A View to a Kill

A View to a Kill

United Artists etc.

24 May 1985

Action

DVD
C-

With Grace Jones and the Duran Duran "title song" (which doesn't mention the movie's title), the '80sness of this makes it more palatable than some James Bond movies, but not enough.  John Glen directed.

Octopussy

Octopussy

United Artists etc.

7 June 1983

Action

DVD

C-

At this point, regular readers of this blog (if there are any) must wonder why I continue to try different James Bond movies.  Well, I feel like that each entry in the series has something unique.  In this case, it's director John Glen's Hal-Needham-like slapstick approach, which I didn't notice in For Your Eyes Only or The Living Daylights, both also from the '80s.

Moonraker

Moonraker

United Artists

26 June 1979

Action

DVD
D

Even the theme song is forgettable this time.  Lewis Gilbert directed.

The Man with the Golden Gun

The Man with the Golden Gun

United Artists

19 December 1974

Action

DVD
C-

I bumped this up from a D+ because of the dated elements, like the wretched proto-disco title song (and I like proto-disco) and of course Mr.Villechaize.  This is based on you know what, and directed by Guy Hamilton, who also did Diamonds Are Forever, which I found much worse.

The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights

United Artists etc.

27 June 1987

Action
DVD
D+

Rather forgettable.  This is based on the Ian Fleming short story.  John Glen (with that spelling) directed.

For Your Eyes Only

For Your Eyes Only

United Artists

June 24, 1981

Action

DVD
C-

Well, this has one of the best Bond title songs, by Sheena Easton (although the rejected Blondie song is good, too).  John Glen directed.

Dr. No

Dr. No
United Artists
10 October 1962
Action
DVD
C

I was surprised that I almost liked this first James Bond movie.  (Well, the first quarter hour of it anyway.)  Oddly enough, it's the very "stodginess" of it that caught my interest, along with the pop-art opening credit sequence.  Even Connery is almost genuinely charming and much less smug.  Still, I didn't care about the plot threads.  Terence Young directed.

Die Another Day

Die Another Day
MGM
20 November 2002
Action
DVD
C-

I appreciate the lack of graphic violence and misogyny, and even the racism was kept to a minimum.  So not bad for James Bond.  Note that I tuned out before most of the name performers showed up.  Lee Tamahori directed this the year after the abysmal Along Came a Spider.

Diamonds Are Forever

Diamonds Are Forever
United Artists
December 17, 1971
Action
DVD
D

I knew I wasn't going to stick with this, as soon as Bond (Connery in this entry) made a leering pun and then choked a woman with her own bikini top!  (Note that two of the villains appear to be gay, since they hold hands after blowing up a helicopter.)  Still, I'll admit there is style to this series, including the credit sequences.  Hypothetically, I might watch a different entry, maybe with a different lead.  Guy Hamilton directed this one, a couple years after Battle of Britain.