Dr. No (1962) (Not Rated)
Directed by Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord
Daddy Says:
So here we are, where it all began. The very first James Bond movie ever made. And nearly fifty years ago. Has it aged well, like a fine wine, or perhaps a vodka martini, shaken not stirred? Let's find out.
Dr. No finds secret agent 007 (Sean Connery) sent to Jamaica after one of British Secret Service's contacts goes missing. He follows what clues he can find, which lead to a mysterious island where the title character resides; an island which is heavily guarded by armed mercenaries (and legend has it, a dragon). He is helped along the way by Felix Leiter (played here originally by future Hawaii Five-O star Jack Lord).
On the island he comes across a girl named Honey Ryder. She is played by the beautiful Ursula Andress, making an incredible entrance in a white bikini walking out of the surf like a modern-day Venus. If you've never seen this particular scene, it's worth the price of a rental alone.
All the familiar elements were already in place in this first film. We're introduced to Bond from behind as he plays Chemin de Fer. It is here that he speaks his most famous line "Bond. James Bond" for the first time. But he's not just a lady charmer here. He can be cold blooded as well, such as when he shoots and kills a bad guy after informing him that he's all out of bullets. "You've had your six". Bang.
What is missing from this story are all the gadgets he would be provided with in his future film endeavors. No suitcases with exploding tear gas, no cars with passenger ejector seats. All Bond is provided with in Dr. No is a new pistol, and he's very reluctant to give up his old one.
Dr. No plays more like a straight detective story than a James Bond movie. Even the titular villain refers to him as "just another stupid policeman". But I actually like that there aren't gadgets for Bond to play with. He has to use his wits more here and we get to know how he thinks. This may actually be the purest James Bond movie of them all.
Dr. No hasn't aged at all, I'd say. In fact, it may have gotten even better.
Rating for Dr. No: *****.
Daughter Says:
I must say, James Bond wasn’t much of a spy. He always uses his real name and never a cover up. I mean when he was in From Russia with Love, he used a code name, but all of a sudden it’s okay to use Bond. If Dr. No owns his own island and can ban people from entering the island then don’t you think you ought to use a code name, because I’m pretty sure he can access confidential files.Directed by Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord
Daddy Says:
So here we are, where it all began. The very first James Bond movie ever made. And nearly fifty years ago. Has it aged well, like a fine wine, or perhaps a vodka martini, shaken not stirred? Let's find out.
Dr. No finds secret agent 007 (Sean Connery) sent to Jamaica after one of British Secret Service's contacts goes missing. He follows what clues he can find, which lead to a mysterious island where the title character resides; an island which is heavily guarded by armed mercenaries (and legend has it, a dragon). He is helped along the way by Felix Leiter (played here originally by future Hawaii Five-O star Jack Lord).
On the island he comes across a girl named Honey Ryder. She is played by the beautiful Ursula Andress, making an incredible entrance in a white bikini walking out of the surf like a modern-day Venus. If you've never seen this particular scene, it's worth the price of a rental alone.
All the familiar elements were already in place in this first film. We're introduced to Bond from behind as he plays Chemin de Fer. It is here that he speaks his most famous line "Bond. James Bond" for the first time. But he's not just a lady charmer here. He can be cold blooded as well, such as when he shoots and kills a bad guy after informing him that he's all out of bullets. "You've had your six". Bang.
What is missing from this story are all the gadgets he would be provided with in his future film endeavors. No suitcases with exploding tear gas, no cars with passenger ejector seats. All Bond is provided with in Dr. No is a new pistol, and he's very reluctant to give up his old one.
Dr. No plays more like a straight detective story than a James Bond movie. Even the titular villain refers to him as "just another stupid policeman". But I actually like that there aren't gadgets for Bond to play with. He has to use his wits more here and we get to know how he thinks. This may actually be the purest James Bond movie of them all.
Dr. No hasn't aged at all, I'd say. In fact, it may have gotten even better.
Rating for Dr. No: *****.
Daughter Says:
Oh well, I just had to find something wrong with this movie. Once again Dad finds a really good James Bond movie. (Rats! I was really hoping to bash something). I feel in love with almost everything in this movie instantly. The scenery was beautiful and exotic. Makes sense because they were in Jamaica after all (I’ve never been, but I would love to go at some point). I also really liked all the chase scenes in Dr. No. James Bond and Honey running down an exotic beach with a dragon chasing them just yells James Bond, doesn’t it?
I must praise Ted Moore for the great cinematography. The shots in this film were gorgeous. They made Dr. No even more mysterious than he already was. Speaking of mysterious, I also must praise Joseph Wiseman. He made a brilliant bad guy. I wanted Bond to catch him through the whole thing, and for James Bond to get away with Honey.
Oh, and that’s another thing, James Bond wasn’t as much of a man-hoe in this movie as he is in others. He actually stayed with one girl. At least, it gave me the impression that Bond stuck with one girl. Although I don’t see how Honey can accept a guy so quickly. I find it very unbelievable that the girls fall instantly in love with Bond. I’m starting to think Bond is just doing it out of instinct and all the girls in Bond’s world are just horny.
Anyway, I guess since I liked this movie I will suggest it to you. I’m sure it is one of the best James Bond movies yet.
Rating for Dr. No: *****.
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