James Bond: Connery & Lazenby

Sometime in the last 2 years my partner and I made the decision to watch all of the James Bond movies in order. About a month after we decided to do this we'd watched 4... and we just started again a couple of weeks ago! So what we didn't finish 2 years ago we're going to stick with now. Which doesn't necessarily mean we'll be watching them all in a week. Here's my thoughts on the series so far, after we've watched all of the (official) Sean Connery movies, and the George Lazenby one too.

Dr. No (1962)
From Russia With Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
As I noted above, it's some time since we actually watched these four, the movies that started the Bond franchise, and so I can't remember everything about them. Dr. No was a good, solid film, though a bit slow in parts, and didn't really fit the typical 'Bond' template, but it was enjoyable all the same. From Russia With Love upped the action and was a much better film, although the plot took some concentration! And Goldfinger will always be a classic - so many of the elements of the series are put together so well, and the movie seemed to be a bit more relaxed, and funnier with it. What can I remember about Thunderball after many months? It was an underwater one? Anything else is a bit of a blank, so clearly the film made a great impression. 

You Only Live Twice (1967)
I saw the Bond movies many years ago on video, and I remember bits from each, but I always remembered this one as the one where they try to make James Bond into a Japanese samurai...  Despite the dodgy racially stereotyping (and it's not the first or last time Bond could be described as not policitally corrected) and the sometimes boring lead up to get 007 into Blofeld's volcanic lair You Only Live Twice is quite fun.  

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
I'm a big fan of this one, and not 'despite' George Lazenby, but perhaps more 'because' of him. I know it's almost sacriligeous, but there's always been something about Sean Connery's Bond I've not warmed too - maybe it's because he's a product of the '60's and his womanising ways that don't sit well with me, but whatever it is I've always preferred (whisper it) Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. Although Lazenby wouldn't win any awards for his acting in OHMSS I think he is fortunate enough to have an excellent leading lady in Diana Rigg, and an excellent adventure to take part in. The first hour or so is a slow build to all the action in the final hour, but it gives the story chance to breathe, and allows Bond to fall in love with Rigg's Tracy. Bond is a lot less of a cartoon hero in this film, and it feels more 'realistic' - especially since there's a lack of ludicrous gadgets on show. There are some great action sequences, mostly taking place on skis, bob sleds, and any other snowy transportation. Telly Savalas' Blofeld is interesting, but I did wonder why he didn't recognise Bond since the two characters met in You Only Live Twice... What makes the film is *that* ending. The one you don't see coming, just as Bond himself doesn't. In 007's final words, we are provided with the title of Louis Armstrong's excellent theme song, and a lump in the throat as Lazenby cradles his dead wife: 'We have all the time in the world'.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Watching Connery's return to the series 9 days after OHMSS makes for an interesting experience, and it's not a good one. The emotion and general grown up nature of OHMSS feels like it came from a different series altogether next to this over the top misfire. In a later movie, Roger Moore's Bond lays flowers on his wife's grave, showing that although the actor has changed, the events in Bond's life have not been forgotton or disregarded (until the Daniel Craig reboot of course), so to see Connery cracking wise and casually going back to his womanising ways is a real jolt. According to imdb's trivia section, it was originally intended to kill Tracy off in Diamonds, but it was decided to keep the death in OHMSS as it was true to the original book - it's inconceivable to consider how such an emotional punch would have gone down next to Diamonds' gay henchmen and redundant Bambi and Thumper fighting girls. Maybe the film would work better on its own, away from the stronger predecessor, but I doubt it. Connery seemed too cocky in this story, and while I criticised OHMSS for slow plotting in the first hour, this movie throws far too much at you. By the end I was a bit bored - there were no exciting action sequences to rival the previous entries in the series - a chase on a moon buggy was farcical rather than thrilling. The plot itself, when I could pick it out from set piece after set piece, seemed to be a solid one, but it took second fiddle to Connery's smug grin (probably thinking about the pay packet that tempted him back). There were some great displays of the Bondian wit we've come to expect though. My favourite was Bond's comment to Tiffany Case: 'That's quite a nice little nothing you're almost wearing'.