WHAT WOULD TOTO WATCH? » James Bond

WWTW Rewind – ‘Dr. No’ (Blu-ray)

cftoto — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:46:09 +0000

You’d never know the James Bond franchise is 47 years old after watching the Blu-ray disk of “Dr. No.”

The 1962 film first introduced us to suave superagent James Bond, but its resurrection on Blu-ray last year makes it look as if it were shot last week.

Working from the original negatives, the Blu-ray release offers a beautifully resurrected Bond treasure, and that’s long before Ursula Andress makes her bikini-clad debut.

“Dr. No” introduces us to James Bond (Sean Connery, never more charismatic), a British agent tracking down the murder of a fellow agent. That quest sends him to Jamaica where he meets up with a shady scientist, a shadier shutterbug and a remote island everyone is too afraid to visit.

It all leads to the home of Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman), a mysterious inventor with designs on world domination.

In 1962, you could get away with that kind of grand thinking without sounding like a cliche.

Bond fanatics can have a blast parsing “Dr. No” for the dawn of the franchise’s signature elements. No, Bond doesn’t have a wealth of gadgets at his disposal, but he does surround himself with a bevy of beauties, none more ravishing than Andress as Honey Ryder.

Anyone who came of age with the older, easily mockable Connery will be aghast at how young and dashing the earlier model truly was. It’s hard not to watch a few scenes from “Dr. No” and come away realizing he remains the quintessential Bond – and a movie star of the first order.

“Dr. No” doesn’t deliver grand action sequences, and it falls far too easily back on the Bond theme music – Bond enters the room – cue the theme!

The disk features a segment detailing how workers restored the entire Bond franchise as well as other extras including a look at the Bond character through the years.

“Dr. No” remains a far cry from today’s Bond outings. No crazed action sequence to kick the story off, and Bond doesn’t defy physics with his acrobatics like Daniel Craig’s version.

But future Bond movies would be wise to emulate some of the sophistication spy work found throughout “Dr. No.”

(Photo: Ursula Andress and Sean Connery meet cute while battling Spectre in “Dr. No.”/MGM)

WWTW Rewind: ‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983)

cftoto — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:50:19 +0000

Imagine if Pierce Brosnan reported for duty as 007 while Daniel Craig was still walking the Bond beat.

“Never Say Never Again” did just that – casting Sean Connery as James Bond for one last time while Roger Moore still ruled the official franchise.

The 1983 film, a loose remake of “Thunderball,” isn’t remembered as being one of the franchise’s peak installments. But it holds up rather nicely in the Bond canon, and Connery proves he could bring Bond all the way back despite his advanced years.

“Never” hits DVD, again, piggybacking on the “Quantum of Solace” release. It’s a standard marketing move, but it’s sad to see how superior the 26-year-old feature is compared to the slick new franchise entry.

“Never Say Never Again” doesn’t ignore the fact that this James Bond is older than we remembered. The opening scenes show the British spy agency questioning his fitness for duty. So off he goes to a medical retreat where he must purge the “free radicals” from his system.

Say it isn’t so!

But Connery’s Bond is up for the challenge. He even beds one of the massage therapists in between spa treatments.

The real story unspools slowly. SPECTRE is up to its old tricks, stealing two nuclear weapons right from under the U.S.’s collective noses. SPECTRE’s head thug (Max Von Sydow) threatens to use them to disrupt the global oil supply.

The story itself isn’t remarkable, but the casting sure is. Bond villainness Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera) purrs with venom, and Kim Basinger is so ravishing it hurts as Bond Girl Domino Petachi. Klaus Maria Brandauer may be the least appreciated Bond villain. He’s sharp, inquisitive and unpredictable with his rage – an intoxicating blend.

Connery is, well, Connery, slipping comfortably into the role without looking like an aging rock star lip syncing his past hits.

“Never Say Never Again” offers two slam-bang action sequences, one involving a hungry shark, the other a motorcycle chase that today’s directors could learn a thing or two from.

But oh, that ending. The film’s final moments feature a generic shootout and an underwater tussle. Yawn.

“Never Say Never Again” wraps with Connery, stepping out of character, sharing a wink with the audience.

It’s hard not to see that moment and wish the actor could defy the realities of aging and play 007 one more time.

On Second Thought: ‘Quantum of Solace’

cftoto — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 13:54:10 +0000

Was the Daniel Craig Bond era over before it started?

WWTW wasn’t the only source wondering that after the deeply disappointing “Quantum of Solace,” the follow-up to the franchise rejuvenator “Casino Royale.”

“Solace” delivered at the box office all the same, buoyed by the Bond name and, most likely, the enormous goodwill engendered by “Casino Royale.”

Watching “Solace” a second time softened some, but not all, of my early criticisms.

The film, out on DVD today (March 24), still can’t measure up its predecessor. And while Craig remains a fine choice for Bond – he’s a sturdy actor who brings grit and gristle to the part – he can’t flesh out 007 nearly enough to satisfy.

But the action sequences, particularly early in the film, are borderline terrific. And it’s hard to quibble whenever Giancarlo Giannini is on screen.

Yet the film’s villain (Mathieu Amalric) remains as flat as a swedish pancake on a second viewing, and the story rushes ahead from one exotic locale to the next with little to explain why.

“Casino Royale” all but insisted the Bond franchise deserved a spot in 21st century cinema. “Quantum of Solace” made audiences reconsider that statement.

(Photo: Daniel Craig in action as James Bond in “Quantum of Solace.”)

Bond’s box office bounty leaves me shaken, not stirred

cftoto — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:18:05 +0000

Guess what the highest grossing James Bond movie of all time is?

Give up? It’s “Quantum of Solace,” the latest Bond adventure. The film has earned $167.1 million so far in North America, pushing it past “Casino Royale” for the top Bond B.O. slot.

How disheartening.

It reminds me of the “Indy 4″ phenomena – when a highly anticipated sequel ends up making a fortune even though audiences found the product wanting.

Sequels have quite a pull on our psyche. My brother recently rented “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and then dialed me up in a fury to ask why I hadn’t warned him away from the film.

I bet even if I had he would have rented it anyway. We’re a curious lot, and even when word leaks that the latest sequel is a pale imitation of the original we have to see it for ourselves.

So we have only ourselves to blame if the next Bond adventure underwhelms as “Solace” did.

(Photo: Daniel Craig aims for box office glory, if not a great story, in “Quantum of Solace.”)

‘Quantum of Solace’ – James Bond … or Jason Bourne?

cftoto — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:06:15 +0000

Daniel Craig’s reign as cinema’s James Bond is only two movies old, and already he’s suffering from an identity crisis.

Is he a new James Bond, an update on the version we’ve come to know and love, or is he Jason Bourne 2.0?

“Quantum of Solace” doesn’t answer that question. Nor does it satisfy nearly as much as Craig’s terrific Bond debut – “Casino Royale.”

“QoS” begins like every other Bond movie before it – with a blistering action sequence meant to jump start our adrenaline. Done and done, even though the scene’s jittery camera work will leave audiences “Cloverfield” queasy.

The first true Bond sequel has 007 (Craig) mourning the loss of his galpal Vesper (Eva Green), who met her maker in the final minutes of “Royale.” But his grief is interrupted by news of a mole within the British spy agency. Soon, Bond is hopscotching across Europe to track down a new, super-secret group with tentacles across the globe.

He also keeps running into Dominic Greene, an enviro-activist blandly played by “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’s” Mathieu Amalric. Greene has designs on some of the earth’s natural resources, but it’s a plot line that’s teased out to little emotional significance.

Of course there’s the requisite Bond Girl (Olga Kurylenko), a blank slate who plays a woman out for some revenge of her own. How ’bout hiring a real actress next time? Who wouldn’t want to see Rachel Weisz throwing her Oscar weight around a Bond set?

Bond shares zero chemistry with Kurylenko, although at one point the pair share a smooch as if filling out some contractual obligation.

“QoS” strikes an unhealthy balance between the Old and New Bond. Sure, the action sequences deliver the gravity-defying, punishment-delivering goods, but the story feels both bloated and complicated.

And just who is James Bond at this point? He can’t be bothered to flirt with the ladies, has no gadgets at his disposal and can’t be bothered to toss off crisp one-liners. He’s sullen, but disinterested, and so are we.

“Casino Royale” did everything right to reboot the franchise and prove the world still needed a new James Bond adventure every other year. “Quantum of Solace” casts significant doubt on that premise.

(Photo: Daniel Craig, playing James Bond for the second time, races through a tunnel in “Quantum of Solace.”)

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Top 5 Bond blunders

Bond battles an eco-baddie?

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Do we still need James Bond?

cftoto — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 20:37:49 +0000

That’s the question I had before Daniel Craig’s near-brilliant “Casino Royale.”

And it’s on my mind again, and I’m sure I’m not alone.

Strip the gadgets, pithy one-liners and tuxedos away from Bond and what do you have?

“Quantum of Solace,” that’s what. But is “QoS” so much different than the “Bourne” films, or any other action franchise, for that matter? Do Bond Girls still have pop culture cache? When was the last time a Bond Girl appearance launched a major career?

Will post my review tomorrow.

Top Five Bond Blunders

cftoto — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:17:27 +0000

Bond, James Bond has survived knife fights, armored assaults … even the casting of George Lazenby.

But the venerable franchise has taken some pretty heavy hits from this five calamities:

The invisible car: The Bond Gadget era hit its nadir with “Die Another Day.”
Bond in space: Yes, the Bond folks were trying to capitalize off of “Star Wars” with “Moonraker,” but did they have to stuff an aging Roger Moore into a rocket ship?

Jaws’ galpal: The moment Bond baddie Jaws picks up a girlfriend, you know the killer with the metal chompers has gone soft … and so has the franchise. Thanks “Moonraker.” Again.
A-ha: We’ve suffered through many a forgettable Bond song (quick, what was the last really good one??) but hiring band of the moment a-ha to warble “The Living Daylights” proved calamitous.
“Quantum of Solace:” Really? After all those great Bond titles – “You Only Live Twice,” “For Your Eyes Only” and “From Russia with Love” we get “QofS??”

(Photo: Daniel Craig reprises his role as James Bond in “Quantum of Solace.”)

Bond battles an eco-baddie?

Bond battles an eco-baddie?

cftoto — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:59:31 +0000

The latest Bond adventure, “Quantum of Solace,” has 007 battling a fiend who wants to monkey with the world’s natural resources.

He also happens to be a highly regarded environmentalist.

What? He’s not a Euro-trash villain? A fundamentalist killer?

Nope. He’s a tree hugger gone bad. His last name is Greene, for Pete’s sake.

Is this a sign that Hollywood, which keeps a keen eye on the international market (particularly with Bond films), is souring on the green movement?

Too soon to tell. But it’s a refreshing choice of villain if only because it comes straight out of the blue.

Expect the WWTW review of “Quantum of Solace” this Friday.

(Photo: Daniel Craig returns as superagent James Bond in “Quantum of Solace.”)

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Bond, Shmond

cftoto — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:30:50 +0000

Do people really care who the next Bond Girl is? Or better yet, who’ll be warbling the next Bond song?

It’s a media-driven part of the whole Bond franchise, and I think it’s better left in the past. I thought the franchise belonged there, too, until I saw the near-brilliant “Casino Royale.”

For those who still care, the Bond folks just announced the theme song for “Quantum of Solace,” the upcoming Bond feature, will be a duet between Jack White and Alicia Keys.

Frankly, the only song I care about during a Bond film is the “dum-da-da-dum-dum …” theme that kicks in when the action hits a fever pitch. Every other ditty is secondary.

For me, the great Bond songs hail from another era, a time when I actually listened to terrestrial radio to hear the latest hit songs – and would buy ‘em in bunches on 45.

Best Bond song? It’s a tie – “Live and Let Die” and “Nobody Does it Better.”

Match that, Jack and Alicia.

(Photo: David Craig resurrected the James Bond franchise with 2006’s “Casino Royale.”)

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