Director: Terence Young
Runtime: 110 minutes
A world famous film series, spanning over 50 years, and featuring gorgeous actresses, fantastic gadgets and spectacular action sequences, all started back in 1962 with a movie based on an Ian Fleming novel.
In this retrospective, I will be looking at all of the films featuring Britain's finest spy, reviewing each one and judging them on the five elements that make a Bond film... a Bond film:
the girls, the gadgets, the cars, the villains and the title songs.
James Bond is sent to Jamaica on a mission to discover the whereabouts of a colleague, who himself was investigating the disruption of American rocket launches. Once there, he works with Felix Leiter of the CIA, and meets Honey Ryder, an innocent woman who is dragged into Bond's adventure.
The assignment leads to an island owned by the mysterious Dr. No.
When we first meet Bond, he is dressed in a tux, playing cards and flirting with a beautiful woman. This is the spy that audiences know and love. As his infamous introduction is uttered, the theme kicks in and we start a journey that will eventually become synonymous with all Bond films.
Having never read the books, I can only base my opinion on how I think a spy should be. Sean Connery has the looks and charm to make the character loved by men and women alike. However, he also possesses a killer, steely-eyed look of an assassin, as evident in one scene where he kills a man in cold blood. This Bond means business.
The film screams 60s; from the pop-art inspired opening sequence to the hair and fashion of the cast (the ladies in particular). Even the story revolving around the space race is very much of the decade.
The film is a good watch and, for fans of the franchise, a welcome sign of things to come.
Car: As the first film, the elements that make up a 'classic' Bond movie haven't yet been established, and that includes the wheels driven by Connery. Apart from a hire car used to travel to Miss Taro's house, there is no main vehicle to rave about. 4/10
Gadgets: Again, not too much to write about in his first outing. The outrageous apparatus provided by Q branch has yet to surface. This film does have the one and only appearance of Peter Burton (in the role that would go on to be filled by Desmond Llewelyn in future films). As Major Boothroyd, he is the man to provide Bond with his signature Walther PPK. 5/10
Girls: As would become tradition, there is usually a few meaningless trysts before the main lady makes her play for the hero. The ladies are all stunning but Ursula Andress is in a class all of her own. From her emergence from the water, she captivates Connery and the audience with her stunning good looks. It's an entrance that many have tried to imitate (even in another Bond film, but more about that another time) but none have bettered. However, it's not just how she looks that makes the character memorable. Honey Ryder is a figure of innocence but manages to display a darker side when she confesses to killing a man with a poisonous spider. She almost faints when Bond is forced to kill a man in the water but she doesn't shy from the fight when they are being captured. I'm not suggesting that this first film had a feminist outlook, Ryder wears next to nothing for most of her screen time, but she certainly wasn't just a damsel in distress. 9/10
Music: It's the classic theme throughout, from the opening sequence to the end credits. So good, it still sends a shiver up my spine to this day. However, it might have been fun to hear somebody try to sing something cool or sexy including the lyrics 'Dr. No' 9/10
Villain: Dr. No himself is talked about throughout the movie but is only seen in the final third. I feel like more could have been made of his bionic hands (covered by black PVC-like gloves). He is suitably well spoken, intellectual and slightly creepy; enough to make him a decent bad guy. However, he really is a mere gateway to the bigger and badder members of SPECTRE. 6/10
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