughter of Cosican mob don Marc Ange Draco and altogether troubled damsel. Played with gusto by Rigg, Tracy is probably as close to Bond's equal as we'll ever get, she drives fantastically, she has disarming quips for every occasion and she can even hold off a man built twice her size with just a broken wine bottle, some 60's style decor and a conveniently placed nail bed. She is easily the best part of this film and this makes her final scene just so much sadder. 

Gabriele Ferzetti is an absolute joy to watch as mobster Draco, his scenes are always fun to watch, even if they do give off a slight 'Meet The Parents' vibe. Again his chemistry with Laz is undoubted, they are like long term father and son in laws, his short scene with Bernard Lee's M where they discuss how M partially foiled a previous heist is hilarious!

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1967 marked the fifth James Bond film and was supposed to be Sean Connery's last, this is mostly due to a fall out between Connery and EON regarding Connery's fears of being typecasted. It also marked the end of the period known as 'Bondmania'.

A strange craft has been swallowing up Soviet and American spacecraft while in orbit, and it is up to Bond to find out who is doing this and why before World War III is triggered.

Connery just doesn't have that magic aura around him this time, instead looking rather bored in every scene, particularly during the action packed Little Nellie scene, he never seems to crack a smile at all throughout this film unlike in previous instalments. However Tetsuro Tanba is a lot of fun (if a bit stereotypical) as Japanese Secret Service head Tiger Tanaka. Akiko Wakayabashi is great value as the tragic Aki who has probably one of the tensest death scenes in the movie and ideally should have remained the major Bond girl, instead Bond is soon paired with the bland Kissy Suzuki (who is never named in the whole film as such)  played by Mie Hama. She doesn't do much besides run around in a bikini in the last third.

This is the first film where we see the actual face of Bond's nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, here played by horror legend Donald Pleasance. This incarnation of Blofeld set the bar for the evil mastermind's apperance, bald, scarred and an underlying sense of menace. The scene where he feeds Helga Brandt to his piranhas for failing him shows just how ruthless he is and the fact he remains fairly calm all throughout the climax just adds to the creepiness of the character.

The music is once again gorgeously arranged by John Barry, who excels himself with a score that blends Western Instruments with Eastern rhythms. The title song by Nancy Sinatra is also one of the most memorable and still gets regular airplay on BBC Radio 2. The lush sets by Ken Adam are also among his best, particularly the hollowed out volcano lair (bet you said it like Dr. Evil!) and Tokyo looks amazing in it's neon glory.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK: A REVIEW

The star of the film is young Daniel Radcliffe. He plays a man named Arthur Kipps. He heads to a village where fear has a tight grip. The owner of the house holds a dark past; he must figure out what it is quite fast. For if he is unable to uncover the truth of the House on the marsh, his ending to this story, will be quite harsh. Will the movie have a happy end? Not all movies have to end that way my friend.

             THE CHARACTERS

Daniel, Misha, and Hinds are memorable. The rest are forgettable. Now this is just wrong. Characters in movies like this should be strong. 

ARTHUR KIPPS - portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe. Kipps is a young lawyer and widower, someone who lost his wife. He has a four year old son named Joseph whom he loves dearly. He is solemn, and quiet. However, he seems to be more than willing to help try and save the townspeople's children from this deadly specter. Radcliffe does a wonderful job with this role of a young father and lawyer. However at times you can clearly see that Daniel is expressionless where there SHOULD be emotion. Lots of it. Even if you’re in shock something other than blank nothingness would work. You care about his character, and feel immensely sorry for his great loss. And you sort of understand that pain he is going through in trying to move on from the death of his wife.

JOSEPH KIPPS - portrayed by Misha Handley. You can tell right away that for a four year old, Arthur's son is quite sharp. Always noticing how sad his father is, when he wants him to be happy. He's a sweet boy, very likable character right from the start. Yet he is rather sick, and you can't help but feel a sense of foreboding when it comes to just how long the boy will live.

Thunderball came out at the height of Bondmania, where Bond's influence on the pop culture of the Western world was at it's most prominent, leading to a higher film budget. Sean Connery also allegedly claims that this is his favourite performance as Bond, and it shows.

Evil organisation SPECTRE needs money, and in order to raise some funds, they first steal the identity of NATO commandant Jack Derval, then two atomic bombs. With them they intend to extort the British government out of £100 million.

Connery is at his coolest, his most confident and at his most playful peak in this film, every action he does from the opening fight with a SPECTRE agent in drag to the final scene where he and Domino are lifted into the air by the US Coastguard is assured and usually comes with a witty remark. Former Miss France Claudine Auger also excels as mistress to the villain, Emilio Largo, even proving that the Bond girl is not always a damsel in distress and can be fairly capable some times.

Adolpho Celi is fine as eye patched SPECTRE number 2 Largo. The scene where he menaces Domino with a cigar and ice cubes is indeed memorable. But the villain showcase is stolen by Luciana Paluzzi's Fiona Volpe proving that looks can indeed be deceiving. 

Set pieces in this film mostly stand up well, particularly the extremely tense cat and mouse game during the Junkanoo street carnival, which ultimately leads up to one of the more iconic death scenes (that was eventually parodied in the Austin Powers film The Spy Who Shagged Me naturally). 

Goldfinger is quite possibly the most referenced/parodied film in the whole James Bond franchise, and it's easy to see why with such scenes as the glittering (yet biologically stupid) death of Jill Masterson and of course the famous scene where 'little James' is threatened with a laser beam. Everything about this film just screams ICONIC! or CLASSY! And even if it does feel a lot goofier than From Russia With Love, it in fact enhances the film, helping it to feel less draggy than the previous adventure. 

In this outing, Bond must stop madman jeweller Auric Goldfinger from irradiating the United States Gold Reserves at Fort Knox in order to prevent economic chaos in the West, while having the effect of increasing the value of Goldfinger's personal stockpile 10 fold.

Sean Connery is on top form as Bond here, portraying badassery and charm to the max from the get go, his one-liners are probably at their best here. Honor Blackman is also excellent as Goldfinger's pilot and head of an all-female aerobatics team Pussy Galore (don't snicker!) , actually showing a decent set of judo skills that challenges Bond a couple of times. Cec Linder is also a lot of fun to watch as Felix Leiter, who always has a joke about Bond's penchant for drink and dames leading to possiblly the funniest line in the film (Leiter: I told the pilot Liquor for three. Bond: Who are the other two? Leiter: Oh it's just you.)

The villains are also top notch. Former Nazi Party member Gert Frobe, who also played the villain in another Ian Fleming penned story that was adapted for the big screen, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang can actually be very menacing despite a bad dubbing job and a fairly comical appearance. Hawaiian wrestler Harold Sakata is perfect as the silent but deadly Oddjob, who will politely smile as you throw gold bullion at him. The deadly hat weapon has also become an icon itself. The death of Tilly Masterson by it's blade is particularly chilling.

John Barry is once again on top form with the music, Shirley Bassey set the template for the Bond theme with the brassy, loud title song and the musical cues throughout the movie reflect the tone perfectly. The title sequence exudes class as scenes from the film (and FRWL) are projected onto golden models. Although the outside cinematography isn't as good as FRWL, the interior set designs by Ken Adam more than makes up for it, particularly Fort Knox itself. It just glimmers style during the climactic fight between Bond and Oddjob.

From Russia With Love was reportedly John F Kennedy's favourite novel, so it made sense that after the success of Dr. No, the next James Bond film should be that. Sadly of course, JFK didn't get to see the finished product, being assassinated a month before the release of the film.

In this entry, SPECTRE attempts to cause a diplomatic incident between Great Britain and the Soviet Union, by faking the defection of cipher clerk Tatiana Romanova, as she steals a Russian coding machine known as 'Lektor' under the guise that she has fallen for James Bond. SPECTRE also plan to use this opportunity to gain revenge against Bond for killing Dr. No by giving him a humiliating death involving a sordid film.

First off I once again praise the wonderful cinematography, this time provided by Ted Moore. Istanbul just drips with class and beauty. The music (provided by the legendary John Barry) certainly adds a lot to the film, his instrumental version of the weak Matt Munro song 'From Russia With Love' over the title sequence (which is projected on belly dancers no less) is gorgeous. However the James Bond theme blaring over Bond checking his hotel room for bugs was distracting rather than cool.

Sean Connery has also improved his performance since Dr. No, it actually feels like you're watching a British agent on a dangerous mission. His chemistry with Pedro Armendariz's Kerim Bey seems very real, as they often act like schoolboys around any beautiful woman, which makes Bey's eventual death more affecting.

Daniela Bianchi however does grate on me a bit. Yes she's beautiful, but her portrayal of Romanova does come across as slightly pathetic. Although her obvious moral quandary on whether to shoot Bond or her commanding officer Klebb in the final scene does add some much needed tension to an otherwise hilarious fight.

Evening all, after posting on the forums for about a year, and I don't possess the know-how to do video reviews, I thought I should start with some blog reviews.

I haven't seen any reviewers on the site who review James Bond films, and seeing as it's the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise, SkyFall, the 23rd Bond film is coming out in November, plus I have some free time while procrastinating revision, I thought 'I may as well give it a go'

Dr. No came out in 1962 and introduced the world to the ultimate gentleman spy, James Bond, here played by former milkman and runner-up in 1957's Mr Universe Sean Connery. The plot entails a Chinese-German mad scientist and member of criminal group SPECTRE Doctor. No (Joseph Wiseman) using lasers to disrupt the American space programme in an effort to start World War III.

Sean Connery oozes cool and is still considered to be the best James Bond to date, his introduction in the Circle Club casino is etched into British pop culture and will likely never be topped. However his lack of acting prowess can be seen in certain parts of the film (during a rather sedate by today's standards car chase for instance) but when he proves himself as a bad-arse during scenes such as the infamous Professor Dent assassination ('That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six') you really don't care. The supporting characters are all fine here too, Ursula Andress is always popular as Honey Ryder, giving another iconic shot as she emerges from the sea in the now legendary white bikini. Joseph Wiseman is a great first villain, making Dr. No a cool, calculated character who has some great banter with Connery's Bond and John Kitzmiller is fine as Quarrel, even if the character is a bit of a 'superstitious black man' stereotype. 

The Caribbean scenery is the real star of the show though, every shot in Jamaica is just gorgeous to look at. Even the villains lair at Crab Key (basis of Dr. Evil's lair in International Man Of Mystery) is full of 60's charm.

I try another Mountain Dew drink, to make room in my fridge due to all the Mountain Dew I have!

I try a drink unavailable in UK supermarkets and local stores, 'Mountain Dew: Code Red'. Will it be as glorious as our UK equivalent of 'Mountain Dew' cleverly disguised as 'Mountain Dew: Energy'?

In the second part of my Halloween special, I get forced to look at the ridiculous gore fest known as Grotesque. A film so basic and violent, it was banned in the UK in 2009. Why? All shall become obvious..

Part one of my halloween special, Death Tube, can be found here. And the rest of my reviews can be found on my site.

Also. I met a certain TGWTG-er at MCM London Expo yesterday. Who?