142. Spectre

I enjoyed Spectre. I'd go as far to say it's very, very good. It is similar to Skyfall in that Bond is planted firmly on planet earth and while this adds to the whole grounded feel of the film it is also it's biggest failing.

Spectre lacks spectacle. The big action set pieces in the final third, while exciting, feel a bit by the numbers and are not as inventive as I would have hoped and Christoph Waltz is utterly wasted in what should have been a classic Bond villain.

That said I'm off to see it again at the weekend. GO JIMMY!!!

131. Captain America - The Winter Soldier

Epic marvel fun that is more James Bond than Iron Man. Does the right thing in putting boring old Cap in with a load of other characters to serve up the best bond film since Skyfall!

79. Goldfinger

James Bond and Gold. All the best Bonds have it in the title and this is no exception!

54. From Russia With Love

From Russia with Love is the first Bond movie to really establish 'the formula' of the many Bond films to follow and is a full on Bond caper from start to finish!

The pre-credits sequence, the introduction of Q, a proper theme tune and for the first time featuring some spectacular action sequences. A classic henchman turn from Robert Shaw and this really has whetted, my already considerably moist, appetite for the rest of the Bond 50 box set.

Onward!

53. Dr. No

After being lucky enough to receive the Bond 50 set on Blu-ray for Christmas I thought the least I could do was to work my way through them all. So here goes...

What needs to be said about Dr. No? Well it's the start of the greatest movie franchise ever and its as slick and engaging as many contemporary spy yarns. The one thing that really stands out is the Blu-ray print. This looks like a movie made today and set in the 60's - the image is crystal clear and the colour range is gorgeous.

The same however, cannot be said for the sound mix. The score sounds screeching high compared to everything else; although this may be optimised for surround set ups, which is something I don't currently own. Maybe I'll ask for that next Christmas...

50. Skyfall

Fifty Years of Bond and it all leads to number 50 on the blog and Skyfall. Can the series pick up from the pretty abysmal Quantum of Solace? Well yes, it does but after that movie, the only way is up.

It's a good solid Bond from start to finish and certainly Shit Bond's best. Not the greatest Bond (Man With Golden Gun, Goldeneye or Goldfinger for me) but very much a return to form with all the ingredients present and correct for a top quality caper.

I would say the only thing it lacks is a full on Bond girl - but the fan boy lip service is all very well received, especially when the DB5 makes an appearance...

Once they get the wise cracks back in, the series will be pretty much back to its best!

29. Diamonds Are Forever

The 7th and final Bond Film for Sean Connery is still a cracker.

It delivers on all the Bond notables; Head cracking violence (pretty poorly shot in places) car chases (a quality run through Las Vegas in the Mustang) babes (Lana Wood's Plenty O'Toole especially) gadgets (guaranteed Casino wins for Q) an amazing soundtrack (take a bow the legendary John Barry) some top quality villains (Blofeld, plus the excellent psycho double act Mr. Kidd & Mr. Wint) and of course the quips:

Plenty O'Toole: Hi, I'm Plenty.
James Bond: But of course you are.
Plenty O'Toole: Plenty O'Toole.
James Bond: Named after your father perhaps? 

Braziliant!!