Dr. No is the first film in the long running James Bond 007 franchise. In this film we are introduced to James Bond, a British secret agent with a license to kill. When an agent named John Strangways and his secretary are killed while stationed in Jamaica, Bond is sent there to investigate. He meets up with a CIA agent named Felix Leiter who helps him in his investigation, which leads them to a small island owned by a mysterious man named Dr. No. Bond suspects that Dr. No's activities on the island are criminal and may have something to do with the Strangways' disappearance. He and a local fisherman named Quarrel take a boat to Dr. No's island where they come across a local girl named Honey Ryder. They are captured and taken to Dr. No's lair, where Dr. No reveals he is working for SPECTRE, an organization bent on world domination. Now it's up to Bond to stop Dr. No in his tracks.
When you watch this film, it seems so simple compared to what the series turned into down the line. This movie, while not my favourite Bond film, is a prime example of what a James Bond film should be. Bond doesn't use any gadgets in this film at all. He relies on his skill and his intelligence to get the mission done. Sean Connery plays the role perfectly, giving us a James Bond that has a sense of humour, but not too over the top with ridiculous one liners, and at the same time completely ruthless and deadly serious about his job. The film plays more on the espionage side of Bond's work rather than taking up too much time with ridiculous action sequences, and when the fight scenes and the climatic final action sequence do happen, they're exciting and not too over the top. One of my favourite moments in this film is when James Bond is sitting in a chair and he shoots a would be assassin twice, without any expression on his face. To me this says everything about who James Bond is and how he does his job.
Now, I have to admit that even though I praise this film for being more about the espionage and less about the action, I do feel there could be more of a balance. If you're not in the mood this film can drag a little bit. I got 40 minutes into the movie and felt like it had to be halfway through, even though I was enjoying it. Also, Dr. No isn't the best Bond villain. He may have robotic hands capable of crushing a bronze statuette, but his first appearance isn't as menacing as it could be, his plan isn't really explained that well and his motives are weak, and his end is a little anti-climatic. All in all this is a good start to a franchise that would have its ups and downs over the years.
8/10
When you watch this film, it seems so simple compared to what the series turned into down the line. This movie, while not my favourite Bond film, is a prime example of what a James Bond film should be. Bond doesn't use any gadgets in this film at all. He relies on his skill and his intelligence to get the mission done. Sean Connery plays the role perfectly, giving us a James Bond that has a sense of humour, but not too over the top with ridiculous one liners, and at the same time completely ruthless and deadly serious about his job. The film plays more on the espionage side of Bond's work rather than taking up too much time with ridiculous action sequences, and when the fight scenes and the climatic final action sequence do happen, they're exciting and not too over the top. One of my favourite moments in this film is when James Bond is sitting in a chair and he shoots a would be assassin twice, without any expression on his face. To me this says everything about who James Bond is and how he does his job.
Now, I have to admit that even though I praise this film for being more about the espionage and less about the action, I do feel there could be more of a balance. If you're not in the mood this film can drag a little bit. I got 40 minutes into the movie and felt like it had to be halfway through, even though I was enjoying it. Also, Dr. No isn't the best Bond villain. He may have robotic hands capable of crushing a bronze statuette, but his first appearance isn't as menacing as it could be, his plan isn't really explained that well and his motives are weak, and his end is a little anti-climatic. All in all this is a good start to a franchise that would have its ups and downs over the years.
8/10