Our staff decided to group together and come up with a list of the best films in the 007, James Bond franchise. With Spectre rolling out this weekend, we decided to republish the article. Let us know which is your favourite, and be sure to check out our review of Spectre here. #1: From Russia With …
With Spectre out in theaters, there has been no shortage of debate among Bond fans about where this entry lands in the series’ spectrum of quality, with some like PopOptiq’s own lead film critic J.R. Kinnard calling it “a glorious love letter to classic Bond”. To some this will sound like exactly what they want …
When naming the best and most influential actors who have portrayed James Bond, one might expect George Lazenby to pop up at the end of the list. After all, he only starred in a single film as the famous spy. However, Lazenby’s one entry, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), is now recognized as one …
Skyfall Directed by Sam Mendes Written by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade U.K./U.S.A., 2012 *Those sensitive to spoilers should be wary with the following article. Certain key story elements are revealed. Time and time again the legendary James Bond film franchise has learned to adapt and survive. Survival of the fittest, if you …
Casino Royale Directed by Martin Campbell Written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade & Paul Haggis United Kingdom, USA, Czech Republic, and Germany, 2006 For reasons that escape me consciously, I’ve never been caught up in the James Bond phenomenon. I understand why the series holds such an allure to so many people—fast cars, beautiful …
Not only is ‘Spectre’ Craig’s best Bond film, it’s the most definitive artistic statement on the super-spy since ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.’
Spectre Written by John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth Directed by Sam Mendes UK, 2015 “It’s just a matter of perspective,” says James Bond to evil mastermind Oberhausen as they discuss the difference between killing and dying, and this line best sums up how much an audience will enjoy Spectre, the latest – and quite …
Sure, there have been countless articles detailing the debonair men that portrayed the world’s most famous superspy in Ian Fleming’s creation of Agent 007 (a.k.a James Bond). And of course there have been many debates arguing who is considered the best Bond of them all (yes…I concur with the majority of the Sean Connery census …
Thursday morning from the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios, director Sam Mendes officially revealed the title of the 24th installment to the James Bond franchise: Spectre. The title comes from one of the Bond franchise’s long standing secret organizations, standing for “Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion.” Following Skyfall and Casino Royale, its …
Oplev’s vesion hesitates not a second in taking the same characters and the same plot and rewiring them, switching the focus from the investigation to central relationship. Fincher’s film is an adaptation that both on page and on-screen is a loyal and loving tribute to the book, a rarity with such efforts. The term remake, perversely, has never been more appropriate.
The idea of a Michael Bay film being open to interpretive scrutiny is, quite frankly, so fanciful that it practically defies the laws of our known universe. As his champions are so fond of adamantly stating, his flicks are popcorn movies designed purely for entertainment and occasional pre-pubescent escapist wish fulfillment. But it is a …
This article is dedicated to Andrew Copp: filmmaker, film writer, artist and close friend who passed away on January 19, 2013. You are loved and missed, brother. **** Looking at the Best Actor Academy Award nominations for the film year 2012, the one miss that clearly cries out for more attention is Liam Neeson’s powerful …
The common consensus surrounding Quantum of Solace, especially in the wake of the vastly better-received Skyfall, is that it was the sort of unmitigated misfire that necessitated a full-on reboot. (Nevermind that the delay between films was more or less entirely to do with MGM’s financial woes.) After the success of Casino Royale, the series’ …
Public confession time: I am a bit of a geek. I obsess over punctuation and fuss over math. In fact, in the part of my job that pays the bills (because acting as Festival Director for the YoungCuts Film Festival is more a labor of love) I just celebrated the 2 year anniversary of a …
It is important, in any series, that an instalment does not forget where it came from, but in Skyfall’s attempts to celebrate its roots, does it ultimately undermine them? The title theme sounds quintessentially Bond, a custom absent in the last three films, for better or worse. It is also the first of the Daniel …
Quantum of Solace Written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade Directed by Marc Forster UK, 2008 On the Mousterpiece Cinema podcast, Josh and I frequently joke about our “Island Films” by which we don’t mean the films that we would hypothetically take to a desert island, but the films that we are alone on an island in …
The tradition of iconic songs accompanying the release of every movie in the Bond franchise is a tradition as old as the franchise itself, gaining its own level of importance over the years. Performers such as Tom Jones, Chris Cornell, Madonna, Tina Turner, Carly Simon, A-Ha, Louis Armstrong, and Paul McCartney have performed songs for …
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn Written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish Directed by Steven Spielberg USA/New Zealand, 2011 A point of controversy regarding Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin is the issue of whether or not, due to its heavy motion capture leanings, one should classify it as an …
Escaping the shackles of bankruptcy, the Bond franchise has managed to see the light of day with a film green-lit for 2012, provisionally titled Bond 23. After a critically disappointing sequel (Quantum of Solace), Sam Mendes (American Beauty) has been officially announced to direct new life into Bond’s world of espionage. This will not be …
Producer Scott Rudin and director David Fincher are taking steps in finalizing the principal cast for the Hollywood remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The recent acquisition of gems Robin Wright (formerly Penn) as Erika Berger, and Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard as Martin Vanger to the team, has given rise to hope for …