Underrated/Overrated 007 movie?

[toddpolt]

Underrated - The Living Daylights (1987)

Poor Timothy Dalton. After Roger Moore that fossil was there forever, Dalton takes over and the old people who went through the 70s reject him. The kids were too busy with Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Seagal, etc. Doesn't help that Dalton only got to do 2 pictures before that whole lawsuit delayed another flick for six years after License to Kill, which gave him (unfairly) the stench of failure this side of George Lazenby*.

Yeah License was lame, but Living Daylights is surprisingly pretty good. Like many 007 movies, it just doesn't play well on TV with the constant commercials and all that junk. But watch it on DVD, and you get engaged. Not a FX comic book, but more about intrigue, politics, deception, mystery, etc.

You know, a spy movie.

Honestly James Bond always works better for me when he's an actual spy and not just an action hero who saves the day with a gun and some ridiculous gadget that's never seen again. Yes a bad son of a gun, and willing to be an absolutely ruthless prick to get the job done.

Sure in Daylights the action scenes aren't that sharp and sorta dull (007 was surprisingly action-bland in the 80s), but otherwise Dalton gives off the sort of Bond that Daniel Craig was able to pull off more successfully (and given a better opportunity) in Casino Royale.

Overrated - Goldfinger (1964)

Mind you, its a great movie. Action/adventure classic, all that. This is more overrating when people call it the best 007 movie.

Because Goldfinger was so popular and many people do call it their favorite 007 entry, probably way too many movies in that franchise tried to emulate Goldfinger to the T. I mean heck even arguably the worst of the bunch in A View To A Kill (oh God that sucked) was basically the gold plot device replaced with microchips.

This goes back to my point about what I prefer in that character. Goldfinger is a comic strip, From Russia With Love (best of the series IMO) is a spy thriller. That one influences On Her Majesty's Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only, and Casino Royale. Maybe Quantum of Solace too perhaps. Or not?


*=Who actually was also a pretty good Bond too. He just made a stupid mistake in not returning.

[Lick Ness Monster]

Underrated - The Man With the Golden Gun
Most Bond aficionados have this near the bottom of the series ranking list, but I've always loved it. Christopher Lee + Tattoo = 100% win. In addition, I actually LIKE the humor in this movie (although the bit with the returning redneck Sherriff from Live and Let Die went on a bit too long), and it's got that classic sequence at the end as Bond and Scaramanga stalk each other with their respective weapons.

Overrated - Quantum of Solace
I could probably post a 10-paragraph rant about this very subject, but I absolutely despise the new "super serial" Bond. The thing I loved about the 007 movies was they were like a good comfort food - you knew what to expect and you knew it was going to be good. This movie has none of that. Bland villains, bland locations, bland Bond girl, lacking all the sense of fun that made the series great. Just hated this movie all around - but hey, that's just me.

[Lupin the Third]

I kinda thought that Casino Royale is an underrated Bond movie.

I liked how Daniel Craig made Bond appear cold and ruthless, but also, that there was something soft in there: love.

I enjoyed watching Bond fall in love with Vesper, then have his heart ripped out by the betrayal and death of his only beloved, and become the badass Bond that would continue into Quantum of Solace.

Quantum of Solace was also good, but it didn't seem as good as Casino Royale. Bond seemed too hell-bent on revenge the whole time, then doesn't go through with it at the end.

[skiller]

Nov 28, 2009 0:07:26 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Overrated - Quantum of Solace
I could probably post a 10-paragraph rant about this very subject, but I absolutely despise the new "super serial" Bond. The thing I loved about the 007 movies was they were like a good comfort food - you knew what to expect and you knew it was going to be good. This movie has none of that. Bland villains, bland locations, bland Bond girl, lacking all the sense of fun that made the series great. Just hated this movie all around - but hey, that's just me.

Do people even rate QOS? It was so mind numbingly dull.

[Lick Ness Monster]

Nov 28, 2009 0:29:08 GMT -5 @skiller said:

Nov 28, 2009 0:07:26 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Overrated - Quantum of Solace
I could probably post a 10-paragraph rant about this very subject, but I absolutely despise the new "super serial" Bond. The thing I loved about the 007 movies was they were like a good comfort food - you knew what to expect and you knew it was going to be good. This movie has none of that. Bland villains, bland locations, bland Bond girl, lacking all the sense of fun that made the series great. Just hated this movie all around - but hey, that's just me.

Do people even rate QOS? It was so mind numbingly dull.

A lot of the comments that I've seen about it tend to be of the "I loved this movie because it really stopped the series from being ridiculous/unrealistic and brought it back to its literary roots" ilk. IMO, the movie version of Bond destroys the literary version, which only adds to my feelings about the movie.

I agree with you completely. It just feels strange that James Bond - the series known for extravagant locations, hot chicks and big rocking stunt sequences - could churn out such a banal film.

[toddpolt]

Even Dalton or Lazenby or Craig, all whom are more like the Bond from the books...aren't Bond from the books.

People diss the Craig movies because they're too gritty, but they were a direct response to the growing backlash at those last few Brosnan movies, which (not the guy's fault) got sillier and dumber as they went along.

That and well Eon looked at the rather popular Jason Bourne pictures and decided that instead of a comic book larger-than-life elastic action figure, Bond had to be a brutal loner bad son of a gun in a world either against him or using him.

So its either Craig at this rate, or where Denise Richards acts as a Nuclear scientist?

[AriadosMan]

Underrated: Quantum of Solace (yeah, I'm going there)/ License to Kill (good 80s action film that never escaped the "Bond goes Miami Vice" stigma)
Overrated: Diamonds are Forever (except for THAT ONE FIGHT SCENE, a complete and utter piece of garbage. Connery never looked worse as Bond.)

[Big DSR Energy]

Nov 28, 2009 0:35:58 GMT -5 toddpolt said:

Even Dalton or Lazenby or Craig, all whom are more like the Bond from the books...aren't Bond from the books.

People diss the Craig movies because they're too gritty, but they were a direct response to the growing backlash at those last few Brosnan movies, which (not the guy's fault) got sillier and dumber as they went along.

That and well Eon looked at the rather popular Jason Bourne pictures and decided that instead of a comic book larger-than-life elastic action figure, Bond had to be a brutal loner bad son of a gun in a world either against him or using him.

So its either Craig at this rate, or where Denise Richards acts as a Nuclear scientist?

Yeah, Dalton and Lazenby are my two favorite Bonds, and I really liked Casino Royale. Quantum of Solace I remember liking when I saw it in the theater, but nothing about it really stuck with me beyond that day.

I generally prefer something sort of in the middle, between "serious, literate" Bond and "popcorn movie" Bond. Not too far in either direction. If that makes sense.

[SHAKEMASTER TV9 is Don Knotts]

I thought License to Kill was pretty good. I think GoldenEye is overrated. It's the best of the Brosnan Bonds but that's not saying much and even it just doesn't grip me.

[Albino Heat]

Overrated: You Only Live Twice, Octopussy (Bond as a clown? Seriously?)

Underrated: Thunderball. Better than Goldfinger and From Russia with Love COMBINED.

[skykid]

Underrated Bond Movie begins and ends with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

[OGBoardPoster2005]

Underrated:
Diamonds Are Forever-I actually liked some of the humour in the movie. The only scene I'd erase would be the "Blofeld in Drag" scene.

The Man with the Golden Gun-Very good story to it.

Licence to Kill-Action packed, great story. Timothy Dalton was great as Bond.

Overrated:
Live and Let Die-Theres one good scene and thats the chase one in the bayou. The story itself just falls flat on its face.

For Your Eyes Only-Boring as hell and I wasn't too fond of the main villain.

Octopussy-Completly cringeworthy. It may've been good in '83 but it doesn't sit well in '09.

Movies I'm going back over:
The Living Daylights-Saw it on USA. Above poster says its better uncut and commercial free so I'm testing that.

Licence to Kill-Again, on USA

Goldeneye-On USA

[bob]

Overated: Quantom of Solice - I didn't like it for reasons stated above...that and there's gigantic plot hole in it

Underrated: Golden Eye.......and the game based on the movie is epic as well

[Drillbit Taylor]

Overrated-Any thing that Pierce Brosnan touched

[Jiren]

Underrated: Moonraker

Yes I agree the final act was dumb, but the movie before the we get to the "Space" section was very good IMO (Plus Drax's death was funny).

Overrated: Live & Let Die

I just find it really boring

[Ridley]

Nov 28, 2009 0:07:26 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Overrated - Quantum of Solace
I could probably post a 10-paragraph rant about this very subject, but I absolutely despise the new "super serial" Bond. The thing I loved about the 007 movies was they were like a good comfort food - you knew what to expect and you knew it was going to be good. This movie has none of that. Bland villains, bland locations, bland Bond girl, lacking all the sense of fun that made the series great. Just hated this movie all around - but hey, that's just me.

It's not just you. (Mild naughty language which may not be suitable for your little ones)

[BayleyTiffyCodyCenaJudyHopps]

The Bond community doesn't have that many general consensuses (at least no more than wrestling fandom), so I'll just list my favorites:

-From Russia With Love
-Thunderball
-Diamonds Are Forever
-Live and Let Die
-The Spy Who Loved Me
-Goldeneye
-Casino Royale

[clifford]

Underrated- The Man with the Golden Gun. Scaramanga is the best Bond villian ever, not to mention the one with the best name.

Overrated- From Russia with Love- Often cited as one of, if not the, best Bond film, it has done nothing but bore the s*** out of me every time I watch it, and I think I've seen it the most out of all the Bonds because I keep trying to see what all the fuss is about. Its ok as far as Bonds go, but no where near being the creme of the crop.

My top three Bond films are Live and Let Die, Goldeneye and Goldfinger.

Least Favourite- For your eyes Only. Good god it is dull.

Also every Brosnan one besides Goldeneye. Brosnan was a great Bond, but he had absolute s*** to work with in terms of stories and villians in his last threee Bond films.

[Perpetual Nirvana]

Why are people saying Quantum of Solace is overrated? I've never seen it considered anything other than a let down from Casino Royale.

Underrated: The World is Not Enough. What can I say? I liked the references to Bond getting older and the twist that Elektra was the real mastermind, not Renard.

Overrated: I'll agree with Live and Let Die. I like the theme but that's about it.

[Lick Ness Monster]

Nov 28, 2009 14:43:59 GMT -5 Ridley said:

Nov 28, 2009 0:07:26 GMT -5 Lick Ness Monster said:

Overrated - Quantum of Solace
I could probably post a 10-paragraph rant about this very subject, but I absolutely despise the new "super serial" Bond. The thing I loved about the 007 movies was they were like a good comfort food - you knew what to expect and you knew it was going to be good. This movie has none of that. Bland villains, bland locations, bland Bond girl, lacking all the sense of fun that made the series great. Just hated this movie all around - but hey, that's just me.

It's not just you. (Mild naughty language which may not be suitable for your little ones)

That is amazing. Thank you.

"Sometimes I wish Roger Moore would come back, with an underwater car or some kind of jet pack. Forget it mate, it's not the '80s! He'd rather kick you in the face!"