HD Online Player (James Bond The Spy Who Loved Me 1977)
Berna Cagley
Yes, that's right: another Bond-related entry. I can't help it. Of all the movies coming out this fall, I'm most looking forward to Quantum of Solace (second would be the Fitzgerald-via-Fincher drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). Anyway, Quantum director Marc Forster told a number of online outlets that the running time of the new Bond flick will clock in at a slim 106 minutes.
To rank the Bond movies, we enlisted a crack squad of experts. The panelists: Self-avowed Bond nuts Mark Clelland of Dublin, Mandy Henning of Delaware and Mark Schanely of Columbus; actor Robert Davi, who portrayed villain Franz Sanchez in Licence To Kill; Lee Pfeiffer, editor of Cinema Retro and co-author of The Incredible World of 007 and The Essential James Bond; Frank Gabrenya, Dispatch film critic; Nick Chordas, Dispatch features reporter and owner of 22 Bond DVDs; and Jim Perine, Dispatch systems engineer and expert on all things Leiter.
Panelists rated the films on a scale of 1 to 10. Average scores - used to determine the final rankings - appear next to the title of each film along with individual comments. 1. From Russia With Love (1963) -- Score: 9.9 -- "Sean Connery's personal favorite is superb on all levels. Lotte Lenya and Robert Shaw rank among the top villains, and the Orient Express fight is a classic." (L.P.) 2. Goldfinger (1964) -- 9.6 -- "Bond at his best. The cast includes arguably the best villain (Gert Frobe) and my personal favorite Bond girl (Honor Blackman). Also has an excellent score." (M.H.) 3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) -- 8.9 -- "Faithful to Ian Fleming's best novel and could have been the top film in the series with Connery or (Timothy) Dalton in place of George Lazenby. Diana Rigg excels as the opposite of the usual Bond woman." (F.G.) 4. Dr. No (1962) -- 8.3 -- "Set the standard for the series and also changed the face of action films. With Connery, you have an immediate sense of elegance, class and danger." (R.D.) 5. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) -- 7.9 -- "When Bond (Roger Moore) skied off the edge of the cliff in the opening sequence, the theater went silent. When the Union Jack parachute opened, the audience cheered. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up." (M.C.) 6. GoldenEye (1995) -- 7.7 -- "After a four-year hiatus, James Bond finally returned starring the man seemingly born to play the role -- Pierce Brosnan. The first movie Brosnan saw as a boy was Goldfinger." (M.C.) 7. (tie) Licence To Kill (1989) -- 7.4 -- "It has ranked higher and higher with fans over the years. Fleming talked about the villain and Bond being mirror images of each other. That's something we tried to bring to the movie." (R.D.) 7. (tie) The Living Daylights (1987) -- 7.4 -- "Dalton's first outing as 007. His dark and dangerous portrayal is probably the closest we'll ever come to Fleming's Bond." (M.S.) 7. (tie) You Only Live Twice (1967) -- 7.4 -- "Connery receives a Japanese makeover in a beautifully photographed drama that features John Barry's most sweeping score and Maurice Binder's most romantic titles." (F.G.) 10. Thunderball (1965) -- 7.2 -- "Follow up to Goldfinger is ambitious but bloated. Prolonged underwater sequences and Rik Van Nutter's bonehead Felix Leiter bog it down." (N.C.) 11. Octopussy (1983) -- 7.0 -- "Maud Adams is wonderful in the title role. By dressing Moore as a clown, the filmmakers acknowledge those who thought the series had become too comedic." (N.C.) 12. For Your Eyes Only (1981) -- 6.8 -- "This classic Bond came after the foolish Star Wars-inspired Moonraker. Features Moore's most nuanced performance." (J.P.) 13. The World Is Not Enough (1999) -- 6.6 -- "Explores the emotional side of Bond without rendering him incapable of being Bond. Sophie Marceau's portrayal of Elektra King is not to be missed." (M.S.) 14. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) -- 6.5 -- "The first half is great, but the second act is a routine shoot-'em-up. Michelle Yeoh is a female 007, but who wants a female 007?" (L.P.) 15. Never Say Never Again (1983) -- 6.4 -- "Connery returns in a nonfranchise remake of Thunderball that features Klaus Maria Brandauer as a psycho villain but really misses the trademark theme." (F.G.) 16. Live and Let Die (1973) -- 6.2 -- "Moore's debut as Bond is a voodoo-infused mixed bag kept afloat by a strong villain played by Yaphet Kotto and neat stunt work on the Louisiana bayou." (N.C.) 17. Diamonds are Forever (1971) -- 5.6 -- "The script is flabbier than Connery. Largely miscast and incomprehensible, but undeniable fun. Music and sets are great." (L.P.) 18. Die Another Day (2002) -- 4.9 -- "The first half is gritty, intelligent and compelling. The second half is silly, indulgent and over-the-top." (M.S.) 19. Moonraker (1979) -- 4.8 -- "The Bond series heads into outer space, with laser gun battles and a zero-gravity script. Richard Kiel's Jaws pays homage to Wile E. Coyote." (F.G.) 20.The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) -- 4.6 -- "I love Christopher Lee opposite Moore's witty Bond. But the film lags in the middle, and Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight is absolutely horrible." (M.H.) 21. Casino Royale (1967) -- 4.1 -- "This mishmash has some really bad segments, but not all of it stinks. Woody Allen is a scream, and a brilliant Burt Bacharach score helps." (J.P.) 22. A View to a Kill (1985) -- 3.6 -- "How can you have Christopher Walken and make a movie this boring? His Bond parody on Saturday Night Live was far better than the film." (J.P.) BONDS 1. Sean Connery: From his first moments in Dr. No, he had a firm grasp of Bond creator Ian Fleming's concept. He became lazier later only when the series let him. 2. Timothy Dalton: He brought rough-edged looks, laser-sharp eyes and a welcome impatience. He gave the impression he would rather make war than love. 3. Pierce Brosnan: He straddled the line between Dalton's edge and Moore's charm. Too bad the PC changes never let him play the real Bond. 4. David Niven: In Casino Royale, he pretty much played what the original Bond would likely be in his mid-50s, if he had been allowed to age. 5. Roger Moore: He brought little threat and a rampant libido to a series of high-tech cartoons. Can anyone imagine Connery trading jabs with Jaws? 6. George Lazenby: He was a fashion model who took to 007 like a fish to land. Half of his performance, while posing as a genealogy expert, was dubbed by another actor. -- Frank Gabrenya BOND GIRLS 1. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman, Goldfinger ): Feisty, smart and clearly Bond's equal. After revealing her name, Bond remarks: "I must be dreaming." The viewer can't help but agree. 2. Tracy Di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg, On Her Majesty's Secret Service ): Being the only woman Bond truly loved gives Rigg a weight the others can't touch. 3. Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi, From Russia With Love ): Timid without being mousy and beautiful without being ditzy. 4. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress, Dr. No ): Women want that bikini; men want to see women wear that bikini -- even 44 years later. 5. Solitaire (Jane Seymour, Live and Let Die ): She doesn't quite do justice to Fleming's version, but Seymour brings a memorable beauty and elegance. -- Mandy Henning FIELD ALLIES 1. Felix Leiter (Bernie Casey, Never Say Never Again ): Several actors have played Leiter, but none compares with Casey. He's the one you'd want to have covering your back in combat. 2. Milos Columbo (Topol, For Your Eyes Only ): Carries his weight when the going gets tough, especially during the exciting warehouse raid. 3. Ali Kerim Bey (Pedro Armendariz, From Russia With Love ): Certainly one of the most amusing helpers, though a pig around women. 4. Q (Desmond Llewelyn, Octopussy ): Q comes to India and lends a hand. And let's face it, Q was always cool. 5. Mata Bond (Joanna Pettet, Casino Royale ): One of the few actors to escape Royale with her dignity intact, and an effective spy to boot. -- Jim Perine VILLAINS 1. Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe, Goldfinger ): Egomaniacal villain by which all Bond baddies are measured. Utters the line: "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die!" 2. Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya, From Russia With Love ): Creepy keeper of assassin Red Grant, lifting her above henchwoman status. Wears killer shoes. 3. Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi, Licence To Kill ): And not just because Davi is on the panel. Exuding equal parts menace and cool as a cocaine kingpin, he's almost more Bond than Bond. 4. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas, On Her Majesty's Secret Service ): Tops among Blofeld's many incarnations. Commits the most dastardly act of all: murdering Mrs. James Bond. 5. Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean, GoldenEye ): The traitorous 006 may not be as iconic as Dr. No, but his former friendship with Bond adds an intriguing personal twist. -- Nick Chordas HENCHMEN/ HENCHWOMEN 1. Red Grant (Robert Shaw, From Russia With Love ): The first "Bond equal." Almost more of a villain than a henchman. 2. Oddjob (Harold Sakata, Goldfinger ): The bowler-wearing "golf caddy" successfully walks the line between menace and humor. 3. Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi, Thunderball ): Vicious, capable and alluring. The perfect example of a "bad girl" cast firmly in the Fleming mold. 4. Jaws (Richard Kiel, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker ): Great menace and style in Spy. Too often the subject of humor in Moonraker. 5. Necros (Andreas Wisniewski, The Living Daylights ): Underrated but deadly assassin. -- Mark Schanely GADGETS 1. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger ): "The Most Famous Car in the World." Features an ejector seat, twin machine guns, oil-slick dispensers, revolving license plates, smoke screen and retractable bullet-proof shield. 2. Jet pack (Thunderball ): A real-life gadget designed for the U.S. military. "No well-dressed man should be without one." 3. Attache case (From Russia With Love): Includes a folding sniper rifle, throwing knives and a tear-gas canister disguised as a tin of talcum powder. 4. "Little Nellie" mini helicopter (You Only Live Twice): Actually an autogyro built by Wing Commander Ken Wallis, Little Nellie bristles with weapons. 5. Golden Gun (The Man With the Golden Gun): A cigarette case, lighter, pen and cuff link combine to create the weapon of the world's top assassin. -- Mark Clelland
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